Your Summer Inspo ☀️

Beauty Faves

In this letter, I’ll be sharing my beach essentials! 🏖️ 

For easy sunscreen reapplication over makeup, these two are your must-haves.

Naked Sunday’s hydrating glow mist. This mist is so light and packed with Australian botanical extracts. It’s perfect for setting your makeup or adding a touch of hydration to your bare skin.

• Invisible Protection: No white cast, just leaves a natural glow.

• Hydrating Formula: Infused with hyaluronic acid, watermelon extract, and packed with Vitamin C.

Pacifica Beauty’s Glow Baby setting mist has been my new fave this summer. I used it during my NYC trip and it mattifies the skin perfectly! The mist is super hydrating and meant for all skin types.

• Multi-Use: Combines suncare, skincare, and a makeup setting spray in one.

• Lightweight & Invisible: Leaves no white cast and feels weightless on the skin.

• No Harmful Ingredients: Always 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

SkinCeuticals daily soothing SPF 50. I’m still testing this one out, so subscribe to the newsletter for my upcoming review!

Westmore Beauty’s body coverage perfecter. Unlike traditional body makeup, this formula looks natural while still being waterproof and transfer-resistant.

• Camouflages: Covers sun damage, scars, and uneven skin tone.

• Natural glow: Illuminates skin with a natural-looking radiance.

• Durability: Waterproof, sweat-resistant, and transfer-resistant.

Bath & Body Works’ SPF spray. Keep your skin safe and hydrated at all times! This spray is a beach bag essential and so handy to use and reapply whenever you’re out.

• High SPF: Provides SPF 50 protection.

• Water Resistance: Stays effective in water for up to 80 minutes.

• Skin-Friendly: This is also free from parabens and artificial dyes.

If you have kids, try this new product for post-pool and beach days.

Niles + Chaz’s Tangles Shmangles vitamin-infused potion is designed to make hair strong and breakage-free. This is perfect for detangling and managing frizz after all the water activities!

• Watermelon+ Banana: For hydration and enhancing shine.

• Vitamins: Infused with Vitamins A, C, and E.

Fits of the Week

LOVE this sage green utility romper, cinched with a brown belt. Pair it with strappy heels and minimalist jewelry. Soft curls or a sleek ponytail complement this look, making it perfect for daytime events and gatherings.

This cozy look features a chunky navy knit sweater with statement gold buttons and white wide-leg pants. Perfect for casual outings or a day at home, pair it with minimalist jewelry and casual flats. I’m staying sleeveless for the summer!

The perfect combo: a light, flowy swim cover-up over a blush pink bodysuit and white lace shorts. This fit embraces summer to a T! Complete the look with wedge sandals, a straw tote bag, and stylish sunglasses. Delicate jewelry and loose waves add to the bohemian feel, making this outfit ideal for beach outings!

🇭🇳 Honduras BTS 🇭🇳 

A few weeks ago, Veeral took Rian and Mila to Honduras for their first volunteer mission trip. I’ve got some BTS from their amazing experience that I wanted to share with you!

They joined forces with the incredible One World Surgery for a week full of hard work, new experiences, and of course… PLENTY of fun! 😂 

In case you’re wondering—

One World Surgery is all about transforming lives in underserved communities by providing high-quality surgical care. They organize medical missions where volunteers can help out in various ways – from supporting medical staff to helping with daily operations. Highly recommend you check out their work! 😊 

Quick disclaimer: For privacy reasons, no children from the orphanage are featured, and my kids were not allowed to participate in any surgeries.

Anyone 5 and up can join a medical mission. Rian and Mila were the youngest during the whole trip!

What they got up to:

• Farm fun: Kids got up close and personal with farm life, including milking cows and cleaning up after them. I love seeing them out of their comfort zone.🥺 

• Farm-to-table: They helped pick crops and even cooked for a group of 500 people! Ugh, I wish I got to taste what they chef’d up in the kitchen! 😫 

• Connections: Spent lots of time assisting the staff and playing with children in the orphanage.

• Daily chores: From helping with day-to-day chores to lending a hand wherever needed, they were always ready to pitch in.

• Fun and games: There’s always so many activities planned for the kids! They had a blast with nightly karaoke sessions and a pickleball competition (which Rian won!🥇).

This trip was such a rewarding experience for them, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they embraced every moment. I hope they're able to look back on these experiences and feel proud of the difference they made and the lessons they learned! 💗 

If you’re a parent, try looking into some of these missions that you and your children could experience together – it’s a fantastic way to make an impact, give back, and create lasting memories!

Summer Bakes

I baked this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread last week and it was ✨delightful✨! It's quick, easy, and perfect for sharing with the family – plus, who can resist the combination of bananas and chocolate chips?

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• Pinch of salt

• 3/4 cup sugar (you can reduce the amount if you want it less sweet)

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)

2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in the melted butter.

3. Add Baking Soda and Salt: Mix in the baking soda and salt.

4. Sugar, Egg, Vanilla: Add the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.

5. Add Flour: Gradually stir in the flour, be careful not to overmix.

6. Chocolate Chips: Add as much as you want 😏 

7. Pour into Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly.

8. Bake: For around 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Cool and Serve: Let the banana bread cool for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and ENJOY! 🤤