five things Friday: current obsessions edition

Some of you may well have kids back in school already - it's only 11 days away for us, so surely you'll be seeing some "back to school" kinds of posts around here in the next couple of weeks - but I'm not at all ready to let go of summer yet. So today, I present some of my obsessions of the summer, in an effort to hold onto it as long as I can...

1. Lo & Sons Catalina deluxe tote: my constant companion this summer, either as my pool bag when I take Hendrik there for an afternoon, or as my weekender bag when we head up to the cottage on a Friday evening. It holds everything I need for either one of these, and I especially love the bottom compartment, where I keep my toiletries, so they're out of the way but always packed for refreshing myself after a swim or a beach day... (also it's 30% off right now with code SUMMERTRAVEL!)

2. Brazilian blowout: this might be my biggest obsession of the summer, because MAN, do I have good hair days after getting this done. None of the usual summer poofiness or frizz caused by humidity, and my blow drying time is drastically reduced, which is a good thing for hot days! I got the "baby express" version of this hair treatment at my usual salon, which is supposed to last for about 5 weeks, and I'll absolutely be getting it done again because I love how smooth and soft and manageable my hair is. This photo is me, in summer, with no flat iron! Game changing.

3. Twist-back bathing suit: I have this suit in 2 colors and it is just my fave. Great price, has held up well, and quite flattering. Plus stays in place better than a lot of my bikinis, which is good for swimming with a 5-year-old who has found some new fish-like tendencies this summer.

4. Infused olive oil/vinegar: this combo of basil olive oil and blueberry balsamic vinegar was introduced to me by my mom, and purchased at a local shop (but orderable online!), and it takes your salad up about 12 notches in interestingness and flavorfulness. I eat about 2 salads a day with this stuff - just drizzle over baby spinach, feta or blue cheese, lightly candied walnuts, and a handful of fresh Michigan blueberries. So easy and tastes positively gourmet.

5. Universal Thread slides: haven't done toooo much summer shopping, but this Target impulse purchase was pretty worth it. I wear these babies all the time - super easy, but one of those types of footwear that just makes your outfit instantly a little cooler (such as here and here). And $19.99 is a small price to pay for that.


And now my weekender bag and sandals and I are off to the beach. Long live summer!