Happy Summer Solstice! It's the longest day of the year, and it is a beautiful day in New York City. The sun is bright; the sky is clear and blue; and there is a slight breeze in the air. Not to mention, the humidity is blessedly low. What a great day to be long!! Besides June 21st, there are other things I'm feeling this month.

Although I'm a medium-brown skinned African-American woman, I am very pro sun-safety. I keep my young daughters covered in Banana Boat Baby Sunblock in 50 SPF sunscreen by and I keep my face covered in Neutrogena Healthy Defense Sunblock Oil Free Stick in SPF 30. I love it because it is sweat proof and it keeps my face moisturized without making me look greasy. (In the summer, my face is very oily so I have a tendency to skip facial moisturizer.)

The summertime is also my favorite time to watch television. I'm pleaseed that Drop Dead Diva has returned for its second season with a focus on jokes, romance, friendship, and legal drama without focusing on the main character's plus-size body. I'm also glad that Jane's, the main character, wardrobe has improved, which was probably intentional to show the merging of the two personalities inahabiting Jane's body. (For the uninitated: "beautiful-but-vapid model wannabe Deb suddenly finds herself in front of heaven’s gatekeeper, Fred, following a fatal car crash. Outraged by her sudden demise, she attempts to persuade Fred to return her to her shallow existence but is accidentally relegated to the body of the recently deceased Jane Bingum. An intelligent, thoughtful and plus-size attorney with a loyal assistant. Jane has always lived in the shadow of her colleagues, whereas Deb has always relied on her external beauty. By a twist of fate and a bolt of divine intervention, Deb must come to terms with inhabiting Jane’s curvier frame and learn to reconcile her beauty-queen ways with her brilliant new mind.)

(True Blood has also returned. Yum!)
 

I'm also feeling podcasts this month, which are helping me through some difficult times. My favorites are The Week According Frangela; ESV: Book of Common Prayer Daily Office Lectionary; Two Whole Cakes Fatcast ; and Body Love Wellness.

I'm feeling two books. One is the wonderfully written Young Adult Novel Secrets of Truth and Beauty. Secrets of Truth and Beauty is a multi-layered coming of age story of 17-year-old Dara Cohen. Once a junior pageant winner, Dara is now an overweight teen with some very deep-seeded self-loathing and dysfunctional parents. When an English assignment is misinterpreted, she is removed from school and forced to go to therapy. Striking out on her own, Dara tracks down the long lost sister she never had and spends the summer working with her on a goat cheese farm. During the summer, Dara makes a good friend; finds love; and self acceptance.
 

Crazy Busy Beautiful: Beauty Secrets for Getting Gorgeous Fast by Carmindy unveils nearly 600 quick and easy beauty tips for women of all make-up application levels. It is simply awesome. I'd gift it to girls and young women starting out with wearing make-up, and need help on where to start.