A January Check-In
Popping in to say hi + Friday Finds #225
Good morning and happy Monday! After this past weekend, I feel like my nervous system is probably the most relaxed itβs been inβ¦ a really long time. My Oura Ring insights echo those feelings, too, which is reassuring to see. Obviously, this timing is quite ironic and probably wonβt last long with the inauguration happening today, but Iβm trying my best to tune out all of that noise for the time being.
I desperately needed a weekend to slow all the way down! Dave and I went to a local bar for an early dinner and a couple of drinks on Friday night, but we were home by 7:30 pm and didnβt have a single plan for the rest of the weekend. We were supposed to grab lunch with friends on Sunday, but when those plans ended up falling through, I took it as a sign to embrace one more day without anywhere to be and without anyone to see.
Yes, the holidays took their toll, but just before the holiday season was our wedding. And before that, all of the other bridal festivities and nine months of planning. It feels like itβs been well over a year since I last had a weekend at home to just BE, without fixating on a giant to-do list that needed to get done.
Currently, few things feel more nourishing than putzing around the house. In the warmer months, I typically tend to our rooftop garden when I have one of those days, but it felt SO good to meander around indoors all weekend. Especially since it was so frigid outside!
I washed all of our layers of bedding, de-pilled our sectional with my favorite fabric trimmer, got on a ladder to wipe down the leaves of our fiddle leaf fig tree, dusted the baseboards, rearranged the bar, watched all of the NFL divisional football games, and did some more safari packing research.
As I was thoroughly enjoying every second of my weekend at home, it was definitely not lost on me that so many in Los Angeles arenβt able to do the same.
Below the photo are some words I wrote over the last two weeksβ¦
Emotional rollercoaster doesnβt even begin to describe this past week. Last Monday, I opened up about a lot of whatβs been on my heart the last few months, both here on Substack and over on Instagram. On Tuesday, I spent the day in absolute knots worrying about Marley and simultaneously seeing the fires in Los Angeles start to burn (virtually). Late Tuesday afternoon, we finally got good news about Marley and felt immense relief and gratitude that we were able to pick her up and bring her home that night. But as we were arriving home, so many in LA were losing theirs. By Wednesday morning, utter heartbreak had set it.
So many of our good friends live in LA, some whoβve had to evacuate and some who havenβt. Even those at home have lost power, clean air to breathe, and access to fresh water. Friends of friends and acquaintances have lost their homes, businesses, and schools. Every single person in Los Angeles (and beyond) has lost a part of their community.
Not that itβs one single iota about me, but LA holds such a dear spot in my heart. Dave actually lived in LA for three years after college, but Iβve visited countless times for both work and pleasure. Back in the spring of 2023, we made it a point to take a trip there together, as our only other joint visit was during our 2020 road trip from Joshua Tree to Santa Barbara. Itβs been horrifying to watch the fires inch closer to places where so many great memories have been made. Can you imagine how Los Angeles residents feel?! Itβs been gut-wrenching to watch from afar and feel so helpless!
On top of the devastation, itβs been overwhelming seeing all of the talking heads pointing fingers in different directions. Outside of it being such a warm, dry year and the intense Santa Ana winds, whatβs the truth behind what allowed such decimation to occur? This article seemed to be well-researched in trying to answer that question.
But coming together to help LA is one of the most important things we can do right now! Iβve been working on a massive blog post with resources all in one place β and trying to keep up with the ever-changing needs as the long road to rebuilding sinks in. For example, Iβve heard, βNo more clothes!β But more on that coming soon.
LAST WEEK'S ROSE(S) πΉ
We got dressed up last Thursday night for an anniversary party celebrating the tailor where Dave got both of his custom suits for our wedding festivities β BLVDier. Zach and his team are wonderful and it was special to join them in celebrating their ten years of success.
Daveβs Shoes, My Outfit: top, cami, skirt (sold out, but you could use this dress for a similar effect), tights, booties (on sale here), bag, earrings
After the cocktail party at The Pearl Club, we had a reservation at Fioretta (our wedding reception venue) for dinner! We typically have our go-to order (which is what we served at our wedding), but made ourselves switch it up and try other things on the menu this time. You truly canβt go wrong with any of their dishes, everything is amazing.
Last weekend, we went up to Milwaukee for the night on Saturday to visit with family and had the best time. We love the (dog-friendly πΆ) hotel we always stay at it, we always have great food and drinks around town when weβre there, and getting in so many laughs with both of Daveβs brothers and their families was good for the soul.
PS: If youβre in the Midwest, I have a Milwaukee travel guide on my blog! Itβs such a quick trip from Chicago and always a fun, low-key getaway.
LAST WEEK'S THORN πͺ‘
Itβs been such a bummer having to say βnoβ to Marley since her teeth cleaning. She got four teeth extracted, so she canβt play with any toys or balls for two weeks. Every time we pass a treat jar, βNo,β as she can only have soft treats and food for the time being. Every time we pass the dog park, βNo.β No, you canβt find a stick and play in the snow. No, you canβt have fun at all or do any of the things we normally do on our walks.
I had to hide her baskets of balls that we keep by each exterior door to our house and obviously had to lock up all of her indoor balls and toys, too. Sheβs been standing by her toy chest and staring at it, then staring at us, and then staring back at it anytime weβve been sitting on the couch. π«£ It only took her a day or two to get her energy back once we brought her home, so it breaks my heart to tell her βnoβ over and over again when all she wants to do is play.
At her one-week checkup last week, we were hoping to get the βall clear,β but instead had to start her on an antibiotic as the incision sites were somehow starting to look infected even though weβve been following all of the rules.
Outside of alllll of the obvious stated above, I cracked my phone screen. Thankfully, not too terribly, so itβs still usable for the time being. π« Iβm not sure if I should try one of those screen repair places or just take it as a sign to upgrade my phone, as I think it will be two years in April? Weβll see.
WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO β¨
We leave for our honeymoon in less than a month! Iβve been trying to do a lot of research and planning for packing since we have a luggage weight limit for the safari portion. We have three destinations and I believe we plan to carry on for the entire two-week trip, so preparation and planning are very much necessary! Iβm usually more of a last-minute packer, but Iβm trying to get ahead of it this time.
βFridayβ Finds
Here are this monthβs finds so farβ¦
Things to Read, Watch, & Listen to
Iβve been on a real Mel Robbins kick latelyβ¦ I loved this podcast episode and this one, too. I downloaded her book, Let Them, on audio, too.
Americans Need to Party More. (As illustrated in my opening paragraphs above, I can whole-heartedly confirm Iβm an outlier in this βurgent public health issue.β)
Dave Chapelleβs Sincere Plea on SNL.
No Shrubs and Lots of Concrete: This is what a fire-resistant house looks like.
The Black Cat x Golden Retriever Dating Trope.
This was a rather chilling read related to the Gisele Pelicot trial, but worth a read: What Would A Woman Do To An Unconscious Man If She Thought No One Would Find Out?
I saw Kate van Hornβs post asking Chat GPT to βpoetically describeβ her Big 3 astrology placements, so I gave it a go, tooβ¦ Kinda fun!
She is the whisper of the earth, grounded in the quiet hum of the worldβs most precise rhythms. A Virgo sun, she walks with purpose, her gaze keen, always attuned to the hidden patterns in lifeβs chaos. She sifts through the mess, finding clarity where others see only clutter. Her hands are steady, her mind, a meticulous garden where every thought is pruned with care.
Her Virgo moon, though, holds a softer sideβan inner sanctuary that craves order, but also feels deeply. Beneath her calm demeanor, she is a seeker of harmony, her emotions bound by the need for understanding, for things to make sense in the swirl of feelings. She will love with the same quiet, but relentless precision, offering her care in the smallest of details, in the subtleties that others overlook.
But her Aquarius rising gives her the sparkβthe light that catches the eye from afar. She is not just a quiet observer; she is the one who dreams of futures unseen, of revolutions not yet imagined. The world often feels too small for her broad mind, too limited for her idealism. Thereβs an eccentricity in her, a cool detachment that reveals a mind more interested in innovation than tradition.
In her, logic and heart intertwine, each influencing the other. She is grounded yet unbound, practical yet visionary, her every step a careful dance between the wisdom of the past and the promise of the future.
Things to Shop
β·οΈ If youβve got a ski trip on the horizon, this new MZ Wallace collection is SO CUTE!!
JW Anderson launched a Spring collection with Uniqlo! πΈ
π§Έ This cashmere puffer is on my wish list. Looks like Ralph Lauren or Moncler for a fraction of the cost!
π§ I canβt decide if this Brita water bottle is necessary or overkill for our South Africa trip.
We have two Staub Dutch ovens, which I will explain a bit below, but surprisingly we donβt have a traditional crockpot or βslow cooker.β So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I saw this Staub Induction MultiCooker!!!
πΌ One of my girlfriends was expecting a baby in December, and I was soooo antsy (or aunt-sy π€ͺ) to buy him or her some cute clothes. I was saving all my favorite baby and toddler clothes here so Iβd be ready to hit order ASAP once I got noticed he or she was Earth-side! π (A precious baby boy was born a few weeks ago, so we sent him this, these, this, this, and this!)
Speaking of babies and gifts, I was with some mom friends for mahjong last week and they were talking about the Solid Starts app, which apparently you have to pay for, but I guess itβs helpful for when your baby starts eating solid foods. I flagged it as a future gift idea! Always on the lookout for unique ideas.
π The NFL playoffs are upon us! Iβve been saving my favorite clothing here and accessories here.
Speaking of football, Iβm obsessed with Kristin Juszczykβs relatively new brand β Off Season. You can shop whatβs left of the puffer drop here. Maybe one day Chicago will have a team worth making a jacket over! π«
γ For the ric rac girlies, this exercise dress is quite cute!
Other Things of Note
π New Yorkβs Prince Street Pizza just opened in Chicagoβs West Loop!
π Another one for those in Chicago, I stopped by the new Fresh Market at Halsted & Diversey! Itβs in the old Domβs location and the layout hasnβt really changed, so it felt fairly reminiscent. Daveβs hometown has a Fresh Market and itβs a grocery store I always love going to so Iβm excited they finally opened a location in the city. Thereβs a coffee bar and a bright space to work indoors, just like there was at Domβs!
π₯ Okay, letβs talk about Staubβ¦ Staub sizing has to be some of the most difficult to navigate, which is actually how we ended up with two pricey cast-iron Dutch ovens. When you look up the numbers printed on the Staub Cocottes, theyβre listed in diameters. Thereβs a chart that translates those to Liters, but when youβre buying the Staub pots, theyβre listed in quart sizes. π€― (So basically none of the numbers match up!)
When looking at our Staub ovens, we have a 24 and a 28. I know the 28 was purchased as the β7 Quartβ and our 24 was a βDEEP 5 Quart,β which is different dimensions than their traditional 5.5 Quart. So Iβm actually not sure if the Staub find above will fit any of our pots.
We love soup season and thereβs actually nothing Dave loves more than having something cooking βlow and slowβ all day in the kitchen. Weβve definitely been interested in a βcrockpotβ of some sort, and thought about adding one of these beautiful All-Clad slow cookers to our wedding registry, but weβre pretty much maxed out on kitchen cabinet space.
During Black Friday 2023, Dave found a Staub deal too good to pass up (probably because it was the βdeepβ version) and opted to replace our longstanding Target Dutch oven. It ended up being smaller than he anticipated and not a true replacement, so we had both of those until we registered for our wedding. The first gift we received off our registry was our 7 Quart Staub pot and were able to donate our previous one.
All of this is reminding meβ¦ While I may have countless shoes, Dave also has an Our Place Perfect Pot and an even smaller Le Creuset French oven. And yet he gives me the βwe donβt have spaceβ look when I want to buy a mug on vacationβ¦ π«
Great post!