Welp, here we are, almost the end of October. This month has been a whirlwind. Here is what I am loving!
1. Goop Kitchen
Completely obsessed with Goop Kitchen — mainly because they put together textures and flavors in such a great and healthy way. And their salad dressings are unbelievable. I love. And this Brussel sprouts salad — TO DIE FOR.
I have been in my hometown for the past couple of days to spend time with my mama, which has been great, and this morning when she had some commitments, a friend of mine and I drove to the coast to go to a donut store. YUP, 60 miles (each way) to get donuts. I mean, also to see the gorgeous drive and even better the Pacific Ocean. The Oregon Coast is one of those magical places that is a hidden gem — so so beautiful and different and exquisite. So even though our goal was to get donuts, we got to spend a little time on the beautiful Oregon Dunes to make it even MORE magical and memorable. But these donuts, HOLY DELICIOUSNESS, beyond good. Big Dog Donuts and Deli (even love the name).
They serve breakfast and are known for all their different breakfast burritos and sandwiches, but even MORE famous for their donuts.
Some of the fun and wacky varieties sold. And you should see their Halloween options!
These shorts are the perfect lightweight fabric, have soft interior liners so you don’t accidentally show anything, and great comfortable waistbands. Although I have never purchased my own (at $35 per shorts, I am wondering why I have never bought them before! You can’t beat the price!), over the weekend, I was gifted a pair from my sister-from-another-mister a special pair for the Chicago Marathon.
There are so many fun activities to do in NYC during the fall: apple pick, bike rides in Central Park, see the leaves change at Storm King, drink coffee while walking down the West Side Highway, walk along the Highline, etc…here are more specific / unique to 2026 that I would like to do this season.
1. See Much Ado About Nothing
In all my research, THIS is the play to go to this fall. I am so excited to see it! Just need to figure it out and get to it! This is a colorful, exuberant play with two major stars and strong London reviews. The Broadway production will open October 31st.
And just like that…..here we are mind September. This month has been a blur with a lot going on, but still trying to find some joy in all the places. And here is what I am loving.
1. US Open
Nothing compares to the US Open. NOTHING. Day sessions, night sessions. They are all my absolute favorite part of the city in September. Can’t get enough.
OK so we all know that dogs get DIRTY. Like, really really dirty. But I used to ignore it (ignorance is bliss) until my-go-to-for-most-everything became a new dog owner and told me about Lil Luv Dog Wipes. And now, I use them every day and am in disbelief that I didn’t use them before. It actually grosses me out that I didn’t use them in the past. These are not any dog wipes, these compostable wipes that smell insanely good, and are gentle to cleanse coats, paws, and faces without disrupting your dog’s natural skin balance. Sold.
Dirty dog likes to sit on me, sit on furniture, etc…and now I am ever so thankful I have wipes to make her paws and body clean. Thank goodness.
So, this happened. Both kids are off to boarding school. Before I get too emotional (because all I have been doing is crying), I wanted to share the photos of the drop off. Oversharing, yes. But wanted to show you why I have been silent (packing, traveling, dropping off, more crying), here is what I have been up to.
The kids wanted to drive from Oregon to Ojai as it is less abrupt of an arrival, and they had a sh*t ton of stuff anyways. The halfway point was lucky in that it is in Northern CA where we got to stay with our best friends and have a home cooked meal and lots of laughs. Here is Tusia with some food that our host made. She is modern day Martha Stewart and everything she does is perfection.
End of August brings up a lot of feelings — the dread of the new season, saying goodbye to summer — all are so hard for me. Trying to live in the present and enjoying the NOW and the CURRENT soooooo…here is what I am loving right this very second.
1. Summer meals
Doesn’t this plate of food just scream SUMMER? Everything was perfect. Fresh. Delicious. Local. Amazing.
I know I did this post several years ago, but for new readers AND old readers, I decided it needed to be shared again! An easy ice cream cake hack — so easy, it’s totally cheating but so delicious and fun to make. All you need is ice cream sandwiches, homemade whipping cream, chocolate syrup, and some type of topping like crushed Oreos. And voila, ice cream sandwich cakes.
You line a baking vessel with wax paper, and then put the first layer of ice cream sandwiches. I bought mini ones so they were easy to fit in and didn’t need to be cut.
Mid July, we went to the Lavender Festival on the McKenzie River. Loved every minute of being admit the natural beauty of Oregon fir trees and lavender bushes. We picked lavender to dry and just *NOW* made lavender sachets with it. (As you might have seen in this week’s earlier post about art projects this summer, it has been one we started but didn’t yet finish. Until now! Never too late….)
U-pick lavender is the best. I loved it even though I got stung by a bee on my thumb and complained about it for a week.
Summers in Oregon usually are packed with lots of outdoor adventures (hiking, biking, running, exploring) as well as arts and crafts. And this year, it has been no different. Here are the arts and craft projects I have been working on this summer
Straw Tray
From straw, I braided 6 meters worth of straw together — harder than it seemed and caused my fingers to ache. But, worth the pain.
August is one of my least favorite months — it means that summer is almost over and I start having MAJOR anxiety about school starting back up and all the changes that will take place this year. I am trying to slow down and appreciate the moment, so here is what I am loving *RIGHT NOW*
1. Spider Man
We went to the Marvel movie on Saturday night — and believe it or not, not only did I stay awake (HUGE accomplishment), but I actually loved it. Highly recommend.
In Oregon, one of my favorite activities is to go to one of the hundreds of farms and pick fruit or veggies. And this past week, we went to a Peach farm — which is one of my favorite U-picks of the season (who doesn’t love peaches?). We collected 16 pounds of peaches — so we kept some fresh to have as snacks, made a peach galette, and dehydrated the rest.
Peaches galore.
As mentioned earlier this week, last week I was in the Bay Area stuffing my face with the most delicious food, ingredients, and meals. And one of my FAVORITE things (I have yet to mention) was the breakfast — Axe Pancakes.
Currently only available in California (you can get them on Good Eggs in Bay Area, and in various stores in Southern California). You buy this big tub of pancake mix that is frozen and store it in the freezer until the night before you want to use it.
Last week, I spent a couple days with my sister from another mister( aka my best friend), at her home in Northern California. We had the best time hanging 0ut and not doing much other than eating (our favorite pastime together). Here are some of my favorite meals we ate during my stay.
The two of us at Land’s End in northern CA looking at the Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge — HIGHLY recommend this walk / hike — truly gorgeous the entire 3.5 miles — from every step.
I promise you soon that I will get back to normal posts versus currently loving, but I just have so much to share and it is easy to cram everything in and be a GOOD post, versus a short mediocre one 😉 So here is what I am currently loving in July — because wow, it is mid-July (I actually saw a sign that said a festival for June 2026 and I had to think if it was an old sign or we were still in June and it was upcoming….helllooooo summer)
Hands down my favorite new sunscreen. If you are in Europe, buy a lot and you will be happy. I read about it — and WOW is it good. Better than any other sunscreen I have ever tried.
I have been in Cap Ferret (south west region of France) for the past two weeks and I have fallen in love. This place is unlike anywhere else I have been and I love every bit of it. Here are just some of the things that I love about it here.
1. Parasailing
SUCH a fun afternoon — we thought it was just going to be up and down, but it was a whole boat ride excursion and one of the highlights of the trip so far. The kids went up (I did not), and there were two other French families on the boat so it was fun to talk with them.
Before the summer travels started, I made my way to the newest needlepoint store in New York City, Penny Linn. Located on the very very far west of Manhattan, it was an incredibly beautiful space filled with more fibers and threads that I have ever seen in my life! Very different than my usual go-to-needlepoint-stop Rita’s (which I will forever call home base and love), this shop was HUGE. Massive. It had thousands of canvases to browse and select from, although as an avid needlepointer, I wished there were larger scale canvases. That said, of course, I left with two canvases that I LOVED and so many cool threads to use for them. So if you are in need of a new needlepoint store in the city, DEFINITELY suggest going. And if you want to shop from their online store, I also love that website!
Check them out! I love their matchbox selections — so trendy and cool.
I loved this pizza box and worked on it during my time in Paris.
OK, I know last week I did a “currently loving” and mentioned a lot of what I was loving in Paris, but there is so much to love, so here is another list of my favorite current things in Paris 2026.
Over half a mile long, this tunnel near the Tuileries is so fun to bike / run in. But you can’t be claustrophobic! I loved looking at the art as I ran by — so many talented street artists out there!
I have been following and “flashing” space invaders for the past two years and what fun it has been! It has been a great way to explore cities (especially when in France) and to always look up. Space invaders are created by a French artist “Invader” who has been putting up different mosaics in over 30 different countries. There are almost 5,000 of them, and thanks to an app, you can track them (“flash”) them and get credit for seeing them. It makes EVERYTHING that much more fun.
It is especially fun when traveling with the kids, because they are also determined to find them (truth be told, no one is as determined as me to find them, though).
OK so yes we made it to Paris and it was a big blur — lots of friends in town that made it so much fun as well as jam packed. There is so much to love here and I could post a million posts on what I love. So I am going to start with just a few right now from the first week and then come back with more! But here is what I am loving in Paris.
1. European Espresso
It tastes and hits differently in Europe. Love it so much.
OMGGGGGG where did the time go? I am sorry for a mini break — it was the end of the year craze with school finishing up and then packing up for the summer and flying to Europe. But I am back! So expect regular posts. Today — what I loved first part of June in NYC and tomorrow — check back, what I am loving in Paris. BUT for now, here is what I am loving right now!
1. Floral Arrangements
I did these flowers for my daughter’s luncheon post graduation (from 8th grade). I was super proud of myself (yes, humble brag) because I loved the way that they came out! Sometimes I don’t love what I do with flowers, but this time, I was happy.
Happy June 1st! Can you believe it? I CANNOT HOLY CRAP. Ok, but here is what I am currently loving right now.
1. My Boy
Cheesy but true, the most important thing I am loving is the fact that my son came back from boarding school yesterday. It was as if I could breathe again — yes he bossed me around to do everything and I have been knee deep in laundry and unpacking, but MAN, how I love having him home.
As you know by now, I spend a lot of time being crafty. Needlepoint is a good source of meditation for me, where I just sit and needlepoint. I feel like I am accomplishing something even when sitting still. I have become an avid needlepointer in the last 6 years — and although I like bigger projects, I always love doing these bookmarks. I start from scratch and do all of it — needlepoint, cut, sew, pom pom, etc…and I wanted to show you the process.
This is the hardest part. The needlepointing. It takes forever. Even though they are small. They take forever.
On Saturday, I did a thing I have not done in a very very long time, and that was to run a half marathon. Yes, I run a marathon every single year, but it has been over 6 years since I last ran a half marathon. I know it sounds crazy – but it is a VERY different experience than running a marathon. The pace, the energy, the preparation — all very different. But for whatever reason, I signed up this year to do the Brooklyn Half (over 18 years ago, Ken and I did our very first half marathon — which was indeed the Brooklyn Half Marathon).
Race started at 7 am in Prospect Park — a 45 minute drive. Which meant, that I needed to leave my apartment by 5 am to get there in time to go through security, etc….It was pretty painful, but it was also very nice watching the city come alive.
