Congratulations to Chase!!!

(Top: J.Crew / Skirt: J.Crew / Sandals: TKEES)

He officially became a certified scuba diver on Friday!

(I ordered 2 large cookie cakes with scuba flag designs on them from Publix for their graduation and thought they did such a good job!) 

My personal interest in scuba diving can without a doubt bc attributed to my dad who has been a diver since his teens. He’s always had immense respect and interest in the ocean and inspired me to get certified in college with Ryan. (Is my dad’s love of the ocean why I wanted to be a marine biologist as a kid or was that just every millenial’s dream? Ha!) Now our family’s scuba diving tradition continues with Chase!

My dad has been talking to Chase about possibly getting scuba certified for years because he could sense his natural interest in nature and marine life. Chase has been talking about getting scuba certified for years and this year, now that he’s 10 and officially old enough, we made it happen through a kids’ scuba camp at a local dive shop.

The format of the camp had Chase completing all of his written work before it began. He spent the two weeks before camp reading the material and taking online quizzes before he passed his big scuba test. (He did everything on his own and passed with a 98 percent! Go Chase!!)

The practical side of scuba camp took place over five weekdays and began with 12-foot pool dives before progressing to dives in a quarry. He was excited for camp every single day and truly seemed to love it. Now we’re only all the more excited for our trip to Key West with my parents at the end of the month where he’ll get to use his new skills in the ocean!

Saturday

Saturday began with World Cup prep!! Have you guys been watching? Our family is all in — 3 soccer-obsessed kids and a soccer-loving husband will do that to ya — and it’s been a true blast for us!

I think so much of what we’ve loved about the World Cup has been the country pride and the competition between countries. The boys love listening to the national anthems (and watching the players and fans sing with such pride and passion), learning where the countries are/their population/size, looking up their flags, etc. It’s felt like more than soccer to our family and something we’ve really been enjoying together!

Since World Cup games were not on until the early evening on Saturday, we didn’t stick around home for long and made our way to Carowinds in mid-morning for a day of rollercoasters and waterpark fun. We were invited to the park to try a couple new things (more on that below) and jumped at the chance to spend the day together at our local amusement park.

(Dress: Habitual via Nordstrom Rack — it was a great HOT day dress!)

We began our day at Camp Snoopy which is sitll our family’s favorite part of Carowinds. It’s the younger-kid section of the park with rides all three of our boys can do together. Our favorite ride for years has been the Woodstock Express, a more traditional wooden rollercoaster with exciting but not-too-scary drops and turns, so that’s where we began!

Next up was our second favorite Camp Snoopy coaster, Snoopy’s Racing Railway, which is such a smooth but fast and exciting coaster big and little kids can ride. (It reminds me of Barnstormer at Disney World for any Disney fans!)

A new-to-us ride was Charlie Brown’s River Raft Blast which was a crowd favorite for our crew! After boarding a large raft boat, you can use the water cannon blaster in front of you to spray spectators as your raft meanders through the water.

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Hey friends! How are ya!? How was your week? Ours was a good one. We arrived home from Jacksonville where we spent the Fourth of July with family (more on that below) and then Chase dove headfirst into scuba camp on Monday! He’s already passed his written exam and, should everything go well today with his practical test in the water, he’ll be scuba certified by the end of the day!

We weren’t sure if our plans to make it to Jacksonville Beach to see family for the Fourth of July weekend were going to happen when I was selected for jury duty. The night before I was set to report to the courthouse, I was told I was no longer needed so our plans were back on! We made our way to Florida on Wednesday night and spent a long weekend with some of our very favorite people on the planet!

We filled our days with hours and hours of beach time (we majorly lucked out with AWESOME waves for boogie boarding and surfing), pool time, backyard cookouts at my sister’s house, Mae’s annual summer t-shirt crafting, World Cup watching (we’re all so into it!!!) and plenty of cousin fun!

It was such a good long weekend and while it was sad to say goodbye, we’re looking forward to a trip to Key West with my parents at the end of the month for some fishing and scuba diving (hence Chase’s certification journey)!

• Favorite Tinted SPF For My Face

In the summer months my desire to put on makeup plummets. A face full of makeup of a sweatin’-hot day? No thanks! Thank goodness for tinted SPF because it’s the only thing I wear on my face most days. I have three tinted SPFs I find myself reaching for over all others and figured I’d highlight them here today with a little more detail! These three tinted SPFs are all summertime skincare staples for me. I apply tinted SPF to my face every single morning and re-apply again in the afternoon/before any pool or beach time.

Iris&Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50: I discovered Iris&Romeo Weekend Skin SPF after falling in love with this clean beauty brand’s mascara. (Shout out to this serum-infused peptide mascara for anyone who loves long, fully, fluffy lashes!) It’s SPF and skincare in one and combines mineral SPF 50, brightening vitamin C and niacinamide to help even out skin tone and smooth texture. It makes my skin look refreshed, luminous and well-rested while still very natural. It’s the kind of product I use that makes me feel like I’m applying something very beneficial to my face which is a win in my book! Also, this is a random but this is also my favorite sweaty activity SPF/skin tint for the gym option! I put SPF on in the morning no matter what, but this one feels the best on my skin when I know I’m going to sweat. (I use shade universal.) Note: Code PBFINGERS20 saves 20% site wide!

Tower 28 SunnyDays Skin Tint SPF 30: I discovered Tower 28 Sunny Days Skin Tint during a girls’ trip when I tried out my friend’s skin tint! I ordered it on the spot a year and a half ago and have been loyal to it ever since! (I use the shade 20 Mulholland.) It’s the option I use when I want something the blurs well on my skin and while it’s incredibly light, it offers just enough coverage to make my skin look less blotchy and, well, old.

Supergoop! Glowscreen Soft Radiance Drops SPF 40: This is my favorite for under makeup or when I want a solid base SPF that almost works like a primer. Also, if I’m going to the beach or pool, this is the one I’m reaching for as it feels a little thicker and more like a traditional SPF in a “this is definitely going to help prevent sun damage” kind of way. It’s also absolutely gorgeous on the skin and truly seems to brighten up my overall complexion. I use the sunrise shade year-round and switch to golden hour as my skin gets more bronzed in the summer months. Note: If you order this SPF or anything Supergoop!’s website my code PBFINGERS1o will save you 10%!

• 20% off Planetbox Lunchboxes

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Summer has been a whirlwind for our family complete with lots of travel and visitors. I thought I’d have this blog post up weeks ago but finally, a month after our family vacation to São Miguel in the Azores, I’m sitting down to share our trip with all of you! The 5 days we spent in the Azores were filled with some of the most breathtakingly gorgeous seaside views, thrilling hikes, animal experiences and oceanic magic. It was a destination we selected because it seemed like it would offer so much of what we loved about our Alaska family vacation — whale watching, fishing, hiking, stunning nature — but in a warmer climate.

Azores Itinerary

If you can believe it, the Azores first popped up on our radar thanks to ChatGPT. We asked for a list of destinations that would mesh well with our kids’ ages and our family’s interest in nature. We gravitate toward destinations that aren’t too touristy and love it when a trip includes an animal focus. Our 10-year-old son and my husband also love fishing, so a destination that offers the opportunity to fish is a huge plus. Fishing is an easy sell for me and our younger two boys when you throw in the possibility of seeing whales! The more time we poured into researching the Azores, the more and more convinced we became that these lush islands would be a great fit for a family vacation for a crew that shares a love for the outdoors and animals.

From there, we began researching the heck out of the Azores and quickly narrowed our Azores itinerary down to one island: São Miguel. This decision was based on a myriad of factors, mostly centering around our desire to have a “home base” that still allowed us to see and do a lot without spending a ton of time traveling from place to place in what can be very unpredictable weather. This worked perfectly for our family and São Miguel was a fantastic choice for a family with three young kids, ages 5, 7 and 10.

São Miguel in the Azores is big enough to spend days exploring but very, very easy to navigate. (Ryan and I both commented on the quality of the highways and infrastructure.) You can get from the northernmost point to the southernmost point of the island in 90 minutes. And travel from east to west is 20 minutes max! We rented a hybrid SUV and found driving ourselves to be an easy and simple way to get around São Miguel. We only had to refill our gas tank once right before we returned our car!

Where Are The Azores Islands

The VAST majority of comments I received when I shared our family’s plans to visit the Azores were some iteration of, “Where is that!?” The Azores are an archipelago of Portugal composed of nine volcanic islands located in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Azores Islands’ relatively remote location in the Atlantic Ocean has helped preserve a truly dramatic natural landscape, unique ecosystems, and a slower pace of life, largely untouched by mass tourism.

While the Azores are a hidden gem to most Americans, the islands are relatively easy to get to from the east coast of the United States which was a big selling point for our family. (A small number of east coast flights fly direct overnight to São Miguel.) We never in a million years could’ve predicted the intense travel headaches we faced getting to São Miguel but we made it safely and our return flights back to Charlotte, while very delayed, were thankfully much smoother. (You may read about our not-so-fun travel to the Azores here: An Unexpected Two Days in Lisbon, Portugal.)

How Many Days Do You Need In the Azores

Personal preferences will play into this decision, as well as whether or not you wish to visit multiple islands during a visit to the Azores. For our family vacation, we planned for 6 full days but had to do a LOT of last-minute scrambling and shuffling around of our plans due to the travel headaches we experienced getting to São Miguel. We ended up spending 5 days on the island after we postponed our return flights home. We all said we could’ve used another day or two in the Azores, and that was our feeling after visiting only one island! There is simply so much to see and do and explore if you love the outdoors.

What To Do in the Azores

Now onto the fun stuff: What to do in the Azores!! When we were creating our Azores itinerary, our focus was primarily on planning a trip that would work well with 3 young kids, minimize car travel once we arrived on the island and allow us ample time to experience all the natural beauty São Miguel has to offer. When creating our Azores itinerary, the following activities seemed to be most popular on São Miguel:

• Volcanic landscapes and crater lakes

• Hiking trails

• Natural hot springs

• Whale and dolphin watching

• Black sand beaches

• Tea plantations

• Miradouros 

We ended up experiencing all of the above during our trip! Here’s the way our Azores itinerary unfolded:

Night One: Arrive in the Azores

We landed in Ponta Delgada on São Miguel in the Azores late at night and checked into the house we rented in Ribeira Grande around midnight. (The house is about a 15-20 minute drive from the airport. Nice and close!) We selected the house we did for two main reasons: Its location (central to the island and drivable everywhere) and THIS GARDEN.

Incredible, right!? The owner of the home highly encouraged us to pick whatever produce we could find during our stay and we thoroughly enjoyed fresh strawberries every single day, as well as zucchini, potatoes, lettuce and onions. We loved this home and it worked well for our family, but I would strongly advise requesting the owner to drop a pin to its location if you book this home, as it can be quite challenging to find, especially at midnight!

Day One: Whale Watching, Islet of Vila Franca do Campo, Hiking 

• Whale Watching

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Good morning! I hope you’re stopping by the blog today after a fun and relaxing weekend. Our weekend was a wonderful one as we had a house once again filled with some of our favorite people!

A Merri Summer Weekend

Merri is my best friend from college and she, along with her husband Andrew and their two kids, have made it a bit of a tradition to come our way during the summer for a long lake-filled weekend. We’re all about it and our families fit so well together.

Ryan and Merri’s husband Andrew have a lot in common (remember when they did a Half Ironman together!?), their son Jackson could easily be a fourth Fagan brother with his love for fishing and the outdoors, and their daughter Savi is the cutest little girl who doesn’t miss a beat keeping up with all the big kids. It’s the kind of meshing of families that just works and we’re so grateful for it!

Everyone arrived on Thursday and we filled our days with lots of time outside. We’re talking pool days, lake swimming, fishing, driveway bubbles, water bounce houses, bonfires… all the good summer stuff! We also managed to sneak in an adult’s only dinner which was a highlight.

They left last night and Ryan and I once again said that time with them just feels easy. We jive well, have a lot of fun together and feel so grateful for such important and wonderful long-term friendships in our life. I’ll be seeing Merri again in September for a weekend with college girlfriends which made goodbye yesterday a little bit easier.

Today’s blog post is a bit of a fly-by blog post (anyone remember the early blogging days when almost all blog posts were a rapid-fire check-in!?) because it’s another camp-free week over here and all the boys are up and ready for action. I’m off to get this summer Monday started and hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!!

The post A Merri Summer Weekend appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Friday is here and so are our friends!!! Merri and Andrew arrived in town with their two kids and will be staying with us through the weekend. We had the best time when they came to visit last summer and have been awaiting their visit with lots of excitement! We’re have an adults-only night out planned for this evening (woop!) and lots of water fun planned for the weekend. It should be a good one!

And now you know what time it is: Things I’m Loving Friday tiiiime! Keep on scrolling if you’d like to check out some of the things that made me smile this week!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Andar Wristlet Wallet

(Wallet: Andar / Earbud case: Amazon)

My mom absolutely nailed it with this birthday present. I haven’t used a traditional wallet in years and prefer a smaller coin pouch/wristlet situation for my license, credit cards, insurance card, etc. I’ve been using this $8 Target card case attached to my keychain for years and it’s been great. (I’m now using it to keep gift cards organized and would definitely recommend it!) I mentioned to my mom that I was looking for an upgrade but I am incredibly picky because I wanted something not-too-bulky but still functional with the ability to hold multiple cards that are easy to slip in and out (important!), a keychain component and a place for a small amount of emergency cash. This Andar wallet wristlet check every single one of my boxes and I love that it has a powerful magnet to keep it closed… and it’s beautiful, too!

• Kid Surprise Boxes

For Christmas this year, one little surprise I had so much fun putting together for my nieces and nephews were personalized mini travel boxes. I’m not sure I ever shared them on the blog (maybe just Instagram?) but I filled them with an assortment of small travel entertainment items and they went over well on Christmas!

I get a lot of joy out of assembling little goodies I think kids will use and enjoy and couldn’t resist putting two mini busy boxes together for Merri and Andrew’s kids to open during their visit this weekend. They’re nothing too fancy and filled with simple surprises like fidget toys, snacks, Hot Wheels, sunglasses, a little purse, etc. but they always seem to be a hit!

As for supplies, I use these clear pencil cases from Target and personalize them using my Cricut Joy. Easy peasy!

• Replacement + New (On Sale!) Owala Water Bottles for the Boys

Amazon Prime Day sales came in handy when it came to water bottle replacement/gifting for our boys! Ryder lost his water bottle recently and Rhett needs a bigger size water bottle for kindergarten next year so I ordered these two bright Owala water bottles for our younger two dudes. These bottles have worked well for our family for years. As a mom, I also really appreciate them because they’re easy for our boys to refill because they don’t have to unscrew the top and can just pop them open and refill them through the spout itself. The boys also like the fact that they can chug water from them or sip them through a straw. And they’re leakproof!

• VBS Camp

Ya know what feels great? Dropping off your kids off at a camp they look forward to all year long! Chase began going to a local VBS camp when he was in first grade and now Rhett and Ryder are all in on the magic, too. They know how to do it right at this camp! Every 1/2-day camp is filled will music, crafts, sports, water fun, a crazy snack shack (this is a highlight every day), Bible stories, silliness and worship. It’s upbeat and energizing and we truly plan our summer travel around it!

• Amazon Prime Day Sale: Top Finds + What I Ordered

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Hello, hello! I hope your Tuesday is off to a fantastic start! I am blogging from a local bagel shop while all three boys are at a 1/2 day VBS camp. Dedicated solo work time?! What is this luxury!? I only have a few hours of work time until it’s back in mom mode for an afternoon at the pool so let’s get right to the meat of today’s blog post: Amazon Prime Daaaay, aka Amazon’s giant summer sale!

While there are no shortage of Amazon Prime Day deal resources out there, the way I handle my Prime Day sale roundup is a little different from simply highlighting deals. I know this sale can be very overwhelming to shop, especially when you’re browsing a site that sells basically everything under the sun. I also realize there are no shortage of people sharing deals out there today, but I am a one-woman show (as opposed to creators with a whole team of people behind them) and try to approach the way I share things a little differently. I focus solely on sharing things I personally own and love (many you may recognize from past blog posts!) as well as items I ordered myself or items that seem particularly useful/steeply discounted. I figured this would be a decent way to sift through the “noise” of Amazon Prime Day, at least in my own mind, and really hope this is helpful for any of you out there hoping to scoop up some finds today! Happy browsing!

Note: You may also shop all of my Prime Day finds in one place via the Prime Day Deals page of my Amazon storefront. Also, some deals are only temporary during Prime Day so if you click on an item and it’s not on sale, unfortunately that means the sale on that item may have passed. I recommend periodically checking out your Amazon cart during these sales because things do sell out and prices do increase!

Amazon Prime Day 2025 Favorites

Amazon Prime Day Home Finds

• Geometry Kitchen Towels (Quick-drying, wrinkle-free, super absorbent. Also gift worthy! I’ve given them to my mom, sister and the boys’ teachers!)
• Artificial Outdoor Flowers (Because all of our front porch flowers die. I arrange them in foam blocks and then cover them with dirt and they look so realistic!)
• Our Place Mini Blender (My little summertime sidekick! Super high-powdered and makes smoothies I can easily take and enjoy on-the-go in the same cup I blend them in.)
• Fellow Electric Kettle (I gave this to my dad for Father’s Day because he loved ours so much. Easy to use — no learning curve for guests! — and beautiful on the countertop.)
• Glass Oil Sprayer/Pourer (I haven’t bought a spray can of oil in years! This works so, so well. Note: The “oil” word on the front is a sticker I just left off mine for a plain look.)
• Ultra-Fast Charger (BEST charger I’ve ever used. Recharges my iPhone SO much faster than any other charger I’ve tried.
• Stanley Mini Cooler (I love this mini size. It’s big enough to fit 3 Bentgo kid lunch boxes and 2 slim ice packs.)
• Hatch Alarm Clock (For gentle morning wakeups. I love the way it mimics the sunrise. It’s truly so peaceful. And I do NOT have the subscription.)
• Kickback Collapsible Rocker (The most comfortable chair for sideline spectating! We had 3 other flag football families buy them after trying ours last spring.)
• Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Containers (The glass food storage containers with a super tight seal that we’ve had and loved for years.)
• Boswell Glass Air Fryer (The non-toxic glass air fryer I use multiple times a week! It’s big enough to cook food for our entire family in one batch — hooray! And this Ninja Crispi Glass Air Fryer is another non-toxic option from a trusted brand that is on sale with great reviews.)
• Caraway Non-Toxic Bakeware (I started with the mini bakeware collection but now have the entire bakeware collection because I love it so much. As someone who uses cookie sheets and bakes and roasts veggies regularly, it’s been worth its weight in gold for our family.)
• Rotary Grater (I use this multiple times a week to grate carrots, cheese, zucchini, etc. as well as thinly slice cucumbers, radishes, etc. Easy to clean as every piece is dishwasher safe.)
• Silicone Snack Box (The Amazon version of the snack boxes I use for the boys after school snacks)
• IRIS File Folder Boxes (In case you have memory milestone boxes on your list of DIY projects!)
• Insulated Casserole Carrier (So handy for transporting hot/cold food. My mom loves hers if you need a good gift for a mom/mother-in-law!)
• Pink Miracle Shoe Cleaner (Key for keeping my white sneakers white! Here’s how I clean my sneakers!)
• Clevermade Collapsible Tote (my favorite for years for travel — very sturdy, holds and ton and easily collapses for storage)
• Magnetic Phone Tripod (I bring this on every family vacation to capture our family pics! A magnet holds your phone firmly in place both horizontally and vertically and it collapses to be the size of a super-thick credit card.)
• Corkcicle Beverage Bag (So helpful for anyone who carts a ton of water bottles around — aka all parents. We love this bag and appreciate the middle section that also functions as a mini cooler.)
• Needed Perimenopause Mutivitamin Powder (I’m super intrigued by this one! I’ve liked this brand’s collagen and ordered this to try!)
• Bissell Little Green Machine (I bought this when the boys were toddlers and it’s been incredibly helpful during Comet’s puppy days for treating carpet/upholstery messes)
• Expandable Drawer Organizers + Clear Drawer Organizers (These bring me a little too much joy)
• Samsonite Freeform Luggage (10/10 quality. We now have four of the roller carry-ons and one large checked back from this luggage line. It’s held up so well for our family for years! )
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  Good morning, good morning! I’m sitting down at my computer this morning with a million and one different blog post ideas flowing through my brain but we’ll have to settle at one. How about a weekend recap!? I’m feeling chatty and since I managed to snap a handful of pictures over the course of the past few days, a weekend recap feels right!

  Saturday

  Our weekend began on Saturday with a workout! I was itching to get into the gym as my summertime workouts have been not-at-all consistent with travel and visitors in the mix. It felt fantastic to move my body and by the time I made it home, everyone was hungry so we ate breakfast and then I did a quick change because we had a swim meet to go to.

  

  (Open-Knit Sweater: Nuuds / Tank: Target / Shorts: Pistola — they’re a true A-line fit with a much larger leg hole opening than most shorts (hallelujah!) and the length is great — not too short but not frumpy either! / Bag: BaubleBar / Sandals: Amazon / Phone Case + Grip Ring: Velvet Caviar — PBFINGERS20 saves 20%! )

  Ryder and Rhett are our two swimmers this summer season and every Saturday morning we have a one-hour “Speedy Meet.” (Chase opted out of swim team this year which was fine with us because he’d now be in the big kids’ swim group and those meets are loooong.) Rhett has always been a water kid but this is his first year on swim team where he’s learning all of the different strokes… yep, even butterfly. We joke that butterfly at this age looks more like a hybrid of a all the strokes mixed with a drowning fish but hey, they’re learning, right?!

  

  The speedy meets have been a lot of fun for us to watch because the boys are really into them. Ryder’s backstroke is ridiculously impressive and it is fun to see his pride in his swimming slowly grow every meet. As for Rhetty, even though he comes in last place in every single race he does (he’s one of the youngest swimmers), he is so enthusiastic and happy and truly smiles when he races and I think that’s something. Maybe even everything.

  

  Once the boys were done with their meet and I was done with my job volunteering as a lane timer, we headed home for Comet training! We signed up for six sessions with The Woof Pack and took a mini break on our Saturday sessions due to travel and visitors so it was good to meet with Kristin and talk through all things Comet again.

  Comet actually boards with Kristin and The Woof Pack when we travel and can I just say how freaking wonderful it is to have a place to take your dog that they love!? Comet wags his tail and genuinely seems excited to go to Woof Pack when we have to leave which is such a relief. Vizslas can be very anxious dogs and can majorly struggle with separation, so we were really determined to work with Comet upfront to socialize him and proactively work with him and a trainer to get ahead of typical vizsla anxiety. It’s been worth the effort and money a million times over. Comet does some day training days at Woof Pack so he’s used to the facility, trainers and play time with other Woof Pack dogs who are also under the care of the trainers. I cannot recommend them enough if you are local!

  Our one-on-one training sessions are different than day training, however, and involve one of the trainers coming to our house for an hour (we love Kristin!) to work with us and Comet on anything we have on our list of Comet concerns or issues. On Saturday we wanted to discuss managing Comet’s energy around guests when they arrive and his escalating energy levels when kids get rowdy in our home (he’s now thankfully mostly great with our boys but could get a little wild when we had 7 kids running around our house last week). We are also working on his recall and not intensely pulling when we walk with the boys and they’re ahead of us on their bikes, scooters, etc. (He’s good on solo walks but we joke that he wants to keep the pack together when the boys are with us.) It’s all a work in progress but Kristin always seems to have incredibly helpful and practical training tips for us to implement. Her knowledge and insight into dogs’ brains and training techniques is truly so fascinating and impressive to me.

  Oh and Kristin and I also spent some time discussing Mister Softee’s soft serve… more on that below!

  After we said goodbye to Kristin, it was time for some kayaking in the lake which Comet was all about because this dog is 100 percent a water dog.

  

  He LOVES swimming and truly does not have an off switch when it comes to doggie paddling in the lake, especially if he spots geese (hence our desire to work on his recall). He wears a life jacket and we keep him on a long tether while we kayak and it works pretty well. The lake is his happy place for sure, especially in his 90-degree summer heat!

  Once we were done with lake fun, we ate lunch and then made our way to the pool for an early evening swim before dinner. Did anyone else basically live in the water this weekend? When temperatures eclipse 90 degrees it’s pretty much the only place we want to be!

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