FROM: STELLA

TO: LAURA

1. Today marks 37 weeks of my pregnancy. It feels like a big milestone for me since I was born three weeks early and also it means my baby is full-term. So he could arrive any day now … or sometime in the next ~4 weeks. I’ve been loving this book (recommended to me by Laura) that’s basically an encyclopedia of wonderful information about pregnancy, childbirth, and newborns! It’s a great go-to resource for me as these final weeks are coming to a close. 
2. I love that The Dream Podcast has been releasing bonus episodes over the last few weeks. It was one of my favorite podcasts that I binged last year and I love to have it back in my life even if it’s just temporary!
3. I was sad to hear that Southwest is changing the requirements for earning the companion pass and making it a bit harder to get it. Given the amazing value, you can get out of the pass though, it’s totally understandable!
4. I liked this post for inspiration for newborn photos. My sister is a photographer and she’ll be visiting just a few short weeks after my little one is born and I am excited to have her capture a few moments for us. I’m sure she’ll do a great job of getting more personal photos than we’d get from a hired photographer.

FROM: LAURA

TO: STELLA

1. I’ve been in a very fall mood lately, and even though Los Angeles weather doesn’t always cooperate with autumn inclinations, my kitchen can! Going to try making either these applesauce bars or something off this apple-y recipe roundup this weekend!
2. Stumbled upon a few articles about raising kids that I enjoyed this week. This one on “How to Raise a Reader” has lots of good ideas on incorporating books into young kids’ lives, something I’m very passionate about instilling in Ernie from a young age. And this one on “24 Better Questions to Ask Kids About How Their Day Went” is definitely one to bookmark for a few years from now, but I love the intention around asking more in-depth questions than just “how was your day?” Also, one more on different allowance strategies! My parents were divorced, so growing up I experienced two different households’ allowance dispensation and I’ve always been interested in how other people were raised.
3. I completed my goal of seeing all 50 states by the time I was 25, mostly by driving through them! A friend of mine and I took four separate cross-country road trips over the span of a few years and slowly ticked off seeing the majority of our country. I love this Eastern US and Canada route! Definitely made me nostalgic for getting back on the road sometime soon!