HI!
Welcome to my first monthly favorites since I transitioned from the Five Friday Favorites! First a recap: June was a busy, fun, travel-filled month. In just one short month I went to Edisto Beach in SC, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Garden City Beach in SC, and Lake Lanier! It’s safe to say that I am happy to be home and have no plans for July. I am a homebody at heart, but truly did love such a busy family filled June.
To highlight my Mexico trip (which was 1. my first time flying and 2. my first time out of the country) in three words I’d say joy-filled, playful and adventurous.
I used joy-filled because when I think back on the trip, I instantly feel joy. I feel so proud of myself for conquering such a big fear of mine (flying) and letting myself just relax and enjoy the trip. I used playful because many times I felt that childlike energy in me come out and I let myself just play. There was a time we played ocean volleyball with a football and made it the most fun and hilarious game. Another time we were swimming in the ocean at Playa Norte and throwing each other in basket tosses after drinking margaritas. I learned it’s GOOD to still play as an adult. Lastly, I used adventurous because I tried many things I have never done before. On top of flying & leaving the U.S., I went snorkeling for the first time and tried many new foods that were cooked by locals (and were delicious).
Another exciting June update in the world of wedding planning is….. I FOUND MY WEDDING DRESS!!! Wedding dress shopping was such a fun experience. I seriously tried on what felt like 20 dresses. I went in expecting I would choose a more boho looking dress, but was surprised by the dress I went with that brought me to tears! I can’t wait to show Casey on the big day. I feel like a princess in it!! I also got to tour my wedding venue for the second time with my wedding planner to start the design process. So exciting!
In the world of parenting, Blakely turned 18 months in June! She is at such a fun age (I think I’ve said that about every age so far), but they are all so fun! She has gotten so good at communicating with Casey and I, has started to say more words like bye bye, water, hey!, no (ugh), cracker, and more! She’s even started to sing along with songs and tries to count with me. I love that she loves to learn!
That’s about all the exciting June updates I have for y’all… let’s get into the favorites!
BOOKS:
The Love Hypothesis – I recently read this after hearing so much hype about it and surprisingly didn’t love it! I gave it 2.5 stars out of 5. I’d definitely still recommend it because some of you may love a cheesier romance! Check out my Instagram highlight to read my whole review.
The Wedding Veil – I started this 2022 new release at the beach in SC and love it so far! I’m only a few chapters in, but am hoping to finish it soon and get a review out to you guys.
Every Summer After – a book I’m desperately wanting to read! I heard it is like The Summer I Turned Pretty and that immediately sold me.
SHOWS/MOVIES
The Summer I Turned Pretty – RUN don’t walk to watch this right now on Prime Video. My family and I binged this at the beach and I even want to rewatch it because it was so good. I never read the book, but the show was just amazing. Team Conrad!!!
Top Gun: Maverick – Casey and I had ourselves a date night at the cinebistro at the Halcyon (tbh not worth the hype) in Alpharetta, GA and saw the new Top Gun! We actually watched the first one that day (my first time, Casey’s 1000th time lol) and then saw the second later that night. You guys HAVE to go see it if you haven’t already- I thought it was phenomenal!
PODCAST EPISODES:
How To Use Tapping To Change Your Thoughts, Conquer Problems, & Change Your Life Ft. Gala Darling by The Skinny Confidential – I feel like this is a must listen episode for everyone. It talks all about tapping, which is a stress relief technique, and how and when to use it. My counselor actually recommended tapping to me before my first plane ride. I was feeling SO anxious and honestly felt like I wouldn’t be able to get on the flight. Well, after a dozen mental rehearsals and using tapping before at home, at the airport and during take off I was able to successfully get over my fear. AND now I have a travel bug and want to go everywhere!!
How To Time Block Your Week: Productivity Tips For A Fun + Efficient Summer by Manifest with Tori Desimone – This episode is filled with tips for a more productive lifestyle I seriously was taking notes! This was my first episode I have listened to of this podcast and I am now subscribing for more!
Food Freedom by Move With Heart – Melissa Wood opens up with a very raw and honest conversation about how to create freedom surrounding food and live a life that feels best for YOU. She talks about her journey as a vegan and how she doesn’t allow herself to be restricted by labels.
The Points Guy – Brian Kelly On Travel Hacks, Credit Card Reward Points, & Credit Scores, How To Fly First Class On A Budget by The Skinny Confidential – This was an episode that I didn’t think I would enjoy, but I was immediately hooked and learned such valuable information and life hacks. I highly recommend to any and everyone, especially post grad people!
CURRENT FAVORITES:
Evenflo 360 Revolve Car Seat – This car seat just came in for Blakely since she outgrew her last one and oh my gosh it is so amazing. It’s a 3 in 1 seat which means it has rear facing option, forward facing option, and then eventually will transition to a booster seat. My favorite part is how easy it is to load in your child since the car seat has 360 rotation. You will never need another car seat!
Beach Cover Up – I bought this white crochet cover up for Mexico and it is so cute and affordable!
Carry On Luggage – Another item I got before my Mexico trip that turned out amazing. For being a carry on, I feel like it held so much. I got it in the “muddy aqua” color and it’s such a pretty bright blue.
Lululemon Ebb to Street Tank – Current favorite tank to workout in it is sooo comfortable. I love that it has a built in bra, is form fitting and has cute ribbed material. They have super cute colors in stock right now!
Lip Mask – If you know me you know I swear by this lip mask. I’ve had it for years and seriously do not miss a night wearing it! I put it on before I go to sleep and wake up with soft hydrated lips in the morning… it’s def a holy grail item!!
Claw Clips – Summer screams claw clips to me… an easy (and cute) way to get your hair off of your neck. I love this neutral set from Amazon!
Tula Sunscreen – my all time favorite sunscreen. It goes on so smooth and creates a glowy bright look. It makes me WANT to put on sunscreen!
FAVORITE JUNE RECIPES:
Baked Italian Chicken and Vegetables
Lastly, I need to share my favorite new seasoning! I just bought the Goddess Green seasoning from Trader Joe’s and it is a must have! I put it on my eggs in the morning and it’s a game changer. It’s also good on fish or veggies!
WORKOUT UPDATE:
Like I said at the beginning, June was a busy travel month for me… and I’ve found that it is definitely harder to stick to a workout routine while traveling. I ambitiously started the Tighter Together challenge (a 4 week full body workout challenge by Madeline Moves) on June 13, knowing well that I left for my Mexico vacation on June 15. I did two workouts while in Mexico (honestly patting myself on the back for those), but relaxed and fully enjoyed my trip the other days.
When I got home from Mexico, I was sick for the next week which also hindered my workout routine. I then left for another week long beach vacation with my family where I did not workout at all!
I’ll be honest, it stressed me out not working out for so long. I was worried that my strength and all my progress was going to go away from too many weeks off. Well, I had my first weighted workout on Wednesday of this week and I was able to push myself in heavier weights than I had before!
I guess my point of this workout update/rant was to share this in case anyone else needs to hear it like I did: enjoy your summer vacations, relax and rest your body, and don’t worry if you aren’t working out every day. Workout because you WANT to, not because you feel like you have to. Your progress won’t go away and the gym will always be there when you get back. <3
JUNE BLOG POSTS:
PHOTOS:
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