Happy June, Friends!
Whew! I was kind of glad when May came to an end. Between a surgery for my sweet momma (thankfully, she’s recovering well!) and Autumn getting her wisdom teeth out, it felt like a busy and exhausting few weeks. Now we’re settling into June and soaking up all the fun that summer has to offer!
One – Latest Happenings
We had a fun trip to the zoo! We took along Autumn’s boyfriend, which made it even more fun! We got to see the new baby zebra that is only 3 weeks old! I enjoyed a Pina colada smoothie inside a pineapple! SO good!
For Father’s Day, we got to try a new restaurant (to us) called YaYas Euro Bistro for their brunch. My plate is an assortment of what they offered, but the pizza/pizza crust was phenomenal and they had homemade cream cheese (2 varieties, I tried a banana kind) for their bagels. I also sampled some blueberry French toast that my mom ordered and it was SO delicious. What a fun place! Then, for Father’s Day I got Brian a cookie bouquet, a sweatshirt/shorts set and some Birkenstocks.
It was my turn to choose where we’d have breakfast after church, and of course I picked my favorite spot, Bowood! It’s such a popular place that you typically need to make a reservation about a month in advance, so I booked ours ahead of time.
My sweet friend Michelle made homemade blueberry jam and gave me some after our running group. It was SO good!
Autumn always gets free Cardinals tickets for her good grades, but she never wants to go! Ha, ha! So, she tells us to go for her! So, we did!
I booked the tickets earlier than I usually do and we landed up with pretty good seats! Usually we are WAY up in the nosebleed seats. I always enjoy ballpark food, especially a hot dog, soft pretzel and some peanuts!
On my summer bucket list, I mentioned that I wanted to check out the Arnold Farmers Market. We went at opening time and it was a lot of fun! There was a good variety of stalls to look at. This is a photo of a replica of the Arnold water tower.
I picked up a rosemary latte, which was HUGE and really delicious. There is a mom from my kids school and I’ve always wanted to try the honey from her farm and I picked up a large jar. Oh, it is delicious! Then we also got tomatoes, lemon & blueberry and chocolate chip biscuits, M&M cookies and some protein balls. I want to go back again sometime this summer!
Two – Paris/London Outfits
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I’ve been planning some outfits for our London and Paris trip, which is quickly approaching! I’m crossing my fingers that we don’t run into one of the heat waves Europe has been experiencing lately, so I’ll definitely be checking the forecast one last time before I finish packing.
For my first outfit, I’m bringing the Linen Sleeveless Swing Dress from Quince. Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVE this dress! It’s lightweight, comfortable, and perfect for sightseeing on warmer days.
For my second look, I found a cute striped knit top on Amazon and finally took the plunge and ordered a pair of Quince’s Bella stretch wide leg jeans. They are every bit as dreamy as everyone says! I’ll be pairing both outfits with my Reef sneakers, which I plan to wear on most of our sightseeing days since we’ll be doing lots and lots of walking. I also got this adorable Quince woven crossbody bag for Christmas, and I know it’s going to be the perfect bag to carry while we’re exploring London and Paris!
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For the first outfit, I’m wearing a silk polka dot blouse paired with a champagne-colored satin skirt. The second outfit is the dress I’ve chosen for our professional family photos by the Eiffel Tower (please, please let us have beautiful weather that day!). For both of these dressier looks, I’ll be wearing my clear heels.
I’m really trying to pack as few pairs of shoes as possible, so I’ve been choosing pieces that can work with multiple outfits. Several items will be mixed and matched throughout the trip—for example, I’ll also be wearing this brown-and-white polka dot top with my jeans on another day. I’m hoping a versatile wardrobe will make packing a little easier while still giving me plenty of outfit options!
Three – Summer Date Nights with Brian
One of the summer date ideas on my Summer Bucket List was to have a picnic, and we finally made it happen! My original plan was to pick up most of our picnic goodies at Trader Joe’s, but something came up the day before, so we changed plans and stopped by a newer local grocer near the park instead. I’m so glad we did because the selection was amazing! I can’t wait to go back.
We packed up our treats and headed to the Grand Basin in Forest Park, which has to be one of the most beautiful picnic spots in St. Louis. It was the perfect way to spend a summer evening together.
It was a really nice afternoon for a picnic and we looked out with some cooler summer weather with low humidity. We enjoyed our food and I brought a couple games for us to play (Spot it! and Tapple).
We brought one of our favorite cheeses from home, the Dietz & Watson Champagne Cheddar, and picked up two more from Box Hill Grocer: a flavored goat cheese spread and a delicious Merlot cheese. We also grabbed two of their turkey sandwiches, and I have to say… they may have been some of the best turkey sandwiches I’ve ever had! They were topped with cheese and the most delicious dill sauce that brought everything together. SO, SO good!
Their prepared foods case was filled with so many tempting options that I already can’t wait to go back and try more. I have a feeling this is going to become one of our favorite local spots!
Before we went, I kept seeing reviews that recommended Box Hill Grocer’s Giant Bean Salad and their homemade chocolate chip cookies, so we had to give them a try! We also picked up a raspberry lemon tart because it looked too good to pass up. Everything was SO good, and now I completely understand why everyone raves about this place!
Another item on my Summer Bucket List was to try Westchester, a restaurant my brother recommended. It was so good! I ordered an espresso martini that I absolutely loved, and I lucked out because the evening’s special was a scallop dish. Since scallops are my absolute favorite, I knew exactly what I was ordering! It was such a great dinner, and we’ll definitely be back.
Four – Books, a Movie and a Show
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I wasn’t sure how much I would love this book since a lot of the storyline involves ‘fairy tales’, but once I got into the book it was OH so good. This book is about Hazel and Flora who are sent away during World War II to a safer place to avoid the bombs. They are taken in by a loving family and Hazel tells her younger sister Flora a fairytale to calm her anxieties and fears while being away from their home and mom during the war. Hazel and the young boy they are staying with are distracted for a short moment and they lose Flora near the water. Most of the book is flashbacks to Hazel’s childhood and how she continues to search for her sister… and how it has wreaked havoc on her as an adult. Somehow this magical fairytale works its magic, though and Hazel finds a new trail to follow for her sister. I really enjoyed this book and the ending will have you staying up late to finish it!
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I absolutely loved this book! After Tilly loses her husband, Joe, to cancer, she discovers that he has left her a very special gift: a new book to open each month for an entire year. Along the way, she becomes a regular at a charming little bookshop in London, where she gets to know the owner, Alfie, and the wonderful people who work there.
As each month unfolds and she opens another book, Tilly embarks on new adventures, learns to embrace life again, and slowly begins to heal. It was such a heartwarming, emotional story about grief, friendship, love, and finding yourself again after loss. If you enjoy cozy books with lovable characters and a beautiful London setting, I highly recommend this one!
Did any of you go to see The Devil Wears Prada 2? I thought it was really well done and thoroughly enjoyed it!
I’m about halfway through Season 2 of Gilmore Girls, and I’m completely in LOVE with this show! Ashley and I have been watching it together, and it’s been so much fun sharing the experience. With around 153 episodes (plus A Year in the Life), she thinks we’ll probably still be watching it well into the fall. I’m totally okay with that because I never want it to end!
Five – Latest Finds
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I found a pair of jelly shoes on Amazon that I really love! They come in other colors, but I got them in clear. They are SO comfy! I remember jelly shoes being so uncomfortable back when I was a kid and they’d leave indents on your skin, but these are pillowy soft!
I stopped by our local bakery and got a couple dot cakes! I’ve been seeing them trending on social media. I’ve also been seeing dot cake lattes on TikTok and they look delicious!
I got my bimonthly running subscription box from Fuel Goods and it was another GREAT box! It is so fun to try new products and this is a great way to do it. Get $10 off your first box HERE.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
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