Happy Sunday, everyone. We know it happens every single year, but wow, May got here fast! Well, it’s almost here:) Em’s getting ready to shoot outside, which you know she loves, and lots of other fun projects are well underway. But what we are most excited about today is sharing the reader swimsuit entries we got! Everyone looks so beautiful and gave awesome recommendations, so get ready for those down below. Let’s jump in!

This week’s house tour is pure joy and beauty. The amazingly talented Dabito is in ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST with his New Orleans home. As expected, it’s full of color, pattern, art, whimsy, and more. What’s even more unreal is that this is a new build. You have to see the photos and read this story of how this home came to be!

From Emily: Two gifts that hit big with our kids. For Christmas, both our kids got CrunchLabs kits, and they are so, so good. If you don’t know, Mark Rober (an engineer and now a massive YouTube star) created CrunchLabs based on his passion for curiosity within science. His YouTube is one of a few that we allow our kids to watch that they actually WANT to watch. He’s so smart and likable and doesn’t talk down to kids. The Crunchlab kits are the perfect level of complicated, with a huge payoff. We don’t have to help at all, and yet the kids actually stick to it and have finished every single one. They are usually something really interactive that feels like a toy at the end (this month was a propulsion device). This next one is a fantastic gift for a tween. For our Easter baskets, Brian (uh, I mean the Easter Bunny) bought Charlie a light-up Tetris game, which has proven to be very fun and still deemed cool by tweens (I think because it lights up and is giving neon light decor, maybe?). We bought one from West and Arrow, but Amazon has a lot of options that seem very fun as well. I’m always delighted when my tweens “play” with a toy versus just wanting new tech (that we push back on – the battle is real). It would be such a great gift to stock up on for kids to give their friends for birthdays.

From Mallory: If you’ve ever been to Mendocino Farms, then you know just how delicious their curried couscous is…Austin and I love to meal prep lunches each week, but finding something to make that will get better and better while it sits in your fridge is certainly challenging. We were craving pearled couscous (specific, I know..), so I decided to shoot my shot and make the Mendo version at home. YOU GUYS, IT WAS SO EASY AND DELICIOUS. There are a ton of versions of this recipe (the LA Times one adds brown sugar to the spices, so I added a pinch, and it did make it incredibly yum). The sweet, the spicy, the creamy, the acid – it’s all there, and it gets better as the week goes on. We made some chicken thighs to go with it for some protein, and it’s chef’s kiss. We’re excited for this one to be in our meal prep rotation!

From Arlyn: Over the last few weeks, we’ve spent an unspeakable amount of money on things that are, without a doubt, not flashy or sexy. Bathroom trash cans, plungers, cabinet door bumpers, and the like. But some of the functional things we’re replacing after our move are exciting to me, even if they aren’t decorative. Case in point: Our new KitchenAid dish rack. As much as I imagine a world where I don’t have dishes drying on my counter, there is no scenario where we are hand-drying everything as it washes to put right away. So, we need a dish rack, and this one is sturdy, just the right size, and has a slanted draining tray underneath so the counters don’t get soaked. I found mine on a deeper sale a few weeks back, but honestly, I would have paid more for it now after having it.

Our 2026 Reader Swimsuit Recs!!

This is the Tamarindo top and Cardiff bottom from Carve Designs. I’ve had this suit for about 5 years now and wear it all the time! As someone with bigger boobs, I was specifically looking for a top with adjustable cross-back ties, which gives it a more secure feeling, even though it’s not a high support top. I like that the bottoms have the subtle side bands – they’re soft and don’t dig in and cause a bump where the edge of the suit meets skin. Simple but special, if you will 🙂

I like swimsuits with more coverage on the bottom, and so I love the sets from Hapari. The shorts come in 5 colors (all separate listings/links) that mix and match with all of the different styles and colors of tops. I like that I can get a little extra coverage on the bottom without having to layer board shorts over bikini-style bottoms, which is what I did before I was introduced to Hapari. And of course, two pieces make it easy to go to the bathroom! I have purchased many (at least 6) of these sets and will continue to buy more! At the time of this writing, they are having a big sale where all items are $10, but if you miss that, you can still usually get a good sale price. I’m wearing a medium in both the top and the bottom, true to size. 

I have been a J.Crew Lana Swimsuit evangelist since I put it on! Perfect coverage in the back without being too cheeky, and the deep V is so sexy without being overly so. The material is almost exactly like the much more expensive Left on Friday suits I’ve tried. They come in long torso, which is a must for me, and perhaps the best part of J.Crew suits is always having a discount code! 

I’m obsessed with this Cupshe suit from Amazon for $40. I am wearing it on an active weekend in Big Sur, in and out of the river, playing with kids, but still feel sexy and glam!

Instead of a photo of me in my suit, I figured I would recommend an entire brand. I only wear Left on Friday bathing suits. The compression is amazing, they last for years (I add a new piece or three every year), you can wash AND dry them, and they stay in perfect condition. And you can mix and match all the pieces! If you see me in a suit, it’s a guarantee it’s from Left on Friday. 🙂

The reason that I love this suit is that I have lost 25 pounds since I bought it. And it still fits! I’m wearing a size 12, but I am a size 8 now. Summersalt is only online, so they have to be really great at the cut, fit, and stretch of their suits so as to accommodate a wide range of body shapes and minimize returns… I own a second summersalt suit in the same color way and two matching coverups, and I’m so pleased that they all still fit. I will definitely buy more suits from them when I’m in the market again! 

Bought this suit in May 2019 and wear it to the beach, the pool, paddle boarding with a rash shirt, and kayaking a lot. It still looks new. I have an almost hourglass figure, long torso, C cup. A friend of mine bought one on my recommendation, and she is very happy with it. She is more athletic and less busty. 

From Caitlin: Here’s one for all my personal finance nerds: I could not be happier with my Robinhood Gold card – so much so that I’ve switched to their banking product, too. On the card front, I’m rocking 3% back across the board – no worries about hitting specific categories every quarter – and I’m so pleased with the point redemption opportunities. (One point = one cent when I redeem and use my cash back to buy stocks – also earn 3.35% when I leave it uninvested in my brokerage!) But get this: the new banking perks are UNBELIEVABLE. I’m earning 3.5% on my checking account (!!!) and a whopping 4.25% on my high-yield savings, with tons of additional perks (no ATM fees, free checks, cash delivery, the list goes on!). I know Robinhood has an interesting reputation in more traditional financial circles – it’s seen as a platform for kids to throw money into junk stocks – but MAN, I’ve been using the card for a few years and recently switched over my direct deposit and daily banking, and just love the feeling that even my uninvested emergency fund is growing. Take a peek and see if it’s a fit for you! 

From Marlee: One of my favorite bags is this tote from Primecut, which is a local Portland woman-owned business. Maybe I’m slightly biased because one of my best friends works there, but their bags are truly the cutest. They are rolling out some new products for spring – enter the most adorable bag charms – that I am so excited for. If you want some handmade, colorful accessories in your life, they are a great business to support:)

From Gretchen: Em’s recent denim shorts post on Friday reminded me just how much I love and wear my AGOLDE Parker shorts. I’ve been breaking them out any chance I can get. They have a structured, button fly (my favorite) and are perfectly worn in with a fray that doesn’t get too wild. I have the shorter pair and wear them to DEATH, but I’m thinking about also picking up the Parker Long’s after seeing them on Em. If they have the same overall fit as my tried-and-trues, with a slightly longer leg, then for me, they’re worth the splurge!

From Jess: I, too, fall victim to the makeup tricks on the internet, but I have to say I really love the results of (mostly) following this one. Now, I wasn’t looking for makeup tips to take “better” photos like this creator is doing; I just wanted to feel warm, soft, and glowy. I also had a similar version (or the same) of most of the products, which also made me feel more willing to try, but honestly, after seeing the results, I would think it’s worth starting from scratch. I did skip the freckles and lip stuff, FYI. Instead, for lips, I bought another of my favorite sheer matte lipsticks in Amour Fou, which looks SO bright on the stick but goes on deeper and is soooo pretty. I had the Makeup by Mario eyeshadow palette, which is my absolute favorite, but I bought his liquid bronzer and the powder bronzer she recommends. I also picked up this powder blush in Amore instead because I preferred the tone (this is the liquid blush I use in Hope). Oh, and this is my concealer and my regular setting powder (in Cherry Peach) that works SO well. This is my favorite $7 mascara (in Deep Brown) and my beloved Victoria Beckman eyeliner (in Terracotta). Now, I like but don’t love my highlighter, so here is the one she recommends. For my brows, I use this pencil (it’s soooo thin, which I love) and this $10 brow gel. I know this is A LOT of info, but I always find it helpful when people tell me exactly what they use. And if you are like me, you will feel silly how many times you likely will watch this reel to get all the tips, but you will be happy with the results:)

Thank you for spending a little bit of your day with us, and see you tomorrow for a very fun update!

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: All The Ways We’ve Styled Our Farmhouse Fireplace Mantel (+ Lots Of Useful Ideas)