5 things
Some things I’m loving lately, and you might, too: An addictive show, what to wear to the beach, Aritzia’s clientele sale, and more.
In two weeks, my kids will be done school, and even though our summer is just getting started, I’m already thinking about how quickly it’s going to go by. Now that my kids are a bit older, it feels like time really flies. But I’m often so wrapped up in our regular day-to-day routines to notice—it never really hits me until specific moments, like the end or beginning of another school year. Or when I’m packing away their clothes that no longer fit. Or when we’re walking in our neighbourhood, and I see a young family pushing a stroller, and it makes me think, “that was just us.”
It always makes me a little sad. Sometimes, I lie awake at night thinking about how quickly they’re growing up. But these experiences are also good reminders for me to be more intentional with my time and focus on living in the moment.
Here are some other things that have been on my mind lately, and what I’m loving.
Off Campus
Are we all collectively obsessed with this show, or is it just me? Not going to lie, I’m a little embarrassed by it, and this reel is pretty accurate about how I feel (lol). If you haven’t watched it yet (you should!), the show is an adaptation of the bestselling book series written by Elle Kennedy, with the first season based on The Deal.
It’s a classic, opposites attract love story: Garrett Graham is the school’s star hockey player who needs help with his grades, while Hannah Wells is the artsy music student who needs help getting her crush’s attention. In exchange for Hannah tutoring Garrett, they start a fake relationship to make her crush notice her… but of course, real feelings eventually get involved. Cheesy, right? But it’s also sweet, fun, and hot, and the dialogue/chemistry between the two main characters makes you swoon (or blush, if you know what I mean;).
I binged the series, and it reminded me of being obsessed with angsty teen dramas like Dawson’s Creek and even brought me back to my own university days (they actually filmed the show on a Canadian campus). It took a lot of convincing, but I persuaded my husband, who played for our school’s hockey team, the Carleton Ravens, to watch it with me, so I could tease him about all the player clichés (he also dressed up as Maverick one Halloween, like Dean). While he mostly enjoyed pointing out everything that would never happen in real life (“there’s no way he’s texting her in between periods of a game”), I think he still secretly liked the show.
What to wear to the beach
We recently booked a trip to the Philippines for November, and I’m already dreaming of the beaches in Boracay and planning outfits. When I think about swimwear, I also consider what I’m going to wear over top for lounging, grabbing lunch, walking around, etc. I don’t usually buy beachwear-only pieces, and instead, try to make use of lightweight, transitional summer clothing, like breezy button-ups or easy pull-on pants (I wore these linen ones* recently by the pool during our staycation, but I also love these in cotton poplin or crepe, which are 20% off for the weekend).
That said, I’m also drawn to the idea of something sheer right now—a long cover-up, skirt or top—that feels very beach-specific. It might not be the most practical for my wardrobe, but I’m hoping to add at least one piece for the summer/my trip.
Recurring girls’ nights
An ongoing conversation I have with girlfriends is how our husbands always have planned weekly activities to see friends (golf, hockey, etc.), meanwhile, we rarely get together. When we do, it’s often planned around everyone else’s schedules and squeezed in months in advance.
Last weekend, my husband went away for his annual golf trip, and I dropped the kids off with my parents, so I could see a girlfriend and go out for dinner. We had the perfect summer weather, got early reservations to a restaurant we’ve been wanting to try, and then went back to her place to hang out some more. We spent the whole time catching up and laughing, without being interrupted by kids, and it made me realize I need more nights like that.
Maybe getting together with friends would be easier if there was some kind of organized activity involved (Do we take up golfing? Pickleball? Something else?) But honestly, I’d be happy even simply hanging out and catching up in person more often. Whatever it is, I’d like to prioritize more frequent girls’ nights, especially in the summer.
Newsletters I read and loved
Jennifer Klee has the best advice for us introverts who get nervous about going to social events, or meeting new people and having to make small talk. She really makes it sound so simple.
I loved emily north’s list of ways to remind yourself you’re alive. I have so many feelings around the overuse of ai and its impact on our quality of life and experiences that I haven’t been able to properly articulate, but she does so well. This part especially hit me:
“i feel uneasy by the artificial guardrails for perfection which are creating deeply uninspired work. our need for a gold star of approval has manifested itself into us trusting a chatbot as opposed to our gut instinct.”
On a lighter note, Frosso had the most fun roundup of 30 writers sharing what they would wear if they were suddenly transported to Paris for 24 hours. My answer was exactly what I ended up wearing to dinner last Saturday, but there was a ton more inspo, and I loved seeing everyone’s personality shine through in their outfits.
The Aritzia clientele sale
Even when I’m not really shopping for anything (right now, I’m trying to save for our trip!), I still like browsing it to see what’s on sale. It’s currently 20-50% off, and as usual, they’re giving customers early access to the sale based on their tier, before opening it to the public.
The one thing I am eyeing is a new pair of linen pants (I like these trousers, or these pants with side ties), which I would style with a halter. Also, these army green pants look like they’d be another good casual pair, and I like the idea of them styled with something light blue, like this tank. I have this summer top in white, which I love, but there’s also this cute, drapey cowlneck style with a scarf for something dressier, and of course, their basics are always worth it for the price, in my opinion (my tanks and tees have lasted years).
For some last thoughts… I saw this re-posted recently, which felt fitting to end with.
You can view all the products featured in this post here.
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*I occasionally accept gifting/paid opportunities from brands if they work with my life and style, and those are marked with an asterisk.
This was such a fun read Maria! I was laughing at your story about your husband, one of my friends works in the legal sector and whenever we watch any shows with a lawyer in it, she's the same way since there are a lot of discrepancies between lawyering irl and on tv. I hope your summer has a weekly GNO ❤️
loved this list, and thank you for linking this Emily North article, it was exactly what I needed right now.