On Thursday we'll drop the boys off at our neighborhood school for the first time – a new chapter for our family. And with that my brain is switching out of summer mode and into school mode. It's hard to call it "fall" since temperatures will still sit comfortably above 100 degrees for a while but it won't feel quite like summer any more. Especially once the university students return in mid August and Chris's work starts to ramp up for the year. We had a great summer and packed in a lot. We traveled for three weeks to Texas... Read more →

I'm having so much fun putting together these blog and Instagram posts. Thank you for following along and for sending your own recommendations. I have a running list of things to try and am definitely up for the job! Now, let's hit the aisles at TJ's, and don't forget your reusable bags! Here's what's in my cart at Trader Joe's this week: Mango Tangerine Scented Candle. I love a seasonal candle (obviously) and grabbed a few of these as soon as they hit the shelves at my store this summer. Seasonal candles have a habit of going fast and not... Read more →

It's time for another jaunt down the friendly aisles of Trader Joe's. Side note: If you shop at Trader Joe's and have kids, do you know about the stuffed animal hiding in the store that kids can find and earn a prize? I learned recently that each store has a different mascot; ours is Iggy the Iguana. I would love to know what yours is! And also, where is the social media account just for these creatures hiding among the pasta sauce and cereals? In my cart at Trader Joe's this week I tried... Organic Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles.... Read more →

I breathe a little sigh of relief when we cross the summer solstice each year. Even though we have many blazing days ahead of us, I love knowing that each day we are getting a tiny bit less of the blaze. We are on a (slow) path back to fall and winter. But we are making the most of it. Watermelon and corn is abundant at the farmer's market. There was an impromptu gathering at the public pool with friends where all the kids, 3 and 5 year olds, could not go off the diving board enough times. Our air... Read more →