Hello friends, and happy 4th of July weekend! 🌞🇺🇸 🎆

We're headed to Boston this weekend, with stops planned at the Boston Children's Museum, the New England Aquarium, and a few other classic kid-friendly spots. As always, I'll report back on what's worth it, what's skippable, and any tips that make it easier with kids in tow.

This month's Funletter is built for peak summer: Bastille Day celebrations, outdoor festivals, kid-friendly concerts and theater, fireworks, and a very full July calendar. I also finally finished a full guide to New Buffalo and Harbor Country — one of our most-returned-to summer escapes — covering where to stay, eat, beach, and play.

July is that funny part of summer where the days feel long, the kids are somehow always hungry, and I start needing a few easy ideas in my back pocket. So think of this month’s guide as a mix of actual outings, low-lift wins, and a few things worth rallying for when you want to make the day feel a little more special.

And speaking of easy wins: if you’re already over packing camp lunches — or you have a few open days on the calendar and need something actually useful to fill them — you’ll want to scroll down to this month’s Business Spotlight: Junior Chefs Kitchen. They still have week-long and drop-in camp options available, where kids cook their own food, learn real kitchen skills, and come home having tried something besides a snack from the bottom of your bag. They also offer a Parents’ Night Out, which means you can drop the kids off, let them cook dinner, and sneak in a city date night. 🙌

Whatever July looks like for you — I hope this makes it a little easier, a little more fun, and gives you one or two ideas worth leaving the house (and AC 🥵)for. 💌