The Skull

Every summer, I write up a bucket list of things I want to accomplish or try by the season's end. Here's this year's list:): Use those Kennywood/Sandcastle season passes like a boss.  Lunch at  Everyday Noodles . Take the kids to show them  how to work a pinball machine .   Actually  GO  to  the Drive In  rather than just say we're going to go to the Drive In.  Go for a night swim.  Take a weird vacation to see Salem and the  House of the Seven Gables .  Go to the movies at  Row House Cinema  in  Lawrenceville .  Read  and finish  the following books:  The Merry Spinster ,  The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck ,  (re-read)  It ,  Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America ,  Wild ,  and  Neverworld Wake .    Send in two essays for publication.  Clean and organize the entire house.  Repaint girls' rooms.  Get  ice cream at Klavon's .  Watch movies (with Maggie especially), including  Kong: Skull Island, Karate Kid (old a

Ever since I was a small child, I've loved food. Food was the thing that drew my family to the table. It was the way my grandma showed me her love, piling up a bowl full of handcut noodles in a small pond of broth. To this day, the smell that brings me closest to home is the aroma of simmering chicken soup. About a year ago, I came across a show that I couldn't stop watching,  Chef's Table , a meticulous love letter to food and the genius people who produce it at its best. I binged the first three seasons, devouring episode after episode. Earlier this week, the fourth season of the show, Chef's Table: Pastry , dropped into my Netflix feed. The thing I love about this season (actually, every season) is that it doesn't just have to do with pastry, something I honestly find deeply mystifying. (I can cook a decent savory meal, but put me anywhere near a dessert that I'm supposed to make from scratch and things go desperately awry. Baking is a science that I don

One of the things that I really look forward to from May to August is that I have more time in my schedule to make healthy dinners. I scour cookbooks, watch a little Barefoot Contessa, and really take the time to experiment in the kitchen. My friend (Ashley, you know who you are, girl;)) told me the other day about this salad that she made with coleslaw, lime juice, etc. so I decided to pick up a bag of prepared coleslaw mix that I saw at Aldi's (can we talk about how many amazing new products Aldi's has been stocking!?) and recreate it on my own. You know it passes the taste test when the kids eat it and at least one says, "This salad is really good, Mom." But really, this whole post is for me to gush a little about my favorite salad dressing on the planet, Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette (are you really surprised?). Little known fact about me is that I'm very picky about salad dressing, and I don't like anything that tastes like it's full of p

This one is going to be super-short, but I wanted to share an amazing podcast I happened upon yesterday. If you're a lover of storytelling and/or fairy tales and/or podcasts like me, this one is pure magic. From the podcaster Claire Testoni's voice to the secret histories of fairy tales offered, it really is a gem. It's even more gemlike because it is concentrated. Unfortunately, there are only 18 episodes available, but the tales considered are good ones, ranging from "BlueBeard" to "Rumplestiltskin." Give Singing Bones: The Secret History of Fairytales a listen. It doesn't disappoint. Until next time, Jess PS #the100dayproject is going along swimmingly. I've written every day, sometimes more than a paragraph, and I'm staying committed to yoga. I like that I set really manageable goals that create an everyday practice. It's amazing how much you can get done in a small space.  Did you decide to try a project? If you did, let me

One of the podcasts I really like to listen to weekly is Happier , featuring Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project    and her sister, Liz Craft, a Hollywood TV writer and producer. The two are down to earth, and I appreciate their quirky voices and ideas for improving the day-to-day quality of our lives. One of the regular features in Happier , for example, is "Try This At Home," with the two sisters recommending little tips like "Write it down" (i.e. even if you think you're never going to forget something, write it down ... because likely, you will indeed forget it). About a month ago, the sisters made a pact that, for an entire month, they would wear "real clothes" every day. For example, instead of living in leggings and sweat pants (both have jobs that allow them some freedom when it comes to regularly sporting activewear), they both vowed to put on put-together outfits that were more serious and work ready. Every day. I don't know if I

This weekend, I came across a post from a blogger and podcaster I follow (and consider an online friend), Emily Levenson, about a 100 Day Project. Emily just started the new podcast Some Kind of Magic (check it out here ). So, I'm considering this my pledge. I've decided to undertake two projects. First, I vow to write at least one paragraph a day on the work projects I've been waiting to start because I don't have a big chunk of time. But if I take it slow and small, that's 100 paragraphs more than I had before I started.  Second, I vow to do at least 10 minutes of yoga for 100 days. If I can't squeeze in ten minutes of yoga, I need to seriously reevaluate my life.  Why don't you join us? It starts tomorrow, and now is as good a time as any to start something new. It doesn't have to be anything big. And check out Emily's new podcast. I think you'll love it. ~Jess Find out more about Emily's 100 Day project over at her new Insta