Tuesday Things.
1. Word I still can’t spell: opaque. The way that I spell it every single time is completely asinine yet I never learn. My fingers don’t work on the keyboard that way.
2. How absolutely dreamy is this vegan chai cheesecake? Little bites o’ love.
3. I’m also positive that I asked this same question before (back around the same time when I said I couldn’t spell opaque), but what are some of your favorite weekend getaway spots around the U.S.? Inquiring minds are dying to know.
4. Yesterday I woke up with a huge to-do list and dropped it all for the morning to instead do a big closet purge. I felt INSTANTLY better. I cleaned out drawers while Max played at my feet then moved to the closet during naptime. I think knowing that I only had a short amount of time made me more brutal in tossing items I haven’t worn. Also, does anyone actually DO the konmari folding method?!
5. Writing on a blog without fear. Speaking to my soul!
6. Have you heard about these McDonalds fries with chocolate sauce? That kind of makes me want to die inside. And I even like dipping fries in a milkshake.
7. Like a four year old this morning, I had a muffin and ate only the top. But saved the bottom for someone else.
8. Did you start watching Billions yet?! I can’t get over the weird relationship between Paul Giamatti and Tara (I’m just going to call them what I want, btw), plus there HAS HAS HAS to be something between her and Brody. Right? Right? I like that this is a new show and has nothing to spoil.
9. Oh hey. What if I just want a mediocre life? So good.
65 Comments on “Tuesday Things.”
I DO THE KONMARI FOLDING METHOD!! I haven’t done it on my small closet shelf, but I have in my drawers and it WORKS. Seriously. My sock/underwear/swimsuit drawers look so meticulous and organized. I had little organizers from IKEA already and then I used some shoe boxes. What was in 4 drawers is now in 2!!
The rest are all in color as well (I did this before) but are organized how she says to do it.
okay, so here’s my question. obvi i have to fold laundry anyway – does the folding get easier to take up a ton of time? i am afraid i’d do it once and then say screwed it the rest of the time when rushed!
I don’t think it takes longer – you are just folding it tighter. As long as everything in your drawers are relatively compact, they will stay in the folds. I wait to fold my socks/underwear/tights until I’m at my drawer because those usually come unfolded when I carry them. Once you know the “shape/size” for your clothes, it’s just as quick. I am a compact folder by nature, so that may help. But taking your clothes out of the drawers is SO easy because you can see everything, there is absolutely no digging under shirts, etc.
I started doing the konmari folding! It doesn’t take any longer and I like how I can see everything in the drawer. Plus waaaaay more stuff fits in there now. I was able to take a lot of my off season clothes from another closet and store them in the drawers.
Ok so I’m the world’s worst laundry folder/ putter-away-er, and I’ve been forcing myself to konmari fold. It is more time consuming (if, like me, folding basically means throwing a drawer), but it’s so worth it… my drawers have been organized and neat for a full month… for the first time in my life. So, for me, that alone forces me to keep it up. I know if I fold just one batch of shirts differently in a rush, it will mess up the whole pretty, perfect system!
ahhh thanks guys for all the tips! i’m definitely going to try and start this. hoping it keeps things simpler in the long run.
I just read that she has a new book out that is at least partially illustrated that covers folding and other topics she went over. I believe it is called Spark Joy.
I loved the initial concept, but with a two year old I wasn’t able to complete it all in a single day. Plus the not bundling socks thing. Just no.
In love with the article in #9. Thanks for sharing!
Ohhh…Asheville, NC, Hilton Head, SC, Nashville, TN. All good weekend spots (of course I live in the south)
. Happy traveling!! :0)
Yes! We live near Gatlinburg (which, by the way, is SUPER kitschy-touristy and I definitely encourage enjoying more of the Smokies than just Gatlinburg) – anyway, we LOVE visiting Asheville, Nashville, Chattanooga, all those good Southern towns that are just a few hours away :-) There are so many cool little spots in western NC too, aside from Asheville – Grandfather Mountain, Boone, Cherokee (disclaimer: haven’t been there since I was a kid), Blue Ridge Parkway, tons of places to ski or hike (depending on the time of year)… Highly recommend everyone come down this way to visit sometime!
Asheville is my favorite place ever. It has a little bit of everything and the food is so good. It is a trip from where you are from. I live in DC and do long weekends or week long trips only as 8 hours of driving have to be there for longer than 2 days to make it feel worth it and not just driving there and back.
I love going to the beach this time of year as it isn’t crowded and just has a different feel and as long as you can find places to eat or have a place to cook it really feels like you are away. I go to Ocean City now and I don’t go during the summer.
thanks guys!!
Thank you for sharing my post on my ‘mediocre’ life:)
you are welcome, thank YOU for writing such a wonderful post!
I love your Tuesday Things posts and look forward to it every week! I loved the Mediocre Life article as well. It’s a good reminder that real life isn’t a staged instagram pic and it’s okay to be imperfect person yet perfectly happy.
I might be a little biased being a native Oregonian, but Portland is a great weekend getaway location. Amazing food and drinks, beautiful scenery and outdoor activities, and nice people. Seattle is also great, but has worse traffic!
thanks so much taylor!! dying to come to portland. dying!
Mackinac Island, Michigan. Give it a try.
love mackinac denise!! we don’t go every summer and it’s been awhile, but i have been there multiple times and adore it. so charming.
Loving Billions! I will forever only see him as Brody too, it’s so weird watching him in a different role. I’m waiting for Carrie to pop out in the next episode haha
Favorite weekend spot hands down (and the only place we ever go anymore) is Kennebunkport Maine. It’s southern Maine so it’s not too far, only about a half hour from NH. It takes us about 3 and a half hours from where we are in Connecticut. We have been going for about 6 years, and we always stay at the same place. We got married there too! We have ventured to many other surrounding towns but Kennebunkport is my fav. We go a few weekends every Summer and this past December we finally got up there for Christmas Preluede weekend which was amazing. I can go on and on forever about that place!
i really want more details on this! i’ve wanted to go to maine forever.
That chai cheesecake looks amazing!!!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I’m from Utah, so we do short weekend getaways to Park City, UT and St. George, UT. Both gorgeous places in wildly different ways with a lot of small town charm and outdoor activities. St. George is gorgeous in the winter, and Park City is gorgeous in the summer (St. George gets very hot during summer, and Park City gets very cold in winter!) If you go to Park City, you must make the drive out to Midway a little bit further northeast. And if you go to St. George, you must make the drive to Zions National Park further north.
i was in park city two years ago and have been eager to go back!
I can’t spell opaque either (auto correct just spelled it for me as i’m typing this). I haven’t watched Billions yet, although I think I will start. I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about it.
My fave weekend get aways are Deep Creek, Finger lakes, Put in Bay, and our favorite place Petosky, but thats more of a long weekend with the drive :)
I NEED to bake that cheesecake! x
http://jessicawoods.fr
Woah…#6 and with both white and milk chocolate…I’m kind of weirdly interested
http://en.rocketnews24.com/2016/01/26/mcchoco-potato-we-try-mcdonalds-japans-new-double-chocolate-fries%E3%80%90pics%E3%80%91/
i don’t know if i could do it. eeeek.
I love the links you posted, I definitely am down for just a mediocre life. As for the folding method, I do kind of a modified version. And best place to vacation in the US imo is up north on a no name lake somewhere in Wisconsin or Minnesota. Renting a cabin is cheap and you can spend all day on the water. But only in the months of July and August.
maine, hands down. the belgrades lake region as well as acadia national park/bar harbor are both so wonderful in the summer! block island is also really wonderful. it’s like our favorite nantucket, but a little more laid back. xo
REALLY want to go there!
Louisville, KY. warmer-ish weather, friendly people, GREAT food, and bourbon ? They also make some damn good margaritas and boozy milkshakes too ?
Hi. I like to drink on vacation ?
Also! Columbus Ohio. North market with “hot chicken takeover” + “jeni’s ice cream”. Yes please. [insert fat girl emoji]
you are my soulmate.
My husband and I love Portland, Maine. We go back each and every year. It’s basically a food lover’s DREAM. There are so many great seafood restaurants around and a ton more 30 minutes outside the city center. Our favorites are Duck Fat and Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Company. They are phenomenal!
Staying in the city is a little pricey in peak lobster season so we’ve stayed near Scarborough. There are always great options and it can be quiet and relaxing or busy and fun depending on what you’re looking for.
so many of you are saying maine! okay it’s going to happen.
I do the KonMari folding method…I even took it upon myself to do it with the husbands clothes. I didn’t get rid of his clothes, but I did fold his clothes that way. I kind of love it and have kept it up for like 6 months. It doesn’t make any longer and becomes more normal. It only takes me longer when the husband tries to help…because he doesn’t understand how to fold so I re-fold. :)
thanks jen! i’m hoping i can stick with it.
I recently used the Konmari method on my daughter’s T-shirt drawer. I love it. It is easy to see everything, and she has maintained it unlike traditional folding. It sounds crazy, but it does bring me a sense of peace to look at it.
I’m from Toronto and even though the exchange rate is terrible for us right now, we still spend a lot of weekends in the States. Our absolute favourite getaways are Louisville (so many amazing farm-to-table restaurants and cocktail bars) and Ellicottville, N.Y. which I don’t think is insanely far from Pittsburgh. If you go to Ellicottville in any season, you will fall in love.
thanks for the suggestions sarah!
My US weekend getaway spot is Chicago. (I’m from Montreal, Canada). I rent an appartment in Logan Square which is one of my favortie neighborhoods. There are good restaurants (Got a long list of them), nice cafés (Moustache, for example) and a gin bar (Scofflaw)! Chicago has so much to offer: museums, shows, good cheap latin food, etc.
I did the closet-purge thing too yesterday. I feel like it actually helped me tackle the big-ass to-do list afterwards. Sadly, I feel like my NYC apartment restricts me from special folding techniques (like the bra thing in the book), but I’m sure that’s just me making excuses for myself. When you’ve been folding your clothes a certain way your entire life, change is hard.
YES THIS.
I do the KonMari folding method, and my drawers look SO MUCH BETTER. Like, I can see everything and I’m not constantly going, “Oh, I need a new shirt to go with that skirt,” because I can see that I already have three that will work!
And I think Kansas City is a good place to spend a weekend – there’s a lot to see and do, just walking around Country Club Plaza is fun for window shopping and people-watching, plus amazing barbecue, the Nelson-Atkins museum, parks for picnics, the farmer’s market… I live about an hour away and it’s such a nice getaway.
Weekend getaways – Portland Maine in the sunmer. Omgosh we went there this past summer and didn’t want to leave. Highly highly recommend.
Austin TX is also a favorite spot of mine or for something a little more relaxing (and relatively cheap, minus a flight) Clearwater Beach or Siesta Key, Florida.
i agree with austin ! i visited last year there and san antonio and both are good for weekend. i remember thinking…there wouldnt be enough to do for me for a week in either place. im from ohio so i went to texas to visit a friend. we went from her house in houston to san antonio, to austin, back to houston and it was a great trip and it took about 6 days.
i’ve been to austin a few times and love it!
I love this blog. You’re hilarious and full of inspiring ideas! Thanks for posting ?
thanks kristian!
Love the Conmari folding method. Just did it a couple of weeks ago in my dresser. Life changing. Seriously.
I started the folding method and have kept it up except for the socks thing. I really can see what’s in my drawers and the drawers always shut all the way! I’m more aware of what’s in my wardrobe. Game changer. Also, love Door County, WI for a weekend. Cute little towns, sunsets, state parks, wineries, and cherry stuffed French toast!
Totally just google’d Konmari folding and found these super useful GIFs on goop of all places: http://goop.com/the-illustrated-guide-to-the-kondo-mari-method/
I LOATHE goop but since i haven’t read the book, these tutorials were super useful. Doesn’t look too hard!
awesome THANK YOU!
That recipe by Molly and that post by The Fresh Exchange have so been speaking to my heart lately! I’m starting at series of posts about what is feeding my soul each month and I have your blog to thank as inspiration for that :) Keep up with these posts! I love them!
thanks jessie!!
Weekend getaways — Birmingham, AL (Sloss Furnaces, Art Museum, Hot & Hot Fish Club, Rojo Brunch); Memphis, TN (Beale Street, Graceland, Rendezvous BBQ, Brother Juniper’s Breakfast); and Oxford, MS (Bottletree Bakery, any John Currence restaurant, Square Books, Rowan Oak).
love, thanks!
3) Savannah, GA is amazing/my favorite for a 3 day weekend: history, food, and open 16 oz containers for adult bevs allowed; also super cheap. Nashville is great, as is San Antonio, and (surprisingly) Columbus is the jam.
4) That folding method only worked for me with Tshirts; otherwise, the worst.
i’ve been very suspicious of things other than t-shirts. ugh.
Jessica- have I told you market how much I adore you! I do! I just love your blog so much! And thank you, for always finding the coolest post! “What if I just want a mediocre life” ugh no words……. Perfect !
Xo
thank you so much dawn!! that means the world to me.
Um, well since the Canadian dollar is so atrocious right now, why don’t you come to Canada?! It would be like you’re MAKING money. Plus if you’re here, you could teach a casual cooking class ;) I’d fly to see you!
We’re huge weekend trip fans. As we live in upstate NY we like to run off to Portsmouth, NH and Portland, ME. Sooo many great restaurants in both towns! We used to live in Saratoga Springs and that’s a fun town during track season or even during some of winter festivals (Chowderfest being my fav!).
I would love to answer #3.
Santa Barbara, Ca. is our weekend getaway spot. We love The Habit for lunch and Pascucchi (http://www.pascuccirestaurant.com/index.html) for dinner. Coffee, is at French Press. You can’t go wrong here, great beach, good food options, and shopping up State Street.
For a nature weekend trip we flew to Denver last fall and thoroughly enjoyed staying in Estes Park, Co while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. We packed it all in while still resting.
With son #1 recovering from deviated septum surgery, son #3 almost chickenpox free, and son #2 in first days of chickenpox, I may need a weekend getaway with my amazing husband. Between nursing my men back to healthy, disinfecting EVERYTHING so son #1 doesn’t get the pox, and mountains of blankets, towels and clothes being laundered I am thinking the beach may be needed. Please!
Along with you, I have two words that I forever misspell – neseccary, arg, still got it wrong, necessary and thoroughly (I got that one wrong too, thanks spell check).
Enjoy your son, they grow into men quickly. Mine are 16,18, and 21. =D
Melinda
P.S. (months later!) I just read the post you shared about writing without fear and loved it. I bear my soul in my writing and while I cannot claim to do this WITHOUT FEAR, it is the only way I want to write.