izzy’s 1st birthday is just a few weeks away! we decided on a smiley theme because she is just one big smiley face, and it would be a very simple process if i weren’t … ME!
i’ve been kinda trying to avoid the typical 90s smiley face with the notches on the ends of the mouth, even though that’s the kind you see on almost everything, including a few items here! makes it waaay more complicated and i really need to just chill and start ordering stuff haha.
anyway, i know this is a common theme for 1st birthdays and i got a lot of requests to share links for what i’ve found so far, so here are some pretty things i’ve found so far and sort of the creative direction this party is taking!
because i’ve got a passion for keeping my new car nice and tidy, i got this screen cleaner for the screen in the car but i need one for my laptop too!!
i air dry my hair so i’ve been looking for something i can use while it’s wet out of the shower for frizz and hydrating, and everyone says dae products are so good — i’ll report back
i actually have pretty dry skin, but i got this for gid’s oily skin and he’s been using it a lot. so much less wasteful than the blotting sheets and i love that you can throw it in your purse.
maybe because i’m sick of lugging a heavy diaper bag around the rest of the time, but when i’m alone i love using something tiny like this. it fits just my essentials — car key, wallet, phone, lip balm and sanitizer spray.
been looking for a paper calendar for our fridge for a while and finally found one i like– it’s much easier for me to see upcoming events/parties/appointments than on my phone (which i gotta do too). ps, someone asked if it has the jewish holidays and it does!
i was wearing these in the grey color a lot, and then noticed the green color which i like even better! they’re true to size and they are pretty comfortable and i’m uncomfortable in almost all shoes!
operation all things cute for car– this key fob cover makes my key a lot prettier and helps distinguish between mine and gids. they have them for like every make of key there is!
we made this cake for rosh hashanah and i had to share it (because i keep getting DMs asking for the specifics). it’s jake cohens apple honey snacking cake recipe, but when i saw it i immediately wanted to do it in bundt form with a glaze versus the confectioners sugar (i just love a glaze way more).
this recipe is one bowl, super quick to make and SO MOIST AND DELICIOUS. tbh i was a little nervous about what it would taste like but it was so delish i may make it annually. shana tova!
if you have a frame tv and you’re into halloween — then this post is for you! and if not, sorry :/ and ps, i’ve the easiest way to switch the art on your frame tv is this method, NOT THE APP!
ghost are is definitely trending right now, because last year i bought the one i’m using above, and this year– almost all i see is ghosts painted on landscape paintings haha.
there are TONS of cute halloween art options on etsy, but i scoured through so you don’t have to!
this has been on my mind a lot lately so i thought a post was in order!
how does a person make giant life decisions?! i have made it very clear that i’m incredibly indecisive, so maybe it’s much easier for some. BUT NOT FOR ME. i mentioned sometime last month that we’ve been considering a move…
but the idea is so daunting, leaving behind everyone and everything we know– i’ve been in LA for over 20 years and gid has been here his whole life. but neither of us actually like it here, and neither of us has a job that require we be here, so we’re only here because of the people we love — which is SO IMPORTANT i know, but i can’t help but wonder if it would be worth it to live somewhere we love (and somewhere we can actually afford to live more comfortably!)
i’ve written this blog for like a decade now, so why not just deliberate my life choices right here where i’m comfortable? i’m mostly talking it out, but even more mostly soliciting your input.
when i see people announcing they’re leaving LA – i have the exact same reaction every time. PURE, SEETHING JEALOUSY. is that normal? i feel like that doesn’t seem that normal!
what i like and don’t like about la
there are pockets i like, and there are things i love about it here. i’ve lived here most of my life and don’t really know much else!
i love the restaurants, the culture, the access to so much.
but it’s so hot and it’s just getting hotter. and all the rich people bought up all the neighborhoods that have better cooler weather and trees!
the traffic! it totally sucks.
there are beautiful parts, but overall as a whole i don’t think there is much natural beauty here in comparison to other places. a lot of it is concrete and ugly.
it doesn’t feel that safe, even in the valley, and doesn’t really feel like a great place to raise kids.
i’ve just always loved the idea of a small town, even though it might be a new challenge to not have tons of restaurants nearby, i think i could deal.
moving out of la, but staying a car ride away
i really like the idea of moving away from the city, but being able to drive back for important life events, parties, to see my people, et cetera.
for a brief time, i was thinking maybe we should go north to the santa barbara area, i love it there — it’s beachy, family friendly, laid back and i have 4 nieces and nephews there. but honestly, we can’t really afford it, even in the cheaper surrounding towns, it’s still so crazy.
then i thought ok what about santa ynez, carlsbad, ojai… but everything in california is just crazy (especially right now i know, but who knows when this is gonna end because we thought we overpaid for our house in 2015 which is quite a laugh now)
basically, i should never have started looking at real estate outside of california to see what you can get. because it stings a lot!
moving all the way across the country
if you’ve followed me for a bit, you’ve seen my obsession with the east coast. i’m not sure what it’s about, maybe it’s a deep rooted longing feeling because i sort of didn’t make the decision to ever leave officially when i moved here at 16. i was kind of shipped here as a troubled teen by my dad and ex-stepmom to live with my mom.
(sidenote: and by the way, my troubled teen days were very textbook, my mom moved across the country and my brother was sick for a lot of my childhood, i was clearly acting out for some much sought after attention! but i turned it around when i graduated from high school and ended up quitting [almost] all my bad girl antics and doing really well in college.)
back to the point, i don’t know what this yearning for the east coast is, but i just love the little cobblestone streets and the beaches with the wooden fences and the lobster rolls and the charm and the vibe everywhere you look. when we’re vacationing in martha’s vineyard, i’m typically kind of emotional because of how much i love it there. maybe i’m just constantly nostalgic for vacation, but maybe it’s because i don’t love where we live in real life like i do our pretend life there.
gid feels the same way, he loves the east coast and we even went on a maine road trip when we didn’t even have kids yet and could have easily gone somewhere way more exotic.
…but, obviously, it does feel scary to go SO far away and have WINTER.
but how does one even decide where to go?!
if arlo wasn’t in school, maybe we would be able to travel around and slowly figure out what towns we love most, but i don’t know how that would work! independent study?! compromising holidays to do so?! but i live for holidays! lol don’t mind me. but it seems complicated.
right now i’ve been focused on cute new england stars hollow-y type towns. we want good food, good schools, culture, artsy parents to befriend. the hard part is there ARE SO MANY TOWNS. i can share the towns in a separate post if anyone was curious, but this is already getting really long. but how do people narrow it down?! we started a pro and cons list to every town but the list isn’t short.
gid is afraid of living near the coast for future flooding, but i’m not ruling it out yet, sorry gid. but yes in a perfect world, i guess he wants to be inland a bit. but i would still require a lake then!
i can’t believe of the like 5 new england moms i’ve talked to, how they all seem to truly love their little towns and cities, it makes me realize that is a totally possible thing.
pros (of said dream town)
live somewhere beautiful a fresh start — this feels like a pro and a con we could get a big house with land live in a town with easy access to beach or a lake (really love that lake idea) live in a town that my kids love growing up in live a slow life where i do super quaint things see leaves change in autumn! appreciate the seasons much more?
cons
leaving our families leaving our friends having to start a whole new life aka a fresh start what if we don’t vibe with people somewhere else? what if we’re so bored because we’re used to our big city? long, grueling winters (which we are obviously very not accustomed to) being so far away from la that we can’t drive back for life events who do we even celebrate holidays with?
so please, i need your help now! i don’t get a lot of comments here on the blog these days, but if you don’t mind, i’d love to hear your experiences on the following:
if you’ve packed up and moved away from your family and friends, could you please let me know why and how it’s been for you?
and if you live in a town (preferably new england/upstate new york/somewhere cheap and beautiful i don’t know about in california) that you’re absolutely in love with, can you tell me about it?!
wow i have been making this simple “salmy” for YEARS, and never put on the blog. that’s because it didn’t start as my own recipe, but it has slowly evolved over the years into my own version of alison romans original recipe. hers is a slow roasted salmon that is delicious, but i never end up starting dinner in time to doing anything slowly, so i started doing at a higher temperature which works fine for us!
i’ve tried lots of other recipes and variations, but this has been my go-to because it is insanely effortless and quick for weeknight dinners, and it’s always good!
personally, i don’t like the taste of wild salmon whatsoever, so i always use atlantic.
citrus salmon
Ingredients
1 – 2 lb salmon (you can do skinless, but i like the skin!)
1 lemon
1 blood orange (or any orange will do)
fresh rosemary sprigs
fresh thyme sprigs
fresh cilantro
salt, pepper
herbs de provence
olive oil
Directions
preheat oven to 400°. in a baking pan, lay down a piece of parchment paper if you’re using salmon with the skin. this way it won’t stick!
wash off your salmon and pat it dry with paper towels. i personally like to really rinse the crap out of it and find it tastes a lot less fishy that way. lay in baking dish.
season liberally with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence.
slice lemon and orange slices about 1/4″-1/8″ and lay on top of the salmon, spreading and alternating around so you get a little of both all over.
cover with the rosemary and thyme and stick in oven. bathe in olive oil, like i pour a lot all over so that it’s swimming in the oil.
cook for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet.
i check it around the 15 minute mark, and then usually kinda push some of the lemon slices in the center off to the sides so the center (thickest part) can cook.
once it all looks nicely cooked, pull out of the oven. squeeze lemon juice all over and top with roughly chopped cilantro.
if you only like crispy skin, maybe use skinless salmon. i don’t mind it not getting super crispy, but i have experimented with turning up the temperature really high at the end or pan frying at the end etc. sometimes the oil at 400 gets hot enough that the skin does get a bit crispy, but if i’m looking for a crispy skin salmon i’ll usually make a different recipe!
i typically don’t do the smaller pieces of salmon like in the picture because i always order my groceries and it’s always one big piece. once cooled after cooking, i just use a spatula to cut into individual servings. but i love to do it with individual portioned pieces because i find the skin crisps up a little more!
i almost always serve it with microwave jasmine rice and roasted asparagus. the asparagus is so easy to do with the salmon because i cook it at the same temp/time right below the salmon. i’ll finally share that easy recipe asap too!
omg i was not expecting this to be SO important to her — but wow it’s pretty much all she wants to do hahah. she walks back and forth and back and forth in the living room all day, so glad we have it (and that i registered for it!)
we had this in our old car and just got another pair for our new car– it fills the gap in between your seat and your center console and stops items from inevitably dropping down into the dark abyss under the seat. we’d already lost two things down there before we bought it, it’s amazing (and practically invisible once it’s installed)
omg. i went to sephora and asked what their favorite dry shampoo was and this was recommended, it’s definitely the best one i’ve used. you know that familiar dry shampoo smell and when you use it, you assume people will just be able to smell that your hair has dry shampoo on it and is actually very dirty? this one doesn’t have that smell.
and it works SO well on my thick hair, this might sound terribly gross but it works so well i realized i hadn’t actually washed my hair in almost 2 weeks and it looked and felt fine!!! hahah ew. (ps i use a nice shower cap but it’s been kind of denting my forehead too much so i might get this one)
i got these for izzy’s food and little snacks and they’re SO CUTE. i love all the colors. they also have vent holes and they’re freezer/microwave/dishwasher safe
i got this eyelash curler when my other one broke recently — and i love it! i love a handled lash curler, i don’t know why they’re not more popular. it makes the biggest difference on my lashes, plus it’s $10!!!
i’ve shared this countless times but it’s just the best tank in the world! the cut and neckline are so flattering and i love this “dolphin blue” color with everything.
i finally got some new nail polish colors (i bring my own to the nail salon) and this color is so pretty — it’s called cactus coral. also in love with nail veil #3 which is a sheer mauve color that conditions your nails while it’s on!
the cutest towels! i like the pattern so much that i actually am just using as pool/beach towels right now, but they’re soft and absorbent and a mix between terrycloth and turkish towels. use code ALMOSTMAKESPERFECT for 15% off!
i’ve been using this fanny pack constantly and it’s super convenient for throwing my keys wallet and lip balm into for school drop off. it has convenient little pockets in the front and the back for things like just your license and credit card and a key clip.
listening to: “what was i made for” by billie eilish from the barbie movie. i can’t stop listening because it’s like, always in my head haha
watching: bupkis, it’s so weird, but we’re enjoying it
eating: greek yogurt with breakfast and lunch — still on a protein kick and i eat it with eggs in the morning and with salmon or a veggie burger or chicken and butter lettuce for lunch (i mix it with lemon juice and garlic powder when i do that!)
this was a challenging month — arlo was mostly out of camp and school and poppy was visiting for a while and we are just so out of a rhythm, but at some point in life i’ll be back into one. arlo started school last week and the summer felt so long and so short.
it was our first summer that arlo wasn’t in preschool straight through, so obviously it felt much more like a legit summer break! and IT WAS LONG. but we had some very good times.
we capped off his summer break with some super fun activities, we went to legoland and spent the weekend in carlsbad, and drove to the aquarium in long beach (it’s the best!) we took him to a horror museum and finally let him get a ghostface mask he’s been wanting hahah. poor izzy! she’s going to be so brave!
our weekend in carlsbad was great, we just ate around the town (love campfire and shorehouse kitchen) and arlo swam in the hotel pool all day with poppy.
we also went to the magic castle one night and it was sooo much fun. if you live in LA and you haven’t been, find someone to get you in!! you have to be invited and you have to wear fancy clothes, so it’s a very special occasion for us. you can’t take pictures inside, which makes it all the more intriguing. basically it’s a club for magicians and there are shows, magicians all over the place doing tricks at the bars and a restaurant with very expensive food where every person is required to order their own entree haha.
we got our own special little show from this one mind reader guy blew our minds. he had me draw something and not show anyone and he knew i drew boobs (i’m a 12 year old forever.) he also said that i like things very orderly, but my bedroom is super messy (true) and he did all this other crazy stuff that isn’t worth me typing out because you had to be there haha.
izzy has been teething this last week and it was really gnarly! the worst she’s ever felt for sure. she was barely eating, sleeping a ton and smiling like 30% less! but today she’s seeming back to normal, except now she has fangs just like her brother did as a baby haha. i guess it’s a family trait.
she is also obsessed with walking and we feel like she’s definitely gonna be walking by her first birthday if her tiny feet don’t stop her!
i should be starting to think about her birthday party but i have a problem where i must procrastinate until i’m scrambling to go way overboard very last minute. i did decide the theme would be smiley face but that’s as far as i’ve gotten really! debating if i should do soft rentals if there are only going to be a couple of other baby friends there (we don’t know that many!) should i do it anyway??
i also bought her halloween costume, i can’t decide if i should share what we decided for our family costume or if it should be A FUN TOTAL SURPRISE. i guess stay tuned on that as well haha.
we also celebrated my sister in law with a lovely little high tea sprinkle in her backyard. she’s due in october with a girl, a cousin one year younger than izzy!
overall this was a very unproductive month for me, but i know i mentioned last month that i was kind of thinking about a move out of LA for us. well, we are still thinking of it quite a bit — it’s been at the top of my mind A LOT actually, so i’m going to write all about it in another post. gid made me realize that i was obsessed with moving after we had arlo, then i became obsessed with having a baby and now it’s back to moving, i so wish i could just be content with everything we have, but i can’t help who i am! once we move and fix up our future house, i just wonder what i’ll become obsessed with– doing a dollhouse!?
i love to decorate for halloween almost as much as christmas– but it’s hard to find halloween decor that’s good looking/modern/not super cheap & tacky. even some things i’ve spent a decent amount of money on have ended up breaking quickly, so i put together some handsome halloween decor that seems like it would actually last for years and years.
click directly on the collage above to shop the products. and a few more things because i can’t stop finding stuff once i start!
