Joy Comes in Threes | Vol 02 🐌

What I’m loving, reading, watching, and listening to this summer.

Welcome to Joy Comes in Threes, a seasonal roundup of my newest favorite things. 

I’ll share three things I’ve been loving, reading, watching, and listening to lately, and a few rhythms and routines I’ve been experimenting with.

A peek into the beginning of my summer

Surprisingly, our summer began with a multitude of gloomy days spread throughout June. One after another, they led us to reschedule our plans, spend more time inside, and slow down.

While I’m not one for gloomy afternoons or driving in a downpour, the herbs in my vertical planter have been thriving. The dahlia buds are beginning to bloom. All the while, the vision for our backyard is slowly coming together.

Surrounded by a canopy of mature trees, we welcome the rich green of summer growth into our windowed view. While I could do without the swarms of mosquitos swirling in the yard—surely due to our proximity to the pond—it’s a small price to pay for our wooded oasis in the city.

This summer, I hope to take our pup on greater adventures and get reacquainted with road-tripping as a primary means of travel. I wish for day trips to become a mainstay on our summer calendar. I also want to build momentum for a digital product I’m creating behind the scenes, all while adjusting to a slower-paced timeline this time around.

With wondering things on the way, here’s a look at my summer favorites:

What I’m loving

Family-centered weekends

Evan and I have always put family first, and this summer has been no different. It’s been full of quality time, especially with Evan’s family in Wisconsin. We’ve had many opportunities to dote on our first niece. We danced the night away with his extended family at his godmother’s wedding (before Evan injured his knee on the dance floor… oops!). We had puppy play dates with both sides. We grilled food, ordered takeout, and tried our first trivia night with my mom and brother. We’ve shared the kind of memories we’ll treasure forever—even the ones scarcely captured on camera.

My love for mocktails continues

If the spring was all about lavender lemonade, then this summer has been all about making copycat Starbucks pink drinks at home. Not only has it been much more affordable than a walk to the nearby Starbucks, but I can adjust the ingredients to get just the right sweetness. This has been my favorite three-ingredient recipe so far, but it’s also fun to switch up the juice depending on your preferred palette.

Regular trips to plant nurseries

In addition to planting my vertical garden in the spring, we’ve made a few more trips to the garden center in search of a wide variety of perennials, mulch, potting soil, plant food, and beyond. We’ve also added hanging citronella plants to the patio in hopes of keeping the mosquitos away with minimal success. Every trip to the nursery feels like a nod to my dad. He had an enviable green thumb and would create the most beautiful container plants every year. He’d be proud of the small steps of progress we’re making with the unkempt lawn we inherited from the past owner (who lived in the home until she was 99 years old—yes, NINETY-NINE—so she has all of our grace and understanding).

What I’m reading

Al Fresco: Inspired Ideas for Outdoor Living by Julie Pointer Adams

If beautifully photographed coffee table books are your thing, you’re going to love Al Fresco. Each feature transports you to a dreamy outdoor scene filled with special moments and meals shared among loved ones. Alongside the stunning photographs are recipes, written interview responses, and inspiring quotes about dining outside. I aspire to put a screened-in gazebo in our yard with a long dining table for hosting guests, but a picnic in the park with our pup is a joyful alternative for now.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

If you need a feel-good summer read with heart, The Lager Queen of Minnesota is IT. While I’m not a beer drinker, I loved reading this multi-generational tale of two sisters and their families after one sister talks their father into getting the entire inheritance to start a brewery. The only thing you need to know is it features a group of grandmas who come together to brew beer! If that sounds as heartwarming to you as it was to me, then pick this one up.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Now for something completely different: a YA fantasy duology called Divine Rivals! After hearing a recommendation from a trusted friend and seeing all the hype on Bookstagram, I picked this up and read it in one day. It centers on a closed-door workplace rivals romance—meaning it has no steamy scenes—and is set in a WWI-style war-torn region. It mixes mythology with magical typewriters and darker themes explored in a lighter tone. While I didn’t love the sequel Ruthless Vows quite as much, it was still a worthwhile read for atypical fantasy readers.

Substack Feature of the Month

The Life Designer by Janelle King

Janelle is such a breath of fresh air. In addition to her fun Weekly (Joy)Caps, she writes about faith, motherhood, and slow living. I dare you to read her essay on When Self-Help Ain’t Helping and try not to nod along. It’s so convicting!

What I’m watching

The King of Queens

Evan and I have only ever watched reruns of The King of Queens, so watching it from the beginning on Peacock has been fun. He’s a long-time fan of Kevin James who plays Doug, but Leah Remini’s character, Carrie, and her father Arthur are my favorite. Since I’m a sucker for a good flashback episode, I enjoyed watching how Doug and Carrie met in an episode titled “Meet By-Product,” but there are so many good ones, especially in season two.

The Big Brunch rewatch

Who else adores everything David—I mean, Dan Levy—creates? If you’re a foodie or just someone who loves going out to brunch, you’ll love The Big Brunch on Max. Although it’s a cooking competition show, this diverse set of chefs are all so kind toward one another. Each chef was chosen based on their unique entrepreneurial dreams, but it’s about so much more than winning the money. If you’re looking for a cozy show featuring comfort food (and vibes), this is a good one.

Home library tours

To bide my time until I can create a home library and office of my own, I’ve been watching library tours on YouTube. The channel Homeworthy has some great ones, like this compilation of 6 Home Library Tours, but many YouTube creators are known to share a behind-the-scenes look at their shelves. I love tours that have built-in character or showcase an interesting organizational system, but there’s always a little something for everyone.

What I’m listening to

Three MPH playlist

I thought it was about time I created a Spotify playlist to pair with this newsletter. I plan to add more tracks as I go, but here’s a peek at the song lineup: Walk Slow, Not in a Hurry, Letting Go. My hope is for this playlist to create a calming place of presence and peace in any season.

Tom Lake audiobook

As if I couldn’t love Ann Patchett’s work anymore, she goes ahead and snags Meryl Streep as the narrator for Tom Lake. Iconic! While I had some bones to pick with the book—like the three sisters sounding like young teenagers rather than women in their early twenties—the Michigan lake setting made for an atmospheric read. I listened to it while scraping the very last wall of its wallpaper in our future bedroom, so it will always mark a celebratory moment in time for me.

Cozy Club podcast

My only regret is finding the Cozy Club after the co-hosts have seemingly retired from the podcast. While I’ve loved listening through Monica and Regan’s archive, I’m nearing the end of their available episodes. I’d love for them to restart the show, but in the meantime, they’re also fun to follow on Instagram at @peruseproject and @monicakim.jpg.

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A season to remember

What have you been loving this summer?