Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

Whew—these past two weeks have been way more chaotic (and fun!) than I planned, which explains my accidental radio silence over here. I usually like to prep my content a week ahead, but between Caroline’s birthday party prep, field day at school (where Matt and I manned the tug-of-war station all morning and had a blast), and a million other things, that just didn’t happen last week.

Then I kicked off this week with a two-day field trip to Camp Thunderbird, where I chaperoned the sweetest (and most energetic) group of fifth-grade girls. We packed in so many outdoor activities and had an absolute blast—but my back is still recovering from sleeping in a camp bunk bed. And let me tell you, I’ve never been happier to shower off two full days of sunscreen and bug spray.

Add in our neighbor’s kids staying with us for a few nights while their parents were out of town, plus a full day of birthday festivities for my girl, and poof—I blinked and it was Thursday, and I hadn’t sat down at my desk all week!

OK, I have lots to cover, so let’s get down to it!

Reader Top 5 Favorite Items This Week

1. This Midi Floral Skirt is super similar to the Anthropologie one I’m wearing in the photo below! It’s comfy, flattering, has pockets (!!), and comes in tons of cute prints for summer.
2. These Chunky Gold Tear Drop Earrings are lightweight, look way more expensive than they are, and give off serious designer look-a-like energy.
3. Y’all loved my Fluted Round Planters—and I totally get it. The modern design, lightweight build, and under-$40 price point make it such a win for spring porch updates!
4. This floating game table for pool mahjong and other games!
5. This high-quality Olive Oil is a constant repeat purchase for our kitchen, my go-to hostess gift, and included on almost every gift guide I make. The bottle is so beautiful it doesn’t even need wrapping. I’ve gifted more bottles than I can count, and it’s a hit every single time.

On to the 5…

1. Caroline’s Neon Glow Dance Birthday Party

We officially threw the most epic neon glow dance party last weekend to celebrate Caroline turning 11—and I’m still recovering in the best way. This party had been in the works for months, and it was totally worth the effort.

We transformed the back porch into a full-blown glow zone, complete with blacklights, balloons, glow sticks everywhere, neon lights, and a dance floor that Matt (aka MVP of the year) helped bring to life. Caroline and her friends were decked out in neon from head to toe and spent the entire night dancing, making slime, and absolutely living their best tween lives.

I am definitely going to share all the glowing details in a full blog post soon! Couldn’t have pulled it off without the incredible team that helped bring everything together.

2. Community Group Jewelry-Making Night

We wrapped up our spring semester of Community Group with the most fun girls’ night at Erin McDermott’s studio—sipping wine, stringing beads, and chatting the night away. Everyone made a necklace and a bracelet, and her studio is seriously the cutest space. Such a fun way to close out the season together!

3. Fresh Market Chicken Deal

If you haven’t taken advantage of the Tuesday Chicken Deal at Fresh Market…you need to! For $3.99/lb you can grab their air-chilled, antibiotic-free chicken breasts (and yes, it’s actually a really good cut). I usually stock up and freeze a few packs—especially when I’ve got meal prep ahead. It’s one of the best grocery deals out there, and it happens every Tuesday!

4. Skip-School Free Pass

Caroline cashed in her one and only skip-school-free pass this week—and she made the most of it. Each year, both kids get one “free pass” day to skip school (within reason), and she’s been saving hers all year for her birthday.

We kicked things off with a donut birthday breakfast with homemade pink drinks, then headed out for a manicure, a fun lunch date, and graduation dress shopping. It was such a sweet one-on-one day, and I loved getting to soak up that time together. Oh — and this is the sweet dress we scooped up for graduation!!

5. Candlelight Tacos & Twinkle Lights

Every now and then I love surprising the kids with a candlelight dinner, just to make an ordinary night feel a little extra special. For Cinco de Mayo, we threw a fun little dinner for the kids and their friends spending the night with us—tacos, chips & guac, and twinkle lights that took two seconds to string across the table but completely wowed the kids (they always do). It was simple, festive, and such a sweet way to slow down and make a regular weeknight feel special.

May Promo Codes

• Skin Pharm: My go-to for skin treatments, but my absolute favorite? The Moxi laser. I just finished a series and WOW—it’s completely transformed my skin. My complexion is brighter, smoother, and more even, and I’ve been getting so many compliments! If you’ve been thinking about a treatment to refresh your skin, this one is so worth it. Use code CHRISTINA-322793 at checkout to get $50 off your first visit!
• Seed: The daily probiotic I’ve been using for more than a year now! Seed initially stood out to me with their capsule technology which protects the probiotic from stomach acid so it makes it all the way down to your lower small intestine where it provides the greatest benefit.
• ShopMy: The affiliate platform I love for linking products. If you’re a creator looking for an affiliate platform, I have a referral link that can help get you in the program!
• Greenlight Card: The debit card we use for Caroline! If you’re interested in getting a Greenlight Card for your tween or teen, I’ve got a referral link that earns you $30.
• Nuuly: Get $30 off your first month’s subscription. Love using this subscription for summer or vacation dresses I wouldn’t normally splurge on.
• Cozy Earth: Use code CE-CAROLINACHARM at checkout for 40% off!