We’ll be celebrating all the June birthdays in my family (my dad, sister and Ryder), enjoying lots of time out on the lake and just soaking up time together. Bring it on! I am sure I’ll have family fun to share on the blog with you guys next week but I may also be a little spotty with my blogging as I try my best to soak up family time. I’ll check in when I can and hope you all have a great weekend and, for my American friends, have a fantastic Fourth of July!
Things I’m Loving Friday
I ended up leaving my computer at home and completely disconnected last weekend which was so, so wonderful. I spent a few days in the mountains with four friends I first met nearly eight years ago when we all had our first babies. They are women I connected with as first-time mothers and we formed a small group together which truly carried me through some of the most painful times of my life. Our friendship has only grown since then and having a couple of days together to talk, hike, connect and laugh was so wonderful!
Ever since we moved into our new home, Ryan and I have been on the hunt for some kind of a tall furniture piece to put on the wall that transitions from our kitchen to our living room. An old changing table I found at Goodwill when I was pregnant with Rhett previously occupied this space and while it was functional for a while, now that we’re several weeks into potty training, I’m feeling confident enough to donate it. This only served as further motivation to look for something for this space and when I saw @laura.loves.it share this cane cabinet (in black) on Instagram, I clicked her link and was so psyched because the price point was great and it came in a wood finish, too! I added two to my cart figuring if they didn’t work on that wall, we had two other spaces in our home where they may work as well.
The cabinets came together quickly (Ryder was my little furniture-building helper again) and I love them even more in person. Based on the photos online I was a little worried the finish might trend orangey but it’s a beautiful light wood finish and I love the way they look paired together.
-
Our First Haul from Our First Garden
Oh happy day! The garden we planted on Mother’s Day a little more than a month ago continues to blow me away! We were all initially just thrilled to see little plants sprouting in our garden boxes but something incredible happened this week — we noticed zucchini and yellow squash big enough to harvest! What!?!
This is all kind of blowing me away because I kill basically every plant I bring inside our home and our outdoor garden has felt like one giant experiment. Thanks to a lot of your tips and guidance from the people at Pike’s Nurseries, we’ve had success so far this summer and it is just the coolest. The boys are SO into it and check on our garden daily. They were so thrilled to pick giant zucchini off the vines this week and we’re already brainstorming lots of zucchini dishes to make with our first haul!
(The boys’ pajamas are the same super-soft Amazon jammies they wore last summer. The fabric is lightweight and crazy comfy and I sized up so they’ve been able to wear them for two back-to-back summers.)
Also, gardeners help me out: What do you call a bunch of veggies you grow in your garden? A haul? A crop? A harvest? I know nothing.
My rating: C
Well, it happened. After absolutely loving almost every Christina Lauren novel I’ve read so far, I read Something Wilder and was, to put it simply, not a fan. I found the plotline completely unbelievable (and that’s coming from someone who usually doesn’t have a hard time suspending reality for the sake of enjoying a novel) and didn’t really feel invested in any of the characters. It’s a book I truly could’ve stopped reading at anytime but powered through mostly because I had it available on my Kindle and as an audiobook through my library so it was a very quick read since I was double-dippig. I say all this to say I’m still a fan of Christina Lauren but if you haven’t read and of this author-team’s books, I’d skip this one in favor of one of their other slam-dunk breezy beach reads.
Something Wilder follows present-day Lily Wilder and Luke Grady, a pair who met and fell in love a decade ago when Luke came to work on the Wilder family ranch. After a miscommunication leaves them brokenhearted and devastated, they’re shocked when they find themselves face-to-face again after Luke’s friend plans a trip out west for their annual guys’ trip.
In Lily and Luke’s years apart, Lily and her friend Nicole began leading groups on scavenger-hunt inspired desert tours inspired by her famed treasure-hunter father, Duke Wilder. As Luke and his friends set out on one of her tours, Lily and Luke are forced to confront their past and their future which takes a dark turn when a member of their tour group turns out to be less than trustworthy all in the name of treasure which may or may not exist.
-
Fourth of July Weekend Sales
Sharing a few Fourth of July weekend sales for anyone hoping to do a little shopping and take advantage of some savings over the next few days!
Simple Summer Pasta Salad (A summertime cookout staple in our house!)
Paleo Chicken Thigh Marinade (If you are hosting a Fourth of July cookout add these chicken thighs to your must-make list. I promise they’ll be a hit!!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you’re loving this week?
