Hiii!
How was your weekend? Ours was both lovely and not without its hiccups. I met my friend Sam and her baby Henry for happy hour on Friday, which was so much fun and hilarious now that they are both old enough to interact with each other! June gave Henry a big kiss on the nose but he was unsure about it.
But then, June came down with a very quick stomach bug around midnight on Friday night, which led to us being up with her a lot of the night. That was the first time that’s ever happened and it was just so sad. But luckily she woke up her smiley self on Saturday morning and it seemed to have passed as quickly as it came on!
Then my dress collaboration with Elisamama launched on Saturday at 10am (because I was up all night with June, I totally slept late as Neal got up with her and let me sleep–I woke up to Fisayo’s excited rapid fire texts buzzing my phone!) and we were sold out by the end of the afternoon!! We are SO happy and cannot wait for you all to get your dresses!
Then we had awesome date night on Saturday night (with a real babysitter who wasn’t family, haha! It went great!) and it was so much fun. We went to Osteria Langhe which I cannot recommend enough and it did not disappoint. Neal however started feeling sick yesterday evening with…you guessed it…stomach bug symptoms. And then June was up off and on with teething last night. So I am a very tired sitting duck over here. That’s the update from our house. Pray for me.
Anyway, let’s jump into some reader questions!
Ask Jess: Favorite sunscreens, a new funny thing June does, and more!
What are your favorite sunblocks for you, Neal and June?
Ok, if we’re talking body sunscreens–for June, I love Pipette’s 100% mineral sunscreen lotion–which adults can totally use too! It’s a 100% mineral sunscreen which was important to me for her, and it rubs in really quickly which is key for a squirmy baby.
For myself and Neal, I have a few. For a spray, I love Supergoop’s PLAY sunscreen mist. Sometimes you need a drugstore buy to re-up though, and I always go for the SunBum spray which is available at pretty. much any pharmacy or grocery store! Both are clean chemical sunscreens that go on clear.
If you want a 100% mineral body sunscreen, I haven’t found a spray that I love for that, but I do love Beautycounter’s Countersun sunscreen lotion. It doesn’t leave a white cast or take forever to rub in! I also love their face stick for all of our faces (including June’s!) and I don’t have problems applying it over my makeup either if the sun is feeling extra strong and I need to re-apply later in the day.
For an everyday, under makeup sunscreen, I’ve been using Supergoop’s Glow Screen which I love alone or under makeup. I also love Pharmacy’s Green Defense face sunscreen for a 100% mineral product.
What’s the latest funny thing June is doing!?
June LOVES animals. She gets so excited whenever she sees a dog, or a horse, or a cat, or really any animal. She does this hilarious growl thing “talking” to animals and squeals and kicks her legs really fast. It’s SO CUTE. We have recently discovered she also reacts this way to taxidermy. (I.E. a deer head on the wall as part of the decor, for example.) She hasn’t quite realized they don’t respond back yet. 10/10 incredible entertainment.
Do you have a favorite weekender duffle bag?
I do! I’ve had my Lo & Son’s Catalina duffle for years now and I still love it! I’m thinking of getting one for June so she can have her own bag as well for weekend trips! I will say I have the beige canvas and it’s so cute but it really shows dirt, so I may consider going with a dark color or the poly material as that seems like it may be easier to wipe off. (They didn’t have that back when I purchased the bag).
Just for fun: what’s the best kind of potato?
I will get the controversial part out first. I don’t love a baked potato and I don’t love mashed potatoes. I’m a full flavor kind of gal, and these in my opinion are just…you know. They could be much more interesting!?
I do like a twice baked potato (you know, mixed with sour cream and butter, garlic, salt, pepper, chives and melted cheese on top?) I don’t mind a mashed potato with the skins still on with lots of cream and garlic, but I would never choose to order them when I have other options.
French fries will first and foremost be number one. Specifically a thin, crispy, hot, salty frite. Preferably eaten on a sidewalk cafe with a glass of cold white or rosé on a warm day. (The DEFINITION of the good life, for me.)
I also love really thin crispy hash browns. Diner-style. Those are a close second! (But also, McDonalds hash browns are amazing too). Also scalloped potatoes–my mom always made them for special occasions growing up and I always looked forward to them on Christmas and Easter. My MIL also makes really good scalloped potatoes and also these cheesy potatoes, I think they’re called funeral potatoes? Those are SO GOOD.
This concludes my potato Ted Talk.
