how I can't be a fashun influencer, the one item that will save your summer, and how books are making me enjoy motherhood
the weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. 05.29.2026
What is the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T? I wanted to create a fun weekly format to share food, reads, hobbies, items, shows and more that I’m currently loving or making my life easier. I see “Efficient Kitchen” embodying the whole home as well as the people in it. I also want to hear from YOU. What are you enjoying? Comment on the post anything you’re loving in a R.E.P.O.R.T category.
I currently have four books in rotation right now: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a read aloud with my kids, The Wingfeather Saga as my audio book when I needlepoint, The Other Bennet Sister (that I’ve put on the back burner) and my main “slow” read challenge book that has now moved into the number one spot: East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
I don’t want to give a full review until I’m done, but I’m absolutely enthralled with this book. I would have never picked up a Steinbeck novel if it hadn’t been a recommendation from a friend.
Although I’ve read Harry Potter many times, rereading it out loud with my children has completely changed me. I have noticed so many nuances in the book that I never had before because doing a read aloud makes you focus one hundred percent. Your brain cannot wonder. I find myself getting just as excited with the plot even though I know what’s going to happen. Listening to the gasps and commentary from my children are just as delightful as if I’m reading it for the first time again. It’s a rare pleasure to read such a good book for the first time and seeing the magic of Hogwarts again through children’s eyes is a current delight in motherhood.
If you haven’t noticed, I love the classics because they are classics for a reason. Reading them is like working a muscle that you have to exercise. Some are easier to read than others but they all grow you in some way. I’ve wanted to understand literature more as an adult so I’ve been seeking out sources to help me learn. I’ve mentioned the Literary Life podcast before as one of my favorite sources. (They have a series on book one of Harry Potter for free here. I believe the rest of the books are on Patreon if you’re interested.)
A few other sources on Substack that I’m enjoying for “big scary reads” are below:
The Big Read: Jeremy has so much content in the archives to read. I loved his thoughts on Pride and Prejudice. He has so many good books with a reading schedule to follow and then notes. I love reading the comment section for what stood out to other readers as well. Currently, he’s doing a year long read of Les Mis.
Footnotes and Tangents: A lovely source as well with many books I’ve never thought of reading.
Rabbit Room Poetry: I would love to understand poetry better considering my children’s love for it. They have been taught better than me, so I’m trying to grow in my least favorite area— ha! The author of the Wingfeather Saga, Andrew Peterson, runs the Substack.
1000 Good Books Project: a great resource for free audiobooks of the classics making them accessible to anyone.
Guess what I didn’t do last weekend? gasp—meal prep.
I spent the whole weekend enjoying my family and friends and didn’t think once about doing it. Has it been harder this week? Yes, it has but I will just double up next weekend when I know we don’t have plans. Cooking AROUND your life has always been my philosophy. Looking for pockets of time when you can and doing it then. We still had breakfast in the freezer so I’ve scrounged a bit for lunch, but that’s fine for a week.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this month of easy sheet pan dinners. I’ve got some more that I’m working on that I’ll post when school’s back. Over the summer you can look forward to stocking your fridge and freezer with kids snacks in June and “no cook” dinners in July because it’s so dang hot.
If you missed it, I posted one of the easiest meals you can possibly make that gets everyone fed quickly. Save it for when you know you're short on time with activities or sports in the evening. It’s so easy to prep and only takes about 10ish minutes to whip it up.
My family is spending every day swimming that we possibly can right now, and my kids are going to bed tired (and hungry). I thought I would share some of our favorite items for practicality and fun:
TOYS: Reusable water balloons , Dive rings, These pool Barbies were a must when my daughter was little. We love these torpedo sharks
TOWELS: This inexpensive set of towels that looks chic (we like to have inexpensive towels on hand in case anyone forgot theirs and these are similar!), these super quick dry towels are what we take going anywhere. (Each family member has one)
FLOATS: All our favorite floats that become battle ships and lily pads
CARE: This shampoo and conditioner for after swimming, All my favorite suncare listed here.
As a former competitive swimmer and one who spends a LOT of time in the pool, my favorite places for swimsuits are from Land’s End, J Crew, and Lilly Pulitzer. The sales for all three are great, and I’ve had great luck with quality on all three brands where they last for many many years with a lot of use.
I would honestly be the worst fashion influencer though because most of my closet is really old. I typically buy a few items per year that will last me a long time and I love certain styles from brands that they bring back year after year.
I really love the newest swimwear collection at Lilly Pulitzer for swimwear, especially after looking at them in person, and am eyeing some pieces currently. I really love their coverups the best because I feel put together and have had some since before I had children. I bought two Stevie Kate swimsuits at their sale in January crossing my fingers that they would fit come summer time, and I’m truly obsessed. (You will not catch me in a swimsuit on the internet!) If they bring that style back, I will alert the press. They do have this coverup in pink and I love it soooo much. They also have the same fabric but a slightly different style in another old suit I own. The seersucker suits LAST and don’t tend to fade. (Also that hat is from J Crew from college, I probably need to get a new one ha! I tried this one on in store and it’s just so cute. They have their version of the Sarah Bray Bermuda hat that’s a fraction of the price too)
If there is ONE thing that I could recommend to make your life easier, it is buying a Blackstone griddle. We have had ours for over five years, and the new ones are even nicer than what we bought. There hasn’t been a week gone by that it isn’t used. It’s truly the best for the summer because your oven doesn’t get turned on to heat up your house. We have around a 28 in one (they don’t make our exact one anymore) and it works great. If you have a family on the larger side, I would go with a bigger one. Truly the fastest way to feed a ton of people.
I love it because it makes it so easy to host, my husband loves cooking on it (wink), and we can batch cook a lot of meat or vegetables quickly for the week. I have a lot of recipes that are much easier if you have one. It would be a great Father’s Day gift that would ultimately bless you haha! I’ll be posting more of my husband’s recipes over time that he loves to cook so be sure to forward them to your spouses.
Walmart (36 in. Best deal I’ve seen) | 28” from Blackstone |
I loooove the door signs from this Etsy shop. I found my first one on Facebook Marketplace and had to find the shop where they were made. They are so cute and hand painted in Alabama. Out of all the door sign companies that I’ve purchased from, this one is my favorite. They have signs for all seasons and look so classic. My giant Peter Rabbit is my favorite (also the one I found for like $15!) and my husband’s least favorite haha.
Yoto is having a big Memorial Day sale with 20% off players and accessories. I need to write an updated post on how much we love those. I think they’ve truly been the key to getting my kids to love books.
Remember these Hill House dresses? Many of these style are majorly marked down right now. The Scarlet (Yellow) and Rosetta (middle)
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