The Link Up: Em’s Feel-Good Book Of The Summer, Jess’ Dream Blouse, And Our Most Effective Deodorant – Emily Henderson

From Emily: Happy Mother’s Day, friends. May we treat all women like the queens that we all are, whether we’ve given birth to children and/or likely cared hard for everyone around us with motherly love. My advice? Keep your expectations low, plan your own fun day, and love on everyone around you because having anyone to take care of means that you are appreciated. To all my fellow ladies, being a woman means being part of a sisterhood and I feel the influence of so many of you in how I parent (talking to you Dr. Becky). Happy Mother’s Day, to all!…. well, except for all the dudes, this is NOT your day – as Brian very well knows I take my coffee black, my mimosa filled to the top with fresh oj on the side and I prefer a medium to firm foot massage and not the phone it in kind. And Happy Mother’s Day to my mom (mother of six!), my MIL (mom of two boys!), and all my wonderful friends out there raising kids with me – you all taught and continue to teach me so much about how to do this role with the least amount of damage but mostly about love and connection (I HOPE). And listen, we are all going to screw our kids up in one way or another so let’s give ourselves a break today from overanalyzing how our mistakes will affect our kids and instead recognize that we love them so hard, so endlessly and that’s 99.9% of being a “good mom”. Now go take a bath, read a romance novel, or watch The Idea of You while drinking something fancy in bed. xx

This week’s house tour is the home of songwriter, Benny Blanco. The majority of the home is classic and beautifully traditional home but has a lot of fun, youthful decor. We’re talking Squashmallows on the primary bed:) But his home theatre is pretty incredible and bold. Honestly, you just have to go see it. Go check it all out here!

Also From Emily: I’m calling it, the feel-good book of the summer is Emily Henry’s, Funny Story. The other Em Hen is sweeping all the ladies that are into books with easy wit, charming characters, and feel-good everything. I’m not breaking the story here, if you like romcoms you know that every one of her books is awesome (start with Beach Read). Add in Sarah Adler and Carley Fortune’s new books out soon (I’m sure more) and ladies we have a summer of beach reads ahead of us. Also, follow Beach Reads & Bubbly on Instagram for more if you are into this genre (there are days that I fantasize about having an account just like this – just reading and reviewing romance novels and thrillers all day long!! While no job is as easy or fun as it looks, my goodness I would enjoy that).

Left: Dress + Bag (similar and the one I reeeallly want) + Slides | Right: Hat + Blouse + Shorts + Slides

Also Also From Emily: I headed to Anthro for the last stop to find some pieces for Mexico and boy did I get some good ones. I love this dress. It’s fun but so incredibly easy to wear. I will be wearing this all spring and summer long. Then you know I’m a sucker for a romantic flowy blouse and this one is so pretty and lightweight/breathable. Another piece that I will easily wear all summer. Then finally those yellow shorts are so cute. I do have a special 20% off code in case you also want to try these out or anything else Anthro has (which is a lot of great stuff). Just use code: EMILY20

From Caitlin: ICYMI: Last year, EHD fav favorite Rajiv Surendra launched his own YouTube channel and it is HANDS DOWN the most inspiring and inspirational place on the internet. Rajiv has sparked a newfound love and appreciation of craftsmanship in me (I’ve picked up some very amateur woodworking and sewing skills, inspired by his adventures!), I’ve learned a ton (who knew I’d be enthralled by a 23-minute video on keeping your whites bright?), and I honestly just think Rajiv is a great role model for living a beautiful, intentional, conscientious life on any budget. He describes it better than I can in this channel description: “I really believe that the key to living a rich and fulfilling life is much simpler than we assume; that every day can be filled with tasks, activities and simple pleasures that leave us with a sense of real, lasting accomplishment.” AGREED, RAJIV. (This video, filmed in a custom upholstery shop, is SO GOOD. You’ll be hooked, trust me.)

From Arlyn: Considering I suggested Stasher bags last week, it’s clear by this week’s recommendation that I’m heavily focused on my food storage needs lately. For the longest time, I really struggled with storing broth, soup, and sauces in the freezer. I’d mostly use disposable freezer bags and then freeze them flat as best I could. The problem with that was I rarely had room in my freezer to do that, so they’d end up crumpled. That, or I’d freeze too large of a batch and defrosting was a pain, especially if I just wanted a single serving size. Enter: 1-cup silicone freezing tray with lids! I recently made a large batch of bone broth, let it cool, ladled a cup into each compartment, popped them in the freezer (they’re sturdy!), and boom! Now I have small batches of bone broth to use as I please. I plan on using this for tomato sauce this summer, soups year-round, and anything else that makes sense.

From Jess: I finally found my ideal big-collar white blouse and I LOVE her. It’s romantic but shows just enough cleavage to look a little sexy and I love all of the detailing. Plus it’s roomy which I very much appreciate. Throw it on with jeans or shorts and you’ll immediately feel put together and comfortable.

From Gretchen: I finally found the perfect cargo pants, and it was truly a Goldilocks moment. The first pair was way too baggy (and kinda looked like scrubs), the second pair too long (though I did order a tall…), and the third made my already flat butt look absolutely concave. For me, the perfect cargo pant has depth, with just the right amount of pockets to add strategic bulk. Well, Abercrombie made it happen! These cargo pants (among many they offer) are my big winner! The slouch, the color, the POCKETS (and helllllo that zipper detail). I love everything about them. Heads up they are on clearance so they may go fast!

From Mallory: I used to have 2 major flaws that I cannot believe I’m gonna share on the internet but why the heck not: I used to be smelly and my lips were always chronically chapped. I’ve shared the deodorant that literally changed my life on here before (yes, it’s expensive for deodorant but it’s the only thing that has ever worked on me), but I realized I didn’t share my cure for chapped lips. Feast your eyes on my favorite lip balm that I buy in bulk every few months so I can keep them in my car and every bag I own!! If you’re also a smelly girl with chapped lips: I feel you. try these. It will get better.

Again, happy Mother’s Day to those who are celebrating, and see y’all tomorrow. xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Our Custom Farmhouse Dining Nook Reveal (And What Makes It So Incredibly Durable…And Pretty:))