COURTNEY & BLAKELY’S JULY FAVORITES

July was such a fun month for my little family of three. Below are some of my favorites from this past month, and some of Blakely’s favorites as well!

COURTNEY’S FAVORITES:

• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • THIS! BOOK! IS! IT! It’s the ultimate summer read. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an incredible author and storyteller. Malibu Rising takes you to the sand and surf coast of Malibu in the 1980s. It follows the four famous Riva siblings and their unforgettable epic end of the summer party. By the end of the night, their lives will have changed forever. Definitely add this to your “to read” list!!

• Mineral Sunscreen
  • I recently have done some research and discovered the benefits of choosing a clean natural mineral sunscreen over a chemical sunscreen. I’ve been using the brand Cerave, but BeautyCounter is also a great clean option. To sum up this amazing informative blog I found, mineral sunscreen:
    • works faster
    • doesn’t absorb into the skin
    • protects you even more from BOTH UVB and UVA rays
    • it’s less irritating
    • ultimately better for the environment
• Free People Happiness Runs Crop
  • Free People Movement is one of my favorite workout brands to shop from. Though it is on the more expensive side, the quality and comfort are worth the price in my opinion. This crop is perfect for both high intensity workouts and low impact workouts. It’s fitted and they offer multiple and unique color options!! They just came out with a longer version too if you’re not into the cropped fit!

• Atlanta Hiking Trail
  • So ever since I moved to Georgia and am now near great hiking trails, I’ve wanted to venture into making that a hobby. I (barely) convinced Casey to go with me one Saturday afternoon and it was so fun to get outside and explore. I always feel my inner child come out when I’m put in a new environment, especially in nature, and am given the change to explore.
  • We went to the East Palisades Trail and Bamboo Forest on the Chattahoochee River! It was so beautiful, though it was muddy from the rain that morning. We didn’t complete the whole trail because we had to get Blakely back to eat, but I want to soon!

• Too Hot To Handle
  • This is a funny one. I put it on one night to see what Casey would do, and after a few minutes we were both hooked. We binge watched both seasons in like a week! I usually don’t watch too much reality TV, but I just found this show pretty addicting and hilarious.
• Melissa Wood Health Water Aerobics
  • The last week in June my family and I went to Garden City Beach in SC for a week. We had a pool in our backyard, and one morning I decided to take advantage of it. I grabbed my mom and aunt after a long hot walk on the beach, and we got in the pool to do some aerobics! Melissa Wood Health is a workout app that focuses on low impact and long lean lines. Melissa has some great pool aerobics through her $10/month subscription. It was fun to switch up my usual workouts and try something different. And water aerobics is so fun!!
• Honey Garlic Salmon
  • I was introduced to salmon a few months ago when Casey’s parents made salmon and grits, and now I’m obsessed. I didn’t grow up eating salmon, so now I want it every week. I’ve been trying different ways to cook it and this honey garlic salmon recipe is absolutely my favorite so far. You use the cast iron skillet to sear it, and then stick it in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking through. The flavor of this rub is amazing and it cooks perfectly. Definitely check out the recipe if you are a salmon lover!!

• Rover App
  • Since I stay home with Blakely full time, I was looking for a way to make some extra cash. My friend Kiley recommended I try out Rover – which is an app used for people to buy and sell pet care services. This can include pet sitting, dog walking, and/or dog boarding. I decided to try it out, and once my profile was approved I immediately got an inquiry to watch a puppy for 2 nights. You can create your own prices to charge, and I made a good amount of money for just a short amount of time! Plus, Blakely loves dogs right now so it was fun having a furry friend around 🙂

BLAKELY’S FAVORITES (7 months):

• Wubbanub Giraffe Pacifier
  • Since Blakely turned around 4 months, she stopped taking paci’s. Instead of sucking on them, she will chew on them like teether toys. Her current favorite is the Wubbanub Giraffe Paci because it has the stuffed animal attached to the pacifier. I give her this during car rides and some naps and she loves it!
• Taggies
  • Yes, tags. If there is a tag on a shirt, a pillow, a toy, etc, Blakely is sure to find it and want to chew on it. Luckily, some genius person created a toy for babies that is full of tags!!! It has tags on all sides, it makes a crinkle noise, and it’s safe for her to play with. She loves it right now!
• Janie & Jack Swimsuits If you haven’t heard of the brand Janie and Jack, I’m sorry to your bank account. I found the absolute cutest 4th of July swimsuit for Blakely there, and I couldn’t help myself and got another suit for fun. The second suit I got is a brown cold shoulder style suit with coconut shell floral pattern. It’s perfect for lake days because it won’t fade the color!

• Cooling Teethers
  • Blakely’s first tooth is starting to pop in the bottom and it’s sooo cute. But with that, she is definitely still teething. We have a few teething rings that I throw in the freezer and will pull out when she’s being fussy from teething. It helps a lot and keeps her entertained!
• Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder
  • This is such a fun and easy way to introduce food! It’s basically a mesh net feeder that you can fill with fresh or frozen fruits or veggies. It snaps to secure so you don’t have to worry about choking. We have had a lot of fun with this, and again, this one keeps her very entertained too!
• Plum Organics Baby Food Pouches
  • I’ve been on the hunt for a pure and delicious store bought food pouch for Blakely. I came across Plum Organics from this blog post, and I’m glad that I did. I’ve always been super particular about what Blakely is eating and I usually like to make my own purees, but when I’m short on time or on the go – these are perfect! From the clean ingredients, the affordable price, to the good consistency and taste, Plum Organics have been my favorite so far!

• Swim Float
  • Blakely absolutely loves to swim!!! Casey’s mom found this swim float on sale for B, but it’s totally worth it if you have to pay full price. We stayed a week at the lake and this is what Blakely lived in!! She can face forward and kick her legs underwater, or she can lay on her back and be just as comfortable. She’s very secure with a velcro across and an adjustable strap.

I hope you guys enjoyed me and Blakely’s July favorites and got some inspiration for yourself or your little one! Let me know which favorite you want to try in the comments below!

Stay Well,

Courtney