By Jessica Lee
During the summer months, I pick up a pint of strawberries at the grocery store every week. I’m crazy about those sweet berries and find myself snacking on them every day knowing that they only taste this good for a few months…
By Eugenia Vela
Even though I’ll admit to being glued to my phone most days, I do try to have at least a couple of books with me when I travel. I’ve experienced long flight delays and train rides that seem to go on forever, stretching across cities and countries with no end in sight. What I’ve learned is that an absorbing page-turner is the absolute best kind of book to have in my carry-on. Give me a twisty mystery or a creepy thriller and I am HOOKED, hastily turning the pages until I reach that unexpected, satisfying end. I know I’m not alone in this, or we wouldn’t have uber successful movie adaptations of Gone Girl or Girl on the Train, right? So if that sounds like your thing, get ready…
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Things I love about living in 2019…(this is about to get very “first world” here)…oat milk, backup cameras, craft beer, DVR, Google Maps…to name a few. Another high up on the list is Favor – an app that allows food, beer & wine (!!) and grocery deliveries. Clearly, I am all about convenience over here, ha! But in all seriousness, I am SO excited about today’s post because Blake and I use Favor ALL. THE. TIME. Like…I’m talkin’ multiple times a week. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) at the end of a crazy busy day, the last thing we want to do is prepare a meal and do dishes. This is when one of us whips out the Favor app and orders a meal that’ll bring instant joy (umm…pizza does that, 100%). We press that orange Order Favor button in the app and an instant sigh of relief washes over. Before we know it, we’re catching up on The Bachelor, walking Jude to sleep and digging into our favorite pizza – without ever leaving the house (…and in our comfy loungewear, ha!).
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A big thank you to Favor for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
By Eugenia Vela
Ever since I watched You’ve Got Mail around the age of 8, I was sure I wanted to own a children’s bookstore when I grew up. I remember Meg Ryan’s character saying, “When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.” That line stuck with me for good. I still believe it, which is why I am so passionate about getting books in the hands of children. I am fortunate to work in a bookstore that has a large Kids section, and I meet parents and young readers every day who are looking for books that will introduce them to new concepts and whisk them away to mysterious faraway lands. I believe books can have a huge impact on us from an early age, and it’s important to give kids books that introduce them to those mysterious lands as well as reflect the beautifully diverse world around us. Here are a few of my favorites…
The Last Stop On Market Street / All The World / We Sang You Home / Dreamers
By Jessica Lee
There’s no shortage of Tex Mex food in Austin. And while I love it (chips and queso are my weakness), sometimes I want something a little more on the healthy side.
That’s where this salad comes in. It’s filled to the brim with fresh vegetables, yet it still satisfies those inevitable Tex Mex cravings. The quinoa makes it surprisingly filling, and the dressing is divine. If you happen to have leftovers of the dressing (which I doubt you will), save it for dipping raw vegetables into. Plus, the salad saves really well, so you could easily meal prep it for lunches throughout the week!
My how time flies! Our little guy is already four months old! Actually…as I write this, he’s 4.5 months old now (ah!). We’ve been busy bees over here with Jude. He’s rolling over, discovered his hands (and he would tell you they’re delicious), has graduated from the Solly wrap and we’re not onto our Ergo carrier (…and my back is thanking me for this haha), and he’s got a new sleep routine! As for me, motherhood has gotten significantly better than since I last wrote about it (in this post) – the baby blues are long gone (though I still have my cry-from-stress moments at times…Jude continues to hate the car…!), I’m more confident in living by my “mother’s intuition” and have been embracing that voice in my head and feeling in my gut, and overall just feel like I’m “out of the fog” so-to-speak as our new normal has set in and is here to stay – and it’s been so much fun!
Last week I asked my Instagram readers what questions they’d like for me to answer about motherhood, postpartum, and our journey with Jude over the last 4-months…so here we go!
By Eugenia Vela
It’s officially hot and sticky here in Austin, which means cool, delicious cocktails, late afternoon dips in Barton Springs, and light summer reads to keep you company! My reading habits throughout the year have so much to do with the seasons. That may sound weird, but as soon as winter hits I gravitate toward darker stories set in snowy towns or, if I’m being completely honest, yet another reread of Harry Potter. But the summer makes me crave escape in the opposite direction: I want heat, romance, comfort, and light! I want to laugh and fall in love with a fictional character, is that too much to ask? I don’t think so.
So whether you’re beachside, poolside, or hiding inside your favorite coffee shop, these are some of my favorite books to dive into this summer! Lots of laughs and deep, dramatic sighs guaranteed.
Shop These Summer Reads!
Red, White & Royal Blue / Normal People / You Always Change the Love of Your Life (for Another Love or Another Life) / The Wedding Date / When Katie Met Cassidy
Among about 1000 other things I took for granted before becoming a mom (…like leisurely eating lunch, finishing an entire episode of anything, singing at the top of my lungs in the car, sleeping through the night, finishing my coffee while it’s still hot…fellow mamas, ya feel me?), the one thing that might just top this list is…drumroll…shaving my legs! Not going to lie, on the days when I have enough extra minutes to shave, it’s a VERY big deal and I’ve basically conquered the world. I feel like a new woman when I step out of the shower with silky smooth legs…even if those legs are going right back into activewear as I walk my little man to sleep around the house, ha! (But hey, successfully getting Jude to nap is a major WIN in my day!). When it comes to spending time on myself and going the extra “self care” mile, there’s one razor and shaving cream brand I’m reaching for…
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A big thank you to Walmart for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
By Jessica Lee
It’s summertime in Austin, and while, yes, it does get incredibly hot with the mercury rising above 100 degrees more days than not, it’s also one of the best places to be this time of year. Why? Because we’ve got a ton of great watering holes – and by watering holes I mean both lakes/pools and bars!
So to celebrate the return of summer, I’ve rounded up the best spots to grab a drink in Austin. I know I missed some (there are so many!), so leave a comment with your faves!
By Jessica Lee
I don’t want to jump the gun, but I can just feel Summer fast approaching in the air. Those warm days spent by the pool are calling my name. I can’t wait to throw on a bathing suit, slather myself in sunscreen, grab a beach read and just ~c h i l l~
Who’s with me?