There’s always a bit of nervousness when introducing someone new to the Island, because it’s so very close to my heart and my family’s heart. It’s a different sort of place, and it’s not right for everyone, which makes it all the more rewarding when the guests that do come understand that uniqueness, and love it, too.

Last week I had the joy of making one of the most special Island introductions ever, to my daughter. The week wasn’t perfect — it didn’t have to be. That wasn’t the goal. I just wanted her to love it in her own way, and despite a nasty cold and only being six months old, I think she did :)

Swinging at the playground, riding in the boat, taking walks, meeting family (SO MUCH FAMILY), singing songs, grinning at her big cousin Tegan, taking a million baths to try to loosen the snot (ha!), reading books, rolling around on the grass, getting cuddled by everyone… it was a good week.

The neat thing is that since we usually only go to Maine once a year, our experience with June next year will be quite different! She’ll be walking and talking and eating solid food!

My parents made sure that I got the chance to go to this Island every year of my life, and I hope to do the same for June. I can only hope she gets as much joy, peace, and character formation out of it as I have. I can’t wait for all the adventures in store at our special place :)

Up next: a few tips from our epic road trip!

P.S. Maine 2015 and a little Maine film

As I knew it would be, June was a busy month. (It always is.) I traveled to Hilton Head and to Cashiers. I had two evening work events. We hosted dear friends and visited dear friends in the mountains.

But, we also picked blueberries five times! In fact, we made great progress with our summer fun list, checking off a Bulls game, chicken souvlaki, the Honeysuckle Tea House, and more. So, though those lingering items from a few months ago are STILL on my to do list (and driving me a bit nuts, if I’m being honest), I’m calling June a win. And I’m so excited for July!!

Revisiting my goals for June:
Perfect the scavenger hunt John and I are developing for my Fourth of July cousin reunion
Get an estimate from one more landscaping company
Finish our will
Master an updo from the Small Things archive
Read “168 Hours” and “Radical” for the NR Book Club (didn’t get to either of these, but I did read “Bringing Up Bebe” and really enjoyed it!)
Have fun in Brevard with our friends the Henrys
Host my two dear friends from elementary school
Plan out our July road trip to Maine

July goals:
— Finish our will
— Master an updo from the Small Things archive
— Move forward in our backyard renovation project (are y’all sick of hearing about these three things yet??)
— Check more things off our summer fun list
— Finish planning and host a baby shower for a dear friend
— Relish our time in Maine
— Email our neighborhood recreation committee about my luminaria idea
— Finish our June in June movie
— Feed June her first solid food!!

As a reminder, here are my 2016 guideposts. If you’ve posted your goals somewhere, I’d love to see – or just drop them in the comments!

I may have mentioned before that John and I have a three-year vacation rotation for our big trip of the year. It goes: Michigan (2013 trip here), domestic (2014 trip, to California, here), and international (2015 trip, to France, here). (Why Michigan? John’s family has a cabin there, so though we don’t make it every year, we try to go regularly!)

According to our rotation we were slated to go to Michigan this year, but we wanted to go with John’s siblings and parents and couldn’t find a date that worked for everyone. So, we’re postponing until 2017. We’re actually going to do both Michigan AND our domestic trip next year, so it will be a big one! On tap for our domestic travels? THE SOUTHWEST!

We are headed to a corner of the country neither of us have ever visited, and we are excited!! Truly, the photos kind of make the southwest look like another planet. And in some ways, it seems just as foreign. We know very little about the area, and there are so many possible things to see and do!

Even though we’ve got a long lead on our trip, we want to get a jump on planning, because many of the sites require permits and/or guides. But like I said, we’re not at all familiar with this area, so here’s where I’d love your help:

— If you’re familiar with Arizona and Utah, what time of year do you think is best to visit? We’re considering the week around Memorial Day, but I’m worried it might be too hot.
— Any must-dos? So far we have the Grand Canyon, Zion (the Narrows!), Antelope Canyon, and Bryce Canyon on the tentative list.
— Any blog posts or Instagram accounts I should check out for inspiration?

Already so excited!! I’d love to hear your advice and recommendations!

All photos via the Department of Interior’s fantastic Instagram account

Our girl celebrated her five month birthday this week, so I thought it was high time to share some of the baby gear we’re loving these days! Many of the items I shared in my first post are still in heavy rotation (especially the Ergo, the A&A blankets, water wipes, and muslin cloths), but here are a few more favorite goodies we’ve added to the crew…

From top to bottom and left to right:

— Now that June is rolling (and rolling and rolling), we’re swaddling her with her arms out and have switched to these swaddles.

— This super soft blanket was a gift and has become our preferred playing surface. We bring it out to the porch almost every day for a good rolling session!

— June did not love the mamaRoo when she was younger, but around the three-month mark she started to take a liking to it. We keep it in the kitchen and it’s a great perch for her when we’re cooking dinner or washing dishes. The price point is definitely high, so if you can borrow one from a friend, I’d recommend it – that’s what we did!

— I’m fairly obsessed with reading, so you can bet we spend some quality time with books in this house. Right now June’s favorites are ones with rhyming and bouncy rhythms, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Barnyard Dance, and Bear Snores On.

— We use this backpack as our diaper bag! I love that it’s simple and gender neutral. I think I’m going to do a post about what we keep in it (spoiler alert: it’s not much!), because I feel like the ones with tons of pouches and pockets are kind of unnecessary.

— I know these blocks are not the most attractive, but June LOVES them. They were recommended by her physical therapist, and they’re great for catching her attention. She’s also starting to really explore them with her hands, which is adorable!

— June’s stylish Aunt Marget bought her these heirloom lovies, and they are the perfect gift: Mama loves them and Junebug loves them! She doesn’t use a pacifier, so these help soothe her when needed. If she’s going to be carrying a lovie around for years, I’m glad it’s a pretty one! :)

— Our stroller is the City Mini GT. We have been super happy with it so far! It turns on a dime; it folds with a snap; it’s rugged enough to run on gravel with but compact enough to take into Target; and it looks good while doing it. We also have an adapter that allows us to snap on her car seat, which is so helpful.

— My current favorite outfit for June is these little dresses from Carter’s that have a built-in onesie. She’s really into grabbing and mouthing her clothes, so the onesie bottom helps her maintain a sense of decorum :)

— So far we’ve tried Pampers, Huggies, Honest, and Target diapers, and though I love the fit and design of Honest, the Target ones are our go-to. They are three times less expensive than the Honest ones (!) and you can often get a $10 Target gift card if you buy two boxes at once. Plus, they are chlorine and latex free!

— The o-ball was also recommended by June’s PT as a perfect first toy, since it’s so easy to grasp. We got this one at Target and it’s a big hit at our house!

— I like having music on in the background, so the Spotify app has been getting lots of use! We listen to everything from Raffi, to Disney, to show tunes, to bluegrass, to acoustic folk, to our dance party mix :)

So there you have it – a few of our favorites at five months! I’d be remiss to end this post without mentioning June’s ultimate favorite these days: being outside. Whenever she’s fussy, a quick trip to the porch almost always soothes her! A good tactic to keep in our back pocket :)

Mamas, would love to hear a few of your favorites for this age!

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