June Coffee Chat
That time I went to Mexico with 20 loud Italians, a love letter to summer, and swimsuits that won't make you feel like you gave up on life.
Welcome back to my monthly coffee chat! This is where I share my life in a personal, unfiltered way that you don’t get on my primary recipe site Well Plated, or even on Instagram. No ads, no algorithms, no AI. It’s just me, your friend Erin, and I’m so happy you are here. Let’s catch up!
Recent Travel
Puerto Vallarta
I have a new life goal, and it is to be as cool as Ben’s Nonna.
“Nonna” is the Italian word for “grandmother,” and her Christmas wish last year was for all 6 of her kids, their spouses, and her grandkids to take a family vacation together.
And that’s how 20 loud Italians, and 1 loud Western European mutt (me), all ended up at a resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
We were on our own schedules during the day (the beauty of an all-inclusive), but Nonna was abundantly clear that EVERYONE would be present at dinner.
Since tables for 21 were in short supply, our group split between two tables along generational lines.
It wasn’t intentional, but our subconsciouses could not help but revert to an “adults” table (with Ben’s aunts and uncles) and a “kids” table, which consisted of all of his (very much adult) cousins.
Five days with your in-laws probably sounds like a lot. It is.
But all the laughs had were so worth it. It’s a testament to how easy Ben’s family is to be around. Other than the logistical stress of getting 21 people to agree on a bar, we all had a great time.
Santa Barbara
One of the questions I receive most often is how I “meet” other bloggers.
It was pretty easy when I first started 13 years ago. There were only about 100 of us, most of us were in a single Facebook group, and we read and commented on each other’s blogs daily.
Large conferences existed and were well attended. By the time you met someone in person, you could be close friends and feel like you’d know each other for years (and sometimes you had! Rachel is still one of my best friends, and we didn’t meet until at least three years into our friendship. My first reaction: she’s very tall LOL, love ya Rach!)
I once even shared a hotel room with someone I’d never met in person. Fortunately, neither of us was catfished.
Then Covid happened, and the big conferences went away. We went back to interacting online.
Missing the infusion of life that is in-person connection, bloggers took to organizing their own small group retreats.
Being invited on a retreat is an honor, because it means the host values your presence, trusts you, and believes you have something to offer the group.
Thus, when Holly and Natalie of The Modern Proper asked me to join them and a small contingent of peers in Santa Baraba, it was an easy sell!
We chatted biz (Why is Pinterest traffic so awful? What are you all doing to prepare for AI? Tips to help my team feel appreciated?), ate way too much, and laughed a lot.
If anyone needs a dream vacay here in the U.S., I HIGHLY recommend our hotel, The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. It’s low-key California bougie, and I adored it. My hotel room even had a porch swing!
Park City
I’m a 1000% advocate for being a tourist in your own hometown, and I’ve been living my best summer life in Park City, hiking twice a week and drinking all the patio drinks.
In my heart of hearts, I am a summer girl.
I’m not introspective enough for fall, optimistic enough for winter, and other than my birthday, I’ve pretty much hated spring since I moved to the Great Lakes.
My first March in Minnesota, I discovered that what people in northern states refer to as “spring” is more accurately, “winter part 2, but make it rainy.”
So, hello summer, here we are, my favorite season!
I’m bursting with energy as I type, and I hope you can feel it radiating through your screen.
I’m powered by the joy of the season and a sudden influx of vitamin-D.
And by “vitamin-D”, yes I mean the sun, but more immediately I mean the vitamin-Diet Coke I guzzled moments ago.
I’ve set a goal to summit Mount Timpanogos, one of the highest peaks in the Wasatch Mountain range.
“Mount Timp” as locals call it is 15 miles round trip with significant elevation gain. I’m doing progressively longer hikes until I feel ready to tackle it.
In case you missed it, we had two big updates on Substack this month.
My Charleston travel guide is live. It’s the most popular one I’ve published to date!
I also finally cracked the code on my Grandma Dorothy’s Cinnamon Rolls. Bookmark them to bake this weekend ❤️
Erin’s Random Musings
Male refrigerator blindness is a real thing. Could chip pantry blindness be a thing too? Every couple of weeks, I find multiple partially-eaten bags of chips stacked together on the same shelf. Why not finish one bag first? Can he not see it?
Driving with the windows down while running the AC. I know this is counterproductive (and it drives Ben insane when I do it), but I can’t help myself. I want the windows-down, cool girl summer vibes…but to feel cool (literally) while doing it.
Do you have anxiety about losing your pet? Teddy is 9 1/2, and every morning when I walk up to his dog bed, I check if he’s still breathing. I never used to be this way; I have this weird feeling that our days together are limited, but I’m not sure why.
Ice cream is the superior dessert. THERE, I said it.
Confessional
I started sleeping in a hair bonnet (which Ben finds sooooo attractive, ha!). I told my sister, and she replied that she had considered doing the same, but would feel too “ridiculous.”
Should I feel ridiculous? Maybe. But honestly, my hair has never looked better, so I’ll sacrifice slumbering in style.
Plus, considering that I went to physical therapy wearing my heatless curlers, safe to say it will take a lot more than a hair bonnet in the dark to make me feel ridiculous.
What I’m Cooking Off the Blog
Frozen Protein S’mores are the IT dessert on social media right now. They’re just four ingredients (six if you add frozen berries for a summer twist like I did).
I have mixed feelings about social media trends.
If I try them, am I a sell out?
I don’t try them, am I less relevant to younger generations or companies that might what to work with me?
I’ve settled on trying only the trends that genuinely excite me…or that make me too morbidly curious to ignore them.
Fortunately, these frozen protein s’mores turned out WAY more deliciously than the bone broth hot chocolate trend that went bonkers last winter. (Spoiler: it tastes like chocolate and chicken.)
I brought a pan of these frozen treats to my friend Liz’s for dinner, and we polished off the entire pan.
Tools
8x10-inch (or similar) baking dish. (1.5 quarts) You can do this in a larger or smaller dish, but note the thickness of the filling will change and you’ll need to adjust the quantity of crackers and chocolate accordingly.
Offset spatula. Not required, but it makes spreading layers of melted chocolate, smoothing the top of batter, and frosting cakes much easier.
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) container CoolWhip—the cool kids use Cocowhip, which is coconut milk-based, but let’s call a spade a spade here; it’s still dessert)
1/2 cup (56g) protein powder—I used Toasted Marshmallow, which was too perfect (use WELLPLATED for 10% off!), but vanilla is great too
1 1/2 cups blueberries, raspberries, diced strawberries, or a mix—I did half blueberries, half raspberries
8 Graham cracker sheets
3.5 ounces dark chocolate, melted—I used 72%
Instructions
Dump the CoolWhip into a bowl and stir it together with the protein powder (you can do this directly in the tub, but stir down the whip first to remove some of the air or you’ll make a gaint mess, trust me). Fold in the berries.
Line an 8x10-inch (or similar) baking dish with parchment paper. Arrange a layer of graham crackers across the bottom.
Pour on the melted chocolate and spread into an even layer.
Spoon on the Cool Whip mixture, gently spreading it into an even layer, then arrange the remaining graham crackers on top.
Freeze for 1 hour. Slice and DEVOUR! Store in the freezer.
Things I’ve Tried and Liked
The Dress of Summer. I get so many compliments on this every time I wear it! Oh, and IT HAS POCKETS.
Target 1 Piece Swimsuits that Don’t Suck. Sometimes a girl wants some coverage without looking like a nun, and these deliver! ALL SWIM 20% OFF THIS WEEK! (For an investment 1-piece this is the one I’m wearing in the photo at the top of this post; I adore it.)
Obsessed with this St. Laurent Cateye Dupe. The one time I splurged on $300 sunglasses, I lost them (I still shudder), so this $14 pair is much more my speed.
My #1 Selling Jeans are Now Available in the Perfect Summer Blue! More than 100 of you have bought AND LOVED these jeans. They make your rear look great (priorities!), don’t stretch out, and are so comfortable I can wear them on a plane. They’re an investment, but 1000% worth it.
Silk Hair Bonnet. Listing here again because IT WORKS. My hair is less frizzy and dry, and my ends are in better shape than they have been in years.
Discount Codes & Resources
AG1. I was so skeptical about this that I initially turned the brand down when they offered to send it to me. Eventually I gave in, and I am glad I did. It’s a great way to boost nutrients, but what sold me is the probiotics. My digestion is improved since I started it, and I experience less bloating. Get a free welcome kit ($76 value) with my link.
CurrentBody. I caved and got an LED Mask (I do think they work when used daily). 10% with code WELLPLATED.
My Amazon Storefront. Ever wonder what products I use in my own kitchen? You can find them all in my easy-to-shop storefront.
Clean Simple Eats. Get 10% off with code WELLPLATED at checkout. They make my favorite protein powder. I also bring these greens packets with me when traveling.
Caraway. 10% off with code WELLPLATED, which you can stack with any of their other promotions. These pans are a breeze to clean, non-toxic, and very pretty.
Nutrafol. I’ve taken this daily for 2 years and see a noticeable difference in my hair volume. Get $20 your first shipment with this link.
Rent the Runway. I am a HUGE fan of monthly clothing rentals. I spend less overall, try fun trends risk-free, and always have something fun and new in my closet. Get 40% off your first month with this link.
If you enjoyed reading this, give this post a quick ❤️
Leave a comment! Tell me one thing you liked (or didn’t!) about this post👇🏼
If you know someone who would enjoy this article, go ahead and forward it to them 💌
Santa Barbara is my birthplace ('53) to age ten, when the family moved to Florida. It was an awesome place to grow up...I'll be forever grateful for the adventures in the mountains and the ocean.