My Latest Snag: The Fall Candle.
It’s been crisp and fall-like most mornings the last week — I was ecstatic to place my first order of the season for a Feu de Bois candle, which smells delightfully like a crackling fire.
P.S. More fall decor here and recent Target home finds here.
You’re Sooooo Popular: The SEA Dress.
The most popular items on le blog this week:
+SEA is nailing it this season — I basically want everything from the current season collection. This dress of theirs was the most popular item on le blog this week.
+A variation on the ultra-popular MZ Wallace tote so many of us have and love, this time from a new, slightly edgier brand. Great fall schlepping tote or diaper bag.
+Snake embossed leather strap for the J. Crew camera bag. SO chic for fall. Love all things snakeskin this season.
+Featherweight cashmere tee for easing into fall weather.
+My favorite notebook. (I like gridded or dotted — very European.)
+My favorite nightgown of mini’s. I mentioned this in a recent post but nightgowns are my favorite — easier to put on (she can put it on herself!) and they usually stretch for multiple seasons of wear. Petite Plume brand is the best — beautifully made, soft cotton, and the sweetest prints.
+Cute $14 striped loungewear for a little one.
+Fisher Price sit-me-up floor seat.
+Chic affordable fall plaid dress.
Weekend Musings: A Sudden Shift.
Three months into my 36th year, out of left field, I have suddenly made peace with the fact that daily chores, school drop-off and pick-up, and exercise are no longer interruptions to my routine. They are instead a part of the architecture of my day.
I think I am woefully behind my peers in this belated discovery. But for so long — especially with children! — I have found myself rushing through the packing of lunch, the tidying of the kitchen, the emptying of the dishwasher, the brief walk from the Subway to my apartment because these tasks have felt like intrusions on my personal time to work, to think, to play with the children, to engage in conversation with my husband. All of the sudden, I have become better at configuring my day around them, of acknowledging their persistence. One helpful mnemonic has been accepting that my work day cannot start until 10 a.m. I will not permit myself to place the key in that ignition until after I’ve crossed over the 10 a.m. threshold. This is because Mr. Magpie and I take turns taking mini to school in the morning, so I am either dropping mini off and returning home — often stopping to take care of an errand on the way back — or, on my non-drop-off days, going for a run in Central Park as soon as our caregiver arrives at 9 a.m. and then showering quickly before my 10 a.m. work start. For some reason, compartmentalizing my day like this has afforded me a strange kind of zen at the start of my day. I find it much easier to enjoy my exercise and enjoy my time with the daughter knowing that I am not “allowed” to think about work until later. In the evenings, after dinner, I listen to an audiobook while cleaning the kitchen, loading the dishwasher, and packing mini’s lunch and it feels intentional and — dare I say it? — relaxing. Sometimes I pour an extra half glass of wine to make it feel even more indulgent.
I’m curious if other women have come to similar revelations in their 30s — or earlier. Is this a condition for maturity in adulthood that I am just now toddling into? How do you configure your days around the many obligations we have as spouses, parents, employees, household administrators, etc?
P.S. Lest I give off the untrue vibe that I have it all figured out, one area I still need to work on is bedtime for mini. I am ashamed to admit that some days I have to literally grit my teeth to make it through that sequence of tasks. Everyone is tired, and some days I just cannot figure out how to muscle through when mini resists putting on her nightgown or balks at the idea of brushing her teeth. Tips welcome.
Post-Scripts: Fleece Jackets.
+I shared this ultra-chic fleece earlier this week and I had to also share this one (selling quickly). Love this vibe for throwing on over my exercise clothes after a run.
+In love with these Manolos.
+Love this Goyard-esque tray for stowing glasses on a bedside table.
+My beloved MZ Wallace tote comes in a fantastic gray snakeskin this season. Love.
+Cute quilted jacket for a slightly older boy.
+Darling towel set for a child’s bathroom (comes in a pretty pale blue or pink).
+My embroidered pillow shams are on sale. We have them in the 24″ square, and you can see them here.
+I like the dropped shoulder and boxiness of this sweatshirt in the lilac/pink color. I sort of surprised myself this fall but leaning towards sweatshirts (with a twist — like a puffed sleeve or an exaggerated collar or an interesting texture — I own all three of those!), jeans, and fun shoes right out of the gate.
+If you’re shopping for something specific, I may have answered it here.
+What’s on my shopping list for fall.
+Under-$22 finds for a little boy.
+Ordering myself a pair of these. What are your favorite slippers?
+Cute rollneck sweater for a little boy.
+Love these champagne coupes.