no. 77: june digest
the best things I read, watched, shopped, saved, and ate in june including some condiments that absolutely slap, my go-to safe sun combo, and a look at my open tabs.
The monthly digest is a summary of the best things I have read, watched, listened to, saved, shopped and considered each month. As usual - she’s a bit long, so you might want to check out the browser version or expand in email.
This June has been a weirdly emotional month for me. We headed out on an annual trip to the family cabin in western Minnesota, one of the only times I get to see my family (mostly) all on one place AND my long-distance childhood BFF all year. This June was also one year since we found (and won!) our planned forever home, and marked the completion of a multi-month renovation on that very same home, a combined passage of time that seems like both an impossible eternity and the blink of an eye.
This month especially, I find myself caught between the past and the future. So little about the cabin changes year after year that whenever I visit I am simultaneously five and fifteen and twenty five all at once, inundated by decades of memories and experiences that I swore just happened yesterday. But those memories feel surreal when met with each changing year’s experience – watching my son play with his cousins and my best friend’s son as the grown ups facilitating experiences that will someday be their formative memories.
On the other hand, time seems to expand in the other direction anytime I think about the house and our future life in it. I am impatient to get past the tedious parts of moving and fixing and restoring and settling; to get to the business of actually living in the house — as though this part doesn’t count.
All that’s a long way of saying this June has been a funny one - I find myself reflecting on the past and dreaming of the future, and as a result it was harder than usual to reflect on how I actually spent my time in the present. Yet another reminder why I enjoy this exercise so much.
Let’s get to it - forever is composed of nows, and all that.
Xx,
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open tabs:
Arts & Culture
My Brain Finally Broke | Jia Tolentino - The New Yorker - girl, same.
Opinion | No Home, No Retirement, No Kids: How Gen Z-ers See Their Future - bleak.
The Curse of Being Smart by @Alexis Barber - for those of us who perhaps think about ourselves *too much*
11 Ways to Find Inspiration Offline by @Anna Seirian - you know you need to!
The Extra Weird Work in Female Friendships by @Danusia Malina-Derben - can’t stop thinking about the term “sisterlifting” and reflecting on all my own experiences of recognizing my words and ideas in others’ work (and the times they have undoubtedly done the same in mine).
Health & Wellness
Once Upon a Time, I Had A Body, by
- I have come back to this no less than 5 times. On dressing for summer.The Body-Positivity Movement Is Over by Annie Joy Williams for The Atlantic. Not the first or the last piece I have shared about how tiktok is fueling the explosive re-emergence of “thin is in” content online, unfortunately probably also won’t be the last.
RFK Jr. fires ‘Washingtonian of the year’ from CDC vaccine panel | The Seattle Times - I was so lucky to have worked closely with Dr. Chu during her innovative work on the flu, COVID-19 at home testing and other projects that followed. She is a visionary who works tirelessly on behalf of the health of children and families, and losing her insight on the CDC vaccine panel is a disgrace.
The Weaponization of Science - by Jessica Knurick, PhD, RDN - I have been stunned and disgusted to see the steady dismantling of much of our nations health and science infrastructure, from the CDC Vaccine Panel to cancellation of grants and funding for critical research. This is not new, but recognizing the echoes of the past are extremely important. Love Dr. Knurick’s advocacy to correct misinformation with facts.
Motherhood & Parenting
The actual thing that takes up most of my time by
- I have been thinking a lot about how I write about my life online without writing in detail about the thing I spend the most of my time on (my actual child). It’s harder than you would think!- - I have been loving so much of Elin’s writing about motherhood and parenting but thought this post in particular was exceptional (and so important).
Food & Drink
You Can Make Nitro Cold Brew At Home With A Whipped Cream Dispenser - Tasting Table - sometimes you just need to try it
Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl — Everything I Want to Eat (2016) - I too lived through the SQRL era in LA in the twenty-teens, and sometimes you just need the recipe for a rice bowl you still occasionally dream about!
photo diary: how to hit 30g protein without loads of meat or protein powder - have been obsessed with @Beth Bollinger’s posts like this, with tons of ideas for snack-y style meals that prioritize protein and a hefty amount of plants.
books
Have been happily working my way through my holds list fully populated by my own research for extremely specific summer reading recommendations. First off the list was All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth.. .and y’all I wanted to love this but I *did not*. It was written in a much more aggressively young adult style than I think the description made it sound, and while the overall premise was compelling (long buried family secrets, elite boarding school and shady secret society) the storytelling and dialogue were pretty clunky, and I called the ending about ⅓ of the way through. Not sad I finished, just wanted it to be *better*. Happily, I read Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid right after and genuinely enjoyed it so much. (reviewed here).
I am currently reading Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (audiobook) and The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami (hardcopy) and am lightly obsessed with both. Full reviews once I finish, but already highly, HIGHLY recommended.
kids books
Spent quite a bit of time with The Hare Who Wouldn’t Share by Steve Small, a very cute story about a hare who learns the value of being in community. I loved that it gave me the opportunity to talk about how important it is to take care of others (even when there is nothing in it for you!) in a way that is accessible to a small child. Have been trying to work more on numeracy with my two and a half year old (you know, important to make sure we’re learning about what numbers mean, not just reciting numbers in order) and have no idea how to do that and sought out some books to help. Richard Scarry’s Best Counting Book Ever is a little annoying to read but our little guy really liked it. I also thought Ten Black Dots from Donald Crews (a minor celebrity in our house because of Freight Train) was really excellent for more numeracy with less *fluff*.
I also could not get enough of A Story for a Small Bear by Alice B. McGinty and Richard Jones, which arrived at a perfect time in our house. The story, about a little bear getting ready to hibernate, talks about how it can be hard to stop doing things you enjoy to make sure you have time for something special you want to do – a very hot button issue in our toddler’s life right now haha. Gave us some language to hustle our kiddo along that isn’t just “HURRY UP”.
Extremely light TV and Movie month (especially compared to May!). Watching and loving The Bear, Season 4 (reviewed here) and otherwise that is *literally it*. I rewatched Lord Of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Rings on a flight - there wasn’t much else to choose from, and I realized I didn’t remember many specifics despite having read the novels and watched all the movies years ago. It was an enjoyable (if extremely long) watch, but honestly my biggest takeaway was just how much of LOTR seemed to be lifted whole cloth into the Harry Potter universe… (this post highlights many of them, if you were a similarly nerd adjacent child who somehow missed all of this)
Otherwise, Shoutout to Ms. Rachel for coming in hot with a Potty Training special right when I needed it most.
This spring, on a particularly two-year old day, I made the mistake of letting my toddler listen to one spotify playlist of kid music in the the car. Before I knew it we were 47 hours deep in (horrendously annoying and of questionable educational value) earworms that got stuck in my head and kept me awake in the middle of the night for weeks. Armed with the grim determination to enjoy my time in the car, and for my child to grow up to be the effortlessly cool and cultured person I had to work quite hard to be, we put the hard stop on kid music in the car and decided to resume his musical education, one drive at a time. This month we went hard on Fleetwood Mac (little man loves Silver Springs and will shout out “.. STEVIE NICKS” anytime a Fleetwood song comes on, so I’ll consider this one a great success) and got started with David Bowie (any and all of the songs about space have been a hit, although Under Pressure with Queen continues to be a fave).
We also had a ton of fun with the CLASSICAL MUSIC BANGERS playlist, which has been a super fun opportunity to not only listen to music without words but also to talk about how music sounds, what instruments we can hear, and how it relates to the story - a fun game for a two and a half year old who loves stories! (example: Prokofiev’s Romeo and Julie Suite Montague and Capulets - loosely described this as a story about two families who are fighting, and then we pointed out when the horns were playing versus when the strings were playing and how the more oud and low sounds make it sound more angry… etc etc etc.).
Weirdly because of all the travel and moving, I honestly have no idea what I cooked this month (besides sandwiches) but otherwise I can say with certainty that I’m on a major condiment kick.
I purchased Payson Breton Sel de Mer Butter as part of my quest to recreate a fancy french sandwich, but honestly it’s life changing on its own on a warm slice of sourdough bread. Was gifted a few bottles of Molly Baz’s mayo company Ayoh this spring, and finally got around to opening it now that I’m back in my own kitchen. I used the Hot Giardinayo on a veggie burger, and holy shit y’all it’s delicious?! I’ve never been a big mayo person, but consider me converted. I see the (spicy) light. Finally, was sucked in by the cute packaging on Bachan’s Yuzu Citrus BBQ Sauce, and am SO glad because it’s tasty AF. I have been making super easy salmon (or tofu!) rice bowls with cucumber, edamame, avocado, kimchi, and seaweed at least once a week. Comes together in less than 30 minutes and the toddler loves it!
Made my annual pilgrimage back to western Minnesota for #LakeWeek, and had to stop into the excellent Kadejan Market in Alexandria MN. We had several excellent loves of Full Circle Farms sourdough, and of course my fave Strawberry Hemp Granola so I can go back to making my daily Strawberry Rose & Chia Parfait for breakfast. Lake week also wouldn’t be complete without several trips to the Dairy Queen – I deviated from my standard oreo blizzard with hot fudge to try the mixing bowl mashup (cookie dough and brownie batter mixed) and it was a winner.
Now that I’m home (and it’s a zillion degrees) I’ve got a few recipes I’m dyyyyyyyying to make: Can’t stop thinking about how refreshing these Lime Jalepeno Granita and Peach Basil Spritz look – extremely up my alley! I have always felt lightly too intimidated to make crepes at home but these Small Batch Chocolate Crepes look perfect (and so easy!). And finally: I have always been a potato salad hater (I know, I’m sorry!) but the smashed and crispy potato salad trend seems *much* more my style.
For Seattle friends: Ventured out on a weeknight (!!!!!) with my bff to try out The Cove, a new waterfront wine bar on Lake Union. Service is definitely still getting up to speed and the wait can be killer (I heard the hostess tell folks up to 2 hours and they don’t take reservations), but we snagged a spot at the bar and got right in. The decor is fantastic, and they serve all PNW wines (which, regrettably I can’t really speak to in terms of quality – I’m definitely more of a gin / tequila girl). We had a great time, and I’d be interested to go back once the hype has calmed down a bit. After an extended hiatus (due to their long closure and relocation) I have resumed my love affair with Stone Way Cafe Breakfast Burritos - doused with Valentina's hot sauce, naturally. Finally, it’s ice cream season again and I must inform you that Mainstay Provisions consistently has some of the best soft serve around. I used to live a ton closer, but have resorted to planning errands around an icecream commute (you know, for the #whimsy)
Generally very low month for new purchases – between moving back into our home post-renovation and two trips, I was primarily focused on unpacking, decluttering, and then… repacking, rinsing and repeating. A few small things, and then some used up beauty/skincare products and replacements! Snagged a few packs of chubby toddler chalk which have been the sleeper hit of our summer so far. The chalk is large enough it won’t snap, is easier to grip for little hands still learning to draw, and lasts FOREVER. A friend gifted us a No Spill Bubble Gun a while ago and I stored it away to save for a bad day in toddler land. This turns out to have been a brilliant move, because every time I have produced it it has resulted in hours of unmitigated glee for every small child in the immediate vicinity. It’s simple, delightful, and mess free - win, win, win.
I’ve talked about how much I got wrecked by postpartum hair loss, and recently shared that I started using the Act & Acre Scalp Serum in the hopes that I could close the gap on my absolutely wild regrowth pattern around my temples. I reached out to the A+A team and they offered me a discount code for y’all – coffeewithmaggie for 25% off. (not sponsored, and not affiliate!)
using up:
Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo & Moisturizing Conditioner - got this from my hairdresser and I liked it a lot - great option for someone with combo hair (oily roots, dry ends). I could not get over that the shampoo & conditioner were two different scents - one kind of rosemary, one kind of cherry almost? Both smelled great and worked well with my hair. I just wished they matched and it was enough for me to not repurchase. Replaced with Crown Affair Volumizing S&C, a purchase I have been dying to make since January.
Crown Affair Leave in Conditioner - I was hesitant to buy the full size bottle of this after a few trial sizes I obsessed over, but finally went for it last summer during a Sephora sale and the bottle lasted me a full year. Y’all know I love this shit, have already repurchased, especially now that I know what a great value it is.
Used up the last bottle of Saltair Skin Softening Serum Body Wash (in Pink Beach) from a 3 bottle set that lasted me well over a year. These are great and extremely well priced for how long they last. – will purchase again!
Isle of Paradise Body Polish -I think it smells great and works well (esp. pre-self tan) but it’s a bit spendy for more regular use. I replaced with the much more budget friendly Daise Coconut Glow body scrub
Saltyface Tanning Foam (Light/Medium) - I am team #safesun, and you won’t catch me outside without a serious layer of SPF, but my brain is still hardwired to think I look better with a sunkissed glow. SaltyFace is hands down the best self-tanner I have ever used - easy to apply, streak free (and it’s vegan, cruelty free and “clean”, if you care about that!). This is the second bottle I have purchased in the last 3 years and I’ll definitely repurchase.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen (currently 20% off) - my ride or die non-tinted sunscreen - no white cast, no weird sunscreen smell, broad spectrum SPF40+, doesn’t make me break out even on multiday backpacking trips). I replaced it with Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen (picked up during a big sale this spring and held onto until I finished open sunscreens), which so far I am liking. It definitely has more of a traditional sunscreen feel to it, but I like the dewy finish for active days when I don’t opt for my go-to tinted SPF. iIt’s also cheaper than Supergoop: $38 for 3.38 oz vs. $48 for 2.5oz, which I appreciate.
Extremely specific summer reading recommendations - like speed dating for your library holds list.
The May Digest, including a dystopian novel I can’t stop thinking about, summer meals for when it’s too hot to cook, and the iced tea that’s fueling my summer.
A deep-dive into how I manage my time, including how I think about making time for things I care about, and a peek at my calendar system.
An ultimate summer sandwich recipe roundup, inspired by my quest to recreate my five favorite sandwiches of all time.
As with last month, I’ve cut down my editorial calendar to have fewer but longer and more time intensive issues - that means that I as the writer (and you as the reader!) have more to do in each issue, but they come slightly less often. I find that in busy seasons this is a helpful way to give each one the time and attention they need to breathe. Would love to hear your POV on this approach to the publishing cadence for the summer!
The Cove looks adorable, but good to know about wait times. Maybe I'll wait another few weeks before heading that direction. Also, there's a new soft serve window at the Garrison in Ballard and I highly recommend :)
Would definitely love any potty training tips as you get through that parenting hurdle!