What's Saving My Life Right Now: Summer edition

While I'm stealing blog concepts let's go with the classic - Whats Saving My Life!

In no particular order

My Hydroflask

I bought this before the twins were born and I didn't realize what it was and how it was heavy and temperate tight.  I didn't use it much because it seemed overkill.  But now, I have ice water all the time and I love it.  I put ice in it twice a day and there is basically always ice in it.  And it doesn't bleed water on my desk.  And it's a pretty color.

Summer Camp

There are a lot of summer camp options in Cardiff and the big kids go to one of the more expensive (ie £50/day) summer camps with really excellent staff and the they LOVE their camp days.  I feel I get a lot of shade from other parents for sending kids to the expensive camp... and maybe they would love the cheaper camps... but childcare is not something I'm frugal about and it makes me happy when the kids have had a great day at camp.  

We did two camps this year - one was run by the school (at £30/day, which is cheap in my opinion) but it doesn't run all summer.  So they have 5 days of the more expensive camp before school starts.  At pick up today Lily asked if she could go back to camp tomorrow.  I told her it was a mommy day, and she said she would rather be in camp.  Sorry Lily - mommy would rather spend that £50 on other fun stuff

Grocery Delivery

We get grocery delivery once or twice a week.  We have a pass for free delivery (well the pass is £8/month, and then we get unlimited free deliveries) and I sometimes wonder if I should start shopping in store or find a cheaper store but where we shop works for us.  Also, food ordered for delivery is the same price as in store, which really dissuades me from going in store.  I always add so many little extras when I shop in real life.

My Orchid

I got this orchid for my 40th birthday and I thought it was dead but I left it on the window and watered it occasionally for about a year and now it is blooming again! I don't understand how a flower that looks so dead can be... not dead.  

Salads

I know this makes me a very basic human but I just love a salad with lots of different things in it. And yes, this is lunch at my keyboard.

These Shorts

I know my selfie game is poor and my mirror needs a clean and my office is a mess BUT I love these shorts.  I love tucking shirts into shorts.  I realized these shorts sit perfectly mid rise on me and I will need to find jeans that sit mid rise on me because my jeans (from the same brand!) appear to be mid-high rise. 

Also, shorts are so comfy.  my legs need to breathe. And they're not too short.  I bought 3 pairs.

Tempeh and Tofu

I'm a little obsessed with tempeh and tofu.  It's because I have an air frier.  Air Frier + tempeh or Tofu = the dream.  Today for snack I ate a block of tofu.  I think soy is supposed to be good for lady hormones too.  I'll let you know.

Knowing that I won't have to pack lunches forever

I've got a love/hate relationship with lunch packing. First, I don't know anyone who has a PlanetBox lunch box in the UK, and I worry that my kids have weird lunches and get made fun of.  My son said that his lunch was bigger and had more things than anyone else's lunch, and that made him feel special. Aww! but I still worry kids will be mean about my kids lunches.  

The camp they are at this week requires lunch and two snacks, and all must be nut free.  I miss nuts in lunches because now it's all bread and cheese. This week I bought the kids some "fancy" snack things for one of their snacks.  I did a lot of mental gymnastics over this as they cost £2.25 for 3, and I could chop cheese and combine it with pretzels for less than £0.75 and save the planet and avoid single use plastic but also I remember as a kid how much I loved a lunchable and sometimes I figure a £0.75p snack is a kid delight. 

For morning snack they have the worst named yogurts in the world:

Packing lunch is fun for 5 days of camp.  Packing lunch is not fun forever.

Good weather, the sun, not too hot

Good weather and no heat waves make everything better.  It's saving my life that it's just a bit warm now and also it rained a bit today and that was nice.

And that's what's saving my life.  What's saving yours?