I enjoy reading ‘Things I love’ posts from bloggers, but they sometimes feel overly sponsored and materialistic. That said, I love seeing the true gems others find. Enter: My Starting 5. These are the 5 things this month that I am totally into. They might be items I love, but I also want to focus on fun experiences or useful tips. Think of it as the former chats about the latest gadget with a coworker or the tip your BFF gave you over dinner.
It also goes without saying none of this is sponsored because well, no one sponsors me. If that ever changes I will update accordingly.
Without further ado, the March Starting 5!
- Let me back up… I contemplated adding a toaster to our wedding registry. The one we used I swear my husband had in college! After reading some reviews I was drawn to the idea a toaster oven instead. Basically, why have a toaster that literally is an appliance for 1 thing- toast bread? The toaster oven which does all sorts of things. Right before we made the move to Phoenix I saw this little gem on sale. And when I thought about turning a real oven on to cook in the 115 degree desert heat it seemed worth trying. Let me say, it may be my favorite adult purchase EVER. Seriously this thing is genius. It toasts, roasts, air fries, bakes and the convection feature makes it heat up so fast without heating the whole house. Literally almost zero preheat time. I think I lived here a month before I even had to turn the real oven on… and that was Thanksgiving when I was using BOTH the toaster oven and real oven. Simply genius.
- I mentioned in my 1st trimester post (linked here) that I really had to focus on upping my hydration game during pregnancy. These cups made it happen. I love the neutral colors and size. I filled it with extra cold water (which it keeps maintains temperature on very well) and thanks to the nifty straw I can chug it down easily. Bonus tip for staying hydrated- every time you take a drink think about 10 big gulps. Boom, you are on your way to hydration. I use a free app on my phone to track the volume I drink (Water Llama) and know if by noon I am 2-3 fill-ups in I am on track. I bought my first one at Target… and also they have them on Amazon.
- Ah Amazon how I hate to love you so much. At the start of 2021 I was looking for a simple monthly calendar to help keep this website and instagram on track. Everyone says you need a content calendar (still learning all these things…) but being a visual person I hoped it would help me see everything together. Most calendars I used before were too busy and had too much space for things I didn’t need (birthdays and to-do’s, etc- I keep those on my online calendar). Enter this planner from Amazon. It is thin and simple has just enough space to layout my ideas for the weeks and months ahead. I have never felt more organized in my content planning. Now time to execute!
Podcast Walks
- That first trimester is a doozy! Nearly all my exercise came from walks in the neighborhood. I have always loved podcasts but found a new appreciation for them while on these walks, and also while working from home and needing a source of stimuli other than my computer screen. Or Francis snoring on the couch. I have been catching up on Oprah’s super soul, re-listening to old favorites from How I Built This, for a short burst I enjoy The angry therapist, and recently have following Be well by Kelly.
Sunday Pizza Night
- The Sunday pizza night tradition started in LA when I first moved in with my husband. And it is one of my favorite easy traditions we have maintained. It works for several reason. First, who doesn’t love pizza? Second, I love having one night a week I never have to think about what to make for dinner. Our routine is to order a giant salad to split and pizza to share. After relocating to Phoenix we found ourselves deep in the largest pizza scene I have ever seen (Thrillist Best Pizza Phoenix) . And although I miss my beloved Manhattan Beach Pizza in Southbay— the fact that we can find a wood fire/artisan/special pizza place on every corner certainly helps. We have tried a new one almost each week! I don’t see this tradition ending any time soon. If you want to try one but don’t live locally… goodbelly.com actually delivers Pizza Bianco nationally. Crazy, right. If you end up in Phoenix we also love Cibo, The Parlor, and Base Pizzeria.
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