Now that summer is officially here, I find myself wanting to fill my weekends with as much pool and lake time as possible, so that’s our main goal this weekend. Let’s hope the weather cooperates!
Before it’s time to sign off and enjoy the summer sun, I wanted to share a short roundup of things that are making me smile this week in my usual Things I’m Loving Friday blog post. It’s almost always my favorite post of the week to write and I love it when you guys join in the fun and share a little bit about something that is making you happy in the comments section.
I hope you all have the best weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
This thing is a GAME CHANGER. If you’re like me and think chopped salads are the best salads, I cannot recommend the OXO Salad Chopper and Bowl enough. It’s a great time saver and I’ve been using it all the time to make fresh salads for lunch now that the weather is warmer outside. The double chopper blade makes a big difference and easily slices through greens, soft meats and hard boiled eggs, semi-hard veggies and herbs. Whenever I use this chopper, I feel like my salads taste a lot more flavorful and I don’t feel like I need as much dressing since everything mixes together so well and there are so many different textures and flavors in each bite. LOVE this thing!
- A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
This book was on my list of 10 Books To Read This Summer and when a couple of you chimed in to let me know you already read and loved it, A Hundred Summers quickly climbed to the top of my “must read” list. The book follows Lily Dane as she returns to the seaside town where she summered for generations, only to find her former best friend, Budgie, and former fiancé, Nick, now married to each other, will be spending the summer in Seaview as well. The book flip flops from the past – when Lily and Nick first met and fell deeply in love – to the present, a time filled with secrets and scandal. The book sucked me in immediately and while I found it a bit predictable at times, it was an entertaining read and much more interesting than your average romantic beachy read!
Victoria’s Secret was always my go-to site for shopping for summer swimsuits but now that they no longer sell swimwear, I browsed around the internet a bit in search of a new suit for the summer. A link on Pinterest lead me to a cute leaf-print bikini on Amazon and when I saw the price – only $26.99! – and realized I could have it on my doorstep in two days with my Amazon Prime membership, I was sold! The suit is so cute and I was a little worried about the white color being a bit see through but the fabric was thicker than I anticipated and now I cannot seem to stop browsing Amazon for other summer swimsuits!
- Ben & Jerry’s Truffle Kerfuffle Ice Cream
Oh Ben & Jerry’s, you’ve done it again! This pint of ice cream was an impulse buy at the grocery store yesterday (can you tell I went shopping when I was starving!?) and I couldn’t resist diving into it as our dinner was roasting away in the oven. Well, this ice cream practically became my dinner last night because it was so irresistible. The creamy vanilla base and crunchy pecans were only enhanced by the salted chocolate ganache ribbon and I know this ice cream will somehow find its way into my grocery cart more than a few times in the future.
- Friday Flashbacks
High Protein Hemp Oatmeal (A dairy-free breakfast recipe packed with 14 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber.)
Total Body Pyramid Workout (Complete 20 reps of the five exercises listed in the 20 reps section before moving onto 40 reps of the four exercises in the 40 reps section and 60 reps of the final three exercises in the 60 reps section. Then it’s time to go back down the pyramid and complete the 60, 40 and 20 rep sections in reverse order!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you are loving this week?
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I love that salad bowl! I purchased it after raving over Subway’s salads. I am sad about VS’s swimsuits too! Why did they do this to us? Have a great weekend!
Julie, I love that bikini! I can’t decide between a small and a medium. I think you and I have a similar bill so I’m curious what size you got? Thanks and have a fabulous weekend!
And duh I meant build!
I ordered a medium!
That swimsuit is SO cute, I love it! I just may have to get that for our upcoming beach trip. I’ve been loving TJ’s cashew butter this week – I hadn’t gotten it for a couple of months and I feel like it’s all I’ve eaten this week, so delicious!
Thanks for sharing the pyramid workout. It’s supposed to thunderstorm where I live all day tomorrow so I might do that instead of running to get some exercise in.
Also I had a PBF throwback this morning with peanut butter cookie dough overnight oats! It’s my go to on workdays when I have to wash my hair since it’s so easy. Have a great weekend!
https://maureengetsreal.wordpress.com/
YUM!!! That recipe is still a go-to for me! 🙂
Can I just say I love that your posts go up so early? As a fellow toddler mama I love being able to hop on my phone in the 6 am hour (I’m on central time) while my little man eats breakfast and browse your latest post! Such a great way to start the day.
I’m so glad to hear this! I try to have them up before 7 a.m. every day so I’m really glad to know this is something you notice/appreciate!! <3 Hope you have a great weekend, Alissa!
So glad you loved A Hundred Summers!!! Now, I’m going to give you the bad news…the rest of her books weren’t as good in my view. I did like The Secret Life of Violet Grant and Tiny Little Thing (but not as much as A Hundred Summers), but really didn’t like Along the Infinite Sea. And then she started publishing a book a year (sometimes more than 1 per year) and things went really downhill.
I need that salad chopper! I am literally going on Amazon right now to find one to order. I am also obsessed with the bikini you got on Amazon! I loved the VS swimsuits, too, and am really disappointed they aren’t selling them anymore.
One thing making me happy this week is getting our engagement pictures back 🙂 Have the best weekend.
so fun! hope your pics turned out great!
The salad chopper is a MUST. My sister bought this for me YEARS ago and I live by it. BEST KITCHEN ITEM I OWN! I make the yummiest salads. RUN GO GET IT!!
I always trust your reading lists! Downloaded a hundred summers now and ready to go dig in!
Reading!! I just finished the lavender ribbon AND the couple next door… since you posted last weeks book recommendations!
I just started The Lavender Ribbon last night!
I have been seeing that Cupshe brand all over Pinterest. I’ll have to try them out. I also have to say that I enjoy your early posts. I’ve been following you for years, but 2 years ago, I started reading your posts while I was pumping at 5 am to keep my from falling asleep and help the time go by faster. Now it’s just become a morning ritual.
Love this! Thank you for checking in every morning! <3
I’m loving my new hyper chiller! We brew our hot coffee directly in it and it chills the coffee in 60-90 seconds. I pour it over ice and almond milk – its amazing!! My whole family is loving it this week!
https://www.amazon.com/HyperChiller-HC1-Iced-Coffee-Maker/dp/B0147K0ZEY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1498217686&sr=1-1&keywords=hyper+chiller
That thing looks amazing!!
WOah, I need to get my hands on that ice cream flavor. Loveeeeee that bikini!!! The top cut out is so cute. Have fun this weekend, Julie!
Cupshe also has super cute bathing suits at a really reasonable price! Love your new suit! Enjoy your weekend on the water!
So naturally after reading your post I immediately start looking for new suits (thanks Julie), and as soon as I went to Cupshe, I saw a leaf print suit similar to yours, so I went back to the blog and went to your link and it IS cupshe brand! So if you like that suit a lot, I’d go to their website and check out what they have, they have tons of suits!
I immediately went on amazon and bought that salad bowl and chopper before I finished reading your post. I love chopped salads!! Also, I feel you with the shopping while hungry impulse buy – yesterday I bought a bag of hint of lime Tostitos and ate half the bag on my way home!
Oh my mom and I would both love that salad chopper! Chopt salad are the best.
Ok why have I not seen that salad chopper before???? I definitely need it in my life… I hate cutting up my salad!! You have seriously just made my day!
You will LOVE it!
I am all about the chopped salads, but have yet to grab one of those choppers! I’ll have to add it to the list!
Something that is making me smile this week is nutritional yeast popcorn. My husband and I have been on a kick of making air popcorn, drizzling melted coconut oil on top + salt and nutritional yeast. Literally tastes like cheese popcorn and I CANT. GET. ENOUGH.
That bikini is so cute and the price is even better! I’m the same as you – I’m clueless as to where to go for swimsuits now that VS doesn’t sell them anymore, so I’m definitely checking out Amazon.
Adding that Ben & Jerry’s flavor to my must-buy list 🙂
I’m still annoyed VS stopped selling bathing suits! I purchased one on Amazon this summer and was really satisfied with the quality as well. Now I just need to find a pool to go float in 🙂
I love the bowl too! Found it a few years ago at Marshalls. It’s time to pull it back out. Have a great weekend!
What a great find with that swim suit!! So cute and you seriously can’t beat that price!
I wasn’t planning on buying a new swimsuit this season (pregnant belly and all), but I was thinking that I didn’t know where I would get one because I always ordered from Victoria’s Secret. I am LOVING the leaf suit you found. I may have to make an exception and get it! As far as chopped salads — I’m with you. And I still think you need to try the Red Velvet Cake B&J’s ice cream — it is TO DIE FOR! Happy Friday, Julie! 🙂
I’ve purchased about 6 suits on Amazon in the last year…. It’s an addiction. I live on the lake too so I’ve got to have option, ya know?!
Cute suit! What is the sizing like?
Pretty true to size! If anything, I’d probably size up! There are some helpful reviews/pics of people in the suit below it that helped steer me in the right direction for sizing. I ordered a medium and I’m usually a small up top and a medium/large on the bottom in bikinis.
Thanks! Went down the rabbit hole and may be buying a few suits. So cheap! I miss the VS super cheal mix and match suits.
I love that bikini!!!! I used to always shop at Victoria’s Secret for my bikinis too, so I have been getting mine at Target now. I didn’t even think about looking on Amazon! I am definitely going to browse around, as I am looking for a cute one for the summer and it seems like Amazon has a bunch of cute ones! I hope you have a great weekend, Julie!! Xoxo
That swimsuit is so cute! Hope you have a great weekend!
This is the second time I’ve seen someone recommend this book. I need to get and read it apparently! Gotta love summer reading lists
Okay, I definitely need that salad chopper and bowl set! Chopping items for salads is the bane of my existence — I always joke with my husband that if I ever come into a lot of money, I’d want a personal chef that sets up a salad bar in my house everyday.
That swimsuit is super cute! Amazon has the most random items but so many of them are winners!
Enjoy your weekend!
I’m going to have to read that book! It’s been so challenging juggling a new puppy, a full time job, musical theater rehearsals, and working out… adding reading to that list might kill me… I should just quit my job! 😉
That book sounds really good. I’ve even added it to my Amazon cart!
Hope you have a great weekend.
Um, look how CUTE that swimsuit is!
Some things I’m loving this week: Grey’s Anatomy (recently got back into it, on season 12, and I JUST LOVE IT), Ben & Jerry’s (have you had cookies and cream with the cheesecake core? Holy) and this new-to-me kombucha called Health-Ade in pomegranate! SO amazing!
http://www.poweredbysass.com
I have that swimsuit! I love it so much but I actually purchased it from an overseas website called CupShe for like $12 lol. This was about a year ago and I haven’t bought any of their clothes but, the suits are awesome! I’ve bought 2 other suits from that site and have loved them just as much! Have a great weekend!!
https://www.cupshe.com/
The only thing I will say about it (because I know we’re both hip-oriented girls!) Is that it does cut into my hips/waist in kind of an odd spot lol. Just a heads up!
Love the swimsuit! I’ll be loving/appreciating air conditioning this weekend!
Ah omg i love that bikini!! How is the sizing? True to size?
I’ve been wanting to read A Hundred Summers! And I really like that workout!
That swimsuit is adorable. Going to buy if they have my size!
That swimsuit is adorable. Going to buy if they have my size!
I didn’t know Victoria’s secret isn’t selling swimwear anymore!! That is a bummer! Guess I’ll be checking out Amazon!
Yes!! That salad chopper is amazing. I love mine too, especially for kale salads.
Thank you for the book recommendations! I am reading What She Knew right now and it’s really good!!
That swimsuit is so cute! I wish Victoria’s Secret still sold swimwear – they were my go-to 🙁
I will have to check Amazon out 🙂
Have a great weekend!
so your shoutout abt the bikini just made me want to share that one thing i’m OBSESSED with lately is clothes/shoes shopping on amazon!!!! for the last 2 years so or so i feel like 90% of my warddrobe has come from tjmaxx/marshalls, but then a few weeks ago i realized that amazon actually has some REALLY cute clothes. and i can take all the time i want to look at pics of other ppl wearing the clothes & let it sit in my checkout cart before actually committing to it. it’s just such a fun pasttime right now to shop through such a variety of stuff! and gotta love prime!!!
Ok Julie, you HAVE to try the limited edition B&J ice cream called Bob Marley’s One Love if you can find it. I wasn’t sure when we bought it because I’m iffy on banana ice cream because sometimes it’s too funky for my liking, but it is SO ADDICTING!!! It’s banana ice cream with caramel and graham cracker swirl and fudge pieces.
Just ordered the salad chopper and bowl on your recommendation – can’t wait to be able to make my own chopped salads instead of buying bags at the store!
That book sounds terrific – can’t wait to borrow it from our library. Thanks for sharing books with everyone!
Xoxo
Hey! Thought of you when I delved into Publix’s new peanut butter limited edition ice cream. Can’t remember the exact name, but it’s right up your alley. Check it out! Enjoy your weekend!
One thing i’m loving is the upper body workout you shared this week. Did it yesterday and holy cow! My arms are feeling it today!
I did not know that Victorias Secret stopped selling swimsuits! That is so sad because it was also my go-to store for swimwear. I’ll have to take your suggestion and look on Amazon!
https://jonandaudadventure.wordpress.com/
Just finished your pyramid workout! Damn girl! That’s a challenge. Thanks for the killer sweat 🙂
so I have been looking for a palm print bathing suit and was super excited to see one on your Friday favorites! being an avid amazon prime shopper I knew I needed to order this suit! so glad I did I LOVE IT and the price is on point! please share if you find anymore awesome finds on Amazon!
Hi Julie! I always enjoy your reviews of ice cream 🙂 If you’re ever looking to read someone else’s reviews, check out my ice-cream blog: http://www.oucecream.com ! I’d love to hear if you have any feedback. xoxo
I loved that book too! I started reading it right before I got hit with the flu a few months ago and despite really wanting to rest I couldn’t put this book down! Also, that salad chopper sounds AMAZING. Looking it up now!