The Summer Edit

School has finally wrapped up! Now that I’ve submitted next year’s curriculum order to our charter school it feels we can really welcome summertime. Here’s what I’ve been loving after a good week of summer.

Summersalt Swimsuit

You have perhaps seen the ads, checked out their website and balked at the price. I know I did when this swimsuit first came across my Instagram feed. I ended up buying this suit last year and I absolutely love it. It's worth the money. It has full coverage in front and back while still being stylish. It's a suit you can wrangle kids in and still feel like everything is staying put. I'll be purchasing again from this brand!

Bucket List

Last summer I talked about how we use a summer bucket list to avoid an over-scheduled summer. We are back at it this year and we are all looking forward to several vacations, our family summer traditions, beach days, summer camp, sleepovers, and loads more. Click here if you'd like to read how this process works for our family or if you'd like to print off your own bucket list.

The Flavor Bible

I eat salad most days for lunch, and thanks to The Flavor Bible they are never boring. Unlike most cookbooks, this book is an index of ingredients so you can make your own recipes. The book draws on rich expertise to create a concordance of sorts for which ingredients pair best with others. Look up the kind of greens you have and a few basic ingredients and The Flavor Bible will tell you what to add to your salad to make it excellent and interesting. We use this book year round, but it gets a workout during summer salad season.

The Negroni

If you haven't tried a Negroni yet, you should. It's perfect for summer night sipping on your back patio and is still our Cocktail of the Year (no matter the season).

No TV

No TV sounds drastic, but let me explain. Caleb and I know that our kids much prefer to use their screen time on more engaging things like building things in Minecraft or Roller Coaster Tycoon. We also find the sound of too much TV grating on our nerves. We expected more backlash when we announced no TV except for family shows or movies, but it never came. It's been much more peaceful and the kids just fill their time with other (and better, in my opinion) activities.

Cool Nights Pajamas

The first time I stepped into Soma Intimates I was the youngest lady in the store by about thirty years, but on the recommendation of someone I trusted I didn't bail immediately. I was after two things: seriously comfortable underwear and Cool Nights Pajamas. Soma's Cool Night Pajamas are exceptionally comfortable and breathable. I especially like the waistbands on their pajamas and have yet to find the same comfort in something that is similarly priced. My suggestion is to find a pair you like, wait for them to go on sale, and then enjoy the best summer pajamas.

Something Else I'm Loving this Summer: Healthy Hair

My friends and I frequently challenge each other to improve our health. This summer our focus is strong, healthy hair — and not just for the sake of beauty. When our hair is dull, dry or isn’t growing, it can be a sign that there are areas underneath that need some really good support. Healthy hair is a sign that our bodies are well on the inside. Locks that look and feel gorgeous is just icing on the cake.

I’d love for you to join us in our focus on hair health. This challenge would be great for people who are :

• dealing with hormonal hair loss/regrowth
• postpartum hair loss
• recovery from acute illness or something else
• looking for a few tips, tricks and favorite products that can help keep your hair healthy

To participate, all you need to do is select which products you'd like to use. You may even have some of these products in your home.

1. Red Drink (for this you will need one box of Ningxia, Sulferzyme Powder, and a 5mL Lime Vitality)
2. Mermaid Hair Spritz (for this you will need Rosemary, Lavender, Cedarwood, Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood Hydrosl, and a spray bottle. We will teach you how to make your spray, or you can make it yourself)
3. Mineral Essence

Select which products you'd like to order right here (I’m going to be completing my challenge with Red Drink). After you've placed your order let me know so that I can help get you into our challenge group and send you your tracker sheet so you are all set for July 1. Here's to healthy hair this summer!

Still have questions? Pop over here for more details.

Snippet from my week

I’m currently reading Four Thousand Weeks with Caleb. Each week we discuss one chapter together on our weekly hike. It’s been a really thought provoking book, and one I would recommend for anyone who is looking to ditch “time management hacks” and get to the root of how we view our time.

Thanks for reading! What have you been loving this summer that I need to hear about? Just hit reply if you'd like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.