July has been a whirlwind! I know that there is still plenty of summer left in August, but for us July feels like the last summer month. Aaron starts work on August 1, and the kids start daycare and school pretty soon afterwards. Here are a few favorites from the month of July.
Favorite dinner – Beef Taco Bowls from Damn Delicious. This isn’t anything ground-breaking, but I just liked the idea of making bowls and having everyone add their favorite toppings as a change from regular taco night. I usually make my own taco seasoning and keep it around but I’m not opposed to a packet of taco seasoning either (although I try to get the low sodium kind if I can find it).
Favorite breakfast – Sausage Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole from Mix and Match Mama. I may have already mentioned this one on an older favorites post, but I made it again this month and it reminded me how much I love it. It’s great for a crowd and also for an easy make-ahead breakfast to last the week.
Favorite dessert – Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting from Joy the Baker. I’ve made this for Aaron’s birthday for the past couple of years and we love it. Yellow cake is his favorite and I used to always just use a box mix, but I tried this and I’ll never go back! The frosting is delicious, although I don’t use Ovaltine–I use hot chocolate mix instead just because I usually have that in the house.
Favorite podcast episode – The Girl Next Door, Week of Dinners and Best Trash Day. I love hearing about what other people eat for dinner on a regular basis, and hearing Kelsey’s struggle with her picky eaters makes me feel better about my own.
Favorite book – Us Against You by Fredrick Backman. Beartown was one of my favorite books from last year, but I wasn’t expecting to love the sequel as much. I’m glad to say I was wrong about that; this one just passed by An American Marriage for my favorite book of 2018 so far.
Favorite picture book – Hello Hello by Brendan Wenzel. I checked this out for an assignment for my library class, but it ended up being a great book to read to both Jona and Violet. Animals are grouped together for various reasons: patterns, sounds they make, colors, etc. The illustrations are gorgeous, and Jona loved guessing the animals (which are all listed in the back of the book) and talking about them, while it was short enough to keep Violet entertained as well.
Favorite post on Shea Lennon – Family Vacation: Our Long Weekend in Dallas. It was fun to read this and reminisce about our trip!
Favorite wardrobe addition – Navy Baby earrings from Nickel and Suede. You guys know I’m obsessed. I couldn’t resist this classic navy to round out my collection.
Favorite memory – Jona playing in his last baseball game. After missing a few weeks of practices, Jona was a little nervous about playing in the games and for a while just wanted to watch. However, at his last game he got up to bat twice and played in the field the whole time (“first base” and “catcher”–I use quotes because it’s a bunch of 4-6 year olds… not a lot of real fielding is happening)! I was so proud of him.
Favorite outing – Sylas and Maddy’s for ice cream on National Ice Cream Day. Aaron’s brother was in town so we had to show him our favorite ice cream stop, especially since it was a holiday and all. I’ve been meaning to visit other local ice cream shops nearby, but it’s hard to beat this one that’s close by and SO good.
Favorite mini vacation – Omaha Zoo with friends. We took an overnight trip to Omaha this month; they have an excellent zoo and it’s only a few hours away. While the zoo was packed with people, by afternoon we were able to see some exhibits (and ride the Sky Tram, which I nearly had a heart attack on while holding Violet). Then we went back to the hotel, swam in the pool, and had dinner outside while the kids (6 total between the three families) ran around and played. It was a fun, relaxing weekend trip.
Favorite dinner out – The Bristol with Aaron for a (belated) anniversary dinner. I had halibut with broccolini and lobster mac and cheese and it was wonderful. We went on a Sunday night and took advantage of both happy hour and half price bottle of wine specials, so we took our time and enjoyed an evening of uninterrupted dinner conversation. It was blissful.
Favorite Linkup – Currently with Anne of In Residence. Since I’ve been changing up my posting schedule a bit, I thought I’d combine this month’s Currently post with my favorites. Here’s what I’m currently up to…
- Following – friends on Instagram Stories. Since I’ve (finally) started using Stories I’m addicted! I love seeing the more “behind the scenes” looks at people’s lives. (Follow me too, I’m @shealennon)
- Ordering – party supplies for Jona’s ninja-themed 5th birthday party. The theme, his choice, seemed a little random to me, but he says he wants to wear a ninja suit. So I guess I’ll be ordering one of those (?) as well.
- Pinning – all the dinner recipes with “quick and easy” in the title. In theory, I have more time to make dinner in the summertime, and yet I have less energy to cook. I’m always on the lookout for go-to dinners that live up to those two descriptors.
- Watching – children’s video book reviews for my summer class. We have to make a video and review a book that fits certain criteria each week, and it’s so fun to see the books everyone picks. My “picture books to read” list is growing exponentially this summer!
- Counting – down the days to kindergarten…eek! Jona’s first day of school falls on his fifth birthday, so I’m going to try to make the day extra special. He has a half day of school and then we’re going to have a “Jona Mommy Day” to celebrate. I’m not sure what all we’ll do, but I can tell you that ice cream will be involved. I’m sure you’re shocked.
What were some of your favorite things from July?
Linking with In Residence.
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