Hello on this first summer Friday of August!
EATING
Keeping things light and easy after vacation. This weekend I’m planning my slow roasted tomato farro salad, and I’ve been craving the Thai avocado salad too. For lunches next week I’m eyeing the Mediterranean kale salad. Not trying to eat salads exclusively, but they all sound delicious. I’ll likely make bruschetta chicken and smoky grilled chicken pitas as well. I’m also prepping tropical peach overnight oats for breakfasts.
DRINKING
I’ll mix up a batch of lavender lemonade — I had a fizzy lavender lemonade recently and it reminded me how much I love it. Also, after a few weeks of rosé and Aperol spritzes, I’m planning a little detox from cocktails.
MAKING
I’ll put together a bunch of make-ahead smoothie packs when we get home. Eddie makes them every weekend and rotates ingredients — right now he’s heavy on apple, orange, and spinach — but I want a few for the kids and myself. I like to prepackage chia seeds, hemp hearts, ground flax and collagen powder so I can toss them into smoothies without measuring each morning.
BAKING
I’ll bake a batch of our favorite whole wheat pita bread on Sunday. It’s an easy recipe we love, and Eddie had a great pita last week that made him crave more.
LISTENING
I’m listening to our road trip playlist, volume two. We made one last year and since we’re driving home this weekend, a new version was on the list. Eddie’s been playing the DMB station nonstop on Sirius, which I’m officially over, so hopefully this playlist will keep him happy on the drive.
READING
I didn’t read as much on vacation as in past years, but I’m currently enjoying The Unhoneymooners. It’s hard to believe it’s already August. If you’re looking for book suggestions, I have a summer reading list worth checking out. Also curious if anyone else has read Three Women?
SHOPPING
I’m still browsing the final days of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and resisting impulse buys, though I’m tempted by a zip-top Scout tote my sister-in-law has — perfect for the beach, pool, and kid life. I love my Scout bag, but the zippered version seems unbeatable for theft-proofing and keeping things contained.
FEELING
I feel refreshed after our trip and ready to tackle the rest of the year. I even brought my planner to work on during the ride home. It’s wild there are only five months left in the year — lots coming up with my next book and a few fun projects ahead.
Only place I want to be.