I had so much fun sharing my spring favorites (all still worth checking out!) a couple of months back, and it was awesome to hear from folks who were excited to try many of the things I recommended! I’m back for the second in this quarterly feature: my favorite things this summer. For the spring roundup, I organized my list by price, but this time it made more sense to order my recommendations by category (e.g., style, food, etc.). Enjoy! And if you want to tell me about something you are loving this summer, let me know in the comments!

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Style

Ana Luisa honeycomb necklace

I first learned about Ana Luisa Jewelry through my podcast (Edit Your Life) and I adore this honeycomb gold necklace! It goes with everything and I love that 10% of sales go towards bee conservation efforts!

Ana Luisa Jewelry honeycomb necklace; image via Ana Luise Jewelry

New Balance tournament dress

I attended my first ever grown-up lady tennis camp in this New Balance tournament dress, which made me feel decidedly badass...and then I saw teen phenom Coco Gauff wearing it at Wimbledon so there's that! Both the white and blue colorways have gold trim!

Modcloth Latest Haul bag

I seem to either have big totes or tiny little purses so I have been on the hunt for a bag to fit my wristlet wallet, keys, and phone. I recently bought this Modcloth Latest Haul bag and it is the perfect size. In addition to the aforementioned personal effects, it also fits a standard sized novel, which is FABULOUS since I basically always want to carry a book with me!

Warby Parker glasses

Laurel recently became the final member of Team Glasses in our house and in buying her a pair of Warby Parker glasses, I was reminded of how much I love this company (I am also wearing a pair as I type this). The glasses are stylish, crazy affordable, and the ordering process is so easy. And Laurel's glasses arrived the same week I ordered them, even though it was the July 4th holiday week!

Brave New World Designs Vote Reproductive Rights T-shirt

OK, yeah, I designed this Vote Reproductive Rights t-shirt and it is part of my regular rotation because OMG I am sick of old white men trying to legislate my vagina.

Personal Care

Christophe Robin Scalp Scrub with Sea Salt

OMG this has seriously been the season of dealing with my scalp. While I was able to devise a natural treatment plan to deal with stress-related dandruff, I later found myself dealing with a ton of itchy scalp buildup. Like, a ton. SO GROSS. After a bit of research, I bought this Christophe Robin Scalp Scrub with Sea Salt at Sephora and it is UNREAL in breaking down the buildup...immediate relief!

LIVING PROOF No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream

Seriously, whoever is in charge of the smell department at Living Proof crushes it every single time. Given the whole summer frizz/dry out hair situation, I've been using this Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream (which I received in my summer FabFitFun box) and it is simply delightful.

Home

Carolyn Mackin Summer Blocks

I love discovering local artists. We’re very committed to investing in original art for our walls, but I hadn’t really thought about decorative art objects until I saw these super cool acrylic summer blocks by Carolyn Mackin. I have them styled in my office!

Carolyn Mackin acrylic summer blocks; image via Carolyn Mackin

Threshold Gray Stripe Tablecloth

Our extendable dining table is getting pretty banged up but it's got plenty of wear left in it! I bought this Threshold gray stripe tablecloth at Target and loved it so much that I bought 3 more so I would have two each to fit the regular (84 x 60) + extended (104 x 60) sizes of our dining table! The idea is that I will have backup when the first of each size invariably gets wrecked with stains!

Kitchen

OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker

I love salad year round but during the summer I eat it every single day...sometimes twice a day. After seeing my friend Sarah use this OXO Good Grips Salad Dressing Shaker I immediately ordered one and hello, it is LIFE CHANGING for fellow salad nerds. It makes dressing prep so easy and mess-free you will never be tempted to buy bottled dressing ever again!

Full Circle composting goods

This summer I traded out my gross half-assed mixing bowl compost solution for this Full Circle fresh air composter and I swear, between this nifty little unit + the scrap sacks, I have become an even better composter with very little extra effort! You can read more in this recent green kitchen skills post, but I also use Full Circle's compostable liners inside the composter, the scrap happy bin for food prep, and the compostable paper scrap sack for large volume produce remnants (like corn and watermelon).

Full Circle composting products; image via Christine Koh

Food

Key Lime Cake

I didn’t even know key lime cake was a thing but when I found out that one of my niece’s favorite flavors is key lime I did some digging and decided to try this key lime cake recipe (from A Slice of Sweet). I have never made a buttercream using shortening + condensed milk and I have to say those things definitely amped up the texture and flavor situation. This was one of the tastiest cakes I have made in a while and it’s a great flavor for summer! My only recipe edits are that I really wanted to amp up the lime flavor so I added 1 tablespoon of lime zest to the cake batter + swapped out the hot water for lime juice in the frosting.

Perfect Hardboiled Eggs

I love eggs in all forms and I especially love hardboiled eggs in my salads + deviled eggs. But in the past I have struggled with hardboiled eggs because peeling them is such a pain. But now I have the perfect formula and seriously, every single time these shells come right off! Here’s how to make perfect hardboiled eggs: Bring a pot of water to boil at medium heat (I usually use a medium saucepan for 6-7 eggs). Gently lower eggs (cold, right from the refrigerator) into the water. Boil for 6 minutes then turn off the water and let the eggs sit until the water is cooled or lukewarm. If you peel the eggs immediately after the 6 minutes, the egg yolk will be a bit runny but let them sit until the water cools and the shells come off easily and the yolks will be perfectly cooked.

Zeroodle Black Bean Fettucine

Traditional pasta does not sit well in my stomach. My girlfriend Heidi recently introduced me to Zeroodle black bean fettucine and OMG it actually has the same consistency as pasta and is delicious! Also, hello 10 grams of fiber + 21 grams of protein per serving! Heidi is such a nice friend that she even sent me home with a bag after hosting my family at her pool all afternoon!

Zeroodle black bean “pastas”; image via Amazon

OATLY! Original OatMilk

Likely due to my Asian situation, I can’t do cow’s milk. My friend Asha turned me on to oat milk and OATLY! Original OatMilk is my go-to. It even tastes good in coffee!

Books

Next Year in Havana

I was in a bit of a book rut coming out of spring but I have been reading up a storm this summer, including several out-of-the-park winners! I was so delighted to tear through the incredible novel Next Year in Havana. And it has inspired me to dig into Cuban history, which is an added bonus.

Things You Save In A Fire

I have read every single one of Katherine Center’s novels and Things You Save In A Fire did not disappoint in the drop-everything-and-ignore-everyone-while-you-immerse-yourself-in-this-story department. The only tragedy is that the August 13 publication date means that the book is not available for killer beach reading until then! (The reason I had access to the book early is because I received an advanced readers copy.) Order a copy now so you can get it as soon as it releases and get it into your summer reading queue!

Daisy Jones + The Six

I loved Daisy Jones + The Six. What a remarkable way to read a novel; band interview style! And I was really taken by the narrative around songwriting and layering on the supporting tracks when many different personalities are involved.

Local

Petali Harry Potter collection

If you have a Harry Potter fan at home take them to the incredible Petali Flowers in Harvard Square. This place is half flower shop, half incredibly curated Harry Potter collection. It’s a bit spendy but consider the retail markup the cost of hosting such a beautiful experience in Harvard Square.

Violet at a recent visit to Petali Flowers in Harvard Square; image via Christine Koh

My Membership at The Wing

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably have gotten wind that I started co-working at the feminist co-working space The Wing this summer. It has been AMAZING. I spent half of my last visit working on the rooftop patio!

My Favorite Things: Summer Edition