Welcome to my new “column”, The Totally Rad 5, where I am going to start sharing what I am loving, buying, reading, listening to, and more! With summer finally here, I have all the inspiration vibes going on! We have moved into our new house and so that means decorating and organizing almost every day! I am always looking for new fresh ideas for just about anything so if you ever come across an article or cool list, send it my way!

We head to the beach this weekend and I can hardly wait! Some quality family time to unplug with my toes in the sand……let’s go! We love the Outer Banks and it is becoming a second home! The whole family decided last year we would make it our annual vaca spot and I can’t wait to make all the memories and watch my kiddos grow each year! The wild horses, 4×4 beach where we can just park our cars every day, ah truly living the dream for a week! I will be sharing what’s in my beach bag next week! If there is any other beach content you wanna see (thinking about doing a mocktails post because you know…preggo), just let me know!

---

1/ What I am listening to…

Well, it’s June so Bossa Nova is my go-to! I just love all the vibez! It can get me through a mountain of laundry or endless dishes with a carefree attitude! This summer you’ll catch me telling Google to play jazz, Zach Bryan (thanks, honey), Graves Into Gardens (morning & evening), and Baa Baa Black Sheep (B’s current fav). She even yells “next” at Google when she is tired of a song. I feel ya sista. Let me know your fav songs so I can share the top recs in the next Rad 5!

I have been wanting to switch up my podcast game lately! My weekly listen is my girls over at PushPush to get my Formula One fix. They make me laugh and I feel like I am sitting on the couch next to them! I also check to see if the Risen Motherhood pod has released a new episode. I then check the recent topics on the Motherhood Meets Medicine show, she has some really interesting experts on! But, I need some new recs!!!

Also, the freaking birds, man! We have been taking walks around our new neighborhood almost every day and it is so nice to just take a few minutes to tap into the nature around us! We listen for the birds, hear the nearby train and point out all the trees and squirrels! You should try it! 10/10 recommend!

---

2/ What I do when I am unplugged…

Read!! I have found my passion for books again this year! 12 books and counting so far! Kindle Unlimited has been my jam! It has been soooo good for me! It isn’t exactly an escape, it is more of a chance to expand my mind and challenge my creativity. My usual genres are romance, chick flick type beach reads. But thanks to a co-worker, I have read two paranormal fiction series already (The Zodiac Academy and Crave) and I’ve been loving them! But this summer’s theme is to catch up on the recent hit books! I shared my summer reading plans last week! Find me on Goodreads!

During my morning quiet time, I have started reading the Risen Motherhood book! I really want to learn more about what the gospel says about motherhood and everyday life! I’m only reading a bit at a time so I really soak it up! I will most likely re-read this book several times over the years. This book would make a great gift to new moms! I am going to be starting a new bible study with some amazing ladies soon and we are going to be doing the Mrs. Betterhalf study from Elevation. Because I want to pour into being a wife as much as I do being a mother.

Now let’s talk newsletters. I am loving newsletters this year! I was challenged by Lynzy to pay attention to how I consume information. And instead of the super fast-paced way social media feeds us information, newsletters can be consumed at our own pace! And it won’t expire in 24 hours and I don’t feel the need to ‘keep up’ as I do on social media. I can casually peruse my newsletters in my inbox when I want and have a few minutes to do so. Below is a list of newsletters I LOVE to see in my inbox!

1. Half Baked Harvest – I have been obsessed with her recipes lately! I will share more of that in a bit but I love seeing what she has cooked up next!
2. Lynzy and Co – I obviously just talked about her but she shares what she has been loving, what her kids have been loving, and all her adventures!
3. The Morning Brew – This is one of the ways I have been enjoying consuming my daily news. The Skimm is another fun one!
4. She Loves F1 – For all my fellow Formula 1 lovers out there, she is so much fun to follow! She sends a Thirsty Thursday email that is always full of fun!

I will share more next time! I guess there really should be 5 since that’s the theme of the Rad 5…oh well.

---

3/ “What’s in all those packages that keep showing up on my porch…” – My Husband

Between moving into a new house, packing for the beach trip, and having a 17-month-old, I am constantly ordering something it feels like! From toilet paper holders to blow-up kiddy pools, my Amazon Prime account has been on a wild ride! Here are a few things I have been waiting at the front door to receive! If I am not careful this whole Rad 5 will be about new house stuff!

This Magnolia piece makes me so happy! I hung it in our entryway and the sunset hits it just perfect and makes the room so moody!

Brinley has worn these shoes almost every day since we got them. So easy to slip on when you are running out the door! We have run over them with the stroller when she kicks them off, we have played in the pool in the front yard in them and I have washed them with the rest of the dishes when she gets muddy in them! Totally worth the money to me!

When deciding on decor for the new house I knew I wanted to either do B’s room or bathroom in peaches! Well, I landed on the bathroom because I didn’t love the decor I was finding for a bedroom. This shower curtain gives me so much life and it is only $25 bucks!

This one is for all my fellow preggo mamas reading this! This pair of biker shorts are not only the softest I have ever felt, they are soooo comfy! I’ve got so many compliments the first time I wore them! I want them in every color!

I’ve used this product for a few years now and I still love it! I just ordered a second bottle to put on my bathroom counter so I don’t have to keep grabbing the one I have in the shower at night to wash my face! Josh has also used this and likes it! I have tried a few other Tula products and I haven’t been disappointed yet!

I recently found a little online boutique that is local to Greenville and I am obsessed with this sweet purple romper for B! It looks so comfy!

---

4/ What’s cookin…

Summertime is my favorite because it means grilling all the time! Nothing beats a meal from the grill to me! The smell, the flavor, the lack of dishes, and little effort on my part, what’s not to love! Besides all of our favorite staple meals, I have had the itch to try new recipes, to my husband’s disdain haha. I mentioned Half Baked Harvest earlier, and I might as well just order all her cookbooks because I have printed countless recipes from her website in the last two months! A few of my favorites that I have tried are these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, this wonderful salad and I am going to try this ice cream cake at the beach next week! Also, I can’t wait to try this after the baby arrives! I could do a compete Rad 5 on just her recipes…I might just do that!

I’m not fancy in the kitchen by any means but these recipes make it fun to try new things without being overwhelmed or having to google a ton of things while you are making it! I really want to make homemade strawberry lemonade and freezer pops this summer as well! I have a ton of fun serving plates and never use them, so these recipes give me an excuse to invite some friends and family over for a meal!

Please share any fun recipes or chefs you love!

---

5/ Well…..everything else…

I need some inspiration, we have a giant (giant to us) closet in our new house and we are kinda overwhelmed with how to organize it. We knew we need to do this project soon but we keep putting it off for other things. If you have any hacks you can share, please do!

Because I am pregnant and about to have two kids, I have been dreaming of a big fancy trip haha! I want to go somewhere new so bad! Like to Germany to visit one of our dear friends who is like a brother to my husband, or Paris to see all the things! But I will see it is fun to do your research on these places without even having a trip to plan! There is also this B&B in Virginia that I found a few years ago and I want to take a girl’s trip there so bad! Do I sense a Rad 5 all about cute B&Bs??

I have been trying to figure out claw clips. I feel like I only think to wear them when I am lounging around the house but there are so uncomfy when you lean back on the couch…..I am doing something wrong right? But regardless, I keep buying them because I love everything from this shop!

I want to add something new to my makeup or skincare routine. I basically don’t have a makeup routine at this point, I wear just mascara most days but I want to get more into it! What are your favorite products, especially for the summer?

Loved this post on all the cool things to get at Trader Joe’s this summer!

Also, loved this post about things to do in Seattle! Anyone wanna make a trip with me?

---

That’s all for this Rad 5

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for hanging out! I seriously do want to hear from you!! Send me a message or drop your recs in the comments! Hope you enjoyed this Rad 5! See you next time!