by Sunny
follow Sunny on Twitter @Sunnylooksleaps
There is nothing better than picking out the perfect novel to take on your next trip. But wouldn’t you agree there are some books that inspire you to travel or get you super psyched to visit a new destination? Here are four suggestions for books to read before you travel to that new city.
by Sunny
follow me on Twitter @Sunnylooksleaps
I think it’s safe to say that while Frozen mania has died down considerably, Anna, Elsa, and Olaf will be fixtures of Halloween costume racks for years to come. And if your little ones are just now jumping on the Frozen bandwagon, take a look at these Halloween projects that just might have Olaf singing about Autumn instead of Summer!
Is anyone else wondering where the month of September went? We haven’t posted much lately, but everyone’s been especially busy wrapping up summer and transitioning to fall. You know how it is! There have been family parties, visits and trips, getting kids back to school, new jobs, a new pet, drafting a fantasy football team, looking for Pope Francis in DC, trying to understand Twitter, binge-watching Justified, cheering baseball teams (Go Mets! says Jack and Wendy. Go Cardinals! says almost everyone else in the fam). We hope to get back in the habit of posting regularly soon. We have lots of stories to share. Hope everyone is doing great!
by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
Walk around during your lunch break and enjoy the last few weeks of jacket-free weather
Binge on baseball games. Consider listening to one on the radio, old school. Baseball is classic summer.
If your garden is overrun with tomatoes, try roasting some in the oven with olive oil, oregano and garlic Continue reading
by Wendy
Waiting is challenging in the best of times. We tick off the slow workdays before vacation. We get impatient when the person ahead of us in the fast food drive-through seems to be requesting a farm-to-table chef’s tasting menu – and all we want is coffee. We become annoyed with flight delays or when we can’t board multiple metro trains because they’re all so packed. But I think the worst is waiting for medical test results. I hope you have no idea what I’m talking about: that call from a doctor telling you something is wrong, then the horrid cycle of nervous testing, then nervous waiting to get the results, then nervous consultation, and sometimes a few more rounds before some kind of resolution. For those of you who are dealing with anything like this, I’m sorry and it’s not fair and you don’t deserve it. I’m not a doctor and have no medical advice to give, but I can share my own experience of what I did to try and stay relatively calm in this situation. Continue reading
By Wendy
Follow me on twitter@wendylooksleaps
We haven’t spotlighted a recipe in awhile (just here and here). And I’m probably the least likely member of the Looks and Leaps clan to claim any special kitchen skills (unless you count chatting and drinking cava while someone else cooks). Which means you should pay special attention to this tip: the punk rock carrot cake.
My college friends were an interesting group that ran the whole “indie” gamut – art and literature students, punk rockers in local bands, poets, retro fashionistas, straightedge adherents, straightedge deterrents, foreign exchange students – with all manner of styles and beliefs and hobbies. They were superstars. And out of this eclectic mix I learned a carrot cake recipe that is so rad, I have to share it with you. Store-bought carrot cakes will have little appeal after you roll up your sleeves and build this one yourself. This cake freaks out other cakes with its fierce distinctiveness. There’s no butter, milk, eggs. Yes, it’s vegan, which I know is anarchy for some people. But in my opinion, this version tastes better than mainstream carrot cakes. Even those layered ones with the icing carrot on top (and I admit that I’ve always liked the icing carrot). Continue reading
by Jack, Jimmy, and Joe
follow Jack on Twitter @jacklhalsey and Jimmy @jimmybowen32
With baseball season in full swing, what better time to ask our family panel of baseball experts about their favorite ballpark experiences? Jack, Jimmy, and Joe all weigh in on their favorite parks, most memorable games, and of course, unforgettable ballpark food!
by Jack
I love wine and as I came to appreciate it more and more the concept of “terroir” gained a firm role in defining what I love about it. A French term, terroir is the combination of grape varietal, soil and climate that together produce a unique and distinct wine. This is integral to the prominence of celebrated wine regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa where each are heralded for wines of a recognizable character from varietals well suited to their specific conditions. The ripe velvety Cabernet Sauvignons of Napa, the crisp, steely Chardonnays of Chablis, have their own special characteristics not found in Cabs or Chards from other regions.
Which brings me to Garrigue, another French term. Garrigue refers to aromatic mix of resinous herbs and shrubs in the rocky hills of southern France. Lavender, thyme, cedar and salt air combine on the warm ocean breezes to create an unforgettable perfume. Many say these transfer into the wines of the region as well. I was reflecting on this during a recent beach vacation and thought I could identify a “Garrigue” for each of my favorite seaside venues along with a wine or two that share it. Continue reading
by April, Sunny and Wendy
We were so excited to participate in the Travel Fashion Girl interview series! Do you know about this amazing website? Travel Fashion Girl is an awesome resource – packing lists for practically every destination or type of trip, product reviews, beauty tips, and tons of style and travel inspiration – all topics the Looks and Leaps sisters love. Be sure to check it out!
And a big, warm THANK YOU to Alex and Travel Fashion Girl for the interview! Very fun!
by Jack
There is something fleeting in a summer night. Sitting on a porch at dusk in a humid sponge of clipped sentences and car sounds passing from distant to here to distant again, watching a baseball game in a crisply air-conditioned living room hearing the contented murmur of a far away crowd in the focused lulls of the game, moments that seem to pause and stare before passing. Yet even as we bask in this languorous unfolding of the little, there comes the barely perceptible rush of an outward tide stealing away time at a frantic rate. The game is over, the hour too late for idle conversation, back to school, back to work.
Summer becomes precious early in life, it may be the first thing we realize we have squandered. The first summer after kindergarten arrives like morning after a bad dream and is received with relief and casual appreciation. The end of this summer is the true end of childhood. Continue reading