Friday Favorites {Summer Edition!}
Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, spending time in gratitude for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so we may possess the freedom we enjoy today. I also hope you created lots of happy memories with friends and family! For many, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, so I thought I'd share with you some of my all-time summer favorites!
[1] Vacation Bible School (VBS). You guys, VBS programs are a total win-win-win. Our children have a blast, their faith and relationship with Jesus are deepened, AND Dan and I get an (almost) date night. ("Almost" because Thedorbs is still too young for the programs, so he still tags along with us.) Umm, sign us up!! If you're local, be sure to check out one of our family's favorite programs at Cross Walk Church. (See THIS POST for a recap of last year's amazing program!) Click HERE to register!
[2] Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. My kiddos are fair, fair, FAIR, and both my husband's and my families have histories of skin cancer. Therefore, I coat my children with a good layer of sunscreen before we spend a lot of time outdoors. I've tried many different kinds of sunscreen, but my very favorite is Blue Lizard. It's effective, rubs in well, and scores extremely well in terms of safety. (We'll pass on the gross chemicals, thankyouverymuch.)
[3] Self-tanner. In addition to being diligent about applying sunscreen on my children, I also make sure to protect my own skin. Consequently, my skin stays pretty snowy, even during the summer months. When I think of it, I apply self-tanner to my face, arms, and legs. It looks like they no longer make my favorite face tanner (say it ain't so!), but I love THIS ONE for my limbs.
[4] Summer uniform. The three Rs for summer are rest, relax, and recharge. I do not want to stress about what I'm wearing every day. Thus, the summer uniform. Depending on the temperature, you'll find me in a combination of the following:
* T-shirt or tank top (the perfect tee and this super-flattering tank)
* Shorts (linen or denim)
With the exception of the denim, I have all of these pieces in black and white. I just mix and match throughout the summer!
[5] Books! While you're poolside, beachside, or (let's be real) trying to grab a few peaceful moments to yourself while your toddler naps, you'll want a good book to read. I recently read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and ADORED it.
From the publisher:
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
My favorite passage:
I'll tell you what is convenient," he said, after a moment. "To sleep until noon and have someone bring you your breakfast on a tray. To cancel an appointment at the very last minute. To keep a carriage waiting at the door of one party, so that on a moment's notice it can whisk you away to another. To sidestep marriage in your youth and put off having children altogether. These are the greatest of conveniences, Anushka--and at one time, I had them all. But in the end, it has been the inconveniences that have mattered to me the most."
Count Alexander Rostov (p. 352)
Ach, it's SO GOOD! You need to pick this one up yesterday. 😉
[6] Books for the kiddos! You're going to want something to listen to while you shuttle the children to and from swim lessons and those awesome VBS programs! My boys LOVE The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood. I'm linking the paperback, but I highly recommend purchasing the audiobook (if you have a subscription to Audible) or borrowing the CDs from your local library. The audio version is performed by Katherine Kellgren, and her acting is phenomenal. Truly, this might be the most brilliant performance of an audiobook I've ever heard.
From the publisher:
Discovered in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children. Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. A recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must eliminate their canine tendencies.
But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to civilize the Incorrigibles in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?
[7] Unit studies. Homeschooling mamas, summer is the perfect opportunity for you to do those fun unit studies that you meant to do during the school year but were crowded out due to other priorities. Ahem. I've had this Butterfly Garden with Live Cup of Caterpillars & Feeding Habitat Kit in my basement for years. (Don't worry, I never sent away for the caterpillars, so no insects have been neglected.) I'm going to order the caterpillars soon, and then we'll watch them transform into butterflies!
I feel kind of strange giving you only seven summer favorites... I'd love to make it a round number, like five or ten. Let's just pretend that this is intentional, so I can alliteratively title my post: Seven Summer Selections. Do you think I can get away with that?!
Happy summer, friends!
XOXO,
Kristin
