Summer is (finally) here (to stay!?)

Hellz yes.

It is with much excitement and, I confess, a bit of trepidation (this winter really beat me down!) that I am going to declare summer as having officially arrived!! HOORAY! We are in the middle of a solid stretch of warm and mostly sunny weather so this weekend I ate my first lobster/corn on the cob dinner of the season, made the summer's first (of many!) trips to my beloved Ice Cream Cottage and caught a few rays of sunshine for the rosy-cheeked summer glow that I adore. Summer, I sure do love you!! Here to help us all usher in the sweetest season are some summer-licious goodies from around the web. Enjoy!

Homemade Cookies and Cream Popsicles - So much easier than you might think and 100% "you made these!?" wow-worthy. Click HERE to pin it or HERE for the original post from Lark and Linen. 

How adorable and summery is this Watermelon tote bag DIY? I love the bright colors and think this would be the perfect way to transport your towel and sunglasses to the beach :) Click HERE to pin it or HERE for the simple how-to from madame citron (note the post is in French but if you open it in google chrome a little "translate to English" button pops up at the top!)

Healthy, tasty, light and easy, aka the perfect summer supper dish! This One Pan Mexican Quinoa is on the menu for Dr. H and I tonight and I can't wait to dig in. Pin it HERE or check out the full recipe from Damn Delicious HERE.

Fancy some refreshing mint tea!? This simple recipe from exPress-o is sure to get you smiling and seems perfect for packing up and serving at your next picnic in the park. For the easy peasy instructions, click HERE.

Hump Day

Get it!?

Happy happy Hump Day to you!! I've got to confess I'm cheating a bit today as I'm already well over the hump of my week, with bags packed and ready to go on a quick getaway with Dr. H to visit a favorite friend who is currently living in Costa Rica. But for those of you not boarding an airplane this evening, I've got some fabulous distractions to take you to the other side of this week. Enjoy!

* Hand written thank you notes are making a comeback (as they should!)

* A brilliant cork-to-candle craft for your next dinner party. 

* Ahhh to fall asleep in a sea of watermelons... 

* Currently reading (and loving) the Goldfinch, just put several more of THESE books on my to do list!

* If you watch Game of Thrones, you absolutely must watch THIS.

* This outfit is spring 2014 perfection.

* I'm usually too lazy to mix fancy cocktails at home, but this lil guy looks worth the effort! 

* In case you haven't seen this already, here is precisely why you should be buying HoneyMaid products.

* Have you heard of Babysuiting?

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Summer scenery.

... this morning on the subway everyone had the same look on their face. After a gorgeously hot and sunny long holiday weekend (4 days away from desks for most!) there was a noticeable collective case of the Mondays going on. Sun-kissed cheeks located just below eyes that said "really? back to this again?" Because yes, ugh, back to this again. But all hope is not lost! Below is a comprehensive list of Merry Meri curated "just a little somethings" to satisfy each of your 5 senses and to keep you smiling through the week and surviving until the weekend. Enjoy!!

* Taste

An unlikely combination of awesome.

I would never have thought to put these ingredients together, but I'm thrilled that somebody did because holy delicious! A little watermelon for sweetness, mint for even more refreshment, plus feta for a savory pop (I like Athena fat free feta for a guiltless version of the already healthy(ish) cheese) and ta da! you have a tasty summer salad. Other additions like balsamic dressing, red onion and cherry tomatoes are welcome. Check out a few takes on the deliciously simple summer recipe HERE, HERE and HERE.

* Hear

Worthy of more than just a "little talk" :)

Most people recognize the hit single "Little Talks" by the indie folk rock band Of Monsters and Men, but I'm here to encourage you to buy their entire album! The group's first full studio release, My Head is an Animal is filled with light vocals and pleasant melodies perfect for lounging at the beach or floating in the pool. With a sound reminiscent of great bands like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers and Arcade Fire, pick up this no-need-to-skip-any-tracks album today!

* Smell & Touch

Lemon Zest-y

Over the weekend I picked up a big bottle of Bath & Body Works "Energy" aromatherapy body lotion in the Lemon Zest scent for my desk. I try hard to follow the drying generic office bathroom soap with lotion, but working in a cubicle demands some "scent-etiquette" for my nearby neighbors. The light lemon fragrance of this lotion is genuinely invigorating (as the bottle promises!) and it didn't infiltrate my shared air space with girlie-ness. Just as important, the lotion isn't heavy or creamy after application. For a bit of light summer  energy, pick up some BBW Lemon Zest (bonus - it's 50% off on their website right now)

* See

Babe it up like Grace Kelly used to in Newport

With summer Fridays in full effect, now is the perfect time to see what's just outside New York City.  Click HERE for 29 outstanding no-plane-required getaways including "glamping" (more thoughts on that in a future post!) in the Adirondacks and glamorous gambling in Atlantic City.