Summer is in full swing, which means we have a jam-packed calendar (I’m sure it’s the same for you). So much fun, but also so many things up in the air, trying to coordinate this and pack for that… definitely a very “twirly” season! 😅 I love it, but it can be a little stressful at times so if you’re also feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything on your plate, just know that I’m right there with you.
We attended a block party in our new neighborhood last week and we so enjoyed the experience & getting to know all of our neighbors! I really hope that we can make it an annual event for our little community. It was sort of a potluck situation and our family contributed pigs-in-a-blanket! This felt like a good option because they’re easily shareable for a crowd and are quintessentially “Americana summer”. This is the recipe I used to step things up a bit from the classic, and they were a BIG hit! They are an excellent little snack, especially for the upcoming Independence Day holiday.
Sophie and I have also been going on long stroller walks in local parks lately and then playing at the park’s playground area for a while before heading home. Having that fresh air and time to stretch our legs has been so good for both of us. I highly recommend it if you don’t already make that activity a part of your weekly routine. It feels like such a waste not to enjoy the outdoors in the PNW when it isn’t raining (or smoky 😖).
Today, I’m sharing five things that have piqued my interest or things that have been on my mind / going on in my life recently!
Starbucks + “nugget” ice!
Nugget ice lovers, rejoice! We will soon be getting pebbled ice in chilled beverages at Starbucks! I know that nugget ice in particular has a bit of a cult following so I look forward to seeing Starbucks implementing this changeover!
Are you excited about this swap or do you prefer their current “ice machine style” flat squares?
If you’re not a fan of Starbucks or simply enjoy creating your own coffees, I’m linking some highly rated nugget ice machines if you would prefer to enjoy the pebbled iced coffee experience at home.
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Cake Stand
Sophie’s birthday is rapidly approaching and I have been really interested in getting a proper cake stand for displaying / protecting her cake as well as all of our family’s future celebratory cakes! I’ve been on the hunt for just the right option for years (in the past we’ve simply used our travel cake carrier to keep our cakes from drying out) and I finally decided to pull the trigger on this cake stand, along with this dome lid, from Ballard Designs.
I love the modern farmhouse aesthetic of the cake stand itself and the “greige” color works well with the rest of our home’s decor / creates a bit of contrast against our white kitchen. I also love the tall, modern-yet-classic shaped glass dome cover. There’s a lot of room to fit a tall cake and you could even stack cookies or muffins inside! I’m super excited about this new addition. 🤣 #thisis35
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Maybelline LIFTER [lip]gloss
My sister-in-law Amanda is the beauty guru in our family. She absolutely looooves makeup / beauty products and her favorite pastime is sampling everything she can get her hands on, so when she told me that she found an amazing -and affordable- lip gloss (that she ended up liking so much that she bought four colors!) I knew that I had to try a tube.
I bought the color “Stone” (as I prefer a warm brownie pink color — think Bobbi Brown’s “neutral rose” lipstick) and it’s exactly what I was hoping it would be. The consistency is smooth and hydrating without being sticky. Definitely recommend for an affordable drugstore lip gloss!
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Madewell’s CLOTHING trade-in Program
I believe I’ve mentioned Madewell’s Clean Out program before in one of my Earth Day posts, but it came to my attention again and I thought I would remind you about it, especially if you’re in the middle of a wardrobe revamp like I am.
Madewell has cleverly created a partnership with preloved clothing retailer thredUP. Essentially, you can send your unwanted clothing items (women’s clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories — all brands are accepted) to thredUP and they will either resell or responsibly recycle them. The best part is: for each pair of [qualifying] jeans that you send in, you’ll get $20 off of a pair of new jeans from Madewell AND you can earn shopping credit for any other clothing pieces that make the cut.
I love this option as an alternative to donating items to Goodwill or simply discarding them because they’ll end up in a landfill either way. It’s certainly easier to take advantage of the Madewell / thredUp program than to sell items yourself, but if you’re up for it I also highly recommend selling your new or gently used clothes on a secondhand shopping platform like Poshmark or Mercari.
If you have pieces that are too far gone and you’d just like to be rid of them, but want them to be recycled properly I suggest purchasing a Take Back Bag by ForDays.
I’m so impressed with all of these companies taking the initiative to create these helpful programs. I just hope they’re enough to combat the avalanche of waste that ultra fast fashion is creating.
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CHEERS CAPSULES
My friend Jess recently shared about this product while on a girls’ trip to Napa Valley and I don’t remember the last time I ordered a product so fast. I don’t often imbibe enough to get hangovers these days, but on the rare occasion that I do get them, trying to parent while hungover is an absolutely miserable experience. I think that having these in our [proverbial] back pockets is going to be a gamechanger for the day after having a little too much fun. 😉
From what I understand, the capsules are designed to be taken as a liver support supplement that can help lessen the after effects of alcohol. They don’t claim to take away symptoms completely, but apparently they can lessen them by at least 50%. The idea is that you take two to four capsules before you go to sleep after a night of indulgence, the supplements work their magic while you sleep and you wake up feeling more-or-less “normal”! I’ll take any help I can get for the occasions like New Year’s Eve or my birthday when I may have one too many glasses of champagne.
Speaking of “cheers”, I hope that you have a great weekend, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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