• burst cherry tomato pasta with burrata

    i am currently OBSESSSSED with this meal. if i could eat it every night i would. it’s a hybrid of a lot of different recipes — shelby of sorella collective initially inspired me, and then i borrowed elements from bon appetit and half baked harvests recipes. 

    the reason i love this as a weekly dinner is because of how little prep it requires. i can pick up arlo from school and basically just throw the tomatoes in a pan as soon as we get home. it’s also not super hands on so it’s very chill for a weeknight dinner.

    burst cherry tomato pasta with burrata

    this burst cherry tomato pasta recipe requires little prep and isn't too hands on — perfect for week nights!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients  

    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 6 garlic cloves smashed
    • 4 cups cherry tomatoes (two 1-pint containers, i love the heirlooms but any types works)
    • ricotta
    • 2 large sprigs basil plus 1 cup basil leaves
    • kosher salt
    • 12 oz. pasta*
    • fresh burrata or parmesan (we’ve done both)
    • breadcrumbs (store bought or homemade)
    • zest of 1 lemon

    Instructions 

    1. heat ½ cup oil in a large heavy pot over low. add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.
    2. increase heat to medium and add tomatoes, basil sprigs, and 1½ tsp. salt. cook for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes blister. you can start to pop some of them, but leave some in tact.
    3. meanwhile, boil salted water for your pasta and cook until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
    4. if you’re doing the breadcrumbs, cook them in olive oil in another pan along with the lemon zest until golden brown. save them for later.
    5. add 1-2 tablespoons of ricotta to the tomatoes and stir in well until it’s at your desired creaminess level. discard the basil sprigs and garlic. if the sauce seems thick, add one tablespoon of the pasta water at a time until you loosen it up enough.
    6. add the al dente pasta to the tomatoes, and mix until combined.
    7. serve in bowls and top with the breadcrumbs, freshly chopped basil leaves and either half a ball of burrata or grate parmesan directly on top.

    Notes

    *these are my fave shellbows

    sources

    BOWLS / FORKS / NAPKINS / TABLECLOTH

  • what izzy’s eating at 9 months old

    as promised, a post all about what we feed izzy right now! she is still breastfeeding, despite me planning to stop sooner than i did with arlo, i haven’t been able to wean since she refuses a bottle soooo it is what it is! i’ll probably end up nursing until the dr says she can go without formula (that was 11months for arlo but izzy is much smaller and we have a different doctor now, so we’ll see!)

    i haven’t put tons of energy into BLW or anything like that, if you haven’t noticed, i’m not really that type of mom anyway! i am much more of the kind who just kinda wings it. i followed @solidstarts but i haven’t actually done or used a single thing i’ve seen there.

    but i did get lots of questions on her eating so i figured a full post was in order! here we go.

    how we started izzy on solids

    i was super eager to start arlo on solids as soon as his dr gave us the go ahead at 4 months old, but with your second kid all of that stuff just sounds more exhausting right?!

    so we first gave izzy solids probably around 5 or 5.5 months, we just tried a food here or there but didn’t go too hard in the beginning.

    we did a lot of purees, initially cooking her food ourselves and having her try a bunch of different vegetables.

    ruling out food allergies

    i got a lot of messages from scared moms that were nervous to give their baby common allergens, but we don’t have a lot of food allergies in our family, so i just wanted to rule them out right off the bat.

    so her first foods were eggs and peanut butter!

    we were conscious to give her allergens on weekdays versus weekends, just in case she did have a reaction it would be easier to get her into a dr. luckily she didn’t have any issues so we’ve just continued to incorporate them into her diet.

    transitioning from purées

    we didn’t plan on transitioning her quickly, but she we kind of followed her lead. even before she got her first teeth (just recently), she was pretty determined to chew food.

    so instead of straight up BLW, we started out just making her soft foods a little chunkier. (we did the same method with arlo.)

    originally i would blend the foods i cooked her down, then instead i would mash them with a fork. it only took her a little bit to get used to chewing and because she loves food so much i think she was extra committed to the challenge haha.

    her daily eating schedule

    730am wake and nurse

    830/9am eat breakfast

    12pm wake and nurse

    1/130pm eat lunch

    430pm wake and nurse

    430pm wake and nurse

    530/6pm eat dinner

    645 bedtime nurse

    what foods i buy/make for her

    when we first started feeding her solids, we were just cooking her simple foods but i signed up for little spoon to have stuff ready to feed her in the fridge. i like it, but we do find some of the blends to lean way too sweet, and the purees are pretty thin.

    i always have puffs on hand because she snacks on them all day and that’s how she got really good with her pincers. she’s not great at pouches yet, but my pediatrician doesn’t like them anyway unless we’re really in a rush. i’ve also gotten a few of these finger foods for her, she likes them fine!

    things that i easily can whip up for her : chicken sausage (she loves! i get the kind that have bell peppers), any chicken (she’s very into chicken), frozen edamame (i just peel off the shell and break into halves or quarters for her), frozen peas, capers, mushrooms (i just saute in oil), she also loves these cauliflower hashbrowns.

    we give her greek yogurt all the time when she keeps eating and eating and we have to fill her up so she’ll stop asking for food haha.

    izzy’s favorite foods

    ok i feel like i’ve been listing the same foods over and over, and she basically likes everything so this list might be dumb, but i thought a concise list would be helpful possibly!

    proteins: chicken, chicken sausage, turkey, salmon, hamburger, ground beef, crab

    veggies: edamame, mushrooms, sweet potato, cauliflower,peas

    other stuff: capers, pickles, peanut butter, greek yogurt, avocado

    our feeding gear

    your questions, answered

    we started with simple foods like avocado, the allergens i said above and i think sweet potato.

    the next ones we did were broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots.

    our pediatrician wanted us to prioritize having her try vegetables versus any sweet fruits so she wouldn’t take a liking to sweeter flavors

    i didn’t, and my supply has been lesser than it was with arlo, but we’ve managed. i did stay as hydrated as possible and i also took postnatal vitamins as well as ate these prenatal bars (i like the PB one the best! use code MOLLY20)

    the bottle refusal was very challenging in the beginning. she was fine with a bottle and even formula and then she just rejected both completely. we tried different bottles and different formulas until our pediatrician said don’t bother. if she’s going to take it she just has to be starving, so don’t make yourself crazy and just let it be. (that attitude shift helped me a lot.)

    so that’s the reason we ended up amping up her solids intake so that i wouldn’t have to be the only way she could eat. now if i’m not around when she’s supposed to nurse, she eats solids instead and it’s been fine.

    it took a while to find a cup she could drink from properly, we tried a lot of kinds!

    we use these sippy cups which she drinks well from and i like that i can keep one in the diaper bag and it doesn’t really leak, and we use these ones with a straw (she mostly has learned how to drink from one!)

    this i don’t know? we just took it very slowly and let her figure it out!

    yes always! whenever we’re having dinner we always give her what we’re having. this is what my pediatrician recommends as well. so if we’re eating orange pasta for example, i’ll give her the little mush with bits of chicken and peas and little pieces of noodles. whatever we’re having, i just cut up little pieces for her to pick up herself and she loves to eat with us.

    if we’re on the move with her and we’re going out to eat somewhere, i won’t worry about packing her anything besides puffs. we’ll just feed her scraps of whatever we’re eating! (we haven’t given her sushi yet though, so when we have sushi i just give her rice, edamame and she loves crab!)

    if we’re on the move and we’re not eating while we’re out, i’ll usually just pack her a little tupperware of some small pieces of chicken, and other finger foods that we can feed to her easily without a spoon if we need to! capers and peas are other perfect foods to quickly throw in a container for her and she loves them.

    once we got her on a nap routine, i stopped nursing before naps. so now i only nurse her when she first wakes up, and then she eats solids before she goes back to sleep. she has gotten used to it and barely ever seems to request nursing again (unless we’re out and i forget to feed her solids or she’s sick etc)

    for bedtime, she’s also used to her routine and we put her down for the night long before she would be drowsy/nodding off while nursing. (that is, unless we’re out super late and then she’s asleep in the car and i gotta wake her up to nurse her before she goes down!) so she is still totally awake for her last feed, and then she goes into her room to get in her sleep sack and read a book before bed.

  • ,

    our trip to martha’s vineyard


    we spent two amazing weeks on the island i love so much, and honestly i could have stayed longer! there’s just this mellow energy that is so infectious and it forces me to feel a lot more chilled and peaceful than i guess i do at home.

    in my dreams, my family gets a house there (my mom had a few over the years but sold them all) and we could spend the summers there and the kids could go to day camp there, but we’ll see if that ever happens. in the meantime, a little recap of our trip!

    i do have a big travel guide post i’ll try to update with new spots as well.

    the first week, we stayed with my family in a big fancy house in vineyard haven. vineyard haven is my favorite town, i love the calmness of it compared to the much more touristy oak bluffs and there are so many cute little shops. it is dry, so there aren’t that many restaurants, and we did a lot of takeout and our options definitely weren’t endless.


    we had a pool, so we spent a lot of time at the house swimming, but we did get out a bit. our favorite places to go are to walk around vineyard haven (there are so many cute shops on main street), and we love to go to noman’s for dinner, it’s the most kid friendly place to eat ever.

    the second week, just the four of us moved to chilmark. chilmark is up island and i’ve always wanted to stay there to see what it’s like. it’s much more secluded and also where larry david lives lol. we did love it, we had a huge quiet backyard to play in, but with young kids, i suppose it wasn’t the most convenient to get around.


    there isn’t a ton to do around there, so we had to drive 20-30 mins to get to the other side of the island, so we mostly stayed nearby and went to the chilmark general store a lot, had a lovely dinner at chilmark tavern, and went to menemsha beach countless times.

    i’ve eaten at larsens fish market forever, but realized menemsha fish market next door actually might have better food!! most nights, we’d grab food from the fish markets and eat it on the beach. and arlo tried his first oyster which was immediately followed by “i want 100” we were shocked.


    we also went to the chilmark flea market which happens on wednesday and saturdays in the summer.

    some more photos and what i packed — i was so glad to have sent so much stuff to poppy’s house in boston so i didn’t have to schlep as much.

    this was izzy’s first vacation so it felt extra special.


    we played lots of wiffle ball, ate lots of pastries, and arlo finally got into uno!! my perfect vacation basically.

    and some things i packed:

  • prime day sales to shop

    as if you could have escaped the incessant urgency about sales this week, i rounded up some deals i think that are worth shopping!

    i know how overwhelming these sales can feel, i kinda always end up buying things later, once the sales have stopped unfortunately, because my brain can’t handle the pressure of deciding if i need anything on sale and i panic and spiral and have to move on.

    but there are some really good deals of course!

    here are some home things i use and love, and i’ll continue to add new finds as i see em.

    aarke sodastream

    i did change to an aarke soda maker (which isn’t on sale), but i still love sodastream possibly more? i haven’t officially done a post but i do think they function they best and

    caraway cookware set (20% off)

    i love my cookware set! it’s expensive but you get a lot in the set and i love how they design everything to function together.

    nest thermostat (35% off!)

    we have one and love it. it looks so good and functions well, love that we can turn down the AC from our phones before we get home etc.

    stackable drawers

    these drawers are just so useful for inside a cabinet or underneath the sink.

    our air purifier

    gid researched far and wide to find the best one, and it looks good too!

    cosori air fryer

    this was the brand i used for my first air fryer. i ended up switching, but they since redesigned this model and it looks so good!!! i definitely recommend.

    becki owens rugs

    so many cute rugs and many different styles from moroccan to traditional etc.

    frame tv!!

    you know this is the deal you gotta take advantage of if you’re in the market for one. they only go on sale sporadically and the prices on them today are so good!

    tuft & needle hybrid mattress

    we love this mattress!! it’s in arlos room and it’s the coziest one in the house.

    mighty patch

    because zit stickers aren’t cheap but they are CRUCIAL TO LIFE lol.

    my expanding popsocket (30% off)

    i get asked about this a lot! it’s a popsocket for me to hold my phone, but i love that i can slide it up and down and easily remove it as well to use in tripods etc.

    travel folding potty seat (40% off)

    we have this and love it. it folds down small so you can easily bring on trips with you or even in your carryon, but for little kids butts and big toilets, it’s a must. i always bring it on vacations with me.

    stasher reusable bags

    i’ve tried other brands but they really aren’t as good– i love the thickness of stasher bags and they’re typically very expensive so buying on sale is the best move!

    burst electric toothbrush (17% off)

    i have been wanting this toothbrush because my electric one is ALWAYS dead no matter how many nights a week i charge it. i’ve heard amazing things about this one so this might be the thing i buy today.

    our luggage set

    i love this luggage set because it is so easy to spot coming down the carousel. plus we’ve had for YEARS and they are in really good condition still.

    kitchenaid tilt stand mixer

    i love our mixer so much, we don’t use it as much these days now that arlo isn’t into baking so much, but i pull it out almost every time we bake. i got a glass bowl for mine which i love, and they’re on sale too!

    iphone screen protectors (27% off)

    i’m one of those people that always has a screen protector on their phone (which is almost always cracked in one spot at least lol) but i drop my phone or my kids drop my phone so often that these are crucial for me. i always have a few on hand so that we can swap out for a new one when they get cracked, so much cheaper than replacing my actual screen every time!

    portable carpet + upholstery cleaner (30% off)

    we got this on prime day last year haha — and it’s amazing. tbh i don’t use it as often as we should, but it’s crazy how much it crap we get out of our couch when we clean it.

    our power washer

    we also got this on prime day once haha — if you have a backyard and don’t have a power washer, trust me you’ll be stoooked to have one. our concrete gets insane dirty and this thing gets it all out.

    youth to the people vitamin c serum

    i love this stuff but it’s so expensive!!

    anastasia beverly hills tinted brow gel

    this is the one i use! i feel naked without it.

    opi nail polish (15% off)

    dulce de leche is one of my all time favorite shades — i use it for almost every single pedicure i get haha.

    necessaire body lotion

    i love this body lotion– it’s unscented and goes on so nicely.

    i also love the hand lotion and keep it in my nightstand — it’s on sale too!

    brazilian bum bum cream (20% off)

    i got this cream recently so i can’t speak to if it actually works yet but it smells SO GOOD.

    l’ange le duo 2 in 1 hair tool (25% off)

    it’s a curling iron AND a flat iron in one!!!!

    makeup case that opens wide

    i love these makeup cases that open like a doctors bag, you can actually access and see everything. super large so you can fit everything and i love the checkered pattern.

    dime beauty wonderscreen (25% off)

    this sunscreen is super lightweight and doesn’t have a white cast and it’s not greasy!!

    grande lash md eyelash growth serum (30% off)

    this is supposed to be an amazing eyelash serum and it’s been in my cart for a week! i’m buying this for sure. once i started using eyelash serums my eyelashes have never been fuller and my life is actually different haha.

    vanity planet facial cleansing brush (20% off)

    i use this in the shower everyday and love ittttt. it comes with a head for your face and a head for your body (i only use the body one when i feel bumpy and want to exfoliate everywhere)

    non stick cookware set (33% off)

    if you’re on a budget but still looking for a beautiful cookware set, this is super well reviewed!

    rimmed bowls (28% off)

    these are SO PRETTY! and lots of colors.

    small appliance cord wranglers

    i need these for everything on our counter, so useful.

    wood dish brushes (47% off)

    once you go dish brush, you CANNOT go back. these are the ones we use and they work so well for washing dishes and you don’t have to get your hands all sponge smelling.

    stagg electric tea kettle (20% off)

    the best looking electric kettle if you’re a tea drinker!

    my fave double cotton napkins

    i love these napkins. they are so thick and soft and the pattern is so cute. they could also double as super nice thick kitchen towels too.

    my fave chindi placemats

    the prettiest placemats — i love the woven texture they add to the table.

    our flatware ($20 for 20 piece set!)

    OBV i gotta share this one!! such a good price, we dish wash them too and they’re fine (top rack only). i have in both gold and matte black.

    plastic free dishwasher pods

    a really good time to stock up on these!

    modern spice jar labels (37% off)

    because a pretty spice rack is important for mental health lol.

    kids simple modern water bottle

    such a well reviewed kids bottle and it looks good which is so rare! i think i might get this for arlo because he needs a new one.

    modular play couch

    i’ve always wanted one of these convertible play couches and i like this green color!

    microwave safe plates with lids

    i love that these have lids! and i hate buying any kids

    digital forehead thermometer (71% off)

    i mean, thats a big discount!!

    dyper bamboo diapers (20% off)

    i really like these diapers, we used them when izzy was a newborn.

    arlos bentgo lunchbox

    i switched arlos lunchbox to this one when he needed more space for more food this year, and i love it.
    also these cute little sauce containers are on sale too!

    our baby monitor (22% off)

    i looked for a long time for a monitor that had both an app and a screen and this was one of the only options, bonus points because the screen is HUGE!

    mompush convertible stroller

    i’ve always had my eye on this stroller, it’s SO PRETTY!!!

    arlos huge lcd drawing pad

    we have these everywhere, arlo loves them and they’re perfect for the car, travel, restaurants etc. we like that this one is so massive (and white lol)

    my favorite kids pajamas

    we know arlo lives in the skeleton pajamas, but these are always the ones i’ve been buying him all his life. they’re so cute and cozy and they have some very cute floral ones too also on sale!

    ps our high chair is on sale too!

    square neck button front top (50% off)

    ray ban round metal sunglasses

    you probably know, i’m a fan of this style haha.

    levis wedgie straight jeans

    when i used to wear jeans i loved these.

    linen two piece set

    i love a linen set and i love all the colors this one comes in.

    true & co convertible strap bra

    they make such comfy bras, and i love that you can adjust the straps however you need to.

    the drop boxy cardigan

    i have been eyeing this cardigan foreveerrrr. it looks like this perfect one i stained and it comes in white too (and other colors but i want the white)

    crewneck ribbed sweater

    i’ve heard that this is so cozy and it’s so cute paired with the matching shorts.

    levis ribcage ankle jeans

    40% off!

    square neck cropped tank

    i love a cropped tank with my typical high waisted soft pants and this one comes in a lot of cute colors. i have this ribbed one i wear all the time thats also on sale!

    tiered dress (30% off)

    have eyed this one forever too! this style is always so comfy but also flattering.

    also you can always check my amazon storefront here as well!

  • arlos 6th jaws themed birthday party

    another arlo birthday party on the books! this year i decided to not host the party at our house, and to not go overboard on the planning. and at least i did one of those things!

    i tried to have his party this year at an art studio but arlo was adamant about wanting a pool party, so we decided to do it at the grandparents house. it was really nice not having to worry about cleaning up our house the whole week while planning a party.

    i really planned to go more low-key this year with the decorations, but i just can’t help myself. once i’m into the theme there’s no stopping me!

    arlo has been really passionate about sharks for a while, but our trip to martha’s vineyard really ignited that passion even more (they shot jaws on the island and you can’t really go anywhere without seeing something jaws related). so the original party theme was “a scary shark eating a guy” themed, but naturally evolved into more of a straight jaws theme.

    and no, he hasn’t actually seen the movie. but he has read this cover to cover and he’s watched the trailer haha. my brother actually edited a more kid-friendly version of the movie for him without the violence, but i’m still a little nervous about showing it to him!

    only people that know me well know that i actually have had a lifelong fear of sharks, so this obsession of arlos has been a good challenge for me. honestly i feel almost cured because i’ve had to face my fear so much! when i was a little kid, maybe arlos age, my grandma had the paperback novel of jaws on her shelf. the art traumatized me.

    so much so that i couldn’t see the poster at the video store (i would run by the section where i knew it was), i had to avoid this one wall of the candy store in my town because i knew it was hanging there, and it evolved into just a straight fear of all sharks. i have seen many shark movies, but i find them to be the scariest genre of horror movies by far, and i have always had a thing about even looking at pictures of great white sharks. i’ve never been ok with it! but now i have no choice. so i guess in a way arlo cured me 🙂 so that’s pretty cool!

    ok enough about me and my weird fear, let’s move onto the party!

    as decorated as the party may seem, i actually only made/purchased everything hanging the week of (that’s the way i work best!). so at the beginning of the week, we started making lots of things out of cardboard and i purchased a 5 pack of the fishing net which really helped sell the vibe.

    we’ve used cardboard to make party decorations in the past, but making them almost all exclusively from cardboard was pretty chill and SO FREE!

    my in-laws have this nice covered patio so i put all the food here and we hung arlo’s giant shark stuffy from his tail (this probably would have been simpler with a shark balloon lol)

    i used tablecloths i already had and then covered them with fishing net, and we hung more on the walls.

    i got a cotton candy cart and it was kind of epic. i’m not into cotton candy but all the kids loved it so much. he chose the flavors and toppings and it felt like such a fun special touch. a pool AND cotton candy?! how could i top this?

    the night before the party i realized we didn’t have the amity billboard like when you first enter on the ride at universal studios so i frantically asked my stepdad who has a giant printer to print one for us and he came through!! we changed “help! shark!!” to “help! arlo!!” lol

    the dessert table — in an effort to remain chill, i made ZERO food. i’ve realized over the years it’s completely unnecessary to bother with any of that, so i bought the cake, the cupcakes and the cookies.

    i almost decorated powdered donuts to look like life savers (it’s all over pinterest) but when they looked dumb and nothing like they do on pinterest, i gave up and realized it wasn’t worth my energy.

    the cake and cupcakes were both from the grocery store, i stuck the shark fins on the cupcakes and that was it!

    and for the cake– it’s just a store bought cake with a shark hand puppet on top. i did a separate post with the how-to instructions!

    for the goodie bags, honestly i spent too much money lol. arlo loves these shark bite lollipops so much so i thought they would be a hit for all the kids, and they were, but there are much cheaper options like this one i almost ordered! i did the lollipop plus a shark finger puppet and a little bag of swedish fish.

    i loved the idea of the pool feeling like shark infested waters, so we filled it with shark floats.

    no one is surprised that poppy wore a shark costume. the mascot of every party! after everyone got out of the pool, we played a few games with him in his shark suit.

    we did a game i’m calling catch the shark, where all the kids had to throw hula hoops on poppy and they had a blast. then we played a little freeze dance to the jaws theme music.

    i had the cake made with strawberry filling so it seemed like bloody inside too haha– no kids explicitly told me they were afraid of the cake, but while i was cutting it almost no one wanted a “bloody” piece besides arlo hahah.

    i was SO excited when i found the tableware. target has a lot of very cute shark party goods, but arlo was insistent on the sharks being scary, which i thought would not exist. somehow not only are the sharks on the napkins and cups scary, but it’s also even kind of aesthetic!!

    i setup a table for the kids and covered it with some of the cookies, shark gummies (having these on the table was thrilling for every kid and annoying for every parent). i also last minute found these buoys and then last minute painted all of them different colors, so i used them as the centerpiece on the table.

    shop the party

    striped blue tablecloth / fishing net / paper plates

    shark napkins / water napkins / cups / hanging shark


    shark costume / shark t-shirt / fin cupcake toppers

    goody bags / shark bite lollipops / finger puppets

    shark gummies / blue pool floats / silver pool floats

    cake stand (similar)

  • ,

    how to make a terrifying jaws cake

    arlo insisted on a cake with a shark eating a naked woman (like in jaws), and i insisted that was way too scary for the other kids, but somehow we compromised by him winning.

    luckily, none of the other kids at the party were too afraid of it, or rather none of them expressed that to me lol.

    the process was actually not too hard, it took me about 10-15 minutes of going slowly and being careful. i got the cake baked from the grocery store and just asked them to do the frosting in a light blue color.

    and to keep the theme going on the inside, i got a white cake with strawberry filling!

    supplies i used

    shark hand puppet

    doll (i got mine at the dollar store)

    icing spatula

    cream cheese frosting

    blue food coloring

    red food coloring

    red icing

    straw


    first, fill your shark with tin foil. i made balls of foil and filled it to get the shape of it sturdier.
    next use an icing spatula and or a butter knife and and start spreading your frosting around the middle, doing a gentle swooshing motion upwards to make it look wave like.

    place your shark!


    next, mix together some frosting with blue food coloring and don’t fully mix together. just lightly marble it instead so you keep some white and some dark blues. keep doing the swooshing motion and don’t overthink it.

    add some red icing to the mouth and to your dolls body if you want. i just did a little coming out on both sides of the sharks mouth. now you can place your doll into the sharks mouth.


    carefully drop a few drops of red food coloring around the mouth and falling into the water.
    to get the blood to drip, use a straw and gently blow it.

    that’s it! super simple and probably way too scary and would also be very fun for shark week.

  • my fave things this month | june

    our gas fire pit

    we just did our first fire of the summer and it brought me so much joy! i love this firepit because it looks so good and the fire is actually pretty legit. i’ve seen other gas fire pits where the flame is tiny but ours gets big and is perfect for s’more nights!

    packable beach mat

    we typically use gathre mats for beach days, but i got this for our trip and it was so convenient. it’s super lightweight, so it needs rocks to weigh it down at the beach but it was so nice to have a big mat for izzy to lay on wherever we went on vacation.

    patchwork dress

    the prettiest summer dress! i just feel so good in this and it’s nursing friendly too. i ended up getting mine tailored and turned it into a midi dress.

    face mist spray

    sun bum everything is my favorite, but this face spray is so easy to use on arlo’s face. we leave one outside our front door so we always remember to spray him before going out.

    packable hat

    i got this hat on the first day of our trip and i’m not sure if i ever took it off. it’s so easy to pack because you can scrunch it down and it keeps it’s shape.

    blackout crib cover

    this thing was CRUCIAL for our trip! i almost got a slumberpod but decided to try this instead and it’s so much easier. it just fits right over your travel crib and izzy slept wherever we put her, sometimes right in the middle of a room and it didn’t matter! the only thing is that once she starts standing up we might not be able to use it, but gonna just cross that bridge later.

    cropped cardigan

    another thing i loved on our vacation was this sweater, it was the only one i packed and i wore it so much. i love that it’s washable because i basically need everything to be with a baby. but it’s also cozy and it looks cute both buttoned and unbuttoned.

    weighted silcione plate

    i got these plates for izzy and they are weighted so she can’t pick them up really, but they’re also so chic and look like something i’d buy for us!

    merit stick + blending brush

    ok so i put the merit stick on my list last month too, but that’s how much i love it. i have NEVER been a concealer person but the stick is so easy to apply and goes on so light but somehow provides so much coverage still! and the blending brush is incredible too, i just draw all over my blemishes with the stick and then rub it all in with the brush and i’m MADE UP.

  • my top travel essentials

    even though we’re not huge travelers, i have my system and i have a shelf in my closet devoted to things ready to go. i always keep my travel pouches packed so i don’t need to repack them every time, and on the shelf i keep the rest of my travel items, my headphones, a neck pillow, books i won’t read and a large cashmere blanket thing i always bring with me for feeling cozier on chilly flights

    easily spottable luggage set

    has been crucial for us to spot our bags from across the carousel!

    packing cubes

    i always use packing cubes and have found they make traveling with kids way easier too, because i can easily unpack and repack clothes by just keeping them in their cubes in a dresser. this year i got compression cubes because i am a notorious over-packer and i think these might help!

    dry bar 3-in-1 spray

    i love this spray for my hair, i use it as a dry shampoo but it also works for styling and just makes my non-washed hair smell and feel so much better.

    streaming stick

    it plugs right into any house or hotel tv and then i have all my streaming apps ready to watch! cannot travel without it. i keep this packed in a pouch ready to go and i keep a box of batteries in the pouch just in case (also i take the batteries out of the remote when i’m not on a trip!)

    we usually use a roku but i bought a chromecast for our second one (because yes now we need two in case we want one in our bedroom and one in the living room lol)

    travel toiletry bottles

    these ones are so chic too!

    travel pill case

    so much easier than packing a bunch of different medications.

    spray hand sanitizer

    i was using wipes forever, but spray is so convenient!

    dopp kits that open wide

    once you start using ones like this, you can’t go back to limited access lol. it’s so nice to be able to sprawl your stuff out!

    portable charger

    i love this charger because i don’t need to worry about bringing a single cord. they’re all built in to the one piece and you just plug it right into the wall to charge it. (the one I’m linking is smaller than the one above, and I like it better)

    cashmere scarf

    i got a scarf like this as a gift years ago and i still bring it with me all the time. it’s a giant cozy cashmere scarf that i can wrap around myself and use as a blanket, but it rolls up small enough that i can fit it in my carry on.

    you can also shop my travel faves on amazon

  • almost monthly 6/23

    listening to: my summer playlist

    watching : succession (better late than never! we’re on s3 now)

    eating: tried a new salmon recipe by molly baz – i liked a lot! (the boys like the way i usually do it though)

    wearing: this new linen shirt is gonna be my go-to layer this summer (i sized up for a boxier fit)


    i’ve been wanting to write little personal updates when i can here and i never have, so why not start now?! having the blog redesigned has given me a newfound passion for the blog after all.

    this week we’re heading off to martha’s vineyard for our annual trip, it’s such a schlep to get there from la but once we’re there i’m always so happy. and then i’m depressed because i never want to come home and constantly questioning why i don’t LIVE in my happy place!!?

    since we started bringing arlo there, i’ve been feeling like the trip goes by way too quickly, it takes a couple days to actually settle in, plus 1 day of travel (we take a ferry to get there) on each side, so really it’s 5 days! so i decided last year we were staying for a second week, especially if we were bringing a baby this year, and we’re actually doing it this year! so we’ll stay for one week with poppy + family in a house (with a pool!), and the week after we’re moving just the four of us to a sweet cottage on the other side of the island. i am so excited.

    and because this is our first time traveling with two kids and i forgot how much crap you need for a baby and we’ll be on a target-less-island, the trip prep this year is intense! i sent like 8 boxes straight to poppys of stuff like snacks, diapers, a portable high chair, a pool float for izzy that i decided to order after searching for a cute one that was under $40 for longer than i want to admit, et ceteraaaaaa.

    arlo is about to be done with kindergarten which is just insane, and we’re going to be celebrating his 6th birthday right when we get back from our trip!! he wants a scary shark eating a person themed pool party this year so wish me luck lol. going to try my best to not overdo it, which will be easier than usual because we’re having the party at my in-laws.

    and izzy is about to be 8 months old! she is sitting up, eating everything and so fun to be around. no teeth yet, very excited to see her on the beach soon, most likely trying to eat all the sand.

    i will be around while on the trip, but hopefully less than usual! in a perfect very unrealistic world i’ll be doing puzzles, swimming, going to the farms and then coming home and cooking elaborate dinners with all my fresh produce? i even bought a book, who thinks i’ll read a chapter of it?!

  • summer playlist

    in an effort to make everything nicer, prettier and more functional, i went through and did a big cleanup of my spotify playlists. i used to make short 12 song “mixtapes” and share them here years ago, but i haven’t kept up with them and i realized longer playlists are what i way prefer these days.

    to be able to just throw one on and listen for hours is my favorite, so i created a long summer playlist, but i also went ahead and did a bunch of long ones. i’ll continue adding to these instead of making new playlists every time (also working on some for future seasons i’ll share then!)

    so there’s a long summer one, but also did playlists to listen to while you cook, while you entertain, and a baby & kids friendly song playlist too. i hope you enjoy!

    summer

    listen here →

    dinner party

    listen here →

    cooking

    listen here →

    littles

    listen here →