Monday Missive: January 31
We had a magical long weekend in Disney World to celebrate Cece’s birthday. She’s been asking to go to Disney for years, so we thought it would be so much fun to surprise her on her birthday with a trip. The weather was a little crazy (one day was a record low in Orlando and it was cold even for these Northerners!), but we had so much fun. She loved all the rides, especially the little roller coasters, and when Moana and Cinderella wished her a happy birthday, the look on her face was worth the crowds and general craziness of the trip. So many family memories! -E
My weekend was the opposite of going to Disney, with Boston getting a record snowfall of 2+ feet! We stayed in, doing more unpacking, setting up my boyfriend’s giant TV (and reorganizing my built in shelves as a result) and napping. January has been a very busy month, so it was nice to have a weekend off from socializing, moving and running around. - D
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What We’re Reading and Watching
The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window starring Kristen Bell is a darkly comedic take on the all the thrillers with an unreliable female narrator that have come out in the past few years. I love Kristen Bell, so I had fun with it, especially because I had just read a not so great thriller on the plane that seemed like direct inspiration for the miniseries (her old pain medication kept popping up in dangerous places around the house and she didn’t remember ever moving it!). -E
I was so excited to watch The Gilded Age this week and it didn’t disappoint. I love the costumes and the sets-so many beautiful fabrics and colors and the mix of upstairs/downstairs drama that Downtown Abby was so good at. The only thing that’s distracting me at this point is Cynthia Nixon because I’m so frustrated with Miranda’s storyline on And Just Like That, and every time she speaks I have to remind myself that this is a different show. -E
Did everyone watch RHOSLC last night? I’m honestly kind of in shock over it! I think it’s crazy that somehow everyone has decided Jen is innocent and that instead of talking to her about the federal crimes she has been indicted for, they are more concerned with if Meredith somehow knew she was going to be arrested? I mean, it would be shady of Meredith, and I do not understand her friendship with Mary, who is actually insane, or honestly the dynamics of her friendship with Lisa, but why do people care more about what exact day her father’s memorial was and not if Jen defrauded elderly people? - D
I finally watched Encanto last week and it was delightful! I loved the animation, the casita, the family dynamics and of course the songs! My instagram is now filled with people singing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (which is apparently the biggest Disney hit ever??) and “Surface Pressure” and I’m not mad about it! If you have kids you have probably seen it, but if you don’t, you should still watch it! - D
I read When in French by Lauren Collins, a thoughtful reflection on love and language as the American author marries a French man and moves to Geneva with him, all the while navigating the differences in their languages and how they can love and connect with each other as she learns the French language and its connection to their culture.
What We’re Buying
I got a sample of this mascara in my Sephora last week, and I decided to try it on our Disney vacation to see if it really held up as well as it claimed to. It was amazing! It actually stayed on through a full day of running around the parks and going on rides. I got Lila to try it one day and it worked for her too. It’s a little tricky to get it totally clump free because it’s a tubing mascara, but once I had it set, it was on until I washed may face at the end of the day. -E
I did a little panic shopping for our trip when I realized that it was going to be chilly and that I would need pants that I could walk around in all day with sneakers that would still look cute in photos. I got these joggers in ecru and these in the olive green color and they were both great. -E
Did I buy a three pack of Eloise’s favorite leggings? Yes I did, and I wore them all weekend! They are so soft and thin but opaque enough to leave the house in. - D
I’ve been debating the perfect small storage bins to put in my built-in shelves so that we have a few more spots to hide things, and finally got my boyfriend to agree on this neutral set. I think they will do the trick without making much of a statement and give us more flexibility with how we use the space. - D
What We’re Making
There wasn’t a whole lot of chef-ing for me last week with our trip, but this week, I’m looking forward to rebooting my healthy eating with this soup for mom lunches (anything with pesto on top is a good idea!), and trying this sheet pan pita recipe for a family dinner. -E
A weird winter move, but I have been very into smoothies this past week! My go to right now is almond milk, half a banana, kale, spinach, protein powder, and a tablespoon of almond butter. It’s delicious and has been keeping me full. - D
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