Happy summer Friday! Here’s what’s on the agenda for the weekend.
EATING
With temperatures in the 90s this week, I’m craving chilled, crunchy bites. I’ll be making a mango avocado shrimp salsa, my favorite summer chickpea salad, and a quick 20-minute summer squash pasta to keep things light and fresh.
DRINKING
Fresh cherry lime vodka sodas are a must—Eddie can’t get enough of them.
MAKING
On Sunday I’m putting together a smoked salmon platter for Father’s Day brunch. I’m really looking forward to it.
BAKING
I’m obsessed with my banana cake topped with coffee cream cheese frosting. It’s been on repeat.
GRILLING
We have plenty of grilling options lined up this weekend. My top picks are a hot dog bar and a flank steak toppings bar—both easy crowd-pleasers.
CRAVING
I’ve been craving a coconut cream cold brew—it’s such a seasonal favorite and I can’t get enough.
LISTENING
We’ve been playing some favorite Father’s Day playlists to set the mood. I like a mix of mellow and upbeat tracks to keep the day relaxed and fun.
READING
Elin Hilderbrand’s new book, The Hotel Nantucket, just came out and I’ve been waiting for it all year. If you need ideas for summer reads, my full summer reading list is a great resource.
SHARING
On Monday I’ll be in conversation with Elin at a local bookstore here in Pittsburgh. The event sold out, but there are tickets now available for the screening next door, so you can still attend and have your book signed.
TRAVELING
We’re taking a short staycation at Nemacolin this weekend, less than an hour away. The kids are thrilled and we have a fun weekend planned. We had a rough start with broken air conditioning on the hottest day, but hoping today improves.
WEARING
I’m a big fan of sun protection and wear a lightweight visor throughout the summer. It’s comfortable, flattering, and easy to wear—perfect for outdoor activities and baseball games. There are lots of styles now, from neon and metallic to speckled and classic straw.
SHOPPING
I love the Aura digital photo frame. We gifted one to Eddie’s mom for Christmas, and I recently picked one up for my mom’s birthday and one for Eddie’s office for Father’s Day. It’s an excellent gift for parents and grandparents because you can upload photos through an app and they appear on the frame instantly. I prefer the vertical frame since most of my photos are taken vertically.
LOVING
I discovered the Didn’t I Just Feed You podcast recently and enjoyed several episodes focused on summer and pool snacks—great ideas for simplifying feeding kids. I also loved a Lazy Genius episode about coming home from vacation; it had helpful, practical tips.
CELEBRATING
It’s Father’s Day weekend. I’ll be following a few special recipes for the celebration and enjoying time with family.
