This skillet lemon garlic chicken and orzo is one of those dinners that feels a little elevated but is still completely weeknight-friendly. It’s cozy and creamy without being heavy, bright from the lemon, flavorful from the garlic and parmesan, and made in one pan, which is always a win in my book.

If you’re always looking for simple meals that everyone will actually eat, this one fits right in with my favorite family dinner ideas. It’s hearty, flavorful, and comes together in one skillet, which makes cleanup feel manageable even on a busy weeknight.

The whole family loves this recipe, and I love that it uses simple ingredients I almost always have on hand: chicken, orzo, broth, lemon, spinach, garlic, butter, and parmesan.

I’ve made it with both chicken thighs and chicken breasts, and while both work well, chicken thighs stay especially tender and juicy. The orzo cooks right in the skillet with the broth, lemon, and browned bits from the chicken, which gives it so much flavor. Then the spinach and parmesan are stirred in at the end to make everything creamy and comforting.

A small kitchen tip: I like using my countertop grater to grate fresh parmesan for this recipe. It makes the job quick, the pieces can go straight into the dishwasher, and freshly grated cheese melts so much better than the pre-shredded kind.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Garlic Chicken and Orzo

This recipe is simple enough for a weeknight but delicious enough to feel like something special. It’s made in one skillet, uses everyday ingredients, and has a great balance of cozy and bright flavors.

The lemon gives it freshness, the garlic and butter add richness, the orzo makes it satisfying, and the spinach adds a little color and veggie boost at the end. It also reheats well, which makes leftovers a treat for lunch the next day.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts), salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, olive oil, butter, garlic, orzo, chicken broth, lemon zest and juice, fresh spinach, and parmesan cheese.

Optional toppings like fresh parsley, extra lemon wedges, red pepper flakes, or more parmesan are all welcome additions.

Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breasts?

Both work well in this skillet lemon garlic chicken and orzo, so use what your family prefers or what you have on hand.

Chicken thighs are my favorite here because they stay juicy and tender, even while simmering with the orzo. Chicken breasts also work, but depending on thickness, you may want to slice them in half horizontally or pound them slightly so they cook evenly.

I reach for chicken thighs often because they’re forgiving, flavorful, and hard to dry out. If you’re a fellow chicken thigh fan, this skillet coconut lime chicken is another family favorite worth adding to your dinner list.

How to Make Skillet Lemon Garlic Chicken and Orzo

Start by patting the chicken dry, then season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sear the chicken in olive oil and butter until golden brown on both sides. It does not need to be fully cooked yet because it will finish cooking with the orzo.

Remove the chicken, then add more butter, garlic, and orzo to the skillet. Let the garlic become fragrant and the orzo lightly toast for a minute or two. This step adds extra flavor and gives the final dish a little more depth.

Next, stir in the chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice, making sure to scrape up all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet, cover, and simmer until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Finally, stir in the chopped spinach and parmesan until the spinach wilts and the orzo becomes creamy. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

Serve warm with extra parmesan, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, or an extra squeeze of lemon.

Tips for Success

Use freshly grated parmesan if possible. It melts better and gives the orzo a creamier texture.

Stir the orzo occasionally while it simmers so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet.

If the orzo absorbs the liquid too quickly before it’s tender, add an extra splash of broth.

Taste before serving. Depending on your broth and parmesan, you may want a little more salt, pepper, or lemon juice at the end.

What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Chicken and Orzo

Since this dish already has chicken, orzo, and spinach, it really can stand alone as a complete meal. If you have a hungry crew or want to round it out, it pairs well with a simple green salad, roasted broccoli, green beans, or a loaf of crusty bread to scoop up the creamy orzo.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This reheats well for lunch the next day, though the orzo will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.

When reheating, add a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen it back up and bring back that creamy texture.

Skillet Lemon Garlic Chicken and Orzo

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• Author: Brittany Dixon
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop

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Description

This skillet lemon garlic chicken and orzo is a simple one-pan dinner made with tender chicken, cozy orzo, bright lemon, garlic, spinach, and freshly grated parmesan. It’s flavorful, family-friendly, and perfect for an easy weeknight meal that still feels a little special.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp butter, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup orzo
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Optional: fresh parsley, extra lemon wedges, red pepper flakes

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Instructions

• Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through yet. Remove it to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, then add the garlic and orzo. Stir for 1-2 minutes, allowing the garlic to become fragrant and the orzo to lightly toast.
• Pour in the chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Nestle the chicken back into the skillet. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Stir in the spinach and parmesan until the spinach wilts and the orzo becomes creamy.
• Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Serve warm with parsley, extra parmesan, red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of fresh lemon.

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Notes

Chicken thighs stay especially juicy in this recipe, but chicken breasts work well, too. If using large chicken breasts, consider slicing them in half horizontally so they cook more evenly.

Freshly grated parmesan melts best and gives the orzo a creamier texture.

If the orzo absorbs the liquid too quickly, add an extra splash of broth.

This reheats well for lunch the next day. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen it back up.

It’s a quiet morning right now. David is traveling for work, but will be home later today. The girls and I had a girls night last night, something we take advantage of if he’s away for a day. We finished Murder on the Orient Express, ate steak salads, knocked out their cat sitting duties (summer is their busy season), then ate ice cream, piled into my bed (Finley, too!), passed around the red light therapy mask, and watched the movie.

We all agreed the book was better, as we didn’t like the changes they made at the end of the movie, but we did like the actor’s performance who played Poirot. Movie review aside, these nights always feel fun and special! And another thing we all agreed on? Moose Tracks is better than Turtle Tracks. IYKYK.

Still loving our Read Aloud Journal

We are now somehow into JUNE and the longer days are so welcomed. I’m grateful that somehow I lucked out with the love of seasons being wired into my makeup because I’m always refreshed by the new season when it arrives. Right now the days are long and sunny, without the oppressive humidity that descends in late July. We’re in a sweet spot.

With a looser daily structure, my pockets of writing time feel a little harder to find. That’s okay; it’s truly just the literal season I’m in. I keep a long list of topics I want to write about in my phone notes, but for today, how about a good old-fashioned catch-up?

FOOD

I’ve been making less recipes and more “what do we have on hand” kind of meals. This is a seasonal thing, too. Not only did we just fill the freezer with another half cow, my favorite local organic farm is offering weekly custom orders. They send out the price list of what they are harvesting, I email them my preferences, then pick it up on Wednesday from just down the street.

From there, I turn it into our suppers, so many of those lately are consisting of a protein, veggies, and potatoes, pasta, or bread (Jen’s sourdough lately). Simple and delicious.

My friend came over a couple weeks ago to teach me to use my electric canner and I am OBSESSED. I love canned chicken, but the quality stuff is so expensive. She taught me to make my own and each jar holds about 1.15 lb of chicken. I’ve been using a jar weekly to make chicken salad for lunches and it’s the perfect texture for that. Between chicken salad and my omega-3 focused mackerel, lunches have been good.

FAMILY

The girls are both doing basketball skills sessions and playing around with the idea of leaning more into basketball this fall. I LOVE watching basketball, so this thrills me, but the commitment level intimidates me. We’ll see what shakes out.

David’s work schedule is a little crazy this month. It ebbs and flows, and we’re in a FLOW season. Luckily he’s at the tail end of many of his home projects he’s been working on, so that does help lighten his load.

Finley at age 4 is living her best life. Her days right now consist of trail hikes, going nose to nose with Earl through the chicken fence, getting zoomies every time she’s with me in the garden (me, too, Finley, me, too), and then alternating naps between the sunny spot on the floor and her favorite old cave bed. I found a local natural pet shop that offers a wide variety of raw food options and she’s really enjoying me switching things up.

HOME & FARM

We are knocking out outdoor projects left and right! The garden is in full swing. David organized the shed and built some shelves that are ready for me to fill with garden and chicken supplies. The chicken area has the fence and I’ve planted fresh herbs alongside it. The sauna is 95% done and functioning! We’ve been saunaing at least 4 times a week and I’m still in disbelief that David built it. I owe you a full post on it all, but I have to nail him down long enough for him to share all the specifics.

David also finished hanging the swing. It’s a sweet full circle moment for us, since this was the swing we had at the old house that the kids always loved so much. Spoiler alert: they still love it. I’m so happy to have it up!

There is constant chicken drama. Between going back and forth everyday on whether we should keep Earl, getting a saddle to put on Wednesday because of her feather loss on her back, and deciding what to do with Bellatrix and Buttons who appear to have gone broody, I feel like I’m constantly googling and texting friends about chicken stuff. Still love them? Absolutely. But David teases me that maybe I love them (watch them?) too closely and I don’t need to be googling every loose stool episode.

The inside of the house is fairly settled, but the slow drip of personalization continues. Hailey and I have been hitting up antique/thrift stores as often as possible looking for items we love to add. I also am very tempted to get some help making a few rooms feel more finished. I have all the basics just how I want them, but I would love some help with some finishing touches. If you know of anyone in the Greenville area who helps with finishing touches like that, I’d love a recommendation!

TRAVEL

This year we’ve enjoyed our ski trip to Switzerland, my special mom daughter getaway to Canyon Ranch, and a week at the beach. Now from here on out, things are staying more local for us. Well, David and I do have a quick fall getaway planned to one of my dream spots- Blackberry Farm!

We wanted to stay home for fall to ease into high school schedule, allow for a heavier sports/activity commitment, and (yes, I admit it), enjoy college football, our favorite season.

However, we have some travel ideas brewing for the start of 2027 (which yes I know sounds so far away, but that’s how you have to plan these things, right?).

HOMESCHOOL

We are in summer schedule! That consists of morning time (read aloud, history, crafts) and math. David works with Hailey on Algebra 1 and I work with Kaitlyn on Saxon 7/6. It’s a gentle two hours in the morning and the kids would tell you they enjoy it, too (well, they tolerate the math). However, I pointed out to them that on their recent end of year testing that they both actually scored the highest in the math section, so whether they like it or not, it’s working for them.

I shared our high school homeschool plan here and probably owe you a post on Kaitlyn’s plan. She’s also joining a two day a week co-op and I think she’s really going to enjoy the increased time with friends.

When we start our 9th and 6th grade years in the fall (let’s be honest, more like late July), we’ll be adding a more structured art and music study to our morning times. It’s from one of my favorite curriculum sources, Beautiful Feet, and I am super excited about!

BEHIND THE BLOG

I’m just over here treading water. Some behind the scenes things I’ve been doing: switching my ad network (happening tomorrow, so will there be glitches? I hope not!). I also switched my weekly newsletter from a service called KIT to Substack. Kit kept getting pricier and it offered a lot of tools that I don’t really use.

I still have SO much to learn on Substack, but I love that it’s free, feels like old school blogging, and it’s easier to discover new people you might enjoy reading. You can follow me by clicking here, where I send out a newsletter every Monday (it will go to your inbox). It consists of a personal life updates, meals I’m making, recent blog posts, what we’re loving lately, and more. I enjoy writing it so much and just published my 100th newsletter! You can read that here and comment for a chance to enter my giveaway of some of my favorites things.

Well… I knew this would be long winded, but it sure is nice to just catch up a bit. I’d love to hear what’s going on in your world. How is summer (I know it’s not really summer yet, but it feels like that) going? Do you feel more relaxed or somehow busier? Do you have any fun plans? Hobbies you’re enjoying or learning?

I hope your June has started on a happy note; thanks for swinging by!

It was a slow mornings with coffee kind of week with bike rides under the massive oak trees, sandy feet, beach chairs lined up, fishing rods in the water, kids in and out of the pool, and the simple joy of family being together in one place.

That was the best part.

Sea Island is a resort community on the coast of Georgia, just off St. Simons Island. It has a beautiful coastal feel with moss-draped oak trees, salt marsh, wide beaches, beautiful homes, and relaxed (yet energetic?) pace that makes you simultaneously start to unwind and come alive when you arrive. Last year we filled our stay with many of the activities they offer, but this year we opted for a more relaxed visit.

We stayed in a cottage with a pool, which was a great setup for our crew of 11. We had access to some of the resort amenities and took advantage of a few of them — the spa, the gym, and the free morning croissants and coffee, but most of the week was wonderfully simple.

Where We Stayed

We stayed in Cottage 429, a beautiful 5BR/4BA home about 2.5 miles down from the main resort/amenities, tucked away from the hustle and bustle and a great distance for biking. We loved the big open space, the natural light, the back deck, and everything was impeccably clean and fresh. The best part though was the backyard view of the marsh. With the swing hanging from the tree, it felt like a scene right out of a storybook.

The Rhythm of Our Week

Coffee, bikes, pool, beach, repeat. Sounds like that new Luke Bryan song, doesn’t it?

We enjoyed a really relaxed rhythm for the week. We kicked things off with a major treat- a golf game for the guys and a spa day for the girls. Sea Island offers facials for tweens and teens, which both Hailey and Kaitlyn took advantage of. They are done in a room right outside the spa facilities since they aren’t old enough to go in there, but they are top notch. Both of the girls raved about the experience and now are sufficiently spoiled. My apologies to their future husbands.

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While the rhythm of the days was relaxed, we actually fit in a lot of fun things. Biking to The Cloister for coffee and croissants in the solarium is a hit for our family of four because it combines biking with a destination and a sweet treat.

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Morning and evening walks on the beach are my favorite ways to experience it. The tide was so low one morning that we could walk so far out, admiring shells, crabs, sand dollars, and some unidentifiable squishy things. Sea slugs?

Unfortunately we did not discover David’s hat that he lost the previous day while playing in the waves with the kids.

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The fitness center is so nice and I always see a new gym as an adult playground, so it was nice to get a few workouts in and try machines we don’t always have access to.

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We brought our own poles and bought fresh shrimp from the yacht club so we could spend as much time fishing as we liked. We fished off the beach and fished off the pier. We had a lot of success, even if most of the catches were tiny. And we aren’t convinced that Kaitlyn didn’t just keep catching the same fish (Gobbles) over and over again.

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Walks on the boardwalk, taking turns on the water slide, playing Dominion as we watched the sun go down, getting out and exploring. It was really lovely to have the opportunity to just slow down and enjoy those beachy thing.

A Memorial Day Murph

We always want our kids to understand the meaning behind this “kick off to summer” weekend. It’s usually been a short and sweet conversation about the sacrifices men, women, and their families have made to ensure our freedoms, but the last couple of years we’ve kicked it up a notch with a family style Murph.

“The Murph workout is an elite, grueling functional fitness conditioning test. Named in honor of U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy (who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005), it has become a staple Memorial Day tradition in the CrossFit and military communities.”

It consists of:

• 1-mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• 1-mile run

We all did the running (Mema, too!), we had to swap pull-ups for sit ups since we had no bar, and then we split up the push ups and squats between us. Except for David and my nephew- they each did the whole thing on their own. It was good to push ourselves a bit while remembering the reason we all get to “celebrate” Memorial Day Weekend.

What We Ate

We stocked the kitchen with groceries and ate the majority of our meals at home. Everyone has different wake up times, but coffee, eggs, bagels, pancakes, and fruit worked for breakfast for all, whether it was at 7:30 or 11:30

Lunches were often leftovers or snacks, and dinners were simple group fare like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizzas (we picked up take and bake from Papa Murphy’s on the way in), Mema’s famous lasagna (shh… don’t tell, it’s Stouffer’s ;)), and one night we had a low country boil delivered, which was fun!

Our Dinner at Delaney’s

We did have one dinner out and WOW was it one to highlight. Delaney’s Bistro and Bar is a locally owned gem on St. Simon’s. David and I had an epic date night there two years ago and have raved about it ever since. David’s uncle works at the restaurant and getting to combine the incredible food with visiting with Uncle Kevin and his wonderful wife, Angie, is such a treat.

We shared a few appetizers- the portobello pizza, ahi tuna, fresh rolls, and salad. I had the bone in filet, which was incredible, but was grateful to try bites of the other dishes, too. The food is all insanely good and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. We even got to chat with Mr. Delaney for a bit and thank his son, the head chef, for the delicious dinner.

The Best Part: Time Together

Family is everything to me and getting to spend time with my nieces and nephews that I don’t get to see as often as I like is such a treat. I think what I enjoyed most from the week was the little pockets of conversation that happen when everyone has time to step away from everyday life and just get to relax together for a bit.

Thanks for the memories, Sea Island!

As we begin homeschooling high school (in the fall), I’m realizing just how different this season feels from the younger years — but also how exciting it is to help shape a 9th grade homeschool plan that keeps future options open.

But also, wow. I truly can’t believe I’m here writing this. The younger years of homeschooling absolutely flew by and now I’m here figuring out biology with lab options, geometry, and Spanish instead of the library, nature walks and crafts. The good news is she is ready for this next challenge, even if my heart is taking its time catching up.

When we started homeschooling we committed to taking one year at a time and adjusting as we went to best fit the needs of our kids. I’m proud to say we’ve done that pretty well and my goodness, how we’ve enjoyed the journey. This coming year will be another adjustment for us but one I think is appropriate and best fits our current needs.

Our plan for homeschooling high school started with talking with Hailey about what she wants to do after graduation. That’s a pretty big ask of a 14 year old and while we of course did not expect her to have it all mapped out, it helped to start having these conversations and seeing what excited her. Ultimately we decided we wanted her to have options; one of those options being large public universities.

From there I went down a rabbit hole of researching what some of these colleges were looking for in admitted students. I did this through visiting websites, emailing admissions, and watching internet videos from college admission coaches.

David and I also talked about factors outside of academic pursuits and liked the idea of her having social opportunities, like prom, expanding her social circle, and continuing to develop time management skills. With all these factors combined, we pieced together our plan.

The plan is to outsource some of the core academic classes that are more challenging to navigate at home, like science with a lab and foreign language. The teaching side of me is thrilled with this! The emo side of me will have to adjust to her being out of the house two days a week. The logical side of me believes this is a solid next step for all of us.

For 9th grade, Hailey will be taking:

• Honors Biology with lab
• Honors English with American Lit
• Honors Spanish I
• Honors Geometry
• Engineering Design (Elective)
• Fine Arts Study

The science, English, Spanish, and Engineering Design will be outsourced and geometry, art and music study will be using Saxon and Nicole the Math Lady and BF Music Appreciation and BF Art Appreciation respectively.

She’ll also be continuing with her piano and music theory program, as well as playing soccer and basketball. Our fall season is going to be exciting and full!

It’s a crazy place to be as a parent nowadays, trying to navigate education with the rise of AI. We’re watching and learning and keeping our focus on raising capable, creative, problem solvers that understand technology but aren’t overly dependent on it. It’s quite the task!

However, I’m so grateful to be here (and to have David actively engaged by my side) to help guide our girls into this new frontier, doing our best to balance academics and real world skills.

But first, we will fully enjoy all the wonders of summer schedule! Read alouds, hobbies, crafts, outdoor activities… and yes, a little math still, too

Any questions? What are your thoughts about education and AI? I could speculate for hours about how things might change over the next few years; an engaging discussion indeed!

Twelve is the last year in the tween world and in true form Kaitlyn strikes right in the middle of the balance of child and teenager. In some ways I still see the child. She loves squishies and is over the moon about a dumpling squishy thing she got while shopping with Mema. And on the other hand she loves nothing more than pulling together a cute outfit, complete with a shoe with height, accessories, and a coat of mascara on her lashes.

On her birthday morning she woke up early (OK, I have to admit here we told her she couldn’t leave her room until 8:00 because we knew she’d be up at 5:00 AM filled with excitement), and bounded downstairs completely dressed, glowing, and exclaimed: Happy birthday to ME!

Lord please help me with this exuberant, beautiful child.

But let’s back up for a quick minute. Her celebration really kicked off Friday when Mema offered to take her shopping and to lunch for her birthday. Mema raised two boys so I’m not sure she fully understood what she was getting herself into with a child that truly becomes more energized the more stores she visits.

Jokes aside, they had a wonderful time, found some winning items (Dillards was by far the best spot I heard), and enjoyed a day together, allowing Hailey and me to finalize party details.

That night we made our own pasta for supper and had a blast (and made a mess) while doing so. We’ve only done it once before and remarked again at how easy it actually is. Just flour, eggs, and water. Plus a jar of Rao’s.

The kitchen looked like a flour bomb went off but we all ate heartily and had a lot of laughs while doing so. Pasta tip: the fettuccine turned out better than the angel hair.

Saturday morning I made birthday pancakes, only to realize we were out of syrup. Fortunately it’s nothing that extra butter can’t remedy and we enjoyed them while she opened presents. A crystal antique perfume bottle from Nana, a volcano reed diffuser from Aunt Cara and Uncle Stat, and a metal detector (her most requested item) from us. They immediately put it together and headed down to the river to try it out while I cleaned up.

After a low key afternoon her party kicked off at 4:00. She invited a few girls from her co-op over to enjoy some old fashion fun- charades, balloon relays, a surprise scavenger hunt that Hailey and I put together, and plenty of girl giggling and pizza.

Her cake request was tres leches (a household favorite) and we sang, ate, and opened presents. I think everyone had a good time, and as the guests shuffled out, we were left with one exhausted birthday girl.

Kaitlyn is a firecracker. She has energy, a sparkly personality, and over the top excitement for the things she loves. She can also swing from up to down fairly quickly, displaying an impressive range of emotion… but that may also just be twelve.

Some people are surprised that beneath her spunk and exuberance, she is quite a sensitive soul and feels emotions deeply and loves animals. Well, except for Earl. She doesn’t care much for Earl.

She loves musical theater and has a commanding presence on stage. She is athletic and can rock a basketball court or soccer field. She enjoys baking, making potions, and anything having to do with slime.

She loves voicing her opinion and her co-op teachers all sent similar end of year feedback saying: What I love most about her is that she gives everything 100 percent—every single time. She doesn’t hold back, whether it’s an assignment, a discussion, or a performance. You can just see the care and thought she puts into her work. 

Her love for snuggling remains and she’ll ask me for hugs multiple times throughout the day, a request I’m happy to oblige even when I suspect it might be a bedtime delay tactic.

She keeps us on our toes, brings us so much laughter (and a few gray hairs), and truly might be part elf considering the passion she has for all things filled with sugar.

We love you so much sweet girl; thank you for bringing so much joy to our lives

• Kaitlyn at 10 months old
• Kaitlyn’s 1st birthday
• Kaitlyn’s 2nd birthday
• Kaitlyn’s 3rd birthday
• Kaitlyn at 4 years old
• Kaitlyn at 5 years old
• Kaitlyn at 6 years old
• Kaitlyn at 7 years old
• Kaitlyn at 8 years old
• Kaitlyn at 9 years old
• Kaitlyn at 10 years old
• Kaitlyn at 11 years old

I love our summer rhythm. With co-op completed for the year, the days are ours to fill how we please and it reminds me of the early days of homeschooling when simple pleasures could count as school- read alouds, cooking together, nature walks, etc.

Our summer school days are lovely. We start around 9:00 after everyone has eaten breakfast and gotten dressed. We alternate between art study, crafts, read aloud, self development, history, and math (always). Surprisingly (or not?) the girls seem to enjoy and appreciate this dedicated, low key together time as much as I do. Well, once Kaitlyn has mentally woken up that is, which can take a minute and a cup of “coffee” (creamer with a splash of coffee that tints it just barely off white).

A few days ago Hailey and I tackled the craft bins and homeschool room, creating an oasis for creativity to flow and connection to take place. Just like the Berenstain Bear’s Messy Room book (a classic from my childhood and one they’ve always loved, too), it really is so much more enjoyable to have an orderly space.

This week we’ve had art card competitions (1 point for the painting title, 1 point for the artist), made bracelets and UV resin jewelry, gotten halfway through Murder on the Orient Express, and worked on solving for x. But there’s been more than that, too…

Hailey learned to make pickled red onions. Kaitlyn learned tomatoes don’t like getting their leaves wet while being watered. They both learned how to distract Earl with grubblies when it was time to go collect eggs.

I love the life stuff.

Hailey is entering high school in the fall and I just feel more and more aware of it with each passing day. I’m not stressing about it because I’m firmly made up my mind that I will enjoy every season of my life, but I do hear those back of mind questions begin to surface, asking things like “have I taught her enough? Prepared her for life best I can?” I listen to those answers then feel really lucky I have 4 more years to pour into her under our roof.

And this brings me back full circle to why I love the summer season so much. There is time to play in the kitchen, to wander outside, to have relaxed conversations about important (and unimportant) aspects of life. During this season there is time for them to earn money (pet sitting being at the top of the list currently) and learn about investing it. It’s time for all the life stuff that sometimes gets pushed aside when research papers and sports practice are filling up their days.

We had a friend of mine’s kids over yesterday for the afternoon and Hailey helped me pull together some fun activities to do. We made soap, oil lamps, and herb infused honey (as always, I highly recommend Attainable Sustainable for kids of all ages).

It was so cool to have her by my side, helping create a fun experience for the younger kids. She’s very much still a kid herself and enjoys these crafts and activities as much as they do, but to see her step up to the role of helping plan and implement was pretty awesome.

Add learning how to be a great babysitter/camp counselor/future mom to her life skill summer list.

If you’re looking for some basic life skills to focus on during the summer, here’s a jumping off point of some things I threw together that I want my teen and tween to know how to do. It could be fun to create a check list and have prizes when they hit certain milestones, or keep the list to yourself and simply incorporate it into your days.

Around the House

• Do a full load of laundry from start to finish
• Change their sheets and make their bed
• Clean a bathroom
• Put away groceries in the correct places and load/unload the dishwasher correctly
• Help care for a pet or garden (for a full day, like see the full care routine)

In the Kitchen

• Make their own (healthy/balanced) breakfast or lunch
• Follow a simple recipe
• Learn to bake bread
• Cook one family dinner
• Assemble a simple appetizer to share with friends

Out in the World

• Order their own food politely
• Make a phone call or send a clear email
• Grocery shop from a list (and learn grocery store secrets like comparing cost per ounce instead of just the cost on the tag)
• Plan a meal or gathering or craft and stick to a given budget
• Practice tipping at a restaurant

Personal Responsibility

• Master personal hygiene like consistently wearing deodorant, a simple face cleansing routine, washing hair and caring for it independently, etc
• Learn time tracking to see how they spend their time during a day
• Add commitments and activities to a calendar
• Pack their own bag for the pool, sports, or a trip
• Set a personal goal for the week or month and track their progress (running X number of days per week, reading X number of pages per day, etc)

Safety & Common Sense

• Know how to handle a minor cut, burn, or bug bite
• Learn how to be aware of surroundings in public places
• Understand and practice safe behavior around pools, lakes, and oceans
• Learn how to recognize unsafe texts, links, or messages
• Learn how to safely use kitchen appliances (unplugging the mixer before reaching in, etc)
  

I understand they learn a lot of this by just doing life with us, but sometimes a little intention with these things help assure me that we’ve practiced them.

What about you? Is summer a more relaxed season for you? What life skills do you think are important for kids to learn and practice while they’re growing up?

It’s looking like it might hit 90 degrees by the weekend and everyone is talking Memorial Day plans, so while I’m not one to rush seasons along, part of being a mom inherently means that you’re always trying to enjoy the current season while simultaneously planning the next.

And summer days have a way of filling up fast with pool afternoons, sports practices, later bedtimes, garden chores, and the general “everyone is hungry all the time” rhythm of the season. I love the looseness of summer, but I’ve learned that having a few meal prep pieces ready to go makes our evenings feel so much smoother.

These summer meal prep ideas are not about spending an entire Sunday in the kitchen. They’re simple, flexible components that help you pull together easy dinners, high-protein lunches, pool night meals, and no-oven options when it’s too hot or too busy to start from scratch.

Quick Look: What to Meal Prep in Summer

• Grilled or shredded proteins
• Washed and chopped produce
• Cooked grains like rice, quinoa, or pasta
• Sauces, dressings, and dips
• Hard-boiled eggs or egg bites
• Snack boxes or lunch components
• Freezer-friendly dinner starters

What to Meal Prep in Summer

Summer meal prep looks a little different than fall or winter meal prep. I’m not usually looking for heavy casseroles or a fridge full of fully assembled meals. Instead, I want simple components that help me pull together easy meals quickly — think make-your-own salad bar, grilled chicken grain bowls, snack plates, and easy lunches.

In the summer, I like to prep things like grilled or shredded proteins, washed and chopped fruit, sliced veggies for snacking and meals, cooked rice or quinoa, hard-boiled eggs, dressings, dips, salad greens (keep them fresher for longer with this), and easy lunch components.

The goal is to give ourselves a head start so when everyone is hot, hungry, and coming in from the pool, sports, or outside play, we have options ready to go.

Make-Ahead Proteins for Easy Summer Meals

If I only meal prep one thing, it’s usually protein. Having a protein ready to go makes it so much easier to build a quick lunch or dinner without starting from scratch.

A few of my favorite summer proteins to prep are:

• grilled chicken
• BBQ chicken — I often use the slow cooker for this because the slow cooker is still one of my favorite gadgets, even in summer
• taco meat
• frozen turkey burgers
• hard-boiled eggs
• chicken salad
• pulled pork
• Greek chicken
• meatballs

Grilled chicken is probably my most-used option because it works in so many different meals. I can slice it over a salad, tuck it into a high-fiber tortilla, add it to a rice bowl, or serve it with fruit and veggies for a super simple dinner.

I also love having taco meat or ground beef ready to go because it can turn into tacos, taco salads, nachos, quesadillas, lettuce wraps, or burrito bowls in just a few minutes.

The best kind of summer meal prep is the kind that gives you flexibility. I love meal planning, but during the loose schedule of summer, I don’t always want to decide on Sunday exactly what we’ll eat on Thursday. I do love knowing I have enough ready in the fridge to make dinner happen quickly.

Pool Night Meal Prep Ideas

Pool nights are one of those summer things that sound relaxed and easy, and they are, but they also have a way of making dinner feel a little chaotic. Everyone comes home tired, hungry, and somehow carrying half the pool bag into the kitchen.

For pool nights, I like meals that are either cold, easy to pack, or quick to assemble when we get home.

Some good pool night meal prep ideas are:

• chicken salad wraps
• turkey and cheese roll-ups
• pasta salad with grilled chicken
• snack board dinners
• tortilla-based toddler wraps (big kids like them, too)
• fruit washed and ready to serve
• veggies with ranch or hummus
• Greek yogurt parfait jars
• sandwiches packed in a cooler
• smoothie packs
• rice bowls that can be quickly reheated
• or honestly, just popcorn while we all wind down with a movie

A snack board dinner is one of my favorite low-effort summer meals. I’ll pull out sliced fruit, raw veggies, cheese, crackers, hard-boiled eggs, turkey, hummus, pickles, olives, and whatever else we have on hand. It feels fun for the kids, and it requires very little actual cooking.

For pool days, I also try to wash and chop fruit ahead of time. A container of watermelon, grapes, berries, or pineapple in the fridge makes it so much easier to add something fresh to a meal or grab a quick snack before heading back out the door.

Sports Night Dinner Ideas to Prep Ahead

Sports nights are another time when a little meal prep can make a big difference. Depending on practice times, we might be eating early, late, or in shifts, so I like meals that can be assembled individually or meals that stay warm and ready, like slow cooker meals.

Bowl meals are my favorite because everyone can build their own to their liking. I’ll prep a protein, a base, a few toppings, and a sauce, then let everyone make a version they like.

Some easy sports night dinner ideas are:

• BBQ chicken bowls
• taco bowls
• burger bowls
• Greek chicken bowls
• burrito bowls
• rice bowls with grilled chicken
• Korean beef rice bowls
• pasta salad with protein
• breakfast-for-dinner casserole

A BBQ chicken bowl is a great example. Start with rice or roasted potatoes, add shredded BBQ chicken, then top with corn, black beans, slaw, avocado, pickles, ranch, or whatever sounds good. It’s filling, flexible, and easy to make ahead.

Taco bowls are another staple because the toppings can be prepped in advance. Cook the meat, chop lettuce, shred cheese, make rice, and set out salsa, guacamole, and chips. Dinner becomes more of an assembly line than a full cooking project.

These are the summer meal prep ideas I come back to most on nights when we need something fast but still want a real meal.

No-Oven Summer Meal Prep Ideas

There comes a point in the summer when turning on the oven just feels painful. On those days, I lean heavily on grilled proteins, salads, wraps, slow cooker meals, and anything that can be assembled from what’s already in the fridge.

Some of my favorite no-oven summer meal prep ideas are:

• grilled chicken salads
• rotisserie chicken wraps
• Greek bowls
• taco salads
• cold pasta salads
• chicken salad lettuce cups
• turkey and avocado wraps
• smoothie bowls
• snack board dinners
• slow cooker BBQ chicken
• tuna or salmon salad bowls
• salad jars

The trick with no-oven meals is having a few basics ready. If you have a cooked protein, washed greens, chopped veggies, and a good dressing or sauce, you can make a lot of meals without heating up the kitchen.

I also love a good salad jar for summer lunches. They stay fresh when layered correctly and make it easy to grab something nourishing without having to chop and assemble everything in the moment.

For hot nights, I try to think in terms of “fresh and filling.” A big salad with grilled chicken, a cold pasta salad with protein, or a wrap with fruit on the side can be just as satisfying as a cooked dinner.

High-Protein Summer Lunches to Prep Ahead

Summer lunches can be surprisingly tricky. Everyone is home more, the days are less structured, and it’s easy to fall into a pattern of grazing all day. I find that having a few high-protein lunch options ready helps everyone feel more satisfied.

Some easy high-protein summer lunches are:

• chicken salad lettuce or tortilla wraps
• egg salad with crackers for scooping
• ham and cheese roll-ups
• cottage cheese bowls
• Greek chicken bowls
• taco salad jars
• tuna salad bowls
• hard-boiled eggs with fruit and veggies
• leftover grilled chicken wraps
• burger bowls — again, leftovers for the win
• yogurt parfaits with granola and berries
• hummus and turkey snack plates, with pickles!

I like lunch options that don’t feel fussy. A snack plate with cheese, crackers, cucumbers, fruit, and a boiled egg absolutely counts. So does a bowl of cottage cheese with tomatoes and basil — seriously so good in the summer — or leftover grilled chicken over greens.

The key is having the pieces ready. If the chicken is cooked, the fruit is washed, and the veggies are chopped, lunch takes five minutes instead of becoming a whole ordeal.

Make-Ahead Components That Make Summer Meals Easier

Instead of prepping full meals, I usually have better luck prepping components. I try to prep for about three days at a time. This gives us more flexibility and keeps us from getting tired of eating the same exact thing every day.

Here are the components I find most helpful to have ready in the summer.

Proteins

• grilled chicken
• shredded BBQ chicken
• ground beef or taco meat
• hard-boiled eggs
• turkey burgers
• meatballs
• chicken salad
• rotisserie chicken
• tuna salad

Carbs and bases

• rice
• quinoa
• pasta
• roasted potatoes
• tortillas
• burger buns
• salad greens
• wraps

Fruits and vegetables

• watermelon
• berries
• grapes
• pineapple
• sliced cucumbers
• bell peppers
• carrots
• cherry tomatoes
• washed lettuce
• chopped romaine
• corn
• avocado

Sauces, dips, and extras

• ranch
• Greek dressing
• BBQ sauce
• salsa
• guacamole
• hummus
• tzatziki
• pesto
• vinaigrette
• shredded cheese
• pickles or kraut

Snacks

• energy bites
• yogurt cups or yogurt pouches
• muffins
• chips
• veggie snack boxes
• cheese sticks
• fruit
• hard-boiled eggs

When these basics are ready, meals come together so much faster. Grilled chicken, rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, and tzatziki can become a Greek bowl. Taco meat, lettuce, chips, salsa, and avocado can become taco salad. Turkey, cheese, fruit, veggies, and crackers can become a quick lunch plate.

A Simple Summer Meal Prep Plan

If you want to keep it simple, choose a handful of things to prep at the beginning of the week. You don’t need to do all of this, but this is a helpful starting point.

In about an hour or so, you could prep:

• one protein, like grilled chicken or shredded BBQ chicken
• one pot of rice or quinoa
• one pasta salad or grain salad
• one container of washed and chopped fruit
• a few sliced veggies for snacking
• hard-boiled eggs
• one sauce or dressing
• a few lunch or snack boxes

From that, you can make several easy meals throughout the week.

Grilled chicken can become wraps, salads, bowls, or snack plates. Rice can become taco bowls, BBQ chicken bowls, or stir-fry lunches. Chopped fruit and veggies can round out almost any meal. A good sauce can make leftovers feel new again.

This is the kind of meal prep that works best for me in the summer. It’s not rigid, and it doesn’t require us to eat the same meal three days in a row. It just makes the week feel a little smoother, and the kids have options when they open the fridge to stare.

More Summer Meal Prep Ideas to Keep in Rotation

Whether you’re making summer recipes or prepping the components to throw together easy summer meals, here are a few more tips and tricks I use to make meal planning easier in the summer.

If you need some inspiration for the breakfast hour, check out these high-protein breakfast meal prep ideas. And if you need quick and easy lunches for toddlers — and beyond — check out these healthy, kid-friendly wrap ideas.

Freeze Pizza Dough

Long days outside often has us returning home hungry. One of the tastiest way to feed the family is with pizza and keeping frozen dough (or parbaked pizzas) on hand makes this faster than any delivery spot could get to you anyway. Here’s how to do it:

Use your favorite recipe (I usually use this bread machine pizza dough). Make it and let it rise as usual, as if you are about to make it in real time. Form into dough balls, each the size you’d need for one pizza. Lightly coat each dough ball with a little olive oil and wrap each ball individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. You can also opt to vacuum seal it if you have one. When you’re ready to use one, transfer to the fridge from the freezer for at least 12 hours, up to the night before. Then roll out and use as usual.

If you prefer an even faster prep method, here’s what I do. I half bake our rolled out pizza dough, as if I was about to top it. Then I let the half baked crust cool completely. When cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (or vacuum seal) and place in the freezer. When you’re ready to use one, transfer to the fridge from the freezer for at least a few hours, up to the night before. Then top it with your favorite toppings and bake as usual.

Make a Batch of a Grain

With all the fresh greens and grilled meats of summer, it’s the perfect time for lunch and dinner bowls. I find it even easier to throw these together when I have a hearty grain prepped. A few of my favorite options are quinoa, farro, and rice. Make a batch, let it cool, store in the fridge, and reheat the portion you need when you’re ready for it. Bonus? Your body has less of a glycemic response to grains that have been cooled and then reheated!

Make a freezer batch of meatballs

Slow cookers are still great during the warm months and one of my family’s favorite slow cooker dinners is (frozen) meatballs and marinara.

So here’s the thing- you can freeze them raw or cooked. I’ve done both and you can go either route, but know that if you freeze cooked meatballs, they can sometimes turn out a little soggy when thawed. This is not a big deal if you just plan to throw them into some marinara on slow cook, but if you want to serve them on top of a dish or on a sub, you might prefer freezing them raw, then allowing them to thaw and cook them fresh.

Prep Salads in a Jar for Lunch all week

Salads in a jar are so fun and convenient. They take a little bit of prep time, but if you do that before a week of on the go park dates or pool days, then it’s totally worth it. It’s so easy to grab a jar, a bowl, and a fork and lunch is done! My favorite salad in a jar recipes are Greek Salad in a Jar and Southwest Salad in a Jar.

Make a New Dressing Each Week

I am no stranger to buying salad dressings. I often buy Primal Kitchen’s, Garlic Expressions (yes it has seed oils but my whole family loves it so I sometimes I choose to overlook it), and dressings from our local market. However, when I take the time to make my own dressing I’m always happily surprised by how delicious and fresh it tastes and the fact that it really isn’t that hard. Summer is a great time to put forth the effort for salad dressing making because we usually are eating so many more fresh salads. Make a batch of your favorite, or try something new, at the beginning of the week and eat well all week long!

If you’re a salad lover too, then you’ll want these tips on how to meal prep salads and keep them fresh. Also, may I recommend my favorite homemade dressing. It’s so good!

Hard Boil Some Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are the perfect summer prep food because there are so many possibilities! Certainly you can just grab one and eat it as a snack, but you can also turn it into egg salad and eat it as a sandwich. You can slice them on avocado toast, make them into deviled eggs, or throw them on top of a salad for an extra protein boost!

I know everyone has the method they swear by, and this is mine: Place eggs in a pot and fill with water until the eggs are covered by at least an inch’s worth. Put it on the stove over medium high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Set the timer for 12 minutes. When the timer goes off, drain in the sink and rinse with cold water. Once cool enough to handle, peel. Enjoy!

Prep Veggie Burgers

Along the same lines as prepping a grain for a bowl base, having veggie burgers ready to go make healthy meals a breeze. They are such a great addition to a simple salad or served on a bun. You can freeze them both cooked and uncooked, but I tend to prefer freezing them cooked, as it’s faster to reheat and eat. Three delicious veggie burger options:

• best ever veggie burger
• freezer black bean burgers
• lentil walnut veggie burger

Make a Batch of Chickpea Salad

I have two chickpea salads that I fell in love with during the days I was vegetarian and I still love them now! The first one is a play on a classic chicken salad and this recipe for chickpea “chicken” salad is just perfection. The second is in Oh She Glows Everyday – I can’t find it online but it’s a curried chickpea salad, so if you have this cookbook, you must try it! And if not, give a google search for curried chickpea salad and see if you can find one that appeals to you. Both are delicious for a quick lunch, scooped on top of greens or eaten with a crunchy cracker.

Cook an Extra Protein

Not specific to summer, as it’s a trick I use all year long, I find it helpful to make a little extra of whatever protein I happen to be cooking for dinner. An extra chicken breast grilled up the night before or a roast that’s a half pound bigger than what we need for dinner is always appreciated the next day when I’m trying to throw together a quick and balanced lunch.

Summer Meal Prep FAQs

What are the best foods to meal prep in summer?

The best foods to meal prep in summer are simple components that can be mixed and matched throughout the week. Grilled chicken, shredded meat, hard-boiled eggs, cooked rice, pasta salad, chopped fruit, sliced vegetables, salad greens, and sauces are all great options.

How do you meal prep without spending all day in the kitchen?

Focus on prepping components instead of full meals. Choose one protein, one grain or base, a few fruits and vegetables, and one sauce or dressing. This gives you enough variety to make several meals without spending hours cooking. Plan to do a little prep every 3-4 days to keep things rolling.

What are good no-oven summer meal prep ideas?

Good no-oven summer meal prep ideas include wraps, salads, rice bowls, pasta salads, snack board dinners, rotisserie chicken meals, salad jars, smoothie packs, and slow cooker meals.

What can I prep for busy summer nights?

For busy summer nights, prep proteins, chopped produce, cooked grains, and easy toppings. BBQ chicken bowls, taco bowls, wraps, pasta salads, and snack plates are all great options when you need dinner quickly.

How long does summer meal prep last in the fridge?

Most cooked proteins and grains last about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Chopped fruits and vegetables vary, but many will stay fresh for several days when stored in airtight containers. Always use your best judgment and check for freshness before eating.

Here are some real life meal ideas from what I’ve been eating lately, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and a few Greenville restaurant meals, too!

Why is it so fun for me to share food? I guess I just love it. I love good food, I love feeding my family, and I love seeing what other people are eating because that’s where I get good ideas. I’ve also been known to go back and reference my own dinner ideas posts and rediscover meals I forgot I loved when I get into a rut.

If you enjoy peeking at other people’s plates like I do, let’s chat about food lately! This one is a blend of meals: breakfast, lunches, dinners, and meals out around Greenville, too. We’re a year and a half into living here and I think by fall I’ll be properly equipped to put together a reference post for the must try restaurants in the Greenville area. There are a few more I need to make it to first, but… challenge accepted

Breakfast Ideas Lately

I think we have the perfect number of chickens to fit our family’s needs. We’re getting 6-8 eggs per day and we eat 5-7 per day as a family.

• Chicken sausages, onion, and spinach egg scramble with microgreens, avocado, and fruit
• Scrambled eggs with mashed avocado, microgreens, and hot sauce on Hero Tortillas. I recently bought a six pack of Melinda’s Sriracha because it’s our collective favorite, it’s hard to find in stores, and we put it on everything!
• Avocado on sourdough with lemon, EBB seasoning, and red pepper flakes, fried eggs and blueberries.
• Scrambled eggs with veggies, Sumo citrus, and Greek yogurt with chia seeds and Manukora honey.
• Greek yogurt bowl with honey from a neighbor’s hive, chia seeds, and fruit

Lunches I’ve Been Loving

Lunches have been good lately!

• Homemade chicken salad on baby spinach with cottage cheese and MASA chips for dipping.
• Greek dense bean salad with microgreens and mackerel.
• Grilled cheese of fresh milled sourdough (bought from a friend with a mill and a talent for baking) and tomato soup.
• Staying strong with 2-3 omega-3 focused lunches each week – sauteed tomato and onion with mackerel over bone broth rice and a microgreen salad. I get this mackerel because it has higher omega-3 than sardines and is low mercury.
• Leftover salad components thrown together with leftover grilled chicken, blue cheese crumbles, and buffalo sauce.
• Still loving the viral high protein ground beef lunch bowls, too!
• Afternoon treat- Fabula cold brew coffee with protein milk and vanilla creamer.

Recent Dinners at Home

Ah, my favorite category- the evening meal! I’m having a lot of fun with these now as the weather warms up and our slower schedule accommodates for more cooking. I’m already planning our fall activity schedule and these posts will most likely be packed full of slow cooker meals and on-the-go favs. But for now, here’s what we’ve been eating!

• Doubles batches of my favorite homemade vinaigrette because it tastes amazing of fresh mixed greens.
• Greens and radishes from our local farmer tossed with the dressing above, sauteed pioppinni mushrooms and onions, grilled steak.
• Burger bowls with roasted potatoes, dill pickle sauerkraut, and Alexia onion rings.
• Simple grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli.
• Lemon dill salmon with steamed broccoli and peppers.

• Sourdough pizza with pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, and mozz
• Slow cooker chicken curry over bone broth rice
• Taco bowls with pico and guacamole
• Mongolian beef and broccoli from Half Baked Harvest Everyday (I’m trying to start using my cookbooks more)

Greenville Restaurants We’ve Tried Lately

There is some good food in Greenville! If you have a favorite place, please let me know where it is!

• Lefty’s West End Tavern – an elevated sports bar with good food and lots of TVs.
• Lewis BBQ – the brisket we all dream about.
• The Pita House – excellent Mediterranean inspired food, but remember, it’s cash only.
• Saffron Indian – seriously so good but you do have to battle Woodruff Rd.
• The 07 – food and servers were great but lighting for photos was not, so I’ll have to return.

And that’s a a wrap! What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately?

It started with a messy vent, or a dirty bottom in non-chicken speak. One of my Copper Marans had some excrement stuck to her super fluffy feathers surrounding her vent. The girls and I gave her a booty bath to clean her up, remember that?

Ms. Wednesday did just fine with the experience and all seemed well. However, then she started getting bald patches on her chest and back. This very well could be from her being Earl’s “favorite” and over mating with her. I ordered a chicken saddle, a protective barrier she would wear to protect her skin and feathers from his sharp claws.

As I waited for the saddle to arrive I kept watching her and her poor little bald patches and the internet algorithm must have heard my thoughts (as it has a tendency to do) and the next thing you know I’m down deep in learning about mites on chickens.

Gross, right?

Here’s what I’ve learned though- mites are pretty common, especially if your chickens free range (check) in largely wooded areas (check). The first sign is usually a messy vent and if not treated the mites can cause feather loss. If one chicken has them, you can go ahead and assume they all do or will, so you should treat them all.

I’m not known for my cool-headedess when it comes to the wellbeing of my people and animals so I immediately decided we needed to do an entire coop clean out and treat all the chickens. I ordered the gold standard of treatment, Elector PSP, but when I saw that it wouldn’t arrive for two weeks, I decided to go the Permethrin route.

Elector PSP is expensive but a little goes a long way and it’s a one and done treatment because it kills mites and eggs. Permethrin works well, too but you have to repeat treatment after 7-10 days because it kills live mites but not eggs. I was just super eager to fix the issue and couldn’t wait for the Elector PSP, so we bought a bucket and got to it.

I was very grateful that David offered to help. Bless that man for being so supportive of my chicken dreams. The first step was to fully empty the coop and burn the bedding. I had been using hemp bedding because it’s supposed to be the best, and dust free. However, I discovered I’m more on team “clean the coop out more often” instead of deep litter, so I made the switch to pine shavings.

We burned the hemp and the nesting pads. I swept out every nook and cranny and then David went back in with the leaf blower for good measure. He diluted the permethrin and sprayed down the whole coop- nesting boxes, walls, roosting bars, everything.

While the coop dried, it was time to focus on the chickens themselves. We were most nervous about Earl. Our resident rooster is honestly quite a jerk. I still don’t know what to do about him but for now he’s doing his thing and protecting the ladies, jumping at us often enough that we carry the Coop Scoop around with us to block his attempts.

After much internet research, reading articles and watching videos from chicken experts, we decided on the dunking method. We mixed up 1 oz of Permethrin per gallon of water and decided to start with Earl.

With gloves on David went for him and scooped him right up! Earl’s face was hilarious, looking confused and emasculated, but he did not struggle. David took him right to the bucket and dipped him in, holding him in the bath (not submerging his head) for 60 seconds to make sure it penetrated all the feathers.

Once he was placed in the sun to dry, we started doing the same to all the hens. None of them minded the bath and actually settled quite comfortably into it for their minute soak.

However…

about halfway through the flock we noticed the dipped chickens looked… drunk?

They were having trouble walking, stumbling, falling over, or standing in a coop corner and not moving much.

I don’t want to say I panicked, but I certainly wasn’t far from it. I started googling furiously and was getting AI results talking about possible toxicity. WHAT?! I hadn’t heard a thing about this in any of my prior research and tears started rolling down my face =, convinced I had killed my chickens.

I decided we needed to rinse the ones doing rough and hope that would help.

David, the rock, stayed steady as he always does and together we rinsed Heyhey and BFG with warm water, then wrapped them in a towel and I sat snuggling my chickens in the sunshine hoping I hadn’t made a huge mistake.

Then slowly, as their feathers dried, they began to perk up. Slowly as first, but then their interest in Grubblies came back and before I knew it they were wandering around pecking the ground happily.

I’m still not sure what exactly happened, but Google tells me it most likely wasn’t toxicity but instead the shock of being dunked into a bucket of water and cooling off quickly. We had used warm water, but perhaps it still created a drop in temperature afterwards?

Whatever the reason, I was so happy to see them all recovering well and I got to work putting the coop back together now that all was dry. I added some coop conditioner, fresh shavings, and fresh nesting pads.

The real kicker?

Throughout this cleaning process I didn’t see any mites in the coop. I didn’t see any mites in the chicken feathers either. Maybe some debris that could be anything from dirt to dust to maybe mite eggs? But nothing crawling.

So I admitted to David after our 6 hour ordeal that I’m not quite sure there was any issue to begin with… but a fresh coop sure did feel good!

I think the girls agreed because the next day there were six bright and beautiful eggs (all in the same nesting box because it’s true… you can have as many nesting boxes as you want and somehow they’ll all prefer the same one.

And this concludes my chicken tale telling for the day, but I feel like it’s so easy to glamourize chicken ownership on the internet and I see why. I seriously love my chickens and could watch them run, explore, and peck the ground all day long. I cherish the eggs they give us. But it’s not all flowy dresses and baskets full of colorful eggs; sometimes it’s face masks, sprayers, and bucket dunks.

A few months ago news spread like wildfire that George Strait was going to be headlining a concert at Clemson and the stars aligned. David and I have always wanted to see the the king of country perform and when he popped up 45 minutes from our home ON our anniversary, it was decided- we had to go!

We debated should it be just the two of us or the whole family and ultimately decided it would be pretty special for us all to go. I set my calendar to alert me when tickets went on sale then hovered over the get tickets button on October 27 to get in the queue as quickly as possible.

I felt like I was pretty fast on the button so I was surprised I was number 1,575 in line. With my heart racing and palms sweating (I take my responsibility of securing good seats seriously) I watched the queue tick down until it was my turn for tickets. Once into the system they were disappearing fast so I was grateful I had a plan and grabbed four lower level and checked out ASAP.

Luckily David and I had talked ahead of time to discuss the price of tickets so it wasn’t a complete shock, but as someone who doesn’t attend a lot of events, it always catches me off guard just how pricy these experiences can be.

Out of pure curiosity I logged back in an hour later to see if the event was sold out and my jaw hit the floor when I saw that ticket sales were set up with dynamic pricing and the seats I had paid for an hour earlier had now quadrupled in price. I had no idea concerts utilized dynamic pricing and I suddenly felt a little better about the amount we had paid. Our price was now the price of the nosebleeds. Truly, I was shocked.

Time ticked by as it does and soon enough May 2 arrived and it was concert day! The concert started at 6:00 and we knew we wanted to get there a little early to wander campus, so we headed out around 12:30.

Traffic was building but not terrible when we arrived and we got a parking spot at a church .7 miles from the stadium for $20 and called it a win. We set up a mini tailgate for a few to enjoy some snacks and drinks and toss a football before decided to head towards campus.

It was a beautiful day and the streets were buzzing with energy. People in cowboy hats and boots were everywhere you looked. I started the exploration in my boots, but opted halfway into exploring to go back to the truck for my sneakers instead. A very good choice.

We had such a fun time people watching, wandering campus, and enjoying the beautiful day that soon enough it was time to head to the concert!

The weather was ideal for an outdoor concert. Threats of rain had circulated prior to the day but besides a few sprinkles during the opening act, temperatures stayed around 60 degrees and the skies were clear. Absolutely beautiful weather!

We knew we had come to see King George so we were happily caught off guard at the stellar performance put on by Cody Johnson. The man has true talent and a natural charisma with the crowd. He did his job impressively well, getting everyone hyped, and singing some bangers himself. Did I tear up during Dirt Cheap like I always do? Of course. In fact when he started playing it Hailey looked at me and said “oh no, mom, here it comes.” Ha

Between Cody and the main act we went for food and drinks. We were surprised at how ill prepared they were for the crowd considering that Clemson is no stranger to large football game crowds. The lines were all long (30-45 minutes), they ran out of pizza before George even came on, and the only food available was popcorn and chips. No big deal, of course, but just surprising and totally blew my plan to have us all eat at the concert. Whoops.

We chowed down instead on popcorns, M&Ms, Coke, and seltzers. Kaitlyn was on cloud nine. But just a heads up for any friends heading there for Morgan Wallen this summer.

Finally, it was time, and the crowd roared as George Strait made his way to the stage (which rotated fully giving everyone a head on view of the music all night, which was pretty cool).

George.

Wow.

I really don’t even know where to begin.

First of all the man makes 73 look darn good. But really, wow, you can tell he’s just a natural, born to sing these songs for a crowd. He was phenomenal.

We sang along and danced along with the rest of the 90,000+ people, soaking up every minute of the 2 hours of George. He had a great blend of songs to sing, which was probably hard to curate based on how many hits he has. My favorites included Troubadour, of course, Check Yes or No, How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls, and Run, but honestly it’s easy to forget just how many amazing songs he sings and we enjoyed them all.

After he left the stage the crowd chanted one more song and he returned for an encore of a few more songs, finally ending it appropriately with The Cowboy Rides Away.

What a night!

It was absolutely incredible and I don’t even mind the fact that it took hours to get out of there because of the gridlocked traffic (easy for me to say, as I was nodding off in the car while David handled it, but just another heads up for any Morgan Wallen concert goers).

We got home around 2:00 AM with tired bodies but very happy hearts. I’m so glad we got to share this experience as a family. King George can still claim the throne of country music; a living legend indeed.

Oh, and happy 17 years to my boo thing, of course. Don’t know how I got so lucky to get to do life with him, but I don’t take a minute of it for granted. <3