+These foldable/packable totes are a dream while traveling. I keep one in my suitcase and find an infinite array of purposes for them. The cutest prints, too!
+These collared bodysuits are second to none. So soft and well-made. I had them in long and short sleeves for basically every size when mini was born and they’ve held up beautifully for Hill.
+This candle in the Japanese Quince scent is divine. Very heavily fragranced so great for larger rooms. At $25, a fraction of the price of Diptyque but just as elegant IMO.
Blondish hair, an addiction that developed in my late 20s from which I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to wean myself. I am naturally a dark brunette — my brother used to taunt me by commenting that my hair was “raven black,” which was incidentally not true but also incidentally a curious sort of thing to get upset about — and then one day I read that Frederic Fekkai had said that every woman should go platinum blond at some point in her life and I couldn’t rid it from my mind. I don’t care to go platinum, but I’ll take just-back-from-the-beach highlights from now ’til eternity, please and thank you.
Bruises up and down my legs from schlepping an travel stroller over my shoulder up and down the subway stairs — the marks of an active and (can I say it?) devoted mother, determined to take her children everywhere in Manhattan.
A six inch long scar across my abdomen from two c-sections and a childhood surgery. I’ve had that scar for as long as I can remember and so I barely register it but every now and then I pause and think how grateful I am for modern medicine and the miracle of giving birth to a breech baby and then a very overdue baby via caesarean.
Brows that need tending, one of those personal tasks I continuously demote in my never-ending list of to-dos.
Arms too toned for my wholesale rejection of formal exercise at this stage in my life. I have “mom arms” from carrying my over-twenty-pound baby around on my hip at all hours of the day.
A chipped manicure — irritating, but such is life with two little ones and a lot of hand washing, cooking, and cleaning.
Lingering sniffles and coughs from a nasty bout of the flu.
Under-eye circles so dark that no concealer’ll do from going on three years of early mornings and middle-of-the-night wakeups with small children.
A round-cut diamond solitaire engagement ring and a diamond band telling the world “I am taken” but also, still, to this day, leaving me entranced with their beauty.
Wrinkles, mainly from smiling and sun, reminding me that I have lived a pretty damn good life so far.
Jeans that still technically fit but that have never quite looked the same after this second baby. I am the exact same weight as I was before Hill came along, and yet. Certain sections of my body have permanently changed shape.
Very long lashes (thank you, Dad) enhanced by very black mascara (thank you, Giorgio).
These externalities make for interesting sign reading. But they do not reveal this bigger truth, unseen and mainly undetected owing to years of assiduousness developing my confidence and earnestness: that I have a tender heart worn, more often than not, at the very cuff of my sleeve.
This from a gal suffering from the most intense case of l’esprit de l’escalier*. Does anyone else suffer from this predicament from time to time?!
*French phrase referring to the predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late. I am often of this spirit. I am quick on the uptake but desperately slow by way of retort. Perhaps a gift, after all — I’ve never suffered the consequences of blurting out the wrong thing.
Post Scripts.
+One way to combat l’esprit: write down your thoughts on paper (love these notebooks and these pens) after the fact. More often than not, the exercise reveals to me my insecurities on a given topic and enables me to let it all go. Sometimes, however, it equals quiet vindication.
+Speaking of desktop supplies: this charging phone stand has been a lovely convenience. (One of my stocking stuffers from Mr. Magpie!)
+Ordered these knee socks for mini. In years past, I have spent a small fortune shipping European-brand knee socks from Children Salon (love Pretty Originals and Carlomagno) — these are a great alternative!
This roundup does not include the stunning dress above, which I dream of owning and have no idea where to find. Does anyone else still use Pinterest? I’m always coming across the most insanely inspiring snaps from there…
Another batch of questions answered! If I didn’t get to your question here, I’ll tackle it in the next dispatch! And the picture above has nothing to do with anything but that enormous arrangement literally left me swooning. In a dream world, I’d stow all of your little queries, hand-written, in a little tray on a console in a fabulous entryway like this. A girl can dream?!
Q: What’s on your Easter dinner menu?
A: First comes Saint Patrick’s day, and Mr. Magpie is corning his own beef and I’ll be making Martha Stewart’s caraway-seed-studded soda bread (delicious slathered with Kerrygold butter). So we’ve been talking about that and deferring conversations about Easter. But most likely leg of lamb! (We made ham last year.)
We love Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc cookbook for major meals like this — a food blogger wrote about the Ad Hoc roasted leg of lamb here in case you want a preview. He also has some exceptional vegetable preparations in that book. I’m specifically remembering his “asparagus coin” recipe, which is kind of the perfect Easter vegetable since asparagus are JUST coming into season then, and it’s dressed in the most scrumptious chive oil. You can find the recipe here if you don’t have the cookbook.
I’m probably blending different Easters in my mind and I’m sure Mr. Magpie will be appalled and will correct me, but I think this was one of our menus from years past and it was BANANAS:
HOUSE-SMOKED SALMON (MR. MAGPIE SMOKED IT ON HIS OWN GRILL) AS AN APPETIZER WITH ACCOUTREMENTS
*Be warned: this makes enough for a football team. Make sure you allocate enough time to peel the potatoes. I had multiple guests helping me — ha!
**If I recall correctly, I made a major substitution by using coconut milk instead of milk because I was cross-referencing Martha’s recipe and I feared Ina’s cake batter wouldn’t be coconutty enough. It worked out beautifully but it’s one of the bravest things I’ve ever done in the kitchen. I’m normally a fierce anti-substitution baker, as nothing grinds my gears more than reading a review of a recipe that reads: “TWO STARS — THIS WAS HORRIBLE. I swapped out the butter for applesauce and the flour for almond meal and didn’t have any milk, so I used water. It was disgusting.”
Or — an investment diaper bag! I was over the moon when Mr. Magpie bought me a Goyard before mini was due. I also love those Chanel Deauville totes if the baby is a summer baby.
Q: What are some ideas for a splash of green to wear to a St. Patrick’s day party?
Q: How do you deal with the “time is flying by” angst that comes with raising children?
A: Not well! I lamented this when I wrote that time is a thief. One actionable thing that helps (and I’m not always great at this) is keeping my phone across the room when I’m sitting on the floor with them. I find myself really dialed in and time seems to slow down (sometimes a little too much — haha). I always feel like I’ve really absorbed them when I take the time to do this, and I aim to do it at least once each day.
The other element is accepting practicality. My mother is really good at reminding me of this point. “Jen,” she says, “Hill will sometimes need to cry while you empty the dishwasher or make dinner. And that’s OK.” I always think of her pragmatism in saying things like this with regards to agonizing over how fast time is flying–it is, and it’s hard, but it’s also life and you’ve got to be practical and keep moving. I can’t sit around staring at my children all day! I have to run the household and write and be a human myself. Giving myself this pep talk helps me come to terms with how quickly time is going.
Q: What’s one thing you’re looking forward to in the next three months, next year, and next decade?
A: Fun question!
In the next three months: Emory’s third birthday. She is so excited about it and I’m looking forward to celebrating with her. Also, the arrival of our dining table, which has taken MONTHS to ship and is currently expected to arrive in mid-March. (More on our apartment progress here.)
In the next year: Celebrating ten years of marriage with Mr. Magpie in August and finally getting away, just the two of us.
In the next decade: Continuing to grow this blog into new and amazing things.
Q: I’m looking for lilac or mint-colored clothing for spring. Do you have any recommendations that are reasonably priced?
A: Ooh, this is so my lane! I shared a lot of my favorite pastel scores for spring here. Some standouts:
Q: Suggestions for a baby shower dress for a girl mom to be?
A: Congratulations! Exciting. A few of my top picks:
+I am obsessed with this new-to-me label Batsheva and this dress looks like it would be perfect with a bump. Pair with a delicate kitten heel/sandal and some statement earrings to keep the look young.
+For a more formal/traditional venue (i.e., country club or tea), this dress looks very Jackie O and this dress (from the same label) is super sweet. I’d pair either with my Tory Burch Tatiana mules (sold out, but you can still find them on eBay / Poshmark).
+For something more modern, this plaid Ganni would be bump-friendly and so chic!
+I absolutely swoon over the gorgeous embroidered pieces from Mi Golondrina — this would be adorable.
Q: I really liked the Poppy Bows Etsy shop that you recommended, but it seems she has closed! Where else do you find toddler hair bows?
A: I love WeeOnes on Amazon! Great quality and ship via Amazon Prime. I like the medium ones for everyday and the king sized for a major statement (they are HUGE — 6″).
Q: You wrote at some point about buying a little scooter for your daughter. I was considering one for my child’s upcoming second birthday. Was a two-year-old able to master it, or would it be better to wait until age three? Any other gift ideas for a two year old?
A: Yes! We got mini the Micro Mini in cherry red. Two year olds can absolutely use it right away and master it quickly, especially this brand, which has just the right dimensions. Most toddlers in New York scoot around on these! More ideas for toddler gifts here, but one of our gifts for mini on her second birthday was a play table and a chair just her size. She has used it daily since!
Q: I am considering taking a family trip to New York in early June with an eight-month-old. First and foremost, am I insane? I am curious as to your packing recommendations and suggestions for navigating the city for a weekend with a little. What are the must-haves to pack? What to leave at home? Grateful and #blessed for your thoughts in advance.
A: Not insane! I can speak from experience because we moved to New York when mini was eight months and I can specifically remember being scared about that — but honestly, Manhattan is WONDERFUL if your baby can still fit into a carrier. I was obsessed with the Baby Bjorn mini and would recommend that hands-down, though micro did just outgrow it (he’s enormous) and so we’ve gotten a big carrier. But, MUST bring your carrier. You’ll find it easy to get around on the subway, etc., with that. If you own one of those Doona carseat/strollers, that seems like a brilliant solution for airport/longer cabs, though we worked with what we had: a Nuna carseat that snaps into the Babyzen Yoyo with these adaptors. (When mini was little, those adaptors did not exist, so we put the Nuna in this inexpensive carseat carrier. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever used (janky), but it got the job done and was cheap!) I would also recommend bringing a backpack so that you are hands-free and a ton of hand sanitizer.
Random things to make sure you have: dish soap, a bottle brush, and a travel drying rack; a travel white noise machine because NY is noisy!; diaper bags for stowing dirty diapers in the hotel room or when out and about; and — MOST IMPORTANTLY — a laissez faire attitude. Will you be able to follow your schedule? No. Will your baby have a blowout in a fancy restaurant? Yes. Will you wind up changing your baby on a bathroom floor because there’s no changing table? Most likely. Chalk it up to adventure and power on.
Things you can leave at home: travel crib (most hotels have them, but definitely call to confirm) and diapers (I have either Amazon Primed them to my destination or — in NY — just stopped at a Duane Reade or CVS, as they are on virtually every corner and diapers are SO bulky to pack!…of course, pack like six for the travel day; you always run through them faster than you think).
Q: I need some inspiration for the room my boys will be sharing! I have twin beds but don’t know how to fill the space between them. Bedside tables? A bookshelf?
A: I would first make sure that I have a rug large enough to run from wall to wall — I think that will make the room look very cohesive vs. a rug that lays between the beds. A few of my favorite rugs for little boys’ rooms: this striped one, this Mark Sikes one (also comes in navy or tan), and this one, which is in Hill’s room. I would then consider using a wide dresser between the two beds. I love this one (or, if space is wider, this one), and then placing a lamp on each end (love these). Consider this photo for inspiration:
Q: Our daughter is getting married and I have a few showers to attend. I am so thrilled for her and want to give her something special….something that is not on her registry . Any thoughts??? I would love for it to be something she will treasure for years to come!
A: Ooh, I love this. My first thought was a few of the serving bowls / platters that go with her china set but that she may not have registered for. My MIL gave us bowls and platters that matched our pattern in duplicate and I am SO HAPPY she did because you kind of need a lot of them when serving dinner! Someone also got us this elegant coffee pot, which went with our china set but that I never would have asked for and it makes me so happy.
Luggage would be a wonderful gift as it is expensive and no one wants to invest in it but it is SO NEEDED and you can frame it as “something to take with you on your adventures as a couple.” People rave about Rimowa.
Another thought: my parents bought Landon and I a tree for the home we bought in Chicago. I was so moved by that. I’m not sure if your daughter owns her place, but that would be a very memorable gift. A rose or peony bush or maybe some boxwoods would be so lovely — plants/trees are so expensive!
They also offered to buy us a piece of furniture when we moved in New York and it was just the most thoughtful indulgence. It felt like they were investing in our lives together and helping us outfit our new home. Maybe you can have a sense for something she has needed or wanted in her house — a new dresser, an updated coffee table, new dining chairs?
Or maybe something she’s decided to “scrimp” or “save” on for the wedding — for example, my mother surprised me on the day of our wedding by having paid for lighting specialists! It totally changed the mood of the reception and it was such an extravagance that I’d considered but dismissed as too frivolous. You could do something like that — like maybe she’s decided to go with a simple and practical pair of white pumps and you surprise her with a trip to Nordstrom to buy a pair of Manolos.
For something ultra-splurgy, a set of sterling silver? I inherited a set from my parents and from Landon’s parents and I absolutely love using it with guests. It’s so special and something I will pass down to my children. You can buy new sterling silver from Christofle or Tiffany or scout out some beautiful vintage sets on Etsy (or, if you’re local to D.C., the Christ Child Opportunity Shop always has amazing silver).
These are all pretty big ticket item purchases, but I should also add that some of the most meaningful gifts I’ve received from my mom have been items of hers that she loved — handbags, scarves, necklaces, etc. That could be a special gift for your daughter on her wedding day, too.
Q: I’m a bridesmaid in a Bermuda wedding. Any recommendations for a light pink gown that works on the beach?
A: Ooh la la. This is pretty and beachy, this is right up my alley though possibly a little saucy, this is on-trend, and I always love Needle & Thread if the bride tolerates a little embellishment.
Q: I’m going to three weddings this spring — the kicker is that I’ll be seven months pregnant for the last one. The same dress is fine (the weddings are among different groups of friends) and I’d love to stay under $200 (ideally under $150). Help!
A: Hi! I mentioned this above in response to a baby shower query, but this dress could work with or without bump, though it’s not super-formal so it would depend on the events. Love that big dramatic bow in the back! This or this dress look very roomy/could work with bump, but the open backs would depend on your own comfort level. (I adore both though!) Also check out Zara’s Mama collection – lots of affordable and fashion-forward scores there that aren’t explicitly maternity.
I first came across this pair of Agolde jeans (seen above; NOTE: available on sale for $50?!?!! in a different wash similar to the ones above here) when I was pregnant and they were all that I could think about for a long while because I could not wear them and also could not order them, as I’d be outside the return window by the time I’d be able to fit into my usual size. They haunted me for months. Every time I’d imagine my postpartum style, it was those jeans with a white frilly blouse. So when they sold out on Shopbop, I was highly disappointed. (Apparently no one could keep this style in stock!) Then — I recently checked back (on a whim) and there the were! I have never worn a style of denim like this. I favor skinny jeans or the mildest of boyfriend jeans because I am petite but curvy and a lot of the wider leg styles do not do me any favors. These are different. I have to hem them so that they show more ankle but MAN are they flattering and I cannot tell you how much I adore the wash, especially when paired with a frilly white top (I’ll be wearing this one). The denim has no stretch to it (at all) but it all hangs really nicely and elongates the torso. I would say they run a tiny bit big, if you’re contemplating ordering. IN.LOVE.
These have a similar vibe, but cost less and I love their wash. I love J. Crew denim. 40% of my denim collection is J. Brand, 40% is J. Crew, and the remaining 20% are pairs I probably will never wear again. (With the exception of my new Agoldes!)
You’re Sooooo Popular: A Chic Rug.
The most popular items on the blog this past week:
+The best gloves for doing dishes. (They are lined with a soft terry material and don’t have that nasty rubber smell. These have saved me hundreds of dollars in manicures, TBH. By protecting my hands, I can go longer between manicures.)
+Mini cuisinart — has made it so easy to expose Hill to tons of new flavors. I just feed him whatever we’re eating, pureed. Then I pop all the parts in the dishwasher and do the same thing the next day.
+Everyone needs one of these small cutting boards. I use it 9/10, even when I probably should use the bigger one. So light and easy to clean vs. the full-size.
+THIS JOHANNA ORTIZ DRESS. If you bought, please share a pic of yourself in it on Insta so I can marvel.
#Turbothot: When Are You Most Yourself?
I was listening to an episode of the American Girl podcast last week where the hosts interview a woman who sews her own costumes and has replicated many of the Kirsten looks herself. At one point in the conversation, that woman recounts a time where her husband asked her: “How does it feel to be dressed up? Do you feel like a different person?” She replied: “Not at all — I feel like my truest self.”
In response, one of the podcast hosts remarks that she feels most herself when she is creating something.
I mused over both of these insights for some time and posed the same question of myself: When am I most myself?
I tried for some time to think about whether it was when doing something or wearing something or in a specific place or at a specific time but I kept returning to the fact that I am most wholly myself when I am with my husband. I never feel the impulse to self-censor or modulate the breadth of my far-flung interests or screen my idle musings. He will not bat an eye when I flit from soul-searching (over dinner at I Sodi, we talked about the concept of discernment, which proved to be the seed for a full-length blog post) to deliberating between rug styles to agonizing over motherhood within the space of a few minutes. He sat with me every night on the couch for days and days when I cried (absolutely sobbed!) about weaning micro and not feeling ready and being confused about how intense it all seemed. He did not understand what I was going through, but he held my hand and nodded his head and never made me feel crazy or — more importantly — as if I should just shut up about it, something I continued to tell myself. (“Stop agonizing over this! It’s enough!” As if I could control the violent surge of hormones and motherly affection and parental responsibility with a quiet inward tsk, tsk.) He lets me make occasionally impolitic observations. He often nudges me back to my good manners but never thinks the less of me for them. I never feel stupid with him, no matter how embarrassing it is that I have had to ask him things like “wait, how do magnets work?” and “is Luxembourg a country?”, but — equally — I never feel like the smartest person in the room when I am next to him, as he is sharp and strategic-minded and often sees things — especially bigger picture things — well out of my ken. He is my equal and my confidante and my cheerleader and my critic and when I sit in front of him, I feel like the fullest, truest version of myself.
What about you? When do you feel most yourself?
Post-Scripts: Elephant Jammies.
+H&M is KILLING it with their swimwear game for littles these days. Love this and already bought these in the seersucker for Hill.
+FRIENDS: these $200 chairs from Pier 1 are the spitting image of a much more expensive style from Serena & Lily. AMAZING buy. Also like these if you’re into the chippendale vibe — hard to find them anywhere else for less!
+I am not usually big into logo/label-wear but I am inexplicably drawn to this sweatshirt. I feel like it would give me a chic street edge?
+This $20 denim dress is so chic. Would probably swap out the belt (hate those silver belt rings) for something like this.
+I have been getting a LOT of use out of my Alexandre Birman booties (<<on sale!) this season. I call them my “disco balls” and I actually have not yet worn them without eliciting a compliment from a stranger — they are SO GOOD and I usually pair them with a more demure outfit to tone things down a little. I often wear them with a tweed top similar to this, black skinnies, big pearl earrings, and a padded headband. They are available in a different colorway here for only $222!!!!
+Speaking of Alexandre Birman — there are so many great styles on sale at BG right now. I love these and of course these. Not on sale, but I am eyeing these for this summer.
+Ordered this for mini’s upcoming birthday! She loves dressing up as a superhero with a blanket around her shoulders.
+Big sale going at Bergdorf’s and I often find great occasionwear for the little ones there — love this Pili Carrera and this one, too.
We were on 82, mountains in silhouette as far as the eye could see and houses scattered across farmland and brush closer in. We were on our way back from horse back riding in Snowmass, and we we tired and ready for lunch and I was staring intently at the cover of Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men, which I’d finished the night prior. The book was graffitied with marginalia and underlined passages, shorthand for comprehension and aesthetic savvy–and yet I knew the truth: I did not understand the book. My freshman English teacher had insisted that note-taking and underlining were critical components in active reading and so I’d towed the line dutifully. (Once a rule-follower, always a rule follower.) Yet I remember sitting there in frustrated reflection: Just think, Jen. WHAT could this possibly mean? WHAT is this book about? THINK. Think of one thing. One. I kept coming up dry, fumbling through scattershot scenes from the novel, realizing all at once that if pushed to provide a review, all I’d be able to say was that it was long and impressive and very good. This last point — the perception of the book’s “goodness” — was automatic in my absorption of all cultural phenomena at that age. Opera was good. Mallarme’s poetry was good. Vanity Fair was good. Celine Dion was good. Jackson Pollack was good. “Titanic” was good. Ace of Base was good. Izzy Willy Nilly was good. “A River Runs through It” was good. “Rikki Tikki Tavi” was good. e.e. cummings was good.
I had a close girlfriend at that time who was far more discerning than I was. She knew I liked to read (though I felt increasingly like an imposter for owning that attribute, as I was painfully aware that I was something of an omnivorous book dolt: I read and liked everything), and she had given me Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer as a gift. Unsurprisingly, I’d read and liked it. She’d pranced around in critical analysis like a literary sylph while sitting on the back patio of my childhood home, swatting away mosquitos, pointing out this and that and how she wasn’t particularly fond of his technique here, and I’d sat back in horrified stupefaction, nodding my head like an idiot, hoping she’d not notice I’d contributed nothing to the conversation.
I longed at that age for the gift of discernment.
The feeling of whizzing down 82, groping in the dark for a meaningful observation on my summer reading assignment — hoping, if I am honest, for some little morsel of critical censure I might toss at the book — has become a touchstone experience in my life, as I will never forget the intensity of my frustrated desire for percipience. I wanted desperately to have an opinion. I wanted to be able to point at something and say, “Aha, that is bad craftsmanship” or “I didn’t care for this bit because…” And I think maybe that frustration led me to pursue a degree in literature, and contemplate a career in academia, and start a blog where I can sit and think and exercise my critical faculties.
So it’s mildly amusing to look back at that age nowadays, as I find myself an increasingly tough critic and sometimes I wonder to what end? I admire, for example, the fact that my brilliant father will alternate between reading massive tomes on Winston Churchill and delivering moving speeches on his work in philanthropy to watching re-runs of “Everybody Loves Raymond” with my mother–without self-reproach. “It’s funny,” he says. And it is. And who cares?
I had and still have many friends who operate under the impression that cynicism is cool.* And it is. It’s far cooler to thumb one’s nose than to grin ear to ear in easy, unreflecting acceptance of whatever you are watching or reading, because the former implies intelligence and perspicacity. And I will admit to falling pray to its siren call in college and especially graduate school — essentially a game of who can be more sardonic and for how long? Then again, I’ll never forget a colleague rolling his eyes about something Foucault wrote in a gesture of superior comprehension and thinking, “Oh my dear God, where am I? This is not who I am.”
Somewhere over the course of launching and running my own business, I realized that discernment and dubiety were two very different things, and got to work untangling them and rather fastidiously avoiding the latter. Nowadays, I positively bristle in the face of cynicism and am, I think, highly attuned to ferreting out the cynics from the critics. The cynic scoffs and buffs her nails on her shirt pocket and arranges her face in a frown while the critic leans forward to listen more carefully and unwittingly spills coffee on her blouse. One is cooler but the other is truer.
We are all entitled to opinions, but my challenge to myself in attempting to avoid the unbecoming posture of the cynic has been to go a level deeper than “I did not like this because x.” X — whether it’s the length of the movie, or the amount of violence in it, or the unsatisfying ending, or the strange casting — is not enough. I need to dig beneath x to get to the real heart of the matter. And if my excavations prove unfruitful, I probably don’t understand it or haven’t fully unpacked my reaction to it, and so I sit in silence until I have.
*N.B. My aforementioned friend from high school was not one of them — she was flat out brilliant and I still marvel at her acuity at a young age.
+This post also brought to mind my intense reaction to the famous Teddy Roosevelt quote “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming…”
+If this subject matter is interesting to you, you must read Joseph Epstein’s Snobbery. You should know that he is something of a controversial figure and that the academic elite has spurned him and his work for the past few decades. But it is excellent, ultra-smart writing and I think often of it.
+MUST own a pair of Mercedes Salazar earrings this summer. So fun! Such an easy way to dress up an LWD or a white tee and white jeans. Especially love these.
Mr. Magpie and I just enjoyed the loveliest staycation. We ate at two of our absolute favorite restaurants, I Sodi and Prune (where THE Gabrielle Hamilton bussed our table! Mr. Magpie was majorly starstruck, as her memoir is one of his favorite books and we reference/use the Prune cookbook constantly. She made a joke about taking his Bloody Mary away before it was finished, and after she left, he said: “We’re basically on the level of exchanging Christmas cards now.” Ha!). We also had dinner with friends at Mission Chinese, took in the Dutch Masterpieces exhibition at The Met (one of the best exhibits I’ve seen in a long awhile — the curator’s notes were exceptional!), enjoyed a leisurely coffee date just the two of us at Irving Farm, watched “Parasite” and “Ford v Ferrari,” bought some “drip” (ha!) for Mr. Magpie at Todd Snyder, popped in for an impromptu glass of wine at a wine bar around the corner from us, supervised several playdates, passed a lovely morning over coffee and pastries with our former neighbors, and passed an equally lovely happy hour over wine with our new neighbors while our children played. As we sat in I Sodi eating truffle pappardelle with globes of nebbiolo in hand, we kept saying to each other: “Do we really live here? Is this our life?!” For all of its bawdiness and unkindnesses, New York makes it up to you when it really matters. I’m sure NY will figure out how to take us down a peg (remember the cockroach incident?), but for now? We’re on cloud nine.
If you’re visiting or staycationing in NY and share a similar penchant for gluttony, may I recommend you follow our protocol? Try Prune for lunch. Show up just as it opens at 11:30 on a Monday. We got a table with no problem and lingered there for some time. You might even spot Gabrielle herself, as we did.
Stop by the Met on a Tuesday afternoon around 2:30. The early crowds have evaporated and there is far more elbow room. (Plus, the Met is pay-what-you-wish for NY residents.) Then grab a happy hour drink — incidentally, happy hours are few and far between in Manhattan and it’s hard to find a glass of wine for under $14, but Mermaid Inn and Vin Sur Vingt on the UWS are exceptions and accommodating spots to pass an hour or so.
I Sodi does accept reservations but you might do as we did and chance it by showing up around 6:30 (risky business) on a Tuesday night and putting your names in for a spot at the bar. (Honestly, we prefer sitting at the bar to a table most nights! It’s cozy, easier to hear one another, and has a completely different — more casual — vibe. I love it.) The restaurant said it would be a 45 minute wait, which, in New York, is the equivalent to “immediate seating” — ha, and also, eye roll. Everything in Manhattan is SUCH A SCENE. We miss the unfussiness of Chicago, which boasted excellent restaurants but was a lot more approachable and easy to navigate when it came to getting seated. (With one exception: Au Cheval.) We one time went to Gramercy Tavern to try their legendary burger and were told that there would be a two hour wait…to put our names in. As in — “Come back in two hours, and we can add your name then.” YAH RIGHT. We’re not waiting for four hours for a burger thankyouverymuch. At any rate, this past Tuesday, we put in our names and went around the corner from I Sodi to one of my favorite bars in the city, Bar Pisellino. It’s essentially a Milanese aperitivi bar — they specialize in spritzes and negronis and have little salty treats to snack on, like pickled vegetables and hunks of parm and crispy breadsticks. The bar is a triangle shape optimal for a quick perch and a quick sip before heading out to dinner; most of the customers appear to be waiting for tables at nearby restaurants like Via Corota (excellent, and we saw Natalie Portman there when we went) and I Sodi. It’s an easy, pleasant, elegant way to pass an hour while waiting for a table.
Take the Subway to and from. It’s the fastest way to get around and will leave you feeling less guilty about the tab.
At any rate. Glowing from our lovely culinary itinerary, but thought I’d also share a few discoveries and purchases over the past few days that you need to know about…
+Saw this organza blouse (seen above) and ordered on the spot. $35 for the prettiest shade, the puffiest sleeves, and those bows at the back?! IN LOVE.
+This top is also really fun. Both give me Cecilie Bahnsen vibes.
+PSA DO NOT MISS THE LAKE PAJAMAS ANNUAL SALE. Love these for little boys, these for myself, and — if you are pregnant or nursing or know someone who is — you cannot miss these, which were my favoriteeeee.
+Finally picked a rug for mini’s bedroom and scored it at 20% off with code HOLIDAY. It’s one of the last “essential” pieces I had hoped to figure out in the short term. There are slower-burn items we’ll be keeping an eye out for over the next year or so, like a big and hopefully vintage piece of furniture for our dining room (maybe a hutch or a pie safe, as explained here) and some artwork for our bedroom, but we’re in a pretty good place at the moment. Mini’s room is an odd shape — pretty long (maybe 16 feet?) but with a window seat at an angle and her bed opposite on one end of the room. My friend (and talented interior designer!) Jen Hunter had suggested having a rug custom cut from this store for the room, which is what she did for her daughter’s also oddly-shaped nursery, but we decided that spending north of $1000 for a rug in an apartment we are renting for maybe a few more years wasn’t worth it. We instead bought a 6×9 of this rug to demarcate her “play space” and more or less fill most of the room before the slanted window, and then will use a smaller round rug in the space between her bed and the slanted window seat. I’m waiting for the rug to arrive to assess how bright its colors are and we’ll go from there on the round rug, but how cute is this or this?
+Prior to moving into this apartment, I’d never used a rug pad in my life. Is that embarrassing? But we bought all new rugs for our apartment and truly invested in them — and so I also bought rug pads, including for both children’s rooms. They keep them from moving around/slipping, protect the rug and floor, and also add a delightful layer of cushioning. We have used this brand.
+We use this Scandi-style side table in mini’s room and I am nearly always asked where it is from! People assume it’s more expensive than it is…
+Speaking of mini’s bedroom, we lucked out in that I noticed that the conversion kit that will enable us to switch her toddler bed into a twin bed is now on clearance!!! Yikes. Glad I ordered that before it went out of stock. Just a word to the wise — probably better to order all of the parts to a given convertible crib before it’s too late!
+We bought a few new things for Mr. Magpie from Todd Snyder, but my favorites are this pair of jeans (love love the vintage, All-American look of a light wash denim on a guy), which I insisted he pair with this white cashmere sweater. So handsome!
+Mr. Magpie has worn Persol sunglasses for maybe the last decade, and I want to shake things up by buying him these clear shades from hip label Garrett Leight.
+Cute new book we are reading a lot these days at mini’s bedtime.
+I needed one more backup sleepsack for micro as his Moon & Back one literally fell apart within a few weeks of use (!!!) Going to give this Kyte one a try as so many of you recommend them, though we do love our Woolinos.
+Stocked up on these for micro’s spring wardrobe. When do baby boys start looking weird in peter pan collars??? I love them so much but don’t want him to look like Little Lord Fauntleroy. Ha.
+DEAD over this blouse!!! LOVE. I’m always drawn to white but maybe I need it in the pink.
By: Jen Shoop
Below, items I use HEAVILY that bring me joy every single day because they are flawlessly, thoughtfully designed and often add a little stylish pizzazz to my life:
My sisters and I huddled on the floor of the window-lined end room in the basement of our childhood home, the sun only a faint promise in the still-navy-blue sky of a six a.m. wakeup. Our house was built into the top of a hill such that part of the basement was submerged, hidden behind a stone-top patio, but the east-facing bit — where we sat encircled around a somber scene — was above ground, with windows flanking three of its sides, looking out onto a stone pathway that arched around a rose trellis my father had installed for my mother in a gesture I understood to mean true love. In daylight, in the summer, sitting on the floor of that room where I passed many hours of my childhood, I could see only a swathe of thick pine foliage offset by roses and some sort of prickly bush or boxwood in the foreground, and the effect gave me the impression that I was in my own Secret Garden, a book I cherished at that age that had also been adapted into a movie I adored and a Kennedy Center performance I took in with my nanny one evening well beyond my normal bedtime. “Walk on a diagonal up the stairs,” she had instructed me as I mounted the red carpeted stairwell of the Kennedy Center. “It’s more ladylike.” Even then, I was circumspect about this morsel of female advice, especially as my mother had never impressed it upon me, but I obliged nonetheless, and as we took a taxi home, whizzing down Rock Creek Parkway in the pitch black, I crossed my legs in the backseat in a gesture I’d pocketed from my mother and felt a strange and new awareness of the line between being a little girl and being a big girl and decided I was the latter.
But that morning, in the earliest bloom of day, we were enacting a Barbie funeral. We were six, eight, and ten, and though I had the mounting suspicion that I was too old to play with Barbies, I silenced those reservations save for in the context of my classroom, where I habitually and vehemently denied my secret pastime, and, for the fifth or ninth or twelfth time, participated in the performance of a narrative my sisters and I had constructed across those seamless and infinite summer mornings on Tilden Street in Washington D.C., when we were just girls. The plot was a patchwork of characters and story lines adapted from Little House on the Prairie, the Oregon Trail computer game, and Kirsten (the American Girl doll) and her affiliated fiction and we’d inverted plastic tubs that served as covered wagons drawn by horse toys. There were adventures and misadventures and lots of stops to set up camp and eat gruel around a fire, but the central drama was a rogue coyote who chased down one of the covered wagons and managed to snatch a little boy Barbie doll we called Hunter — and kill him. The villainy was directly tied to an experience we’d had in Aspen the summer before, when we’d gone camping with my father and had awoken to the yip and song of a pack of coyotes. My father appeared unruffled by the incident, which gave us some assurance that we weren’t in imminent danger, but we were petrified–hence the death by coyote. The funeral was a tenebrous affair that even now feels improper and ghastly to write about given our young age, but it involved an open casket — the monsignor at our Church had recently passed away and so we know about this grim Catholic tradition — and the singing of “Amazing Grace” and sometimes we even made ourselves cry while performing it.
The sun now up, we heard my mother open the door to the basement: “Girls! Breakfast!” The three of us dropped our drama in situ and scampered upstairs, all wrinkled nightgowns and tangled hair and one missing sock and squabbling over who got the Aunt Jemima syrup first and no-the-blue-cup-is-mine, Elizabeth.
The other day, my daughter forged a connection between my engagement ring and our dining room. The link made complete sense to her, but I stood there in nodding befuddlement — “oh, uh-huh” muttered absent-mindedly while picking up toys off the floor of her bedroom. Then, a few minutes later: “Why was my ring in the dining room?” Wondering whether I’d missed something. Wondering what she was getting at. “No, the diamond room!” she corrected me.
“Dining room?”
“Yes, the Diamond room!”
Aha. I saw in a flash the intactness of her logic: Daddy had given me a diamond ring, and we ate dinner in a room called “the diamond room,” and her creative catachresis brought to mind the coyotes of my youth. I felt lucky to be invited into her imagination at that moment, party to the formation of a memory that might eventually shape her impression of the world around her, as the coyotes and Frances Hodgson Burnett and walking up the Kennedy Center stairs on the diagonal have mine. We learn through reference, tumble through the world stringing along associations that occasionally make no sense — like how the taste of merlot always reminds me of the shape of a circle? — and when we are young and our circlet of reference points is concentrated, these connections are loud and close-to-the-surface and conjured on a nearly daily basis, to the point that my sisters and I created a story to house the magic of the Secret Garden and the horror of monsignor’s death. And when I think back now, I see only the aurora of morning and our fumbling and earnest attempt to make sense of the enormity of our narrow world through blundering creative conceit. Early artists, I think, engaged in imaginative circumlocution — filtering the flotsam and jetsam, circling apprehension — just like my daughter, on a quiet Wednesday afternoon in February, muddling her way through metaphor.
+Who else gets nostalgic thinking about Mead composition books?! I used them to keep track of “happenings” in my neighborhood after reading Harriet the Spy. These are an even chicer option. Kind of want a set for myself!
+Love these bud vases. One of my favorite ways to decorate a tabletop is by scattering lots of tight clusters of flowers in tiny bud vases down the middle. These would be ideal with white hydrangea!
I’m an Etsy fiend. I have scored countless treasures on Etsy and when I can’t sleep, I enjoy tumbling down the Etsy rabbit hole searching for diamonds in the rough. Below, a few of my favorite sources…
Lemon Grace, Sophie Puckett, and Preppy Prodigy for children’s stationery. I just ordered these thank you notes for mini’s Peter Rabbit-themed birthday party and these gift enclosures because mini has three birthday parties in the next few weeks alone (!) Is there such a thing as birthday party season? Finally, I love giving these personalized bookplates along with a favorite book or two as a gift. (More great and affordable sources for stationery here.)
Blue Bamboo Embroidery for stunning monogrammed towels, especially for hand towels in powder rooms. I ordered this set for Hill’s bathroom and the owner was so helpful in guiding me towards the right color to go with his shower curtain.
Merci Maman Gifts and Layered and Long for reasonably-priced, personalized jewelry. I gave this bracelet to mini when she went off to school and plan to buy her this one for his First Communion. (Would also be a sweet gift if you are a sponsor for a gal about to be confirmed. #catholicthings.) I have also been eyeing this simple disc for myself, with my children’s names engraved on it. And – I had one of these engraved with mini’s initials and birth date after she was born.
Vintage Biffann for vintage Herend! Love giving vintage Herend pieces as gifts to friends who will “get” it — like these bunnies or this trinket box. I say friends who “get” it because a friend of mine was just saying that when she and her colleague were promoted, her boss purchased them both Herend animals, and my friend was overwhelmed by the gesture, while her colleague was baffled by it and quickly took it to the local Salvation Army. Ha!
Ivie Baby for Boppy covers. I still have this Rifle Paper-esque style, which I bought for mini but have used for micro as well (#wokebabyboy). It’s so pretty! Also love this one for micro.
P.S. I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries about gift ideas! Here are some good starting points, though I LOVE shopping for people so email me if you’re looking for something specific: great gift ideas for loved ones; gift ideas for babies; gift ideas for toddlers.
I mentioned this in a post a few weeks back, but I spent way too much time trying to track down this Proper Peony dress in mini’s size — and I found one! I had admired that dress for over a year, so it had to happen. A few other options I love for little girls:
Mr. Magpie and I are uber-punctual. So is everyone in both of our families. I can still recall the blanched and focused look my mother would get on the rare occasion we were running a few minutes late to art class or a playdate when I was a child — it was almost as if she could not bear to speak to anyone or think about anything else until she had arrived and apologized. And she will always — always and without fail — text or call to alert someone when she will be delayed, even if only by a few minutes. Even over the holidays, which I often envision as a chain of lazy days of continuous conversation, if my mother has indicated that dinner is at 6 p.m., come 6 p.m., the table is set, the candles are lit, the platters are full, and we sit down to eat. Best to not idle in the kitchen fetching a glass of sparkling water after everyone’s filed into the dining room, or you will enter while my father is mid-prayer, having started promptly upon being seated.
My parents will occasionally call family meetings on various matters and if they say we will be dialing in at 11 a.m., it’s far more common that every single sibling and sibling-in-law is on the line at 10:55 a.m. than it is that someone joins late. We are the modern Von Trapps.
And when Mr. Magpie and I hosted a dinner party a few weeks back, we estimated that if we told everyone to be there at 7:30, our guests would trickle in by 8, which was fine by us; we’ve adjusted our expectations when hosting because we understand that not everyone holds punctuality in such high esteem.
Nonetheless, my sister and brother in law showed up at 7:29 p.m.
Oh yes. We are a timely crew.
Why, I sometimes wonder? Are we uptight?
Well — my parents instilled in me the fact that being on time is an act of courtesy and respect for your companion. And so I would often have my mother’s voice in my ear when scurrying to get somewhere on time in my teens. In college, I relaxed the rules a bit — a small and pathetic form of rebellion once I was out on my own. I had noticed that many of my friends would lollygag around, “getting ready,” and then roll up to gatherings 30 or 45 minutes late. It felt something like a cultural norm, and showing up on-the-dot suddenly seemed square. Of course, I remained fastidiously punctual for class, work, and anything involving my parents, but it wasn’t until an incident a few years out of college that I became obsessive about being on time as a matter of politeness. I had made dinner plans with a girlfriend of mine with a demanding job, and I arrived a few minutes late for our reservation and then proceeded to wait twenty, then thirty, then forty-five minutes all on my own at that table. She kept texting that she was wrapping up and would be on her way soon but at the hour mark (and two glasses of wine later), I sourly texted her to forget it and slunk home, embarrassed. Even though she apologized profusely (and I have long since forgiven her and moved on — I love her!) and even though I understood her job was ultra-rigorous, it felt to me that my companionship meant nothing to her. That night, I promised myself I would never do that to anyone else — not even for a few minutes. I’d rather cancel the entire thing if my arrival was in question.
Of course there are lapses here and there, but timeliness is something of a core value in our home. It’s a small but noticeable gesture (especially when you are a parent with small children and THINGS HAPPEN when you are trying to get out the door) that you care enough about that person that you will rearrange your day to ensure you can make it on time.
Sometimes, though, I wonder why I exert so much energy over timeliness when I find myself literally sprinting down 71st street to make it to a girlfriend’s apartment, or paying the inordinate fare for a cab in order to get across town more quickly. I have friends who are habitually late but who often have very good explanations that reflect their priorities (“my son needed some extra snuggles tonight” or “my boss asked me to stick around to handle something for her as a personal favor”) and this occasionally leaves me wondering whether I prioritize punctuality over other things that matter more?
What do you think? Does punctuality matter to you? Why or why not?
+I posted a snap of this on Instastory earlier this week but I am DYING over these elephant pajamas! They remind me of Babar, and they come in a three pack for $25!!!
+I’ve had a brass plant mister that I’ve used primarily for decor on one of our bookshelves for many years now — who knew it would come in handy for our new house plants?! Ha. Also love this pretty purple one.
+If you’re still loving the puff (I am), this striped tee is really good.
+Mr. Magpie used to have a garden on the roof of our home in Chicago, and he was always coming down with a shirt full of fresh-picked vegetables. This would have been handy for him. What a nice gift for a home gardener!
If I didn’t get to your question, don’t worry! I have them all captured and will answer more in the next post!
Q: My husband and I are going to Italy (Florence, Tuscany, and Rome) at the end of May – thoughts on a good capsule wardrobe or pieces I should pack / wear together??
A: Oo la la! Here is what I would pack for a seven-day trip:
A STATEMENT DRESS YOU LOVE FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION (OR TWO), LIKE THIS OR THIS OR THIS ALONG WITH HEELS/WEDGES THAT MATCH
The idea is that you can mix and match the bottoms with different tops — like scalloped shorts and a white tee with sandals one day, but then scalloped shorts with a fun statement blouse for drinks a few days later. White jeans with a white tunic for sightseeing. The dress with espadrilles for wine tasting, then the dress with heels for dinner out. ETC. Just a lot of room to dress up and dress down — all in basic colors that can be accented with a fun scarf or statement earrings or a red lip. I find you can’t go wrong with a basic palette of white and denim!
Very jealous. May I also suggest buying a set of these clear packing cubes? They are so helpful for keeping things organized — a smaller one for underwear, a larger one for tops, the biggest ones for shorts and pants. The clear casing means you can always find what you’re looking for. Next level: buy a set for yourself in one color trim and a set for your husband in another color trim!
Q: Do you have favorite “in-between“ books (compelling/engaging, not so dense than I’ll fall asleep or get bored and find myself scrolling through Facebook, but also clever and well-written)? My patience and attention span seem to dwindle with age and children, and lately it seems I discard my choices for being either too tedious or too vapid. Any suggestions?
A: Do you like thrillers? I absolutely love this genre — they are suspense-filled enough to keep my attention but I find there is a lot more to think about in them than there is in your run-of-the-mill “chick lit” book. My recent favorite was Ruth Ware’s Turn of the Key. I’ve said it before, but it reads like a true Gothic novel and I loved it. The ending was irritating but overall, a fun read.
Beyond that, have you read either of Sally Rooney’s books? They are beautifully written but all about modern love — I just could not put them down. They were so, so good. I’m just counting the days until they turn them into movies. (Full review of one of them here.)
And finally, Madeline Miller’s Circe is a MUST READ. It might sound dry/boring given that it’s a retelling of the story of a Greek god but it is all-consuming. Everyone I have ever recommended it to (including many only-non-fiction-reading men!) has fallen in love.
A: Caitlin Fisher of Daily Cup of Couture! She is so elegant and “in her own lane.” I am always drawn to people who know who they are and march to the beat of their own drums.
Q: What hand sanitizer do you use? I saw yours in an instastory and it looked so chic!
PATAGONIA BAGGIES (CAN DOUBLE AS SWIM TRUNKS — GREAT FOR LOUNGING AT BEACH/POOL/ETC…LANDON LIVED IN THESE WHILE ON VACATION LAST YEAR! BUY IN A FUN COLOR LIKE SEAFOAM GREEN OR TANGERINE AND PAIR WITH WHITE POLO)
Someone messaged me on Instagram to say they’d picked the same theme and had a tablescape that looked like a garden! They used faux vegetables (these would be perfect, and would be a sweet gift for your one year old too!) sprinkled around some fake grass! Super cute idea.
Q: Do you have any baby-friendly recommendations for the Hamptons this summer?
A: Our approach has been to rent a slightly larger, more gracious house with a pool and a big backyard. We prioritize the home itself over the location, as we anticipate (correctly) we’ll spend a lot of time just hanging out at home, accommodating naps and grilling out for dinner (since we’ve never brought childcare with us). But during the day — stop by Jack’s Stir Brew in Amagansett in the morning and then let the babies play in the pretty little grassy knoll behind it. There are always loads of parents with little ones doing the same thing. If you wait long enough, Cavaniola’s will open and you can pick up delicious sandwiches or construct a cheeseboard to take home and enjoy while the baby naps. In Sag, we loved getting a pastry/donut/smoothie at SagTown Coffee and then walking along that main strip. The Golden Pear Cafe is also always bumping for breakfast, but we’ve never been. The main drag in Sag Harbor is fetchingly quaint and there are always lots of families there. It ends in a picturesque little marina. The beaches are always a good way to pass a day, too. And in East Hampton, we liked Mary’s Marvelous for breakfast and then we’d walk down to the Herrick Park playground a short walk away to let mini run out her energy. We desperately wanted to take Emory berry picking but we were there at a weird time — they’d just shut down strawberry picking for the season and didn’t yet have anything else to pick! So we’re hoping we can swing it this year…a few other items I’ve been hoping to do but that have not worked out / Emory has not yet been old enough to appreciate: the whaling museum in Sag Harbor, mini golf, and taking in the live music at Wolffer Vineyard. (Wouldn’t it be dreamy to enjoy a glass of wine while your children run around and you take in live music? I’m dying to do it!)
Q: Do you have any ideas for a fifth wedding anniversary present?
A: If you’re going for tradition, buy something wood — a piece of furniture you desperately need? (Several of my favorite finds here.) One of my favorite gifts from Mr. Magpie was a custom console he had made by a carpenter down in North Carolina. It’s beautiful and one-of-a-kind. So special. If you don’t care much for the traditional gift, what about an experience? An overnight trip to a special resort close by or a music concert or a sporting event? In New York, I’ve treated Mr. Magpie to opera tickets, a magic show (sounds dorky but was so cool — its at the NoMad Hotel), memorable meals at difficult-to-get-into restaurants like Le CouCou (insane insane insane — one of the best meals of my life).
If you want a gift to wrap, some of my favorite big ticket, special occasion gifts for Mr. Magpie have been a vintage alligator strap watch I found on aTheRealReal very similar to this (my dream would be to one day buy him a Patek Philippe), a pair of tuxedo slippers, and a crocodile belt from Paul Stuart.
Q: Do you have any strategies or routines for keeping up with household chores — dishes, laundry, etc?
A: The key for me is building them — permanently — into the structure of my day, so there’s not even a question of “hmm I don’t feel like doing that now.” I mentally allocate 30 minutes after our nanny arrives at nine a.m. to unload the dishwasher, clean the kitchen, put away toys and debris from breakfast, and make the beds. It’s non-negotiable. Heading into the day knowing that my actual “work day” won’t start until 9:30 makes it routine and expected rather than something that is “eating into” my day. The same goes for cleaning the kitchen/tidying before bed. I always mentally allocate 30 minutes to get everything done before I climb into bed. Making these blocks of time permanent fixtures in my day has helped a lot. I also schedule things like cleaning and ironing the sheets — they are recurring invites on my calendar!
For other chores, I keep a running task list of things I’d like to do but that are not as urgent as the daily things, and then I sprinkle them across my calendar at the beginning of each week. For example, this week I have on my list to polish my jewelry, Mr. Magpie’s cufflinks, and some of our silver which appears suddenly badly tarnished after our last dinner party. I also have notes to re-organize my desk drawer and sort through a bag of the children’s too-small clothing to donate/sell/give/keep. Any time I see something that I’d like to do but don’t have the bandwidth to take on at the moment, I add it to the list on my phone and then assign a date to it each Monday morning.
Finally, I have found that stowing cleaning supplies where they are easily accessible makes quick little clean-ups more likely to happen. For example, we have mirrored side tables in our bedroom that I am constantly needing to Windex. I found I would defer that for days! Then I bought a few packs of Windex wipes that I now keep in the side table so whenever it crosses my mind, I take the 30 seconds to grab one of those and wipe them down. The same goes for things like taking out the trash in the bathrooms. I started stowing rolls of the little trash bags for bathroom bins in each bathroom and it became much easier somehow to just take out the trash and replace the liner whenever it crossed my mind. I find having those tools easy to access right when you need them encourages me to take care of things just as I see them.
Q: What is the best practical baby gift?
A: For mom? A home-cooked meal or bag of groceries/sandwich fixings. (I detail how I do this in this post.) If you aren’t close enough to hand deliver something like that, a gift card to a food delivery service!
For baby — double check what’s on her registry to make sure she doesn’t already have it, but some of my most-used items during the newborn stage:
A: Cool sneakers! I still love my Golden Goose sneakers, two years in. They make me feel relevant even when I’m wearing jeans and a striped tee for the fifth day in a row…and I also wear them with casual dresses in the summer. You might also consider Vejas, which have a LOT of street cred right now. I see them everywhere. Very French girl chic.
For something a bit more timeless but still very comfortable and stylish: Supergas! I wear mine a lot in the summer especially and love how they look with everything from shorts to dresses. I have a white eyelet shirtdress similar to this that I love to wear with them.
I also love Tod’s loafers for a different vibe. Comfortable but pulled together. I like how they look with white jeans and a white sweater, or blue skinnies and an oxford.
Finally — Chanel flats! Look great even with just jeans and a white tee.
