Five on Friday

Happy Friday—and happy start to Memorial Day Weekend!

This week has been full-blown Maycember chaos in our house with swim team kicking off (time trials were last night), extra EOG tutoring after school, back-to-back ortho and doctor appointments, actual EOG testing for the kids, Supper Club at McKinsey’s house, and I know I’m forgetting stuff…

Anyway, I hope your weekend is filled with sunshine, rest, and maybe a cocktail—let’s get into this week’s five!

In Case You Missed It

This week I shared… a lot. Apparently, all it takes is one mosquito bucket reel going viral (again) to kick me into full-blown content mode—because when Instagram actually decides to show my posts to people, you better believe I’m going to ride that wave.

• The The Ultimate Glow In The Dark Party we threw for Caroline—complete with blacklights, slime, and a neon dance floor. It was one for the books.
• My go-to list of Meal Train Ideas (25 Drop-Off Meals To Bring Someone in Need)—perfect for when someone you love needs a little extra help, from new babies to hard weeks and everything in between.
• How To Make A Classic Margarita that never fails, just in time for summer happy hours.

Recipe Spotlight

My crockpot has been putting in work every night, and our favorite dinner this week was hands down my Crockpot Italian Chicken Sandwiches.

My Top 5 Favorite Items This Week

A few things I’ve been loving this week…

1. Our new wicker planters for our outdoor space! We purchased ours from Pottery Barn, but Wayfair has a look-a-like on big time sale!
2. Our special morning playlist filled with songs that make us happy is on repeat right now—especially with EOG test nerves in full swing. It’s the easiest mood boost.
3. My fly fans for keeping bugs off our food while we’ve been dining al fresco all week!
4. Vinho Verde is my go-to patio sip right now—crisp, light, and dangerously easy to keep pouring.
5. These fun and flattering new sunglasses from Monday!

Alright, on to the five…

1. Guys Golf Weekend: Recapped In Snacks

As y’all know, I love hosting, and one of my favorite ways to do that is by making sure everyone feels welcome and well-fed with plenty of snacks and drinks. I wanted Matt’s friends to feel at home during their golf weekend, and they were so thankful for the food, which was honestly so fun for me to make! With lots of recipe requests throughout the weekend, I’m excited to share a few of the snacks I made for the guys.

BLT Dip

On the night everyone arrived, I had a batch of BLT Dip and Old Fashioneds ready to go! A perfect way to kick off the weekend. This dip is so easy to make: simply mix together: 8 ounces of sour cream + 8 ounces of mayo + 5 roma tomatoes (seeded) + TONS of crumbled bacon and top with parsley! I served it with Ritz Toasted Chips.

Sausage Roll-Ups

For happy hour one night, I made McKinsey’s famous sausage roll-ups and a pitcher of margaritas. Actually, McKinsey came over, and we made them together during our own little happy hour. All you need is a roll of crescent dough and a package of sage sausage. Here’s how we made them:

1. Unroll the crescent dough and pinch two triangles together to form 4 small rectangles.
2. Spread uncooked sage sausage evenly across the dough.
3. Roll up the dough (forming into 4 logs) and then slice into bite-sized pieces (wipe your knife down in between slices).
4. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Easy Breakfast Options

To keep things simple, I mostly relied on DoorDashed grab-and-go items for breakfast: McDonald’s one morning, Bojangles another, and Jeff’s Bagels. However, I did make Sausage & Egg Breakfast Burritos one morning, and they were a huge hit (you can even make these ahead of time and freeze).

2. Coco & Eve Self Tanner

OK, I have to tell you about this self tanner I just started using—it’s the Sunny Honey Bali Bronzing Foam by Coco & Eve and I am really loving it. I got the shade Dark and it’s honestly the prettiest tan I’ve ever had—super natural, glowy, and even (zero streaks, zero orange vibes).

It smells good, gives a little instant glow when you apply, and develops into a deeper, gorgeous bronze over the next few hours. It’s packed with clean ingredients and has skin-loving stuff that actually hydrates and firms. Also, you must use a mitt—I usually skip it, but trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t.

Use my code CHRISMAR15 for 15% off if you wanna try it!

3. Golferade

This cocktail is a fun twist on a classic college favorite, rebranded for the golf course! Some may know it as a “Water Hazard,” but either way, it’s the perfect drink for the greens. To make it, simply add 2 ounces of vodka to a cup, fill it with blue Gatorade, then add a splash of lemonade and a splash of Sprite. I ran these out to the guys when they arrived to our backyard golf hole (in these drink carriers!), and they loved them. Watch me make them HERE!

4. Recovery Kits

For the guys’ golf weekend, I created these little recovery kits as part of their welcome gift when they arrived, and they were greatly appreciated! No one can hang like they used to now that they’re all in their mid-40s. These were so easy to throw together too. Each kit was packed with the essentials: Advil, Tums, electrolytes, under eye patches, and some Alka-Seltzer Fast Relief Tablets. Then I added a cute gift tag I quickly made in Canva to tie it all together!

5. Sunshine + Pool + Mahjong

This week, I pulled out all my pool mahjong stuff for the first official mahjong pool party of the season. It was such a glorious day, and I had the best time with my girlfriends before summer hits and our schedules get impossible to coordinate! Oh, and we sipped on my all-time favorite lemon basil margaritas—refreshing and the perfect drink for a fun afternoon!