one. I’ve discovered the life changing magic of high-rise jeans. Why had I been resistant to try them for so long? I grew up in the age of low-rise jeans, and I thought that’s what I would wear my whole life. But finally, I went for it and got a high-rise pair. And then a second pair after that, and I’m in love! First of all, I have a long torso and so suddenly all these tops that I wished were just a little longer now fit great. Second, I’ve had four kids and a squishy belly to prove it. Those extra inches up top just hold everything in and make me feel so snug.

two. Speaking of jeans, my absolute favorite jeans for a few years now have been from Madewell.. They fit like a glove and don’t start sagging down even after a full day of wear. I’ve also experienced the same with BDG and Everlane.

three. We are in the thick of summer and I’m just starting to get into the hot weather cooking groove. I was inspired by a conversation with my church mom friends about the Instant Pot to just stop using the oven (because it just heats up the house even more!) and put the instant pot or the stove more to work. The problem is that I haven’t really built up my Instant Pot recipe repertoire yet. I’m sure that by the time I’ve collected the right amount, it will be fall and I’ll be doing my usual roast chicken again!

four. I’ve been hearing more and more about this film and am so excited to see it!

five. For the first time in over 8 years, I’m not pregnant or breastfeeding. Lucia is now 19 months old and at this point with our last 3, I was already pregnant. It’s kind of crazy to reflect on that. In the last few weeks the kids have also all started sleeping in closer to 7AM and I’ve been able to get consistent, really full nights of sleep. All of a sudden I’m noticing that I have way more energy and bandwidth. It’s really nice!