FROM: STELLA

TO: LAURA

1. We have had a crazy couple of weeks. My little family relocated to my hometown in NC for the foreseeable future as we navigate working from home and full-time parenting. Colby took his first flight! And my husband and I finally flew again after taking a year hiatus since our babymoon last year. As exciting as it was to be in the sky again, it’s a very different experience to fly with a baby and during COVID. Look out for many more posts about our journey in the coming weeks!

   

2. Colby has been taking a daily bath lately — he loves them and the combo of humidity + really getting into eating solid food has made them a necessity. I am greatly missing this awesome baby tub that we decided wasn’t worth bringing across the country with us. We’ve tried to make up for it by purchasing this no-slip bath mat but it’s been an adventure lately.
3. Right before we left LA, my husband and I decided to sell our cars. We both had compact cars and neither of them really made sense anymore now that Colby is here and the cost of bringing them across the country or storing them just didn’t seem worth it. Per Laura’s recommendation, we used a company called Shift to sell both of them and it was so easy! I loved that they came to us and made the whole process so seamless, plus we got a great price!
4. I am completely obsessed with this Crispy Pan Pizza recipe from King Arthur Flour (see our recommendations for foodie insta accounts to follow here). I’ve already made it several times and currently have another round of dough rising in the fridge for later this week.

FROM: LAURA

TO: STELLA

1. My most anxiously awaited book delivery of the year arrived this week! ‘Big Friendship‘ by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman (hosts of one of my favorite podcasts — Call Your Girlfriend) is all about the celebrations, trials, and intimacies of platonic relationships and is top of my reading list now that it’s finally here! To celebrate their book launch they’re doing a 10 part series this summer on their show documenting the many facets of their friendship over the last decade. Parts one and two are out now and I can’t wait for the rest of the installments!

   

2. In a quest to diversify my feed more, I’ve been really excited to find more parenting resources and (LOTS) more #bookstagram accounts on Instagram from Black content creators. My parenting favorites so far: Jasmine Bradshaw creator of the First Name Basis podcast, heybelovedmama, Montessori Madre, and Dr. Jazmine aka themompsychologist. And my reading enthusiast additions of late: Well Read Black Girl, bookslifehome, and Brown Girl Reading.
3. We officially have a walker on our hands. Baby Ernie (Toddler Ernie?!) has been tentatively taking a handful of steps here and there over the last few weeks, but the last day or two has been transformative! He is starting to favor walking over his speedy crawling, so I assume it’s only a matter of days until he figures out running, too. This airplane toy and this wagon have been used lots lately for balance help!
4. My husband and I have been bingeing ‘Watchmen.’ And by bingeing I mean we’ve watched it for the last three nights in a row and only have one episode left! We haven’t been this attached to a show since before Ernie was born. Also just ordered the book which he has already read but we both want to read asap, too!