The June Edit
This month was an absolute blur. I’m later than usual getting out my monthly edit newsletter and struggling with what to even include!
We spent a couple of weekends in the Upstate visiting with friends and exploring new towns. We met up with my booksta bestie for lunch at Warehouse at Vaughn’s before a Bluey-themed birthday party. My kids adored the Hendricks Branch Library in Simpsonville and were entertained for nearly an hour by their play areas. I also finally made the trip up to Easley with my mom to the Book Warehouse Outlet sale! I found so many great gifts for upcoming birthdays and even got a head start on Christmas shopping.
This week we’re celebrating birthdays and our 9th wedding anniversary. Time has absolutely flown by. We’re already planning a milestone anniversary trip for next summer!
Loving Lately
Here are a few things I’ve been loving lately.
Read:
Tis the season for beach reads, and I have the perfect new romance for you! Whisky Business by Elliot Fletcher. It has my favorite grumpy x sunshine trope, a childhood best friend’s brother as the love interest, and is set in the Scottish Highlands at a whisky distillery.
Watch:
Have you seen American Born Chinese on Disney+ yet? We’ve been averaging a couple of episodes a week. It’s a coming-of-age story about a Chinese-American high school student who is struggling to fit in. It explores themes like identity and self-acceptance, family, and racism/racial stereotypes. Filled with plenty of gimmicky action scenes, the budget for this TV series must be huge! Every episode seems like it uses slightly different special effects which is hard to appreciate at times. It’s not a new favorite series but I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something unique. If you need more recommendations, I posted a special watch edition mid-year roundup earlier this month.
Play:
I am not a gamer but my husband bought Hogwarts Legacy for us to play on the Xbox and has been helping me struggle through the story mode. It’s comical, really. I’ve been enjoying exploring the castle and taking part in some of the challenges. The hardest part for me has been navigating walking and using the joystick! I think it has been really good for my mental health to switch up my hobbies and be able to relax with this game this summer.
Eat:
Like every other family, we are really struggling with the effects of inflation when it comes to our grocery budget. I’m sure I’m late to the game but I’ve started couponing and challenging myself to shop the freezer and pantry before making my weekly shopping list. I’ve always been really good about meal planning but taking the time to browse the sales circulars and go to more than one store to save a few bucks is proving to be beneficial. A couple of weeks this month I’ve cooked 6 meals for about $60. Let me know if you’re interested in seeing some of our weekly meal plans in the future.
Another thing I’m trying to do is cook more from our cookbook collection. When I get the urge to eat out, cooking a “real” recipe makes me feel like we get a fancy meal at home. Molly Baz’s lemony, garlicky green beans from Cook This Book were the perfect side dish for spaghetti and homemade meatballs.
Wear:
Graphic tees and breezy pants on repeat.
I bought two new pairs of cloud slides on Amazon and they’re probably the only shoes I’ll wear all summer. They fit TTS on me but I had a friend say they were a little big on her so check the reviews if you’re in between sizes.
Homey Bits:
My four-year-old has been asking for a “room makeover” which really just means she wants to rearrange her furniture again. We are planning to add a desk for school to her room before Kindergarten begins at the end of July so it will be a good opportunity to shuffle things around. I’ve been feeling inspired by Almost Makes Perfect’s nursery closet design. While it’s certainly not in our budget to get an entire closet system at this time, we might start by removing the closet doors, adding curtains, and putting her taller 5-drawer dresser inside the closet for now.
That’s it from me. For now, here’s a quick poll.
If you enjoyed this post and want to see more, consider buying me a coffee and keeping me caffeinated during my writing sessions!
My son and I are obsessed with American born Chinese!