The scent of summer
1. The smell of Coppertone Waterbabies

To quote master wordsmith Nelly, “It’s getting hot in hurr.”

Today was 89 degrees! last week it was 25 degrees cooler, but this week it’s starting to feel a lot like summer. I try to take Connor out good and early to wear her little booty out, but before we go, I slather this sunscreen all over her and myself. This stuff always makes me think of summer and long lazy days at the beach. I love it.

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2. turn and learn

I discussed this Ted Talk in the last Saturday Surfing, but if you missed it, please view it now. Or whenever you can. I think it’s so helpful!

The gist of it is to think of the things in your life that you’d like to change as opportunities to learn. Like, for example, if you’re bad at time management (LIKE ME!!!), instead of thinking, “I should be broken. I’m so bad at time management. There’s for sure something wrong with me,” think of it instead as a chance for you to learn some of the myriad of valuable time management suggestions and skills that are out there. (And no, you are not broken.) Eventually, you’ll hit on a suggestion or technique that works for you and helps you get better.

3. MAC studio fix mixed with MAC Strobe Cream

Why do I always try to reinvent the wheel when this combo is such an oldie but a goodie?

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MAC studio fix fluid — old-school effective!
I’ve been sheering it out, so it’s much more Strobe cream and less studio fix Foundation, but it’s still just enough to give me a little bit of even-ness and a lot of glow.

4. Ayesha’s home kitchen on Food Network

Don’t know if you’re viewing the basketball ? playoffs best now, but the Warriors are in it (yay, Bay Area!), and one of the players, Stephen Curry, is married to Ayesha Curry, the young lady who hosts this show.

She’s absolutely adorable, and so are her daughters. I haven’t tried any of her recipes yet, but I’m certainly going to, maybe as soon as this weekend.

I like that she takes shortcuts. Like, in some cases she’ll use boxed cake mix or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and she’ll jooj them up.

5. Painting

Oh, my gosh! We’re starting our home remodellings soon, and I know that painting is typically one of the steps people do toward the end of whatever they’re doing, but I’ve been having a good time researching paint colors for our place.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to use this color palette I found on a design blog called Maison Pax.

For Connor’s room, I’m thinking of doing one of these blush shades. maybe Behr Stolen Kisses. Haven’t chose yet.

Anyway, I’m thrilled about ?️ paint! who am I?!

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What are some things you’ve been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,

Karen

1. printed leggings

I recently got these snake print leggings from Athleta on sale , and they’ve convinced me that, if one is committed to living life in stretchy pants, prints are the way to go!

Why? because if you actually work out in ’em, prints hide sweat stains better than solid color leggings do. I’ve also recently discovered that prints do a better job of 1) hiding any wayward food stains and 2) underwear lines. If you’re as committed to wearing granny panties as I am, then you understand the significance of the latter.

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2. THIS SANDWICH!

I am deeply enamored with this cheese, veggie and hummus sandwich.

So yummy, so satisfying, and so easy to make. You can have a meal on your plate in five minutes!

The beauty of this sammie is that you can tweak it. If you want to add a protein, add a few slices of turkey, or bacon, or turkey bacon, or both kinds of bacon. If you don’t like hummus? substitute it for smashed avocado or spinach dip.

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It’s just two slices of your favorite bread, cucumber slices (sliced lengthwise and cut thin), tomato slices, two tablespoons or more of hummus, a slice or two of sharp or medium cheddar cheese and a handful of greens.

Also, to make this sandwich all it can be, you need to do three things:

dress your greens! If you skip this step, then your sammie will taste like depressing rabbit food. Whatever greens and salad dressing you have on hand are good, just as long as you like it. I do a handful of spinach tossed with a teaspoon or two of Trader Joe’s Pear and Gorgonzola Dressing.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the sliced cucumber and tomato. Yup, this adds more flavor. I just stack the veggies, then sprinkle a little on top. If you’re trying to cut down on salt, then a salt-free spice mix works, too.

Choose a flavored hummus. plain hummus totally works, but if you can find a flavored one, that’s even better. My fave is roasted red pepper.

My body also feels really good after I eat veggies, ya know?

3. sweet Magnolias

I marathoned this entire Neflix series in three days, and once I finished the last episode, I right away started re-watching it again. It’s like Gilmore girls meets Virgin River, and it’s so good! The main characters are three lifelong pals who live in a small town called Serenity, and the show takes you through the ups and downs they experience while starting their own spa in town.

The show seems kinda old-fashioned in that the dialogue’s slower-paced than most modern dramas. The plots also focus on people actually trying to do the right thing and making choices that, you know, help themselves and the people around them, rather than celebrating cattiness and backstabbing. Sure, it’s a little cheesy…but it’s also refreshing. Who’d a thunk it? — a show that isn’t all about destructive friendships and relationships.

4. first aid beauty Ultra repair Cream

It’s thick and rich but doesn’t leave my face or neck feeling greasy, and it layers beautifully with serums and makeup. A big-ol’ 6-oz. tub of this super hydrating face cream is $34! It’s made for all skin types, even kids and babies.

My dry/oily/acne-prone skin loves this stuff.
5. Making a meal for the freezer

Lately, whenever I cook dinner, I try to make enough for an extra meal I can freeze and defrost at a later date. This works especially terrific with meals where you pour a sauce on top of pasta or rice!

Last week I made spaghetti sauce, and when I was done, I took an empty gallon-sized freezer bag, put it inside a bowl for stability, and filled it with the sauce. once it was full, I removed as much air as I could from the bag, sealed it up, and placed it on a baking sheet, which I then stuck in my freezer. Doing this freezes the bag flat, making it easier to store.

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF!