One Lovely Life

Monthly Faves – May

May Monthly Faves – All our favorites this month! From the podcast that might save summer to the sunscreens we LOVE, to some home decor and quiet time faves, it’s a good list!

1. The Face Sunscreen That’s Great Even Under Makeup

For daily sunscreen with my makeup or an extra layer when I’m going outside, I use the Image Mineral sunscreen. It takes me 3+ months to use up a whole container, and it’s the BEST facial sunscreen I’ve tried. It goes on matte and blends in better than other mineral (zinc-containing) sunscreens. Plus, it layers beautifully under makeup and does double duty as a sunscreen and moisturizer.

(Note: Amazon carries it, but if you’re worried about it, you can order directly from Image.)

2. The Body Sunscreen That’s Great for Kids & Grown-Ups!

For body sunscreen for me and my kids, I use Babyganics spray sunscreen. I use the spray since it rubs in better than the squeeze bottle. BUT – I spray the sunscreen into my hands and then rub it on. I’ve found if you spray it right on your child’s back, etc., you don’t always get perfect coverage. I find it at Target or order from Amazon.

3. The Light Up Timer that Saves Me

If you have little ones who can’t tell time, or have really visual kids, or have a child who struggles with transitions, I LOVE this light-up timer. I got it years ago to use when my kids transitioned (way too early!) from naps to quiet time. I’ve pulled it out again recently so we can use it for summer.

I love that it uses a traffic light pattern to show you when the timer is counting down. You can set the yellow/warning light time to be any increment you like (I usually do 5 or 10 minutes), so kids know when it’s winding down. We use this now when we’re doing quiet time or if we’re going to do some cleaning jobs around the house. (“Okay guys! Let’s see how much we can do before it gets to red light!)”

4. The Popsicle Mold I Recommend the Most (Perfect for Summer!)

Another one I know I’ve recommended for, but I’ve gotten 20 messages this week asking for my favorite one. This is my favorite popsicles mold. It has 10 slots and a lid that holds the sticks in place (so there’s MUCH less chance of your sticks shifting around in the freezer). While you’re at it, you might want to pick up some popsicle sticks.

If the popsicle mold isn’t your thing, you might love these that are basically like making homemade Otter Pops!

PS – Need a popsicle recipe? I’ve got lots!

5. The Book I’m Rereading for the 4th Time(!!!)

I’ve recommended this book before (it’s one of my top 5 favorite books ever). I’ll recommend it again–I LOVE Okay For Now! I’ve listened to the audio and read the hard copy and loved both. Such a wonderful story, such great writing, and such endearing characters. (If you like this, you’d probably also love Wednesday Wars. Then again, I love ALL the books I’ve read by Gary Schmidt)

Related: Summer reading recommendations for you and your kids!

6. The Parenting Book I’m Digging Lately

Positive parenting book, anyone? I love that this one called the Yes Brain is a great blend of evidence-based/scientific approach and common sense. I’m not *quite* through the whole thing, but I’ve really resonated with many of the concepts in the book so far and gotten some great practical tips to put into practice. The idea is that you can use positive parenting strategies to improve behavior, confidence, etc. in your children (and yourself!)

7. The Butcher Paper Roll I LOOOOVE

I got this butcher paper roll for Christmas this year. It’s so much more affordable than others I’ve seen, and I’ve loved using it to practice lettering, but ALSO to make bucket lists. We put one together for spring break, and we’ve been cobbling together our summer bucket list this week to start checking things off next week.

8. The Podcast That Can Change How You Feel About Summer

Three cheers for friends who know what’s up! My friend Jen recommended The Lazy Genius Podcast to me for her summer episodes, and I’m hooked. As of the time I’m writing this, I’ve listened to and really enjoyed…

Summer Mindset – on framing summer expectations and deciding where you want to invest your attention and time this summer. (spoiler: it’ll MAJORLY reduce pressure and help everyone get what they want out of summer)
Summer Time – How you can break your time into categories to help you sort out your day and task lists.
Summer Routine – striking a balance that works for you between spontaneity and routine.