Our favorite toddler books 13 Nov 2024 5:09 AM (5 months ago)
One of things I want to cultivate most in Jojo is a love of reading. I absolutely love to read (and have ever since I was a kid), and I believe so strongly in the power of books–to educate, to entertain, to be a source of independent activity and comfort.
We read to her *a lot* and have been ever since she was a teeny tiny baby. And now, it does feel very satisfying when she picks up a book on her own or when she asks us to read a book to her! A few of my favorite bibliophile moves thus far: having bookshelves in her room and more in the living room that are easily accessible to her and having custom bookplates made (and probably eventually an embosser). I also stole this idea from my friend Kate, who did it for us, but for my closest friends who have a baby–they get Jojo’s Book Club, which is a book a month sent to them every month for the first year (I still dream of a way to make Jojo’s Book Club a business, tbh). Another fantastic thing that my sister-in-law did for us is put in a huge order of her kids’ tried-and-true books for us to pick up at our local bookstore: a great way to support a local independent bookstore while also avoiding dealing with media mail shipping fees. And while we haven’t done this yet, I also love the idea of asking everyone to bring a used book to a birthday party and doing a book swap in place of gifts (I truly hate gift and goody bag culture so truly anything I can do to avoid).
With all of that in mind, many of our favorite books below: of course, all of these ebb and flow, but many of these have stood the test of time. Although I do very much recommend utilizing the book storage in the back of the Montessori bookshelves and/or figuring out a way to be able to swap books in and out (also our toy approach!) so that you can benefit from books feeling “new” even if they aren’t. And, of course, it goes without saying that we *love* our local library–not just for all of the books, but also the story times, coloring books and toys on offer. And a quick note that although I’ve linked on Amazon below, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND ENCOURAGE YOU to buy books from an independent bookstore–especially during the holiday season, when they make the bulk of their money! My personal favorites: The Book Catapult in San Diego, Books Are Magic and the Strand Book Store in NYC and Powell’s City of Books in Portland–and they all ship! And have truly excellent merch in addition to books!
For Dog (and Cat) Lovers
No surprises here: we are big dog lovers in this house, and I wanted that reflected on our bookshelves! It’s very hard for me to pass up a good one, and luckily, Jojo absolutely loves them. My go-to “congratulations on the baby” gift is a copy of Pig the Pug, and Dog’s First Baby if they have a dog at home. If they’re cat people, I’ll swap it with Cat’s First Baby. Other favorite dog books include Hot Dog, I Want 100 Dogs, Can I Be Your Dog?, Emma Full of Wonders (Jojo’s current favorite!) and D is For Dog. Pug is Happy is obviously a great one for puggers, but it’s especially nice to talk about emotions AND has a working mom subplot.
For Foodies
Although I was a picky eater as a kid, we are doing our best to expose Jojo to a variety of new foods and encourage a curiosity about eating. I definitely give Artichoke to Zucchini some credit in that: it’s this gorgeous illustrated dictionary of foods, and it’s given me some inspiration on new foods to introduce. We also love Can You Eat? and Yum Yummy Yuck!
For City Folk
Although Jojo is a San Diegan through and through, she is half New Yorker and we feel very strongly about making sure she knows and loves her New York roots. Between annual trips to the city, we try to keep up that New York City love through books like Subway, How Little Lori Visited Time Square, B is For Bagel (foodie crossover!) and My First Book of New York. New York: A World of Colors is a little simple but also fun.
Interactive
I’m a sucker for a creative use of a flap in a book, and obviously, these are always the biggest hits with kids! We especially love Who Am I?, Dear Zoo, Do Cows Meow?, Do Crocs Kiss? and Mail Duck (my personal sleeper hit, especially if you are a devotee of snail mail). Lemons Are Not Red doesn’t have flaps, but has some very clever cutouts.
The (New) Classics
My mom saved a ton of my childhood books, so many of Jojo’s books have *my* childhood bookplate on them. A few of those that are absolutely in the rotation: Good Night Moon, Love You Forever (although wow I cannot get through it without tears now) and The Giving Tree.
And while I didn’t discover these ones until having Jojo, I think they’ll stand the test of time: Little Blue Truck, Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, My Very Own Special Particular Private and Personal Cat and Fortunately (I actually found this in a bookstore after a couple of cocktails, and read it and found it so absurd and couldn’t stop laughing and just had to have it).
Eric Carle
As I was putting this list together, I realized something: Eric Carle might be my favorite children’s book author of all. The Very Hungry Caterpillar inspired Jojo’s second Halloween costume, The Very Busy Spider inspired my lifetime love of productivity and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was easily one of Jojo’s first “favorite” books. From Head to Toe is his most underrated one IMO! Hard to go wrong with any of his books.
Potty Books
We potty trained Jojo over the summer (we used the Oh Crap! Potty Training method) and it is key to have many a book that helps explain the process AND provide some distraction on the potty. Our favorites are Everyone Poops, Once Upon A Potty and Big Girl Panties for explaining the process; the flaps in P is For Potty make it perfect for sitting on the potty.
Bonus: Gifts for Newborns
I recommend having a go-to baby book gift that somewhat represents you–mine is obviously Pig the Pug. However, I also quite like Everywhere Babies, You Are New and Oh, The Places You’ll Go!. I tend to buy several of these at a time, so that I have them ready to go and ship whenever we get the good news that a friend is pregnant!
Miscellaneous Favorites
I don’t know if I can necessarily categorize these, but other books that we just read again and again: Before & After, We Are Shapes, More More More, From Head to Toe, The Carrot Seed, May I Bring A Friend?, and The Littlest Family’s Big Day. We also had a Lovevery box subscription for a while (which we liked!), and I’m annoyed that there are no real ways to buy their books outside of having a subscription: Bedtime for Zoe and Bea Goes to the Doctor are two of our go-to’s.
What are your favorite toddler books? What do I need to add to Jojo’s library?
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A guide to San Diego with kids 17 Sep 2024 5:17 AM (7 months ago)
On our first visit to San Diego, I remember thinking what a charmed place it would be to grow up. Living here was definitely a factor in deciding to have Jojo, and I have to say: so far, we have not been disappointed. The year-round sunshine and temperate weather make it possible to be outside most days, and there are world-class attractions (aka the zoo!) on top of so many beautiful beaches and fantastic playgrounds.
And more than anything, I feel like San Diego just has a general friendliness and openness that makes it really pleasant to be here with kids. Most places are fairly casual and have enough space for stroller parking or for kids to run around. California also ensures that (almost) every public and restaurant restroom has a changing table, and the sidewalks generally have curb cuts to make it easy to walk with strollers or wagons. It’s a wonderful place to live with kids, but it’s also an A+ family vacation destination!
The Obvious Ones
The San Diego Zoo is one of the best zoos in the world, and for good reason: it’s a nonprofit focused on animal rehabilitation, and there’s a lot more space for the animals to spread out than many other zoos. There’s also a Skyfari ride to take in all of the views and a very good splash pad—I swear Jojo is more of a fan of the splash pad than actually seeing the animals when we go. Pack a swimsuit and a change of clothes! And right outside the zoo entrance in Balboa Park, there is a beautiful historic carousel and a miniature railroad: both are worth a stop if either of those things appeal.
The zoo also has an outpost a bit farther north called the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I don’t really think you need to go to both, especially on a short trip—but if you’re staying in North County, the Safari Park is a lot closer and is a great alternative to the actual zoo.
Belmont Park is an amusement park right on the water at Mission Beach: there’s an old-timey roller coaster, a carousel, mini golf, an arcade and lots of other rides for kids both big and small. It’s also right next to Plunge, which has several pools to frolic in (including a water obstacle course).
Birch Aquarium is a petite aquarium, which makes it just about the right size to go with small kids. It has wonderful views of the ocean, an interactive tide pool exhibit, tiny penguins and truly mesmerizing jellyfish.
And while it might not be *too* obvious: a Padres game at Petco Park is super fun with little ones! Gallagher Square is great to spread out with a picnic setup, and there’s a brand-new playground that is lovely to get out some pre-game energy. San Diego Wave games at Snapdragon are also extremely family-friendly, especially for young girls.
(Note: Sea World and Legoland are also very popular family attractions in San Diego! After watching Blackfish years ago, we committed to not giving our money to Seaworld—so I don’t have anything to contribute about that experience. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Legoland (especially for boys 4+), but we just haven’t made it up there quite yet—so I generally recommend, but have nothing to share!)
Museums
The New Children’s Museum is one of my favorite places to go with Jojo in San Diego: the exhibits are often changing, but they’re all super interactive and engaging. Bonus: a slide from the second story, and an outdoor arts and crafts patio! There’s also a fantastic playground for older kids (Children’s Park) across the street.
While the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (in La Jolla)isn’t made specifically for children, it’s one of my favorite museums in San Diego. It has an impressive modern collection (and lots of graphic and colorful pieces that are fun for kids), but I especially love the balcony overlooking the ocean and the art that incorporates the location. The museum also hosts monthly arts workshops for kids (and teens! and seniors!).
Balboa Park is a good one-stop shop if you’re interested in museums for a range of ages and interests: Natural History Museum, Air and Space Museum, Automotive Museum, Model Railroad Museum, Mingei Folk Art. The Timken Museum of Art is my personal favorite: it’s petite, home to a Kehinde Wiley and a Rembrandt, and FREE. Balboa Park also just a very lovely place to walk around with kids: there are ducks near the botanical building, lots of grass for picnics, several big fountains and fun buildings to admire. Also home to the historical carousel and miniature railroad mentioned above!
And while it takes a bit of coordination to visit (limited hours, closed after rain or bad weather), Queen Califia’s Magic Circle is such a cool outdoor large-scale sculpture garden. Niki de Saint Phalle is one of my favorite artists (she has connections to Nice and La Jolla, so I’ve been familiar with her public works for a long time!) and this is just an incredibly fun place to explore with kids.
Beaches & Playgrounds
The children of San Diego are truly spoiled with the playgrounds here. We have plenty of standard neighborhood parks and playgrounds, but there are a few that are worth traveling for!
Maruta Gardner in Bonita Cove is one such playground: it’s bright pink with a kind of 80s Day-Glo theme, but is just full of really cool and creative playground equipment. It’s also right on the bay, but just a block from Mission Beach.
In Mission Bay, the city unveiled *two* incredible playgrounds (Tecolote Shores North and Tecolote Shores South) right next to each other, and are both designed for a wide range of ages and mobility levels. They tend to be super busy on weekends (a popular place for birthday parties), but a very fun bayfront destination on weekday mornings or late afternoons.
Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego is another favorite, especially for older kids: there are some incredibly fun big slides and cool climbing structures. I especially love the Niki de Saint Phalle pigeon sculpture that kids can explore.
La Jolla Shores is our go-to beach, especially with Jojo. There’s a parking lot and plenty of street parking. The beach itself is wide and sandy, and the ocean waves are generally quite calm. There’s also a playground right next to the beach: it’s tough to beat an oceanfront swing set! I also love the little pedestrian street (Avenida de la Playa) just a few blocks away: Shore Rider Bar is a great casual place to grab a beer (or my actual favorite: the Spicoli, a beer with a frozen margarita float on top!!) and finger foods after a day at the beach.
Powerhouse Park is a similar situation just north in Del Mar: a great playground that overlooks the ocean, and a wide sandy expanse. It’s also close to downtown Del Mar, so it’s easy to pop up and grab coffee/acai bowls/lunch on your way to or from the beach.
Fanuel Street Playground is another low-key favorite: it’s tucked along the bayfront, so swimming is a bit more manageable with tiny ones. There’s also a nice bit of shaded grass to relax if you’re not on the playground or the beach.
While Children’s Beach is not where I would take Jojo to swim (quite the misnomer!), it is a very fun place to go see all of the seals and sea lions. The animals have basically taken over this little cove, and it’s especially lovely to go in the spring when the baby seals have been born.
Torrey Pines is the best view-to-work ratio for a hiking trail, and it’s also probably the best option for a hike with kids: there are lots of different choose-your-own-adventure options. There’s a major portion of the trail that is paved, so you can do a nice adventure with a stroller. And while the Guy Fleming Trail isn’t good for a stroller, it’s an easy enough “hike” with small kids–and stunning ocean views.
Restaurants
Panama 66 is one of our favorite Sunday afternoon destinations. Right next to the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park, it’s an outdoor bar and restaurant with a large grassy sculpture garden. Bring a picnic blanket and set up with plenty of room for kids to run around while you enjoy an adult beverage. We usually like to park by the carousel, and do a carousel and tiny train ride before walking through beautiful Balboa Park to Panama 66.
Mission Bay Beach Club serves coffee and light bites, with an Airstream setup to serve cocktails. When I first had Jojo, I used to love to come here and pick up a coffee and then do a stroller walk with a friend—there’s a great paved loop bordering the water. Now that Jojo is a little older, we like to grab a drink and set up a little picnic next to the playground down below (the newer, fancier playgrounds are about a 10-minute walk/2-minute drive south but this basic one also does the trick!).
Pizza Cassette has become our go-to spot to grab a drink with friends and their kids. It’s tucked away on a semi industrial side street (aka if you think you are in the wrong location driving up, you are in the right place). There’s a large courtyard filled with picnic tables, and you can choose from beverages at Deft Brewery, Oddish Wine or Lost Cause Meadery—and then order a (surprisingly good for San Diego!) wood-fired pizza from Cassette.
Liberty Station is another great destination since it has so many different restaurants to choose from, and there’s plenty of outdoor space to spread out. The Stone Brewing location here is also a solid place to grab a beer and food with little ones.
And for easy takeout/picnic options: we love Taco Stand (multiple locations), Rubicon Deli and Big Front Door.
If you’re looking for any more specific recommendations, drop your questions in the comments below! Always happy to help!
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What I would do if I were about to graduate from college 14 May 2024 4:38 AM (11 months ago)
If I were graduating from college this year (or potentially even high school, I have some thoughts on the real value of a college degree in this day and age): I wouldn’t try to immediately get a “real job” in my field. And I don’t think I’d try to be an influencer. But I would try to travel the world.
When I look back on my life (as a married mid-30s mom of a toddler with a steady job and a mortgage, and frankly, all of the trappings of a very “normal” suburban life), I mostly feel overwhelming gratitude for the big choices I made and risks I took in my 20s. I feel content with this boring-in-the-best-way life that I’m currently living because I had a lot of years of far-flung, very selfish adventures.
And in my humble opinion, that is what your early 20s are for: be selfish. Take a risk. Get out of your comfort zone. Don’t wait for someone to come with you. I once had a t-shirt that said: quit your job, buy a one-ticket, fall in love, never go back. And you know what, I quite recommend it!
My disclaimer here is to be responsible. I don’t advocate going into debt to travel, and everyone has different family dynamics at play. But don’t let people guilt you into staying still or feel any sort of shame over not immediately getting an entry-level job in your field. You only have one life, and there is one thing I do deeply believe: the deeper you get entrenched in your lifestyle, the harder it is to leave. I would 100% get a job as a waitress and try to make as much money as possible while spending as little money as possible, and set a number that I need to hit to feel comfortable–and then I would hit ze road. Should you need ideas, I have them!
A quick overview of my life from 21 to 24, so you know I have my bonafides: I graduated from college and backpacked through Europe for five weeks. I started off on a Contiki tour (frankly, wasn’t totally my speed but it was helpful to get assimilated) and then did several more cities on my own with a Eurail pass and pre-booked hostels. I came back to California, got an entry-level job in high-tech PR, rented myself a studio in Silicon Valley and thought: I’ve made it! And then I broke up with my college boyfriend a few months later, and thought, wait, why am I still here? So I quit my job, started a blog (voila), moved to France to study French and waitress and work in a cooking school. And then I moved to Australia, where I waitressed for a hot second and then got a job in marketing. I got offered sponsorship, realized that if I didn’t leave Australia then, I would never leave. So I bought a one-way ticket to Bali, and spent three months backpacking solo through Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. I went back to Sacramento to spend time with my grandmother before she died. And then I road tripped through the USA, and ended up in NYC: without a job, without an apartment, but a desire to figure it out. And I got a job, I got an apartment, I met my now-husband and got a pug and built a career in sales and entered all into my middle-class bliss!
Get a working holiday visa in Australia or New Zealand
I love the concept of the working holiday visa, and it is what I recommend to pretty much any twenty-something I meet who doesn’t know what they want to do with their lives. Basically, if you are between 18 and 30 years old (sometimes up to 35 years old), you can take an extended trip and work while you’re there to fund it. Look, Australia and New Zealand are very far away and they are not cheap places to live or explore. But there is SO much to see, there isn’t a language barrier, and they are just the loveliest and most fun people. You can work as a bartender or waitress (which I did!), work on a farm (which I also did), get a seasonal tourism job or get a standard office job. A fun fact: David moved to Australia right after he graduated from college, and worked there for two years at a PR agency! We both have the best memories of our time in Australia, and are so glad we spent some time down under. And the reality is that Australia is very far away (me, writing for an American audience!): if you’re going to go, it’s great to be able to spend some significant time there and to earn in the local currency.
Backpack through Southeast Asia or South America
Perks: the American dollar stretches *far* here, the backpacker trail is well-worn and it kind of just feels like the thing that is really fun in your 20s and gets less feasible as you get older (aka I need better mattresses and more privacy). I can only speak to the Southeast Asia experience, but backpacking South America is the one thing that I regret not doing (especially as an excuse to learn Spanish). I loved Bali, I loved Thailand, I loved Vietnam. I could have spent months upon months in any of them. If I needed to top up some funds, there are so many cool hostels and bars that cater to English speakers that are generally open to hiring backpackers for short-term contracts or in exchange for a free place to stay. Europe is obviously also a possibility to backpack, but it a) is more expensive and b) can be trickier with visas for an extended visit.
Teach English in Asia
I haven’t done this, but it definitely seems like a popular choice to set up as base in Asia, while you’re getting paid–especially great for more expensive countries like Japan or South Korea. Having a college degree in something language-related can be helpful, but not required.
Be a ski bum or a surf bum or a National Park bum
If you don’t have a passport (get one!), there are plenty of adventures one can have within the United States. When I think back on the lives I considered and didn’t live, I always think about the seasonal opportunities to move somewhere and waitress while taking full advantage of immersing myself in the activities on offer: learning to snowboard in Lake Tahoe, surf in Hawaii, rock climb in Zion, hike in Jackson Hole. The reality is that most of these places that are absolutely jaw-droppingly beautiful *need* people to work service jobs, and are always hiring for waitressing, bartending, hotel jobs, tourism activity coordinators (and often times, they’re able to provide free or reduced-cost housing for workers).
Do a big hike
The Pacific Coast Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Camino de Santiago: there are some really cool big hikes that generally take several months to complete. It can be tough to find the four, six, eight months needed to take off when you have a job, a lease, a life–but what a cool thing to do while you’re young and your legs are young to reflect upon what you’ve achieved so far and think about what you want to accomplish in the future.
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Jojo’s nursery tour 29 Apr 2024 7:13 AM (11 months ago)
As soon as we found out we were having a girl, I was immediately stoked for a) the clothes and b) her room. And two years in, I have not been disappointed! I take great joy in playing baby/toddler stylist, and I also absolutely love spending time in her room. It was a real oasis of calm for me in the early days: even when I had a crying baby, the environment felt very soothing. And as Jojo has gotten bigger, it’s become a very pleasant, sun-soaked place for us to read and play.
When I was pregnant, I thought about the big three things I wanted to prioritize in Jojo’s life (in the hopes that she would also love them): reading, travel and being outside. I wanted her living space to reflect that in a way. I mostly left the “being outside” portion to the fact that we live in San Diego: we spend a ton of time in our front yard, back yard, neighbors’ yards and nearby park and playground (not to mention, the nearby-ish beach!). For her room, I wanted books to be not just a focal point but a core part of how we spent time here–as well as to plant the seeds of inspiration for travel and a love of exploration.
Instead of princesses or unicorns, I started with a vintage Air France travel poster “for a theme” and went from there. I love old airline and train advertisements, but have never found quite the right one (aka David has never approved) for elsewhere in our house. I loved the colors of this Air France advertisement for Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, but I also appreciated that it was somewhere that I hadn’t been: North Africa has been on my “want to go” list for a long time, and perhaps Jojo and I will get to go together someday.
And, of course, we wanted books to be an essential part of the room–and easily accessible for Jojo to reach. absolutely love these floor bookshelves (so much so that we actually bought one more as we continued to buy more books for her personal library–I cannot resist), especially with the end shelves for toys. These floating bookshelves were a neat way to display some of our favorite books: there’s one shelf full of dog books (Pig the Pug and Dog’s First Baby are both big hits), and other that is mostly New York City themed books (a favorite is B is for Bagel!).
Although I definitely wanted her room to be feminine–aka yes, it’s pink–I didn’t want it to feel too frilly. This 36 Hours in Marrakech paint not only perfectly fit my Morocco theme, but it also felt warm and welcoming without being too girly or baby-ish. It feels like a color that can continue to grow with her–although the true joy of paint is that it’s easy to change, so I’m definitely not opposed to switching it up in the future. This shag rug complemented the wall color really nicely, and although I have had brief moments of “why did I choose a white rug for this room,” I love how soft it is–especially when she was rolling around all of the time and learning how to crawl and walk (and now somersault!).
The crib is definitely the focal point of the room, and we wanted to make sure we found one that would easily convert to a toddler bed. So far, so good! We never used the mini crib option, but it was super easy to adjust the height of the bed as Jojo got bigger and more mobile. I still love the aesthetic of the crib, so I’m looking forward to having it in her space for many more years (and we are in NO rush to switch from crib to toddler bed–it is great to have her contained!). We love these super soft crib sheets, and they come in a ton of colors.
For the dresser, we gave a classic Ikea option a big glow-up. David painted it a clean, deep blue, added some fun crystal knobs (similar here) and classier legs. I’m also the biggest proponent of this easy-to-clean changing pad: it instantly turned our dresser into a changing table. And believe me, having something that is easy to clean is IMPORTANT. I truly cannot imagine having a fabric that I would have to wash in the midst of *unpleasant* situations. We kept a container of Clorox wipes (just took off the label) right next to the changing table to be able to wipe it down as often as needed.
Above the dresser, we hung a fun mobile and used a standard Ikea display shelf for some extra travel and reading inspiration: the girl heroes of an Ideal Bookshelf, a Paris print by my talented friend Erica, a postcard from the Strand. All in classic white Ribba frames!
When Jojo was born, we spent hours upon hours (or so it felt) in this glider as we gave her bottles and burped her and snuggled her. It was super comfortable, and it was excellent to be able to fully recline and nap in those early days (and middle of the nights). The reindeer fur feels especially sentimental to me: I bought it while pregnant in Finland, and carried it in all of its cumbersome glory across many connecting flights through Finland, France and the USA to bring it home. Once we stopped giving Jojo bottles and she was always on the move, we swapped the glider for a Lovesac. We absolutely love it for being able to sit together and read books, and it’s nice for us to be able to be a little lower to the ground as we relax and Jojo plays. Side note: big fan of Offerup and Buy Nothing apps to easily get rid of baby-related products we no longer needed.
Two other tiny things we have that we love and that I think are fun to have in any kids room: a hanging glass crystal ball and a window sun catcher prism. Basically: BIG RAINBOWS when the sun streams in a certain way every morning!
With that in mind, we’ve tried to be flexible with the space as Jojo grows. What was once a potted palm in the corner became a hanging plant as Jojo started to walk. We keep a few toys in her room, but usually rotate them out at the beginning of the week (and keep a big container in the garage filled with the ones not being used–and try to be intentional about giving away ones that aren’t holding her attention any longer). And, of course, we have a dog bed in the corner so that the pugs are also always welcome to hang out!
All photos by Erica Connolly.
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It’s possible, but is it pleasant? 9 Apr 2024 3:51 AM (last year)
When I worked full-time while still regularly travel blogging, I always felt caught in the middle of two worlds. I didn’t feel like I traveled enough to hold par with the travel bloggers and always felt a bit of envy at the airline miles and new destinations they were constantly adding up. But compared to my co-workers and friends, I traveled constantly—often more in a month than many would do in a year or more.
Now that I’ve become a parent who still loves to travel (see: notes on traveling with a baby), I feel trapped in the same envy-inducing-on-both-sides middle ground. Compared to family travel bloggers, we’ve barely made a dent in Jojo’s passport—and I’m jealous when I see these families gallivanting around Europe or setting up for a month-long stay in Mexico. But compared to most of my friends and neighbors with kids—or honestly, almost anyone who doesn’t identify as a travel blogger—we seem like globetrotters.
One of the tropes that I often see from family travel bloggers is that “anything is possible”: of course, you can travel with kids! You just have to bring them with you! Parenting is hard no matter what, might as well do it with a great backdrop! No big deal, onto a plane you go!
But after making several trips with a baby and then a toddler, I would counter this with: …but is it pleasant? I want our trips to be immersive and wondrous and full of new experiences, yes, but more than anything: I want them to be as pleasant as possible. I am not trying to spend a lot of time and money and frankly, my precious precious energy and goodwill, to be exhausted and miserable in a different place far from home with a screaming boundary-pushing toddler. (I will caveat this with the fact that we live in San Diego: I’m able to get *a lot* of sunshine and beach time and vacation-y experiences, while still sleeping in my own bed at night.) To that end, I’ve put a few parameters in place for our toddler travel plans.
Make sure there is a door that closes
The first is ensuring there is a room with a door that we can close for “Jojo’s room”—in an ideal world, this is her very own bedroom. But in a pinch (and with the rising cost of accommodations), this can be a large bathroom or spacious walk-in closet (both actually great because generally there are no windows, and thus no need to worry about blackout curtains or a Slumperpod for afternoon naps). Although it’s possible to stay in one hotel room or a studio with a pack-and-play and a Slumberpod, the reality is that we are not a co-sleeping family. Jojo sleeps in her own room at home, and that is what we are all used to. Being in the same room means we all sleep worse—and it also makes it a lot harder to do *anything* other than sit quietly during her afternoon naps or after she goes to sleep at 7pm. Both of those are actually easier to do when I travel alone with her since I can just read a book, but not always ideal!
Stay in the same time zone
The second is staying as close to our time zone as possible. I’ve heard that whatever the hour of time difference is, it will take that many days for small kids to adjust (for example: a two-hour time difference will take about two days to adjust whereas an eight-hour time difference will take about eight days to adjust). Although I would deeply love to explore France or Japan with Jojo, the jet lag adjustment gives me great pause. Dealing with an overtired toddler does not sound pleasant to me. Jojo is an excellent sleeper, and honestly, it throws me the most off my game (and any sense of good cheer) when she doesn’t sleep as expected. Although I love staying in our own time zone (and frankly, there are still so many wonderful places to explore in California and the Pacific Northwest), I’ve found that a two-hour time difference is usually pretty doable as long as we are staying at least three nights. (Three hours is doable if we are staying at least a week.)
Don’t stay as long as you’d like
The third is staying a day less than I would prefer. Every single time we go on a trip, I get there and think…I wish we were going home a day earlier. Travel with kids can be very fun, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also exhausting. And no matter how great of a sleeper and eater and general travel companion Jojo is, the reality is that everything is easier at home—not only where she’s fully used to the environment, but also where everything is set up to work on a daily basis. I used to try and make the most out of every spare moment on a trip—leave early, stay late!—but now, I want to make sure that not only are we getting home at a reasonable hour but I also want to make sure we have a day to recover at home before getting back to work.
Give up on what you can’t control
I’ve realized it’s impossible to guarantee that air travel will go smoothly. But if costs are reasonable, I do try to buy Jojo her own seat—a busy toddler is so much easier to entertain if she has a space of her own. Much more pleasant for us all! This is far easier with Southwest, where fares are generally more affordable AND we have a good stock of points saved up. However, my general rule is that if I have enough points available: we are putting those points toward getting her a seat of her own. This isn’t always cost-effective though, and when we are dealing with a lap toddler: my mantra is “the plane will either land, or she’ll fall asleep.” And one of those things always happens, if not both! And counterintuitively, now that we are in toddler stage, I also am willing to pay more so that we are flying during *non* nap or sleep times. She’s past the stage of falling asleep anywhere (the joys of traveling with an infant: truly, I miss those days!), and I’ve found that hoping for a plane nap—aka falling asleep in an unfamiliar, exciting environment—generally just leads to an overtired baby who is extremely unpleasant in the lead-up to and the wake-up from a nap.
That said: there are some highlights of air travel with a toddler, and that is that they make friends with just about everyone! Jojo learned how to fist bump from the older man in the row behind us on our way to Oaxaca, and had a big snack share situation going with a toddler in the row in front of us on our flight back.
And still: one thing a day
And lastly, my travel itinerary is always *one thing a day.* Ideally, that one thing is something that we will all enjoy and we do that one thing first thing in the morning. Particularly successful activities (for both adult and toddler) have included sculpture gardens (I love some big art, and they’re generally great places to toddlers to run around and get some energy out while also exploring the art) and walking around a scenic downtown with an emphasis on finding a park/playground/green space on our wanders. Post-nap, we generally try to find a cool playground and/or a kid-friendly happy hour spot. In Oaxaca, we discovered just how the parks come alive on the weekends: you could pay a $1 for paints and a little chair with an easel, or a $1 for 10 minutes in a little mechanical car. At first, I was bummed when we showed up and there wasn’t a playground, but then there was SO much more local flavor to discover.
Moral of the story: half the time, I wish that I had another trip on the books. And the other half, I am just so happy to be home! I will say that I don’t regret any of the trips we’ve taken, and sometimes only wish that we had traveled more when she was younger (and easier in some ways, that can only be recognized in hindsight). I’m trying to keep that in mind as I plan our future pleasant-as-possible trips with a toddler!
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A guide to our kitchen DIY 6 Mar 2024 3:11 AM (last year)
When we bought our house, it had great bones and a wonderful open floor plan and so many things that we loved about it–but there were a few aesthetic issues that we were eager to update. The biggest one, by far, was the kitchen: the layout was spacious and functional, but there was a glut of oak cabinets. Just so many cabinets! So oaky! It felt very dated, and while they all did their job, I just didn’t love them. On top of that, the countertops were very nice but very dark: they hid *all* of the crumbs, which was not a feature I loved.
We didn’t rush into any big changes, but after living in our house for about a year, we started to daydream about what would be possible. The cost of new countertops alone was enough to stop us in our tracks: did we really want to renovate an entire kitchen just a year after moving in? It was also tough to do something like replace the countertops without renovating the entire kitchen: we’d need them to be custom cut, and it would be tricky to do anything like change the sink or the cabinets down the line without having to replace the countertops.
Instead, we decided to do as much as we could in the DIY realm–and I’m so glad we did! At a much lower price point (although with plenty of sweat equity), we were able to totally change the atmosphere of the kitchen. It was not my favorite room when we first moved in, but these updates really shifted the vibe and it quickly became a space that I loved.
I must give credit where credit is due, and none of this would have been possible without David! I do stand by it being 50% vision and 50% execution (David disagrees), but David put in a ton of time and effort and energy (and hours watching YouTube tutorials) to make everything match up with my vision. It also would not have been possible without my friend Daniela: she was a constant source of design ideas and resources, and if you are looking for a design consultant, I very much recommend hiring her.
Countertops
The biggest DIY project that we took on: painting the countertops! Yes, you read that right. We painted our countertops. The original countertops were dark, which are great to hide the crumbs…but I deeply hate the hiding of crumbs. We had dark countertops in our rentals before this house, and I hated the feeling of wiping down the countertop when you don’t really notice anything and then they are FILTHY. Alas, figuring out a way to get white countertops was a top priority for me, but we spent one morning at a kitchen supply store and realized that nice new countertops would be VERY expensive, given the size of our kitchen and how many custom cuts we would need to do. It seemed silly to do new countertops outside of an entire kitchen renovation, so when Daniela mentioned countertop paint, I was intrigued.
We used the Giani Marble Countertop Paint Kit, and this was really where David’s detail-oriented planning came into play. The thing about marble countertops is that the veining is sort of random, and that’s what makes it appear natural. The first thing he did was actually draw out his proposed marble veining on his iPad to figure out how he was going to balance the big veins and small veins to look as natural as possible. It really helped! I would definitely recommend this step before diving right into painting onto the countertops.
The other thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the “how to” videos show someone using the kits on a small bathroom. A large space like a kitchen is doable, but there is an element of timing everything correctly: you have to do the next step before the first layer dries, and that gets tricky when you have *a lot* of space to cover.
Cabinets
I love open shelving in kitchens, and we were able to recreate it pretty easily on a budget. For the top cabinets, we just took off the cabinet doors and painted the framing and the inside of the cabinets white. We did keep one set of cabinets with the doors on to be able to not have *everything* on display.
Luckily, our dishes work pretty well on display: I love a classic Crate & Barrel white plate and bowl. I also opted for these simple Ikea glass jars for the top shelf: there was more space from the
For our bottom cabinets, I believed strongly in the power of a fresh coat of paint and new fixtures. I wanted to do something a little differently than an all-white kitchen, so we went with Cape Verde on the bottom cabinets. I really like the balance of all-white up top and then something a little bolder down below, and we get so many compliments on the color: it’s a really lovely blend of blue and green. We also ordered some simple drawer pulls and cabinet door pulls: I’m always amazed at how adding some hardware can make such a big difference.
Breakfast nook
To be fair, this was not a DIY project but it is a big part of the kitchen transformation. We had a glut of cabinets in the back corner and it just felt like far more storage than we needed. I actually tested this theory for the first year that we lived here by seeing if we could live without putting *anything* in these cabinets (I’m a firm believer in the fact that you will fill up spaces if they are available, and not necessarily with things you need).
Instead, we decided to demo the cabinets and replace them with a breakfast nook. I am SO glad we did this! It not only gave us an extra little eating space, but it also really opened up the flow of the kitchen and gave me a fun opportunity for a gallery wall. Our local neighborhood handyman did the demo for us, and then we used California Closets to build out the seating (with built-in storage!).
I found someone to make custom cushions via Etsy and bought the oversized pillows from CB2. The table is from CB2 and chairs are actually from Home Depot!
Takeaways
It’s now been about four years since we did our DIY kitchen makeover (aka painted it all!) and it’s holding up pretty well. I am SO glad we did this as a way to hold off on a bigger kitchen renovation: it’s given us extra time to save up, as well as to get a better understanding of what we really want and need in our forever kitchen. It also really reminded me of the power of a fresh coat of paint on things: just switching the color up can make such a HUGE difference in terms of the look and feel of a room.
Excited to share a few more peeks into our house and our DIY journeys (long overdue!)–happy to take any requests in the comments below!
The post A guide to our kitchen DIY first appeared on C'est Christine.
My most recommended podcasts 31 Jan 2024 7:46 AM (last year)
I first discovered podcasts, like most of the world, with Serial in 2014. I remember listening to each new episode on the subway the morning it was released, and then eagerly discussing the implications with my coworkers as soon as I got into the office. After the hullabaloo over Serial subsided, a coworker recommended Reply All and Startup, and I devoured both.
A couple of years later, another coworker went to work at fledging podcast startup Gimlet Media—none other than the company whose founding was detailed in the first season of Startup. Long story short: I ended up getting hired as a salesperson for Gimlet in the fall of 2016. It was surreal to come out of the subway one day and have a voicemail from Matt Lieber in my inbox after hearing him on Startup years before.
That’s a long intro to say: I spent seven years selling ads for podcasts, and along the way, listened to a lot of podcasts. My preference is generally for more highly produced and edited narrative podcasts (aka you won’t find many chat shows on this list), but my interests fall into a wide spectrum. I prefer to listen at 1.8x speeds (which helps me squeeze a lot more listening in!), and I tend to listen whenever I’m doing something else—driving, cooking, cleaning up around the house. Most of these recommendations are biased toward longer-running and regularly-publishing series, but I do love a binge release. Alas: my most recommended podcasts are below, and feel free to drop any of your favorites for me to check out in the comments!
If you like true crime but aren’t into the gore:
Criminal offers some of the most original and interesting takes on stories of true crime. A few of my favorite episodes: The Kit, Masterpiece, Crazy Eddie.
Crimetown is a sprawling and detailed look at the pernicious corruption of politics in Providence, Rhode Island. Start with episode one, season one. (Season two covers a similar and yet wholly unique winding tale of corruption in Detroit.)
If you want to laugh and cry in the same 30 minutes:
Heavyweight is probably my all-time favorite podcast. It’s hard to describe the premise, but somehow host Jonathan Goldstein manages to tell the most heartwarming stories while delivering brilliant one-liners and solving decades-old mysteries all at once. A few of my favorite episodes, although I generally recommending starting at episode 10 and going up from there (with maybe a stop at #2 Gregor, but I generally think the show really found its stride in season 2): #16 Rob, #24 Jimmy & Mark, #30 The Marshes.
If you want to just listen in on a low-stakes gossip story that doesn’t involve anyone you know:
Normal Gossip is made up of these delightful this-crazy-thing-happened-to-a-friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend episodes, the sort of thing that might immediately make you perk up your ears when you’re out to coffee or dinner and a friend mentions she has a WILD story to tell you. A personal favorite for when I am bopping around cleaning the house on a Saturday morning. A good episode to start with is ‘Til Deb Do Us Part or Rich Mom Razzle Dazzle.
Similarly, You’re Wrong About will take a pop culture name or history topic that you haven’t heard about in years and thoughtfully dissect and disrupt everything you thought you knew about it. A few favorite episodes: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, The Donner Party, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Human Trafficking.
If you want to quit your job to do your own thing (or if you want to just live vicariously through other people making the leap):
How I Built This is the OG of this genre, and for good reason: I love learning more about the origins of my favorite companies (as do millions of others). Spanx is one of my all-time favorite episodes with an incredibly persistent and inspiring female founder, but I recently deeply enjoyed the conversation with the two mom founders of Primary—which is one of our go-to places to shop for Jojo.
Second Life focuses on female founders who became entrepreneurs after having a career in a different field. I especially loved learning about the story of Sugarfina!
The Pitch is where real companies pitch real investors for real money. I’m not that deep in the world of venture capitalism, but I love learning more about the companies that are being founded right now and I also enjoy the voyeurism of the “will they or won’t they” get any money. A couple of my favorite recent episodes: ECGO: Turning Trash into Treasure with AI and Bevz: A Tech Bro Walks into a Corner Store.
A bonus option here: the first season of Startup still holds up, IMO!
If you would like to be enraged about:
Freeways and noise pollution and smog, listen to Freeway Exit. (It’s based in San Diego, so an especially local element for any fellow San Diegans!)
Bureaucracy and infrastructure and how anything gets done (or doesn’t get done) in this country, try The Big Dig. (Especially relevant to those who grew up in the Boston area!)
The state of the American education system, specifically children’s literacy, try not to pull your hair out listening to Sold A Story. It has made me *fully* committed to phonics in our household (and very grateful for that cassette tape set of Hooked on Phonics that I had growing up!).
The state of our prison system, check out Ear Hustle (although I suppose this enrages me less and mostly just makes me much more aware of the inequities in our justice system as well as the ways that justice is very much not served).
If you want to improve your relationships by learning lessons through other people’s problems:
Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel is a chance to be a fly on the wall for couples counseling. It generally makes me feel better about the state of my own relationship (people out there are dealing with a lot!), but it also often gives great insight and advice on how to tackle certain difficult conversations or how to reframe a problem in your own personal life.
Nurture vs Nurture with Dr. Wendy Mogel is a similar conceit, but for parents counseling. Although not all of the parenting issues are relevant for me (yet), it’s interesting to hear how different families approach raising children and dealing with concerns.
If you would like self-contained episodes that answer some sort of question, often related to technology:
Although Reply All isn’t publishing new episodes anymore, the archive is still a gem of internet-related queries. My personal favorites: 30-50 Feral Hogs, Dark Pattern (RELEVANT FOR TAX SEASON), Long Distance (probably my most recommended podcast episode ever), On The Inside.
Search Engine is former Reply All host PJ Vogt’s new personal project, and although I think it’s missing the full magic of the Alex-PJ dynamic, I have been interested in the questions that he’s been exploring such as why are there so many chicken bones on the street (a question that vexed me with a young hungry pug living in Bed-Stuy) and why can’t we just turn the empty offices into apartments.
If you want to know the BTS of all of your favorite writers (or be inspired to read something new):
Longform is exactly what it sounds like: long conversations with writers, generally those who write longform articles and deeply reported non-fiction books although there are occasionally some novelists thrown in there. As someone who loves to read (and who is generally daydreaming about how to write more), it’s always interesting to learn more about the process behind some of these incredibly detailed and thoughtful pieces.
If you are currently singing Baby Beluga on repeat in your house, as I am:
I thought Finding Raffi was such an insightful look at this children’s music legend. He has led such an interesting life, and I learned so much about his environmental activism in the 1990’s. I grew up listening to a lot of Raffi on cassette tapes, and after this listening to this series, I’m A-OK with Raffia being the main source of music for Jojo as she grows up as well. (Side note: he is coming to San Diego for a live concert this month and I am SO tempted to go, even though I think Jojo is a little too young to truly enjoy it!)
If you would like thoughtful conversations on topics that aren’t often discussed:
Death, Sex and Money is a classic. Host Anna Sale is sensitive and inquisitive, and interviews often go places (i.e. about death, sex or money) that most other shows won’t go.
If you already listen to The Daily:
Plain English with Derek Thompson is my favorite for thoughtful commentary on the news of the day. A few favorite episodes to start with: why the US media industry is in meltdown, why it’s so hard to buy a house right now, what’s so great about marriage?
What else should I be listening to?!
The post My most recommended podcasts first appeared on C'est Christine.
2024: my year of no 1 Jan 2024 8:20 AM (last year)
It’s been a while since I’ve done new year’s resolutions! I used to be very committed to them, but over the last several years, I tried to focus more on just making the right decision in the moment. Instead of making a resolution to floss more, I just make a decision whether or not to floss every night–and I try to remind myself every night that I will be happier at the dentist office in however many month’s if I just take a minute to floss. (Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t!)
That said, I have a few things that I’ve been wanting to change, and I need a little push to commit–so a public declaration timed for the new year seems like just the push I need. So! This year I’m committing to no new clothes, no Amazon and no plastic bags.
First up, inspired by Ann Patchett’s year of no shopping, I’m committing (publicly! 
) to not buying any new clothes. When I read her essay about no shopping in These Precious Days at this time last year, my interest was piqued but it felt like too much to commit to right then. But now I’ve had a year to reflect! I’m going to keep using Nuuly and will *replace* any workout clothes if absolutely needed, but my goal here is to wear what’s in my closet and stop buying things that I don’t really need. I have plenty of things in my closet, and I want to get creative and start wearing them–and if I get through this whole year without wearing any items, I will be doing a big closet clean-out at this time next year!
And before I buy something, I want to be slightly more intentional about it. Do I need to buy this book or could I get it from the library? Is this a toy that Jojo will use and enjoy for a day/a week/a month or will it be able to grow with her for a while? And when it comes to Jojo’s wardrobe, I will admit that I *love* being a baby stylist and she does quickly grow out of clothes (or ruin them with paint/food/mud/etc)–so I will likely still be buying things for her, but I’m going to try to approach it more out of things we need versus something cute that I bought on impulse.
Next, we cancelled our Amazon Prime subscription last month, which honestly felt like *a big deal.* I heard someone discuss their choice to do this on a podcast episode a few months ago (although for the life of me now, I can’t remember which podcast) and I appreciated their perspective on: if I need it enough, I can pay for shipping–but having to take that extra moment to decide has stopped me from the impulsive, need-it-immediately shopping mentality. I definitely got very dependent on Amazon right after Jojo was born (I’m still in disbelief that they were able to get me a specific breast pump part the SAME DAY I ordered it) and look: it’s easy and it’s cheap! But I do not like the concept of making one billionaire richer with every purchase, I hate all of the packaging and I’m not a fan of all of the Amazon trucks that are constantly on our street. In general, I know the power of voting with your wallet and I would like my wallet to start voting differently! I’m hoping to support small and local businesses as much as possible, and get back to the farmers’ market (or my beloved CSA box) every week. But even when big box is necessary, I’ll go to my neighborhood Target and pick it up to avoid the shipping and the packaging. And similar to my no-new-clothes resolution, I want to try and be better about not buying things just to buy them–I want to be more intentional in not just what I’m buying, but how I’m buying it.
And lastly, although I’m *pretty good* with bringing reusable bags, I have gotten lazier lately (somehow I bring them in the house and then they don’t make it back into the car). My friend Katie mentioned that her resolution for 2024 was no more plastic bags, and I was *inspired* to have the same blank slate. So! No more plastic bags! The end! And to use the ones that we do have, I want to get better about bringing the plastic bags currently shoved under my kitchen sink and my trusty trash picker-upper when I’m doing beach walks, hikes or strolls around the neighborhood.
What are your new year’s resolutions for 2024?
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My favorite books of 2023 (and how to read more in 2024) 30 Dec 2023 2:50 AM (last year)
I’ve loved reading my whole life, and 2024 was no exception! I completed my goal (for the fourth year in a row!) of 100 books in a year. I read mostly fiction, mostly by female writers, mostly somewhat modern–but I also reread a few of my absolute favorites (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Power of One) and some high school literature classics I never read in high school (Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird).
Below are the books that I loved the most this year, although honestly: I quite enjoyed most of the books that I read. My general rule of thumb is that if it has a 4+ rating on Goodreads, it’s probably going to be pretty good–and so I try to start with those higher rated options.
Fiction
The Bee Sting: the 100th book I read, and man! Way to end on a high note.
Bright Young Women: I read a lot of true crime and listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, and this perspective from an almost-victim totally turned the true crime industry on its head for me.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store: gorgeous character-driven writing.
Shark Heart: wholly original and beautiful and strange and wonderful. Some lyrical turns of phrase, and it’s just weird and yet, hard to put down. I loved it.
Hello Beautiful: a layered family drama with great characters.
What Strange Paradise: told through the perspective of a child, this illuminated the refugee
Demon Copperhead: Barbara Kingsolver can do no wrong in my opinion, but this is a true masterpiece of our generation:
Non-fiction
These Precious Days: this collection of essays was the first book I read in 2023, and it was a truly perfect start to the year.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder: full of fun facts about scurvy that I have been quoting in everyday conversation ever since reading it.
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and A Dangerous Obsession: hard to put down, and hard to believe this happened just 20ish years ago.
A Heart That Works: this is written by a father about his small child who dies, and it is just as absolutely heart-wrenching as you could imagine.
Jojo’s Picks
Do Cows Meow?: lift the flap, learn all of the sounds of the animals. What’s not to love?
Who Am I?: another interactive way to learn all of the sounds of the animals.
Mail Duck: if there is a theme for Jojo’s reading this year, it’s that we love a flap to lift. This ode to the USPS is also full of shapes, and Jojo is deeply obsessed right now with finding ALL of the apples on the circle page.
The Littlest Family’s Big Day: a beautiful little day with a very nice ending at home: one of our favorite before-bed books.
Pug is Happy: we are biased because it looks *just like Gertie* but also a great way to talk about all of our different feelings!
You Are New: Jojo is currently a big fan of saying “BABY” to all of the babies in this book, of which there are many.
Jojo & Dada: I made a custom Artifact Uprising book for Father’s Day (and another one of all of our family for Christmas) and it is a BIG hit.
How to Read More in 2024
Always have a book with you. Instead of scrolling your phone, have a book on hand. Manicures, doctors appointments, waiting for a barre class to start, waiting to grab a coffee, standing in line, any waiting room ever: I do my best to read a book whenever I have a few spare moments. This is why I do love having a Kindle: I use it exclusively for library books, but it’s so much lighter and easier to always have in my bag.
Join the library. I use it mostly for free books on my Kindle, but I also discovered the joy of the express book stand! Basically, all of the popular books that are generally on the waitlist are available for a shorter check-out period if you manage to snag them. I’ve started popping into my local library just to do a quick scan to see if any books on my to-read list are available, and I’ve been very lucky this year. And again: all free! The magic!
Set up a bedtime routine. This is 100% the reason why I’m able to read as much as I do. I start my bedtime routine an hour before I want to go to sleep every night, and the first thing I do is leave my phone in another room: the first 30 minutes is generally washing my face and brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed, but then I generally have 30 minutes or so to read before I go to sleep. The key part of this: leaving my phone in another room. I am just as guilty of getting distracted by my phone if it’s right next to me, so if I really want to read, I do my best to put it somewhere else.
Read good books. Alternate title: read books you like. If you hate a book, don’t force yourself to finish it. If you know you hate fantasy books–even though everyone is saying this new fantasy book is the best–know thyself and don’t force yourself into it. And if you know you love romance books: read those!
If you are looking for somewhere to start, these are my most recommended books with a 10/10 success rate: Lonesome Dove (don’t be intimidated by the length–it takes a second to get into, but then you’ll never want to leave the plains), Pillars of the Earth (similar to Lonesome Dove, it’s long but easy to read and hard to put down), Great Circle (historical fiction with a fantastic woman protagonist), Still Life (immediately, and still, makes me want to be sipping a spritz on a sunny Italian courtyard–just brilliant characters), Being Mortal (it’s about death, but I found it to be a gripping and necessary read) and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (a classic for a reading–some of my favorite sentences ever).
Use a service like Book of the Month. If you struggle with finding new books to read, I love something like Book of the Month. It’s easy to skip if nothing speaks to you, but I have found so many great books through this–especially outside of the normal genres I read.
Find a local bookstore you love and support them! My personal favorites: The Book Catapult in San Diego, and Books are Magic and Strand in New York City. Honestly, it makes it so much more fun to read and discover new books in a place that you love with people you like.
What was your favorite book of 2023? What are you most looking forward to reading in 2024?
The post My favorite books of 2023 (and how to read more in 2024) first appeared on C'est Christine.
Looking back on 2023 28 Dec 2023 2:45 AM (last year)
Holy moly 2023 what a year! Although it’s been an emotional roller coaster the last few months–our nanny resigning, our nanny coming back, getting laid off–it’s been a really good year. It’s wild to think that this was our first full year of Jojo! Even though there was obviously a lot less travel than in years past, I’m very pleased with what we did do–whether it was solo, Jojo and me, or the whole family! And although I didn’t blog as much as I would have liked to, I did manage to get a few posts up and. I’m optimistic for more in 2024.
The highlights: we committed to *not traveling* all summer and just enjoying life in San Diego, and got in plenty of beach days. We bookended summer with three weeks in New York City and a birthday weekend in Idyllwild and fall trips to Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, St. Louis and New Orleans. I read a lot of books, took a lot of neighborhood walks, spent a lot of time with David and Jojo and neighbors and friends. More than anything, I felt really grateful for a happy and healthy toddler, and my own health and happiness!
January
We kicked off the year with a trip to Mexico City! David and I spent our first anniversary there and *absolutely loved it* and had been talking forever about going back. I’ve realized it’s a lot less pressure to travel somewhere with Jojo that we’ve already been: having a sense of the place and also not feeling like you’re missing out if you don’t do every little thing helps a lot. Although the perks of our return trip to CDMX were that David’s best friend flew down to meet us AND we were able to hire a nanny for a verrrrry reasonable price to hang out with Jojo during the day, the real downside was that I got a little too overconfident with our first food tour and ended up with pretty terrible food poisoning for three out of the four days we were there. That said, we did discover some excellent playgrounds in Condesa for Jojo, I got to visit the Luis Barragan House (while nursing a very big bottle of Gatorade lol) and I got to go back for the guava pastry of my dreams at Panaderia Rosetta.
February
We celebrated our anniversary a little early with a hotel night *sans Jojo* and a fancy dinner at Jeune et Jolie. My parents came out to visit so that we could have a night away, and it was extremely pleasant! I didn’t realize how much I had been hoping for an opportunity to get all dressed up! Bonus: our hotel even had a water slide, which was the true highlight for me.
March
The best part of March is peak bloom! I spent most of March making sure to visit some of my favorite flowery spots, especially the cherry blossoms in Japanese Friendship Garden and the Carlsbad Flower Fields. I also managed to visit almost all of the Bloom Bash flower pop-up installations–all of them were stunning and so fun to see in person.
April
As a lifelong Sacramento Kings fan, the past…20…years have been disappointing. So when things turned around last year and the team made it to the playoffs after the longest drought in the NBA, I absolutely said YOLO and bought a plane ticket and the most expensive ticket I’ve ever bought to sit in the nosebleeds for the first playoff game at home. Worth every penny to go with my best friend and witness the first (absolutely thrilling!!) playoff win in such a long time!
May
I took the last month of my parental leave in May so that we could spend some quality time in New York City with friends and family. It was SO nice to be able to spend a good chunk of time in our former home and to introduce Jojo to so many of our friends. Highlights included discovering all of the good playgrounds (there are SO many), eating as many bagels as possible, and bopping through the Met and MOMA and the Frick. The lowlight was that we got pretty unlucky with the weather and it rained (just drenching, pouring, impossible to do anything rain) so many of the days we were there.
June
Idyllwild is a little mountain town that is a two-hour drive from San Diego that has been on my list to visit since we moved here. We finally went for a low-key birthday weekend for me, and absolutely fell in love! It was mostly a really nice change of scenery from the June gloom of San Diego: tall green trees, crisp fresh air, log cabins and all sorts of cute little shops. I squeezed in a short solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, but other than that, we just hung out at our A+ Airbnb (that has gotten SO much more expensive since when we stayed there, so unsure if we will ever go back to this lovely little spot).
July
Like I mentioned, we committed to spending the summer in San Diego–which is not the worst place to spend the summer! We tried to go to the beach as much as possible, whether it was to the ocean or Mission Bay. One of the wonderful parts of San Diego is how many extremely scenic beachfront playgrounds there, and we worked on enjoying them all! I also finally checked off two San Diego summer bucket list items: snorkeling in La Jolla Cove and SUPing in Mission Bay. It was fun to plan some more active daytime dates to take advantage of our surroundings and sunny weather!
August
Despite living just two hours from Los Angeles–and going up fairly frequently for work over the last several years–there is still so much that I haven’t explored in the city, because, candidly, it is not my favorite city. But I decided to do a little adventure up for a couple of days with Jojo and we absolutely delighted in catching up with some of my girlfriends, sampling Erewhon smoothies and going to the Getty Museum for the first time. (Also – I chopped off my hair and donated 10 inches to Locks of Love!)
September
Jojo and I popped up to Northern California twice in September. First, just the two of us went to Sacramento so that I could go to two very fun events. My high school has an annual wine tasting fundraiser on campus, and it was a lovely opportunity to drink wine and eat food with my best friends from high school. And then I won the raffle for tickets to the Tower Bridge Dinner, a pop-up farm-to-table dinner event on the iconic Tower Bridge in Sacramento. The added bonus was Jojo getting to experience some of my favorite parts of a Sacramento childhood, including a morning at Fairytale Town and lunch at Vic’s (with a sip of a mint chip milkshake, of course!). And then David, Jojo and I went to visit one of my friends in Lake Tahoe and I was blown away by just how beautiful it was. It doesn’t hurt that my friend is *the* hostess, but we truly had such a wonderful time and I’m ready to go back!
October
A true highlight of October was a baby-free trip to Hawaii! One of my first friends that I met in San Diego (neighbors and fellow pug-owners!) moved to Oahu last year, and I went to go visit her for a long weekend with another mom friend (sans baby!). Jenna was such an A+ tour guide for her adopted city of Kailua and we got in plenty of sunrise beach walks, delicious meals (aka poke poke poke) and chill girl time. And after so many flights with a baby in tow, having six hours on a plane to read and watch movies and sit quietly was honestly a delight.
November
And then the trade-off for that baby-free trip to Hawaii: we took the gals to New Orleans! Although I am a huge proponent of traveling to *any city* with kids, I will say that New Orleans left some things to be desired: namely, accessible sidewalks, good playgrounds and changing tables in public bathrooms. (Living in this nanny state has really spoiled me!) That said, I did thoroughly enjoy the beignets, the NOMA Sculpture Garden and the stately Southern architecture. The gator cruise was also a big hit! My biggest regret is not eating more Creole food (I bought some of this hot sauce and it has quickly become a house favorite) , but there’s always next time.
December
2020 really changed my perspective on traveling during the holidays: it was just SO pleasant to stay home and decorate and avoid the craziness of Christmas travel, especially while Jojo is little. We committed to staying home again this year and it was just as pleasant! We took our second annual Coronado beach walk on Christmas Day (especially fun to see the beach-side ice skaters and the Del hotel all decked out!), and went to the Lightscape at the San Diego Botanic Garden (which will definitely become a tradition). And while getting laid off at the beginning of the month was a shock, I also got a lot more time and space to read, relax, run errands and enjoy the holidays–so it hasn’t been the worst!
What’s coming up
When it comes to 2024 travels, we have some good stuff on the books! I’m taking advantage of this little sabbatical with two trips to Mexico in the beginning of the year and a mini solo silent retreat, and we’re also thrilled to be heading back to New York City and Jackson Hole with Jojo. I’m also hoping to reinvent my birthday tradition from a new country every year into a big hike every year! We’ll see what else we get up to, but I’m feeling pretty jazzed about going back to a few favorite spots and continuing to make the most of living in sunny San Diego. Thank you all for reading this year, and I’ll do my best to get some more content coming in 2024!
The post Looking back on 2023 first appeared on C'est Christine.