#110. Everything about May
my bedroom upgrades, the summer shoppies, and the quietest new-mom summer ahead.
Spring has been really lovely, and May in particular was packed with activities. I captured so much of it on my camera roll that I ran into multiple storage crises, resulting in a frantic purge of apps, photos/videos, and old text conversations from my phone. The problem persists. If anyone has tips on how not to take a million photos of their baby, I’m all ears.
I’m ready for summer. The heat is slowly creeping in, and I can’t downplay my lifelong tendency to pine for this season. It’s always been this way. As a child, I would make long summer bucket lists every year. The activities ranged from “Try every DQ Blizzard flavour” (I did) to “Sleep outside on the trampoline” (it’s not very fun). I’ve always romanticized summer and expected the most from it. I love the version of myself that suddenly comes alive the moment it’s 25 degrees outside. I am a fire sign, after all.
But this summer will undoubtedly look different than the ones before it. I have a wonderfully low-key few months ahead. One wedding on the Sunshine Coast in June, a trip to Kelowna in July, a weekend at a friends cabin on the lake in August, and that’s about it.
Perhaps the biggest plan has already happened: a trip to Ontario to visit the family, just me and baby. I was nervous about the flight, but it went better than I expected. I’ve heard this from others but the window before your baby becomes truly mobile is prime travel time. If trips to far-flung, exotic destinations were in the budget right now (instead of the equally exciting destination of Ontario), I would say anywhere from 2-6 months is really the time to go for it.
As I reflect on the first half of my maternity leave, two things stand out. First, how absurdly fast time is passing. And second, how deeply I adore this season of my life, and how much I don’t want it to end.
And so, for perhaps the first time ever, I’m genuinely excited for the quietest summer I’ve had in years. No grand bucket list. No ambitious travel plans. But if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s romanticizing my life. So while the schedule may be sparse, I’ll be doing my best to make it feel like the most special summer yet.
I’m also feeling the summer shoppies, so either sorry or you’re welcome for all the links and outfit ideas below (these jeans are my latest fixation, thanks to Ro). I too can’t help myself and have done some damage, despite telling myself I am cut off. You know how it goes.
May was great, here’s what I have to say about it:
READ — Unfortunately, the only book I finished in May was Yesteryear, and it really wasn’t for me. I’m not saying that to be contrarian; I genuinely didn’t think it was very good. Trendy books are always a bit hit-or-miss for me, and this one was firmly in the miss category.
One book that has piqued my interest, though, is Lost Lambs. I started listening to the audiobook on Spotify one day, and was immediately drawn in by how strange it was. It’s another buzzy recent release, but this one leans much more bizarre and abstract. It’s reminding me a bit of The Virgin Suicides in its tone and mood. I’m going to wait for a copy to come through the library before continuing, because I have a feeling it’s the kind of book I’d enjoy much more in physical form rather than listening to it on my runs.
Other books on my summer reading list include:
what’s on your summer reading list? EAT — I must be the last girl on the internet to discover Farm Girl cereal, but consider me converted. A 0 grams of sugar, high protein and fiber cereal option that tastes like cinnamon toast crunch, and is actually so good. I get excited for my daily bowl. Sometimes I'll have it first thing in the morning before a proper breakfast, otherwise, it's usually the last thing I eat at night when I need something to satisfy a snacky evening craving. Highly recommend for your next Costco haul.
BUY — I had a credit expiring at Jenny Bird, so I used it as the perfect excuse to buy this anklet, which I can confidently say is absolute perfection. Doesn’t an anklet just scream summer to you? Only a toe ring would even come close to rivaling it, but I don’t want to draw that much attention to my feet. I also bought this Zara dress that made an appearance on last month’s wish list. It’s short, sweet, and exactly the kind of thing I’ll spend all summer throwing over a bathing suit before heading to the beach. These two items alone make me feel summer ready. Sometimes it really doesn’t take much.
WATCH — I finished season 5 of Couples Therapy (mixed feelings about it TBH) and I’m still watching Euphoria (mixed feelings about it TBH). What I really want is a show to pull me all the way in, strong from the start. I know I’ll love Beef 2 (because I loved Beef 1), and I’m curious about Steve Carrels Rooster as well as Richard Gadd’s (creator of Baby Reindeer) Half man. Hoping for better reporting in this category in next months dispatch!
WEAR — For my friend Sophia’s wedding, I wore this cheeky dress. But after two weddings, I’m ready to pass it along to someone else. Which got me thinking: should I start an Instagram account dedicated to selling wedding guest dresses? Mine, but also other people’s. A carefully curated collection of beautiful dresses that have only been worn once or twice, all at way more approachable prices than buying new. After all, how many wedding guest dresses do we buy only to have them spend the next five years sitting in a closet?
For mothers day, all I wanted was a picnic in the park with some wood fired pizza and a beer or two. I don’t know what’s gotten into me postpartum, but I have been loving drinking. Nothing crazy, of course, but a cold beer on a sunny afternoon or a crisp glass of white wine at the end of the day has never tasted quite so good. The sun was shining, and the park was buzzing with other families who seemed to have the exact same idea (maybe sans the drinking). After our picnic, we wandered through the rose garden and around the ponds before finishing the afternoon with an ice cream sandwich (pictured above).
I’m a dairy girlie, and while I'd love to have farm-fresh jersey cow milk on tap, that's not exactly an option. Instead, I buy Avalon milk from the grocery store and save all of the glass bottles. Once I've accumulated about a dozen, I take them to my favourite specialty grocery store in town and cash them in for the bottle deposit credit. It’s usually enough to justify a little treat I wouldn’t normally buy for myself—a wedge of fancy cheese, a really good butter, or a jar of jam that costs more than jam probably should. It’s one of my favourite small-life hacks. Technically, it’s money I’ve already spent, but it always feels like I’ve been handed a little gift card for something delicious.
Traded this in for maldon flaky sea salt, and some nice butter. One sunny Saturday was spent at Sombrio Beach, about a 90-minute drive from Victoria, with a group of friends. I hadn’t been down there in a long time, and I don’t know why we don’t make day trips out there more often — Chris goes all the time to surf, I should join him more. The ocean sparkled in the sun, dotted with eager surfers, while families stretched out on picnic blankets across the wide sandy beach. Our friends made loaded bagels, everyone got a little sun-kissed, and for a few hours there was nowhere else we'd rather be.
A truly perfect West Coast gem of a day. For Wes’ six-month birthday, I made a last-minute decision to hop on the ferry and take him to Salt Spring Island. Some friends were camping there for the weekend, and I’d been wanting to wander through the Saturday farmers’ market. The real stars of the day, though, were these pastel poppies, which completely stole the show. I picked up a jar of Salt Spring Island chili oil (a favourite), a couple of thank-you cards, and a balloon to celebrate my boy turning six months old.
I’ve had this 24x24 print by Lauren Mycroft sitting on my dresser since November, waiting to be framed. I kept meaning to get around to it, but you know how these things go. I also knew that framing something this size wouldn’t be cheap, so I’d been putting off even looking into my options. I was pleasantly surprised, then, when I checked out Opus Art Supplies. I ended up getting a simple custom white frame for $150. One of those satisfying little life tasks that took almost no time at all and made me wonder why I hadn’t done it months ago.
I finally pulled the trigger on lime washing the walls in my bedroom and, honestly, just try and stop me from doing every wall in my house now. It’s that good. I went with the colour Bone from Pure & Original. It wasn’t cheap, and there are definitely more affordable brands out there, but it came highly recommended by a designer friend and I’m so happy with how it turned out.
When I look back at before photos, I’m genuinely shocked by how sterile and stark the room felt with white walls. The lime wash brought in so much warmth and movement—it feels softer, cozier, and infinitely more interesting.
If you’re thinking about lime wash, dooooo it. Next up in the bedroom refresh: new bedding. I've been completely enamoured with the dusty blue and chocolate brown colour combination lately, so I set out to find linen bedding in exactly those shades, and the best option hands down that I found was from Resthouse. I'd previously slept on a linen-cotton blend, and I really went back and forth on whether to try cotton this time, but I can’t deny how comfy and soft linen bedding is. I am beyond happy with my choice. I went with the pillowcases in Cloud Grey, which is more like a muted, dusty baby blue than their Sky Blue option, which felt a touch too vibrant for the look I was after. I paired it with a chocolate brown fitted sheet and a neutral duvet cover, and I’m obsessssssed with how serene the cooler tones feel.
Resthouse is offering a 10% discount on all sheets and pillows with code LOVESLEEP10.
I waited until Wesley started sleeping in his own crib to do this, and it feels that much more like a treat! One thing I’ve known since the beginning of my postpartum journey is that I wanted to host fitness classes for new moms. Finding time to move your body after having a baby can be really hard, and I wanted to offer an option for moms to bring their babies, get a workout in, and connect with other women in the same season of life. So me and my friend Jojo—a movement enthusiast with an incredible gift for making fitness feel fun, accessible, and empowering—got together hosted our first Mama’s & Mini’s class on her family’s farm. It was exactly the kind of afternoon I’d hoped for: babies along for the ride, moms moving their bodies, and plenty of chatting and community-building in between. The response was positive so we’re planning to make it a monthly thing throughout the summer. Next one will be held on Thursday June 25!
I have these loafers in black leather, but Poppy Barley recently gifted me a pair in hazelnut suede, and again, I absolutely love them. I wore them on a day trip into Toronto and clocked over 25,000 steps without a single complaint from my feet. They’re incredibly comfortable.
KAROLINA25 gets you $25 off applicable Poppy Barley orders $200+
The AGO has the best lighting in the city. As someone who has had melasma for more than a decade at this point, the sunscreen I use on myself needs to be high quality, strong, and reliable. I opt for SPF 50 or higher, and have been using a La Roche Posay chemical sunscreen. But for my baby, I personally wanted a gentler option; a mineral based sunscreen with as minimal ingredients as possible. I’ve been super happy with this one from Primally Pure — ingredients are impressive and simple and it blends in pretty well.
Code: KAROLINACOOK for 10% off anything PP :)
These arms can’t be real. 10 things on my wish list:
Everyone wants the Ona bag, but what about the Dumpling bag?
This one came home with me when I decided I’m going to be showing off more leg this summer.
I tried this jacket (isn’t she giving Jung Maven?) on in person and it’s an exceptionally good for the price point.
The perfect thing to throw on when it starts to cool off in the evening.
To match with the dumpling bag, of course.
My friend Jojo rocks these pants like no ones business. They feel exactly like silk but without the drama.
This adorable phone bag.
Anything to help the postpartum melasma.
This frilly Cecile Bahsen x Uniqlo t shirt is a nice casual option on any given day.
Or, opt for this shirring sleeveless tank, and get the matching skirt while you’re at it.
I thought I’d buy these in red, but I got the opportunity to try them on in person, and the white are better (spoiler: I bought them)
5 fun links
Really enjoyed this: No One in Europe is Dressed like Emily in Paris
This website pairs your location to a Rothko painting
This is hilariously on point: How to Dress like a Substack Mom
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merci for the mention! <3