My Latest Snag: Recliner Pajamas.
I bought a second pair of Recliner pajamas (seriously, many thanks to the reader who suggested these at some point in early 2020) now that they have been finally, blessedly restocked! I cannot tell you how much I love these pajamas. They are so soft and drapey and absolutely my favorite thing to wear to bed. They also have pockets, which I deeply appreciate in the early morning, when I am toting Hill on my hip, or carrying laundry down the hall, or schlepping breakfast dishes back and forth (#momthings).
I also love these J. Crew “dreamy” joggers, which are also ultra-soft and non-restricting. They are a slightly thicker/heavier weight than the Recliners.
If you’re into shorts at bedtime, you must try a pair of Eberjey Giseles. So incredibly soft. (Love this updated whipstitch variation.) I also love my Roller Rabbit short set (you can match with your mini!*), though I would not describe the cotton they use as “ultra-soft,” at least in the grown-up styles. I find them more crisp, which was great when I spent a week with family earlier this summer; they felt a little more appropriate to wear while putzing around the kitchen in the mornings.
*One of the most-asked questions I have ever received on Instagram was about where micro’s heart print footie was from — RR!
P.S. Nightgown sleepwear I love here!
You’re Sooooo Popular: An Eyelet Maxi.
The most popular items on the blog this past week:
+Sweet rainbow striped one-piece.
+This must be a record — I think this blockprint dress has been in the most popular list for months on end!
+Precious bow sandals for a little one.
+Affordable LWD with the most fun ric rac detailing! My cousin wore this when we were away and it was ADORABLE. The quality is unreal for the price!
+This t-shirt dress is 50% off.
+Back to school photo must-have.
+These snack boxes are amazing for children — leakproof!
+Tennis lovers need this tee.
+Inexpensive alternative to Hanky Panky.
+Do yourself a favor a buy a six-foot-long charging cable for your iPhone. A strange and glorious luxury to be able to roll around in bed or sit at the dining room table without having to worry about unplugging your phone while charging it.
Weekend Musings: It Is Good.
I slipped into a post-vacation funk in the days immediately following our return from East Quogue, NY. The absence of any firm plans, the shock of isolation, the monotony of our routine left me angsty. Then, we received some bad news and I was distracted and then gripped with my guilt over my earlier self-indulgence. This seems to be the pattern of quarantine, doesn’t it, my friends? I feel like a wave rippling into myself, awash with insular feelings of frustration and exhaustion and a kind of grief for what could be, then rippling out with agony over the unfair fates of others.
But in that ebbing and flowing, there are moments of equipoise, and they are nearly always on the heels of telling myself to look for the good. We have talked about this principle a lot on this blog, in various permutations: savoring slices of joy; treasuring the small things that get us through these long days; burnishing our golden moments. But most recently I have been telling myself to not only look for the good, but to endear it to myself with that specific, simple phrasing: “This is good” or “This feels good,” a corollary to the relatively recent discovery that it is helpful to name what I am feeling when I am upset: “I feel sad,” “I feel angry,” “I feel embarrassed.” Naming the exact way I feel is like panning for gold: it enables me to sift out the debris and stare only at The Real Thing that’s worth weighing.
And it is equally helpful when, say, walking down Columbus Avenue on a sunny afternoon: “What is good, Jen?” And I think about the 76-degree temperature, the sun on my face, the welcome albeit brief break from scooping up toys and wiping off hands and negotiating with a three year old, the ease with which I move my able body, the comfort of my new running shoes, the generous words of a kind reader echoing in my mind. It is good, it is good, it is good.
P.S. If you need to hear it today: you are enough.
Post-Scripts.
+My sister wore this exact, insanely chic Araks two-piece when we were together and it blew everyone in the house away. CRAZY chic. And now deeply discounted.
+This dress (and other select pieces from Molly Moorkamp’s summer collection) is 40% off this weekend only (no code necessary). Drooling!
+This linen blend dress is $80 but gives me such Zimmermann vibes!
+LOVE this scallop-trim top with white skinnies!
+OMG this Loretta Caponi is marked down to $135!!!!
+Loving these bandana-scarf-tie sandals from TB.
+Very intrigued by this serum, which is specifically designed to treat hyperpigmentation — something common with pregnancy (happened to me!) And at a great price!
+Another crazy chic and heavily discounted swimsuit to consider and OMG – – a D&G rose-print swimsuit for 50% off. WOW.
+This coverup!!!
+These monogram journals have a Goyard feel to them — adore!
+Eyeing this bathing suit for mini’s next-summer wardrobe. So adorable.
+Swooning over this canopy bed for a little girl’s room. Meanwhile, I’ve always loved this “architecture” framed bed for a boy’s room — they come in the coolest colors! Imagine that fun tangerine color!
+Every year, Cienta sells out on their gingham styles — quick! There are still some pink and blue in various colors.
+Adding this (just released a few days ago) to my list of contenders for mini’s back-to-school outfit. How darling!? Love the trim!!
+This strawberry fitted sheet is SO ADORABLE. Only $15!
Reminds me of Vonnegut: “If this isn’t nice, what is?” Love that little story from him! A very centering question. And Yoga With Adriene’s forever mantra: Find What Feels Good. 🙂
Love both of those quotes – thank you! “Find what feels good” is especially resonant, now, too. I’ve been sort of passively looking for the good in moments but there’s also the opportunity to proactively seek it out.
xx
I saw on your stories that you often wear the Everlane box cut tee with your Recliner pants. I was wondering what you make of the recent events with Everlane?
Hi Holly! I heard about that, too, and was disheartened. These situations are complicated to navigate as a shopper. There was a good article along these lines published in The Cut earlier this year that lays out the complexities of “ethical shopping”—i.e., how do we balance access to accurate information about what’s happening within companies, fair labor practices, affordability, sustainability of the product, buying from big vs. small businesses, the politics of the CEO, the inclusivity of the marketing, the quality of the product, etc. (And there are more offshoots, too, that some shoppers care about more than others — is the product derivative of something else? Is the item wrapped/shipped in eco-friendly materials?) There are so many inputs to weigh against one another and I think many of us will land in different places. xx
Your thoughts on the “good” reminds me of one of my all time favorite quotes, “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” It’s Steinbeck, from East of Eden, and stopped in me in my tracks the first time I read it at age 16. It’s become a bit of a mantra for me, and I’ve found there is always a wealth of good when I simply allow myself to see it.
I hope your weekend was full of good things 🙂 xx
Hi Katherine – I love that! Also reminds me of the adage we used a lot in some design work I did awhile back: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.” Super powerful message for those who are (like me) determinedly Type A. Good is good is good. xx
I love this concept explored in your musings — it IS good. It’s helpful to remind myself of that during this weird, unsettling time. I recently started journaling again and have found that it’s so helpful in reminding me to focus on the good/pleasant parts of life. Also, I feel you on the post-vacation letdown … I feel that so strongly, ESPECIALLY after vacations with family!
Great tip on the Marysia swimsuit on the Outnet — they have a pretty good selection at decent prices!
xx
It IS good :). Love that. xx
“Equipoise” — that’s beautiful. I always love your choice of words, Jen!
I am with you on that ebb and flow… some days I feel more accepting of the current reality (and even feeling content with our family’s time together) and other days I am plagued with anxiety that keeps me up at night. But I completely agree with finding the good. For me it’s observing my 2.5 y.o. daughter play with simple things like cardboard boxes and being imaginative in her play (little children seem to gravitate to cardboard boxes like fish to water!), and scheduling kid-free dates with my friends on weekends. I pick up some pastries and coffee/tea from a nearby bakery and we get together at a park for a masked (well, except when eating!) and distanced coffee date. This refills my cup for the week ahead. As introverted as I am, one thing I deeply miss during this time is meaningful social connection (well, with 1-2 friends at a time). We truly are social beings.
On naming feelings: yes! This reminds me of something I heard on a parenting podcast (I wish I could remember which one exactly so I could share it here!). Often when we feel something — when we are in the moment — that emotion can feel so big, as though it’s the sky, like it’s engulfing us. But when we name it appropriately, it becomes a smaller thing, so that it’s just a cloud in the sky and not the entire sky. She also gave the example of how we frequently might say “I feel stressed” which seems to be a default way to describe what we are feeling (and it feels more like the sky), whereas if we said, “I feel disappointed” or “I feel exhausted” then it feels smaller — a cloud in the sky — and we can more easily move toward a solution.
Intrigued by your rave reviews on Recliner pajamas! Pajama sets make me ridiculously happy. 🙂 My favorites are from Plum Pretty Sugar and J.Crew. I saw on the Recliner website though to avoid oil-based creams right before wearing them? I love my evening shower and applying body oil after that…I can see how this could stain the fabric. Do they wash well? I’ve had some modal pieces that I’ve washed on delicate and hung to dry that ended up looking sad and old after one wash!
Ok this comment is probably starting to rival your post in length so I’ll end here. Happy weekend!
Ooops, I lied — I had one more thing to share! Have you seen La Paloma, a sleepwear/playwear line for children?
I love this “all-day gown” in this print — looks sweet and comfortable!
https://shoplapaloma.com/products/girls-pink-nightgown?variant=33816088412298
OMG – had not heard of this label! How sweet?! Love the seaside print!
xx
Mia – The imagery of the sky vs. the cloud is so helpful! Thank you!!
I’m envious of your coffee dates. I haven’t yet ventured out to do anything like that and you’re motivating me to figure out how to make it happen. Thank you for that. Yes, we truly are social beings!
Re: Recliner pajamas: they say to wash on a gentle cycle and hang dry. Mine have held up beautifully even though I’ve run them through the dryer a few times (oops). I have them in navy and in pink and I can already see that the pink will stain very easily with things like grease/oil/lotion, but the navy has stood the children test (i.e., yogurt on my pants, smears of peanut butter, etc.) for months now and still feels and looks good as new. I’d suggest going with black or navy if you’re concerned at all about staining!!
xx
So glad you love the PJs!! I also ordered a second pair – obsessed! Between Recliner and the HHH nap dress, I feel like my sleeping and lounging life is complete! 😉
Xoxo
YAY — it was YOU. You are the best. These are my absolute favorite pajamas ever. Thank you!! I agree — sleepgear game is ON POINT these days thanks to HHH and Recliner 🙂
xx
YES to the longer iPhone cable. We have a selection of 6′ and 10′ in our home, and often give them as small gifts. A dinner table topic I love to ask is top 10 best purchases. The lists usually veer towards practical. It’s fun to hear what people are passionate about, what they researched to death, and what they couldn’t live without. Our long iPhone cables always make the list, along with our Nepresso machine, electric toothbrushes, blackout curtains, and new mattress.
I’d actually love a blog post from you on that- what are you top ten best purchases?
LOVE this table topic!! Going to test it out next time I’m with girlfriends (who knows when that will be…) I will definitely do a post along these lines – thank you for the suggestion!!!
xx
Hi Kate- Great idea…can you and other followers of Jen please share your top 10 of 10 best purchases? Would love to find a few things I ‘NEED”…Haha.
Yes!!