After spending so much time writing myΒ Intermittent Fasting postΒ I was so happy to hear from Instagram followers that you wanted a more light-hearted post on my summer finds & favorites. If you know me, you know that I am not one to keep silent about my favorite things. If something is great, I want you to know about it. Writing these kind of posts are therefore so fun for me. So here are some great products and services I've discovered this summer that I want you to know about because I'm really into them. There's also one in there that I don't have, but want so bad!
As always, please leave a comment or question if you have one about anything listed. Enjoy friends!
PKBQUEEN River Stone Obstacle Balance Course
Recently I was talking with my friend Brett about things to do with my boys this summer and he gave the brilliant idea of buying equipment for my boys to build obstacle courses in our backyard. Not only does it help them build creativity, balance and coordination, it also just wears them out in a really fun way. Therefore, I am naming this a summertime miracle!
So, I went on Amazon and found several low cost items like these cones, agility ladder,Β bases, andΒ jump rope.Β My most successful find though were these slightly more expensive, but 100% worth it, balance river stones.
They are so much fun and can be used inside too when it's raining.
My current approach to implementing this into our day is once everyone is up in the morning, I send them outside to build a course while I make breakfast. It's a great way to kick off a summer day. If you have some active kiddos that need something to keep them busy, get them these stones, and maybe all the other items too, to build obstacle courses. I'm tempted to buy another set.Β Buy them here.Β
Adreamly Pom Pom Cover Up
I first spotted this cover up on one of my girlfriends last summer and loved it. Since then, I've been following it on Honey (a price watching/saving plugin for online shopping), waiting for the price to drop (which it does at times). Fortunately, this beautiful and flattering cover up is not that expensive to begin with (about $15) and it's a dream to wear. It's so comfortable and makes me feel lovely in the midst of being a mommy while at our community pool. It comes in a ton of colors, so find the one you like and just go for it! You won't regret it. Buy it here.
Furtalk Women's Sun Hat
This summer I've been on the hunt for a cute sun hat to wear when a ball cap or my ugly sun hat just isn't appropriate. I ordered a few hats on Amazon and landed on this one. It's really cute, not floppy, and does a great job of keeping the sun off my face and neck. Buy it here.
CLIF Whole Lotta Bars
These new CLIF bars are everything I want in a bar: tasty, good ingredients, good protein, no added sugar and no artificial ingredients. They are a great choice for people with allergies too as they are gluten and dairy free. CLIF is one of my clients, but this is just me saying that I love this product. Buy them here.
Bare Republic Mineral Sunscreen for Face
I am ALWAYS on the hunt for affordable, natural sunscreens that are easy to apply. On a whim at Target, I gave this one a try and it was a winner! It goes on super smooth and easy, no greasiness. It doesn't seem to clog pores either. Hallelujah! The biggest test it passed was the "Coach Braddock test" as he's pretty particular about sunscreen. It has to apply easily or he's out. He gives this one 2 thumbs up. Buy it here.
Hang Ten Ladies Sun Protection Tee
We are out in the sun a lot during the summer and I amΒ tryingΒ to keep my skin youthful for as long as possible. I've tried wearing swim shirts before but they were honestly so hot, I couldn't bear them. I found this sun shirt at Costco (warning: I've only found it at Costco) last summer and wore it so much I bought another one this summer for myself and a fellow mom friend. At only $15, I have an inclination to stock up for the rest of my life.Β Buy it here.
Kids Bowl Free
If you have personally talked to me this summer, I have probably already told you about Kids Bowl Free. This is a summer program, put on by the national bowling people, where kids get 2 free games of bowling per week from May through October. Yeah!
There are only certain bowling centers participating so make sure you check to see what's available in your area first. We bought the 2 parent pass where for a $24 flat rate, so me and Coach also get 2 games a week. The only price we pay is to rent shoes.
We are pretty obsessed and have gone weekly since the end of May. This is the first summer our boys have been able to truly bowl without massive parental involvement so it's a lot of fun for us now. Regardless if you go a lot or not, sign up for the email updates because it will keep you in the know about when to sign up every year. They also throw out spring break programs too. Sign up here.
Butcher Box
Butcher Box is a delivery service of organic, grass fed and heritage breed meat. I caught an ad for them this spring that promoted free ground beef for the life of your subscription if you signed up. I thought that was a really good reason to give them a try, so I went for it. I've received two boxes from Butcher Box and I am very impressed by the quality, selection and flavor. It's very nice to have an allotment of meat ready to go for meals and it's been fun to try cuts of meat I don't usually buy. I think the price is fair, but it's still more than buying conventional meats in the store (which, btw, are totally fine too and I still buy). But if you like the convenience of getting it shipped right to you and prefer grass fed or organic meats, I think it's worth a try. If you use my referral link, you will get a bonus in your subscription.
Dry Bar Dry Shampoo
Recently I got on the don't-wash-your-hair bandwagon because I guess it's better for your hair??? I sure hope that's true because I am not a fan of dirty hair, but it is nice to not wash and style all the time. Anyways, the only way this girl is going to stay committed to this idea of wash less is with stellar dry shampoo. I've tried a lot of different priced dry shampoos and hands down Dry Bar is THE BEST out there. It's seriously like magic in a bottle as it immediately transforms my oily hair into mermaid hair. Unfortunately, it's at the higher end of pricing but I'm telling you, it's worth it. Add it to your honey list and watch for that price to drop, as I am. Buy it here.
reMarkable Digital Paper Tablet
This summer a client introduced me to this new gadget that is a tablet but writes and feels like a piece of paper. It streamlines the table to only have uses related to note taking and reading, limiting the distractions that haunt me when using my phone for these things. It writes and feels like a pen and paper and stores all your notes digitally to the various cloud options. It can also turn handwritten notes into typed documents and share them easily. I love this idea because I want to hand write things but want to store it digitally (and easily). Hand writing is superior to typing when it comes to learning as it makes stronger neuro pathways more quickly, and I need all the help remembering that I can get. Here's the companies video:
I want one of these bad boys SO BAD, but it's pretty pricey at $500. I asked them for a device to review, which they declined, but a girls gotta try. I'll be watching this one closely for the price to come down or a version 2. Buy it here.
Rothy's Shoes
I know, I know, this is not the first time I've shared about my love of Rothy's. Forgive me but I just can't stop saying how much I love them. I'm including them again because I bought a patterned pair this spring, which are new to their collection, and they are so amazing!
These are the perfect closed toe shoes for summer because you MACHINE WASH THEM! No more stinky shoes friends. I've washed mine many times and they come out perfect every time.
Here's a pro tip I've picked up from my own orders and from friends: Buy a half size up.
My first pair I bought my true size, and while they are OK, they do start to rub if I wear them all day. The past 2 pairs I bought a half size up and they are perfection! I now have my eye on their sneakers, which I want as bad as that reMarkable tablet above. π Note that I have never seen these shoes go on sale, so I wouldn't wait around for one to buy. They are pricey, but I think worth it. Use this affiliate link though to get $20 off your order, which is about the best deal you are going to find anywhere.
L'Ange Hair Straightening Brush
Somehow I got attacked on Facebook with ads for L'ange hair products. I don't know why but it worked. They had this super summer sale and it got me. Their Straightening Brush looked so intriguing me and got great reviews. Since I am trying to wash less (see the dry shampoo comments above) I've realized that I do need to style my hair more so that it doesn't look completely terrible. I bought it and I really do like it. It makes straightening really easy because you just brush your hair with it. I also do not get any kinks. Buy it here and click Shop -- Flat Irons -- Le Vite Blush Straightening Brush.
She is Clothed...Journal
My lifelong friend Megan from MakewellsΒ is an incredible illustration artist and does a lot of Bible verses. Seriously, she is so good. She just had a journal published with her artwork on it and it's beautiful. If you need a new journal, buy this one! Get it here on Amazon.
T-Vine Winery Wines
T-Vine is one of my top 2 favorite wineries out of Calistoga California. In fact, we took the bottle from the picture above on our anniversary trip because it's so good. We first tasted it years ago on a trip to Napa, before they even had a tasting room (it's a fun story if you ever want to hear it). Over the past few years I started buying wine from them (you're lucky if you ever find them on a wine menu) because their wines are just so unique and delicious. I first fell in love with their Granache, then their Zinfandels, and now this summer I am loving the incredible Hill of Thunder Red Wine. I went ahead and joined their wine club, which I highly recommend, as you get a discount every time and access to other special deals that make it totally worth it to order. Buy their wines here and use code JENNA for $1 shipping (a good deal!) till the end of July 2019.
The Wondering Years Book
If you grew up in the Evangelical church in the 90's and maybe had some unanswered questions, then please, read this book. It is a comical, yet still poignant, look at the Christian faith by someone who looked to pop culture to help answer spiritual questions. I know that might sound like a no-no at first, but this book is really so good. It was my poolside read on our mini vacay this summer and I laughed so hard reading it. It also surprised me with many beautiful spiritual applications that through my laughing, I didn't see coming. Buy it here.
Whew! That's a long list, I know. But I am really am enjoying all these great things and I'm not one to keep good stuff a secret.
Let me know if you try any of these and please share with anyone who might also enjoy the new finds.
Enjoy your summer!
