Happy LAST Friday of summer (for us)!
I cannot believe summer is officially coming to a close. Tonight we are celebrating with our back-to-school dinner and it’s going to be an extra fun one!
This weekend also marks our first full year with MABEL!!! My goodness, I cannot imagine our life without her. She is one of the very best things to ever happen to our family and we all love her so much! I could write a million paragraphs but I’ll save that for another post…
Alright, let’s get down to it!
In Case You Missed It
Recently I shared…
- An updated Meal Train Ideas (25 Drop-Off Meals To Bring Someone in Need) post! I added a few new meals since first publishing this post in 2022!
- Some recent summer snaps from the last few weeks and lots more on Instagram!
My Top 5 Items This Week
Mostly refills! Sorry they aren’t all new finds, but hey — these are truly the items we love and restock!
- Dishwasher Magnet: This week I brought back the dishwasher chore for the kids. They are loving it. Kidding. They rotate days for emptying the dishwasher and while we do run the dishwasher most nights, there are occasions (like takeout nights) where I don’t run it. So I bought this handy dandy dishwasher magnet to hopefully prevent any more dirty dishes from being unloaded back into my kitchen.
- Mosquito Bits REFILL: I think this might be my last refill of the season! I refreshed our mosquito buckets last weekend and am hoping it’s the last time, but just in case I have a little extra for next month depending on the weather.
- Naked Energy REFILL: This is our second container of this pre-workout powder! We’ve tried a few types but most of them are filled with junk, dyes, and other not-so-great ingredients before switching to this one. However, it does NOT taste good. I get the unflavored powder and mix a scoop of Ultima Electrolyte Powder to hide the taste!
- Tongue Scraper: I’ve been extra focused on our dental hygiene after our recent round of family dentist appointments. I’ve heard so many good things about tongue scrapers and my hygenist said it’s one of the best things you can use for oral health. So I bought one for me and Matt and WOW. You will be absolutely shocked at how gross your tongue is. Almost 113K Amazon reviews on this cheap set too.
- Dog Shampoo REFILL: A 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner that cleans and softens Mabel’s coat really well, and is paraben/dye/soap-free. The scent we usually get is the papaya and coconut (it doesn’t smell tropical to me at all), but I just bought the watermelon scent to try!
1. Dinner by Thomas & Caroline
One of our summer bucket list goals was for each kid to cook dinner for the family—whatever they wanted! This week, they both checked that off the list. Thomas whipped up his first homemade meal, a delicious pizza pasta bake, while Caroline chose something a bit more unique and refreshing: acai bowls! Both meals turned out SO good, and I’m incredibly proud of them for making everything on their own!
2. A Fun Shopping Date
Caroline and I finally finished all our back-to-school shopping! When I told her about my partnership with Charlotte Premium Outlets, she was beyond excited. We made a day of it, bringing along one of her best friends. The girls could have easily spent the entire day in Bath & Body Works, but after 30 minutes, I had to bribe them out with Starbucks. After that, I set timers for each store—because, let’s be honest, Clare’s can keep you in there forever, especially with that B2G2 deal!
3. Old Navy Tween Finds
The deals at Old Navy are too good to pass up right now. We’ve been stocking up on so many great finds from this store lately. Here’s a peek at what’s made its way into Thomas and Caroline’s closets…
Old Navy Girls: All Heart T-Shirt / High-Waisted Carpenter Jeans / Kindness Sweatshirt / Flared Leggings / Ribbed Hoodie / Puff Sleeve Top / Stay Fierce Cropped Tee
Old Navy Boys: Messi T-Shirt / Performance Shorts / Messi Mesh Shorts / Performance Polo Shirt / Game Graphic T-Shirt / Chino Shorts / Striped Performance Polo / Messi Jersey T-Shirt
Still shopping? You may like these posts too:
4. Our Guinea Pig Cage
Last weekend I finally got around to filming our guinea pig cage set-up — a post I’ve been promising for more than a year and finally did it! You can watch my video of how I clean her cage HERE and all the items for her cage HERE!
After trying every cage out there, we found one that looks nice and takes 5 minutes to clean.
No more taking apart walls or dragging it outside for a deep clean. The bottom is made of thick, water-resistant paper that’s disposable—just pull out the acrylic frame, wipe down the walls, fold up the paper, and toss it in the trash!
I am telling you, this set-up has been an absolute game changer and Sprinkles is very happy with it too! It’s easy to assemble and is very spacious (8 square feet). You can also connect 2 cages or buy more panels to create larger designs, stack walls, add a ceiling, etc.
5. Walmart Fall Finds
A few items I recently scooped up from Walmart! I cannot get over how affordable all these pieces are. The slip-on mules are actually my favorite thing out of everything I bought and are under $20!
Sweater Dress Outfit
Skort & Bodysuit Outfit
Slip-On Mules
The quality of these mules is excellent and they are under $20. I think these are even prettier in person and are definitely going to be my go-to shoe for fall!
PROMO & REFERRAL CODES
- Avaline: Use code AUGUST15 for 15% off sitewide!
- Butcher Box: Get $50 off your first box.
- Nuuly: Get $30 off your first month’s subscription.
- LEAN: The program I previously used to help track my macros and hit my protein goals. Save $10 off your registration with code CMBD39!
- Cozy Earth: Use code CE-CAROLINACHARM at checkout for 40% off.
