July Favorites

In a major #bloggerfail, it is nearly the middle of August and I have yet to do my July favorites. July was a whirlwind of work and I debated even making a favorites post because I don't feel like I had a lot of "favorite" worthy things. But, there were some fun things and they deserve their moment in the sun.

Pool Party

Yes, this is my mom's swan, she calls him "Swannie." via: @makelymagic

I don't know that "party" is the right word but July began with having a bunch of friends up to my family's house in Westchester for pool time, sun, and more food than any of us could possibly eat. I always get really stressed when planning parties/large gatherings. What if no one wants to come/does come? Will people have fun? Do I need to plan activities? Does anyone else get like this? I really need to learn not to stress it. If you have tips, please leave them in the comments. In any event, it was such a fun day spent with some of my favorite people. Initially I thought I'd do at least one more of these before Labor Day but somehow the summer is quickly coming to an end. Maybe I can squeeze in one more!

Manuka Honey

As I wrote in My New Skincare Routine, I'm LOVING Manuka honey. It's continuing to work it's magic and I've even started getting compliments on my skin! Seriously, if you are having skin trouble, try it (or don't, whatever you prefer).

Jane's Carousel

May or may not be singing "Circle Game" in my head right now.

Although I've been to Jane's Carousel before, I finally got to ride it #30goingon10. My parents, bless them, came with me and while many of the small children on the ride broke out in tears, I was living my best life. Carousel's fill me with a mix of nostalgia and joy. Growing up, my mom often took me to a particular carousel and I'm not sure if the feeling stems from those memories or is related to the history and usage of carousels that you see in films (Mary Poppins chalk jumping scene anyone?), or a combination thereof, but I just love them. I used to be really picky about which horse/animal I got, but for this ride all I wanted was one that moved. $3 of happiness later, I had checked off another item on my Summer Bucket List. In case you were wondering, my dad made me wear the seatbelt. 

Shadowbox

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Way way back in 2015, I took a class at Shadowbox which was being hailed as a must try and the "Soul Cycle of boxing." I liked it, but I felt like there were a lot of kinks that needed to be worked out. Fast-forward two years and OMFG, I really enjoy it! For a few reasons, I have been needing a change with my workouts and was feeling a lot of pent-up tension so hitting a bag might be really therapeutic and empowering. It was. My teacher Julian was great, incorporating combinations from the pros (i.e. "Mayweather is always on the move..."), taking us through the combinations in a thorough way prior to setting us loose to do them, and making the rounds to give corrections (which isn't super easy in that room). I've since been back and am working my way through a class pack. 

What did you love in July?