Every TV Show I’ve Watched Since 2020
Until recently, I wasn’t really much of a TV person. Well…I suppose that isn’t entirely true because I certainly watched my fair share of Nickelodeon and TGIF growing up and in high school I was obsessed with classic TV and watched “I Love Lucy” like it was my job, but in my adult life, I ended up hardly watching any TV at all.
A Lazy Summer Weekend at the Lake Shore Resort
“It’s kind of like…the Mediterranean of Michigan.” That’s what I said to Dan after checking into our room at the Lake Shore Resort while we made our way down to the picturesque sundeck overlooking Lake Michigan.
Tofu Veggie Spread Recipe
When I was growing up, there was a health food store down the street from us called Cape Cod Natural Foods. While I loved 80s junk food as much as the next kid, I equally enjoyed all the hippie treats my mom would buy me at the health food store, like frozen yogurt push pops, flavored honey sticks, and Panda Licorice, but my favorite thing we’d get there was Tofu Veggie Spread.
I Remember
I read a book when Zane was a newborn called “A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself” by Peter Ho Davies. I didn’t know it was a book about parenthood when I picked it up, and maybe it wasn’t great to read as the mother of 6-week-old because it confronted some difficult parenting issues that I didn’t really need to concern myself with at the time, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, and it ended up being one of my favorite books I read all year.
AI Danne
Earlier this week everyone on Instagram was posting these really cool AI portraits of themselves from an app called Lensa, and while I originally had no intention of doing it myself, curiosity got the best of me, so I paid the $6.99 and let the algorithm work its magic.
Recently Enjoyed Quotes: Fall 2022
From books, articles, podcasts, social media & more, here are some quotes I’ve highlighted, underlined, or scribbled down recently.
2022 Dzen Garden Superlatives
The first year I had my garden my good friend and “Fairy Gardenmother” Jess gave me the advice to keep a little garden journal to jot things down in when they came up so I could remember what to do (and not do) the following year.
Things I’ve Learned About Traveling with a Baby
Things I’ve learned about traveling with a baby:
1. It’s annoying.
2. Don’t bother.
I’m kidding, I’m kidding, but for real though…
Simple Summer Garden Recipes
Late summer is the season of abundance in the garden, and I have been hard at work making use of as much of my bounty as possible. So hard at work, that actually, if I’m being honest…I’m a little tired of gardening right now. Is “Garden Fatigue” a thing? If not I’m coining the term.
Mother’s Day
Years ago my mom showed me a journal she kept after I was born that detailed my entire first year of life. She received it as a gift at her baby shower and it’s in the format of a calendar with a space for a short entry each day—which she dutifully filled out in full because that’s the kind of person she is.
The First Forty Days
I don’t remember where I heard about it first, but I came across a book called “The First Forty Days” at some point before I was pregnant and filed it away in the back of my mind in case the time ever came.
2021 Year in Review
As another pandemic year comes to a close, I could lament all the things I didn’t get to do because of COVID (again), but I thought I’d take a minute to look back on the year and remind myself what I actually did do, because all was not lost! Things happened! Less things than a “normal” year, and definitely less fun things, but things nonetheless!
He's Here! Meet Zane Francis Kaplan
In the early morning of November 20, 2021 after a casual 35 hours of labor (you’d better believe I’m not leaving that detail out), Dan and I welcomed our little Zane Francis Kaplan into the world.
War is Hell
In honor of Veteran's Day, I thought I would share this poem written by my grandfather Frank in a foxhole in France during World War II.
On Pregnancy
Pregnancy–specifically the thought of me being pregnant—has always terrified me. If I’m being honest, I’ve always felt a little unsure about the idea of having kids in general (thus why we waited so long in the first place), but it’s pregnancy in particular that was the part of the process that I just couldn’t get excited about.
5 Ways to Eat More Kale
I love kale…everyone knows this about me, right? For years I drove around with an “Eat More Kale” bumper sticker on my car, I own a “Drink More Kale” shirt (I even put an “Eat More Kale” onesie on my baby registry because how could I not?), and now that I have a garden, I love growing my own kale.
A Look Back at a Cross-Country Adventure Through Distorted Film Photos & Old Journal Entries
Within a one month time span during the summer when I was 25, I got laid off from my first “real” job out of college, decided it was time to end the eight-year relationship I had been in since I was a teenager, and proceeded to reply an enthusiastic “Yep!” when a long-lost friend posted to Facebook, “Anyone have a few weeks to drive cross-country with me?”
My Favorite Simple Summer Garden Dinner
This is my go-to, simple summer garden dinner that I make a lot this time of year. Spoiler Alert: It’s basically just pasta primavera with pesto, but it’s delish and a very easy way to use up a bunch of garden goods.
Reflections on College From a Proud First-Generation Student
Today is the 15-year anniversary of my college graduation from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Above is a photo of me just after receiving my diploma: exhausted, elated, and full of a deep sense of accomplishment. Honestly, all these years later, it is still the thing I am most proud of in my life.
Michigan Travel Guide
I might not be a Michigan native, but I’ve explored the mitten enough over the years to have built up a solid list of some of the good stuff this state has to offer. If you’re looking for a Michigan Travel Guide, this is my tried and true list of Pure Michigan favs.