It’s summerrrrrrr! ☀️
We have been absolutely loving this season. Staying outside until all hours, splashing in the pool, grilling out with friends, camping, going to the playground, cooking and baking new recipes, exploring new parks, and the best part…minimizing time on my phone 😅
I pinky promise I’m not ghosting yall-I’m just enjoying life with my family! The past two summers I’ve spent most of the season offline and it’s been glorious. It’s been really, really nice not to worry about the algorithm or analytics or keeping up with all of the social media trends. Yes, my finances and follower count takes a hit each year when I do this, but it’s so, so worth it.
Last night I jumped on stories for the first time in what feels like forever and shared that I decided that I’m just going to share whatever I want, whenever I want, trends and analytics and optimal posting times be darned 🤪
I’m not exactly sure what that’ll look like, but I do know how much I appreciate yall being here in this little corner of the internet throughout the years. You are, by far, the best part of social media! The a+g community is the greatest and is such a blessing to me.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to share these little monthly newsletters with you! If you want them to come directly to your inbox, you can subscribe with your email address right here.
Thank you for using my links! Even if you don’t purchase the product I share, using my affiliate links helps support this little corner of the internet (and my little first responder family) at no extra cost to you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Here’s the top three things that y’all loved the most the past few months:
Magnet set. I’m always on the hunt for “quiet toys” to bring to church/restaurants/meetings/etc, and we always love magnet toys! This one gets bonus points for having first responder outfits in it!
My swimsuit. We’ve been spending a ton of time at the pool this year, and I like wearing one pieces that let me play with the kiddos but also feel cute and covered. This one is one of my favorites! I have it in this black and white colorway but am also eying the red 👀
Sunscreen applicator. Speaking of the pool-we’ve had this sunscreen applicator for years and still love it just as much as the day we got it! I recommend it to so many mama friends. It makes any lotion go on easily and the kiddos don’t mind it! A real sunscreen win 🙌🏽
Here’s the top 3 posts y’all engaged with the most the past few months. If you’re not already following along on Instagram, make sure to hop on board! My username is @ammoandgrace. Everything is also posted over on Facebook here.
Last month I shared my new favorite sunglasses company in my Father’s Day post! In May Frontline Optics offered to send me a pair of their sunglasses to check out, and I picked out these ones. I’ve been using them ever since and WOW have they held up! I’ve even been eying this pair for my LEO to use at work and for everyday. Not only is Frontline a first responder owned small shop, but they offer a free replacement if your shades get damaged in the line of duty-no questions asked, you just pay shipping! How cool is that?! We can use code ammoandgrace15 to save on this first responder owned small shop!
When I’m in full summer mode I have two ways of cooking: full yummy summer-y meals with bbq-y sides and dessert, or cereal for supper 🤪
My favorite way to even out our meals lately with everyone’s weird schedules and the sun not setting until 9:30 pm is to prep a batch of protein and then stick it in lunches or over different bases throughout the week. My LEO’s favorite chicken marinate is honey mustard-which, bonus, couldn’t be more simple! You can grill it, bake it, pan fry it, or my personal favorite: air fryer it!
All you need is three ingredients and some spices, all of which you probably already have.
Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken
Chicken (any type-I prefer thighs, but you can also use breasts or tenderloins!)
Honey (you can also sub maple syrup)
Mustard (I like Dijon-we get the huge jars of Grey Poupon from Costco!)
Oil (I prefer olive oil)
Spices (salt and pepper, garlic)
Mix equal parts honey and mustard (I don’t even measure-it’s such a forgiving marinade!) and a few tablespoons of olive oil, as well as some garlic (or garlic powder), salt, and pepper. Add your raw chicken and make sure it’s all covered, and let it marinade for at least a half an hour in the fridge.
Cook your chicken however you prefer-I like to air fry it at 400° for 10ish or so minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165°. If you have thick pieces of chicken, flip them over halfway through and extend the cooking time.
Serve in a wrap, over rice, on a salad, or even with pasta. Best served with a side of seasonal produce and lots of sunshine. Enjoy!
My friend Corey (@crosscommisionedlyrics on Instagram) released his new book-a memoir-last month! You might know Corey from being the songwriting sergeant on social media whose songs are catchy and heartfelt. Well, he channeled a ton of his life stories and experiences into a book, and it’s now available for all of us to read! This memoir follows the mountains and valleys of law enforcement life and the trauma that comes with it. It’s hard to read at times-but is also so saturated with God’s goodness and the proof that being faithful to His plan is always, always the right path. It’s rare to find books written by both first responders and people of faith that are so raw and real. You can find Sgt Kingman’s book (on both paperback and kindle) here.
