Last night, Mike and I got to go on a super fun (kid-free!) excursion in Boston thanks to the team at Marshalls. We started the afternoon off at the Marshalls Fenway store, heard about their partnership with the Red Sox, and got a sneak peek at some of the trends and products that are coming for fall and the back to school season (lots of denim, athleisure, and comfortable spins on classic autumn looks). After we heard about the trends, we actually got to shop them and explored the store for a bit. I came home with a really pretty fall blazer in a soft sage-army green with leather sleeves that I’m SO excited to wear!
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I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I really love grocery shopping. I get that it’s a not-so-fun chore for a lot of people, but I really enjoy it. I love to go to the store for inspiration, scanning the produce and proteins for my next recipe ideas. Last week I got the chance to check out the new Wegmans store in Natick, and because I’m a grocery-shopping-nerd I was delighted to explore it.
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We have been packing our weekends with all sorts of fun summertime activities lately. Last weekend we partnered with Fidelity and MEFA to attend The WGBH Fun Fest and visit the U.Fund Dreams Tour! We are big WGBH fans at our house so it was a blast. Given Jane’s affinity for a lot of the WGBH kids shows, I was so excited to see her interact with the life-sized characters. She was really interested in them, and trying to figure out how her favorite TV characters were there in person!There were also tons of ice cream brands that popped up and we tried a flavor at just about every tent at the event – Jane is ice cream obsessed (and so is her mom!).
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After a week of vacation — i.e.: take out pizza on the beach, clam shacks, and lots of porch cocktails— I am in major need of some diet detoxing. When we arrived home from our trip, my husband and I both agreed we were in the mood for some fresh, lighter flavors to ease out of the deep-fried calorie-heavy meal plan we had been on at the beach. I sat down to write our grocery list for the week and decided the best way to do that was with some Mediterranean-inspired flavors!
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It’s my first day back to reality after our awesome beach vacation and the struggle is real. I actually felt incredibly well rested and happy to get back into the swing of things when we arrived home over the weekend, but Monday has rolled in and my momentum hasn’t exactly picked back up yet. Unpacking beach bags, folding laundry and digging out of that post-vacation inbox are all on my to-do-list today. So naturally I’m avoiding those fun tasks at all costs and thought I’d share a few recipes, links, and finds that have caught my eye in the last week!
I’m back from a little blog hiatus after the most amazing week at the beach. We stayed with friends at their family beach house on Cape Cod. It was a gorgeous week, we couldn’t have possibly been more lucky with the weather – nearly 6 straight days of sunshine! It was our first real family vacation and Jane took quite a liking to the beach – we collected seashells, dipped our toes in the water, and did lots of digging in the sand. 
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Someone asked me recently if I’m “busy” and my answer to that question is almost always and exasperated yes — too busy. But this time I answered honestly — I’m busy enough. I’m so lucky to have flexibility with my work schedule now and have been trying hard to capitalize on it while the weather is warm (and before the madness of my book launch in the fall! We’ve been cooking out most nights, enjoying walks down to the waterfront in our seaside neighborhood, and are gearing up for a family beach trip too! It can be hard to turn off the never-ending feeling that I should be crushing to-do-lists and hustling towards new goals, but the reward for taking it a little bit slower this summer has been sweet. Sharing some more of these summer moments, trips, recipes and reads below:
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We have been on a non-stop BBQ menu rotation the past few weeks between the Fourth of July celebrations, hosting a friend’s bridal shower, and my husband’s newfound hobby: cooking in his new Kamado-style smoker. There are zero complaints over here, I love all of the outdoor cooking and dining. I have found though, that my usual BBQ-side repertoire was getting a little bit stale. In an effort to mix it up, I decided to give a fresh spin to one of my favorite BBQ side — macaroni salad. I love a classic macaroni salad but have been looking for something a bit more grown-up and a tad bit lighter for these warm weather al fresco dinners. This version has a lemon-herb dressing that I made with tons of fresh herbs from the garden and bright citrus combined with Dijon and mayonnaise. For color and crunch I mixed in red peppers and red onions, and loads of cracked black pepper and peas. I’m definitely going to be adding this one to future BBQ menus! Get the recipe below:
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I have been working on perfecting this summery side dish the past few weeks as I’ve made it for holiday BBQs, bridal showers, and a weeknight dinner. Each time it got a little bit better, and gobbled up in a near instant as it hit the table. It’s a simple mixture of ingredients that just happen to taste delicious during the peak of summer — bright mixed tomatoes, sweet grilled corn, and flavorful fresh herbs. My favorite part about this dish is that it tastes better the next day after all of the ingredients have marinated together overnight, so it’s easy to make ahead when you’re entertaining! The leftovers (if you have any!) are equally delicious — I tossed them over a bit of warm pasta for lunch the next day — YUM. Get the recipe below: 
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We are halfway through the year (ah!) and I sat down this week to do a little bit of mid-year planning for the blog and my business. It involved the fun stuff: mapping out content, brainstorming ideas and events for my cookbook coming out this fall, and digging through my inspiration files. It also involved the not so fun stuff: finances and budgeting. Admittedly, I procrastinate that part as much as possible, until I can no longer avoid thinking about it. But, once I sit down and actually do the work, I always feel a lot better – like I have a clear plan and know what I need to do next. In reality, I should probably do that part first so I feel more relaxed and focused before I embark on the fun part. The process got me thinking about personal finances too, and how the same practices shift over when talking about all of those pit-in-your-stomach topics like savings and budgets.
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