‘Editor’s Corner’ is a monthly-ish series highlighting what I’m loving, what I’ve been up to, what’s on my mind and more!
1. I hope you had a wonderful Easter if you celebrate it! I would probably rank Easter as my third favorite holiday after Christmas and the Fourth of July. However, when it comes to holiday candy and aesthetic, it definitely ranks first. Give me all of the Cadbury creme eggs, Reese’s peanut butter eggs and pastel decorations! We had a wonderful Easter weekend spending time with family. It was especially fun to watch Lake go on her first-ever Easter egg hunts!
2. I was on “Hello Iowa” last week for ‘Baby Week.’ I talked about what T and I learned in our first year of parenthood à la this blog post. I had so much fun seeing and chatting with Megan. She is so sweet and it was so nice of her to ask me to be on the show!
3. I created a Facebook page for ‘It’s Jolene’ if you’d like to follow along there. I prefer and am more active on Instagram, but I figured what the heck. I do like how with Facebook you can simply click on the link and it will take you directly to the blog post, whereas on Instagram you have to go to my profile and click the link in my bio since I don’t have the ‘swipe up’ feature. So yeah, less steps!
4. April 8th was a very sad day as it marked 10 years since the horrific and unfathomable murder of my friend Ashley Okland. Ashley and I attended the same high school, but it wasn’t until later – when we were both members of YPC‘s social committee – that we really got to know each other. It was so much fun hanging out with her at meetings and events and I loved our dinner dates at HuHot and Nick’s. The photo of this post is Lake playing at the Ashley Okland Star Playground this month for the first time ever. Lake adores playgrounds and so it was especially special to watch her play at this all-inclusive one that honors my late friend.
5. T and I spent a few days in Minneapolis this month for a quick little getaway. Overall, we had a nice, relaxing trip. Highlights included: checking out a bunch of outdoor murals, trying several restaurants (our favorites included: Smack Shack, Parlour Bar, Spoon and Stable and Avocadish) and getting a couple’s massage. A big thank you to Lake’s aunts, uncles and cousins for watching her while we were away. It was so great that she got to spend quality time with family and we loved all the photos and videos they texted us!
6. While in Minneapolis, we went to good ‘ole IKEA. One of the items we bought was this sensory table for Lake. It can, of course, be used indoors, but she loves being outside so much that I think she’ll particularly enjoy playing with it out on our deck this spring/summer.
7. If you’ve read this blog post, then you know the Drake Relays and the Iowa State Fair are my two favorite annual events in Des Moines. This year the events were scaled back due to COVID-19, but unlike last year, it was great that they were able to be held at all. I had fun spectating Saturday’s events and as an added bonus it was 60 degrees and sunny! That’s pretty much unheard of for the Relays, which somehow almost always seems to fall on the unfortunate side when it comes to the weather.
8. I’m 100 percent positive T and I are skewing the target demographic (teens), but we’re currently really into Cruel Summer. So far it’s got us scratching our heads on who exactly is the culprit.
9. I love that Promising Young Woman won the Oscar for best original screenplay. And my favorite red carpet looks of the night belonged to two women who were a part of the film. Carey Mulligan and Margot Robbie both had the most stunning gowns! On a related note, this is a great resource that lists all of the Oscar-nominated movies you can stream right now.
10. A few of articles I enjoyed reading this month: 13 Simple Ways To Express Gratitude Daily, 5 Exercises To Help You Build More Empathy and 10 Simple Ways to Raise a Respectful Child.
11. Local peeps: Did you see there’s a new theme park coming to Iowa?!
12. A couple recent purchases I’ve been loving: this geometric bubble candle and this facial massage tool.
13. Let’s chat Trader Joe’s! I’m currently loving this vegan tzatziki dip (<–T loves this, too!), this vegan carmalized onion dip and this garlic spread. I’m also eating way more raw veggies because of them, which is a win! I think all would taste amazing on a sandwich, pasta, cooked veggies or with chips, as well…This new product has me very intrigued since it combines two of my favorite foods – matcha and pasta and this new product has ALL the flavors…In my beloved floral section, I’m loving baby’s breath bouquets. They’re so pretty and last so long! For my fellow peony lovers – be on the lookout! They typically arrive at TJ’s in May/early June.
14. This video of an unexpected visitor at a convenience store in Bangkok is crazy. I love the comment: “This is me at midnight looking for snacks in the kitchen.” Haha!
15. I’m now on Clubhouse! (My username is jolene116). I have yet to really explore it, but am excited to see what all the hype is about.
16. Sporting this sweatshirt would be a cute way to let everyone know you’ve been vaccinated. Also, props to this bride for “turning lemons into lemonade!”
17. I rarely blow dry my hair but I’ve been seeing SO many people rave about this blow dry mist that I thought it would be worth sharing for those who do.
18. I always enjoy streaming Apple’s events because I love learning about new product launches and upgrades. At their spring event this month, they announced the AirTag and I think it looks really cool. It allows users to locate items like keys, bags, clothing and more. (Event video / Event recap).
19. Fawn Design’s annual spring sale is happening now! Receive 30 percent off site-wide through May 4 when using code ‘SPRINGFLING30.’ I absolutely LOVE their diaper bags (which I included in 25 Baby Products Worth the Hype), as well as their weekender bags. They’re super chic AND durable! If you’re interested, don’t wait – whenever they have a sale, items seem to sell out crazy fast!
20. And lastly, ONE GOOD QUOTE:
“How your life feels is so much more important than how your life looks.”
I hope you had a wonderful April! I’m so looking forward all of the fun happenings in May – especially the return of the Downtown Farmers’ Market!
-Jolene
P.S. – ICYMI this month:
Easter 2021
What I Bought At Sephora’s Spring Savings Event 2021
Spring/Summer Sandal Roundup
***
*Click HERE to read past Editor’s Corner posts.
Leave a Reply