Friday Roundup

Hello from Atlanta! I was happy to finally make it out of the snow. Yesterday I got a manicure and ate some amazing food, it was nice. I've been missing Seattle, and mainly my cats! But we're about a week out from being home.

Parisian winter style tips

Britain from Uxibal tells the Huffington Post about starting a shoe company in Guatemala. 

Click here if you remember that refrigerator episode of Punky Brewster.

Teresa, make an Egg McMuffin at home! 

Free art!

Great article on living in Togo written by a friend of the 30/30 Project.

They've broken the Barbie mold. What do you think of the new shapes and sizes?

Have you seen Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard's version of "Africa"? I hate that I didn't think to do it first!

Photo of Atlanta's amazing sunset last night by @mitchelloverton

Five Favorites

This amazing cat painting that was on the wall in the hotel we were snowed in at in Richmond. It was pretty awesome all the way until the third day we were stuck there when I started to think the octopus was staring at me in a creepy way.

1. Yogurt covered almonds. I can't stop eating them.

2. This candle. Thanks to a chance encounter in Richmond, I now have a full supply of candles to keep my spirits up for the rest of the tour!

3. High Maintenance. It's a web series about a guy who delivers weed by bicycle in New York.

4. Fingerless gloves. I have 5 pairs of varying styles in my suitcase. I love them. Your hands are warm, but you can still use your phone.

5. CeraVe Moisturizing Facial Lotion. I've always been a bit of a snob when it came to skincare and cosmetics, sticking to department store brands. But this drugstore staple is getting me through the winter. 

52 Lists Journal

I am FINALLY healthy again after being knocked out for nearly a month by that nasty cold. It's amazing how feeling healthy and getting to the second trimester of this pregnancy has me feeling like a whole new person. I actually cleaned my house this weekend. And I might open a book and read for once. I'm getting into the "nesting" mood and motivated to get organized, both on a mental level and a physical one. I've been thinking about trying to adopt some meditation and journaling to be a bit more centered for the second half of this pregnancy.

One of our favorite local stores, Morea Seal, has created an awesome new journal called 52 Lists: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration which I'm dying to get my hands on. It's meant to not only inspire "self exploration" but also inspire creativity and progress toward personal goals. Not to mention it's filled with gorgeous photos from Seattle photographer Julia Manchik. I think I need it.

Return of the Tanners

Who else grew up on Full House? I just watched the new preview, and I'm trying to figure out if I'm excited for Fuller House or not. Are sequels ever as good as the original? Is ANYTHING ever as good as the things you obsessed over as a child?

PS. This moment was a childhood dream come true :)

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! Looks like it's going to be a snowy one on the East Coast! I'm attempting to get to Washington DC on Sunday so wish me luck!

Here are some links to get us started:

This gorgeous braid makes me want to grow my hair long again (also, I hope my daughter is a red head!!)

Have you heard of maximalism? I'm not there yet but on my way.

Healthy and delicious. 

Inspiration for my baby girls walls (if she ever gets a room, ha).

Would you ever toss out your shampoo?

Best places to travel in 2016 -- and Mexico City is at the top of the list! I am dying to go.

Gorgeous Valentine's Cards.

Netflix secret movie categories (!) and 16 of the best British shows you aren't watching.

(photo)

Cozy Reads for a Snow Day

As I'm on the east coast in a winter wonderland, I thought a post about books to curl up with would be applicable. I hope you're staying warm wherever you are. Here are a variety of things for you to curl up with under a quilt with a cup of tea.

The Interestings- If you liked A Visit from the Goon Squad, you'll like this one by Meg Wolitzer. It follows a group of friends who meet at summer camp from high school through adulthood.

Why Not Me?- Mindy Kaling's newest book. If you liked the last one, you'll like this one too!

The Thorn Birds- If you'r in need of a epic romance, this one, set in the Australian Outback, falls somewhere between Anne of Green Gables and Outlander (incidentally, two other books I'd recommend if you haven't read them yet). 

Room- You might know of the movie, for which Brie Larson is nominated for a best actress for her portraial of mother and son held captive for years in a single room. But before it was a movie, it was a book and a really gripping one at that.

What Alice Forgot- If you want to escape winter, tryout this book that takes place in sunny Sydney.

Anna Karenina- If you're REALLY looking for a bleak wintery classic, might I suggest this one. If you can get into Tolstoy's writing, this reads like a soap opera about the upper classes of Russia.

Marilyn reading image found here. 

Myles: Two and A Half

Today my little baby is two and half years old!!

It's so fun to see his personality developing the older he gets. He is a chatterbox and has even started to make his own little jokes. He'll debate or negotiate EVERYTHING until he gets what he wants. He wants to name his little sister "Starla," after the girl monster truck in his favorite show Blaze. He loves all of our family and is constantly making lists that include everyone by name  He still sleeps with his favorite stuffed animal, Cowy, and his pacifier every night. He is a big boy and still my baby all at once. I LOVE THIS AGE!

More about Mylo at 2.5 years old:

He loves eating olives, pickles, blueberries, raspberries (which he calls gras-berries), bananas (which he calls two-nanas), shrimp, cheese, yogurt and granola, and of course ice cream.

He loves playing with his monster trucks, trains, planes, play-doh, Etch-a-Sketch, puzzles, legos, stickers, and balls.

He loves reading books about animals, construction, Blaze, counting, and anything with sound effects.

He loves watching the TV shows Blaze & The Monster Machines, Winnie the Pooh, Curious George, Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins, and Paw Patrol.

He loves being with his cousins, outdoors, cuddling with mommy and daddy, "playing" with Rafa, the snow, laughing, stomping, and generally being silly.

Seattle Spotlight: Yoga By The Falls

For my friend Alicia's birthday she invited us to join her for a yoga class, spa soak and lunch at Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls, about 45 minutes east of Seattle. I've stayed at the lodge before but the new yoga studio with views of the falls is a welcome addition! We had a blast at the yoga class (which even the beginners in the group enjoyed), soaking in the sea salt spa, and eating a delicious lunch in The Attic (this pregnant lady indulged in the Beecher's Grilled Cheese, TO DIE FOR). Overall, I left the day feeling refreshed and pampered, what a great way to spend a birthday. Cheers to you, Alicia!

PS. Remember these AMAZING photos Jenny and Jason took at Snoqualmie Falls?

Friday Roundup

Hello from Oklahoma where I'll be spending the day trying get the title song from the musical out of my head. We're a week into tour and getting into the swing of things.

I hope you have a great weekend wherever you are...I'm hoping Teresa feels better too! It's hard to be on the road when you wish you could be there for your friends...T, if I was in town I'd bring you some soup or and watch Mylo so you could sleep. Sending love from afar!

Check out this beautiful music video of my friend Mary Lambert shot by my friend Zoe Rain.

David Bowie's 100 Favorite Books...his 100 definitely overlap with some of my favorites too! Enough that I'm inspired to read some more of his choices.

Crazy creative bookcases for you to put all of those David Bowie recommendations on.

Cuddle baby goats! 

Love this house flipped by Diane Keaton

Netflix recommendations...what's good right now. Jason and I have been on a Dexter kick, but after binging 8 seasons I'm ready for something new.

Wedding photo oops! 

ICYMI, another reason why Adele is awesome. (Spice Girls!)



Photo by @zoerainphoto

Seattle Bride Photoshoot

A few months back, Jason did a wedding dress shoot that's featured in Seattle Bride! We worked with bridal stylist and author Lindsay Kenna who is awesome and beautiful dresses by Israeli designer Julie Vino. It was also extra fun to get to poke around the Escala (of 50 Shades of Grey fame) which was a perfect interior location for a shoot on a rainy Seattle day.

Check out the article & photos here! 

Pity Party

Today I am indulging in a pity party for myself. I am sick with yet another sinus infection/cold in what has seemed like a never ending cycle of feeling like crap. We created the perfect storm by sending Mylo to daycare about the same moment that I got pregnant. Our pediatrician let us know that kids get an average of 9-10 colds that last 2-3 weeks their first year of daycare. And I basically have no immune system. I swear I've been sick twice as many days since September than I've been healthy. BOO HOO.

Anybody have magical remedies for sinus/cough issues? I've been using the neti pot, essential oils, Emergen-C, saline spray, etc. Trying to avoid meds if I can what with the baby and all.

Thanks for indulging me! Hoping for a healthier 2016!

Deep in the Heart of Texas...

Hello from the road! Jason and I are back on tour with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. You can check out my Tour Life post label to see our past ventures, on tour buses and planes etc. This month we're traveling around the U.S. and actually hitting some smaller cities I've never seen before (Muncie! Louisville! Somewhere in Oklahoma I'd never heard of!).

Currently, we're making our way through Texas, we just drove from San Antonio to Austin today. Since it wasn't a show day, I got to do a little sightseeing this afternoon, including the Museum of the Weird on 6th Street.

I do enjoy tour life, but I'm realizing I sort of romanticized it since the last time I was on a tour- forgetting all the hard things (missing friends & cats at home) and just remembering  the good and fun ones (other people cook for you!). It's definitely a bit of both. Overall, I do enjoy it. It's a bit like a traveling summer camp. There are even bunk beds :)

More to come on the blog and typically post at least one instagram a day @jennykoekoe

PS. See if you can spot me...

Pre-Show Huddle PHX!
Posted by Macklemore on Saturday, January 9, 2016

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? We are attempting potty training, which basically means clearing the whole weekend to help our naked toddler learn to not pee on the floor. (I'll be dreaming of the beach above).

Also, I'm in a Bachelor Fantasy League and we are drafting this weekend. Yes, you read that right.

Here are a few links to kick off the weekend:

15 incredible home tours.

These ladies are truly inspiring.

I need to consult this infographic before planning my next trip.

Incredibly touching article.

Wonderful idea for homeless kitties!

Eat like Tom and Giselle in 2016.

Illustrated guide to the KonMari organizing method.

Have any of you tried Whole30? Looks interesting.... Also, three yummy crockpot recipes.

(Image, CAN I PLEASE GO THERE??)

2016: What's on My Mind

Happy New Year! As the new year starts, I have a lot swirling in my head reflecting on 2015 and looking ahead to what 2016 has in store. We just ended a really wonderful year: traveling to Argentina, road-tripping with Mylo across the Northwest, spending time with family at the lakes, and changing jobs were just a few of the highlights. It will definitely be one of those years that when we look back at photos we'll have a lot of memories to treasure.

I have mixed feelings going into 2016, I'm excited about welcoming our daughter in May and having some quality family time this summer, but I'm also bracing myself for all of the changes and adjustments of having a second child, moving into a bigger house, and experiencing the hugeness of pregnancy and the newborn stage again. It's going to be a year that I'm going to have to make a lot effort to stop and enjoy the moment and not just try to stay afloat.

Here are a few of my goals for the next six months (It's hard to think beyond that at this point!):

• Move into a bigger house
• Potty train Mylo
• Read more, watch tv less
• Exercise consistently through pregnancy 
• Eat lots of healthy food, cook more
• Be intentional about friendships, even with a lot of life changes
• Stop fighting myself and embrace each day for what it is

What are your goals for 2016?

Bring on 2016

Here's the first photo of Jason and I in 2016! We spent the New Year watching Seattle's fireworks from our friends' rooftop. I was planing on staying in, but ended up throwing on some makeup and going out at the last minute. I think that's going to be a theme for 2016, making plans for one thing and then ending up somewhere else entirely. There's a lot up in the air for us this year, to be honest, I'm a little nervous. Usually I have a better picture as to what's happening. But there are so many wonderful ideas and opportunities all just requiring a little bit of faith and patience, so that's what I'll be working on this year. 

I made a list of my goals for 2016 here if you'd like to see.