Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

It’s been a much better week around here! Matt finally got his car back from the shop (thank goodness), we had family in town to watch Thomas and Caroline’s swim meet, I hosted summer Supper Club, Matt and I attended a work dinner last night where he received an award, and tonight we’re taking the kids to Carowinds as soon as Matt gets out of trial (it’s been a very stressful week for him)!

We’ve got a chill weekend ahead. For Father’s Day, Matt wants a Snooze Day to watch golf and eat shrimp. Easy. I’m really excited for no sports and no commitments this weekend, and cannot wait to float in the pool, bake some sourdough bread, and celebrate Matt!

Alright, let’s get down to it!

In Case You Missed It

As I mentioned in my newsletter last week, I will be pushing out a little less content this summer. While I am excited and grateful to be able to spend more time of my day with my kids, it also means my Carolina Charm hours shrink and shift a bit so I’m scaling back from daily posting to posting several times a week!

This week I shared…

• A round-up of Boys & Girls Summer Staples. The colorful Nike crew sock pack and Girls Butterfly Shorts were both among the top 5 reader favorite items this week!
• I spent some time updating my Charlotte Date Night post from last year and republished it with lots of new ideas!
• I shared a carousel of photos of Our Life Lately on Instagram.
• My Mahjong Pool Date Reel went viral!!! And I made another!
• And of course everyone loved the video of Matt playing an evil prank on me which I think I can finally laugh about it.

Reminder

Last summer my Day In The (Guest Writer) Life Series was a huge hit and so many of you asked me to bring it back this year! So I am officially opening up the opportunity for guest posting. If you are interested in contributing a “Day In the Life” post, or have a topic in mind that you’d like to propose/write, please send me an email at [email protected] by Sunday! I’m really excited about the submissions so far — I love how diverse they are and personally cannot wait to read about what a day in the life looks like that is completely different from mine! It’s going to be so fun!

Top 5 Reader Favorite Items This Week

1. Wall Calendar: I shared some advice I received from a reader a few years ago to buy an academic year calendar instead of a standard year calendar and it really has been such a simple but incredibly useful tip that I wanted to pass on to YOU! Instead of my calendar running out during the crazy holiday season, I start a new calendar in June which kicks off summer for us. (Tip: THESE are the magnet hooks I use. They are strong and don’t scratch the fridge.) Also, another reader shared a really great idea of tearing out a few pages each year to save in my kids’ keepsake bags so one day we can look back at what filled our days! LOVE THIS!
2. Insect Repellent Spray: Another week in the top 5! From my Summer Camp Packing List post, this spray works SO well to protect from ticks, mosquitos, chiggers, spiders, etc. for up to 6 weeks. Use it on all of your camper’s gear and outerwear ahead of sending to camp.
3. Colorful Nike Crew Sock Pack: These were a bit hit from my Boys & Girls Summer Staples post! And I found them on sale in big kid sizes for $16 (for a 6 pack)! All the solid colors (gray, white, black) are also on sale. Perfect for stocking up now for back-to-school!
4. Girls Butterfly Shorts: Another hit from my Boys & Girls Summer Staples post, these are Caroline’s favorite shorts that she wears just about daily now! They are flowy and breathable (perfect for hot days) but also have a compression liner underneath that allows shorts to stay in place while being active.
5. Classic Stripe Resort Towel: Another week in the top 5! Cozy Earth recently launched pool towels and they are SO luxurious, huge (40″x70″), soft, and beautiful. Available in 3 colors. Use code CE-CAROLINACHARM for 30% off AND a free pair of socks (add the socks to your cart, they will not automatically apply!).

1. Summer Porch Planters

I finally added some planters to my front porch! And it only took me 16 months!

I cannot tell you how long Matt and I have been talking about adding these and then we get busy and it falls down the priority list. Last weekend we finally tackled them! I will say, this project cost me way more trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s than I expected, but I had a vision of what I wanted them to look like and neither store had everything we needed. And then of course, since I’m an under-buyer, I had to go back to buy more plants to fill in extra space. But it was all worth it because I absolutely love how they turned out — and I cannot wait to see how full and beautiful they look throughout the summer!

Here’s what’s in them: lavender tree, creeping jenny, potato vine, white petunias, and diamond snow. And my concrete planters are from Amazon. They are really pretty and very lightweight!

2. Rose Summer Spritz

Last weekend we hosted some of our good friends over to watch the Clemson vs Florida baseball game and play in the pool! Kristin and I whipped up the most delicious summer spritz that I have to share! It is crisp, slightly sweet, and slightly floral — perfect for summer.

• 5 oz Rose
• 1 oz elderflower liqueur
• Soda water (just a splash)
• Frozen raspberries + lemon wedge

3. High Protein Jersey Mike’s Order

Y’all know how much I love serving a Make-Your-Own Jersey Mike’s Sub Bowl for lunches and dinners. It’s SO easy and you can prep everything ahead of time. In fact, I set up this bar for my Supper Club girls this week when I had them over for lunch and it was a big hit!

Anyway, my friend Laura recently shared her Jersey Mike’s high protein restaurant order with the nutrition information and I ordered it last weekend! This bowl is SO good and the best part is that the nutrition info includes chips!!! Here it is:

Jersey Mike’s #7 Turkey & Provolone Bowl (520 Calories + 38G Protein)

• red wine vinegar (no olive oil blend)
• bacon
• onions
• tomato
• banana peppers
• pickles
• Miss Vickie’s chips

4. $20 Target Linen Cropped Top

I just scooped up this cute cropped linen top and really love it. It’s lightweight and has a button-up closure in the back which is really pretty — perfect for summer. Oh, and it’s only $20 and available in a handful of colors (LOVE the blue)! Wearing it with my pom shorts, bangle bracelet stack, and favorite comfortable platform water sandals!

PS — still VERY much loving the Beauty by Earth Self Tanner Mousse!

5. Product Refill: Makeup Brush Cleaner

I just purchased a second bottle of this highly effective makeup brush cleaner. If you hate washing your brushes, this cleaner is for you. You can tackle this chore in under 5 minutes with this stuff. No water or rinsing is required and my brushes are dry in 5 minutes (gone are the days of laying my brushes out all night to dry)! The cleaner also conditions the brushes and smells good! Highly recommend!

Have a great weekend!