When Kyle and I decided to get married, there was only one thing that I knew I wanted: to get married in Whitefish, MT. During the hardest times of my life, it has been the place where I sought refuge. I was there when Kyle and I first started chatting on Tinder, and it’s where we’ve gone for nearly every Labor Day weekend since we met.
So when the on-site coordinator for my favorite Whitefish hotel, told Kyle that they had just one opening this summer, on a Sunday, over Labor Day, that was it. We had a date, and a venue.
Initially, I wanted a small wedding. I used to tell people that when Kyle and I got married, it would be 12 people at a Taco Bell. (Crunch Wrap Supremes for everyone!) But how many times in your life can you entice all of the people you love, people scattered across time zones and continents, to be in one place at the same time?
I thought about my wedding a lot in my early-20s; I think many women do. But as I grew in my career, stopped dating for 10 years, had my heart broken, and settled into the category of “alone, but rarely lonely,” I stopped. So when it came time to plan my wedding, I didn’t have many ideas. There were so many decisions to make, and so many things to think about. It was so overwhelming, especially from 5-hours away. I knew I needed a wedding planner.
To some, this seems like an unnecessary expense. To me, it seemed like a downpayment on making sure that someone with experience, someone capable, and most importantly, someone local, would be there to take work off my plate (and my Mom’s plate). I set the wide parameters, pin things to Pinterest, approve budgets, and leave the rest to her. She also owns the company that will be renting us the majority of the decor, so that couldn’t be more convenient.
So now, when friends and relatives ask how the wedding planning is going, the only answer I can offer is, “I assume it’s going well.” I think about the wedding for less than 30-minutes a day. I hope this stressless planning experience continues. If it does, this will be the best money that I have ever spent.
Working on a local campaign, my feet are about to take a real beating. Walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors, standing at events. I love my Rothy’s, I do, but I doubt they have what it takes to knock 500 doors per day. So I’m on the hunt for an alternative. And when I’m looking for shoes, especially shoes I need to be able to return if they don’t work out, I shop at Nordstrom.
These Ugg red leather loafers caught my eye. Simple, comfortable, under-$100, they check a few boxes. These Clarks flats in rose gold also caught my eye, but I’m not sure how they’ll look on the foot.
I’m also considering a simple sneaker. These classic Adidas are on the list, as are these Veja Esplar sneakers. As for those wondering why I don’t just wear gym shoes, too many early-days-in-DC, ladies in suits and Nikes flashbacks.
If you were on the trail recently, and you have shoe recommendations, please leave them in the comments. My feet thank you.
Toward the end of last summer, I started eating a lot of vegetarian sandwiches. It was a surprisingly easy and filling way to eat a lot of vegetables in a short period of time. It’s also a good way to clean out the fridge.
Domino Magazine has a lot of tasty-looking recipes. But this golden beet sandwich is my favorite one that I’ve tried. The key to the sandwich is the spreads — hummus, guacamole, sunflower spread, etc.. Once you find a spread you like, you can put almost any vegetable on it and it will be good. Just watch the calorie counts, or you could inadvertently be eating a 1,000 calorie lunch.
As for construction tricks, toasting the bread is key. I also like to wrap the sandwiches in paper or foil to keep the filling together. And if you take your lunch, a friend wraps her veggie sandwich in big leaves of butter lettuce and packs the bread separately. Otherwise, they get soggy.
Last season, my FabFitFun box (yes, I subscribe) contained the Tula Probiotic Facial Cleanser, and I fell in love. It’s gentle, anti-inflammatory, and non-drying. It also cleanses really well.
I haven’t tried the rest of their probiotic line, yet, but I may buy their starter kit for summer travel. The entire line is advertised for people of all skin-types including sensitive. So if you’re in the market for a new cleanser, give this one a try.
I like to rotate books, one non-fiction to one fiction book. I’ll finish First in the next week, and I have Small Admissions on deck to follow it. This book, about elementary school admissions in New York City looks like it might be a lot of fun. A friend who doesn’t usually read fiction books, picked this up for book club and cruised through it in an afternoon. Here’s hoping I find it equally diverting at the end of a long day.
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I was on the trail in 2018 and I wore my On Running Cloud sneakers religiously while knocking on doors 4 -5 days a week. They are so so comfortable. I have them in all black and they’re pretty sleek. Yes, they’re sneakers but not too athletic looking. I highly recommend.
As someone who once doorknocked 20,000 doors in a campaign cycle, these look very spot on. I recommend you invest in supportive walking sneakers now or you will ruin your feet/knees/hips/back. Your choices look great for running around to campaign stops, which I know you’re familiar with, but I wouldn’t be caught dead doorknocking in them. If you’re really going to be knocking every day (or even 5 days a week), I’d get two pairs, so when you get caught out in the rain/step in a puddle or in the mud, you have a backup and can allow time for your shoes to dry out. It’s also good to give your feet and the shoes a break and swap pairs frequently. White sneakers will always be dirty – there’s a lot of dust on the street and sidewalks, you sometimes can’t avoid walking across a grassy area. I typically take a mindset akin to: will people looking out their window think I’m dressed appropriately for walking down the street for 6 hours, or do I look overdressed for this activity and out of touch? So I choose sporty comfort. My go-to outfits are clean dark sneakers with ankle length golf pants (soft tech material with several pockets, super comfortable and moves well) and a branded polo in the summer, I typically shift to long sleeve tech shirts and sleek vest in the fall, add a slim puffer when it’s cold.
Ditto on the sneakers. My nice casual wardrobe is almost non-existent (all either professional and business casual, or sundresses and jean shorts, nothing in between), and I always felt overdressed canvassing. People are already stand-offish when you’re knocking on their door with a political campaign, so casual but not sloppy puts you more on their level.
I run in those sneakers! I love them but did have to add an insert. Without it they felt super awkward, and in all honesty I probably would have injured myself.
I like the white on white Adidas that you linked as well as Superga. I noticed that Banana Republic has been styling their suits in the stock images online with white sneakers and I gotta say I like the look. Since going through pregnancy and having my daughter I’m kind of out on heels so I’ve been looking for professional alternatives.
Do you have Allbirds yet? They’re not as professional as loafers, but hold up nicely when you’re on your feet all day and you can throw them in the wash when they start to get stinky.
Second the vote for Allbirds! I have a pair of the Tree Skippers that I find extremely comfortable. My shoe wardrobe has somehow condensed to a few pairs of Rothy’s and one pair of Allbirds.
I just finished First yesterday afternoon! I thought it was such a wonderful book. I’ll admit I knew next to nothing about Sandra Day O’Connor before reading it. It was eye-opening and insightful, and this non-lawyer appreciated the author’s way of explaining matters of law and jurisprudence.
Glad your wedding planning is staying stress free! Hiring a wedding planner is the best decision I made. I’m a little bit more involved than it seems you are but I can’t imagine having to cover the ground my planner is covering before I even come into each decision.
I “planned” our entire wedding without visiting or seeing anything in person from 1000 miles away. My planner was the local expert and I seriously never felt stressed at all. BEST idea ever and the day went flawlessly and the vendor selection was top notch. We were super happy with the result and I hope you are too!
Best comfortable walking shoe I own is the Cole Haan gravity knit oxford. Looks like a mixture of an Oxford and a sneaker and as comfortable as a slipper with a thick bottom for support.
Ecco shoes have served me well for long 15km urban walks in my west coast city, as well as walking in European cities.
I also recommend having a custom orthotic made. I have one through my medical plan and it has really helped. I first had foot pain in my late teens and 20s, bought comfier shoes in my 30s, and in my forties, the foot pain has gotten worse. The custom orthotics really help with posture and gait, and allow me to go on longer walks with less pain. I don’t always wear them like I should, but my ankle starts to feel sore without them. Foot pain only gets worse, and according to my podiatrist, unsupportive shoes for long periods of walking or standing can actually harm your foot in the long run.
I recently purchased earth brand shoes which work with or without the orthotic. I’ve heard Taos runners work too. Lastly, the naot Keiri is like walking on clouds, and the footbed can be repurchased as needed.
It’s not easy finding a unicorn shoe that is attractive, supportive and comfy— but there a few that exist.
Seconding Ecco shoes, specifically the Ecco Soft 7 sneaker. They have a thick but supportive sole and removable insole.
Thanks for sharing your shoe recommendations! I too have foot problems since I hit 40. I haven’t taken the plunge with custom orthotics, but I think I need to. I do okay with Eccos, Vionic, and Birks (around the house), but think orthotics would help immensely.
I so wish I had hired a planner for my wedding but was guilted into not (by several family members and in-laws), and I planned my wedding from across the country! … I’m so happy to hear you’re having a great experience!
Oh, and I’ve never worked a campaign before but I’m on my feet a lot. I’ve been loving my Nisolo smoking shoes. They also make a sneaker you might want to check out!
Hiring a planner was the single best decision we made regarding our wedding. We found someone who really understood our vision, our budget, and helped us avoid decision fatigue. They knew which vendors to work with, allowed us to make choices from 2-3 options, rather than 100, and just made the entire experience so much more pleasurable. It’s an investment, for sure, but so worthwhile if you’re able to do it.
I own the Veja Esplar, and while stylish, they are on a comfort level best suited for errands vs. serious mileage. Also, because they are vegan leather, the shoes are not very breathable, which causes my feet to get hot, sweaty, and later, cold.
I’d love to hear what you think about Small Admissions! I wanted to like it but ultimately just found the main character a bit whiny and out of touch.
Same – I had a really hard time caring much about the protagonist. I found “Class Mom” to be a much more enjoyable read.
I love Born shoes. Extremely comfortable and in lots of styles.