Welp, it’s officially the ’90’s here in Colorado Springs, and I’m not referring to several current fashion trends that hearken back to the 1990’s. The temps are toasty, but not nearly as toasty as they are in other parts of the country.
God bless y’all in the South.
Here’s a few of my favorite things that are helping my people and me beat the heat here in my favorite season. May they help provide a little cool relief for you as well!
A Few of My Favorite Things
Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad: My daughter and I looooove this salad!! When I make it for family members, I throw in cooked bacon so it’s a bit more substantial. It’s the perfect summer salad that won’t heat up the kitchen.
Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken: Great day, is this ever delicious–chockfull of summer flavors! I made it in the Insta-Pot to keep it from heating up the house, and my people raved about it. I served it with roasted broccoli, which was delicious but did heat up the house a smidge. It would also be delicious served with mashed potatoes, too!
Topo Chico: This is hands down my favorite brand of fizzy water. Now, thankfully, we can find this party water magic in Colorado, too! (You can find it on Amazon, but if your grocery carries it, it will be much cheaper there.)
Phillips Soda Machine: Yep, we Strongs may be a wee bit hooked on carbonated water. My original soda stream machine died last year, and we decided to get another because we’re on well water here, and it makes gooood soda water. (Plus, our Topo Chico expenses could use a little mitigating!) This one works beautifully well at a good price point.
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller: My Sunday school class is going through an apologetics course right now, and our teacher recommended this book. As it turns out, my husband had two copies of it, and I’m 2/3 the way through it. The book is logical and reasoned as it draws from real life conversations (as well as literature and philosophy) to show how and why belief in God is rational. It’s SO good.
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash: I’m so thankful Melanie Shankle recommended this book on the podcast she shares with Sophie Hudson. It’s a well written, compelling historical fiction book about a British family who sends their young daughter to live with a family in the United States during the Bilitz. Also, the story reveals how the lives of both families intertwine after the war. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Two-piece outfit: This is another item I first saw on Melanie (and Sophie’s) podcast! It came in right before I flew to Texas to help my daughter move out of her apartment following summer school. Let me just say, it was 149 in Texas, and this outfit was comfortably cool! In full disclosure, the resident 20-year-old told me that my outfit resembled the baby of hospital scrubs and pajamas. As I told her, I DO NOT CARE because my peri-menopausal self was comfortable! Or at least, as comfortable as I was gonna get.
White Denim Jacket: I discovered this while searching for a white denim jacket to wear over dresses and what not, and I love it! It’s got a bit of a “distressed” look, and it pairs really great with a nice dress or pants. (Opposites attract, don’t you know!) The sleeves are slightly puffy, too, which is an “in” thing right now (Hello, 1980’s/90’s!) It comes in other colors, too.
Spiral Solution 200 Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder: We’ve had this bird feeder up for a couple of months now, and so far it’s keeping its promise to keep squirrels out. It’s not the cheapest bird feeder we’ve ever purchased, but it’s HUGE and holds a lot of birdseed. Plus, I witnessed with my actual eyeballs a squirrel try to get the birdseed, fail completely, and proceed to abandon his mission. Ahhh, sweet victory!
British Mysteries: Friends Ryan and Rebecca hooked us onto British mysteries, and we especially loved watching a new one called Annika. We also recently wrapped up the last season and series finale of Endeavor. I loved the season as a whole, but, admittedly, I do wish it had ended differently.
(Visit here for my previous summer favorite things list!)
That’s all for now, dearhearts! May your second half of summer be full of your own favorite things that keep you cool and comfy.
Much love!
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