This week, I’m dreaming of a beach vacation to soak in all the goodness that summer has to offer. I can’t decide though if taking a 1-year-old to the beach is fun and relaxing or so much work that it’s best to just stay home. I can totally see both scenarios happening!
1. Those mules in the photo above are perrrrrrr-fect! I love a good clear detail on a shoe and the strap on this one helps keep the shoe on but makes your foot/leg appear longer than a mule that would have a fully solid front—and it comes in pink too! Maybe I should get those too just in case … (these are the jeans in the pic and they are the softest jeans I’ve ever owned!)
2. My favorite summer dish so far!!
3. Being a working mom has certainly made me view the time that I spend with Lola differently than the time I spent with her before I was back to work full time. I certainly feel the need to make the most of just about every moment I can, so recently we’ve started having girl’s coffee/bottle time on the back porch in the morning while the air is still cool and it’s pretty special. We let the cats out and watch them roam around and annoy each other and she “organizes” Todd’s disc golf discs and picks up the big rocks in our plant beds to hurl them back in. We play our morning playlist and she’ll sit with me on our patio couch and I just smell her hair and hope the moment lasts forever … OK, that’s all before I start crying.
4. This wallpaper would be so pretty to have in a small room like our bathroom—it’s light but has a great print that’s not overwhelming.
5. I think for the rest of my life I will always read “packing for Paris” posts—I’ve only been once (a few years ago) but it’s my favorite trip I’ve ever taken and I just felt very comfortable there with the French way of life and I would love to go back someday. Maybe for a 10th anniversary trip in two years?
6. I spilled paint all over our doormat on my way to do a project recently, but this cutie mat is making me forgot all about what a pain that was to try and clean up. Hmmm, what else can I “accidentally” spill paint on to get a new one?
7. I would love to get one of these this summer since we go through a ridiculous amount of LaCroix and it would save a lot of cans from having to be recycled as well. Does anyone have one? Do you like it? Ideally, I know there are some that use glass bottles and that’s what I would prefer since we try to limit plastic use as much as possible, but I don’t know if that affects the performance or not—let me know if you’ve tried one!
8. We started watching the show Barry this week (it’s on HBO Now) and it’s really funny. It’s about a hit man that wants to become an actor and it’s got Bill Hader from SNL as the lead. I’ve never really seen him before in a serious role, but he’s great! It’s also got Henry Winkler and any opportunity to watch The Fonz in action is fine by me.
9. This is such a cute toy idea! Totally on my list for when Lola gets to that stage.
10. Ordered these for our cookout this week! So cute!
We are adding all our favorite summer items to our wishlist and Pinterest boards, so make sure to check them out to see all the goodies! Maybe if I find a matching swimsuit for Lola and I, I’ll be forced to take that beach trip after all! xo. Laura
22 Comments
Hi Laura, we usa a soda steam at home and a soda steam crystal (the one with the glass bottles) at work. I would highly recommend getting one! Its easy, environment friendly and a lot less to carry around after shopping trips. Maybe have your tabwater checked first.
I like both versions, they are equally easy to handle. The glassbottles are smaller but look much more pretty.
Awesome! I’ll look into it, thanks!
Laura
I’d love to go to Paris one day too. It seems like such a fascinating place. And I don’t want seven years of learning French to go to waste! 😀
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Yes, you should definitely go!
Laura
Nice mules! Amazing idea for a salad, watermelon & cucumber with feta. Yummy!
The absolute best Xmas gift I bought for my husband (and secretly myself) is our Sodastream. We use it everyday. We were also big La Croix drinkers and have saved so much money and recycling with Sodastream. We infuse ours with real fruit and also the water flavoring you can buy online or at grocery store. It’s awesome and you will love it. It got my husband drinking liters a day of water. Before Sodastream it was a struggle to get him to drink a full glass.
We have an ancient soda stream and it’s amazing, especially if you’re heavy carbonated water drinkers. I’m a sucker for the pricy organic fair cola syrup – hippie soda, my s.o. calls it – it definitely makes soda a special occasion. Think of all the custom flavored waters you could make!!
Sodastreams are great! Just a note with the glass bottles – I recommend the plastic ones if you’re new to it or there’s any little bit of a chance of over-carbonating, as it can be extremely dangerous if you don’t pay attention. The glass bottles are specially made to withstand some carbonation, but plastic is still safer, as it can stretch a bit. You can always fill your own glass bottles after from the plastic ones.
Good point, thanks!
Laura
If you want to see Bill Hader in a serious role watch The Skeleton Twins!
Yes, I’ve had that on my list, I should watch it soon!
Laura
My husband makes beer so we always have kegs of beer on top, but I convinced him to make one more tap just for me with SODA WATER on tap! It’s great.
Before that, I really wanted a sodastream. They are great too.
Those mules are so lush, though I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to wear them & I always worry that mules will fall off – what do you reckon, are they annoying? Adore them though and love that wallpaper, it is so pretty!
Holly from The Art of Being Holly xo
No, if they fit you properly they shouldn’t feel any different than a sandal with a front strap should, I find them really comfortable 🙂
Laura
Love this watermelon mat!
The Feta watermelon recipe looks delicious! I’ve never made cheese from scratch before but this looks easy enough to follow.
Thanks!
Soda stream, oh yes!! SO handy! I would highly recommend getting the crystal version since it’s even better for the environment and looks way more elegant sitting on the counter. Also, the bottles will last you a lot longer and are super easy to clean (not all of the plastic ones are dishwasher safe). Both systems are very easy to use though and I wouldn’t worry about breaking the bottles with putting too much CO2 in them since any soda streamer will make a noise when it’s done.
I have had my sodastream for at least 3 years and I’m still obsessed with it. I get pretty lazy about replacing the cartridges and still buy lacroix sometimes, but I still feel better about making my own as often as possible. I bought 2 cartridges so I don’t have to replace quite as often, but you can trade in the empty bottles for a “refill” for half the price at many stores like staples, bed bath & beyond, etc. and they reuse them.
We bought a sodastream at a yard sale last year, and I LOVE it! I was hesitant to spend money on it without testing it, so I was lucky to find one for much cheaper, but I use it every day, so it would have been worth the investment. They make little bottles of flavoring that you can find at Target, but I also love it plain or with a splash of lemon, lime, or fruit puree. It’s also great to have around for cocktails or mocktails!
I can definitely relate to number 3. I’m also a working mom and went back to work full time when my son was 2.5 months old (he is 8 yrs now). With my commute my work day is about 11.5 hours, so it was a rough transition! For a few years I put a lot of pressure on myself for our time together to be “perfect” when I was able to spend time with him, and of course that is never the case. Things got a lot better when I was able to let that go and find the little special moments I could work in to the day as you are describing. So I think you are really ahead of it that you’ve already got this nice routine with your daughter! Balance between work and home is really hard, but sounds like you are doing great!
Love our SodaStream. We’ve had it for a few years. We don’t use any of the flavors that come with it and instead mix it with natural ingredients or gin. We’ve eliminated so many bottles as we no longer buy the giant pack of sparkling water anymore.
I’m a bit late to the game here, but some thoughts:
1. If you haven’t already, go to the beach! Anywhere you take a 1 year old is more work than without, but it’s sooooo worth it! Babies love playing in the sand, staring at the waves, enjoying the breeze, just like adults. And, bonus, they sleep SO well after.
2. YES to Sodastream!!! It’s so fun, I really love mine! Making my own syrups and discovering shrubs has totally changed my soda intake. Making your own homemade French sodas (cream) is DIVINE. I always have homemade vanilla syrup, ginger syrup, a random fruit syrup (blueberry, strawberry, etc. whatever looks good/in season) and a shrub in my fridge for a refreshing beverage. You can really up your cocktail game too. If this sounds at all up your alley, it’ll be a great investment.
i loved barry! it was so good. bill hader is great. i really love noho hank!