Kate’s Summer 2019 Favorite Things

I’ve been getting a lot of requests for another Favorite Things post, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things from this summer before it’s over! One thing I’m not sharing today is deodorant (which I’ve also gotten a lot of questions about on Instagram) because I’m trying to figure out how to share and have it not be weird. But. When people ask how the natural deodorant is going, I’m really tempted to send them a picture of the Degree that I’ve been using for the last three weeks. Long story short, I want to use natural deodorant, and I used it exclusively for about 9 months, but right now, I think it’s just too hot and I just get too smelly and so I’ll pick it back up again in the fall when it cools down a bit.

Also, speaking of it being hot and giving up on things, if dinner has you down and you HAVEN’T gotten our Summer, Simplified plan, be sure and snag yourself a copy as we head into the hopelessly hot/hopeless end of summer slump/crazy beginning of the school year! What to make for dinner will be one less thing to think about so you can save all your emotional energy for The Handmaid’s Tale. 

ANYWAY. My favorite things.

1. Heyday Silicone Phone Case. I had really great intentions of holding onto my previous phone for at least two years, but around 18 months (as my phones seem to always do) things stopped working. This time around, the flashlight and rear camera stopped working (y’all don’t really need to know all these details…I’m mostly just mad that phones seem to be designed to start failing at a certain time!) Anyway. I snagged this case at Target because it was cheap and cute and I figured I could use it in the meantime until I found something more permanent, but I’ve ended up loving it. It’s smooth, low profile, and easy to grip. It’s not the most protective case I’ve ever had, so if you need a lot of protection, this might not be a great fit, but if you need something to protect the edges and back and for light impact protection, this is a great little case.
2. Raw Sugar Hand Soaps. I am a hand soap junkie. This is a well-established fact. And these soaps are my new favorites (the body wash is also so, so good). I have tried every scent and they are all AMAZING.  They also come in big bottles that last forever, even though we have a lot of hand washing at our house. I get mine at Target (I can usually only find the lemon and mango at my Target, but with my Target Red debit card, I get free shipping on all the things.)
3. Rocketman Soundtrack. I have always, always been a huge Elton John fan, from the time I was a little girl. I have often cited “Rocketman” and “Your Song” as my favorite songs and I used “This Train Don’t Stop There” as the basis for a paper in college. So, naturally, I was very excited for Rocketman this summer and it really was fantastic (if you’re wondering about content, it’s pretty mild on the R-rated spectrum…it’s mostly some language and very heavy, sad, hard drug- and alcohol-related stuff. Anything sexual is solidly in the PG-13 category.) I liked it better than Bohemian Rhapsody and I loved Bohemian Rhapsody. BR was more of a straight-up biopic and Rocketman was a creative masterpiece, told very much like a musical, but in a good and not a terrible way. Anyway. The soundtrack. Even if the movie isn’t really on your bucket list but you like Elton John, I for sure, 1000% recommend the soundtrack. It’s full of reimaginations of all the classics while still remaining true to them. My kids have all fallen in love with Elton John because of it, so I feel like one of my jobs as a mother is now complete.
4. Stainless Steel Straws. I’m trying to use fewer disposable straws at home, but I have really sensitive teeth, so I need to use something. These are durable and easy to clean and it has been a pretty painless transition!
5. I read Where the Crawdads Sing for a book club that I was briefly a very delinquent member of and loved it. It’s a perfect summer read…a little murder-y page turner that also happens to be a beautiful, beautifully written story.
6. Bombas socks. I got a pair of Bombas as a gift about two years and immediately understood why people spend a lot of money on socks. Over the last couple of years, I have acquired quite a collection and I absolutely love them. They are thick, supportive, cute, hold up really well (and when they don’t, Bombas has been fantastic about replacing them, no questions asked.) I also love that for every pair you buy, they donate a pair of really fantastic socks to someone in need. I think sometimes we underestimate how comforting something as simple as a great pair of socks can be. If you use this link when you order, you can get 25% off your order (and these socks last foreeeeevver!)
7. Happy Endings. Yeah, this show went off the air, like, 6 years ago or something, but I recently rediscovered it on Hulu and it truly is one of the funniest, smartly-written shows I’ve ever seen. It has held up incredibly well (better, dare I say, than Friends ?). Plus, it was only on the air for 3 seasons, so it is a very low commitment.
8. Kavu Go Time Wallet. I am notoriously really bad about carrying a bag, but I’m also notoriously really bad about leaving my wallet places I shouldn’t be leaving it when it’s not in a bag. This wallet has been a life-safer–it’s big enough for all my stuff, it has a zipper to keep everything where it should be, but it also has a (removable) strap  so I can keep my hands free and also not leave it in my shopping cart. I linked to Amazon because it’s easy, but these are EVERYWHERE and you’re going to find a wider selection elsewhere. I got mine at Dillard’s and I’ve seen them at REI, sporting goods stores (large and small).
9. AP Bio. This one hurts…this show only made it 2 short (but brilliant) seasons. It’s dark and hilarious and absurd and also incredibly relatable. You can watch it on Hulu or Amazon Prime! (There’s no free way to watch Season 1 right now, but hopefully that will change soon as we get into the new TV season).

UPDATE: You can watch it for free on the NBC website!

UPDATE #2: They’re going to continue the show on NBC’s streaming channel! Huzzah!

So those are some of my current favorites! I’d love to hear what you think!

Note: This post contains affiliate links.