a SUMMER kind of Monday 🌞

Hi friends! Taking an intentional pause for Father’s Day yesterday felt too good not to — and now here we are, Monday morning, a brand new week and a brand new season. Hello, summer!!! Something about that combination just feels like a fresh start in the best way.

Here’s what’s been on my mind, in my kitchen, and on my shopping list as we head into summer…

I’m 36.5 weeks pregnant, which means baby could technically come any day now. My husband travels quite a bit for work, so I have my mom in town until he’s able to stay local- especially after chatting with y’all on IG stories about second babies coming fast and furious. I do not need a highway baby situation while I’m solo with Wilder. Nightmare fuel.

So this week is all about getting ahead of everything- organizing the nursery, closets, and dressers, batching content, doing all the laundry, and meal prepping. I should probably pack my hospital bag too, if I’m being honest. It’s just wild how quickly it’s all gone.

Something that’s shifted lately: I’m finally letting myself feel excited about the birth. For a while I felt a little… detached from it? Like it was just something I had to get through to get to our baby. It’s part of why I really wanted to keep the gender a surprise… an added element to make the moment feel more exciting and worth looking forward to.

After opening up the conversation about second births on IG, sooo many of you said it was a smoother, easier experience all around. Quicker labor, easier recovery — obviously not the case for everyone, but honestly? That was exactly what I needed to hear.

The best thing I've eaten all summer — and possibly all pregnancy — arrived in a bowl of ice at the Four Seasons on our baby moon last month…

I ordered a fruit bowl on the beach and when it arrived: ice cold, piled high, every single piece staying crisp and cold down to the last bite, I genuinely thought it was the best thing I’d ever eaten. Something about ice cold fruit in the sun just hits differently (especially pregnant). No warmth, no watery mess, just pure juicy cold goodness from start to finish.

I immediately ordered the nugget ice machine I’d been eyeing for years (literally while still on the beach) and have been recreating it on repeat ever since.

Here’s what you do…

Grab a big, shallow-ish bowl. Add a couple scoops of regular ice for height, then scatter nugget ice as your base layer. Pile your fruit on — watermelon and orange slices are my go-to — then fill in with whatever you have: cherries, apple slices, grapes, mango. Scatter more nugget ice in all the gaps, tuck in a few flowers if you want the wow factor, and that’s genuinely it.

THESE are my serving bowls from the first pic. These shallow bowls are my go-to’s for all things hosting/family style serving. I love them.

THESE bowls from Amazon are another great option being such a similar size/shape.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Amazon Prime Day kicks off tomorrow ✨ and I have spent a little too much time curating my lists. I’ll be doing the majority of my updating tomorrow morning as the real deals drop, but here are a few things I already own and think are 1000% worth adding to cart.

THE NUGGET ICE MAKER
The one everyone wants, and for good reason! We've had ours about a month and have been so impressed. No water line needed, just a side tank. You plop it on the counter, plug it in, and it makes ice surprisingly fast. Perfectly soft and chewy, and it takes your drinks and fruit bowls to a whole other level. A crispy Diet Coke with nugget ice? Get outtaa here. 🤤

CHECKERED BAMBOO CUTTING BOARD
My favorite cutting board by far. Large, thick, 100% natural bamboo, BPA-free, with a juice groove and non-slip feet. Beautiful enough to leave propped up on display in your kitchen.

THE LITTLE GREEN MACHINE
What would I do without this thing?! Did you know they currently have it in a limited edition tan color? Obviously, I got it. I spent this afternoon cleaning my dining room chairs and the old nursery rocking chair — they came out like new. Small, compact, and an absolute game changer for spot cleaning rugs, chairs, sofas, you name it.

PARCHMENT PAPER SHEETS
My favorite part about Prime Day isn’t always the big purchases — it’s stocking up on the everyday things I buy on repeat. These parchment paper sheets are exactly that. Non-toxic, pre-cut, non-stick, and so convenient for baking and roasting. Speaking of which — I’m sharing my all-time favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe next week, so grab these now and you’ll be ready to go ;)

CANON PRINTER
A niche one, but worth mentioning — I just bought this because it’s on majorrrr sale. We had constant connectivity issues with our old printer and finally said F it, we’ll get a new one. Canon is notoriously reliable, and it’s almost 50% off right now if you’re in the market!

WAFFLE RUGS
My number one Amazon home rec, full stop. We have these in every bathroom — waffle texture, rubber-backed, non-slip, super absorbent, and machine washable. All the things. Not sure if they’ll be on sale by tomorrow, but they usually make the Prime Day list.

JACKERY SOLAR HOME GENERATOR
OK hear me out, a home generator that’s solar powered and VERY effective/efficient- it can power multiple appliances including AC units + fridges. This specific one has been on my wishlist for a awhile and I just noticed it’s 50% off, so it’s basically calling my name. One of those purchases you'll be so grateful you have if a storm knocks out the power or there's a freak emergency. The kind of thing that just lives in your garage until you really need it, and then you're SO glad it's there.

These links are affiliate- thank you for supporting me ♥️

I’ll leave it there for now!

I’ll leave my full Amazon Prime Sale list below. A lot of the stuff WILL be on sale tomorrow, and I’ll be updating it all day with fresh picks as the best deals drop. 🛒

✨ MY AMAZON PRIME MASTER LIST ✨

Hii I’m Jen — a full-time content creator (and mama) living in Franklin, Tennessee.

I cook a lot, host whenever I can, and care deeply about finding little moments of joy throughout the day—especially in the rhythms that feel the most ordinary.

This space is where I expand on what lights me up:

the meals, the mood, the company, the mindset…

You can expect little pieces of all of the above here, shared through weekly notes sent straight to your inbox. 💌

I’m so glad you found your way here.

xx, Jen

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