I’m looking forward to spending this weekend relaxing at home after last weekend’s trip to Cedar Point! I love traveling, but then I almost feel like I need a vacation from my vacation once I’m back home, ha. I’m also extremely happy to be home to a city where mayflies aren’t a thing. I’m not going to share a picture here, because it’s too horrifying, but this news article sums it up (DO NOT CLICK if you have a bug phobia)! They were SWARMING our first night at the hotel at Cedar Point and it’s something that I never ever want to experience again. I’m looking forward to sitting on my own patio without wondering if every little thing that flies across my peripheral vision is a mayfly. Much more relaxing.

And now, on to this week’s favorites.

Best of Pittsburgh – Best Lifestyle Influencer

I’ve been nominated as the Pittsburgh City Paper’s Best Lifestyle Influencer, and I’d really appreciate your help getting to the next round! All you have to do is click “nominate” here to vote for me – you can do it once per day between now and June 30 – the top 10 in each category will become finalists. Thank you all so much for your support!

Tie Shoulder Smocked Dress

This striped, smocked midi dress with tie straps from J.Crew Factory is so cute! I love the print in the blue and white stripes. It would be a great dress for the Fourth of July, too – and subtle enough you could wear it for the rest of the summer, too.

Carmen James in the So Many Thoughts Newsletter

I really loved this “newsletter takeover” of sorts, where Carmen James (@TheGoodCarmaBlog on Instagram) talked about the do’s and don’ts of online activism. She shares some really great tips for advocating and educating online in a healthy way. Plus, she is also an ACOTAR fan. Definitely give her a follow.

Fire Island Photo Essay

I’m obviously going to love any essay with the sentence “I hope I can leave a lasting legacy of trying to make Fire Island more accessible,” but truly, this is so great. The photo essay is a mix of photos from the author’s time on Fire Island – some disability focused, some not, all beautiful. The tagline – “Most people don’t think about accessibility on the island until someone like me gets there” – is something I think is true not only on Fire Island, but really everywhere!

Breathe and Count Back From Ten

Another great book that I found from an Instagram recommendation! I’ll share my full review of Breathe and Count Back from Ten next week in my normal monthly post, but I loved it so much it deserves a place here. It’s about a young Peruvian-American girl with hip dysplasia who wants nothing more than to be a mermaid at a local theme park, written by a Peruvian-American woman with hip dysplasia. I love, love, LOVE representation like this in books, especially in YA books, which are read at such a pivotal time when you’re coming to terms with yourself, your body, and your identity. It’s honestly just a great book for anyone to read, disabled or not.