Christian and I got takeout when we had first moved to San Francisco, and one of the popular dishes on the menu was garlic noodles so we got it. We were both surprised that while we had all of these super flavorful dishes, it was the simplistic and delicious garlic noodles we cleared by the end of the dinner.
And the best news is that garlic noodles are crazy easy to make at home! I’ve been looking at different recipes, and below is the one I like the most.
Garlic Noodles, serves 4
Ingredients:
16 oz spaghetti pasta
1/2 package of green onions
4 TB butter
8 garlic gloves, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
4 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
1.5 TB brown sugar
3 to 4 TB oyster sauce
salt, to taste
Directions:
Boil noodles and follow directions on package. Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and oyster sauce. Set aside. Drain the noodles and use the same pot to melt the butter. Add the garlic and green onions until fragrant. Combine all ingredients and garnish with salt and green onions.
It’s seriously SO easy. I will whip this up on a lazy Sunday night or you can serve with a green salad to get your greens in. You could also add sautéed shrimp or grilled chicken if you wanted to add some protein. But be careful… I can easily eat too many noodles. It’s dangerous!
Do you have a favorite 15-20 minute pasta dish? I’d love to hear any tips. Truth be told, I love anything with spaghetti noodles. Christian’s an angel hair person and we argue over it a little too often. Seriously! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I’ve been so surprised at how many emails and DM’s I get about a pair of ear plugs I casually mentioned on Instagram many months ago. I wanted a blog post about a few of the things we’ve purchased or used this year to make city life a little more manageable!
I lived in New York for a summer in college and always thought a short stint at living in a large city would be a great experience. These are few things we’ve purchased this year that have make a BIG difference –
Sturdy Grocery Bags | Honey, when you’re schlepping 40 lbs of groceries uphill, the fewer the bags the better. I know they make little wheelie carts, but since we are only here for one year I didn’t want to have store it in our hallway when we weren’t using it (small spaces, guys). When I got my first Apolis bag… it was followed by three more. They’re now all I use because they’re so durable and hold so much!
My mom emailed to remind me that these bags can also be personalized – which is fun. They are also lined in plastic, making them waterproof and can carry up to 100 pounds in one bag!
Air Pods | I didn’t fully understand why these were so great until I had my own pair. Forget cords! When I’m walking Bailey or on a conference call while also pouring a cup of coffee, there’s nothing better than being wireless.
Ear Plugs + Sound Machine | I have found (being married to an ear doctor), that the key to fantastic ear plugs is an NRR-33 rating. Most ear plugs are NRR-32… and trust me, there is magic in that slight number increase. I also finally got a Dohm sound machine (my dad has used this soundmachine for literally over 30 years) once we moved into our apartment. We didn’t need one in Orange County, but we have way more street noise now and it’s a GAME CHANGER. Christian never goes a night without turning it on!
Backpack | I am 100% behind MZ Wallace for travel. Their bags are incredibly lightweight, can be shoved into any tiny space or airplane, extremely versatile and durable. I don’t even know what else to say – they’re just the best.
Roomba | I can’t praise this little robot vacuum enough. I was so obsessed with ours that my sister ended up getting one, and now she’s also obsessed with hers. The only con is that it is pretty loud. Other than that, this little vacuum is the only thing that keeps me from complaining about dog hair all day.
Cast Iron Skillets | Christian actually added this one! We have always had easy access to a grill until this year. You’re hard-pressed to find a balcony or outdoor space in San Francisco, so anything that requires grilling goes on a cast iron griddle or skillet. An essential if you like to cook!
Good Umbrellas | We have been through it with rain in San Francisco and bought two new umbrellas that made a big difference. Christian prefers this one and I prefer this clear one because I can protect practically my entire upper body and still see through it (you may remember it from this post!).
Small Crossbody Bag | I bought this little Saint Laurent nano bag specifically for all my daily walking around the city, and it’s been a great addition. Small enough to toss in a bigger tote yet big enough to carry everything I really need.
Lightweight Slippers | I usually wear Ugg slippers, but I quickly realized when moving to an apartment with wood floors that it would be pretty inconsiderate to be clonking around in them when there are sweet girls who live below us. So I bought two pairs of these and they’re so much quieter! They’re also really cozy and cute, so that helps too.
Quarters, and More Quarters | I’ve only had quarter laundry in college and at our first place in Orange County. I lasted for about a month before we bought our own stackable to hook up in the patio closet. Unfortunately we don’t have a hookup in our SF apartment (most people don’t here), so quarter laundry is the only option. It costs $5 in quarters (that’s 20 quarters, people) to wash and dry one load. So we breeze through quarters. Funny enough, grocery stores are often out of quarters because we’re all trying to grab ’em, so my mom now has given us hundreds of dollars in quarters as Christmas and birthday presents, and it’s truly the best gift ever. The closest bank is several blocks away and who wants to carry rolls and rolls of quarters uphill? No one, that’s who.
Yeti Coffee Mug | This was one of my favorite things I left Aspen with, and I use it almost daily. I will drink tea out of it at my desk or walk Bailey with my morning coffee. Sometimes I even drink my hot water with lemon out of it. The best!
Mini Heater | This isn’t groundbreaking, but this is my second time living in an apartment with no central heat or AC and mini heaters and fans are a GIFT!
Collapsable Laundry Basket | I actually don’t have one of these because I didn’t know they existed before I started working on this post. Now I’m like… how did I not know about this? Genius.
Sneakers | I wear sneakers every day. Every single day… and I never thought I’d see that. These are my favorite!
Other things I’ve read about that sound brilliant:
I hope this helps some of you in the same position I was in – moving to a compact city without knowing exactly what you need! If you have anything to add to this list, I’d love to hear and I know the girls reading this would find it really helpful.
Friday is World Water Day, and in celebration of that I’m sharing a look from Levi’s that has been made without using water. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must be, but these super fun wide leg culotte jeans and tee are completely Water<less™!
You can check out the full collection here, as well as how exactly they’re made without water here. This collection reduces water consumption by 28% and up to 96% for some of the pieces in the line. It has also helped Levi’s save millions of liters of water.
And get this, by simply washing our jeans less, we can be a part of this mission too. You can reduce the impact of your own denim by up to 50% by washing them in cold water and air drying. And you could save 500 liters of water a year by washing every other week instead of every week!
In fact, some say not to wash your denim at all, but even Who What Wear recommends washing every 4-5 wears in cold water to help preserve the dye (and I’ll admit I wash mine much less than that… #dontjudgeme). A lot of Levi’s, including this pair of wide leg jeans, are made of 100% cotton. They’re actually meant to form to your body and become more comfortable the more you wear them. So unless you spill something on them or you’re rolling around in the dirt at Coachella… you can get away without washing them.
Now for denim with stretch, you might need to wash them more frequently because they stretch out. They say you can even put your denim in an airtight ziploc in the freezer and it will kill any bacteria. Mind blown.
denim (on sale and TTS), also have and love these (sized up one size) and these (sized up one size) | tee (feels more like 100% cotton), also love this one | denim jacket
Ok – if you’re a Levi’s lover, you know the sizing can be a little tricky. Typically if the denim has a little stretch, I order my usual size. If they’re 100% cotton I size up one size. These jeans in this post ARE 100% cotton but they don’t follow that rule. I sized up, they’re too big and what you can’t see here is that I actually have them clipped in the back. Just my tip! More on sizing here.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing, and I’d love to hear how often you guys wash your jeans… this is a no judgement zone! XO –
It may not feel like spring yet in San Francisco, but it’s spring in my mind and I am going to dress the part!
I knew when I saw these European-inspired slides from Born that they would be so great for spring and summer. They look great with pants and dresses, and are both lightweight and feel great (in typical Born fashion). You might remember the booties I styled of theirs here, I still wear and love them so much! They are soooooo comfortable.
I paired theses slides with a crisp linen pant suit that makes me want to book a trip to the beach ASAP. It’s all sunshine and palm trees in my mind right now, anyone else in major need of a spring break?
It also is noteworthy that 15% of sales from these shoes (up to $10,000) go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for the month of March. You can find out more here.
What’s your go to spring shoe? Are you a flats, heels or wedges girl? Gimme the deets! I’m linking some of my favorite Born picks below. And while I’m usually a heels girl, I’d love to hear if you guys would like more flats looks on this blog. It really helps me to know what kind of outfit inspiration you’re looking for so I can aim to provide that!
Happy Friday! This has to be one of my favorite weeks of 2019 so far because the weather has been beautiful and I finally feel energized, motivated and definitely happier. It’s wild how much weather can affect your daily life. I think I didn’t even fully realized how spoiled I was in Southern California until we left. But I digress, I will celebrate the glorious sunshine each day I have it!
We saw Hamilton at the beautiful Orpheum Theater on Tuesday, and we have actually had the tickets before we even knew where would be living in San Francisco. If you enjoy musicals or Broadway theater, you know that tickets to this show are incredibly hard to obtain. Hamilton came to Orange County last year. After a saga of being on an online waitlist for 12+ hours, by the time it was my turn the tickets were sold out. I was so burnt that I kind of lost my desire to see the show and moved on. When we found out we were moving to San Francisco, my mom and friend Jennifer Rose surprised us with tickets!
To my medical wives, you’ll understand this next part. Our tickets were for Tuesday at 7PM, which is one of Christian’s weekly surgery days. Sometimes surgery days wrap up at 6PM and other days 10:30PM… making any kind of “plan” difficult. For this reason, we don’t really make any plans or reservations during the week because his schedule is always a loose cannon. Christian wasn’t sure if he would make it, and it was really important to me that he either come to the full show or not come at all because hopping into a musical halfway in is kind of… pointless. The storyline is incredibly important to enjoying the show. I couldn’t decide if I should invite someone else or remain hopeful that it would work out and… IT WORKED OUT! He was wrapped up in time and we were able to go to the show, not even being paged, and enjoy it. A major win!
Being married to a surgeon… nothing is guarunteed. Sleep, your weekends together, meals, any reservations, plans – it’s a game of chance. Even our honeymoon was a game of chance and we weren’t sure if we would be able to go or have to cancel until the week before. So when you make plans and it actually works out? It feels like a serious victory. I won’t even tell you about all the frustrating losses when it has come to plans in the past seven years. For now, we’ll focus on this week’s win, and I feel really happy about it. And thankful that after only 3.5 more months, he’ll have significantly more control over his schedule and life. Honestly it sounds so fairytale-like that I can’t really imagine it. The luxury!!
This weekend we’re heading to the East Bay for a lunch to celebrate some friends about to welcome their first baby, and I plan to run a few errands over there while it’s easy with parking lots and less crowds. We’ve kicked up the house hunt in our prospective next location, and I’m really starting to imagine the next phase of our life with any kind of green space, an attic!!!, my own w/d, easy parking, my own trash cans. It’s wild how much more I’m going to appreciate a bathroom drawer or jack & jill sinks (!!!) now that we’ve been on this adventure. So many experiences thanks to California… yet quite a bit of sacrifice. I am so extremely grateful that we spent our 20’s exploring and adventuring, because now it’s time for some stability and we are ready for it. But more on this later!
What are your spring break plans this weekend? I hope you’re seeing the sun wherever you live and soaking it UP, sister! My laptop is currently being repaired at the Apple Store so I will be forced not to work with weekend, and I’m a-ok with that. Thanks so much for reading and have a beautiful weekend – XO –
I don’t even want to admit how many years it’s been since I had a traditional “spring break,” but in the season of SPRING being around the corner, I wanted to share a roundup of what would be in my bag if I was heading somewhere warm –
1. Statement Earrings | I own far too many statement earrings to count and love them all. LOVE these that come in two colors!
2. Slip Dresses | I have so many slip dresses in my closet and I think they are SO versatile! Loving this chic black one and hello tiger stripes, come to mama.
3. High Waisted Jeans | I can’t have enough! Recently bought these and really love these.
4. Midi Skirt | The ultimate flattering skirt for curvy girls. Love this one!
5. Classic Hoops | These go with everything, are lightweight and so easy!
6. Strappy Heels | My favorite heel for spring and summer: nude and strappy. Also own three pairs of these (in different colors) and they’ve been a great investment.
7. Chic Luggage | I just got this little vanity bag (shared here), and I can’t even handle how cute it is. Love red luggage!
8. Straw Bag | This adorable bag is under $20, comes in two colors and works for the beach or a sundress.
9. Round Sunglasses | I had no idea how much I would love my round Ray Bans. I wear them ALL the time. I love this pair!
10. White Tee | Works with jeans, shorts, skirts, over a swimsuit – you name it. Can’t have enough classic white tees!
11. High Waisted Shorts | If you can’t tell, I pick high waisted over everything else. I have so many pairs of these it’s almost embarassing.
12. Straw Hat | I just bought this one and love how beautifully it looks with camel slides. Chic!
Would love to hear if you have spring break plans and if so, where you’re headed. Please make me jealous! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I think lilac can be a color easily overlooked when styling an outfit. Lavender and lilac pieces are a little bit harder to find, but can look really pretty on both fair and honey skin tones. It looks super cute with high waisted jeans, but I wanted to style it in a less predicable way.
These leggings have taken me so far this year. They are high waisted and smooth everything out really well. I layered the sweater with a long collared shirt that also be replicated for the office with skinny black pants (I know in so many corporate offices leggings are a no-go).
I’m linking a few more cropped sweaters I love below. I love them for their versatility – a great layering piece and can work with essentially anything high waisted. And you guys know for me, everything is high waisted. It’s my favorite!
And if you’re a big Bloomingdale’s fan like I am, you can score some major perks by being a party of their Loyallist Rewards program. It’s completely free to join and you can earn points (double points for shoes, cosmetics and fragrance), free shipping on any purchase and free returns for online orders. If you’re a frequent Bloomingdale’s shopper, you only have things to gain by joining!
I need to stack up my points to use toward these blue light blocking glasses. So cute, and I broke my old pair!
Over the weekend I shared on Instagram a cocktail Christian has been making lately that allows even someone like me, who is not a whiskey drinker, to enjoy whiskey. Trust me – usually even smelling it gives me chills, but this cocktail is soooo good!
I was so surprised at the amount of recipe requests that I got from you guys that I wanted to do a full blog post with the details. Let’s get into this deliciousness –
Combine Pimm’s, Rye and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Shake it up, pour over an ice cube. Add your lemon juice and lemon peel and enjoy!
Are you a cocktail gal or a whiskey drinker? I’d love to hear your favorite beverage and/or liquor preference. You can find more food & drink recipes here! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
Happy Friday!! This week was busier than the past few. It felt good to have deadlines and things I had to get done because in this gray rain, it’s hard to feel motivated unless you don’t have a choice. So it was nice to have things to get me moving, and then we were blessed with two full days of no rain which was AMAZING. A gift!
I went to my girlfriend Macey’s house for a small get together and everyone brought a beauty item under $25 that they loved. I was introduced to so many amazing products I’ve literally never heard of but now feel that I need in my life ASAP. Like Charmzone New Control Cream, Kai Body Lotion and Egyptian Magic – have you heard of these? I loved hearing everyone explain why they loved their item so much, it made me want everything! In case you’re wondering what I brought, I opted for this lipstick and this travel sized dry shampoo.
We use meal delivery services in San Francisco because unloading groceries is just more treacherous (carrying them uphill, parking around the corner, loading in an elevator – do-able but just more effort), but lately I haven’t been vibing with the pescatarian options so I’ve been skipping and am really excited about our menu this week. I plan on making this pasta that I heard about on instagram along with this zucchini ravioli. I made some quinoa burrito bowls last week and they were so delicious that I want to make them again and film it for IGTV or YouTube. Do you guys have a preference?
We have another chill weekend and it’s not supposed to rain on Sunday so I’m hoping we’ll be able to get out and explore. We’ve spent enough weekends inside watching movies that I don’t think I can do it again! What are your plans this weekend and do you have any recipes you’ve tried recently that were hits? I’d love to hear.
I’ve styled this trench many times on this blog, including this spring look and this fresh look that I still love so much. But now that I live somewhere with a little more gray and rain, I style it completely different. And that’s the perk of investing in classic, chic pieces that will take you far. Over the years, you can style them so many different ways and continue to recreate that one classic piece.
One big theme with the luxury pieces I invest in – they’re typically solids. With the exception of a leopard print bag (mentioned yesterday), I’m usually sticking to neutrals and I’ve never regretted it. And the place you can always find designer staples is Nordstrom. If you’re thinking about splurging on a piece to add to your spring wardrobe, you can always count on Nordstrom to have what you’re looking for and to get it to you quickly (with free returns!).
I’ve purchased countless investment pieces from them, and I love knowing that if I need to exchange it for another size or change my mind, it is no problem. The best!
A while back on Instagram Stories, I shared that my leopard booties were one of my best closet additions of 2018 because they go with everything. I then asked you guys if you would want a blog post rounding up some of my best style investments of the year and you guys gave a resounding yes, so a few weeks late (!!), here we are!
Let’s get into each piece and why it’s been so clutch –
Leopard Booties + Python Booties | I’ve decided animal print booties go with everything. Everything! I had no idea how much I would wear these booties over the past few months, so I recently added these to the mix. I can’t decide which pair I’m more obsessed with. I also love these and they’re 30% off!
Navy Blazer | I love a black blazer, but I added a navy piece into my closet this fall and wore it with everything including black (styled here and here). I also love this one and this one.
Leopard Prada Cahier Bag | I bought a gently used leopard bag at the end of 2017 and have been so happy to see that it works with almost any outfit. I love the Prada Cahier design and honestly think they’re adorable in all the colors.
Clear Umbrella | This umbrella has saved me so many times! I love that I can cover nearly my entire upper body and still see where I’m going. I’ve also used it to shoot looks and projects when it’s raining and I have deadlines. It’s the best!
Teddy Coat | When I bought this teddy coat 50% off on Black Friday, I legit had NO idea how much I’d be wearing it. So much that Christian asked if I had any other jackets (insert eye roll). I also really love this one and this one.
Leather Pants | I’ve only had faux leather pants in my life, so this fall I splurged on a pair of cropped leather pants. I had no idea how much I would love them. CHIC. This is the pair I bought (runs TTS), but I also love these. For a smaller investment, these and these are fab too.
Designer Dupe Loafer Slides | I will invest in designer bags, jewelry and outerwear… but I can be pretty rough on shoes so I’m more hesitant to splurge. When I found these designer dupes, I bought them in three colors – no regrets.
Simple Bodysuit | I bought this bodysuit in 3 colors and wear them with everything. They’re simple, easy and a great layering piece. PS – they’re under $15!
Comfy Sneakers | I keep a pair of Tretorns by our front door and wear them when I’m walking Bailey literally every single day. They are so comfortable and when I’m wearing them trekking uphill, I’m never thinking about my feet.
Teeny Tiny Diamond Studs & Huggies | Now that I have my ears triple pierced, I’ve been trying to find an earring combination that I like. I’ve splurged and treated myself to a few teeny tiny diamond studs, and I really love them! Shopbop has a great selection.
Band Tees | This is my favorite brand for rocker tees right now. I wear them knotted over a maxi dress, tucked into high waisted jeans, under blazers, you name it.
Levi’s, and more Levi’s | It’s no secret I love some Levi’s, but I recently discovered the ribcage jeans and bought them in two colors. So good!
Fun Sunglasses | My classic sunglasses that I wear with almost everything are these and these, but it’s really fun to have a nice pair of sunglasses that just bring a smile. What’s more fun than pink sunglasses? And when can you snag Celine under $100? Go for it.
Do you have any must-haves from the past year? I’d love to hear what are closet staples for you. And I’m looking forward to seeing what picks 2019 brings. I’m pretty sure dad sneakers won’t be one of them. But never say never! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
I talked a little bit about my quick visit to Los Angeles a few weeks ago with StitchFix here, but today I wanted to talk more about the event and the meaning behind it.
In February, Stitch Fix had a Red Carpet pop-up event in New York and Los Angeles. The events were held in public places (in LA it was at The Grove), and the point was this: every day deserves a red carpet. From commutes to vacations, coffee runs to first dates and everything in between, your everyday style is always something that is seen & it should be FUN! There were on-site “handlers,” stylists, photographers, and press, and anyone who chose to walk the red carpet and have the experience was treated equally. The energy was high, and if you can just imagine anyone at the mall strutting down a red carpet – it was pretty epic.
So while celebrities were having their red carpet moments at the Oscars, there was a Stitch Fix commercial dedicated to the moments in life that deserve great style. I was so shocked to see that I was a tiny part of it – and so honored!
What I was surprised to see at The Grove was that people of all ages were totally up for having this experience, confidently answering questions about their personal style and having their photo taken. It was actually incredible to see, and it really reminded me of something so important: confidence is everything.
The finishing detail to any outfit is confidence. We should use our clothing and style choices to help us feel our best, walk confidently into a room and feel like we are showing the world who we are.
That’s why I love that Stitch Fix offers stylists for people who want fresh pieces but might not have the time to shop for themselves. You can fill out a very detailed survey that helps them get a feel for your needs and personal style, and shortly after you’ll receive a box of pieces hand-selected for you. Keep what you want and return what you don’t (with a prepaid shipping bag and label), and you’re only charged for the pieces you do keep.
You can continue working with the same stylist or not, and therefore you can work toward finding someone who can really nail down your vibe.
This top was sent to me by Stitch Fix, and I love that it will work for so many different occasions. I wore it with high waisted denim here, but it would also look fab with black pants for the office or tucked into a pencil skirt.
Thank you so much for reading! And if you’ve ever used Stitch Fix, I’d loved to hear about your experience -XO –
