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What would you add? By the wonderful Grace Farris.
P.S. Easy summer bucket list and vacation threats.
July Faves
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Sitting here in Australia in ugg boots, a million layers of clothes, and fingers wrapped around a hot cuppa, I am reminded just how wide and diverse this lovely community is. It always gives me a chuckle when I read posts like this. While you are choosing strappy dresses and ice cream flavours, I am (literally with the time difference!) adding extra blankets to my bed!
I love everything about summer except the heat. Walks by the lake, ice cream cones, fresh fruits, sunsets, birds singing but unfortunately no fireflies. I miss not seeing them and not sharing my memories of them with my younger brother who passed away.
I’m from a Nordic country and we don’t have fireflies. I was vaguely aware of the concept from pop culture, but never really thought of them as something I would encounter in real life. Then my extended family rented a big house in Italy for a holiday and in the pitch dark of a mediterranean night I woke up to go to the toilet. I was half asleep and as I got out of the bedroom there was suddenly an etheral source of light floating purposefully in the big hall. I freaked out big time. Too afraid to move, I just stood there and for the first and only time in my life thought I was wittnessing something paranormal or an alien life form. I slammed the door and sought for help (probably with a squeal?). My English partner opened the door, said ”that’s a firefly…” and went back to bed.
To me, the most wonderful thing about July in Brooklyn is the firefly population. Seeing fireflies in the city on hot nights is pure magic.
Oh! Lucky you! I used to see fireflies when I was a kid. Beautiful memories. Pure magic as you stated. I moved away and no fireflies in this city.
My 5 year old just picked out a bathing suit in a print called ‘fruit salad.’ Bring on allllll the fruits!
A crispy New Zealand Sauv Blanc on a beautiful sunny-but-perfectly-shaded-patio :)
Wonderful! Tchin! Tchin!
These goggles! My kids are 12 and 9 this year. We just discovered these goggles last summer AFTER YEARS of buying and losing goggles that they never fully liked.
It was like a holy grail situation. We finally found them!
THANK YOU!
Fireflies!
I had one indoors that kept circling the smoke detector with the green light. So sad it didn’t find a friend.
I always look forward to Grace’s cartoons on a Friday afternoon. Great way to kick off the weekend!
Pesto with basil fresh from the garden! Making homemade ice cream. Kids who eat their weight in watermelon!
Just read an article about the best tasting ice cream sandwiches across a wide variety of brands: the winner was Whole Foods’ 365 brand. I picked up a box recently and they are delicious! Uber-vanilla ice cream and the perfect texture chocolate wafer.
Ice cream cones and fireflies! BUT I’m in the southern plains, and our fireflies were done in June. (I never see any after July 1.) I envy anybody who has them all summer. July does bring looonnng, dramatic sunsets, though, and it’s prime blooming season for the crape myrtles, so there’s that.
Long live fireflies and ice cream cones LOL !!!!!!
Watermelon slices
Ice Cream sandwhiches! I keep seeing the video of Ryan Gosling being asked what the best sandwich is and he says Ice Cream. I love it. I’m from the Bay Area and have just started seeing It’s It ice cream sandwiches show up in stores outside of California and I it makes me so happy. I feel like I’m in middle school eating them. Who else loves those?
And fruit suits! I don’t have kids and this is a long shot but in Northern Exposure, Shelly frequently wears a pair of pants that is a colorful fruit pattern and I have been hoping to find something like them for decades now. Why is fruit not a pattern more often?!?!
I love Shelly and her whole vibe ! Her earrings !!!! And everything !!!
Katie Sue! I am a Bay Area ex-pat and JUST bought some It’s Its here in Washington state! I grew up eating them too! They come in minis now as well!
I love this orange print from lucy and yak… https://lucyandyak.com/en-ie/collections/shop-everything/products/original-dungaree-organic-twill-onda-oranges
Oh and these cherries! https://lucyandyak.com/en-ie/collections/all-dungarees/products/reuben-dungaree-organic-twill-morello No affiliation with the brand… I just really like their prints and the couple of pieces I own of theirs are super comfortable.
I have never seen a firefly and it is 100% on my bucket list. I wish we had them on the west coast.
So curious who says fireflies vs. lightning bugs! Either way, I love watching the woods behind my house light up all summer long.
Lightning bugs for sure! (I’m from Mississippi.)
We said lightning bugs as kids. I say fireflies in these later years. Don’t know why ! But one thing is sure…. I miss them, now that I’ve moved West. I miss fireflies and cicadas. :)
They don’t live in abundance on this side of the Rockies but I remember catching them as a child on the East Coast. I called them lightning bugs as a little kid and fireflies now. They are an epitomy of summer!
Im from Cleveland and grew up calling them lightning bugs and potato bugs. And now I call them fireflies and roly-polys.
I am from Maryland and we call them lighting bugs. :)
Currently living in Florida, we have no beautiful illuminating insects so I did take a trip to my home state and was soaking up every minute watching them dance.
eastern PA and they are lightning bugs! But to your question, this NYtimes quiz from 2013 is a fun way to see where certain words/phrases are prevalent. My son and I loved the “monkey’s wedding” for a sunshower.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/dialect-quiz-map.html
R.B. lucky you! Fireflies.
I’m rarely one to ever have a product suggestion AND I am loathe to send an Amazon link…..but! These goggles are amazing for kids. Makes the whole stressful situation of trying to help kids learn how to swim/not be freaked out about putting their head under water 10% easier! https://amzn.to/3WeyYa6
Yup, we went from the classic two eyes to a similar mask style that also covers the nose – my kid was panicked about that. WOW what a difference – he became a fish overnight.
My 4 year old starts swim lessons next week – keeping these in my cart in case he needs them. Thank you!!!
Goggles the kids like lol nailed it!
Hi all – always love the Friday cuteness comics!
Wanted to ask if there are any members of this community who might provide some insights into a trip to Italy that I might connect with offline. Just have some questions about neighborhoods in Rome and experiences in Punta Ala.
I’m at alplbf as a preface before @gmail.com (hoping this reduces risk of spamming).
Thanks!
https://johnhendersontravel.com/
Search function here is great.
The sound of cicadas!
Hey! I’m spending the weekend babysitting two of my grandchildren. One is almost two, the other four. I just bought the little one a long sleeve zipped fruit patterned swimsuit from Hanna Andersson (also a green gingham sundress).
I’m going to buy some ice cream sandwiches, and take them out in the wagon for an after bath evening stroll in their PJ’s. We don’t have fireflies in our neck of the woods, too bad!
Thanks for the nostalgic summer ideas. It will sure make our weekend more special!
S’mores!
FRUIT SUITS! Nothing brings me such joy. Strawberries, watermelons, oranges, raspberries – they all belong on kiddo bathing suits!
As a mom to two boys, I def have little girl watermelon swimsuit envy!
Haha! As a mom to two boys… me too! I bought Hanna Anderson fruit pajamas for my son for the summer because they are too darn cute!
Goggle matchmaker could be a full time job.
This is the best and truest sentence I’ve seen all month.
With teenagers, it feels like the days of buying multiple pairs of goggles to last the summer are gone and they are hanging onto theirs! Hidden benefit.
I am loving the wildflowers on the side of the road and slushies from Sonic.
Fresh corn, tomatoes and berries…….and running under the sprinkler!
Corn on the cob and tomatoes ARE summer !!!!
I hate summer! I haaaaaate iiiiit. But it has a few perks!
I love reading under my pergola in the early morning with a cup of coffee before the big get-to-work rush. What I’m doing right this second!
I love watching my babies splash around in their little water table on the back porch. Our 2 yr old has the biggest swimsuit booty.
I love my landlords for finally installing AC after living without it for 20 yrs in PNW where people think it’s OPTIONAL (WHY).
I love my roses and wisteria.
I love how frequently my husband grills dinner so that I don’t have to cook.
I love coming home from work, closing all my curtains, cranking the AC, covering up with a blanket, and choosing Christmas presents online (thereby pretending summer is over).
Sunny J, I love how many things you found to love in a season you hate! I feel like there’s a deeper meaning in that.
As a fellow hater, I love how you bright-side summer, Sunny! I love lemonade so cold and tart it makes my teeth chime, diving under a wave just before it crests and feeling it lift me up like I’m its cub, and knowing that if I can make it to the solstice, the days will start getting shorter again.
Yes! I hate summer and living in the south, my hatred is well-founded. I keep it so cold there is a chance of snow in my house!
Your hated summer sounds divine !! Haha :)
Finding the googles they like is hitting the jackpot!
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