FROM: STELLA
TO: LAURA
- I made a huge pot of gumbo this week and it was fantastic. I’m going to add it to my list of favorite instant pot meals so I remember to make it over and over again.
2. Colby’s obsession with trucks continues and his new favorite book is Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. We also just bought him this little pull wagon so that he can move big piles of weeds from the garden to the woods. He loves helping move things around just like the trucks he admires.
3. I’ve been working on perfecting my scrambled egg game because we have them every day for breakfast. I found this New York Times Cooking recipe with lots of tips for getting perfect consistency.
4. I read The Magnolia Story this week which is a memoir from Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame. Though I am not much of a reality TV fan and have only seen a few episodes, I did enjoy the book. Their story was mostly focused on the “before” fame part of their lives as they built their business and pivoted through many different types of financial situations. It was also interesting to hear a story focused on flipping houses and interior design. It was a super easy and quick read so also helped me on my way to my 2021 reading challenge of 50 books.
FROM: LAURA
TO: STELLA
1. I finished ‘This Is All I Got‘ this week, a book by author Lauren Sandler that chronicles the first year of a homeless woman’s journey into motherhood. It was not an easy read, but one I whole-heartedly recommend. The mother, Camila, has a story that is indicative of many systematic privileges and pitfalls that lower income individuals face every day. Roxane Gay’s substack newsletter focused on universal/guaranteed basic income this week, and it was an excellent pairing coming off the story of Camila.
2. I make my own oil facial moisturizer and am always surprised at how long one batch lasts. I last purchased everything that goes into the mix in March of 2018 and only just this week did I have to reorder one! I use a combination of Marula, Rosehip, Argan, and Grapeseed oils.
3. Since stopping breastfeeding by boobs have definitely changed shape and I haven’t been super happy with any of my bras (for over a year…). I placed an order with Parade this week to try a few different styles (in a few different sizes) in the hopes that I’ll enjoy opening my lingerie drawer more rather than the disdain I’ve been associating with it lately.
4. We’re moving into some heavier planning stages of our house renovation and deciding on our general contractor and designer this week. It’s been simultaneously very fun and stressful to do all the interviews, do a lot more Pinterest-ing than I have in years, and generally think about the “look and feel” direction of our addition. Get ready for a ton of construction and interior design content from me in the coming weeks and months!