Everyone stop what you're doing and focus...this is going to be so good!!
Last July when I decided to start hosting pajama parties, I immediately knew I wanted my friend Mel to co-host with me in June.
Mel makes summer fun.
Mel inspires me to be a better mom during the summer.
Mel owns summer.
And that's why she's co-hosting with me today!
Isn't Mel adorable?!?! And look at her precious family...
...Mel is a middle school math teacher in California and mom to Kate, Claire and Luke. This busy mama is constantly inspiring me with her...
...creative parties (seriously, click here to see her out of this world parties!)...
...amazing garden...
...yummy food...
...and free printables!
I just love, love, love my sweet friend Mel!
So, every summer, Mel sits down with her 2 girls and they make a list of fun things to do over the summer break. Here is their list for this year...
I love this list of ideas! I am totally stealing several (if not all) of them this summer!
I think this list also proves that simple things like sidewalk chalk, going to the library, visiting the farmer's market and a reading competition can be fun (and free!) on hot summer days.
I asked my kiddos to name a few things they would like to do this summer and this is what they said...
How simple are these things? Other than the road trip (which we've been discussing a lot lately), they're all easy little things we can totally do this summer!
So...here we are at our pajama party...I'm wearing my Red Sox pjs and Mel is wearing her San Francisco Giants pjs and we're both enjoying a yummy dessert while we discuss summer.
What is your favorite sweet treat to make this summer for your kiddos?
Mel: My favorite sweet treat to make my kids during the summer is my dad’s homemade ice cream or my Mud Pie Ice Cream Cake.
Shay: We love making my banana pudding during the summer.
What is your favorite thing to grill for supper?
Mel: My favorite thing to grill in the summer are burgers! We use our BBQ almost every night in the summer! It is way to hot to cook inside! Things that we grill are burgers, chicken, sausages & salmon. I always serve fresh salads with each meal in the summer. A lot of the produce I pick straight from our backyard garden! Some of my favorite salads are my Strawberry Spinach Salad and Taco Salad.
Shay: We love grilling burgers too! Right now, I'm in to my Cheddar Beer Burgers!
Mel always looks super cute, and since we do Pin-spired together, it's only appropriate that we talk a little fashion...
What will be the most worn item in your closet this month?
Mel: Because we have a pool in our backyard, I wear a bathing suit every single day! Also, I wear my rainbow flip flops pretty much every day. I love them!
Shay: I agree with Mel! I am wearing my swimsuit every day this summer too. I also really love wearing my Gap denim shorts...I seem to have them on all the time!
What's your typical date night outfit for summer?
Mel: My typical date outfit for the summer is usually shorts, sandals & a cute shirt. One of our favorite things to do in the summer for date night is to ride our cruiser bikes to the downtown of our little town and go to dinner! If we aren’t riding our bikes for date night, then I usually wear a dress. I love wearing dresses!
Shay: I am not a dress person (I don't really know why...but I'm not), so my date night outfits are usually white jeans or shorts and wedges.
My typical date night outfit...white jeans, tank and wedges.
And since Mel is the queen of summer, we wrap up our pj party with a little summer lovin'...
How do you keep your kids from getting bored during the summer?
Mel: The first day of summer, I always sit down with my girls and make a summer list. We write down a list of things that that we want to do during the summer. This ranges from making strawberry jam, camping out in the backyard or going to the beach. We have made a summer list the past 5 summers and it has made our summer more intentional!
Shay: Well, Mel really inspired me last year and now, we have really tried hard to be intentional about our summer too. Every day, we try to do one thing summery and fun. My kids look forward to planning our fun thing (last night, it was watching a rerun of Full House on the patio while drinking Capri Suns...seriously, that was easy and they loved it!). I can already tell that this summer is going to be more meaningful and more intentional to all four of us.
Do you take a summer vacation? If so, where?
Mel: Yes! Every year we go to Lake Tahoe for at least a week. My husband and I both grew up going to Lake Tahoe every summer. We have a house in Tahoe and love going there for at least a week every summer. Every couple years we go on a bigger vacation. In 2011 we went on a Disney Cruise & to Disney World. Next summer we are planning on another fun vacation, maybe a cruise or Hawaii.
Shay: We did our big family vacation this past April, so we're going to take a road trip this summer. When it starts getting really, really hot here in Texas, we're going to head for some place cooler.
How do you make your summers special for your kiddos?
Mel: I make summer special for my kids by starting the first day of summer with a “Happy Summer Present” I have a present set out for each kid on the kitchen table the first morning of Summer break . It is usually new sand toys, a bucket, chalk, pool toys & some coloring books.
I also make summer special for my kids by being a “Yes” mom. Because I teach during the school year & we have so many activities going on, summer is when we have our lazy dog days of summer. We have friends over several times a week for swim playdates, we let are loose with bedtime, we let them play outside later & swim at night. We do activities on our Summer list. I try and make the most of each summer since there is no school & no set schedules. Summer is all about having fun & being unscheduled!
This is why I knew Mel would be the perfect pj co-host for June. She really makes the most of the summer with her sweet kids.
Mel's summer presents to her kiddos.
And as you know, at the end of each pajama party, I ask each of my co-hosts the same set of questions...to see previous co-hosts and their answers, click here.
1. What is your favorite cosmetic?
I LOVE Mac lip glosses! I don’t go anywhere without wearing lip gloss. I am constantly re-applying lip gloss throughout the day! My favorite colors are Power Supply & Viva Glam.
2. What is your favorite beauty product (not makeup)?
That is an easy one! My favorite beauty product is the Rodan + Fields AMP Roller! You use it for 1 minute each night & it helps prevent fine lines & wrinkles. Our night renewing serum is applied after! It makes your skin feel silky & smooth!
3. What is your favorite TV show?
Friends!!! I own all 10 seasons and have seen every single episode several times. Love, love, love Friends. I watch it almost every night & never get sick of it.
4. What is your favorite vacation destination?
Hawaii. I love, love, love Hawaii. Our favorite islands to visit are Maui & Kauai.
5. What is your favorite pair of shoes?
In the summer, it is my rainbow flip flops. In the winter, I love my Uggs!
6. What is your favorite nail polish?
I love anything OPI. My favorite shades right now for summer are “Party in my Cabana” and for a neutral “Bubble Bath”
7. What is your favorite chick-flick movie?
? I can’t just pick one. Some of my favorites that I can watch over and over again are: 13 going on 30, Sweet Home Alabama, 27 Dresses, and My Best Friends Wedding
8. What is your favorite book?
I can’t just pick 1 favorite…I loved the entire Harry Potter series. I also loved the Hunger Games series, I love anything by Jodi Picoult. Summer is when I do most of my reading. I read about a book a week during the summer.
9. What is your favorite ice cream?
Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch
10. Who should star in a movie based on your life?
Jennifer Garner. I LOVE her! And, in the movie 13 going on 30, that is exactly how I looked when I was 13.
11. What is your least favorite household chore?
Unloading the dishwasher AND folding laundry. The worst!!!
12. What is one fact about you most people don't know?
I have a really good memory and if you tell me your birthday I will never forget it. My friends call me “Rain Man” because of this. I have this really weird memory when it comes to birthdays, maybe it’s a numbers thing (hence I am a math teacher) But, once I hear your birthday, it just gets locked into my memory!
Yay! Thank you so much Mel for co-hosting with me today!! This post doesn't even scratch the surface of how fabulous you are! You can find so much more Mel every single day here...
Her fabulous The Larson Lingo blog is here.
You can also find her on Pinterest, Instagram and Face Book too.
Thanks Mel! XOXO
This week, you ladies were all over these fun engraveable necklaces from Stella & Dot and Younique makeup products.
Seriously...you ladies are IN LOVE! And I don't blame you! I actually ordered several more of these necklaces as Christmas gifts myself! To order yours (or to get any questions answered), email my Stella & Dot rep (and good friend) Jody at jodytruly@yahoo.com.
To join my Younique Makeup Party (that goes through the 29th!!), make sure you click here. The mascara-like product is amazing. A-mazing!
And nothing says Friday like a burger! Today, I'm featuring my yummy
Caprese Turkey Burgers!
Happy Friday!