Monday Missive: November 15

This week was amazing and exhausting because we got to be together! After starting the week on Cape Cod, I flew down to Annapolis for a few days so that we could work on a few projects and have some sister fun. I love getting to see my nieces do their school day routines and spend time with Eloise alone! I also started holiday shopping already this year. All of the talk about things running out and shipping times is making me panic a bit, so it’s good motivation to get organized. - D

It was so much fun to have Dinah in town! We hiked, we drank margaritas, we had a Christmas movie marathon with the girls-it was amazing! We also did some real work and some blog work, including a fun collaboration with our amazing friend Jenn of J Bergman Photography that we can’t wait to share (including the cover photo for this post!). Now I’m trying to get ready for our Thanksgiving trip (planning that many attractive outfits for the children seems like a full time job) and also work on all of the holiday shopping, decorating and planning. -E

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What We’re Reading and Watching

  • I started Let’s Talk About Hard Things by Anna Sale (recommended by my friend Morgan who grew up with Sale!), and it’s fantastic. She is the host of the podcast Death, Sex & Money and each chapter of the book looks at another issue that is taboo to discuss in society. I cried through the death section, in a good way, and just finished the sex section. Highly recommend it, especially if you have a hard time talking about any of these topics! - D

  • If you haven’t already listened to Red (Taylor’s Version) you need to (there are new songs that are so good!), and you need to watch the short film for All Too Well, one of Taylor’s most popular songs that wasn’t released as a single. It was amazing to be with Eloise and the girls to watch it all together, although there were a shocking number of swear words in the video! - D

  • The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine is a fun rich mom thriller set in Baltimore. It was fun to read a book set in Maryland and I love a murder mystery where I can’t quite guess the twist. -E

What We’re Buying

  • My holiday decorations went up when I got back from Maryland, mostly because I had bought amazing red glitter trees and this gorgeous pinecone tree from Christmas Tree Shops (I can’t find links, I’m sorry!) and couldn’t wait to add them to the mix! - D

  • The Sephora sale was last week, so I stocked up on a few things and did some early Christmas shopping. In my quest for the perfect Vitamin C serum, I finally got the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum that Eloise loves. I can’t wait to try it! - D

  • I got all the trees from Target this week-love this one and this one and this one. For my Annapolis locals, Homestead Gardens also has all of their holiday displays decor ready to go-I scooped up more decorative trees and lots of paper white bulbs to plant, and I wish I had the kids with me to see the trains and carolers and the rest of the fun. -E

  • Something about this monogrammed tote bag is calling to me-I can’t decide if I should get it for myself or ask for it for Christmas. -E

What We’re Making

  • I had to make a few very quick dinners last week, and I pulled out this Half-Baked Harvest Greek Chicken recipe that I’ve shared here before. It’s so fast and easy for protein in a rush (plus my kids love the dressing!). -E

  • This week is going to be crazy for me with work calls and meetings, so I did a ton of meal planning and prep on Sunday. What I’m most excited about is recreating the Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl at home. I found this recipe, but am also going to wing it a little bit, taking out the almonds and rice, and slicing my sweet potatoes into thinner slices like they do. - D

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