A great buttermilk pancake mix, a tote bag with room for all the files, and a kid-approved sunblock

Plus, the mini sound machine that's my travel MVP

I’m writing to you from the last days of my kids' three-week spring break; it’s been all the things - wonderful to have the unstructured time with them, to have slower mornings with time to make pancakes, to watch the boys, despite an almost 10-year age gap, figure out how to have fun together. But also, a lot to coordinate.

My oldest has a few days of lacrosse spring training in Florida, so we all came down for some sunshine and a change of pace from the raw and wet March weather at home. It’s been so nice to have a change of scene, to try new playgrounds and visit new bookstores, to be without an agenda for a few precious days.

A. Litchfield Auction House is having a great sale on March 25th. This painting by John Philip Hagen caught my eye. As did this painting and this one.
B. My mother-in-law gave Ben (age 8) this how-to-draw book for kids, and I threw it into the suitcase at the last minute. It’s been a fun distraction while waiting for food or on breaks from various devices. NB: I would not suggest it for younger kids - even at 8, some of the drawings frustrate Ben.
C. These Sam & Julia miniature mugs are beyond cute - I’m thinking of tucking some into my own Easter Basket…
D. I have a fiddle leaf fig that’s still in its plastic pot - I’ve been keeping an eye out for the right plant basket, and nothing has been quite right…I came across this one today while looking for something else. Maybe this will do the trick.

E. The hunt for a tote bag with an interior divider for files found success this week. The small joy of a place for everything and everything in its place.
F. I smashed the add to cart button on this cute swimsuit.
G. This buttermilk pancake mix has been a true hit in our house.
H. Ben picked out this Sun Bum Kids Clear 50 SPF sunblock, and I was shocked at how effective and easy to use it has been. None of us got burned! It truly is water-resistant for 80 minutes.
I. My not-so-secret guilty pleasure is Doritos. So imagine the scream of joy when I saw these mini Doritos in a Pringles-style can for sale in the hotel store. I used to work in market research and still recognize true consumer insight when I see it in the wild!

J. I managed to forget any kind of hat on this trip - I have an enormous head (like men’s XL-sized big) and was shocked to find this hat in my size at the hotel gift shop!
K. I’ve been taking this supplement since Alex was a newborn when our pediatrician suggested it for overall mood support in those sleep-deprived days. These days, I find it helps the whole family with inevitable trip-related irritability. I’ve reordered 19 times according to my Amazon order history.
L. I couldn’t stop laughing at this bumper sticker I saw today as we sat in Orlando, FL traffic.
M. The MVP of every trip we’ve taken in the last two years is this mini sound machine.

---

I occasionally include affiliate links - typically to products from Etsy, eBay, 1st Dibs, Bookshop, Wayfair, and yes, sometimes, Amazon. Affiliate links are bolded so you know when I’ve used one. Our most consistent political power comes from exercising our values via our wallets. I’m always thinking about cost, accessibility, and the planet. It’s a work in progress.

---

If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider clicking the ❤️ button — it really does help other like-minded readers discover my writing (oh, algorithms!).

---

I include a few bonus finds here each week for paid subscribers as a small token of appreciation for making this newsletter possible.