We are almost four weeks into summer, and I suppose you could say we’re hanging in there. I definitely wouldn’t throw around the word thriving, but there have been some really good moments.

We intentionally packed the first half of summer with trips to take advantage of Mike not working right now. Once summer winds down, he’ll be shifting into full-on job search mode, so we’re trying to soak up as much family time and fun as we can while this season lasts.

I won’t lie, all the travel has left me feeling a little puffier, more tired, and craving my usual routine, but I’m doing my best to stick to my habits where I can and enjoy the season for what it is.

As always, here are a few little things that made June better.

1. Ingredient Prep as a Life Hack

Obviously, meal prep is one of my “things”. I’m a nutritionist after all. But this month I’m doubling down on a concept I teach clients all the time: ingredient prep.

I used to spend hours prepping double batches of complex recipes each week, but that gets old fast. It’s much more efficient to cook a big batch of individual ingredients, then mix and match them throughout the week using my balanced plate approach, of course.

For example, I’m currently in Minnesota on vacation with Mike’s entire family. There are 15 of us total, and each night one family cooks dinner for everyone else. This year, instead of stressing myself out trying to come up with some fancy meal, I decided to basically ingredient prep dinner for everyone under the guise of “build your own CAVA bowl” night.

We’re grilling a bunch of chicken, making a batch of rice, and throwing together a Bulgarian cucumber tomato salad. Then I bought a bunch of dips and spreads at the store, and we’ll line everything up so people can build whatever bowl they want. Perfection.

This is basically how we survive week to week around here. Because we use this approach constantly, I have a lot of tried-and-true ingredient combinations that make balanced meals ridiculously easy to throw together. I put my favorites into my Ingredient Prep 101 guide (the same PDF I give clients), and you can grab it here.

2. Pantene Scalp Serum

My scalp recently decided to start hating me. Out of nowhere it got itchy, and I also started noticing a lot more breakage and shedding in the shower and while brushing my hair. I’m sure bleaching my roots every 3 months isn’t doing me any favors, but otherwise I’m pretty nice to my hair. I only use heat on it maybe 2–3 times per week.

Long story short, I’ve been trying a few things to give my scalp some TLC. The obvious first move was adding Head & Shoulders shampoo into the rotation every couple of washes, but I also started using this scalp serum. I’ve only been using it for about a week, but I swear I think it’s already helping.

My scalp feels way less itchy, and I don’t feel like I’m pulling nearly as much hair out in the shower. Maybe it’s placebo. Maybe it’s magic. Either way, I’ll be over here continuing to slather it on.

3. Women’s Henley Tank Top from Target

The other day Mike was out of town, and I found myself on a Sunday morning with a babysitter and absolutely nothing I needed to do. So naturally, I went shopping. And let me tell you, I had the time of my life at Target and DSW. I honestly can’t remember the last time I walked into a store with no agenda other than trying on clothes for myself. What a concept.

I found way too many cute summer things, but what I really needed were some casual tanks that felt a step above athleisure while still being easy everyday wear. Enter this tank top. I bought two because they’re lightweight, flattering, and look super cute with shorts. I’m not a Target affiliate, by the way. I just really liked this shirt and felt compelled to share.

4. Bombas Socks

You would probably assume my life isn’t very exciting because I’m putting socks on my list this month, but it’s about dang time I talk about them. I freaking love my Bombas socks.

I started wearing them several years ago, and I’ve slowly thrown out every other sock I own and replaced them with Bombas. Their running socks are just superior, and I can’t fully explain why. The texture, thickness, sweat-wicking…they’re just better.

They also last forever, which helps justify the price. Bonus: they’re mainstream enough now that you can buy them at Target. I recently snagged a couple pairs at DSW too. They’re pricey for socks, but I swear they’re worth it.

5. Sunday Run Day

I’m finding myself extra grateful lately for any amount of time Mike and I can sneak away to run together. If you’re new around here, you may not know that Sunday Run Day is basically our version of a regular date night.

As we’ve gotten older and more locked in with our health, we’ve found ourselves wanting traditional dinner dates less and less. I genuinely love eating well, not drinking, and going to bed early. Plus, paying a babysitter in the evening has started to feel like a waste when the boys mostly just eat dinner, watch TV, and go to bed.

I’d much rather pay someone to entertain them during the fully awake and feral part of the day, which is exactly how Sunday Run Day came to be. We’ll get a babysitter for 3–4 hours on a Sunday morning, go for a run downtown, then grab coffee or lunch afterward. It’s one of my favorite ways to spend time together.

Lately our babysitter hasn’t been as available, so we haven’t gotten to do it as often, but this vacation with family has been such a treat. Being somewhere the weather doesn’t feel like the inside of the devil’s butt crack has meant Mike and I have been able to get out for runs most mornings, and it has been so lovely.

Once we get home, we only have a week before heading to Branson to see my parents, which means more runs and coffee dates down at the Branson Landing, and I’m already looking forward to it. If you’re anything like us and struggle to find “dates” that don’t revolve around drinking or overeating, consider this your permission slip to try an active morning date instead.

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And that’s June. Some practical, some random, but all little things that made this busy, travel-heavy month feel a bit easier or just more fun.

As always, if you’re looking for something from a past Little Things post, I’ve tried to organize and link as much as possible over on my Amazon storefront so everything is easier to find in one place.

Here’s the link: Amber Frauenholtz’s Amazon Page

See y’all next month for another roundup of practical finds and random things I’m currently obsessed with.