The last few weeks of summer are upon us, and if you follow along with me you know I'm pretty excited for what's in store. Theres a crisp chill in the early morning air, orange + black goodies grace the market aisles, and the days are ending just a tad bit sooner; meaning the leaves will soon turn into that magical burnt color that makes my heart melt. That being said, I don't think I've ever quite enjoyed a summer the way I've enjoyed this one- and while I'm excited for fall, there's a small part of me that is sad to say goodbye. I guess a little one will do that to you.

Since becoming a mom, I've been {selfishly} excited to see just how much more joyful the things I love will be now that I have Maddie here to love them too- apple picking, watching halloween movies, making s'mores, family football Sundays, and of course the holidays. My heart's always belonged to the last quarter of the year, and I guess I assumed Maddie's would too. And it still may. But being that she's half her father, it doesn't surprise me how much she's loved this summer- and somehow made a convert of her mama. I've never spent so much time at the beach- the sand no longer making me cringe; the burning trek to the perfect spot- just me and mini- worth every second of the blistered toes, aching arms and beads of sweat. And perhaps my most favorite memories with my daughter over the last fourteen months have been spent just the two of us on that empty beach- which, at 8am, feels like it belongs just to us. So thank you Maddie, for giving me another season to love- it took me thirty-one years, but it's been worth the wait.

Here are a few other summer friday favorites:

The best damn wave spray a girl could ask for | I don't have a lot of time to dry my hair these days, and I'm not big on dry shampoo. After a quick wash + rinse this spray does the trick.

This mama loves RRR PJs like mad, but since I've started monogramming them it's been another level. And we spend a lot of time in PJs over here, so they're basically necessary, right?

Summer mornings are often spent walking into town + stopping for a quick bite at our favorite bakery. This yogurt + granola bowl is perfection.

Nothing beats a freshly groomed beach, just us two.