Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

It’s been a mostly rainy but great week.

It was so cool to watch the solar eclipse on Monday! While Charlotte was not in the path of totality, it was still a fun experience seeing it at 80%’ish — especially since the next one isn’t expected until August 2044!!

Matt and I watched the last one together in 2017 and what a throwback it was to revisit this post! My goodness life was wild back then with toddlers and busy jobs. (Still wild now, but totally different!)

Anyway, Thomas watched the eclipse at school, Caroline watched it from a field trip, Matt watched it with his coworkers, and I watched it with Mabel!

Speaking of Caroline’s field trip, she got to skip school on Monday with her Little Mermaid cast so they could participate in a junior Broadway competition Uptown! It was a super condensed version of their play since there were 12’ish schools competing. She said it was really fun to be on the big stage and watch the other school performances!

Basketball also started up for Thomas this week and this league is held at school which is SO convenient and he gets to play with all his school friends!

Last night Matt’s firm hosted their annual Masters party! It was really fun and I was so glad I could hang for a bit before heading to Community Group at April’s house (where we painted candles)!!

We have a really awesome weekend ahead. Tonight we’re making pizzas for dinner followed by Family Movie Night! Tomorrow Caroline has a softball game and then Matt planned a surprise for me that I cannot seem to figure out. And Sunday we’re having friends over to watch the Masters! I am so excited!

Alright, let’s get down to it!

In Case You Missed It

A few things I shared this week…

This Week’s Top 5 Reader Favorites

The Game: No surprise! I think I gave this link to everyone at the hotel pool while we were on vacation. So many people stopped me to ask about it. It really is the best game to play with friends — or solo!
Mosquito Dunks: WOOHOO! This makes me so happy! I hope you all are making Buckets of Doom this weekend! If you share them on Instagram, please tag me so I can see them!
Raffia Platform Wedges: I have been wearing these cute raffia platform wedges (pictured below) a lot lately and really love them. They are sturdy, comfortable, and only $35!! Such a great spring shoe!
Long Sleeve Smoothing Top: This long sleeve top is another great spring find. It’s has a soft, smoothing fabric and a beautiful neckline! Available in 10 colors too. It runs fitted so size up if you prefer a looser fit. I’m wearing size small.
Ribbed Swimsuit: This beautiful ribbed one piece continues to be a reader favorite! It has molded cups, cheeky coverage, removable halter straps, and boning at sides.

MIDI SKIRT + $35 RAFFIA PLATFORM WEDGES + LONGSLEEVE TOP + $6 BANGLE SET

1. Sourdough Bread

A few weeks ago I shared my excitement for my sourdough bread journey (read it here) and have really enjoyed figuring this all out! I’ve made 6 loaves now and my last batch was actually SO good! Like, good enough for me to share with people outside of my family. I’m still tweaking my process and recipe (and am learning something new every day) but I am having so much fun baking!

I also have to mention just how awesome the sourdough community is too. I have started following so many sourdough Instagram accounts, Facebook groups, and connected with readers who love to bake. And since sharing my baking adventure, I have had so many people reach out with tips, advice, videos, and offers to give me starter. It’s so heartwarming to see how supportive the sourdough community is.

I’ve received a few messages from readers asking which recipe I’m using and it’s a mix of a few so I’m going to write a recipe post (hopefully soon)!

2. Book Review: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Rating 4/5: This was such a fun and easy beach read. I loved the cast of characters — especially the ghost and the influencer.

Book Summary: After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it’s purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel’s bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won’t stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.

3. Blender Bottle Travel Cocktails

I wanted to share my new favorite travel cocktail tip!

Every beach trip I usually pack all my ingredients to make margaritas at the beach. However, this year I decided to make a huge batch of Prickly Pear Margaritas ahead of time and stored it in blender bottles.

My friend McKinsey shared this tip with me and it was such a game changer. I was able to save so much packing room by bringing pre-made cocktails and also didn’t have to worry about mixing them up every time we wanted one!

One blender bottle holds 6 margaritas (prickly pear margaritas to be exact)! You can find an inexpensive blender bottle at lots of places — Marshalls, Walmart, Amazon, etc.!

4. Dog Puzzle

Mabel got this fun dog puzzle from the Easter bunny and it has been excellent for keeping her busy for a bit while I get things done! Highly recommend — especially if you work from home and your dog loves a lot of attention! I do suggest taking the toy away as soon as your dog finds all the treats so he/she doesn’t start chewing on it!

Note: I had a reader reach out and say her dog has had this puzzle for 2 years and still loves it.

Find all my Pet Supply Favorites HERE!

5. 10 Beauty Favorites

A few readers requested a round-up of my beauty favorites in my recent content request poll which is perfect timing with the Sephora sale going on! I feel kind of lame when it comes to my beauty products because I tend to refill the same products over and over. I do like to try all the new things, but I almost always end up with my tried and true favorites. Soooo, you’ve seen all these before — many times probably! But, like I said, I LOVE THESE.