June has been such a great start to our summer. We’ve done Vacation Bible School, swim team, lemonade stands, lots of meals outside, and more. It’s been busy, but so much fun. I felt as if last month was about prepping for summer and this month was more about enjoying it! Here is our life lately June and what we have been up to.
Books I’ve Read
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt– Tova has been working at the aquarium after her husband died as a way to keep busy. Marcellus, the octopus at the aquarium forms a sort of friendship with her. This friendship will change both of their lives. I listened to this on audible, and the narrator for the octopus was the best! It was such an uplifting book. 5/5
- The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn-Anthony Bridgerton has finally decided to marry. And he wants the younger sister of Kate Sheffield. Too bad she is set against the match. I actually think I liked this more than the series. Although they did a fantastic job of building up the tension in the series. 4/5
- An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn– Sophie Beckett sneaks into a ball and meets Benedict Bridgerton, but he never sees her face or learns her name. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. This Cinderella tale was engaging and fun to listen to. I can’t wait to see how they interpret it for the series. 4/5
- This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger– In 1932, four orphans journey from Minnesota’s Lincoln Indian Training School heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own. I loved this coming-of-age tale and really enjoyed each character’s journey. 5/5
- Black Heart by Anna-Lou Weatherley– It begins with a death made to look like a suicide in a hotel room. But a mysterious bear is left at the scene. And that is just the beginning. This mystery was interesting enough for a summer read. It’s the first in a series and I’m undecided about whether I’ll continue with it. The plot seemed a bit unoriginal. 3/5
- The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian– When Ada winds up back at home in the trace with her abusive father after running away with a boy, she knows there will be hell to pay. Matilda, from the other side of the trace, saves Ada from one of her father’s rages by killing him. The two girls form a tenuous bond to survive. I loved Matilda, but thought Ada was a bit too ignorant of the world to be believable. It was still a good story of survival and grit. 3.5/5
Products I’ve Tried
- Vegamour Gro and Repair Kit– Have you heard of Vegamour before? It is a 100% vegan, cruelty free, safe products for achieving thicker, fuller hair. Their products are free of sulfates, parabens, silicones, gluten and artificial fragrance. I have been blessed with fairly thick hair my entire life, but it’s starting to feel thinner since I had Aveline. I tried out the Gro Essentials Kit for the past month. It contains the GRO Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner, Hair Gro serum, and the Deep Moisturizer Repair Mask. The shampoo and conditioner are amazing! They smell like that very popular candle from a certain store that rhymes with Shanthropologie. 😉 So yes, my hair smells like that now. That alone may be worth it. But what is even better is that after a month of use, my hair feels much thicker, softer, and I’m noticing fair less shedding when I wash it. The daily Hair Gro serum is easy to use and doesn’t make my hair greasy at all. I’m hoping I see a bit of growth by my temples where I’ve noticed the most thinning. After 3 months, I’m hoping to update you all!
- Beekman– I’ve been using Beekman Milk Drops Ceramide Serum and lotion for just over a month now. Of the two products, the serum is my favorite. It’s a nourishing blend of essential ceramides, squalane, hyaluronic acid, and plant enzymes that help to support and strengthen the skin barrier for a radiant complexion. The serum restores skin’s healthy hydration for a more youthful appearance. It also helps to control oily skin, clears pores, and balances discoloration while boosting the appearance of skin health and fighting dullness. When I use it, my skin appears more radiant and brightened and feels more hydrated.
- Pwr Lift Protein Drinks– This is the best protein drink I’ve tried. It’s fruity, has no sugar, low in calories and taste good! No grit! It has electrolytes, too. I prefer it on the really hot days when I go for a run to help me refuel and recover.
- Ouidad Styling Products- I was sent the Refreshing Spray and Styling Cream to try out. My curls came out so defined and soft! Normally I’m constantly battling frizz, but I was really pleased. There was little to no learning curve with these products. I used the Refreshing Spray on soaking wet hair then used the raking method with the styling cream and followed with a bit of gel and scrunched before diffusing it dry.
- Dermafirm Age Reviving Firming Cream– I actually got this a few months back to try. It took me a while to try it because I wanted to finish a different product first. I’m about halfway done with this one. There are many positive aspects to this moisturizer. It’s VERY lightweight making it perfect for summer. I apply it at night and before my SPF each morning. Since it is so lightweight it absorbs really nicely into the skin. My skin looks more radiant when I use this and definitely more moisturized! It’s a pretty good price point as well.
Recipes I’ve Made
- Crumbl Churro Copycat Cookies– So far, these are probably our favorite of all the different recipes I’ve tried. They turned out perfectly and taste so good!
- Crumbl Chocolate Oreo Copycat Cookies– These are also very good, although I couldn’t find black cocoa powder and had to use regular. I would not recommend double stuff cookies in the recipe because it is too much extra fat and the cookies flatten out a bit. These make awesome whoopie pies, too.
- Key Lime Pie Copycat Crumbl Cookie– The cookies are delicious. I found the lime filling to be too runny though. Next time I’d decrease the condensed milk by 1/2. We used it as a dip instead.
- Orange Poppyseed Cake– This was time intensive with the curd, cake, and frosting from scratch. Worth it though!
- Greek-Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes– I made sweet potatoes in one slow cooker and chicken in another. We had these after a late night swim meet. They were easy, tasty, and pretty healthy!
- Sweet Chili Turkey Meatballs– We all loved these. They were so tasty and not too spicy. It would be easy to add in vegetables like bell peppers, snow peas, and broccoli, with rice to extend the meal, too. If I did that, I would make extra sauce though.
- Pudgy Pie Tacos– We tried these the other night with some pulled pork and other taco fillings. They were a hit!
Currently
- Loving- I’m loving that we just got some tickets to see The High Kings next month. Matt got me interested and listening to traditional Irish music. One of our favorite bands is The High Kings. They are playing nearby in July and we are going with the girls. They love the band, too and can’t wait!
- Savoring- The entire family has been savoring all of the Crumbl cookie copycat recipes I’ve been trying out. So far I’ve tried sugar cookie, chocolate chip, cosmic brownie, heath, oreo, key lime, and churro. Our favorite is the churro, but they’ve all been good!
- Celebrating- We’ve been celebrating all the swim goals and little victories lately. Swim meets are lots of fun and bring the girls a lot of joy and excitement.
- Remembering- I’m fondly remembering 17 years ago this Friday when I walked down the aisle. I can’t believe it’s been so long, but that is what happens when you get married young! Haha! In all honesty, I love remembering this special day and celebrating it with my bestie each year.
- Trying- I recently got my DNA test results through Circle DNA. It was focused on health and it said I would be best on a low carb diet. I do feel better when I eat less carbs so I’m trying to incorporate more protein in lieu of processed carbohydrates.
- Family Update
- Avie- Avie has started off her summer with a bang! She loved doing Vacation Bible School with a friend. Then the next week she was able to go to Safety Town, too. Avie has made a lot of progress with swimming. She has dropped time each meet and works hard during practices. She is so motivated! I think seeing her big sister has a lot to do with that.
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- Claire- I’m so proud of the progress Claire has made in swimming! She is diving off the blocks, her streamline looks fantastic, and she is more confident in her flip turns. Most importantly, she is loving it and motivated to try harder.
- Me– Life lately this June has had me with running back and forth to the pool with swim practice, but trying to fit in time for me. I did a 10K last weekend. Started out well, but the humidity got to me just over halfway through. You win some, you lose some! I am hoping to try a 5K next month since I can seem to get through 3 miles with my goal pace without being too affected. Fingers crossed!
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- Matt– Matt has been rocking the swim meets as a judge. He has been really enjoying seeing both girls swim competitively. Matt was able to get a new car this month that is was excited about, too. It’s been a while since he got a new car and it was time!
Avie taught her cousin to do her ‘signature pose’
JUNE GOALS Recap
- Repair marble countertop- I did some research and I think I know what I need, but haven’t ordered it yet.
- Book some activities for our trip- We didn’t get a chance to do this yet.
- Finish Avie’s registration– Done!
- Clean out clothes– Sort of done. I had a free garage sale and it was pretty fun!
July Goals
- Plan out activities for Ireland- We’d like to get a plan in place for Ireland and make some reservations.
- Go berry picking or to zoo– I’m hoping to have a fun day with the kids and take them to the zoo or strawberry picking very soon.
- Do something for myself– Shopping, pedicure, whatever. I would love to have an afternoon for myself.
- Work on PTA website– I said I would help out with our school’s PTA website and have a few updates and changes I’d like to make.
LINKING UP WITH WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY, OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS, FIRST FRIDAY FINDS
