We have traveled a TON this year, and if you are planning a trip in the near future, can I recommend a GAME CHANGER in the packing department? These little bags have come in SO HANDY over the past few years—when traveling, I stuff them with everything from charging cords to different things for Everly to do (cars, art supplies, puzzles, etc) to first aid supplies to changes of clothes to jewelry to snacks and everything in between. Then, everything stays separated and organized, making it super easy to find things when your bottomless pit of a travel bag seems to swallow loose things whole! And when we aren’t traveling, I use them all over the house to store various things that tend to get misplaced when left to their own devices (like puzzles/games, art supplies, and the millions of tiny pieces that seem to go with every kid’s toy nowadays)!

Y’all, I have struggled with my hair over the years. As a naturally curly-headed girlie who straightens her hair and then re-curls it, my poor strands have been through it. And in this heat, the less time I can spend wrestling with a hair dryer/straightener, the better (#constantlysweating). So when I kept seeing this hair treatment pop up on seemingly everyone’s TikTok/instagram recommendations, I gave it a whirl and you guys my hair is so soft I can’t believe it. Aaaaaand it’s less than $10 (cue the mic drop)!

One thing I didn’t think I would ever use so many of once I became a parent is PAPER TOWELS. We buy in bulk at Costco and I STILL feel like we’re constantly running out. And part of me feels hugely guilty for this overuse of something that just gets thrown away, so I picked up these little reusable cloths on a whim at Wal-Mart and while I haven’t completely kicked my paper towel habit, believe me when I tell you that I reach for them all the time to wipe down sticky hands/faces, the kitchen table, and the counters, then just pop them in the wash and use them again and again (and Everly likes to use them for blankets for her toys, so they’re truly multipurpose)!

For those of you who don’t know, TEXAS IS FREAKIN’ HOT this time of year, so any time we can incorporate water into outdoor play, it’s a huge win. If you haven’t tried these reusable water balloons, go to Amazon right now and order them. It definitely beats filling water balloons up individually, only for you to use them up in 5 minutes and spend the next 30 minutes searching for the balloon carcasses all over your yard so they don’t gum up the lawnmower. Also, they’re a fun sensory thing for adults too…we honestly have played with them for HOURS.

And if you’re more in the mood for an INDOOR activity, these tempera paint sticks have been a favorite in our house for years. They’re super pigmented, last a long time, and are (mostly) washable (no issue getting them off of skin or clothes, but I have struggled with a few colors on my dining room chair covers!). Roll out a huge piece of paper on the floor, put a few of these down, and enjoy the Texas summer from the comfort of your own air conditioning!

I just finished Matthew Perry’s book on his struggle with addiction and y’all, it gutted me. It was such an honest depiction of what a battle drug and alcohol addiction can be, and was a sobering (pun intended) reminder that even though some people look like they have it all, everyone struggles with their own demons. The way the book is written (it goes back and forth between time periods) gets a little confusing, but overall, I would highly recommend.

Next, I flew through These Silent Woods after a friend mentioned it to me—it follows a father and his daughter living off-grid in the remote woods and is beautifully and poetically written. Their story unfolds at just the right pace and several nights found me reading under the covers on my Kindle because I couldn’t put it down.

I’m not gonna lie, I do not want to be bothered to cook during the summer, but we’ve got to eat, so I try to batch cook as much as I can (the fewer times I have to turn on my oven, the better)! I recently made a double recipe of Half Baked Harvest’s Hot Honey Chicken, which we ate hot one night with roasted potatoes and broccoli and cold the next night over a salad and it was a hit. Pro tip: leave the sauce off of some of the chicken, cut it up, and give it to your kiddos and it’s basically homemade chicken nuggets!

I have been tracking my macros for almost two years now, and I’m always looking for ways to get more protein into my diet. While I try to rely on actual food to help me reach my goals, I often find myself having at least one protein shake a day. This means that I have sampled so many protein powders, and let me tell you, they are not all created equal. My favorite (by far) for flavor and mixability (no chunks here!), is the Alani Nu Fruity Cereal protein powder. It’s also awesome mixed with yogurt and topped with cereal for a little high protein snackeroo!

We’ve got a LOT coming up, y’all, so GET READY!

Fall Family Mini Sessions are just around the corner, and all of the details and signups will release to YOU, my incredible VIP subscribers, on Wednesday, July 5th! Plus, you’ll get a special bonus for signing up early before they release to the general public the following week!

If you want to get ahead of the rush (and have your family photos done at an incredibly gorgeous and iconic Austin photo venue), I have two spots left at my Sekrit Theater Mini Sessions coming up on August 6th!

If mini sessions aren’t your thing, my fall calendar is now open for Full Family Sessions! We get a full hour to spend together at a location of your choice, and you get all of your final edited images PLUS a $100 print credit! These sessions are where magic happens since we have more time to warm up, play, interact, and capture authentic and joyful moments!

As always, thank you for reading this little newsletter of mine and continuing to allowing me to do what I love through serving my clients!

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