We’ll also be welcoming our fair share of visitors into our home this summer and we’re thrilled to be kicking off our summer guest visits with my parents and my sister and her family. We’ll have a house packed with 13 people for a week of summer fun and we’re ready for it!! My parents arrive today and my sister and her gang will be here on Sunday. My Aunt Laurie is also joining us on Monday for a short visit as well! Woop!
But for today I’m back in action with my weekly round of favorites. Keep on scrolling if you’d like to check them out!
Things I’m Loving
The second we get to the pool, something switches in the boys and they’re in desperate need of their goggles so they can fly off into the water and swim their hearts out. I’ve been keeping their goggles in one of the waterproof wet bags I’ve had for years but for a while but if I forget to dry them out every once in a while, they can make the bag smell a little musty. Enter this new genius solution: The goggle case with draining holes and a handy little carabiner clip so you can hook them onto the handle of your pool bag and always be able to find them. It’s been a helpful little find for our family this summer — so much so that even Ryder commented on how it was so much nicer than rummaging through the abyss of Mom’s pool bag for his goggles. All three of our boys’ goggles can fit into one large case!
Oh and if you need decent kid goggles, we’ve LOVED these anti-fog Speedo kid goggles for a few years now. They’ve held up well and the adjustable strap on the back is a gamechanger if you’ve found yourself wanting to throw your kid’s goggles across the pool after trying to adjust those dang behind-the-ear straps.
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Summer Responsibilities Tracker + Point System
Last year, we implemented a summer responsibility system that worked really well for our family. We liked it so much that we’re doing something very similar again this year. Earlier this week, we worked with the boys to brainstorm daily and weekly responsibilities. (Daily tasks look like washing dishes while weekly tasks might look more like picking a space in our home to organize.) Each day, if all of their tasks are complete, they earn one point. Once the boys have 42 points (2 weeks of points if they each get a point every day), they get to pick a fun activity from the list of activities we came up with together for us to do! It’s worked well because it’s collaborative and I think this also helps them all stay accountable. If they don’t complete their tasks for the day, they don’t get a point but if last summer is any indication, they don’t miss too many days. Here’s hoping it works well again this year!
How have I never ordered one of these before!? This little tool is the perfect travel companion and was helpful for me during our most recent trip to Portugal and the Azores. It’s more compact than a traditional curling iron and can be used as a straightener, curling iron or wand for hair styling. It’s also dual voltage, making it usable outside of the US; I just toggled the switch to EU and plugged it into an adapter. It heated up quickly and worked well and was a great alternative to packing both a curling iron and a straightener every time I travel.
This protein coffee majorly impressed me! I got it a while back to use in coffee-flavored protein smoothies and have really enjoyed the pop of coffee flavor it adds. When we headed off to the Azores on our vacation, I figured the coffee might work well as… coffee. Ya know, like it was intended? I usually bring coffee grounds and a pour-over dripper to make coffee on vacation but this was SO easy and so good!! I added it directly to whole milk I warmed up on the stovetop using my electric frother and it worked like a charm. Plus, I love the way this coffee is more than just coffee! It also contains lion’s mane mushrooms (to support cognitive clarity without jitters as well as long-term memory and brain health) chaga mushrooms (delivers prebiotics and probiotics to support balanced immune response) and is third-party tested for potency and mold, heavy metals, and toxins.
A quick note: If you’re going to order Everyday Dose from their website, it looks like they will sign you up for a subscription (though you can easily cancel before you get charged) and I absolutely HATE that so I searched around and found it on Target’s website if you’d like to order a bag to try. (I just stocked up this week as you can see from the above photos because it’s currently on sale at Target!) And Amazon also sells the coffee, but not the protein version.
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Father’s Day Gift Ideas
Sharing a warp-speed roundup of a few Father’s Day gift ideas! And just a friendly reminder, my Gift Guide for Him that I shared over the holidays is one I fully stand by and hope will serve as a helpful resource for gift ideas for the men in your life year-round!
- Super-Fast Phone Charger: Hands down the fastest phone charger I’ve ever used. Ryan borrowed mine during our trip to the Azores and was blown away, too. I ordered him is own for Father’s Day!
- Outdoor Rocking Chair: The chair we all fight over during our camping trips and on the sidelines at soccer games. I ordered a second one for Ryan for Christmas this year.
- Cuts T-Shirts: Ryan was in the market for a some replacement tees that looked a little more polished. I ordered him this one and this one from Cuts and they are his new favorites! They’re wrinkle-resistant and super soft. Bonus: They are only $32 and $38 on sale right now. Ryan wears his true size large. He’s also continued to love and wear his Vuori Tuvalu tees.
- Swim Trunks: For the guy that could use a new swimsuit, these Amazon swim trunks are a go-to for Ryan, as they’re priced well and he loves the compression liner on the inside that helps prevent chafing. (Their boys’ version is a fav in our house, too!) Ryan also loves these seersucker swim trunks for a splurge-worthy option.
- Driveway Pickleball Net: A great one for kids to give to Dad! Ryan loves it just as much as our boys and we’ve use it to play countless net + racket + paddle games on our driveway.
- Cordless Leaf Blower: Ryan’s love for this thing knows no bounds.
- Lululemon Linerless Shorts: Ryan and my brother-in-laws’ favorite shorts.
- Quince Long Sleeve Polo: One of Ryan’s favorite work shirts! He especially likes that it’s not too hot for a long-sleeve summer work shirt option.
- Fishwife Tinned Fish: For the seafood loving guy who is always looking for high-quality sources of delicious protein for easy lunches or snacks. I ordered a ton of their smoked salmon after trying a tin because I was so impressed. They just gave me a code to share, too! PBFINGERS10 saves 10%!
- Air Fly Bluetooth Transmitter: The coolest gadget to bring on his flights! It plugs right into the seatback screen and allows him to watch movies with Bluetooth headphone devices.
- Fellow Electric Kettle: We upgraded to this kettle last this year and adore it. Ryan isn’t a coffee drinker, so this one is something he especially loves as a tea guy.
- Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker: The one we’ve had and loved for years!! Ice cream Ryan’s favorite food (and mine!) so this gets a lot of use in our house.
- ARMRA Colostrum: For the health-minded guy! I have Ryan hooked on this stuff as well now! Code PBFINGERS saves 15%.
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Friday Flashbacks
Carrot Apple Slaw (I made a giant batch of this mayo-free slaw earlier this week — it pairs so well with so many different proteins from salmon and chicken to steak and pork. It’s officially a summertime staple for me!)
Things to Do in Hilton Head with Kids (A roundup of some of our Hilton Head Island favs for anyone planning a Hilton Head summer vacation!)
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I remember you sharing about your boys’ point system last summer! I have two boys (my oldest turned 5 in May and my little guy will turn 3 at the end of July), and I’m curious for your thoughts on when it would feel developmentally appropriate to introduce something like this (my almost 3-year-old is probably too young, I’d imagine, but my 5 year-old could understand it). They both have little chores and responsibilities that we all do together each day, but I like the idea of a system that helps facilitate some independence with it!