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Friday Favorites July Edition

This post contains affiliate links meaning I make a small commission.

Happy Friday, and Happy last Friday of July! I can’t believe August will be here next week, this summer is flying by! It’s been awhile so I thought I’d do a Friday Favorites July Edition, with all the things I’m loving on this month!

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you know that the end of June we welcomed another sweet boy into our family, making us a party of 4.  So July was pretty much a whirlwind, learning how to juggle two kids and settling into our new routine. I will say, summer is the best time to have a baby! That sunshine has been great for the body and mind! So with that in mind, this month’s Friday Favorites are a mix of things to make momlife a little easier and summer stuff!

Friday Favorites July Edition

Dockatot – When I had my first babe, I had never heard of a Dockatot, let alone know what one was. He was an awful sleeper, unless we co-slept, which meant mama didn’t get any sleep which was horrible for my anxiety (see where this is going?). So when it came time for Baby #2, I did a little research and Dockatot was gracious enough to send me their product and let me tell you, it has been a God-send. This lounger recreates a feeling like baby is in the womb, making them feel snug and secure.  My little guy sleeps throughout the night and so does mama! It’s also great for travel. We take it with us everywhere, going to the pool, the drive-ins, and the beach. They also now have the option where you can get the cabana kit to shade your little one from the sun. I just got one and plan to use it when we go on vacation next week.

Dockatot

Dockatot cabana kit

Shaker and Vine Wine Bar– This one is for all my followers who are local to the Capital District area. Schenectady has some really nice new restaurants and bars including this place which did not disappoint. My mom and sisters took me to Shaker and Vine for my birthday and it was fabulous! I mean who doesn’t love a waterfront, self serve wine bar? It’s a great place to go out with your girlfriends or for a nice little date night.

Shaker and Vine Wine Bar

 

Shaker and Vine Wine Bar

Amazon Bathing Suits – If you didn’t see my bathing suit try on in my Instagram stories last week, I’m linking them here.

I love this halter one piece by Cupshe.

cupshe one piece halter bathing suit

I also bought this one piece with ruffle flounce top. It has a built in tummy control to help slim your midsection and easy removable straps.

one piece bathing suit on Amazon

 

Drive Up groceries to go – The thought of going to the market with a toddler and a newborn in tow makes me crazy.  Plus, in the summer, I’m all about simplifying things so that I have more time to spend outside with family and friends.  I started using grocery pickup towards the end of my pregnancy and its been so helpful while out on maternity leave.  It’s also a great way to save money because you can see how much your cart adds up to before clicking submit.  And when you’re not in the store, there’s no opportunity for impulse purchases.

 

Summer Beach Reads – Elin Hildebrand is by far my favorite author when it comes to picking summer beach reads. Most of her stories take place in Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard that make you feel like you’re right on the island. My top picks by her are Castaways and Summerland.

Summer Beach Reads

Summer Beach Reads

 

What are some of your favorite things from July?

 

 

1 In favorites/ food/ printables

Twenty of My Favorite Trader Joe’s finds

My Favorite Trader Joe's Finds and a free shopping printable

So if you’ve been following for awhile, you know that I am a huge fan of Trader Joe’s. I first became a fan when I was in college living in Boston and I could get a bottle of wine for $2. (I wish my local store sold the 2 Buck Chuck). As I’ve grown into an adult, I love the whole shopping experience there – from the minute you walk through the door being wooed with flowers, free samples, and their variety of seasonal items. I typically hit up my local TJ’s every other week to stock up on my favorites.

Below I am sharing 20 of my favorite Trader Joe’s finds. And be sure to scroll to the bottom and print out my shopping list that I’ve provided for you!

20 of My favorite Trader Joe’s finds

Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken and vegetable fried rice

1.) Mandarin Orange Chicken – turns out, this is the most popular item at Trader Joe’s. I love it for an easy weeknight meal.

 

2.) Vegetable fried riced – I pair this with the mandarin orange chicken and some steamed broccoli for a healthier version of Chinese takeout and a quick weeknight meal.

Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi and chicken apple sausage

3.) Cauliflower gnocchi – another favorite for an easy weeknight meal. I saute this with some butter and throw in their chicken apple sausage for some protein.

 

4.) Chicken apple sausage – love this in the cauliflower gnocchi. My son also loves to wrap them wrapped in crescent roll dough for lunch.

Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

5.) Everything but the bagel seasoning – I recently just bought this for the time as I’ve been craving bagels with this pregnancy. For a healthier option that still curbs your bagel hankering, slice some cucumbers, top with cream cheese and sprinkle some EBTB seasoning! I also hear it’s great on avocado toast.

 

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

6.) Dark chocolate peanut butter cups – ummmm chocolate and peanut butter need I say more? I don’t buy these every time I go, but

 

7.) Spinach artichoke dip – I love having this in the house for anybody that stops in and I can serve it quick with some tortilla chips. I also like to spread it over chicken and bake in the oven for a yummy spinach artichoke chicken bake.

 

8.) Riced cauliflower – Whenever I’m trying to cut back on my carbs, we do riced cauliflower a few times a week. My favorite way to eat it is in a burrito bowl topped with a protein, cheese, salsa and guac. I love the fresh version in the produce section but they also have it frozen too!

 

Trader Joe's Zucchini Noodles

9.) Zucchini noodles – Another favorite carb free subsitute, we do zucchini noodles at least once a week served with marinara and turkey meatballs.

 

10.) Turkey meatballs – We usually make our own, but I love to have these in the house in case I forget to take the ground turkey out of the freezer 🙂

 

Trader Joe's vegan kale cashew and basil pesto

 

11.) Vegan kale cashew & basil pesto – What I love about the T.J.’s version is that it’s not oily compared to other pestos. I love to top it on their cauliflower pizza crust or sautee into some of their pasta and add some fresh veggies.

 

Trader Joe's baby spinach salad

 

12.) Baby spinach salad – baby spinach, cranberries, pecans, blue cheese and raspberry vinegarette ready to serve. I top it with their grilled chicken for an easy lunch to take to work.

 

Trader Joe's ready to serve grilled chicken

 

13.) Grilled chicken – this is so convenient. I love to have this in the house to make salads for work. I get about 3-4 salads out of it.

Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole

 

14.) Reduced guilt chunky guacamole – I never met a guac I didn’t like, but I love this one especially made with greek yogurt.

 

Trader Joe's Roasted Plaintain Chips and Joe Joe's

 

15.) Roasted plaintain chips – these are a huge family favorite in our house for when you want something crunchy.

 

16.) Joe Joe’s – These are Maxwell’s fave! He even named his Elf on the Shelf Joe Joe. When we pick up a box, it never fails, he has to open them and snack on some while we shop.

Trader Joe's Mini Hold the Cone

 

17.) Mini hold the cone – these are perfectly portioned little ice cream cones when you want a sweet treat but not over-do it. And they’re perfect for my toddler.

Trader Joe's Rose Water Facial Toner

 

18.) Rosewater facial spray toner – I find this to be pretty comparable to other well known brands. I love to apply it as soon as I get out of the shower before I apply my moisturizer.

 

Trader Joe's Tee Tree Tingle Shampoo and Conditioner

 

19.) Tea tree shampoo and conditioner – Made with peppermint, tea tree and eucalyptus, this smells amazing and it gives your scalp a nice refreshing tingle too!

 

Trader Joe's flowers

 

20.) Flowers – I love their fresh flower selection! My favorites are their eucalyptus and hydrangeas but I also love their other seasonal blooms they have throughout the year. I also love their smaller potted plants like their succulents and lavender. They make perfect little hostess gifts.

 

What are some of your favorites?

Click here to download my free Trader Joe’s Shopping List printable

 

My Favorite Trader Joe's Finds and a free shopping printable