Regulating my nervous system, avoiding DoorDash, and how to be the coolest host this summer
Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T. 05.22.26
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 have a special round up of Memorial Day Sales of my favorite items at the bottom!
I love a great “children’s book” that can enthrall adults. My 8 year old and I both read The Green Ember by S.D. Smith last week and loved it. I got nap trapped one day and saw the book pop up on Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to give it a try. It’s a nice middle grade fantasy that feels like a classic book.
What I love about classic books is that they are addressing morality and character and don’t water down the vocabulary for children. (They challenge them to rise to the occasion.) The Green Ember fits the bill with language was nice and meaty as well as the theme of courage, valor and bravery that the children face in the book. It gives a nod to Narnia books in that it demonstrates you will face hard challenges in life, and what will you do when you face them? The plot was exciting from the start with lots of chases, exploring new lands, and interesting backstories to characters. I would highly recommend this book for anyone to read and would make a fantastic read aloud for the family.
All thirteen of the books in the series can be found on Kindle Unlimited (or hopefully at your local library) and the recommended order to read them in is publishing order versus chronologically order. (Another nod to Narnia and a hill I’ll die on— ha!)
ICYMI, I posted one of my favorite weeknight dinners that our entire family loves. Pad Kee Mow or Drunken Noodles is one of my favorite dishes and the one I’m most tempted to get Door Dashed to me. I tried to make a weeknight friendly version and it took me three minutes to get it in the oven and let the oven do the heavy lifting on dinner.
I’m dropping one more easy dinner on Tuesday that’s for all subscribers. It’s the one to make when you’re coming in hot and need dinner FAST. I filmed the video for it when my baby was still a newborn and you can see how easy it was to make with even a baby strapped to me.
Not that you asked, but I finished my first literary ornament is finished. I had not charted a design before (only roughly sketched letters out) and Lowly Worm was such an easy one to start with. I’m now going back to finishing my monogram ornaments for our stockings because I really want them finished in time and I’ve only done one out of five.
Ballard Designs randomly sent me promo gift cards for some reason (they worked kind of funny and money doesn’t go far there), so I was SO excited to finally buy this ornament holder that I want to use year round to display needlepoint ornaments on. The first time I saw it, I knew it would be perfect I hope in the future to have ones for each holiday to display and rotate out.
All of these needlepoint projects are what I hope to do over five to ten years as I hope it continues to be a lifelong hobby. I used to paint for many years, but it’s quite difficult to have painting supplies out with small kids. I love how portable fiber arts are and how you can work on projects for 5-10 minutes here and there with your project fitting in your purse. I enjoyed this blog post on needlepointing and your nervous system because it really has done wonders to make me sit and slow down.
I always hope that this section encourages someone to do something they enjoy even if it’s only in small pockets of time. I love having to answer the question for myself “how am I ‘playing’ this week?” "or “Did I do anything to slow down and enjoy life?”
I bought one of the viral PopFlex active pirouette skorts last summer and have been loving it. The legs don’t rise up and the waist really holds everything in. It’s so feminine and looks good on everyone I’ve seen in it. It’s nice for being able to go for a walk or to the park with the kids and still go about your day. I’m a huge fan (and so glad it actually fits properly this summer—ha!)
I have very fair children, and we spend a lot of time outside in the summer. I always try to get some sun exposure in the morning, but we inevitably need sunscreen at some point to take care of our skin.
RMS Beauty’s Supernatural Radiance SPF is my favorite for my face (I wear the shade light aura). It makes my skin look so glowy and feels like a filter for my skin without wearing anything heavy. It gets so hot in the summer here that it’s my daily go to for making me feel a little more put together without feeling like my face is wearing jeans.
I also started wearing the refresh eye brightener daily and love it (I wear the color Cherish). My eyes look so much less tired. I think the underage is a tough spot for sunscreen, so I love that it has some in it. Just a bonus that it looks great for tired eyes.
For the kids, my go to is Primally Pure’s sunscreen. It works so well and I feel good about the ingredients in it. Another one that I have used for years is Babo. I like that it has a spray version, if you prefer that. Primally Pure also makes a great tallow SPF lip balm which is great for protecting your lips.
*Edit: after this sent this morning, I was alerted that both RMS SPF products are on sale 30% off 5/22-5/24
I know I talked about homemade ice cream last week as well, but so many items are on sale this week for under $20! I personally think homemade ice cream is one of the easiest layups for hosting and memories in the summer. It’s always a hit every time I serve it and it seems so fancy when it really takes less than five minutes to get it going. I usually can make two containers of ice cream on one frozen barrel and can have it ready to go in the freezer. No need for rock salt or cranking a handle.
I’m really loving the melamine ice cream set in the collage above. I avoid plastic except for hosting outside because kids drop plates and bowls and such. It’s such a cute set and on sale now for under $20. I also included our favorite sprinkles and chocolate sauce.
There are SO many Memorial Day Weekend Sales right now. Here are the best ones that I’ve found:
Hill House: an extra 20% off items on sale with the code EXTRA20. I always buy my dresses during these sales because they can be 40% off or more.
Equip Prime Protein Powder: 25% off all one time purchases and an 40% off subscriptions. Use my code JORDANEK
Old Navy: 5/21-5/25 Memorial Day 50% Off All Tees & Tanks, Swim, Shorts, & Dresses
Deer Run: Summer Fitness sale with up to $200 off (my favorite walking pad that’s been helping me lose the baby weight!)
Lands End: 50% + 10% off site wide with code GRAPEFRUIT (great suits that last a long time)
Southern Tide: My husband and son LOVE these shirts. They last a really long time, don’t wrinkle, and are perfect for hot weather. My husband’s favorite style is this one and my son loves this style (He literally asked for one for Christmas!)
The Company Store: 40% off Epic Deal + 30% off everything else. Our bedding is from here and I absolutely love it. They have a lot of great organic cotton OEXO-TEK bedding for reasonable prices. Ours is no longer sold but I have slept with this body pillow for years.
Shop the Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T with past favs here.
*This post contains affiliate links at no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own.
A quick note on RMS SPF Products- SuperNatural and Refresh Eye Brightener are 30% off 5/22-5/24!