Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! This one is especially happy because we are packing it up tomorrow morning and heading out of town. Every year my extended family rents a house up in Northern Wisconsin for a week of fishing, swimming, boating, and board games. This year I'm especially thankful for the tradition, since thanks to the short(ish) drive, seclusion, and extra cleaning precautions we didn't have to cancel. It's just going to be six adults and three kids this year (my brother and his family live in Japan, and thanks to travel restrictions if they came to visit this summer they would have to stay!) so it'll be a little quieter than usual, but also it's three kids ages five and under so it definitely won't be quiet! I'm hoping I get the chance to relax a little and am not just spending the whole trip making sure Mia doesn't kill herself. This week she figured out how to open the silverware drawer and grab stuff out of it even though it's over her head. Pray for us.

Here are my finds for the week:

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Lazy Hazy Crazy

Tee and Hat (identical here for $20 or with a pink brim) - J.Crew / Shorts (or similar) - J.Crew / Sandals - Target

I was looking for something on my computer this weekend and realized I never shared these photos, which if I'm remembering correctly, I took back at the beginning of May! Oh poor early quarantine Kristina, she had no idea what was in store. 

But, on the plus side, that Kristina decided during a nap time to run around and try to self timer some photos of a top that was, at the time, brand new. It's no longer brand new, but lucky for you, it is now on sale ;) I have been loving it because it is tee shirt material so it's really comfortable and feels casual, but then that lace just takes it up a notch. Just what you need for all of those video calls! It's really beautiful, and goes around the back too. 

These also are my favorite shorts of all time. I think I've been wearing them in summer outfit photos since basically the beginning of this blog, because they really are that good. (Awww little 2015 Kristina) The only difference is that this summer, I decided to unroll the hem a little. Apparently Mommy Kristina shows half an inch less leg than 24 year old Kristina. 

Wow, we've been talking a lot about various kinds of Kristina. 

Next time I write a blog post, less wine ;)

Tee and Hat (identical here for $20 or with a pink brim) - J.Crew / Shorts (or similar) - J.Crew / Sandals - Target

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My Favorite White Claw Slushee Recipe

Wayyyyy back at the beginning of quarantine (you know, when we were hopeful that things would only be weird for a month) I saw a bunch of White Claw slushees making their way around the Internet. I've never been super into White Claws, but I'm always game for a good old fashioned frozen drink, so was in. White Claw slushees are basically a combo between a smoothie and a cocktail. They're typically a mix of frozen fruit, a White Claw, and sometimes more liquor or juice. We were in a period of wanting to mix new cocktails every weekend, so I ran off to the store (read: put stuff on my grocery list and patiently waited for two weeks) to grab some frozen fruit and liquor to try my hand at a White Claw slushee.

Well, the thing is, the slushees really were popular on Tik Tok, where the youths aren't really into measuring. So I eyeballed an approximation from a video, and Jeff and I got drunk. Like, drunk. In the middle of a Saturday afternoon. Whoops. Turns out, reflecting back on it, I accidentally served both of us a White Claw plus four shots of rum. A little much for a single cocktail.

So, after a bit of experimenting with different flavors, fruit, and booze, I'm here to present to you my favorite White Claw slushee - the Tropical Sunset. I just named it, can you tell?

Tropical Sunset White Claw Slushee

Yield: 4 

You'll need: 
1 can mango White Claw
1 can tangerine White Claw
1/2 cup Malibu Rum
1 16oz bag frozen tropical fruit (I use a Dole mix that has mango, pineapple, and strawberry)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on low until fully combined. If it isn't quite as thick as you want, add a handful of ice and blend on high. Garnish with a sprig of mint if you fancy.

What's great about this recipe is it's basically a non-recipe. Use whatever frozen fruit you have, mix it with whatever White Claws or other spiked seltzer you have. You can also use fresh fruit and add more ice to get the right consistency. Just don't put four shots in each drink and you'll do great ;) 

If you make a new combo that's amazing, let me know in the comments!! Would love to try your mix!

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday! Not a whole lot to report over here, our plans for the weekend are a social distanced birthday party for my dad and trying to figure out how to get Mia into the car without her getting carsick! Poor girl - I had extreme motion sickness while I was pregnant and seem to have passed it along to her. Any ideas besides flipping her car seat around?

Here are my finds for the week. I was refreshing my How I Packed for Hawaii in a Carry On Suitcase post because it's getting a lot of traffic again (weird, since I'm pretty sure Hawaii isn't allowing tourists right now) and found a ton of cute summer stuff.

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A Few Photos from the Fourth of July

You might have seen on Instagram that we went away for the long weekend. Well, it definitely wasn't planned!

Jeff's brother and sister-in-law Tim and Kerry rented a huge lake house way back in January for a huge group (we had opted out thinking we'd be having our own Fourth of July party) and after a few Coronavirus scares they decided to cancel and just invite family. And then after a Coronavirus scare in the family (don't worry, turns out everyone is cool) it turned out just we were invited. We got a call Wednesday night asking if we were in. After Tim and Kerry said they had gotten negative tests back the day before, we figured why not, and drove up on Friday morning.

Funnily enough, while we weren't planning on going on the trip, we had already rented the same house for Labor Day! So it ended up being a fun little preview of our upcoming trip. Not sharing the location since, you know, I just told you when we'll be there again! I'll share after our next trip though, because the house was super close to Chicago and was so adorable. Definitely the cutest place I've ever rented.

The weekend was SO nice - a lot of boating, swimming, laying around, and trying to make Mia be best friends with their dog Bodhi. On the last morning, Mia cornered Bodhi on the boat and finally snuck in some pets (and a nose boop) so I think it worked ;)

  

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Wednesday Finds

Oh heyyyyy! Coming in early with my finds for the week because we've got a long weekend here in the U.S.A.!! I've got a four day weekend starting in just a couple hours, so I thought I'd sign out early here too. We don't have a ton on the docket, just hitting up the zoo again (what, is twice in six days too much??) and watching the fireworks from our roof. Oh and Jeff went a little nuts and got two giant racks of ribs to grill for the two of us which could get exciting. Cheers to the long weekend, hope you're doing something fun (but safe!) to celebrate!!

Here are my finds:

one / two / three / four / five

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June Budget

I share my clothing budget here every month. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some people or a little to others, but for me feels just right. I include all of my clothes, coats, shoes, and accessories in that budget, but not athletic gear, pajamas, or intimates.


Weren't we just here?

I posted my May budget a couple weeks late, so it really feels like I just shared a bunch of purchases. Don't worry, I still managed to buy a few things since then! If you have a larger chest and are on the hunt for a new bra, I did just have to share that I just tried this one and am in love! Comfortable all day, and with the stretchy cups it's a perfect fit! Plus it's pretty, which doesn't hurt. Bras don't fit in my budgeting rules, but I thought I'd share anyway!

I'm probably most excited, you know, besides the bra, about these ruffled tank tops. I've been wearing them on my conference calls for work and have gotten tons of compliments. They're perfect tucked into a skirt or into pull-on shorts (like these).

J.Crew Ruffled Tank (purchased in black and white) - originally $49.50, on sale + used rewards $17.30 x2 = $34.60. Like I said above, so freaking cute! It's more fitted than most tees are right now, but stick with your usual size.
LOFT Straw Pom Pom Bag - originally $59.50, on sale $23.80. Helloooooo new summer bag! I didn't even realize it's a convertible cross-body, so the chain can be worn long or can be doubled for a shorter shoulder bag. I freaking love the pom poms, so cute. It's not huge, but I have enough room for my phone, keys, sunglasses (without a case), card holder, and chapstick/hand sanitizer.
LOFT Floral Pleated Shorts - originally $49.50, on sale $19.80. So adorable! I sized down because the solid black pair I got in May was stretchy and ran big, but definitely stick with your usual size! These are not a stretchy fabric. I never thought I'd be buying culottes, but you can't beat them for running after a toddler! I've been pairing them with one of the ruffled tanks or just a plain white tee. So easy and cute!
J.Crew Factory Black Denim Shorts - originally $59.50, on sale $9.95. Okay so I definitely bought these because of the sale price, but I haven't actually worn them yet. They just don't feel quite right for spring / early summer! But I have a feeling I'll get a lot of use out of them as summer winds down but the heat remains.
Daily Ritual Romper - $30.18. I realized I talked about this a couple times on Instagram but forgot to include it in a budget round up! It's so soft and comfortable, definitely my go-to for quarantine lounge wear! I suggest sizing down from your usual Daily Ritual size, it runs a little big. Mine did end up shrinking a tiny bit in the wash.
LOFT Weekend Sweater - originally $64.50, on sale $25.80. I always love a lightweight sweater with white shorts for the summer, it's perfect for slightly cooler nights.
Birkenstock Waterproof Sandal - $44.95. Oh my god I can't believe I bought these. But I'm a sucker for comfort these days, and saw a bunch of people raving about these so I caved. They're basically like Crocs, but look like a Birkenstock. I bought them specifically for wearing on our roof while we're doing water activities with Mia, and they really are so comfortable (and cute? maybe?) that I've worn them out of the house a few times too. I was worried that the white would get dirty easily, but I haven't had any issues yet. The soles are slightly darker but that's it. Just a note to go down a size! I usually wear a 10.5/11, and am in the 10-10.5 size.

Total spent: $189.08

Not bad for the month, thanks to all of those crazy sales!

I'm still looking for more easy, lightweight summer dresses (my fav for looking pulled together but still comfy during all of those video calls), but have nothing specific on my shopping list at the moment. July is usually interesting because that's when fall clothes start coming out, so we shall see - could turn into a crazy shopping month if history means anything!

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