Kelly’s Monthly Edit: July 2025

Welcome to Kelly’s Monthly Edit!
Join me every month as I round up the little joys that sparked inspiration, from must-make recipes and Mom-approved grocery finds to favorite products in kitchenware, skincare, fashion and beyond. Consider this your behind-the-scenes bite of life at Just a Taste—no gatekeeping, just good taste.

July is one of my favorite months of the year because we celebrate not one, but two of my kids’ birthdays. Mia turned 3 and Julian turned 9 this month, and each year the kids pick their restaurant of choice for a special dinner celebration. Mia chose a local favorite, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood. Because why pay $6 to not eat mac and cheese at home when you can pay $36 to not eat mac and cheese at a restaurant?

Allow me to share the secret to eating at a fine-dining establishment with four small children and no iPads: One drink per child, and nothing will faze you. There I am above, on my fourth Cosmo. Cool as a cucumber and ready to read Daniel Goes to Preschool for the 237th time in 11 minutes.

We also have a birthday cake tradition that’s existed since my eldest son was born. Each child chooses their preferred birthday cake flavor and theme, and then I get to bring it to life.

• Mia chose chocolate cake with “lots of sprinkles” and a Daniel Tiger theme
• Julian chose red velvet cake with a baseball theme

Say no more! I got busy baking and ended up with two of my favorite cakes of all time. Mia’s came together rather seamlessly, including a homemade sprinkle number 3 (simply pipe melted chocolate onto sprinkles and let it harden!). Julian’s cake, on the other hand, was a hot mess. Literally anything that could go wrong, went wrong. Stay tuned for Saturday’s video reveal on Instagram. This one was a doozy but both ended up looking and tasting great.

Summer Entertaining

Speaking of partying…

It’s hard to believe that summer is starting to wind down. While the temperatures may still be warm, my crew heads back to school in just a few weeks. We’re soaking up every second in the sun, and I’ve enjoyed doing a lot of entertaining al fresco.

I shared all of my go-to party tricks and hacks in our Summer Entertaining Guide, which includes 15 different themed menus. There’s a little something for any occasion, so head on over and see what inspires you, and don’t miss that Electric S’mores Kit. It allows you to bring the s’mores indoors year-round!

Beauty Products I’m Loving

I’m a simple routine kinda gal when it comes to makeup, and I really only have two looks: prom queen or troll. There is no grey area. No middle ground. No “I’ll just wear some lipstick and mascara.” We are all or nothing over here, baby.

On the rare occasions I do show up to school dropoff not looking like I’ve emerged from under my bridge, I always have on the same lipstick, and yes, it was a TikTok discovery. A very fashionable and chic friend of a friend posted about Muzigae Mansion lipgloss awhile back. Apparently it’s all the rage with the K-Pop stars. So I tested it out, and honestly, I’ve never looked back.

My favorite hue is called Softie, and it’s the perfect (to me) pale pink that’s matte in appearance, but silky-smooth in texture. It glides on and it stays on. It has been my longtime go-to lipstick for day or night and even on-camera while filming.

And on the on-camera front, I’d be remiss not to share two of my beauty secrets stolen from the stars. For the whitest teeth on the planet, I put all my trust in Crest White Strips. (Like, alllll my trust.) Do I wear them more frequently than suggested? Absolutely. Are my teeth the color of Wite-Out. Perhaps.

Since we’re oversharing, the LUMIFY Redness Reliever Eye Drops are a must if you want that celebrity red carpet look. I use them any time I’m on camera and they make eye makeup really pop. Are they enough to distract from the layers of bags under my eyes? No chance, but hey, if they make a tired mom feel good, I am all for it.

Back-to-School

The back-to-school prep is in full swing at our house, and quite honestly, it never stopped swinging from the last school year. All four of my kids have been in various camps and programs all summer long, so the school lunch routine has stayed very much in motion.

If you’re in need of school lunch inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve made thousands of lunches for kids of all ages and all dietary needs. Everything is rounded up in my School Lunch Guide, which includes answers to the most common questions I get:

• What’s the best lunch box?
• How do I keep apples from browning?
• What if my kid hates sandwiches?

All these answers and more await you over in our guide. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Send me an email and I’ll get you an answer ASAP.

No Steps Uncounted

No surprise here, but my Type A self is obsessed with counting my steps. I like to stay active during the day, and most of the time that involves chasing around the kids, so I need to know I can count that as my workout for the day.

Enter the Apple Watch. It’s been on my wrist for the last six years, ever the trusty companion to keep me on time and keep a timer on my baked goods. I recently started working while walking (or rucking) on my treadmill, and I quickly realized that because my hands were resting on my laptop or phone, my arm wasn’t swinging. Stagnant arm = Apple Watch doesn’t count the steps. The solution? An ankle strap of course. Now there’s no step uncounted, and one questionable “ankle monitor.” Next task: Find a Peloton Tread desk that actually fits so I can ditch the pool noodles and spare cabinet shelf “desk.”

Tuesdays at Noni’s

I could write an entire book on this subject. If you follow along on Instagram, you’ll know that every Tuesday, my family and I have dinner at my parents’ house. It’s a welcome break after Test Kitchen Tuesday, when I spend 8 to 10 hours on my feet, cooking, styling, photographing and videoing all of the creations you see here on Just a Taste.

My mom, Noni, is a legend. She’s the entire reason I pursued a career in food. She’s the ultimate hostess, the best home cook, and the most incredible wife, mother and grandmother.

Every Tuesday, Noni cooks dinner for my whole family, and 9 times out of 10, that dinner is her famous chicken cutlets (or Hungarian Wienerschnitzel) and an epic side dish, such as duck fat fries or her award-winning pesto pasta. She always wants to switch up the menu, but my kids won’t let her. “It has to be Little Guys (what they call her cutlets). Noni’s are epic!” From the mouths of babes.

Tuesdays are the best. We sip Champagne, snack on cheesy zucchini chips, grab fresh tomatoes and citrus from her garden, and just generally enjoy all being together mid-week, when work and life are reaching a fever-pitch. Tuesdays at Noni’s are, as my kids would say, epic. They’re chaotic. They’re loud. They’re delicious. They’re full of dirty dishes. They’re the best memories being made with my kids and my parents, and for that, I am forever grateful.

I’m looking forward to getting into the school routine, because for the first time ever, all four kids will be in school all day. There are so many thoughts and emotions I have about the change, but we’ll save that for next month… and as always, I welcome your feedback, questions and suggestions for anything related (or unrelated) to Just a Taste. I’m only an email away!

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