Whenever I tell people we’re going to the Jersey shore I feel the need to immediately follow it up with “South Jersey! And it’s beautiful there!” New Jersey gets a bad rap, doesn’t it? (Remember Snooki? Me neither.) Some of my favorite places in the world are right there along the coast: the southernmost tip, Cape May, and Stone Harbor, and Ocean City, and Sea Isle. So many memories. I could go on and on, almost as long as the beaches. Plan a trip to the South Jersey shore, would ya?
taking stock / 14
This picture is from Congress Hall’s bike rental shop in Cape May. The whole yellow vibe Congress Hall has going on is SO GOOD.
Making: beef enchiladas at the moment. We just got home from NJ and it’s nice to cook in my own kitchen. (But it was equally nice being off most of the week!) I use Gimme Some Oven’s enchilada sauce and otherwise throw whatever I want in (ground beef, corn, spinach, onions, black beans, and cheese this evening!).
Drinking: white wine from Palazzone. Missing Orvieto and our friends. (Hi Sylvia!)
Reading: Into Thin Air. I think I started it like 10 years ago but, with a renewed interest (after watching Everest the other day), I am EATING IT UP. Completely riveting story. If you’re into the outdoors at all, read it if you haven’t already. It is sooooo good. I’m totally mystified.
Wanting: this dress. I love a good casual summer dress.
Listening: Keith Urban’s “Wasted Time” — SUCH a good summer song
Looking: through all my pictures from New Jersey. I got some great ones. I am always so happy to have captured those precious memories on camera.
Playing: in the sandbox!
Eating: berries, grapes, all the summer fruit. Anders just sat here feeding me grapes too. Sometimes he’ll reach for my mouth like he’s going to give it to me, then yank it back and pop it in his mouth with a smirk. God I love that kid.
Wishing: it wasn’t July yet. I feel like summer should JUST be getting underway. If it’s August before I’m ready, I’m petitioning that school start a month later. (Seriously though, post for another day, summer is too short. And also, is homework necessary? Okay, let’s not do this right now.)
Enjoying: bike rides, where I live, my family, geraniums, putting lotion on after I shower. The most random assortment?
Loving: these shoes. Just wish they wouldn’t make me like 6’2″. Tall girl problems.
Smelling: this candle. I love the earthy scent.
Feeling: badly for Anders who’s cutting his canines. Damn teething! Poor kid. He’s pretty miserable unless he’s totally distracted from life.
Wearing: pajamas.
Following: the #BlackLivesMatter news that continues to emerge. I really enjoyed this article. I haven’t known what to say about the subject. I still don’t. I just think it’s so heartbreaking and I want a change. Me saying that feels so trite, because I’m not the victim. There are so many who stand to gain so much more than me by change taking place. It has to happen. How?
the ocean city boardwalk.
every year, this is one of the weeks we most look forward to. i’ve already said that. you know about parker’s bedside calendar! but this, our ocean city boardwalk night, is one of our favorite nights of all of our time at the shore. it’s buzzing with energy, filled with smells from johnson’s popcorn to mack and manco’s pizza (my favorite!!!) to french fries. there’s lights and excitement and sounds of carnivals, music, and arcade bells dinging streaming out of every other storefront. for all intents and purposes, it is total sensory overload. especially as i watch anders taking it all in. he’s such a little thing with a pretty calm world and then… ocean city boardwalk! it’s way beyond his typical scene. but somehow, i’m not only okay with it, but i sort of love it in this one instance. probably because i’ve been coming here since i was anders’ age myself. memories! they were mine, and now they’re ours, and i love that so much.
in jersey.
we’ve been in new jersey–a total family overlap which, with four sisters living in different places and with all different ages of kids, doesn’t happen as often as we wish it would–for a few days enjoying the beaches of stone harbor. we used to rent a house, all of us and my cousins (of which there are so many!), in sea isle every summer. i would look forward to this trip like it was christmas morning. so when parker needed a calendar to really get a grasp on how many days there were until we left, when he was talking about going to the beach all year long, when his face would light up when i’d tell him it was coming up, i thought, “memories! he’s making them now!”
weekend links.
Parker second to last night crossing off a “sleep” before he will be with his cousins at the beach. For the last few weeks, he’s been so excited but so confused as to when we are leaving. Time is such an abstract concept for kids! So I printed out two calendar months and left a marker by his bed. The countdown began! He is so excited. He reminds me of the times when I was dying to get to Sea Isle to see my cousins.
Nimb: a smart ring to notify emergency services when you’re in trouble. This is pretty amazing.
These are such fun sandals.
My friend Caroline came over for dinner the other night and brought these for dessert. They were so pretty and delicious.
Daniel Tiger might actually… be good for your developing child?! Watch on, boys!
30 surprising beauty buys you can get at none other than Target.
A teacher uses apples to demonstrate bullying. I like this.
81 thoughts I had during the GOT finale. I think I actually had the same thought as #33.
How long it takes kids to read these popular books.
This bike is the coolest. (I love the Burley. But I love the idea of the boys being right with me instead of five feet behind me in the trailer.)
I love this dress. Cool hem, too.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
This morning I have Abbey from The Butter Half here sharing a recipe! If you’re not already familiar with her blog, it is completely fabulous. Every time she posts a new recipe, I want to more or less jump into the computer with my mouth open. She posted this bread that you can make with only (melted) ice cream and self-rising flour too. What? It has me so intrigued.
This morning she’s here to show us a grilled cheese breakfast sandwich. Mmmmmm.
lately.
i just bought these at trader joe’s this afternoon and steve looked at me like i was crazy. “i like them!” he suggested i’ll like them only until they kill me with their poison. he just doesn’t appreciate unique flowers like i do.
summer in the city.
this past saturday, we hopped in the car to go to the city. i feel like i see less of the city in the summertime than i do during fall, winter, or spring. we’re always doing other things during the summer and heading into a city just feels extra hot? more stifling than refreshing? a lesser good option compared to the beaches or lakes that are a short drive from where we live. but, boston actually has some good options for cooling off in the summertime like the frog pond and my always-favorite greenway fountains. plus the public gardens is still in full bloom and it’d be a shame to miss it. since we had to go to warby parker anyway (new glasses for steve!), we decided to park once and do the frog pond instead of the fountains this time.
weekend links.
These two before we got ice cream last week. Could not get Anders to sit still for a picture. My expectations were far too high! I love it anyway. Also love these shorts of Parker’s – they’re pull on–which I think is always nice for kids–but you wouldn’t know it once they’re on. Also, I hope you know to never shop full-price at Gap because basically every single day there is a new coupon code going on? Today’s is TGIF! Anyway, thank you for the feedback on the site so far, and please tell me if you see any more weird glitches! (I don’t see any of them on my end – it’s working perfectly! – so I want to know what you see!)
15 facts about that amazing Game of Thrones episode.
Banana almond butter Klondike bars?!
Oh! I updated this big travel post to reflect the car seat question since that was a big one (and really, belonged with that post).
If this is anything like Animalium, it’s going to be great.
Spice up your water this summer (the fruit cooler is most up my alley).
This tear-jerker video about a little baby and the Finding Nemo creator.
On the whole jean shorts thing… these! Priced right too.
Summer TV! (I want to watch the OJ series.)
Did you know J.Crew offers free shipping and returns on all bathing suits? (No minimums.) I love that. This is a great one.
Have a great weekend!
a whirlwind.
this was a sort of whirlwind week, or few weeks. it feels like at the end of the year (the scholastic year, that is), we’re like a ball rolling–nay, careening!–down a hill, picking up speed, never mind dust and dirt, to finally land–kerplunk! (that’s a nod to a summer favorite: robert mccloskey)–into the pond at the bottom of the hill. or, in this case, summer.
sweet, sweet summer.
it was 7:10 am. “steve!” i yelled up. “i haven’t seen lindsey yet!” sure enough, she overslept her alarm (by a mere two hours as she’d set it for 5 am; i have a similar story from my own youth), and upon hearing his voice yelling up to her, popped out of bed, threw clothes on, her hair up, jumped in the car to be raced down the street to school one last time. i get a call as i’m driving towards home, “i forgot my clarinet!”
then we’re back for her graduation ceremony an hour later, before racing on to parker’s last day show and ceremony. by some magical stroke of luck, there was a boy selling coffee on the side of the road (what an impressive little entrepeneur. coffee! he was out there by 7 am and had both iced and hot.) and i stopped. “iced please!” he put just enough cream in it, and off i went enjoying my good fortune. anders fell asleep in the backseat before i took the last sip.
lindsey is less emotional than the majority of her friends as she moves onto the high school. (high school! she’s going to be a freshman!) i think this is mostly cause she’s a cool cat. because, of course, all of these girls are pretty much moving on… together. but i get it, too. was i one of the ones who weeped as she graduated 8th grade? i can’t recall. but i’d like to think i wasn’t.
to parker’s school we ventured next. his little class put on a brief and ridiculously sweet show. my timid, doesn’t-want-all-eyes-on-him-ever boy stood up and had a short part in which he spoke in front of all the parents. i was so proud of him. i’ve already watched the video back about five times. then all the families found a spot outside and sat on blankets brought from home to go through our child’s portfolio together. i loved looking through all of his work, but even more sweet was the way he kept looking at me as he flipped through the pages. it was such concentrated eye contact, with a look of pride on his face, waiting to see my reaction as he turned each one.
it was sunny, then it was cloudy, then it poured, and now the sun is out again. it’s a bit analogous for my mood today. so much pride and joy for these kids of mine, and yet there’s that bit of sadness that time marches on to the beat of its own drum, never in synch with my own. it won’t stop, so i’m learning how to march alongside it, or at least close behind.