Friday Five

ONE
I will be working on my Amazon Prime Day post all weekend, so stay tuned for it to go live Mon. June 21st! There are a lot of incredible fashion deals this year I know y’all will love (and a lot more in all categories!)

I got the best swimsuit on amazon this week. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a one piece more flattering than this one. It has been a bestseller on amazon for over a year now and I totally get it – wow! I did order the size 8-10 after reading the reviews as many women who are tall and with long torsos recommended sizing up. I love how high cut the leg is because it’s more flattering and the neckline is beautiful as well. 10/10.

TWO
A couple of weeks ago Lincoln had a reaction to one of the sunscreens I used and his entire face broke out in eczema and his skin felt like sandpaper (we were able to heal it over a few days by slathering his skin with Aquaphor).

Many of you recommended the Blue Lizard sensitive mineral SPF and I ordered it and he has not had a skin reaction since! We use it on both kid’s faces and it has been great.

I also continue to use a makeup brush to apply their sunscreen. It’s a game-changer – the kids no longer try to run away when I apply sunscreen to their faces and I even use it to blend in the sunscreen on their bodies. Plus, it doesn’t get all over my hands (sunscreen can ruin your manicure too, so it’s a bonus not to get it on your hands and nails for that reason alone). I use it to blend in my own SPF as well, haha.

I think I’m going to order this brush set to use for sunscreen application because they’re inexpensive and can cover larger areas. I’ve also heard a lot of positive reviews about a product called Solar Buddies. I think that product is great to send kids to camp or school with because you pour the sunscreen into it and it uses a roller ball and sponge to help kids apply it.

THREE
Blue & white are always favorite colors of mine to wear all summer – here are some of my latest picks (click the thumbnail images to shop):

FOUR
I checked out the TJ MAXX website for new home decor arrivals and there were too many good ones not to share!

FIVE
Teddy will be a year old on July 25th! He is truly the best decision we made in 2020 and brings so much joy to our family. His presence has been so good for my anxiety and I love that our kids get to experience growing up with a dog and caring for him. When I was a little girl I wanted a puppy so badly I used to have dreams about having one (and would wake up and cry a bit because I knew I couldn’t get one).

He’s doing really well – he sleeps from 9:30 p.m. – 6:15 a.m. in his crate (in our bedroom), is doing well with walks/leash training, loves to cuddle and sleep next to us and knows lots of commands. He is still a very curious puppy and tries to get into anything he can, but we always either supervise him or he’s in his crate when we aren’t home or can’t give him our full attention when we are home.

I actually put him in his crate for most of his morning naps because separation anxiety is a major concern for “pandemic puppies” who are accustomed to their family being home all the time. We did have him in puppy day school before 6 months of age and he was crated there too for naps, so he does really well in his crate which we are thankful for. He does NOT like it when we go upstairs (like if I have to brush my teeth) and frequently gets around the gate to follow me. He does great when he is crated at the vet, too, so I think we’re on a good path. We even have a Blink camera set up to be able to check in on him in his crate when we’re gone and he doesn’t make a peep and just sleeps or rests (is settled).

He rings the bell at our door when he needs to go potty in our backyard and is pretty consistent with coming back inside when we say “Teddy, come.”

Teddy LOVES people and wags his tail and smiles at 99% of the people he encounters. He likes most dogs but can become afraid of larger ones. We try to socialize him when we go on walks and it’s a hit or miss. He will usually sniff the other dog and wag his tail but we’ve had a few encounters with larger dogs where he gets scared and barks/growls (we keep him on a very short leash and always interact with the other dog owner first).

Our trainers discouraged dog parks and dog daycares, so we have friends over sometimes with their dogs and that has been helpful too! I think it’s a size thing because he does great with dogs closer to his size (he’s about 8.5 lbs).

Have a great weekend!