Summer Livin'

It's the weekend! Yay!
The end of June is fast approaching... which means we are definitely the midst of summer! I love, love, love summer. And the longer I'm away from my hometown roots in Minnesota, the more I acclimate to our hot, dry summers out west.

I woke up this morning, enjoyed some of my favorite summer brew, and put some of my favorite product in my wild mane, and then wondered what other women's favorite summer things were. I feel like I always indulge when it comes to summer. But hey, life's too short not to be in love. And I am in love with summer!

I love good summer reads. Who doesn't? Kick back beside the pool or on the beach and fall in love with a story. (I'm getting sparkles in my eyes just thinking about this.) Here's a few of my favorite summer reads:

-Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot: Chick-Lit, Fiction, Romance. This is a quick, flirty, happy read. I couldn't help but fall in love with Lizzie, the main character, as she fumbles, literally through life.
-A Hundred Summers by Beatiz Williams: Historical Fiction, Chick-Lit, Mystery. This summer read keeps your mind turning as you try to figure out the 'true story', with a sweet romantic story, set in the late 1930s.
-Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: Fiction, Mystery, Comedy. Not only is it a light mystery read, it's also very comedic as we look into the mother/daughter relationship between Bernadette and Bee, set in a very quirky world.
-The Boy Nextdoor by Meg Cabot: Chick-Lit, Fiction, Romance. Another quick, flirty, happy read written in a unique manner as it tells the story about Mel, and NYC gossip columnist, who gets in over her head with the handsome boy next door.

All those curls!

Like my must-have summer reads, there are certain beauty products that I couldn't live without while living under the hot summer sun!

-Clinique Pep-Start: because we always should wear a broad spectrum sunscreen if we want to keep our faces from looking like jerky by the time we're in our 50s... start now if have don't already use a sunscreen for your face.
-Rusk 12 in 1: I used this leave-in treatment in my hair whenever I'm going to straighten it and keep it down. It's great at getting through those post-shower snarls, and keeping your hair smooth and silky.

-DevaCurl Light Defining Gel: for the days I want to embrace my curly side, this helps manage my hair chaos (I have a ton of hair).
-John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves: this is to manage my day-2 curls... gives them a wild and free beach look.
-Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sunscreen, Green Tea SPF 45: more sunscreen! I love this product for my kids as well as myself. If we're going to coat ourselves in something on a regular basis, make sure it's high quality. This product uses aloe vera, green tea, and palm kernel oil. It's free of oxybenzone, octinoxate, PABA, and many more chemicals that are harmful to things like coral reefs. Go green!

Summe at the lake... Yuba Lake

*please note, I have not been paid to represent any of these products.

Favorite To-Dos... who wants to be stuck in the house all day?
-Beach! (I'll take a pool, too): I love spending my summers on the water. Typically we go to MN every summer and spend nearly every day on the lake. But that isn't happening this year, so our local faves at Willard Bay and Pineview Reservoir. In MN it's BugBee Hive Resort on Lake Koronis. And later this summer when we're in So Cal, my faves are Santa Monica and Newport beaches! Give me a cocktail or Diet Coke with a little lime and I am good to go all day!
-Aviary and the Zoo: they're a great place to see the animals, both local and exotic, while the kids (and I) have a great learning experience while being out in the fresh air.
-The library: This is a great, cool option when it's just too hot out! And again... it's a learning environment for the kids. And of course, I just get swallowed up whole in a good book.

Provo Falls, Uintah Moutains

Wall Lake, Uintah Mountains

Real Soccer

-Camping! We love heading up to the high Uintah Mountains for some camping. The window to go is quite limited... July is about the only time to survive up that high in a tent or tent-camper. In June we still have to contend with winter snow, and August it starts getting super cold at night. I mean, colder than July, where hot rocks in the base of your sleeping bag are always a good way to get cozy. Despite the cold nights, it's always pleasantly warm during the days.
-Sports Games: I love going to SL Bees baseball games and the Real SL soccer games. I know very little of the rules of soccer, but there are few sports traditions that rival the atmosphere in a stadium when the home team scores in soccer!
-Amusement Parks/Water Parks: They're always a great way to get outside, even on those hot days, and get some walking in and exhilaration on those roller-coasters and water slides.

Narrows, Zion N.P.

-National/State Parks: Utah boasts some of the most beautiful natural scenery and summer is always a good time to get out and explore. Last summer we did Zion N.P. and Bryce N.P. We hiked the narrows at Zion, and despite my fear of flash floods, I had the best time, and all we decended the canyon of Bryce, which is one of my favorite sight ever. This year we'll head into the red sandstone world of natural arches (highest concentration in the world) when we head down to Moab for Arches N.P. and Canyonlands. Some summer I will make it to Lake Powell.
This weekend we'll also head out to the Hill AFB Air Show, which we look forward to every time it comes to base, which is about every other year. It's stinking hot walking around the flightline, but you can escape some of that unyeilding sun by stepping into the hangars for a bit. This year we'll be following 5 kids around. But those Thunder Birds make it totally worth it!

Bryce Canyon

What are your faves?? I am eager to know! Post in the comments below! And enjoy your summer!!