A post in whence I briefly recap the goings-on in my life.
Did
Hawaii:
We went to Hawaii for spring break for six days: four on Oahu and two on the Big Island, to stay with my aunt and uncle. Hawaii is our favorite vacation destination and this was our third time going together. The weather was a little less than ideal this time and we had some issues with our hotel in Honolulu and wound up switching part way through but we still had an amazing time. I plan to write a more in-depth post on our Hawaii itinerary and recommendations but here are some pics from our most recent trip! During the Oahu portion, we hit our favorite food spots, tried a couple of new places, went on a waterfall hike, and did a little beach time. Unfortunately, it was extremely windy and cloudy and the water was pretty cold so we couldn’t spend all our time at the beach like I wanted. But that’s okay, it just means we need to go back when it’s warmer!
We got to see sea turtles, dolphins, tons of tropical fish, and even a whale when we were on the Big Island. My uncle went fishing while we were there so we ate fresh caught mahi mahi and ono, which was absolutely delicious. We did the best snorkeling we’ve done together at a spot called Two Steps and saw all kinds of colorful fish. The water was much warmer than Oahu and the weather cleared up so we actually had one day of sun.
Murrieta Hot Springs:
Last weekend, we went to the newly-reopened Murrieta Hot Springs near Temecula. This was a historic hot springs resort that has been kind of abandoned for a while, but was recently completely redone and they were offering a “Twilight Soak Pass” that was $49 for unlimited access between 4-10 pm so we decided to try it out. Axel and I are somewhat of hot water aficionados- we look for chances to get a soak in any time we can. The hot springs are only about an hour and a half drive away from LA so we made a trip out of it. My expectations weren’t too high, as early reviews were not great. They’re still in a soft opening phase so not all the pools and facilities are open. When we arrived, however, I was really impressed and we had a wonderful time. There were a number of different types and temperatures of pools, each with their own cute little name (like “Warm Hug”). We liked this individual tub that overlooked the big pond in the middle- there were maybe around 12 of these individual pools. We also spent a lot of time in a wide, shallow hot tub across the pond that had the hottest water temperature of the currently opened pool. They recommend a circuit of 10-15 minutes in a warm tub, followed by a 30-90 second cold plunge, and then sitting outside the water for a few minutes to reacclimate your body temperature. Well, the air temperature was in the 50s and it was nighttime so we accomplished one cold plunge in the 52 degree tub that lasted around ten seconds lol. I have to say it made me feel invigorated though. There was also a large, adults only swimming pool that was seven feet deep. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the large pools were also heated- not to hot tub temperature but probably around 85 degrees- making it extremely pleasant to swim around at night. Overall, I really enjoyed visiting these hot springs and I already want to go back. If you stay at the resort overnight you get 24-hour access to the pools which would be very cool so I’d love to try that out some time.
Gratitude journaling:
I started doing this in January but forgot about it for a while after we went to Hawaii and recently began again. I bought a mini journal at target to keep in my bedside drawer and every night before I go to sleep I try to jot down three things that I’m grateful for that day. I like that it helps me to go to sleep with a positive mindset and can keep me from dwelling on anything bad that happened that day. It’s also nice to read through past entries and be reminded of all the bright spots in my life. Some days are harder than other to find three things, but searching for even the smallest positive to be thankful for is a good exercise in practicing gratitude.
Made
I made a second attempt at matcha scones, based off this scone recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction (I’ve used this recipe many times before, always successfully!) This time, I dissolved the matcha powder in the heavy cream so it dispersed nicely throughout the dough and turned out a lovely green color. I also added some chopped bits of white chocolate. These were very good just by themselves or with some lemon curd!
Bought
It’s April, which means it’s supposed to be a No-Buy Month according to my “every third month” schedule. Well that all flew out the window when I saw that Hill House Home was having an online sample sale. I’ve never bought from this brand before but I remember when their Nap Dress was all the rage. I always thought it wasn’t really my aesthetic, since I hate puffy sleeves and generally don’t really dress in the cottage core aesthetic. But they’ve branched out to some different styles and one of them caught my eye as a possible “European summer” dress. Since I was already paying for shipping and everything was 70% off, I figured I should snag a couple of other items, so I also bought three tops, another dress, and a pair of shorts. Hopefully at least a couple of the items work out. And now I shall recommit to my No-Buy for the rest of the month.
- Madewell The Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg Jean in Chartwood Wash: I’ve noticed that jeans are trending longer and darker these days so I picked up this pair of dark wash wide leg jeans from Madewell on a good sale. I really like Madewell jeans; I think I have about five pairs, which is definitely more than I own of any other brand. I think their sizing runs large but is consistent between styles and I like that they offer petite lengths. These are my new favorite jeans, they’re kind of a thinner more stretchy denim so they’re very comfortable, and I feel like they look a little dressier than my other jeans.
- Madewell Silk Button-Up Shirt in Black: I also took a chance on this silk shirt, thinking that it would be good for work as well as casual wear. I have a silk tank top from Madewell that I like a lot so I figured the quality would probably be decent. And I was right! I love the feel of natural materials like silk, I feel like it’s just so much more breathable compared to a synthetic fabric. The wide collar is very flattering and makes it feel more stylish, rather than dowdy. A little on the pricy side, but worth it for the quality in my opinion.
- Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed Suede Leather in Stone Coin: My last item had quite the saga attached to it. I have never owned a pair of Arizonas before (shocking at this point in time) and I had no clue what my size was. It took three different sizes before I got it right and I even went to the store in Venice, where they recommended a size that ended up being too small. At one point, I had all three pairs in my home and I just felt overwhelmed and somewhat repulsed by the sight of the three boxes stacked up. But I finally figured it out and I love them, so it was worth the trouble. I really like the fuzzy look of the suede and the neutral gray color. I haven’t really seen this pair anywhere yet so I like that they’re a little different. The soft footbed is very comfortable and I love how easy it is to slip them on without worrying about laces or socks (toddler core). The only downside is that I keep forgetting to do my toes and they look a little grotty in these bare.
Watched
Twilight aesthetic videos on YouTube. Not a traditional “watched” item but I love putting some kind of background music on my tv while I work or just exist around the house. Lately, I’ve been enjoying Twilight-themed videos as the soundtrack to my late night paper writing sessions. I was never a Twihard or anything but I enjoyed reading these books when I was younger, as well as watching the movies, to a certain extent. I think the edits of these YouTube aesthetic videos make the movies look a lot more cinematic than they actually are though haha.
Read
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: Ahh I thought I would love this book. Angsty teen girl lit is one of my favorite genres (Wintergirl, Girl in Pieces, the aforementioned Twilight, etc.) but I just did not mesh with this book. I was partly distracted by the way she would describe herself as looking “Chinese” every time she appeared tired, but also, I felt like the “madness” just didn’t feel super authentic to me. I know this book was based off Plath’s real-life experience, but it just seemed like one second she was throwing her clothes out the window, the next she hadn’t showered in three weeks, and then suddenly she was receiving electroshock treatments. I just didn’t get a sense of what was happening in her head so much as what she was physically doing. It was also a very short book so I think that also contributes to the lack of depth. I really had high hopes for this book and had been looking forward to reading it for quite some time, but ultimately would have to give it a 3.5/5.
