The Almond Butter Incident
A heat wave and the ultimate summer cooling guide
I swore, with hand-on-heart and a coffee mug in the other, that I'd start this week's letter light, with no recap of my existential dread.
Spoiler: The universe said, “Lol, sure you are, honey.”
Because pretending everything's fine felt fake, and hiding under a quilt of doom-scrolling felt worse.
So here I am, messy and caffeinated, reporting live from the eye of my own very small storm.
Tiny Confession #1
I watched a 15-second TikTok promising blender-smooth almond butter:
dump jar
blitz
zero arm-work.
I forgot one crucial step:
Hold the jar.
Picture nutty shrapnel on the ceiling, cabinets, and dog. I spent three hours with a spatula, a rag, and pure frustration.
Tiny Confession #2
In the cleanup panic, I knocked over the family-sized bottle of laundry detergent.
Fun fact: Detergent is hydra-slime.
Every swipe creates more sudsy spawn. I've mopped the same square foot so many times that I'm considering it my cardio program.
The (Slightly Bigger) Point
The world feels wobbly. The usual suspects, small men with large megaphones, are still out here trying to shrink our joy.
But here's what I know: opting out of delight doesn't protect us; it just makes the hard parts harder.
So, I'm still showing up. Messy kitchen. Existential dread on mute. Chasing weird, beautiful things because that's how I stay human. ‘Ooh, squirrel…’
Here's your official permission to care too much, feel too big, and make a complete mess of something today, preferably almond butter.
Joy counts. Curiosity counts. You count.
In My Search Bar:
French bed rolls, art, and a happy newsletter…
☁️ The Overlooked
If you're not new here, you know I love a French mattress bed roll sofa cover. Incredibly underrated, and I've found us some new ones that are about to save your summer seating situation.
✨ The Good Stuff
Sparrows Lodge - The kind of place that makes you want to redesign your entire life around linen and good lighting.
The “I Listen to Everything” Crowd - Consider me an unofficial official member. The amount of songs I'd forgotten about... now I'm making playlists like it's my job.
Fluffy Seagull Coffee - Peanut butter and fluff coffee. It tastes like childhood in the best possible way.
🌞 New Obsessions
Sun Bun Perfume - Smells like expensive sunscreen and good decisions
Tiny air pump for pool floats - Revolutionary for someone who refuses to pass out from inflating unicorns…
The New Happy Newsletter - Exactly what it sounds like, exactly what we need
Personalized Wallpaper - My next weekend project, which my husband unknowingly volunteered for.
APLÓS Cocktails - Making me feel fancy while sitting in my backyard chaos
Speaking of Summer Chaos…
Half the country is bracing for a July heatwave and spiking AC bills. As someone born and raised in the Texas oven, I am ready to confess all of my many late-night deep dives on how to keep a house cool and yourself sane in record-breaking heat.
Let me introduce the…
What you're getting:
My top-tested products (from fans to fabrics)
Designer tricks for staying cool that don't involve living in your fridge
Window treatments that actually block heat (not just light)
The ceiling fan mistake everyone makes that makes rooms hotter
Under-the-radar finds