Cute Emo Girl Picture

Austin advice?

We're going to Austin!!! Our friends just moved there, so we're heading down for a weekend trip at the end of the month. (We figured we sneak in the trip before Toby turns two and we have to buy him plane seat.)

Everyone I know raves about Austin, and we can't wait to see it. Most of all, I'm excited to swim in Barton Springs, the 1,000-foot-long spring-fed natural pool. It looks incredible! (This monthly full-moon party would be a trip:)

Have you been to Austin? Do you live there? We'd be psyched for any recommendations! xoxo

P.S. Ten tips for traveling with a baby, and our guide to NYC.

(Photos by Budget Travel, MagazineUSA, Emily and Jack Archer)

The Best Banana Bread You'll Ever Have (with Bourbon and Chocolate Chunks)

My mom used to make banana bread when we were growing up. We'd smell it in the kitchen, and I'd request tastes right when it came out of the oven, when the bananas were soft, mushy and a little too hot. The memory alone makes me homesick for Michigan! Well, luckily, the fabulous Joy the Baker has agreed to share her #1 banana bread recipe with us today, and (record scratch) it includes bourbon and chocolate chunks. As she says, it's "bonkers delicious." Here's the recipe...
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How to make travel WAY easier

Can you imagine boarding a flight with just a wallet and your favorite book? Before you leave for vacation, LugLess will pick up your suitcases from your house and deliver them right to your destination.

A small suitcase costs $39 and a large suitcase costs $59, which are amazing prices considering that most airlines charge twenty-five bones to check a bag. Traveling without luggage would make a trip so much easier, especially when you have a wriggly baby in tow.

Having bags sent ahead is something I always assumed was reserved for the Rich & Famous, but this seems totally doable! Thumbs up, LugLess.

First day of spring

Today is the first day of spring. That's all! Celebrate!
(Top photo by The Sartorialist; bottom photos by Downtown From Behind)

Summer sneakers

Bensimon sneakers are the French girls' Converse. I bought my first pair for our honeymoon, and I've worn them every summer ever since. They look cute with jeans, shorts and dresses; and you can slip them on quickly when holding a wriggly baby. Well, Bensimon just released a limited-edition set of pastel colors for spring, made exclusively for Madewell. Aren't they lovely? (P.S. My big-foot size has already sold nut, so hurry if you'd like a pair!)
(Top photo by The Singular; bottom layout by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo)

A NYC weekend

New York City can feel so dark and dreary during the winter (puddles! gray buildings! umbrellas whacking you!) that it's always a restorative breath of fresh air when the sun comes back out. Everyone pours out of their cramped apartments, and the city comes alive. This weekend felt like summer, with blue skies and cool breezes. Hope you had a great one, and here are a few photos we snapped this weekend, if you'd like to see...
On Saturday, we rode bikes across the Brooklyn Bridge (this was the view from my bike seat!)...
We headed to the glorious Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo. You can see the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridges jutting out from each side, and hear the subways rattling noisily across them every ten minutes. (Our friends got married in this park a few years ago, and they had to pause their ceremony whenever the subways clattered overhead:)
We chilled in the grass (and I showed off my newly orange toes:), while Toby ate raisins and gazed at the enormous historic carousel that opened last summer...
So, we decided to buy tickets (the attendants' T-shirts say "Pony Up $2!") and take a spin on the carousel.
As we climbed on, Toby suddenly got freaked out by the horses (he cried at first!) so we sat together on the sleigh. (Note the other freaked out baby sitting behind us:)
Look at the rad backdrops in these photos!
We met up with our friends and headed to a nearby playground to hang out...
Dumbo is such a spectacular neighborhood. (This was just a random view we had when we walked to the deli to buy a snack!)
The next day, we headed to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights, which is chock full of vintage subway cars. Toby's head almost exploded.
Taking photos was tricky because he was so excited and giddy that he literally ran everywhere. Just ran!! A little boy's dream come true:)

Oh, New York, sometimes we forget how great you are in the winter, but then summer comes, and we feel guilty for ever complaining. We love you! xoxo

(Toby's plaid shirt at top by Pearls & Popcorn; overalls by Carters)