Dinner + a show with our friends Peter and Bradley over the weekend!
Hello! No introductions needed at this point. Let’s just jump right in:
- So many friends + family members are making major life changes. I feels like everyone we know is either moving, switching jobs or starting new chapters. And yet here the Larkin Family is, just… being. 😆 It can be a little unnerving; Mitch and I sometimes find ourselves questioning whether we should be making changes, too?! But as people who have made so many changes in years past, it’s also really nice to not be making any new ones. We are happy. Deep breaths!
- We went to dinner at Gemini with our friends Bradley and Peter over the weekend, and then saw the band Animal Collective at The Vic. Such a wonderful night! When we all got there, we were like, “Eeek. It’s a Sunday night. What were we thinking?!” But it was just one of those evenings. So many laughs. (Pic above!) Listen to this song. Gets me every time. It’s one of Mitch’s favorites considering he has so many girls. ;)
- I have the springtime chills. This is such a tough time of the year for a Raynaud’s sufferer. 😉 I honestly much prefer fall, as the cool air doesn’t seem to chill me to the bone. Spring, however, YIKES. There’s nothing quite so shiver-inducing as a 33-degree springtime rain, am I right? All hail this tiny-but-mighty space heater.
- Did you see this video I made?! Mitch and I had the best day running around the city with the girls and filming.
- It goes without saying that nearly news article about the war makes my heart hurt, but this one warmed it a bit. Mitch and I, btw, are trying to set up a way for others to help support our friend Valeriia and her family/community if they’re interested. Valeriia is from Kyiv and is now (safe, thank God) in Poland. She is Mitch’s graphic designer, and the nicest, most hard-working person. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get GoFundMe to work in Poland, but will share details as soon as possible once we work it out. ♥️
- Happy birthday to my childhood best friend, Katie! I met Katie when I was eight years old. We’d both just moved from Long Island, New York to houses next door to each other in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. I can’t imagine my childhood without Katie. We grew up together, jumping on the trampoline, swimming at the neighborhood pool, starting babysitters clubs, biking around town, and putting on plays. LYLAS, Lobster. Happy birthday!
- The famous quilted cocoon coat—perfect for chillier spring days—is on major sale. I love mine! Wear it nearly every day to drop-off/pickup.
- Talking about mental health should not be taboo, so I want to share that I decided to go on anxiety medication this year, and I feel like… myself. I’m certainly not encouraging anyone to go on medication without putting great thought into it; only a doctor and patient should decide together what the best path is. Medication isn’t for everyone. But gosh, what a difference it’s made for me, personally. I still feel anxious, worried and overwhelmed from time to time, but not all the time. I don’t feel like a zombie, either. I just feel like me! I’m grateful for modern medicine, that’s for sure.
- I nabbed a driver’s test. Oh, heavens. Speaking of anxiety. 🙈 STRESS. To be honest, I will probably back out of it. I know! It’s ridiculous how nervous I am about it. Like, it’s no big deal if I fail. (And I totally failed in high school.) The in-car tests are hard to come by, so it’s in a few weeks… but I’ll report back on whether I actually go through with it. Would be wonderful to have the freedom!
- Read: A Zodiac Chart for Babies: My friend Abby is into zodiac signs, and right after we had a conversation about it, I saw this article in The New Yorker. I was dying. It was spot on for the girls. Hysterical.
- Watch: A Tiny Ripple of Hope: It’s about Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City. I’m a huge fan of what Jahmal does in Chicago, and am constantly inspired by him. Please watch!
- One Home Project Every Day update:
- Mitch and I are getting rid of three things each from the garage every day. I am so embarrassed by the state of our garage. To be fair, Mitch used it as a warehouse of sorts for nearly three years, and you could barely move between the palettes of products—let alone try to keep the space orderly. But after a gorgeous 70-degree day, we are very motivated to get the outside space, and garage, in shape! That said, the garage is overwhelming. So yesterday, I thought to myself, “Self, why not treat this like a ‘One Home Project Every Day’ challenge?” And GUESS WHAT. We’ve already waved goodbye to six things! We are selling things of value, donating stuff that others could use, and recycling the rest. I am a firm believer in not trying to organize until spaces are truly decluttered, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about getting uniform storage tubs and labeling them. 😆 (Or maybe these?!) This is 37, guys.
- I beautified our linen closet with these striped bins. IT BRINGS JOY, haha. Next, I’d really like to work on the spare linen closet in our primary bathroom, which we actually use to store extra products like soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc. This is giving me all the inspiration/ideas! (Though I love the idea of storage bins that you can’t actually see through.)
- I washed the deck couch cushion covers. We have the basic cushion covers, which are no longer even carried and which I have to admit I’ve always regretted going with. (Sunbrella Rain is much more suited for our stage of life right now. You apparently can just leave them out.) But WOW. I soaked the covers for hours in Oxyclean and then ran them through the washing machine for another three hours, and they look brand new. There are a couple of spots I might try to bleach but meh, let’s be serious: The girls are going to stain them almost immediately once we’re out there on the reg again, so it’s probably not even worth the effort. ;)
- We sold a ton of old, unused electronics on Facebook Marketplace. Get. 👏🏻 It. 👏🏻 Out. 👏🏻 Clearly rehoming old stuff is my version of spring cleaning this year, haha, but I’ve been amazed by how much cash it’s turned into! I mean, we sold an old, unused camera for a couple hundred bucks. And it’s no longer taking up physical or mental space.
- I got the Christmas lights out of the front closet. They were on the floor for months. 🙄
- I also put away all the snow boots and snow gear. A bold move, yes. We’ll see if I totally screw over Chicago.
- OUR BASEMENT FIREPLACE WORKS! Oh my goodness. Sorry for talking about this all the time, but this is such a wonderful upgrade to our home. Our basement is barely insulated, which we really don’t understand, but it’s freezing down there most of the time. The fireplace makes it so toasty, homey and cozy, and we’re spending more time than ever in the playroom as a result. Mitch and I watch movies down there after the kids go to bed, too!
- We’ve always had a messy car (#kids), so we invested in a backseat organizer and trash can. And it’s working! The kids’ toys and gloves and water bottles and whatever else is usually floating around back there goes into the organizer, and Emma is actually using the trash can. Of course, I would just recommend emptying the trash can after road trips or after any real use, as I worry about pests. But so far, staying on top of it has been extremely easy. Really lovely to finally have a clean car!
- I donated Lucy’s too-small two-year-old clothing. It was emotional.
- On a related note, I’m loving Shira Gill’s blog. Whenever I need inspiration re: my endless quest to declutter and organize our home, I head there! Loved this spring/life cleaning post from last year!
- Mask mandates were lifted at the girls’ schools, and Emma and Lucy are thriving. I can’t believe how much the girls are enjoying school now that they can see their teachers’ and peers’ faces. Lucy’s preschool teacher said that her first day without a mask was her best day of the year! Of course, we’re cautiously optimistic. Fingers crossed that the numbers remain low.
- We had a great 70-degree day in Chicago yesterday. A nice break from the cold, that’s for sure! The kids on the block ran next door to our friends’ house and all jumped on the trampoline together while the parents talked over the fences. It was honestly magical, and it reminded me just how much we love this city. February and March can be a tough time here; residents can feel beaten down by the weather. But then suddenly the clouds part and the city comes alive! SPRING IS HERE.
- Our old kids’ pool cracked over the winter, so we invested in a new foldable pool from Amazon. I’m really hoping that this is the answer to our problems. Love the idea that it collapses so easily! Does anyone have any experience using floating chlorine dispensers? We need one this year.
- Please let me tell you my Squishmallow story. Squishmallows are apparently all the rage right now with kids, haha. Emma talks about them constantly. So they were an obvious choice for the girls’ Easter basket! Unfortunately, though, I did not realize that some Squishmallows are giant. And they do not fit in our Easter baskets. Don’t be like me. Invest in mini Squishmallows. And then question how your life came to this point. ;)
- This Target pillow looks and feels like it’s $200+. Please note, however, that it is NOT blue. It’s definitely gray! I also love this one.
- It’s almost time to mulch, plant flowers, and clean up the backyard! Get this: We’re planting real flowers in the backyard this year. I know. What is happening, right? (Don’t worry. We’re going with affordable impatients so we don’t have to stress if/when we kill them.)
- Really obsessed with this new top from J.Crew. It’s made from that cotton-cashmere material I love so much!
- Have you heard of the sustainable outdoor furniture brand Yardbird? Everything is made from plastic found in the ocean, and it’s extremely durable. The reviews are off the charts. I’m excited to meet with their team soon and learn more!
- We’re thinking about finding an old (digital) piano on Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace for Emma. (And the whole family.) Emma is currently taking piano lessons, and we’re waiting to see if she enjoys it. Fingers crossed! (Though I played a little piano growing up and hated practicing. So we’ll see, haha.)
