things I love lately

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Things I Love Lately: Surviving Summer Edition

Welcome to another blog post where I jabber on about something completely inconsequential while trying desperately to pretend Everything Is Okay. 

(I clicked on an article this morning about how scientists have detected a continent-destroying “heartbeat” beneath Ethiopia because things really do feel increasingly apocalyptic and I like to know all the ways the universe is trying to purge itself of humanity. TL;DR: this new threat shouldn’t emerge for another million or so years.) 

Drastic tone shift! 

It’s summer! And super hot! I haven’t worn pants or styled my hair in days! Every time I step outside my skin turns into a puddle! 

Here’s how I am surviving:

Iced Chai: Thanks to Trader Joe’s, I have traded in my morning cuppa Earl Grey for a tall glass of iced chai. I pour in about a quarter cup of the spiced chai black tea concentrate, add enough water to fill the glass half way, add ice, then fill the rest of the way with skim milk. I also add a little topper of half-and-half, as a treat.

Pool Time: I realize that we are super lucky to have our own pool, but I think I would be dragging myself and my child to any pool possible. It’s not like I enjoy wearing a swimming suit, or even being in the water. But it feels less gross to be a sweaty mess at the pool than anywhere else, and I like feeling like it’s acceptable to lie around in nearly no clothing, and I like the ability to pop into the water when I feel like I’m about to sublimate. We’ve pulled out the pool toys (and I got an electric air pump so no one has to hyperventilate whilst filling up a flamingo or anything; the air pump is magical), we’ve set up the outdoor furniture, we’ve been really making use of the pool and I am very grateful. By the way, these are my favorite pool floaties because your body remains partially submerged while you drift around in the currents made by a cannonballing child.

Pants Free Living: I am living in these jersey dresses from Boden, and occasionally this similar dress I got last summer from Amazon. They all feel like I’m wearing pajamas AND they have pockets. I am also a huge fan of these shorts and tank top from Quince. Okay, while I was searching for the link to the Boden dress, I came across this one and bought it immediately. (If you want 20% off your Boden order, you can use this link.)

Supportive Sandals: I ordered a third pair of these orthotic flip flops because I love them so much. I wear one pair inside the house to stave off plantar fasciitis and now I have a pair of black ones and a pair of navy ones to wear anytime I leave the house. They are so comfortable.

The Perfect Sunscreen: Now that we have sunshine I am even more diligent about slathering my face with sunscreen every time I pop outside. I am in love with this Neutrogena sunscreen serum and have been using it for a few years now. It’s hydrating, it’s super lightweight, it absorbs completely (rather than sitting on my skin like some sunscreen), and it has some component that gives my skin this lovely glowy sheen, which is so different from most sunscreens, which leave me with a chalky pallor. It’s also compatible with my super-sensitive prone-to-breakouts face and does not bother my skin in the least. It’s become one of my favorite skincare products and the instant I get close to running out I order a backup.  

Wet Hair, Don’t Care: I am surviving summer with cold showers and without my hair dryer. Shampoo, leave-in conditioner (I’m currently using this one), throw the whole mane up in a claw clip. Does it look cute? Not really, no. Do I care? Not enough to endure hair drying. 

Cool Sleeping: I persist in being a terrible sleeper; last night, I went to bed at ten, then proceeded to wake up at 12:20, 1:30, and 3:00 and then couldn’t get back to sleep until after 4:00. I feel like I am doing All The Things (except taking a sleep aid, I guess) and I am so constantly tired I want to cry. My husband has tried everything in his power to help me sleep better, and one of those things was buying this ridiculously expensive cooling comforter. It is worth every penny. Now, I am never too hot because of the comforter (only because of my internal wackjob thermometer). Every time I slip beneath the sheets (which are also stupid expensive; we’ve got a spendy cooling duvet cover too) I feel cool and comfortable no matter how hot it is outside.

Bug Shield: The worst thing about being outside is mosquitos, and our mosquito repellent device continues to do an amazing job of keeping the nasty critters away. 

Indoor Fun: We’ve been enjoying the outdoors, but when it’s just too hot Carla and I have been retreating to the cool of the house to play board games. Since it’s just the two of us – or three when my husband is home – we stick with games that are fun with two players, like SkipBo or Clue or Exploding Kittens. I’ve heard good things about Monopoly Deal so I may have to add that to our collection. 

What are your summer must-haves? 

Lenny has discovered the joy of Being on the Counter and takes any opportunity to find out what’s happening up there.

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Five Favorite Things Friday

1. The First Day of Summer Break! Carla is done with school – done with elementary school, in fact, which boggles my mind; doesn’t it feel like just yesterday I was leaving cryptic messages announcing my pregnancy? – and now we are officially on summer break! The first day was a perfect day and I hope we have many perfect days just like it ahead of us. We slept in until eight o’clock, which felt decadent but also not too slothful. We ate breakfast and planned our day. Then we took a drive to Target for some provisions (a sun hat for me, a new pool toy for Carla, some popsicles for the garage freezer) and then to Home Depot for some additional planting supplies. We had all the car windows wide open while we drove and we picked summery songs to add to a summer playlist. We were both GIDDY with the promise of summer. Then, after lunch, we invited the neighbors over for a swim and the kids alternated eating snacks by the pool and swimming. (Note to self: everyone always thinks they want Cheez-Its but no one ever finishes a bag except the gluttonous ants.) While watching four children swim is not relaxing in any sense of the word, it was still a wonderful way to spend the day. 

2. Cherry Smoothies. I have been drinking cherry smoothies for breakfast for months now, and I am not tired of them yet. They are SO GOOD, y’all. Not too sweet, and 33 grams of protein without protein powder. I also enjoy the lovely purpley pink color. 

3. My Cuisinart Stick Blender. Smoothie-relatedly, I am loving my stick blender. I am still very fond of my Ninja blender, which has its own smoothie cup perfect for making smoothies. But since I made a smoothie daily, sometimes the Ninja isn’t clean and I need another option. (The versions of the blender available now come with TWO smoothie cups, those lucky ducks.) I love this stick blender because it came with a nice, big carafe that I can use for the smoothies AND it came with a little food processor attachment that is perfect for salsa and dressings and other small-batch things not worth the hassle of my enormous food processor. 

4. My Indoor Plants. I’ve already gone on and on about my outdoor plants, but my indoor plants are THRIVING. My orchid – which I got when Carla was in pre-K – is blooming again, the anthurium is blooming happily, two of the succulents that are leftover from Carla’s tenth birthday are still alive. I am a teeny bit concerned about Carla’s orchid cactus – it’s sprawling all over the place and seems happy, but from my limited research it might not be getting enough sun? Well. I don’t know if there’s a sunnier spot, sweetheart, so we’ll have to see what happens.

5. A Comfy Summer Schlub Dress. I bought this dress on a whim and I am loving it. It’s my ideal summer lounge-around-and-go-to-Target dress – very casual, so soft it feels like jammies, but cute enough that I feel like I’m making an effort. Also, it has pockets. 

What are you loving lately?

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A Small and Specific Product Recommendation

I am about to recommend a product to you that I now find indispensable. But I want to include a couple of caveats before I do so.

The first is this post’s unfortunate proximity to Mother’s Day. I can (sigh) imagine some people (not you, but I bet you can think of the type of someone I mean) reading this post and leaping up and shrieking, “That’s it! That’s the perfect gift for A Mother!” And while yes, I love it because it is extremely useful, and while I do in fact use it during the execution of tasks that are often left exclusively to mothers, I would argue vehemently that products which make it easier/simpler/more efficient/better for a mother to execute her duties should NOT be given at Mother’s Day gifts, but instead should be considered legitimate business expenses, and items required to do the work of a household, and should be categorized with things like cleansers and mops rather than lumped into the gift category. Just as an office would not consider an ergonomic chair or a wireless mouse to be GIFTS for the person using them, an air fryer or a new washing machine or a new zooper should be considered tools that make it easier or more efficient for a homemaker to complete the work of running a household. Not. Gifts.

I know – I KNOW – that sometimes a big extravagant purchase like a washing machine can put a strain on a household budget. And yet I would still argue that it should not be re-categorized as a gift. Unless and only if the washing machine is also counted as a gift for Father’s Day as well. 

So I am not recommending this as a gift. Maybe – maybe – I could see it as a stocking stuffer, IF multiple people of multiple sexes and familial roles received it all at the same time.

Okay. So that is the main caveat. 

The second caveat is that this is a single-use item. At least in my household. I see that the product manufacturers/marketers have tried valiantly to come up with alternate uses, but please note my Raised Eyebrow of Skepticism and Uh-Huh, Sure. I don’t usually like single-use products, but I like this one. It is so effective at its one job (and so small and easy to slip into a drawer) that when I somehow lost mine, I immediately ordered ten more. (To be fair, I ordered ten more only because it comes in a pack of ten.) 

Anyway. All caveats aside: the product is a pan scraper. It is made of a stiff plastic and it is about the size of a credit card. I use it to scrape the egg off of a pan when I have made scrambled eggs.

(image from amazon.com) I don’t know that I ever really noticed the different shaped corners? But sure, whatever.

I do not particularly LIKE eggs, but I eat them a lot. And the egg never fails to form a thin veneer across the top of the supposedly non-stick coating of my pan. A veneer that is so adhesive, it’s a wonder that the folks at Elmer’s haven’t patented it. 

I use a stiff-bristled scrubber to clean my dishes. But my scrubber does not work well on the egg veneer. Sometimes, after several soakings and applying lots of elbow grease, it will come off. But then the egg transfers to the bristles of the scrub brush and refuses to come off. REFUSES. It pains me to admit that I have thrown away more than one scrubber due to stubborn egg scraps.

Even the miracle that is Dawn Powerwash has little effect on the egg veneer. 

But the scraper clears the egg in a few seconds! It is magic! You just… scrape the egg off, rinse the pan, and you’re done. No soaking necessary. Because I like to hand wash things as infrequently as possible, I drop the scraper itself into the dishwasher and I am done. MAGIC. 

As I said before, this scraper is small enough that I tuck it inside the front face of my kitchen tool drawer. It is very unobtrusive and waits patiently until the next time I make eggs. 

(image from amazon.com) The pan scraper marketing team is really scraping the bottom of the barrel here for alternate uses. See what I did there?

The scrapers come in a pack of ten, and they are ten for $9.99 right now. NINETY-NINE CENTS FOR A RELIABLE AND USEFUL TOOL IS SUCH A DEAL. I have already gotten far more than my money’s worth out of this little product, and I measure that by number of stiff-bristled scrubbers I have NOT had to throw away, which are apparently $7.99 apiece, and also in minutes of grumpy scrubbing.

The first scraper I got was from a friend. I went over to her house to pick up Carla from a playdate, and she said, “Here, I have a pan scraper for you.” I was skeptical, and yet it has been one of the most useful products in my kitchen. I use it way more than I use my Instant Pot, that’s for sure. If you bought a ten pack, think of how you could casually hand a few out to friends, and BLOW THEIR MINDS with this tiny unassuming powerhouse?!

Okay, and now I want to know if YOU have any little heroes in your house that I have been overlooking.