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I need a vacation from my vacation

Back from vacation…
Guys, I’m writing this newsletter from a Mexican restaurant down the street from my apartment, furtively sipping a rose (with ice! The best combo!) and inhaling a bowl of guacamole. By myself. And it feels GOOD. Tom and I just got back from taking the kids and my parents on a road trip to upstate New York and the Berkshires and I am TIRED. Two adults, two senior citizens, 1 four-nado, and 1 terrible two in a Volvo... wow.
 
Anyway, I’m happy to be back and, as promised, am recommitting to these newsletters and this week we have a special guest sharer… Tom! Look for his picks at the end of the newsletter 😊
 
Here are my picks for the week:
*Kid-friendly snack containers: So I’ve had a glass of rose at this point and I don’t remember if I’ve written about these snack containers but we basically filled up six of these snack containers on the road trip and the kids ate pretty much everything from them. These are the best for soft, pudgy hands bc the top isn’t rigid plastic and they fit a perfect serving size for a tiny tummy.
https://amzn.to/2XuaUQb
 
*Freeze-dried strawberries: We used to buy small pouches of freeze-dried strawberries once a week from Trader Joe’s and then when we were at our friend Rachel’s house last weekend, I opened her pantry door to find a GIANT Costco-sized tub of freeze-dried berries!!! Ren and Tao love freeze-dried everything (is it the texture? IDK) so I promptly ordered this giant tin. We put them in yogurt, eat them plain, put them in pancakes, everything!
https://amzn.to/30fuK3F
 
*Random linen pants: I bought these frumpy linen pants to wear on weekends in the summer and literally of all the things I’ve ever worn on Instagram, these pants have been probably in the top 3 “most asked about”. I have no idea why. They are super comfy, they cost $25, and that’s that!
https://amzn.to/2JiNNEI
 
*One piece bathing suit: I honestly don’t know when I’ll ever wear a two piece bathing suit again. Two kids = one piece suits forever because both times I had that condition where (avert your eyes if you don’t have kids/are squeamish) your stomach muscle separate from the baby bump and my stomach just is a very different, uh, consistency than it used to be! Anyway, so I wear one pieces now and this one from Onia is my favorite. It’s sort of modest but also not really because the legs are cut pretty high. This is an old suit but a lot of you guys asked about it so here you go: https://shopstyle.it/l/5r9y
 
*Ren’s favorite book right now is Dogman. Parents of kids who are obsessed with Dogman, you probably understand how torn I am about this. It’s a lot of poo humor, it doesn’t make the most sense but you know what? Anything that gets her to want to read… I’m ok with!
https://amzn.to/2JtZEi2
 
*I reread The Westing Game on this trip and was reminded of why it’s one of my favorite books of ALL-TIME. If you haven’t read this book, you are missing out! It’s about 40 years old but the story-telling is as snappy as ever, and the mystery as tightly-woven. I love this book and it always feels like a cliché to say it’s one of my favorite books (I feel like I’ve been on several author panels and we all say that this book is a favorite) but honestly it is.
https://amzn.to/2LIaofa
 
Here is where we went on holiday:
Troutbeck: Tom and I stayed here last year for our anniversary and fell in love with the area. It’s a little haven in the (relative) woods of Amenia, NY. The rooms are charming, the grounds are gorgeous, and the overall vibe is super-relaxed and friendly. Also, there are amazing local restaurants and even a drive-in!  
Tourists: This is a newish hotel in the Berkshires (North Adams, MA, also the home of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) with an ultra-cool modern minimalist vibe. We stayed in a Caravan room which has a fun bunkbed and day bed for the kids. Bonus: there’s a GIANT supermarket across the street from the hotel for everything/anything you need as well as a great restaurant with super yummy food.
 
And here are Tom’s picks!
Vick’s Vapocool cough drops: “I have had a recurring cold for the past three weeks and have gone through two packets of these. It has enough medicinal power to keep a cold at bay while still tasting good.”
https://amzn.to/2FXKoZE
 
Beats X Headphones: 
“I destroy or lose a lot of headphones. But so far these have survived the Tom test. They don’t fall out of your ears while running. They are hanging tough.”
https://amzn.to/2L92zzV
 
IDK why but those two reviews just sparked a lot of joy LOLOL!

Okay, I'm going to bed. Until about three weeks from now (or sooner if I'm motivated), 
Eva (and Tom!)
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