Things I’m Recommending to Everyone Right Now

a dress, a salad and a life lesson

Hii! For today’s newsletter, I thought we’d dive into a 7 Things mix of food, music, poolside essentials, wedding guest dress shopping and a sweet lesson from nature. A little roundup of things that have been sparking joy, earning spots in the rotation and deserve to be recommended.

Life With John Mayer x Diplo Friday nights

If you’re looking for a fun dance party, Diplo takes over the Life With John Mayer SiriusXM station every Friday night and it is so good. The kind of playlist that gets everyone dancing, even if it’s just in your living room. Hot tip: add it to your calendar for 6pm as a recurring event and your future self will appreciate the reminder.

Nectarine, Mozzarella & Basil

I’ve been making a variation of a stone fruit and mozerella salad which is delicious! Slices of nectarines and peaches layered over peppery arugula with fresh torn basil, a generous drizzle of olive oil, flaky salt/fresh ground pepper, and whatever beautiful vinegar happens to be in the pantry. It takes almost no effort, looks gorgeous on the table, and tastes like peak summer.

A sweet life lesson from the sunflowers

We planted a sunflower field this year, and the other day as we were walking by it, the children noticed that the sunflowers waiting to bloom always face the direction of the sun. And because I can’t help myself, I immediately said, “That’s actually a pretty great life lesson. To always reach for the warmth, for what feels like sunshine, for what helps you grow.”

It may sound a little cheesy, but standing there watching those sunflowers follow the light, it was a beautiful reminder and it moved me! A real joy sparker.

The sarong covering my bum

You know what was missing from my life? A black sarong to wrap around my bum over swimsuits. It has become my unofficial summer uniform while chasing a two-year-old around the pool, crouching to pick up goggles, standing on the pool steps, applying sunscreen for the seventeenth time and generally trying to maintain a shred of dignity.

Simple, chic, practical and a true summer hero. This one gives the same feel for a little less.

A dress for a Malibu wedding

We have a few weddings on the calendar this summer, the first of which is in Malibu and I ordered this dress earlier this week after pleasantly finding it on sale. It’s one of those dresses that can be worn for all sorts of different occasions, day (luncheon or showers) or night (cocktail parties, fancy dinners), which is always a win in my book.

Walkie-talkies for the girls

In an effort to give the girls a little more independence this summer, we put fresh batteries in their walkie-talkies to let them roam outside solo. It’s become almost a daily event and it’s cute when they radio in to say hi, ask for snacks, or provide critical farm updates (chicken on the loose!). It’s adorable and just the right amount of independence for them and me.

A spray mineral SPF

I love this mineral SPF spray from Freaks of Nature. It’s easy on the kids, on me and on repeat. We’ve been going through it so quickly that I’ve started ordering two at a time. One for the pool bag, one for the front door. Because if summer has taught me anything, it’s that sunscreen somehow disappears faster than popsicles.

Hope you’re having a good week and finding your own version of sunshine!