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The Link Up: Emily’s New Kids’ Breakfast Hack, Jess’s 70% Off Fall Dress, And The Pumpkin-Shaped Pan We All Want This Fall
Happy Sunday! Who’s ready for another Link Up: Fall Edition… well the first one at least?? I know. We are as excited too. Let’s jump on in:
This week’s home tour is another spectacular deVOL kitchen (do they ever disappoint?? We think not). British style icon, Pearl Lowe, tapped deVOL to design her holiday home kitchen, just minutes from the beach. After her last deVOL kitchen turned out insanely beautiful, there was a lot to live up to but we think it sure exceeded all expectations. PLUS there’s a disco ball in the kitchen. A DISCO BALL. We’re in love. That is all.
From Emily: Two of my mom friends separately told me about this easy breakfast for kids. It’s a pancake in a cup where you add water and shove in the microwave and boom it’s done. Before you judge (because I probably would have) the kids LOVE IT SO MUCH and it and more importantly it has 10 grams of protein. That’s a LOT. Listen, I’m not a nutritionist and I KNOW that eggs are likely more healthy, but for those mornings where there is too much scramble to actually scramble, and you are choosing between types of cereal, these have been GREAT. Again, most importantly the kids love them (obviously, they are pancakes in a cup).
From Ryann: In another installment of “Tik Tok Made Me Buy It” I have discovered an incredible lightweight serum that I just have to share. It’s this True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum and it has officially replaced my everyday foundation. I don’t like using foundation anyway because it is often too heavy for my liking but I DO want a bit of coverage for my uneven spots. Anyway, this serum DOES IT and it actually helps keep my skin moisturized throughout the day. 10/10 my friends!!
From Caitlin: I have officially decided to embrace fall – even though it’s going to go back into the 80s next week here in LA, ugh – by breaking out my favorite loafers. I love the cut of these (not too boxy, not too thick, not too slippery) and the quality:price ratio is so, so impressive – I grab a pair every year and they hold up better than shoes that cost 5x as much. My closet is already stacked up with pink and yellow versions dating back to 2017, so I think I’ll be going for the leopard this year (though at only $59, maybe I’ll grab it in a normal, wear-everyday color too?).
Also From Caitlin: I got a targeted IG story ad for this pumpkin patch loaf pan and this fall pumpkin square pan (each square has a different motif!!) and I have never swiped up so fast IN MY LIFE. They’re so sweet and special and judging by the real-life photos on the page, they actually work!!! BRB scheduling a party at my house where I can serve pumpkin-shaped pumpkin bread on a vintage pumpkin plate. (JK, I do not own a pumpkin plate yet, but that store is one of my favorite Etsy shops for vintage dinnerware!!)
From Mallory: Like Caitlin, I’m coming around on the fall train (slowly but surely…summer I already miss you) and I’m starting to lean in buy purchasing cute plaid dresses (and from none other than J. Crew of course…it’s the best “fall/holiday” store imho). I’ve had my eye on this dress for quite some time bc it’s the perfect summer/fall transition and it’s officially 30% off (making it $89 instead of $130). I sent it to Caitlin and she said “ooh like Reformation but cheap and festive” and I was like EXACTLY. I’m pretty much only wearing puff sleeves/renaissance looks with lug-sole boots this fall, so if you want to join me, feel free :)
Also From Mallory: Have you ever had a hot dog that’s ACTUALLY good? Like one that tastes like real meat and not like baloney? Today’s my birthday (wahoo!) and yesterday I grilled up some hot dogs with a few of my friends to celebrate, and it reminded me that I’ve been meaning to share my secret to making hot dogs actually DELICIOUS. It’s called Snake River Farms Hot Dogs (you can usually find them at Ralphs/Vons/Pavilions kind of stores). They made me go from “hot dogs are okay” to “I NEED TO EAT A HOT DOG EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.” They’re $10 a pack at Pavillions (which I’m aware is expensive for a pack of hot dogs) but trust me when I say they make your dog insanely delicious. Plus when you have a food that’s only 3-4 ingredients (dog, bun, ketchup, mustard…ketchup is optional but please don’t ever skip mustard) it goes from good to great when you up the quality of the dog. I know I’m probably more passionate about hot dogs than the average person, but trust me it’s because of these dogs. Anyway, thanks for coming to my hot dog ted talk.
From Jess: Last weekend, after 5 years of living in LA, I FINALLY went to Joshua Tree. My best friend found us the most wonderful Airbnb and we basically didn’t leave it for the 2.5 days we were there. So aside from the whole house being perfectly curated, it was the tabletop appliances that really caught my eye! Maybe I’m the last to know but Haden is a VERY cute more affordable alternative to SMEG. The Airbnb had their microwave, toaster, and coffee maker all in the “putty” color. But they have some other realllly cute color options if you are in the market.
Also From Jess: If like all of us you love the look of Em’s awesomely patterned dresses, I found one via Refinery29 that is SO cute, looks like a flattering cut, is only $40 (!!!) and since it’s long, will last you till next summer.
That’s it and happy birthday Mallory!! See you all tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credit: Photo via deVOL Kitchens
We also use the Kodiak pancake bowls as mix – so you can just make 1-2 pancakes on the griddle for a kid easily.
Haha, will you judge me if I pick up some pancakes in a cup for my 20-something who seems to always be needing a quick meal?!
I hate to ruin your find, but be aware that Kodak uses palm oil in the microwave cups. Palm oil* harvesting is devastating the rain forests. Kodiak is aware and has been seemingly working on a more sustainable source for three years now and still no change? It’s disappointing because they are easy and taste great. I don’t think they use palm oil in the box mix, and you can still make delicious Kodiak pancakes in a mug just as quickly (and cut down on packaging waste).
* please check the ingredients on other products you buy
☹?
There’s a whole other universe out there of very smart scientists who have shown that eggs are not good for any person, nor is any animal food source. I had to go there because my lifetime of eating the wrong foods has resulted in diabetes type 2 and I had to look very hard to find a valid way to reverse it and return to good health. Turns out, that is low-fat, plant-based, whole-food eating. And it works on pretty much every chronic health condition that is common in the western diet. Contrary to popular opinion, it is a low-fat, low-protein, high-carb diet that is healthiest and prevents premature death from these diseases. Not high-protein, high-fat, low-carb. While a person can lose weight going either way, the latter ruins your health long-term. This has been well-known by scientists for almost a hundred years, but the knowledge seems to be suppressed from becoming widely known by the public. But if you look, you can find a wealth of information on this. The book, video, and website Forks Over Knives is a good starting point for learning about this. From there, they link to many, many experts and sources of info on… Read more »
This food lecture is inappropriate here. But since it’s up, I will counter with a recommendation that anyone interested in nutrition check out Stephan J. Guyenet on twitter. He reviews some diet books here: and he has his own web page
Roberta wasn’t kecturing IMHO, she was dharing something she found helped her health and wellbeing.
This is “The Link Up” anc I’ve seen quite a few people share things that have helped them.
People in glass houses?
The reason I personally found the comment out of place was that it seemed to pass judgment on the way Emily feeds her kids (implying that feeding her growing kids eggs will cause a lifetime of disease.) Although this isn’t a place for scientific debate, the nutrition protocol suggested isn’t particularly well backed up by the proper interpretation of research, and it’s bordering on dangerous to imply that all children need low fat low protein diets!
I recommend the lovely IG account Kids Eat in Color for anyone interested in kid nutrition that is judgment-free and science backed!
I am not meaning to pass judgment on Emily or anyone else. My comment was in response to Emily’s comment that maybe she should be feeding her kids eggs (seems like she was worried that readers would judge her for not feeding her kids eggs every morning). There is a ton of legitimate science behind all of this, and there is also a book on nutrition for kids by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I have not read that book (I don’t have kids at home), but I have read 3 of his other books, and they are very good and reference lots of studies. It’s not surprising that what I said would be taken badly by many (it kind of proves my point above), but I do want to share it in case it makes sense to some. Also. there is protein in plants, and the need for protein was determined a long time ago to be 10% of total calories, but to be safe, they set the recommendation at 20%, and most Americans eat more like 30%. You can easily get enough protein eating plants.
Look, no one wants to hear it (and I personally eat a mostly plant-based diet with some eggs, cheese, etc.), but I do have to back you up and say you’re not wrong :) Sorry, y’all, it’s the truth. Eat plants.
It’s completely inappropriate to tell another adult how to eat (unless you are that person’s personal doctor/dietician). Feel free to say “I believe XYZ” but it is indeed an unwarranted lecture when you say “XYZ diet is the healthiest and prevents death…”. Guess what, no one knows what the healthiest diet is, and what may be best for you may be deadly for someone else.
Thought I wanted a farmhouse sink for our kitchen refresh but what is up with the gaps around the sink cutout? That looks sloppy to me. Is that standard? Haven’t noticed it before but if it was my house I think that’s all I would notice. The rest of the kitchen is lovely.
YES!!! That was the only thing I saw and it isnt like me to miss a mirror ball.
I recently read that for every hot dog you eat you take 26 minutes off of your life, so resist the urge to eat them every day! Also, I did see that King Arthur has a protein pancake mix as well! Check their instagram because they have a recipe to make mini-muffins with the mix that you could make up in advance!
Ha! I read that story. Then I imagined a dramatic doctor scene: “Doctor! What do you think caused her death?!” “I’m sorry to say. She died. Of. Hotdogs.”
Balance is everything!
In nutrition school, I had a great instructor who always liked to say “consider whether the stress of never eating xyz is going to harm your health more than enjoying it sometimes.” It’s now my personal philosophy toward cupcakes and hotdogs (though I do want to add it’s possible to find more “natural” high quality hotdogs that may be a slightly more healthful choice. You can also up the nutrition with a sprouted whole grain bun and probiotic rich sauerkraut!)
What is “nutrition school”? Are you a dietician?
It was a masters in clinical nutrition. I’m not currently practicing now though.
LEARNED that Edward Carey is an amazing illustrator and author. His illustrated article “Living with the Dark Beasts of Texas Grackles!” is in the October 2021 issue of Texas Highways. I will never look at grackles the same after reading his quote in the intro “They are like small demons that are a part of our daily existence. They are the birds we deserve.” You can see more of his illustrations at
WATCHED All of WandaVision on Disney. Also watched all of The Underground Railroad on Prime but then learned Barry Jenkins said “don’t watch this all at once”. He’s right, I would say no more than one episode a week. Bring on the Emmys.
READ Finished the “revisionist Iliad” book Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Read the super short “Nantucket novel” The Sixth Wedding by Erin Hilderbrand. Started The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller.
I just can’t do a pancake cup…too much daily waste. Would feel fine to me for a once in a blue moon rushed morning.
And that’s exactly what Emily said – for those rushed mornings, not every morning. Read all the words.
Our kids have loved every Kodiak Cakes product we’ve tried. And with picky eaters, this feels like a win on early school mornings.
The pancake cups aren’t a ‘hack.’ Word misused again. But I’m glad to read about them.
Doesn’t it fall under one of the following definitions for “hack”?
“a clever tip or technique for doing or improving something” from
Or the definition that comes up in Google’s dictionary:
“a strategy or technique for managing one’s time or activities more efficiently.”
My previous question was honest curiosity. But instead it was down voted. I decided to do some research, and it seems there is controversy over this informal use of the word “hack”. I guess from the few linguistics classes I took in college, along with being married to someone with a background in linguistics and having a child who studies linguistics for fun, I’m used to having these conversations around language use and evolution. It is not uncommon to here the phrase, “Don’t be such a prescriptivist,” in our house.
There are many definitions of ‘hack,’ of course, but the one this blog’s team is trying for simply refers to ‘tip.’ (it is not even a ‘clever’ tip). They used to mean something like the famous ‘Ikea hacks’ … i.e. clever redesign/reuse of an item.
So I’m not sure there is anything “prescriptivist’ about fatigue over lazy writing. They are trying to make feeding a pancake mix sold across the country sound hip and imaginative. (Or maybe this was just product placement). But it has little to do with ‘denotation’ or ‘connotation’ word use that linguists discuss. Plus, this use of ‘hack’ doesn’t have enough history to devolve so quickly into imprecise usage acceptable to conscientious writers.
But I confess that this is mostly my being annoyed by the constant lazy use of ‘hack.’ They need to find a new, hipper word. It’s overdone.
Thank you, Leslie, for the reply. I see that the use of a breakfast food for breakfast isn’t particularly clever. I suppose “a quick breakfast tip” would have been more appropriate, and using “hack” degrades the meaning of the word to the point that it becomes less meaningful in appropriate contexts. After all, I completely overlooked the word, as it has so many uses now that I don’t try to convey much meaning from it.
mmmmmm summer nights grilling dogs. such a summery taste treat. thank you for the reco!
We used to make a big batch of pancakes on the weekend, freeze them, and then pop them in the toaster oven throughout the week for a quick breakfast. But the cups remind me of the instant oatmeal packets we used growing up. I can’t eat them now, because I’m all about steel cut oats now.
Happy birthday, Mallory!
Are there ever round-ups that aren’t just about purchasing new/additional products? As we all work to be more conscious consumers it seems so out of place to have a list of links focused on stuff to buy as opposed to things to read, listen to, cook, grow, or make.
The link ups are, in my understanding, a way to generate income for the site. I assume this based on the stats they give on the most purchased items from the link ups, and also because they are always linking to a product (aside from home tours). I don’t love it, but I can understand the pressure to create income-generating content.
Happy Birthday, Mallory! Also, “hot dog ted talk”… Hahahaha :) Hope you had a fee yummy ones today! :)
*few
I like when you do Fall shopping tips for decor, fashion and beauty. I’ve already purchased the Target round blue pottery vase and the smoking slippers here. It makes things so easy for me. Keep it up, I buy a lot!
I appreciate the need for a quick breakfast that kids like, so long as everyone is aware that each cup has 15 grams of sugar (14 grams added). That’s about three teaspoons. No wonder kids like it. Just want to point that out because it’s easy to forget about added sugar in processed food like this. Not trying to lecture but I think calling this a “healthy” or even “healthy ish” breakfast for kids is just misleading. Call it a treat or a time saver, fine.
As for added protein – sorry but most Americans don’t need extra protein in their diet. That’s a myth. Just eat real food.
I know discussing nutrition is not the purpose of this blog, but I’m just really disappointed to see this recommendation, for kids especially.
Can you share the name of the airbnb in Joshua Tree? Thank you.