Happy Thursday! I feel like I’m once again flying by the seat of my pants and not getting to all of the things that I want to share with you. So instead of trying to strategically spread these out over my next several posts, I’m sharing them all right here, right now. Let’s go!
College Update
We are heavy into the final decision making for where our daughter Annie will be going to college. Her decision is due May 1! Last week, we visited Clemson and were blown away. It was like an entire city of 18-22 year olds, just like Annie, in this beautiful part of South Carolina. My adorable nephew is a junior year there and was the most amazing tour guide for us. And my sister and niece came in from Atlanta and took care of shuttling us everywhere.
If you’re planning a trip to Clemson, I highly recommend staying on campus. Part of what makes Clemson so wonderful is its walkability. If I could replan our visit, I would have booked us at the Abernathy Hotel or the newly opened Shepherd Hotel. We were at the James Martin Inn that’s less than a mile from campus, but there was no easy way to walk from there because of the amount of construction happening nearby. I’ve learned from seasoned Clemson parents that most people rent a car when they travel there because Ubers are hard to come by. (Our Uber from the airport was over $100!) We’ll be visiting Notre Dame’s Gateway Program tomorrow and then Annie will have all of the information she needs to make her decision for next year. I will have a lot more to share about this whole process once Annie is set for next year.
Graduation Ideas
- With graduation season almost here, I’m working on what I’m going to wear. I think it’s fun to try and find looks that are in the colors of the schools the kids are graduating from. This year, we have a high school graduation and a college graduation so I’m looking for things that are royal blue, yellow, and green. If you also happen to be looking for anything in the same color palette, J. Crew has the cutest lady jackets in yellow (Go Scouts!) and green (Go Irish!). I love these, have ordered both, but only plan to keep one. I think they would look adorable with white denim, a dark wide-leg pant, or layered over a cute dress. I ordered the medium because they are cropped and this size gives me a little extra length. Also, if you need some wide-leg pants, these are my favorite! Earlier this year, J.Crew was selling them in the perfect shade of Scouts blue (IYKYK!), but sadly those appear to be sold out.
- If you are looking for a white graduation dress for your daughter, I think Lilly Pulitzer has an exceptionally good selection of them this spring. I ordered this one for Annie, but I also really liked this one, this one, this one, and this one. I think their graduation gowns will lay nicely over these.
- Last year, I ordered these banners for each of my graduates and hung them outside of our house. My kids thought they were “cringe,” but I loved them and it was fun to celebrate the kids this way. Here’s the link to the site I used to order them. I’m also going to price this out at our local Postnet because I’m sure they can do the same thing if not something better.
- Here’s a link to the story I did last spring about graduation gift ideas. I will be updating this, but here’s something to get you thinking if you’re at a loss.
Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens
The designers and volunteers have been working so hard putting the finishing touches on the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens. The Preview Party is May 5 and looks to be one of the best Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society has ever hosted. You can click here to buy tickets. I will be getting a tour of the house before it opens and I promise to give you a sneak peek of anything I’m allowed to share before the home is opened to the public.
Trying a New Workout
I had my first workout at Marshall’s 584 in Lake Forest yesterday. This gym trains in what used to be called the “super slow” method where you strengthen your muscles by pushing them to the point of exhaustion through very slow, deliberate exercises. Each workout is 30 minutes and I can tell you that I am sore from the workout I did yesterday. In the coming weeks, I will be sharing my workouts with you along with more information about the gym’s trainers and facility.
Must-Watch TV
I watched two amazing documentaries last week: American Manhunt–the Boston Marathon Bombing on Netflix and Pretty Baby, the story of Brooke Shields on Hulu. Both were incredibly well done and definitely thought provoking.
Wisdom Teeth Hack
If you have a high school senior, you’re likely having him or her get their wisdom teeth pulled before they leave for college–it seems to be a right of passage. Annie learned on TikTok that pineapple juice was a great remedy for swelling post surgery and I have to say that her recovery has been textbook. Pineapple juice is high in an enzyme called bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory effects including the reduction of swelling. There is some debate over whether you should drink pineapple juice leading up to the surgery or afterwords, but it probably doesn’t hurt either way. It’s definitely worth filing this little hack away if your child has this fun procedure coming up.
Summer Travel
I’m trying to plan a summer trip to Greece. If you have recently been and have any tips you could share (favorite hotels, not-to-miss sites or restaurants, things you would skip), I would love to know!
A Timely Book
With the coronation of King Charles just around the corner, my parents just passed along their copy of The King: The Life of Charles III. I’m going to see if I can get through this before the coronation on May 6.
So how is that for a bunch of random thoughts? Hopefully, this has caught me up to a good place where my next blog post isn’t quite so long! Thanks for hanging in there with all of this!
Until then…
xo,
