Happy Friday and happy early MLK Day! I hope your weekend is spent enjoying time with loved ones, honoring the memory of MLK and continuing the work of his legacy, and protecting your peace. It’s all love over here, baby!
Music: My current aural hyperfixation is Spencer Sutherland, specifically his latest album The Drama (and even more specifically, the song “Alive,” which sounds delightfully similar to “Fat Bottomed Girls”). His vibe is very Elton John meets Harry Styles meets Freddie Mercury (with a little Benson Boone for the modernity/cheesiness factor, plus the voice of George Ezra). His lyrics lean a litttttle saccharine for my taste, but it’s a good reminder that something can be fun and silly and still be art.
Food, Part 1: Does anyone remember last February when I was obsessed with finding Barilla’s seasonal heart-shaped pasta? I FOUND IT! And it’s available in so many more places this year! Go to this link, scroll down and click “Buy Now,” then put in your zip code to see stores where it’s available near you. I got three boxes at my local Jewel for $2.19 each. My luck is turning!!!!!
Food, Part 2: Has Trader Joe’s not been hitting it out of the park lately!? In addition to my regular staples, I recently fell in love with the below two products:
Slightly Coated Dark Chocolate Almonds: I love a little afternoon sweet that doesn’t leave me feeling sluggish, and these fit the bill.
Calabrian Chili Tomato Dumpling Soup: I can’t find this on the TJ’s website, but they had it available to sample last time I was in the store, and I bought it immediately. It’s the perfect combo of so many of my favorite things: the joy of spice, the comfort of tomato soup, and the texture/substance of dumplings. So so good for a quick workday lunch.
Books: I’m still making my way through the audiobook Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life by Nicholas D. Kristof (and please note that it’s a 17-hour listen so I will be trucking along for quite some time), and I also just started The Rules of Fortune by Danielle Prescod (It doesn’t officially release until February 1, but if you’re a Prime member, you can get it early as part of Prime Reading First Reads — click here). You may recognize Danielle from her memoir, Token Black Girl, from her chic Instagram presence, or as the sister of Summer House cast member Gabby Prescod (all iconic!). I looooove a book about family inheritance drama (Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena and The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney are two of my favorites), so if you also like that genre (or just miss Succession), you’ll like this.
Social Media: Much like many of you (I assume), I am holding my breath/saying my prayers that something miraculous happens to halt the loss of TikTok this weekend — but no matter what, take this as a reminder to (ASAP) save down your most successful/most meaningful videos and to screenshot any analytics you want to save for your portfolio/street cred. Your hard work may soon physically disappear, but you can still keep proof of it.
If you’re interested in the conversation around what the ban means for social media creators/users (I am! It’s my job!), this post from Jack Appleby is super interesting and insightful.
TV: I finally hopped on the Traitors bandwagon, and not a moment too soon. The Traitors is a reality show featuring a bunch of stars of other reality shows, and it’s essentially a game of Clue/Mafia in real life. I’m enjoying it SO much, and it’s such an easy binge/background show to pick up. Ciara 4ever!!!!
And Finally… A Love Letter / Birthday Wish: My sister Becca is my best friend. There is no one I trust or look up to more, and there is nothing I love more than laughing (or crying) on her couch with her and her husband, my perfect brother-in-law Tyler. When Becca and Tyler told me (almost 7 years ago!) that they were having their first baby, I will admit that I had mixed feelings. I knew how excited they were, and I knew I would enjoy (occasionally) snuggling a little friend, but I was nervous that our nights spent watching The Bachelor, drinking wine, and eating pizza were coming to an end.
Then Nathan was born!!!! The best way I can describe how I feel about Nathan is to say that he is the sun in my sky. He very literally lit up my world, and (even six years later) he still does that every single day (and yes, Becca, Tyler, and I still drink wine and eat pizza, duh!).
Two and a half years later, my mixed feelings returned when Becca and Tyler told me they were having a second baby. I knew at least that I was capable of feeling the unconditional, all-consuming love that I feel for Nathan, but I was nervous that it wouldn’t happen a second time — that my very-good-aunthood was a fluke.
I have literally never been so happy to be wrong. When Eloise was born on January 17, 2022, she didn’t become a second sun in my sky (I already have one of those!) — but she lit up my world with a constellation of all the other stars, adding vibrancy, sparkle, and magic to my solar system. She makes every part of life more vibrant and more beautiful.
If you noticed that date up there, you might have realized that today is Eloise’s third birthday. For three whole years, I’ve gotten to know the bravest, silliest, most stubborn, and most loving little girl in the world. For the past three years, I’ve understood firsthand why my parents say that they don’t love any of their kids more than the others, but that they simply love us all differently. Nathan and Eloise are my sun and my stars, and I can’t imagine my sky without either.
Happy 3rd birthday, Eloise Anne — you bring light to the dark, and being your Godmother (and aunt to you and your brother) is my single greatest gift. (P.S... My third superstar is coming in May!!! Yay!!!!)
Have a wonderful weekend, and happy Eloise Day to all who celebrate. Cheers!
XO,
Gail