The month of June was (ironically) one of the busiest months in our family’s history!
Not only did we have multiple end-of-year parties, picnics, field trips, and other activities for EACH child (all of which required parent chaperones, treats, gifts, etc.), we also let our kids sign up for multiple camps that all just so happened to land in June!
Dave and I were taxi drivers all month long — often with both of us driving different kids at the same time!
Here’s what June looked like for us:
- 3 field trips
- 3 class parties/picnics
- 3 kids in art camps
- 2 dodgeball tournaments
- 2 kids in basketball camps
- 2 kids in swimming lessons
- 2 kids at “camp crazy fun”
- 2 kids taking piano lessons
- 1 weekly Bible study
- 1 weekly book club
- 1 friend visiting for a week
- 1 birthday
- 1 anniversary
- 1 Father’s Day party
- 1 staff party
- and a whole slew of friends, relatives, and neighbors dropping by to swim on a daily basis
It was a fun and crazy month… but we are definitely looking forward to the remaining weeks of the summer being a bit more relaxing!
The fact that our entire family is able to enjoy the vast majority of summer together AT HOME is still one of my favorite things… I’m sharing more favorites below!
FAVORITE MOMENT = Snacks by the pool
Over the summer months, we often eat lunch on the early side and dinner on the later side… which requires a hearty afternoon snack for all children (and friends).
I usually prepare a variety of snacks to enjoy by the pool every afternoon — something salty, something sweet, a fruit, a veggie, a protein, and often an extra special treat (like patriotic sour patch kids this past weekend).
We are a big “snack family” so this is one of our favorite things about summer.
It’s just one of the many simple ways I “upgrade the everyday”.
FAVORITE ROUTINE = Sleeping In
As much as I love those quiet early morning hours, it has been nice to sleep in quite a bit this summer — especially since our children FINALLY grasp the concept of sleeping in too!
Even Nora, our notoriously poor sleeper, said to me last week “It’s weird, but I’m actually starting to like sleeping… I don’t just lay there anymore, waiting for the time I can get out of bed.”
Wow — it only took 10.5 years, but we finally have kids who are willing to sleep in ever so slightly. 🤗
RELATED READING: How we finally got Nora to sleep.
PAST FAVORITE = Burley Bike Trailer
We officially sold one of our favorite “baby” things last week… our Burley D’lite double bike trailer/stroller.
Man, I loved that thing!
We had sold off all our other baby/toddler gear 2 years ago, but we held onto the Burley because it was so multi-functional. It was a bike trailer, a double stroller, a jogging stroller, a huge cargo carrier, and just really fun for the kids to play with in the driveway.
We got SO much use out of the Burley… I was almost sad to see it go. But I know the new owners will put it to good use (she is pregnant with her 2nd) and now we have lots of extra room in our garage!
The Burley is definitely an investment, but if you enjoy being active outside and have multiple children very close in age, it could be a great option for your family.
RELATED READING: How to clean strollers and bike trailers.
FAVORITE CLOTHING = Long Torso Swimwear
A few months ago, I mentioned that our family buys almost exclusively Land’s End swimwear because it’s high quality, lasts for a long time, and the colors all coordinate.
I always buy the previous year’s clearance suits in March/April… and this year, I snagged 2 long-torso tankini tops for myself for roughly $12 each (one navy, one black).
These tops fit me so well and are extremely comfortable. I can’t find my tops on their site anymore, but they have many other options.
RELATED READING: My favorite long-torso swimwear solutions.
FAVORITE BOOK = The Lazy Genius Way
If you’d enjoy reading the ideas on my blog condensed down into a 13-chapter book (with lots of humorous sarcasm), I highly recommend The Lazy Genius Way.
Despite the fact that I dislike the word “lazy”, the rest of the words in Kendra’s book are almost identical to the thoughts in my head each day (many of which I’ve shared here on the blog).
For example, she shares how she sorts laundry by where it goes in her house (not by color or fabric) — I’ve been preaching this for years!
She also writes about the importance of “starting small” and making one tiny change that will eventually morph over time to create many more lasting changes — I’ve been doing this since 2013.
And, she’s a huge advocate for creating routines that help you “decide once” and save time, stress, and energy.
Basically, if I were funnier and had more desire to write a book, I could have written almost every word of this one!
All that to say, if you enjoy my blog, you’ll probably love this book too!
READ THE BOOK: The Lazy Genius Way
FAVORITE Seasonal Item = Galvanized Planters
I feel like I’ve finally “found my groove” when it comes to planting annuals and other seasonal planters around our home… I stick with ferns, red geraniums, and wave petunias, all mostly in patriotic colors and all in rustic galvanized metal planters.
I’ve found 3 or 4 different antique washtubs at various thrift stores, antique stores, or on Facebook Marketplace, and I had a couple of round galvanized bins and watering cans from years ago.
I put them all to use this year and am loving how everything turned out!
FAVORITE RECIPE = 10 Layer Ice Cream Dessert
Yeah, I know it sounds fancy… but it’s SOOOO easy to make.
Just layer ice cream sandwiches with chocolate ice cream and top with whipped cream and crushed Oreos (or any other cookie/candy).
GET THE RECIPE: 10-Layer Ice-Cream Dessert.
FAVORITE ARCHIVED POST = Make it easier to start!
During the hot summer months, I often find it easy to procrastinate on… well…. just about everything! (Can anyone else relate?)
Thankfully, when feelings of procrastination bubble up inside of me, I know that the “solution” for me is so simple — I just make it really easy to start.
For example, if I have a painting project to tackle, I’ll get out all my supplies the night before and have the area taped off and “prepped” in advance. When I wake up the next morning, I just need to open the paint container and get started.
Similarly, I gather all the laundry the night before and have the first load in the washing machine, ready to turn on whenever I wake up (or set the delay start if the timing will work out).
Or if you plan to work at your computer after lunch, have your desk cleaned off, your water bottle filled up, and your to-do list ready to go before lunch.
It’s a simple concept, but it really does help to reduce procrastination.
Read the full posts here.
That’s it for me this month.
If you’re interested, you can scroll through ALL my Favorite Things posts HERE!
Jane Austin says
I love your weekly emails and all your ideas. They are great. I was wondering on your galvanized pots for flowers, did you need to drill drain holes and how often do you water them? I love the look of your red, white and blue flowers.
Andrea says
Hey there — yes, I did punch holes in the bottom of the mental bins if they didn’t have holes already. The “sinks” already had a drain in the bottom — so that works well for drainage.
I suppose my watering frequency depends on the rain — this summer, we’ve had almost zero rain so we’ve been watering them well every other day.
Rhonda says
Thanks for the book recommendation! I’m going to check it out.
Andrea says
You’re welcome — hope you enjoy it! I laughed my way through the book realizing how similar this complete stranger was to me!
Chris says
Have a wonderful anniversary! (and summer!)
Andrea says
Thanks Chris — so far, so good!
Leanne says
I am 51 years old…and I’ve never sorted my laundry that way…. BUT I WILL NOW…especially, since I went back to being an oncology nurse, but still have all these guys in my home who need their stinky clothes taken care of (they have to put it away, but I always put it in their room!)
Also, Lands End swim suits are amazing! I hope the rest of your summer is wonderful!!
Andrea says
haha — so glad to give you a few new tips you haven’t tried yet. I think there are ALWAYS more ways to simplify laundry 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Kanto McPherson says
My new favorite thing is the “SoapStandle” Bar soap grip (https://www.amazon.com/SoapStandle-Handle-Stand-Product-Replaces/dp/B079MCRPCR/ref=sr_1_3?crid=13PNUHH24EKQ9&keywords=soapstandle&qid=1657173684&sprefix=soapstandle%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-3) . No more messy, goopy homemade bars of soap on your counter! It allows the soap to dry completely and saves your bar from diminishing so fast.
Andrea says
Thanks for sharing this!
Liz says
Hi Andrea! Great post! My nine year old also loves your posts! Haha!
Do you have a new pool and deck? I remember seeing something about it but can’t find the post. No worries if you didn’t share this on your blog! I was just curious and nosy!
Andrea says
Hey Liz (and 9 year old!!)
Yes, we got a new pool in 2020 and built the deck last year. I shared some pictures in this post.
I’ll update it more this fall as we’ve added onto the deck and changed a few things around 🙂
Cary J Ownby says
I really LOVE reading your posts! You have so many easy to accomplish ideas! I want to TRY them ALL!
P.S. The first will be the layered ice cream dessert I just printed! Happy July!!
Andrea says
haha — thanks Cary!
The ice cream cake is a winner, for sure!
Ale says
I’ve taken your “start small” philosophy to heart and recently used it to finally establish an exercise habit after many years of trying! I started small by walking for ten minutes a day, to the end of my road and back. Who doesn’t have time for a ten-minute walk? After a week I went up to 15, then 20, and so on. I now walk consistently for 30 minutes a day 6 days a week. I don’t push myself to do more because it messes with my consistency, I’ve learned I’m a “little and often” person. When I need a challenge I just walk faster!
Andrea says
oh good– this is so encouraging to read! I’m thrilled (and not surprised) that the “start small” mentality worked for you too!
Christina says
The galvanized containers somehow became a thing over here this last year too! How funny! Yours is simply GORGEOUS!
Andrea says
Thanks Christina — I’ve had many of my containers for years, but now I’m “clustering” them together and I’m really enjoying the look!
Barbara says
I wonder if you can share more about your green t-shirt in your anniversary picture above. I have been looking everywhere for t-shirts that aren’t low cut and see through. I know you buy a lot of your clothing at thrift stores and I am very jealous as all we have is goodwill around here and I never seem to have any luck finding clothing in my size. You and I appear to be the same size so I’m hoping you may be able to tell me what brand it is. Hope the rest of your summer is less hectic than it started out.
Andrea says
Hi Barbara, thanks 🙂
Yes, nearly every item of clothing in my closet is from a thrift store — including the green shirt. The brand is “Sonoma” which I think is from Kohls??
I’ve also had really good luck with Eddie Bauer and Land’s End shirts.
Susanne says
My son is very athletic, works out daily and occasionally has minor muscle pain. For his birthday I bought him an ice pack wrap with a Velcro strap that hold the ice pack in place. I sprained my own knee last week and this pack is truly my favorite thing right now! You can secure the ice pack exactly where you need it without using Ace bandages and safety pins! This little gem was not very expensive on Amazon and is a must have for an active family.
Andrea says
That’s great — my sister had something like that when she had surgery in college (volleyball injury) and she said it was amazing too!