Friday Favorites | First Week of June

Happy Friday!  I realized yesterday that I totally skipped writing these Friday re-cap posts in May.  A whole month!

But, I can’t give them up completely because they are so much fun to write and I love the informal end to the week where I can share some of my favorite things with y’all.

So let’s dive in, shall we?

Here are my favorite things this week:

Slowing Down for the Summer

The biggest reason I was so MIA in May was because we were kind of busy and because I’ve been working hard to create regular rhythms in our home of work and rest.

Trying to say no to doing all the things and yes to doing the things that are life-giving for myself and for my family.

I talked all about it earlier this week in this post – where I shared 5 simple ways that you can join me in slowing motherhood this season.

Fave Food Finds

I don’t post a ton about food over here, but y’all.  This week has led me to two really delicious finds that I want to share.

First, this Boar’s Head Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Raspberry dessert hummus.  Y’all.  It is incredible.  Like I could eat it in one sitting easily without even feeling bad about it.

I mean, clearly, it’s dessert, but it’s got to be healthier than that huge bowl of ice cream I might otherwise be craving.

My friend, Molly over at Still Being Molly, mentioned this in her Instagram stories a while back and when I saw it in my weekly sales email from Harris Teeter for almost half off last weekend, I promptly bought it, tried it, and wished they didn’t have a limit for the special.

If you haven’t tried it, do yourself a favor and get it.

Next up, this Green Goddess salad dressing from Trader Joe’s.  Another splurge that I wanted to try because someone (actually several someones.  I’ve seen this all over) shared it on social media.

We hadn’t been to Trader Joe’s since our April trip and we were stocking up on hopefully what we’ll need for June and July and I grabbed this to try.

I added it to my salad at lunch and it is delicious.  So so good.  And no added sugar like so many other salad dressings.

And so, I’ll most likely be going back to Trader Joe’s before July to buy more of this because I just really like it.

Women’s Bible Study

Next, our church has started our summer bible study and we’re doing Jen Wilkin’s Abide study through 1, 2, and 3 John.  Yesterday was our first meeting, but we’ve been going through the homework and podcast part of the study for about the last week and a half in preparation.

When Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) ended for the summer, I knew I wanted to get plugged in to another Bible study and I’m thankful that our church has a really great Women’s Discipleship ministry that offers these studies throughout the year.

We meet early early on Thursday mornings and it is a sweet time.

I’ve found that these types of studies are really helpful for me in terms of structure and also accountability with other women, so I’m excited to continue working through it.

Waking Up First

Because of the Bible study I just mentioned, I’ve been working on getting myself up before everyone else to steal some quiet moments of the day for my own study and to just get myself together before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.

Bible study starts at 6:30 in the morning (I told you it was early), so I had to be up way earlier than I usually would.

And as easy as it would have been to stay in bed a little longer – the day was so much better because of that time in the morning.

No matter how much sleep I get, it’s always better to wake up on my own terms rather than being woken up with demands for the day from everyone else.

So, it’s something I’m hoping to work on this summer as we can – to wake up first, prepare for the day.  Be ready for everyone else when they wake up.

Sisters & I Designs Weekend Flash Sale

If you’ve been around here or on my Instagram feed, you’ve heard me talk about Sisters & I Designs and their fun and super lightweight (and affordable) earrings.

Every weekend, beginning at 10:00 AM MST today and running through Monday at 10:00 AM MST.

This weekend, they’ve got their signature small leather earrings on flash sale + buy 3/get 1 free (don’t add the 4th one to your cart – they’ll send it automatically).

This is my favorite size of their leather earrings and this is a GREAT deal!  And, you can save an extra 10% by using my code: mary10 when you shop.  It will stack even on top of the flash sale!  (These are the earrings I’m wearing in the top photo, for reference.)

Summer Blogging Schedule

And finally, as a part of slowing down this summer, things here on the blog might not always be as consistent as they have been.  The fact is, summer tends to be a slow time for blogging anyway and we have a lot going on this summer.

And, I want to take some time to invest in learning for the blog, updating old content, and creating a plan for new content that is relevant and helpful to you all (and things that I want to share).

So, if you have any ideas or topics you’d like to see covered, let me know!

I’ll still be around here and on social and will be continuing to post as I can, but mostly just want to be really intentional about our time and this space.  If you don’t see me every Monday morning, it’s probably because our weekend was full.

And if you don’t see me for full weeks, I’m probably working behind the scenes and the new stuff just isn’t ready yet.

Happy weekend, friends!

I hope your weekend is full of refreshment and rest and things that you love!

In Case You Missed It

There were two new posts on the blog this week, I hope you’ll take a minute to check out:

5 Simple Ways to Embrace Slow Motherhood in This Season

DIY Summer Skin Care with Simply Earth Essential Oils