12 little things bringing big joy to summer ☀️
the best summer recipe you MUST make, a new birthday tradition you'll want to copy, home updates, a couple new products I am LOV-ING–and more!
Hii from Portugal!! 😍
June and I are here on a mother-daughter retreat–our first Ilo retreat but will NOT be our last.
This is my view as I’m putting the final touches on this post–while she’s down the path in the “kid’s barn” for the first half of the day with the other kids having the time of her life! I can hear them all yelling and shrieking from here. 😆
As I write this, a few other moms are doing yoga, and two others are lounging and reading by the pool. In a few hours some of us are heading into town for lunch and some shopping, while some others are opting for a lunch the chef will prepare on property. (And nobody screaming MOMMY for the next four hours!!)
It is HEAVEN.
Lots of you asking for more details in my dms, so here’s the website with all their future trips! They do one solo parent trip per year (moms or dads–this trip just happened to be all moms, which is so fun!) but most of their trips are geared toward families!
They also have a sister company, Roam Collective, a longer term “family study abroad” which sounds INCREDIBLE where they arrange childcare during US work hours! 🎉
Anyway, more to come later–in the meantime, sharing some fun little things bringing me joy this summer!
My first tomatoes (before the chipmunks ate them)
Ok so my garden is a bit of a saga, but it still brings me immense joy.
I get very little direct sunlight in our front or back yard, so I’ve moved around where I’ve planted the past couple of years, with mixed results. The only thing tomatoes that have “kind of” worked have been these little yellow cherry tomatoes–which is fine with me because they are DELICIOUS.
The amount of glee the pop of the sweetest, HOME GROWN cherry tomato can add to one’s morning? The limit does not exist. (I often think people who don’t like tomatoes have just never had a truly delicious tomato.)
Anyway, behold my first little tomatoes of the season!!!
I ate them with my breakfast with some fresh basil and they were glorious…🎉
…and then I realized the chipmunks found them shortly after. I even put nets over them and one WEASELED HIS WAY INTO THE NET and couldn’t get out. I had to free him. But not before he gorged himself.
IT’S ROUGH OUT HERE ON THESE STREETS.
I upgraded the lampshades in the dining room and I LOVE THEM. The plain white shades had always irked me–I LOVE our dining room but it was looking a bit too…put together. It needed more pattern–more interest! (Funny enough, I feel like we’re just getting to the point in our house where I can add more weird. My aspiring design style I like to describe as, “Nancy Meyer’s eclectic cousin”?? and I feel like I root the house in the classic pieces but then the added layers are more eclectic–right now, the house is more Nancy but I’m still adding more kitsch to get it closer to the “eclectic cousin.” 😂 I know, it takes time! (But I’m impatient. 👀)
Anyway, I found these lampshades from Anthro and I knew THEY WERE IT! I love them. They really do so much for the space!
Someone messaged me though and said they’re giving White Lotus Season 2 and now whenever I look at them I hear
LOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOOLOO and it cracks me up every time.
The Cheddars
When we moved here, June named the bunny who lives in our yard Cheddar. This year, Cheddar has found a life partner and had a baby! 🥺 (Listen, I know we are taking a lot of liberties with the story, there might be 20 different Cheddars–but there ARE two adult bunnies we often see with a tiny baby bunny in the yard). They are now all named Cheddar. Mommy, Daddy, and baby Cheddar.
Baby Cheddar got so close to me the other day and I thought my heart was going to exploded with cuteness. What do you mean we live on this spinning rock with sweet tiny creatures that look like THIS!? GAH life!!
(And then they eat my Kale and I suddenly understand a lot more about Mr. McGregor.)
Library picnics (library and picnic not pictured 😆)
Often, when Neal is out of town, we will hit the McDonalds drive through and then have a picnic in the field outside the library, and then spend the rest of the night at the library. Not only does this make my life incredibly easy (no cooking, no “I’m bored,” no “can I watch a show now?!”) and it’s also so special and fun. Can’t recommend it enough. (Or if the weather is bad, may I recommend the “car picnic” in the library parking lot?)
By the way–the library in the evening?! EXQUISITE for the nervous system. Such a nice way to sneak in some “quiet time” until bedtime. Nobody is ever there after dinner–and I like to hit my own section first to grab a book or cookbook to peruse, and then pop myself down in the kids’ area while June plays.
(Also re: photo above–on this night in particular, there were some tween boys at soccer practice on the field adjacent to the library and June got to kick the ball back to them a few times–and they gave her high fives. 🥺 She was beaming. Also note my hat that she stole off my head and then wore backwards.)
Speaking of my favorite hat…
I have two, and they are basically glued to my head at this point. I also didn’t realize that this one was dirty until I took it off to snap the photo. Woops!!
She has so many styles, many are Chicago/Midwest themed and so fun. (Would make a really fun gift, too!) You can shop them all here! (Also you should stop into one of her store locations if you’re visiting the city and pick up some cute Chicago merch!)
Wrapping up my first round of 1:1 clients!!!
I’ll be honest, I’d wanted to do this for years because I’ve felt pulled to help women in a deeper way, but the imposter syndrome was LOUD. Finally ripping off the Band-Aid a few months ago ended up being one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done!
Not only was I so touched that a handful of women put their trust in me, but favorite part was watching them start to see themselves, their relationships, and their lives through a different lens.
One client said “Jess’ ability to identify patterns and connect dots after just a few forms and phone calls truly blew me away.” Another shared, “Two calls with Jess single handedly changed my motherhood experience and my relationship with my spouse.” 🥺
I’ll be opening up my calendar again for a few more 1:1 spots when I get back from Portugal at the end of July! If you’re interested in working together, you can see more details + fill out the application on this page. I ask everyone to complete a short application so I can make sure we're a good fit and that I'm confident I can help with what you're navigating. I'll email everyone on that list with next steps to schedule, and spots will be first come, first served. It would be such an honor to work together. 💛
First Family White Sox Game
June’s t-ball league does a White Sox night after the season is over where all the teams go to the Sox game together. It was our first Sox game as a family and it was so much fun. Baby’s first stadium hot dog. (!!!!)
Also, I haven’t been to a Sox game since Neal and I started dating (wow 👵🏼) but we were both really impressed with the food and beverage options, and how family friendly it is. They have a whole kid’s area that is actually palatable to spend time in. It’s interactive and has a huge terrace where parents can be near but still keep an eye on the game.
Of course, seeing the Cubs at Wrigley Field is iconic, but I think a Sox game is a much more enjoyable outing for families.
Do you follow The Workspace for Children? Her account is amazing and she turned me onto this brand of kid’s furniture. Sadly their play kitchen is sold out, but they make a “Potting Bench” that is basically the same thing as a play kitchen, so I just added a water jug and some play kitchen accessories and it’s been a huge hit. (Why didn’t I get this for her earlier?!) Can’t recommend enough–it’s truly brought so much joy to our summer to have something she loves to keep her busy outside. (That isn’t barking at me to chase her around the yard. 😆)
Caro’s grilled chicken with mango cucumber salad:
Ok the photo leaves a lot to be desired but don’t judge the recipe by my poor photography! This may top the chart as my favorite Caroline Chambers recipe (and that’s saying A LOT!)
This is easily my favorite recipe I’ve made all summer, even June loved it!!
AND–I’m proud to report that I have become a much more confident griller. It’s the one part of cooking I have always deferred to Neal but this summer I’ve finally put in the practice to build my confidence. 🥳
If grilling intimidates you, YOU CAN DO IT!
Also, if you’re a newbie, start with grilled chicken thighs. They are nearly impossible to mess up! I still can’t cook a chicken breast (grilled, sautéed, baked, any way) to save my damn life. (And I’m a really good cook!!)
This portrait of Neal June drew at dinner 😆
June has never been a huge art girl, but when we were out to dinner she whipped out this portrait of Neal out of nowhere and it is…astonishingly realistic? 😆 I’m so upset it was on a white board and that I couldn’t frame it!!
(But by the way, for some reason, the dry erase board is always a bigger hit than coloring books and crayons! Highly recommend stashing one in your bag!)
My SURI electric toothbrush (use code KEYS15 for 15% off!)
Do you need to refill your coffee first? Because I have a lot to say on this subject. 😆 First, I LOVEEE an electric toothbrush. Yet, there are SO many things that irk me about them:
1. They don’t hold a charge very long, and I have a squirrel brain, so half the time I am brushing my teeth with a dead electric toothbrush…which feels like I’m brushing my teeth with a brick, and you know, kinda negates the purpose of owning an electric toothbrush.
2. The charger is always FOUL. It seems to get gross again the day after I clean it. And it always gets toothpasty water drips all over the counter (no matter how well I rinse?!)
So obviously, I try to hide the charger in a drawer…which means I charge it even less, because it barely holds a damn charge to begin with. And tis a vicious cycle.
3. Some of them RIP YOUR GUMS APART. I won’t name names but a couple months ago (before I found my SURI toothbrush) my existing electric toothbrush died AGAIN (like my third one kicking the bucket in a couple years) I decided to try a new brand (won’t name names but let’s just say it rhymes with SHMORAL-WEE) and it left my gums feeling like I’d eaten scalding hot melted pizza cheese. (And that was even with the soft bristle!)
Anyway, it was then (with me wondering how many more times I could use that toothbrush before I needed gum grafting surgery)–that I discovered the delight that is the SURI toothbrush.
What I love about my this toothbrush? (Tell me you’re 38 without telling me you’re 38)
It’s super light, minimalist design (not bulky or heavy at all). Truly looks and feels like a regular toothbrush.
It comes with a mount that you can stick to your mirror (see photo above) to get it off your counter. (No more drippy toothpaste crusted counters!)
Comes with a sleek, slim case (like slim enough that I can actually travel with it, even in a carry-on!) that has a UV light to blast germs off the bristles AND charges at the same time (kills 99% of bacteria!).
They have a recycling program for their replacement heads (which you can order direct from them, or snag them at Target or Amazon!) They’ll mail you a prepaid mailer, you mail them back, and they recycle them!
But far and away the best part…worth the switch for this factor alone:
IT HOLDS A CHARGE FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH!! 🤯 An absolute revelation for an ADHD queen!!
(Lol, I influenced Neal to buy one shortly after I started using mine, but he didn’t get the discount code. Don’t tell him!!)
Anyway thanks for coming to my toothbrush Ted Talk.
And thanks for Suri for being a wonderful brand partner of mine and providing us with a discount code for the aunties! 💛🪥
Nighttime tarot pulls:
I wrote about all my tarot journaling practice here and how much it’s helped me. I usually carve out a few minutes during the day to do this while June as at school (because I’m often too tired at night) but the other night I spent some time post-bedtime reflecting, and even did a pull for my friend, which was really fun!! (This spread I pulled for her was GOOOOOD and so spot on to what she’s going through in her life!!)
It was a nice reminder that even mixing up the order in which I do things gives me a huge hit of novelty. I usually just crawl straight in bed and crash or read my book after June is asleep, but it was so nice to wind down the night with some reflection instead!
Birthday cash fund–(how to actually get guests to adhere to “no gifts please”)
I can’t take credit for this idea (I saw it on Instagram) but I was so happy we tried it. Last year for June’s birthday party, I explicitly said “no gifts please” on the invite (because seriously, I don’t want more crap in my house. Firm believer in “less is more” with the kids toys.) Yet–most people still showed up with presents!!
This year, we also asked for no gifts, but offered an option–contributing “$5 for 5 years” for a shopping trip fund at our local toy store. It was SO GREAT! June LOVED getting handed cash 😂 and everyone else loved how easier it made their lives. (And how much more affordable, too!)
Here’s how I worded the invite, if you want to copy!
“No gifts please (your presence is the gift!) but if you insist–feel free to bring $5 (or Venmo/Zelle) for June’s “$5 for 5 years” birthday fund instead. She’ll use the money for a special Geppetto’s shopping trip, where she gets to pick out her own special gift!”
What little things are making your summer!? Would love to know–you all always have the best reccos and ideas!
xoxo
Jess
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Yummmmm honored to be a part of this wonderful summer joy
Ok definitely checking out the toothbrush…you had me at month long charge. And I so wish I would’ve implemented this gift idea! Now my kids expect gifts! 🙃