My Latest Snag: The Molton Brown Body Wash.
I have been an enormous fan of Molton Brown for years now. I stock all our bathrooms with their handsoap and lotion, and have been a devotee of their bodywashes for ages, especially since most of the scents are gender neutral. Recently, I received a sample of their Heavenly Gingerlily Body Wash and I could not stop smelling myself. I noticed that the bottle was disappearing quickly, only to find that Mr. Magpie had gotten in on the good stuff, too — and he loved it. So, a full size was in order. Treat yourself!!
As an aside, loofahs are supposed to be fairgrounds for bacteria, so we’ve long since stopped using them. I’m intrigued by this well-reviewed silicone body scrubber as a substitute. (Check out reviews!)
You’re Sooooo Popular: Le Cashmere Crew.
The most popular items on Le Blog this week:
+Le cashmere crew ($100!) How can you not?! I’ve been wearing mine with my new silk scarf for a DAR kind of look.
+MUST READ THIS BOOK. I wrote a full review last weekend and a reader wrote in with some admirably strong opinions in reaction to my commentary. Worth a read! (I welcome the feedback!!!)
+Get that fuzzy mohair look that’s all the rage RN.
+Super cute corduroy dress for a toddler. Into mustard yellow!
+My secret to avoiding huge dry cleaning bills in the winter months: I wash all my cashmere and wool by hand in the tub/sink with this.
+Super sharp blazer. I’ve been v. into the blazer look so far this season — I’ve been layering my glen plaid one as well as a camel colored one over blouses and tees with skinny jeans all the live long day.
+Miu Miu vibes in the form of this pleated skirt!
#Turbothot: Building Cathedrals.
My dad is deeply wise. He’s seen things — in war zones as a member of the 81st airborne, in the 70s as a civil liberties activist (of sorts — I don’t think he’d identify as an activist), in courtrooms and boardrooms as a corporate attorney, in his tireless efforts to curb veteran homelessness in Washington, D.C., as a parent to five children, as a confidante to countless friends. He’s lived about 34 lives in one. He’s brave, measured, scary-smart. And he does not mince words. His taciturnity means that he’s not big on small talk (sometimes when we shoot the breeze on the phone, I’ll wait breathlessly — where is the hammer?! What bomb is he about to drop?) and that, often, you’ll be sitting at his side and amidst casual re-caps of the book he’s reading or the itinerary for an upcoming trip, he’ll drop a gem of life wisdom on you with no preamble, and it will sit with you for the next few weeks.
Just this past weekend, we sat in the cozy living room of his home in N.W. D.C. while mini played in front of us. We were talking about neighborhoods in Manhattan — would we ever want to try a different one? Or maybe move uptown? He commented that his brother had lived at 114th street back when he was pursuing an advanced degree in chemistry at Columbia, and that there was a lovely Catholic Church up that way. After a pause, he added: “The church was under renovation for some time. One day, a gentleman walked by and saw men at work. He asked the first man: “What are you doing?” And the worker replied: “I’m mixing concrete to put between these stones to build this corner.” He moved onto the next: “What are you doing?” And the worker replied: “Building a cathedral.””
My Dad looked at me: “Don’t forget that. You want to be building a cathedral, not laying bricks.”
Coda.
#Shopaholic: Towels and Thangs.
+I love Matouk linens. They hold up well and come in elegant designs. I have used their Auberge towels for years (<<currently on sale!), but am currently considering investing in a set of their Cairo towels. I am in love with the piping around the edge. What an elegant look! I want the white set with the azure blue trim.
+I’ve always loved Juliska’s berry & thread pattern. It looks gracious, Southern, inviting, approachable.
+Speaking of gracious: contemplating ordering one of these boxwood wreaths for our front door, or maybe this smaller one to hang permanently somewhere on a wall. They’re seasonless! I might tie a burlap bow on it during the winter, or maybe a black and white grosgrain one.
+I’m sending a box of these to a friend deserving a special surprise.
+Gucci vibes from this $120 sweater.
+This coin and key purse would be a really lovely gift for a college-aged student (or a Manhattanite who walks her dog regularly and does not want to tote a full bag every time she does). Goyard-esque!
+A simple, sleek solution for a nursery without much space for a changing table. (Honestly, I would have loved to have this in my master bedroom during the first few months! We ended up changing her at the foot of our bed most of the time. It would have been clutch to have a little station like this.)
+These tweed Monse heels are haunting me. I have literally nowhere to wear them (#kittenheelsorflatsonly RN) but I adore them. I’m imagining wearing them with deconstructed lighter-wash denim and this statement blouse when I’m in the mood to be trendy.
+Moms: what training potty did you use? I’m inclined towards this one. Pls discuss.
my potty training thoughts: http://www.notablob.com/2018/07/on-potty-training.html
Hi Brittany! Thanks so much for sharing this — fascinating and aligns with how I’ve felt about all things, including mini’s somewhat “late” launch into walking. Thank you. I also loved the link to the article on the word “wait” in parenting 🙂 xo
You know you’ve reached a ‘special’ parenting milestone when a bathroom related item is one of your favorite things ever! But seriously, it’s saved me more than once. Another bonus is it helps everything a bit more sanitary (either using it as a stand alone or on top of another toliet) because going to use a public restroom with a 3 year old makes me shudder…I try not to think about it!
go straight for the regular toilet. It just is so much easier and eliminates one more thing for them possibly to have as a crutch. You use a regular toilet and they are going to be following your lead. Also less clutter in your apartment.
Thanks, Leslie! Good points on conserving space in the apartment, and also the note about “following our lead.” I’ve noticed mini is very curious about our using the toilet and points at the flush. It seems easier to graft onto something she’s already observed/become familiar with. Thank you! xo
I found the initial potty training weekend was good to have the potty you linked above. My daughter was petite so the regular toilet scared her a bit. The transition to using the regular potty wasn’t a big one for us once she grew a bit and got the hang of going to the bathroom. But! I bought the potette and it was a lifesaver (especially in NY where not all playgrounds have bathrooms!) and allowed us to live our life without being worried about being close to a bathroom. Also, I read Oh Crap! Which I found helpful. Good luck!
Interesting! Thanks for weighing in on this. Also, love the name “potette” — HA! Makes bathroom-going sound so elegant. xoxo
You know you’ve reached a ‘special’ parenting milestone when a bathroom related item is one of your favorite things ever! But seriously, it’s saved me more than once. Another bonus is it helps everything a bit more sanitary (either using it as a stand alone or on top of another toliet) because going to use a public restroom with a 3 year old makes me shudder…I try not to think about it!
Haha!! 🙂
Your dad sounds like an amazing guy! As someone who loves details as much as the “why” of things, I think each cathedral worker’s account is equally important. You want to understand and execute the task at hand well, but always “with the end in mind” (as a very wise executive I used to work with always used to tell me). I wish I listened to more of his advice.
I’ve been very into the silk scarf thing myself! I just ordered one that’s a bit skinnier, and hopefully not as bulky when you tie it.
Hi April — You are so right. There’s a balance here. You don’t want to be so lofty-minded as to forget the details, but the inverse isn’t any better. xoxo
We used the Baby Bjorn training potty with our older daughter, and it worked well; but with our second daughter, we went straight for the big potty. Like Andrea said above, it eliminates a step and I found it simpler to use a training “seat” that fit on the regular toilet. Good luck!
I also love those beautiful towels! We have a very similar set from Pine Cone Hill in French Blue, which have held up very well over 5ish years–in case you are looking for additional options!
Hi HC! Thanks for weighing in on this. Super interesting; I think the scales have been tipped. xoxo
We did not use a training potty and it worked really well. Instead, we used a toilet trainer seat that sits on top of the regular potty, and provided a step stool to help her get up there. (Ours were both Baby Bjorn brand.) Otherwise you are going to have to transition from the training potty to the big potty, making two transitions when you could have just one. (Not to mention that the potties out in the real world are going to be “normal” sized, and also – importantly – I think it would be so gross to clean out the training potty. If you teach her to use the big potty from day one you just … flush. Or better yet, she does! And isn’t that what we are ultimately aiming for? ). I have similar feelings about the toddler bed. We went straight from the crib to a big bed.
We did not use a trading potty and it worked really well. Instead use a toilet trainer seat that sits on top of the regular potty, and provide a step stool to help her get up there. (Ours were both Baby Bjorn brand.) Otherwise you are going to have to transition from the training potty to the big potty, making two transitions when you could have just one. (Not to mention that the potties out in the real world are going to be “normal” sized, and also – importantly – I think it would be so gross to clean out the training potty. If you teach her to use the big potty from day one you just … flush. Or better yet, she does! And isn’t that what we are ultimately aiming for? ). I have similar feelings about the toddler bed. We went straight from the crib to a big bed.
Hi Andrea – So so interesting. There have been a lot of comments along these lines and I got several texts/emails urging me to do the same! Thanks for writing in. I hadn’t though about emptying/cleaning the little toilet and it doesn’t sound like a fun task — ha! I also noticed in the preschools we toured that they all urge kids to use normal-size toilets. Thanks for this! xo