Summer

It's hard to believe it's July! Where did June go? Summer is moving along quickly and lately I find myself trying to slow it down in an effort to really enjoy each moment but like it or not, it just keeps moving. It's been a busy year for our family. We have so many wonderful things happening. We welcomed my beautiful little granddaughter in May, we're celebrating my daughter's wedding in a matter of days and our entire family will be gathering at the beach for a wonderful summer vacation. My family is spread out from the West Coast to the East Coast but they are all slowly traveling to the same place to be together to celebrate and have a good time. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. I want to soak up every minute with them and for that reason I will be taking a little break from blogging in order to fully enjoy every little thing that goes on! Don't worry, I will be collecting photos and memories and will blog about all of it when I get back, especially the details of Elizabeth and Jon's wedding! In the meantime if you're looking for some recipes, DIY projects or things to do this summer, I have a few ideas. Check out these past blog posts.

Nut Free Basil Pesto

Have some basil growing in your herb garden? Try making pesto. It's quick, easy, and freezes well.

Blackberry Jam

Capture the flavor of summer with this fresh blackberry jam recipe.

Peach Berry Crisp

Peaches and berries come together to make this delicious summer dessert.

Sangria

Who doesn't love Sangria in the summer? Get ready for happy hour with these three recipes.

Sea Glass

Heading to the beach this summer? Keep your eyes open for Sea Glass. It's one of the prettiest treasures on the beach.

DIY Beaded Bracelet Tutorial 

Looking for a summer project? Try making your own beaded bracelet.

Simple Dip-Dye Scarf

Accessorize your summer wardrobe with this simple DIY project.

Celebrate the little things, enjoy the people around you and have a wonderful summer! I'll see you soon!

Leslie xo

Favorite Things

The summer season is fast approaching and temperatures are warming up. Beach vacations, outdoor workouts and dining Al Fresco are a few of my favorite things to do this time of year. For me, summers are all about keeping things light and simple. It's a laid back time of year. I'm all for no makeup days, simple accessories and minimal fuss to make the summer routine quick and easy. So when it comes to beauty and skincare I have some favorite things to help me lighten up for the season. These are some of the things that you'll find in my travel bag right now. Happy Friday!

CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF

In January I shared a great tip from my dermatologist,  CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion. It's inexpensive and effective. During the summer months I make sure I use the AM lotion with SPF 30 every day.

Shea Body Butter from The Body Shop

I love  Shea Body Butter. It's hydrating and works well to keep skin soft without feeling greasy. I've been using it for years.

Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF by Fresh

Sugar Lip Treatment with SPF 15 is great every day but especially on a beach day.

Almay One Coat Waterproof Mascara

Remember, great beauty products aren't always expensive. Almay's One Coat Waterproof Mascara is my choice for smudge free eyes all summer.

Watt's Up! Highlighter by Benefit Cosmetics

A little touch of Watt's Up! Highlighter above your cheeks and you just brightened up your whole face. I love this anytime but it's perfect for those no makeup days!

Beach Fragrance by Bobbi Brown

One of my favorite summer fragrances is Beach by Bobbi Brown. It's a fresh, light scent that is so reminiscent of summers at the beach.

Essie Nail Polish in Come Here

A  bright summer color like Essie Nail Polish in Come Here is always fun for beach toes.

PuraVida Bracelets

PuraVida  bracelets are one of my favorite summer accessories. They are lightweight, colorful and fun to stack together. PuraVida donates a portion of the proceeds from each bracelet sold to help clean up and preserve beaches and oceans worldwide. Very cool.

Enjoy the warm weather and have a wonderful weekend!

Leslie xo

A Summer to Remember

Well it's the middle of August and summer is almost a memory now, but what a wonderful memory it will be! If you are wondering where I have been for the past few weeks and why there hasn't been a post in quite some time it's because I have been busy making memories. Summer is a special time of year for my family. It's the time when we all come together to spend time with each other, get caught up on kids and family and look forward to the year ahead. I have four sisters and as the years go by and our kids get older, getting  together is not as easy as it used to be. There are cross country flights, work and sports schedules, college and school preparation and lots of other variables that make family gatherings a challenge. But...somehow we do it. One way or another we make it happen. We gather together and overlap vacations so that we can spend at least some time together.

This year our gathering place was at our family home at the beach. It's everyone's favorite place. We were in and out and all over the place. There were kids on air mattresses and in bunk beds, and there were so many cars at one point that we were told we were taking over the street. We will laugh about that one forever! The bottom line is that I come from a family that will go to great lengths to spend time together, and for that I am grateful. We simply love being in the same place at the same time. And don't get me wrong, we have our share of "this is crazy" and "there are too many of us now" or even "I might not do this again," but after we all go home and summer is over, we will all have a day where we find sand in a beach bag or look at pictures that we've taken and we get on the phone and start planning for summer all over again. It's who we are and I love that!

So after weeks filled with family, food, travel, crazy fun and lot of laughs, I am full of gratitude and great memories and will hang onto that until next summer rolls around. I hope you are doing something you love this summer too! You still have a few weeks left so take advantage of the season while you can and live it up! It won't last forever! As for me, I am going to get back to work so I can bring you some fun new recipes, back to school ideas and more! Stay tuned because it's going to be a great fall!

Leslie xoxo