#109. Everything about April
birthdays, cakes, and so many flowers everywhere.
When I looked back through all the photos I took on my phone from last month, I really smiled at all the beautiful things that happened. April was full of fun social gatherings, small trips, celebrations, and signs of spring everywhere. So much cheer, and so much in bloom.
We spent Easter weekend in Squamish with family, which seemed to kick off the stretch of sunny weather that followed for nearly the entire month… aside from the two days we took Wes to Tofino in the camper van, where it poured 45 mm of rain in a single day. Suffice it to say, we packed up and left a night early. Other than that, it’s genuinely felt like summer already.
I’ve been spending quite of bit of time outside in our backyard and I really wish we had some more cohesive patio furniture. Right now it feels a little sparse and mismatched. That project will likely have to wait until next summer though, as my focus and funds are going towards my bedroom upgrade (more on that in next months dispatch) — though, I did see Giuliana post about this shockingly good and affordable patio set from Walmart (!!!!?)
Chris and I have birthdays exactly 2 weeks apart in April. Some years are gift years, and some years are not. In lieu of gifts, we try to really make the day special through actions. With this being our first year with a baby, both birthdays were low-key and relaxed, each of us trying to take on as much parenting duty as possible so the other could have time to themselves.
No grand plans, no extravagant purchases — and honestly, I’m kind of excited about that being the theme of our summer too. We’re intentionally leaning into a slower, simpler season right now. We already live in such a beautiful part of the world, and I want to fully appreciate it: farmers markets, daily beach trips, island hopping, evenings outside. It’s going to be a first-time-mom-summer, and I’m planning on taking everything in through Wes’ eyes.
Mat leave continues to be so delightful, especially as 3 more of my close friends either just had, or are about to have babies. Chris and I were talking the other night about how parenting hasn’t necessarily been “easier” or even “better” than we expected, but it has been far more positive than we imagined. Especially as my village, and my little mom community, continues to grow.
READ —
Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn is a darkly funny, messy, and satirical novel about a struggling writer whose life is kind of spiraling in an entertaining and chaotic way. The storyline touches on modern messy relationships, queer dynamics, cancel culture, reputation in the internet age and the chaos of trying to “get your life together”. Very sharp, funny and quite a bit outrageous. 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐.5Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld is a collection of short stories that pull you in so quickly and efficiently, you’ll forget that it’s not the entire plot of the book. Most of the stories are about the characters reflecting on their lives; sometimes looking back, sometimes facing uncomfortable truths in the present. Lots of awkward social situations, modern dilemmas and relationship dynamics. I really liked it. 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
WATCH — I finally wrapped up The Pitt (so good), and I’m still obviously keeping up with Survivor (only two episodes left), but we’ve also been getting pulled into Top Chef: World All-Stars, which airs right after Survivor, and it’s surprisingly entertaining. Outside of that, I carved out some solo time to see Project Hail Mary, which was a very endearing and feel good movie. It also led to me re-watching the seminal Harry Styles music video for Sign of the Times. I think that was my favourite scene in the movie.
WEAR — I can’t stop wearing this lacey blouse with this fun big beaded necklace on repeat. The top is very Jane Birkin. ‘What Would Jane Birkin Wear’ might be my guiding principle this summer. The answer? White dresses (a little wrinkled), oversized button down shirts, anything with lace accents, a woven basket instead of a handbag or anything that feels like it could’ve been picked up at a market in the South of France.
this summer, ask yourself, WWJBW? 5. EAT — 2 good things from Costco right now: the Starbucks knock off spinach & feta egg white wraps, & the Heavenly Hunks Carrot Cake Drizzle bites. It’s also almost time for the Frozen Yogurt bars to become a staple too.
LISTEN — I listened to Lena Dunham’s ‘Famesick’ on Spotify and never wanted it to end. The writing is phenomenal, so funny, and there is quite a bit of tea too. As a big Girls fan, I was especially drawn to the glimpses into what was unfolding off-camera during its peak. Lena talks extensively about her relationship to Jack Antonoff, which was why I was so intrigued to see him recently on Armchair Expert. I equally enjoyed listening to him, and found it both beautiful and heartbreaking to hear him speak with such reverence about this wife Margaret Qualley, while notably, not mentioning Lena at all. I also had no idea that this was Jack Antonoff’s song. His band — Bleachers —new album comes out on May 22, and I am looking forward to listening to the song that Dax dances to in the interview.
I took it upon myself to make my husband a birthday cake (before I knew that it would be a fussy day for my child). I used my friend Britt’s tried and true recipe, and it was a big hit! I subbed regular milk for oat milk (she told me coconut milk would also work in case you’re DF) and added about 1/2 tbsp of cardamom powder. It’s actually pretty simple to make but looks very impressive. Use this recipe next time you’re on cake duty for a celebration.
The annual TC10km race in downtown Victoria was held on the last Sunday of April and I decided to participate for the first time since 2022. Back then, I was running consistently, and finished the race in 43 minutes. I knew this year wasn’t going to be a year for a PB but I did set a goal of trying to finish somewhere between 46-49 minutes minutes, which I somehow mustered up the strength to do. It was a beautiful 20 degree day with lots of sunshine, friends, and good energy pulsing through the air. It’s so easy to get the running itch after doing a race. I’ve got big plans to run the RVM in October, and have some work to do.
wore my Adidas Adizero’s and LOVED them. Highly recommend. We were blessed with some seriously sunny days in April, especially near the end of the month. We took full advantage of them, heading to the beach, even if it was just for an hour. I remember when we lived in Mexico, there was a 6 month old baby named Zavi that would be at the beach for sunset every night, sitting and playing in the sand, truly living his best life. I was obsessed with him and his carefree life. I loved how beautifully simple their family dynamic seemed, and took note of how relaxed his parents looked.
baby’s first summer loading. For my birthday this year we had a flower potluck. I asked my nearest and dearest to bring one type of flower, enough stems for everyone in attendance, so that we could all create our own unique fresh flower bouquets to bring home. We had spray mums, gerbera daisies, thistle berries, hyacinths, tulips of course, et cetera. It was a really sweet spring activity, one I’d like to do annually every April. With it being my birthday month, the house was full of flowers all month long.
a couple of the finished bouquets. A few months before Wes was born I bought some cute oversized graphic T’s for him from Gap that I thought were adorable. At the time, 6 months seems so far away. Now, it’s basically here. I just started dressing him in these oversized shirts and the fit is so good. Always look for a boxy shape if you like this look. These ones are now sold out, but this one is cute.
gotta be one of my fav photos. There’s a Salvation Army near my neighbourhood that I’ve dropped donations off at countless times, but had never actually taken the time to browse. I finally asked my husband to watch the baby so I could do a proper, uninterrupted thrift… and it was such a dopamine hit. First find: a pair of corduroy pants for $2.99, marked down because of a small stain that completely disappeared in the wash. Then, a perfectly oversized, vintage-feeling graphic tee featuring the twins from The Shining. I’ve been wearing it a lot. A pair of purple Havaianas for $5. A blue babydoll dress that somehow fits like it was made for me. And my favourite of all: a handmade ceramic mug that says “Matriarch of the Blenkiron Clan.” Naturally, we looked up “Blenkiron Victoria,” which led us to one of the best obituaries I’ve ever read, for a man named Ron Blenkiron. He sounded like quite the dude.
“During his life, he managed to burn down his church, partied one New Year’s with JFK and family, and smuggle diamonds out of revolutionary Cuba.”
Somehow, someway, I’ve been in good routine of doing at home workouts. This is no small feat as I, much like many people I know, find working out at home incredibly difficult to a. be motivated to do, b. push myself enough and c. be consistent with it. We have a spacey enough backyard that gets quite a bit of direct sun, and I’ve been spending some time out there. I find that just having my mat and weights out visible is a good catalyst for me to just go for it. I aim for 30 minutes, sometimes I do more, sometimes less, but I always feel accomplished if I manage to squeeze one in.
After an almost year and a half hiatus, I treated myself to a day at HAVN saunas for my birthday. The last time I was supposed to go, I found out I was pregnant and had to cancel. My favourite way to HAVN is alone, with a book, on a sunny day, either late morning or early afternoon. I go back to Ontario at the end of this month and I’m booking myself a day at Thermea. Anyone from Ontario read this newsletter and can let me know what you think of it?
what going 3+ hours without feeding looks like. One of my close friends is getting married in a couple of weeks, so we spent the weekend in Jordan River for her bachelorette. We rented a big house with a sauna, and the whole thing felt very cozy and wonderfully low-key. Babies came. Dogs came too. It was less wild getaway, more soft little communal retreat, exactly the kind of weekend I love these days. The babies both slept like angels, which meant the mamas were equally proud and relieved. Wes hasn’t slept that well since, naturally. One notable hack from the weekend: cut up orange slices, fold them into a rose shape inside an ice cube tray, then pour water and freeze. Use these next time you make an Aperol Spritz.
If you know someone who’s a bit witchy, these Reading To Go cards are such a good gift idea. They come with 3 beautifully designed tarot cards, randomly drawn from the full deck. This was included in the birthday card my SIL sent me and I thought it was just genius.
10 things on my wish list
New bed linens in this sky blue (pillow cases), chocolate (fitted sheet), and natural (duvet cover) colour combo.
These funky striped pants that seem too good to be Zara. My SIL bought and can confirm that they are amazing (and true to size).
Another TGTBT Zara piece that I thought for sure was Hunza G.
Ok, last (but certainly not least) one from Zara. I’ll be in this all summer long baby!
I
wantneed this rug SO bad it hurts.The Donni dupes that broke the internet are back in select sizes.
Zebra print is the new cheetah print, there I said it!
Anklet season is upon us.
One thing that’s missing from my wardrobe is a pair of strappy sandals.
An effortless beauty that would be so easy to throw on any given summer day.
5 fun links
BROWN: Totally. You’re a different breed. I love that through and through you stay looking so cute. You’re doing your nails, you have your cute hiking outfits.
RENAE: Oh, girl. I don’t think I could make it through the hike if my nails weren’t pink and I wasn’t wearing my outfits because I’d be depressed. I literally would be depressed. There’s no longevity in that. And if I’m happier, I hike so much better. For me, it’s more just about enjoying my days. I want to finish and that’s my goal, but at the same time I also really like to emphasize the journey.
What do you do that’s bad for you?
Oh gosh, I hope nothing. I fully believe that your thoughts are absolutely responsible for your reality. Your reality is serving you with everything you are ready to allow. Which is why a cig, if smoked with coffee over a great discussion, or drinking a glass of wine while writing or reading, just can’t be bad for you. If it’s ceremonial it’s okay, but if it becomes something you do when stressed, it turns bad.
Which ties nicely into this funny article, Should we all start smoking again?
❤️ Thank you for being here. If you liked this article, clicking “like” helps more people discover my Substack. (Or leave a comment — it truly makes my day.)
Happy belated birthday! What a fun and beautiful idea to have everyone bring different flowers to your party. 🌼 I'm definitely adding 'Famesick' to my audiobook list now, excited for that. Feeling very influenced by this issue, lol, just purchased a few of those tarot-reading-to-go packs for some upcoming birthdays. Thanks for all the fun links. Wes is so incredibly cute by the way, oh my goodness. xx
Had the same thought about jack’s interview after finishing Famesick. He didn’t mention her at alll, in fact I think he said something like “I was never with the right person before.” Ugh 💔