When my kids were younger, I loved back-to-school time. I’m not such a big fan anymore, because it means that another year has passed. My teenagers are easy, and I enjoy being home with them during the lazy days of summer. But I can’t freeze time, so I will focus on the things I do love about this time of year. These include school supplies, a return to routine, and a new Love List with some fun finds.
Beer Subscriptions
I always wondered how these subscription gifts worked, and now I’ve given two as gifts. Through The Original Craft Beer Club, I gave my brother-in-law an untraditional yet appreciated graduation gift. A doctorate deserves a beer, right? Through The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, my husband is receiving his birthday gift for six months.
There are lots of options for these clubs; you can choose the number of months and the frequency of delivery. Each delivery is twelve beers, and the cost ranges from $40 to $50 a month. It’s a perfect one-time gift too.
Matt’s International Beer shipment for July – four different beers, three of each.
Dive Bar Shirt Club
My parents, sister and brother-in-law gave Matt a subscription to this club, making it a very beery birthday! This is another awesome gift idea, but if you like quirky t-shirts, you may want to get it for yourself. Each month, you will receive a very cool t-shirt from an actual bar somewhere in the U.S. They are available in women’s and men’s sizes and fits. You can pay $22 a month for each shirt, or prepay a 3-, 6-, or 12-month membership for yourself or a gift. I’m impressed with the quality of these shirts, and they have washed and worn extremely well.
Cauliflower Rice
Let’s balance the beer and bars with something healthy. Cauliflower rice is storming the grocery store shelves, or at least the freezer section in Trader Joe’s. My kids aren’t sold on it, but I think it’s a great substitute for rice. The texture satisfies my carb craving, and an entire bag is under 100 calories. I usually heat it up in a little olive oil, and throw in zucchini, tomatoes, or shrimp.
Once I got all Barefoot Contessa and made my own; I threw a bag of cauliflower florets into my Ninja and pulsed it until the pieces were rice-sized. It’s a bit more work than dumping a bag in the pan, but not everyone lives near a Trader Joe’s.
Jergen’s Wet Skin Moisturizer
I received a full-sized bottle from Influenster, and I made the mistake of letting my daughter borrow it. We both loved it, but guess who kept it?
I’m usually too lazy to slather on lotion after I dry off from the shower, so this lotion is perfect for me. It’s supposed to be applied to wet skin, so I kept it in the shower and applied before I even stepped out. It absorbs quickly and smells yummy too.
Facebook/phone storage tip
My iPhone has a measly amount of storage, and I’m always on the verge of going over. I try to delete photos and texts regularly, but I’ve found that Facebook is eating up much of my storage. Here’s how to fix that, at least temporarily:
- Uninstall the Facebook app on your phone.
- Reinstall the Facebook app on your phone.
That’s it. By deleting the app, you’re removing all the junk you’ve opened while using Facebook – links, quizzes, memes, etc. They will accumulate again, but it’s a quick fix, especially if you need more storage to download yet another update.
It won’t clear out your storage, but every little bit helps.
Kindle First
If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get one free book a month through Kindle First. At the beginning of every month, six books are offered pre-release, and you choose one to read on your Kindle (or Kindle app) for free. The genres vary, so there is something for everyone.
I would never remember to look for this freebie, so I signed up for the monthly email. Just enter “Kindle First” in the Amazon search bar to get the email, and your free book!
Not a Prime member? You can still choose one of the pre-releases for just $1.99.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
I not only loved this book, but I loved the way I got my hands on it. On Facebook, a friend offered her copy to the first person who asked for it. The novel inspired her, and she wanted to share that inspiration. I replied first, she mailed it to me, and I finished it this week. It’s an amazing debut novel, and I’ll review it soon. I’ve already passed the book onto a friend, but you can get your own on Amazon (this is my affiliate link). I rarely buy books, but I love the idea of passing one on to share the love.
What are you loving lately? Share your fun finds with me!
Wow! I need to check out that Facebook tip right away! Well, as soon as I make sure I know my FB password. Also, love that Kindle preview tip. Can’t wait to try that out!
Enjoy, Leslie! I also just discovered that deleting and reinstalling Snapchat empties out the cache and frees up storage too.
I’m going to use that Facebook tip!
Hope it helps you clear out some space!
I totally OD’ed on the riced cauliflower this summer! Was fun while it lasted.
I haven’t OD’ed yet, and I’m always finding new ways to prepare it. If only I could find a low cal substitute for chocolate…
I’m downloading the Facebook app, too!
So many fun things here.
Thanks.
Love your lists! x
Thanks, Kim – I love making them!
Oh now I’m loving that Facebook app tip. How helpful. My phone is always, always refusing to let me take a photo due to lack of storage space. I delete the texts, delete the phone history etc and now I can add this gem to my armour. Thanks, Dana. Off to check out if any of your subscription gift ideas operate in Canada.
I hope they do! I never think to check that out for my Canadian friends – sorry!
That dive bar t-shirt idea is brilliant! Shhhh… Don’t tell my son-in-law but I’m pretty sure that will be one of his Hannukah gifts this year!
My lips are sealed!
I was around for the cauliflower mashed potato craze inspired by the South Beach Diet several years ago; I guess cauliflower can just as easily be rice! It definitely is healthier. We don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, so I’ll have to put my Ninja to work…
And thanks for the tip on Amazon First. I had no idea! Will sign up for the e-mail… stat!
Happy weekend!
Hope you had a great weekend, Julia. I’m not sure why I got the initial email about Kindle first, but I’m so glad I didn’t delete it. It’s hit or miss whether the book I choose is good, but there’s nothing to lose and I may just find a gem.
I got my dad a beer subscription once for his birthday — he loved it! (I truthfully wouldn’t mind it myself.) And the dive bar t-shirt club is genius! And now I’m going to check out my free Kindle…
I just downloaded my free one for this month, Bev. I’m not sure if I’ll like it, but who cares because it’s FREE!
I need the link to the dive bar t-shirt club. That’s really cool! I deleted the FB from my phone over a year ago – and the phone ran so much better that I never reinstalled it. And I’ve never regretted it.
I wish I had the guts to do that! I just added the Dive Bar link to the post- I didn’t realize I missed it. But it’s https://www.divebarshirtclub.com/
That Facebook phone tip is pure genius. I had no idea!
Also, Trader Joe’s of course for Cauliflower Rice. I should have known! I keep seeing it in recipes for fried rice or whatnot and now I know why.
I absolutely love the Jergens lotion. I don’t have to wait until my skin is dry. Genius!
It is, right? I need to buy another one since my bottle has gone off to college!
I just had cauliflower rice tonight. I make my own because I don’t live near a Trader Joes, Whole Foods or any of the healthy fun places to shop. No one eats it but me so I can freeze it into single servings, so I didn’t have to go through the whole shebang tonight.
I can’t believe you taught me something I didn’t know about the iPhone. Hold on I’m going to do mine. Okay starting with 242 MB. Okay WOW – down to 157 MB. I’ll share that tip with my mom.
I’ve been a Prime Member for years and don’t take advantage of that offer. I have downloaded some but I don’t see the email all the time. It must go to spam or something. Have any of your past reviews been one of those?
Glad to share a tech tip with you, Kenya – you’ve shared many with me over the years!
I just looked back at the Kindle First books I’ve downloaded – I’ve only read two of them, and the rest are still on my Kindle waiting. I like to have plenty on there in case I need a book immediately! I did not review the two I read; they were okay. Not horrible, but not good enough to review, IMO. I’m picky that way!
Great list!! I love the cauliflower rice thing and usually don’t go into the freezer section at my local store but now I will. My Trader Joe’s is about 40 min away so it’s rare for me to get there.
I ordered the book since I can never have too many reads at once. I just finished Truly, Madly, Guilty by Laine Moriarty and it’s another home run for her!
That one is on my list! Let me know how you like Homegoing – it’s one of those powerful books that sits with me for awhile.
OK, so many things I learned here tonight. First off, I am definitely gifting my husband the craft beer of the month for Christmas this year, as he is a huge lover of craft beers and this would be perfect for him. As for Kindle First, I don’t have Amazon Prime believe it or not, but am going to check it out, because even for $1.99 to pay for a first release book may very well be worth it. So, what can I say, but thank you for sharing this and more here!! 🙂
Always a pleasure, Janine!