Happy Friday, Friends! It’s hard to believe that it’s not technically summer yet, because it sure feels like it. We got our July vacation on the books several months ago, and I thought I had tons of time, but I’ve spent my evenings this week trying to get my ducks in a row so we can leave for a several days next month. It’s starting to feel like the dog days of summer around here, and I can’t say that I’m mad about it. Here are some favorites of mine this week!
Getting out of town
As much as I love the longer days – and warmer evenings that summer can bring, it sure is nice to head out of a town for a quick reset. If you read my post on Wednesday, Lake Somerville is a great day trip from Houston, and it was a nice to get out and explore a new (to us) place in Texas.
Sno Cones
I’m a sucker for a good snow-cone. One of my most favorite summer activities is to ride our bikes to the nearest snow-cone stand – or shop. Back at our old place, it was about a 6-mile round trip on the bike to the snow-cone stand. And now, it’s about 2 miles from our house.
Summer birthdays
Aaron’s birthday is June 24th, and I always try to do some sort of party. I took a break during COVID (everyone got a COVID birthday), and I’m kind of stumped about what to plan this year. We’ve had some fun parties in the past. One of my favorites was a pool-float themed pedal party (the big party bike that you pedal around to various bars) several years ago.
Ya’ll – that pedal party birthday was so fun. Because it was going to be real hot, the pool floats were the best idea. I grabbed a bunch of them off of amazon, along with glow sticks and leis. They let you bring your own adult beverages on board, and you can kind of customize your route. We’ve done it twice now, and it’s always a fun time.
I need to think about a fun activity this time around – I might throw a pool party at our house, rent a bay at Top Golf, go to an Astros game or have a private chef come over – I might even just opt for a nice dinner out! Stay tuned!
Summertime walks
Aaron and I are still at our evening walks. He had a meeting one day this week, so I had to take the dogs solo. When that happens, I take one at a time so I can focus on some one on one training. One of our neighbors has several chickens, and our dogs love them. This one is named Heather, and it’s actually kind of friendly. So, it’s neat to see his little pack of chickens out and about in the evenings.
Summertime Dip: Cowboy Caviar
Ya’ll – can we have a moment of silence for the cowboy caviar dip that I made this week? It was the most delicious, and I’ll be making this on repeat throughout the summers. So obviously, I’ve seen this dip, and I’ve had this dip, but I’ve never made it myself. It just kind of seemed like alot of work. But, now that I”ve done it, it takes about half an hour to chop and prep everything. It’s well worth the time. This recipe makes a ton, and you can mix and match it a million different ways. You can also use it for other things beyond just a dip. I can see us using it as a mix for at-home chipotle bowls, for some veggie enchiladas and more!
Here’s what I used this time around:
- 1 mango (you could also you peaches or strawberries)
- 1 can of sliced olives
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 can of pinto beans
- 1 chopped red onion
- 1 pack of feta
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 can of corn
- As many avocados as you want
- and diced jalapeños (I added about half a cup and I bought them pre-chopped)
Dump it all together into one bowl, mix and enjoy. The perfect summer snack.
This weekend you can find me here:
And here:
I also have a hair appointment at some point – my hair is so long right now, and I’m thinking about chopping it all off. I’ve got a work lunch with a friend this afternoon, and I’m helping a friend with engagement photos this weekend! Let me know if you make that cowboy caviar!
