This month, I don’t have anything for you to buy. Gasp. My Amazon storefront will be very sad.

But those just weren’t the things giving me the warm fuzzies this month. We traveled a lot, and it was the experiences, the snacks, and finally unearthing the source of a big skin issue that did it for me.

So without further ado, here are July’s Little Things.

1. Cooking in my own kitchen

Over the past eight weeks, we’ve been traveling for four of them. Let me tell you, nothing makes you appreciate what you have like staying in other people’s houses or Airbnbs for extended periods of time. Yes, I fully acknowledge how rare and special it is to do that much traveling as a family, but it still has some downsides, primarily having a lot less control over what you’re eating.

I struggled to walk the line between, “Yay, this is vacation!” and, “Okay, but we’re traveling for four weeks, so we probably can’t eat like we’re on vacation the entire time.” This is exactly why we stayed in Airbnbs, so we could cook. But it is so annoying to walk into a kitchen that isn’t yours, use dull knives, use a pot as a mixing bowl, and realize you forgot to buy salt, pepper, and oil because the pantries are never stocked. Or they are stocked, but I don’t know if anything is actually safe to use because I’m paranoid like that.

When I’m cooking while traveling, I lean heavily on convenience foods that are still pretty healthy and use my usual ingredient prep approach. I just throw together a protein, some produce, a carb, and something flavorful and call it good. For us, that usually looks like Kevin’s Natural Foods meals, taco bowls, sausages, grilled meats if there’s a grill, and frozen ready-to-bake foods. You do not have to cook everything from scratch to eat well, and traveling is definitely not the time to try.

So anyway, this is all to say that I LOVE my kitchen. It makes me so happy to be cooking with my own pots and pans, shopping at my favorite grocery stores, and having access to every spice in my pantry. Also, from now on, if we’re driving somewhere, I’m bringing my kitchen knives with me.

2. Sometimes, it’s the smallest things

Sometimes life throws you a little something to make sure you’re paying attention. As a practitioner, it was also a good reminder that sometimes the answer is really small and not at all what you think.

Back in May, I started getting itchy, y’all. My scalp was itchy, especially around my neck, and it started small but progressively got worse. The skin around my neck developed dermatitis patches, and I could not for the life of me figure out what the heck was going on. I bought creams and new shampoo. I tried to think through everything that had changed. Was it all the traveling? Did I suddenly become sensitive to our laundry detergent? Was it perimenopause?

Then I was scrolling TikTok and saw an acne influencer I follow share that her permanent jewelry had been causing dermatitis on her face, nowhere near where the jewelry actually sat on her wrist. You know what else I did back in May? I got a permanent jewelry anklet. I’ve always been sensitive to metals, especially earrings, so this was a huge lightbulb moment for me.

I cut that sucker off, and things started improving almost immediately. I used a little hydrocortisone for a couple of days to help everything calm down, and now, about two weeks later, my scalp is a lot better. It’s still slightly itchy, but the patches on my neck are completely gone.

Apparently, I was reacting to whatever metal the anklet was made from. I wanted to share this because it could easily happen to someone else, and without seeing that TikTok, I don’t know that I ever would have connected the dots. Sometimes it really is the smallest of small things.

3. The Amazing Race

When Mike and I first started dating, we watched The Amazing Race religiously, with big dreams of applying someday and doing the dang thing ourselves. We never got around to making that audition tape, but recently a friend reminded me of the show. She had started watching it with her twin nine-year-old girls and said it was such a great family show, so we decided to give it a try too.

Lo and behold, our kids LOVED it. We started with season 17 because the internet said it was a good one for kids, and it was so fun being reminded of what life was like before every single person on the planet had a smartphone. What I love most is how many questions it sparks. Our boys were so curious about the countries, cultures, challenges, and people. It’s one of the first shows we’ve all genuinely enjoyed together, and I have to admit there were moments when I teared up because I was enjoying the shared experience with them so much.

On our recent travels, we started watching season 37, and once again, it’s a hit. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a fun, kid-friendly show the whole family can actually enjoy together.

4. Frozen Blueberries & Yogurt

If you watch my “What I Eat in a Day” videos, this one probably won’t surprise you. Almost every afternoon, my snack is FAGE 0% Greek yogurt mixed with a crap ton of frozen blueberries and a little sugar-free vanilla coffee syrup. I love it because it’s high in protein, I get fiber and phytonutrients from the berries, and it’s actually filling. I treat snack time almost like a fourth mini meal because that’s really what it is.

My little trick is microwaving the frozen berries first. They get warm and jammy, which makes them perfect for mixing into the yogurt. You really don’t need to add sweetener, but I do because I like things sweet. It’s also a great way to keep berry costs down and get a lot more fruit into your day. Highly recommend.

5. My Starbucks Drink Order

I live in Austin, Texas, y’all, at least for now, which means I am a SNOB when it comes to a good coffee shop. We have so many fun options here, and it’s one of the things I’ll miss most when we eventually leave. That being said, this summer I’ve had to get to know and love Starbucks in a way I never thought I would, simply because it’s the closest option to my house with a big indoor, air-conditioned space where I can work. Some weeks, my work blocks have looked like three or four hours with a babysitter, and I just cannot get anything done when the boys are home.

Funny thing, though: I think I’ve perfected my order. Dare I say, I may even seek out a Starbucks now, especially on road trips. It’s not a low-calorie drink, but it does have a good amount of protein, it actually fills me up, and it’s tasty AF.

Here’s the order: a grande protein latte with sugar-free vanilla syrup, four shots total, two caffeinated and two decaf, with coconut cold foam on top. I get four shots because I like my coffee bitter, and a grande has enough milk that I need more espresso to balance it out.

So there you have it. Try it. It’s the best.

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And that’s July. This month was less about products and more about the little things that made a very travel-heavy summer feel easier, more fun, and a little more memorable.

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

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

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