Happy Saturday! This week has been a blur.
I’ve been with my daughter at “nationals”—her end-of-the-season dance competition that caps off 11 months of work, training, and regional competitions. I’m spending hours running the halls of a giant hotel, from dressing room to performance rooms and back (I logged 12k+ steps yesterday!), so I’m writing this feeling very grateful to be sitting still for a few moments.
All of this spectating over the past few days has made me realize what a joy it is to watch someone you love follow their passion.
Before having kids, I never quite understood how it could be even moderately entertaining for my parents to sit on the sidelines—often on metal bleachers, wooden benches, or some sort of rickety lawn chair—watching me play softball, or cheer, or twirl baton (DO NOT DARE LAUGH I promise you this was cool back in the long-ago 90s days).
But now I get it. The joy I feel watching my kids is tenfold any joy I feel doing anything for myself. So while I’m exhausted, it’s also been a really fun week. I love watching her be so fully herself for those few minutes she’s on stage.
That’s all. It’s the small moments of parenting that really get me sometimes. :)
Anyhow!
Enjoy this week’s roundup of good reads and shopping picks. And please feel free to forward to a friend, or hit Reply to say hi! Any other dance moms out there??!
A fun look at World Cup fan fashion! Whose vibe do you like best??
A veteran UPS driver shares all the exact ways he keeps cool
The 9 best countries for Americans to move to
The best healthy eating advice of 2026
What happens when you eat avocado toast every day
“Invisible kitchens” are apparently the new trend!
Could the Travis + Taylor wedding end up costing $20 million?!
Signs you’re showering too much
I can confirm… and much to my dismay… the tweens are indeed Sun-In Curious. What’s even worse is that they have no regard for our hard-earned wisdom and warning about this
How to become a more resilient person
For all my fellow 90s girls, this interview with the two remaining members of TLC is a walk down memory lane
Things I bought
I grabbed this red gingham bikini for our upcoming trip—underwire top and scoop-front bottom
Restocked on the ultimate sleep supplement. Trust me… these no-melatonin Mary Ruth’s gummies work.
For the hot summer months, I’ve switched back to this mandelic acid-based roll-on deodorant. It works by lowering the skin’s pH, making the underarm area less hospitable for the bacteria that causes smell. I find that it completely eliminates odor, but it does not stop sweat, though… just a heads up!
Sales worth clicking
Levi’s is running a great extra 50% off sale
Favorite Daughter has some great pieces on sale, including this stretch-linen maxi dress that is perfect for summer events.
Neiman Marcus is running an extra 25% off sale with tons of pieces from fashion to accessories to shoes and jewelry. I love this Polo Ralph Lauren sunset orange leather bucket bag.
Bloomingdale’s has a ton of Jenni Kayne pieces on sale. This brand is rarely discounted, so worth jumping on! I’m partial to this striped cardigan.
Sign up for a free account on Dermstore and get access to their summer sale, where products are up to 25% off. Big brands like Skinceuticals (15% off) and Augustinus Bader (25% off) are included too!
🛍️ I feel that this green matcha mug was made for me and my daily matcha latte!
🛍️ Adding this emerald green tennis dress to the wish list. (If a tennis skirt is more your thing, it comes in the same shade.)
🛍️ Business & Pleasure makes the most retro-chic stuff—this wine cooler tote bag would make an amazing hostess gift
🛍️ A beaded tennis court clutch!! Gah!!
🛍️ This is a great basic athletic tank
🛍️ I’m always reaching for hydrating hair formulas like this one in the summer
Not much more to add to this one except, yes!
As a chronically weird person, I am truly unable to stop being too much in many moments. An F-bomb when I miss a ball in tennis. A weird little jig when I see my friends across a room. It’s like all the Care I carry in my heart has nowhere else to go except outward, in a weird little outburst.
That intensity also carries over into things I love, whether it’s work or personal. I just loved this reminder that it’s okay to care a lot, try hard, be “big,” and not let anyone ruin that enthusiasm. Here’s to occasionally being too much!
That’s all for now!
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