Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things – flowers from this week’s shoot

Happy spring everyone! After spending a couple days in very sunny and warm LA, I’m officially ready for spring, warm weather, and sunshine. It felt so nice on my skin after 2 weeks of cold back home in Colorado. Looking forward to these longer days and warmer temps ahead.

As I write this, I’m sitting on my flight back to Colorado. Looking forward to having my dad pick me up, get home, shower, and chill. But with a 2-hour drive up the mountain, it’ll be a late night – per usual when traveling. I will say that I’m so thankful for my dad who always comes down to Denver to get me. It’s one of those things daughters really love their dads for. Only my dad would spend 4 hours roundtrip just to make an airport run.

As they always do, my LA trip went a mile a minute. When I travel for work I really like to pack my schedule and not have a minute of downtime. Which I love, but it can also be exhausting. This trip was pretty mellow though. A quick 72 hours with a photoshoot and dinner meeting the first day. And a podcast plus lunch meeting before catching my flight out on Friday. Any guesses as to what the photoshoot was for? I get to share details tomorrow!

I did manage to squeeze in a facial at Dr. Barbara Sturm on Wednesday after my flight in. And it was well worth it! My skin has never felt better and that’s no exaggeration. It’s still hydrated and glowing after 2 full days of makeup and hustling. If you’re ever visiting (or live) in LA or NYC, I highly recommend a facial splurge at one of the Barbara Sturm spas. It is so worth the investment, trust me. And I feel the same about her products (more on that below), but my favorite product is her hyaluronic acid. I always say that skincare is the one thing I really am ok with splurging on, especially while traveling. It makes such a difference when your skin is hydrated.

Anyway, hopefully, some fun things are on their way, and after my quick trip, I’m feeling excited for new opportunities. And even more excited for the book tour. I leave in one week for a week and a half of travel. Then a quick break for Easter, and I’ll wrap things up in Costa Mesa and LA. So a busy month ahead, but I can’t wait.

Also, we did add 100 more tickets to each event. Sadly Chicago and NYC have sold out already, but if you live in LA, there are still tickets! SO EXCITED to get to meet some of you soon. Bringing our HBH family together!

With Easter coming up, is anyone planning their spring break vacations? I’ll be traveling for the book, but my family is heading to Palm Springs for some pool time.

With so much travel coming up that means this week is all about prep and working ahead on content, planning outfits, packing, and getting everything organized. Huge shoutout to my mom for booking all my flights, hotels, and transfers, and making things easy for me. I know people think Kris Jenner is the momager of the year, but I’d say it’s really Jen Gerard.

And that’s my update! Lots happening – which I love. Anything you all are looking forward to this spring? You know fresh flowers are on my radar.

Enjoy all the favorites below!!

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…Tata Harper. Use the code TATAxTIEGHAN for 25% off all Tata Harper skincare through March 31st. I love their restorative eye cream, but all products are amazing you guys.

loving…the Violet Grey Women’s Made box. Violet Grey created a beauty box in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month with only women-founded brands. Some of my favorites include Shani Darden cleansing serum, Dr. Barbara Sturm hand cream, and Vintners Daughter active botanical serum.

listening to…Friend of a Friend with Olivia Perez. Absolutely loving this podcast and the wide variety of guests. Excited to listen to episodes with Tan France and Peyton List.

shopping…Olivela. I have actually mentioned this amazing site before, they give 20% of proceeds from every purchase to charities. You can read more about them here. They carry some of my all-time favorite brands, like Dr. Barbara Strum, Vintners Daughter, and Naadam.

wanting to try…Charlotte Tilbury’s new beautiful skin foundation. I’ve heard such good things.

loving…spring Zara Home drop. The new stoneware tableware is really cute, especially these bowls. LOVE these mini copper and brass saucepans. Then this hamper basket would be great for the farmers market or storing produce in the kitchen. Of course, this glass vase is amazing for branches. In furniture, this armchair looks really nice. And lastly, this cotton robe (with a hood!) looks super cozy,

ordered…Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum, anti aging eye cream, and night serum. After my facial, the esthetician recommended I try these. Especially excited about the vitamin c serum and the night serum for my dehydrated skin.

following…Michelle Selko. She has the prettiest flowers if you’re based in LA.

loving…this bench chair from Studio Twenty Seven. The design is so unique. Also, this round table from CB2.

shopping…random spring pieces. Love this Soho Rain Trench Coat, ordered and love this pretty lilac ACNE Studios sweater and Staud cardigan, and these Re/done jeans are great too. Also, love the lilac color of this lace top and these Stand Studio slippers. And this yellow bag is a fun, springy yellow shade.

watching…Bad Vegan on Netflix. Have you seen this yet? Not sure it’s my kind of show, but I’m very curious.

loving…Kanyon Shop. Found this site from our social manager, McKenzie. Such a cool home decor shop. I love the fun mugs.

2. Spring Baking Recipes.

Iced Lemon Loaf

Easy Vanilla Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

Skillet Strawberry Bourbon Cobbler

Bursting Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts

Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Whipped Vanilla Buttercream

No Fuss Lemon Tart

Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake

Strawberry Chamomile Naked Cake

Blueberry Basque Cheesecake

3. The Lulu and Georgia 25% off sale.

*get 25% off with the code FAMILY25

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: what’s your favorite kind of gift to give/receive? tangible or experiential?
to receive, I love a simple letter or something that cost zero dollars. if someone really wanted to buy me something all I need are flowers or a candle to make me excited. literally nothing else. I don’t love receiving gifts.

however, I loveee gift giving. My favorites are something experiential OR something someone would never buy for themselves but would be soo excited to get as a gift. A splurge item.

q: do you judge a book by its cover?
a: I sure try not to. personally, the more beat up a book may look, the more interested I am. I’ve learned that just because something looks pretty on the outside, it doesn’t mean the inside is all that sweet. anything too perfect is suspicious. 

q: do you recommend buying blocks of cheese or buying pre-shredded?
a: always buy blocks of cheese if you can. the pre-shredded stuff comes with additives that ideally you want to avoid. plus, the flavor is so much better.

q: did growing up with a big family influence the recipes you created?
a: for sure! I lean towards family-style meals and crowd-pleasers. this is why I almost never share recipes for 2 or dishes without any kind of side. it’s got to be a complete meal because I’ve always fed a large crowd

q: best top 10 beginners tips?
a: these are in no particular order, just random tips off the top of my head.
1. stock the pantry with ingredients you enjoy for easy dinners
2. keep it simple, don’t get fancy
3. invest in a good knife, cutting board, and skillet (I love my Staub cast iron)
4. finish with a fresh herb (for color and flavor)
5. if cooking, don’t be afraid to leave out an ingredient you don’t like. adapt the recipe to your taste
6. avoid the grocery store on Sundays
7. if you really mess up, just order pizza, we’ve all been there
8. always squeeze citrus over your avocado to prevent browning
9. cut raw chicken with scissors
10. GOOGLE ANYTHING YOU DON’T KNOW

q: one goal/dream that you have for this year that scares you?
a: sharing more about my life and the behind-the-scenes of my day-to-day. it doesn’t scare me though. it can be uncomfortable sometimes because I’m naturally a shy person. what does scare me is all the exciting ways I’m hoping to grow this year. it will require a lot more of me doing very new thing things. exciting but also scary. change is hard.

q: do you like to shop for clothes or are you an online shopper?
a: online shopper!!! my favorite late-night activity.

q: no bathtub on the house floor plans? with all that snow I imagine a hot bath.
a: nope! I’m not a bath person. I do love a hot shower though. 

q: how are your avocados always perfect ripeness? 
a: buy your avocados while they’re still green and hard. they will not bruise as easily on the trip home from the store. then leave them on the counter to ripen until they’re just firm to touch. then keep in the fridge until ready to eat. 

q: do you scrape all of the batter out of the bowl to use?
a: I do!! my mom would die if I didn’t. she never wasted an ounce of dough.

q: ever consider getting a pup?
a: I used to, I gave up the idea a while ago. I love the idea of a sweet puppy, but I know in reality I just don’t have the time to commit. he/she would end up 1. being lonely and 2. horribly trained. so for now, no puppy. I love them though.

q: favorite makeup foundation?
a: I love Saie beauty slip tint or Kosas foundation. I mostly just use concealer under my eyes because I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to applying makeup. I can do concealer, mascara, brows, and swipe on some highlighter…and that’s about it ??‍♀️

q: redoing the floors in our home. what color do you gravitate towards?
a: darker, moodier tones, but it really depends on the space and how much light is coming in.

5. Travel bag/water bottle recommendations + inspiring me.

I LOVE my Senreve bag, but I have the newer 16- inch mac book and it no longer fits inside. So, so, so sad because it really is the perfect carry-on bag. Wondering if you guys have a favorite carry-on bag that fits the 16- inch computer, but is also cute?

I love that I can take my Senreve bag from the plane right into meetings, so I need something similar!

On that note, however, I am LOVING the Cuyana Convertible Leather Laptop Sleeve I got last week. It’s the perfect slim leather sleeve for travel and day-to-day.

Lastly, what is your favorite insulated water bottle? Looking for a 30 or 36-ounce water bottle with a wide opening. Determined to stay hydrated while traveling!

inspiring me – tropical travel

(photo via Pinterest – would love to travel here)

6. LA photos + Inspiring Me This week.

(LA sunrise)

(Dr. Barbara Sturm skincare/spa in West Hollywood)

(flowers from the shoot by Michelle Selko)

(our manager Alix)

(the Dear Media studios)

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

South Florida Grande Dame Resort Gets $200 Million Facelift…spring break.

Inside a Magical Florida Home…so pretty.

10 Products to Help Give You the Best Sleep of Your Life

The Best Flower Subscriptions Source Blooms From Local Farms…spring blooms.

Real Estate Companies Making Vacations Easier…love having help to planning a trip.

50 Home Décor Items Under $100…pretty finds.

6 ‘Arc de Triomphes’ That Are Not in Paris…so ready to see Paris already.

Editors Try on Every Pair of Abercrombie Jeans…here are their favorites.

A Lake Tahoe Home That Lets the Outdoors In…Gerard family vibes.

30 Under-$100 Zara Finds…I love these wide leg pants and a cute bag.

The 7 Loungewear Trends to Know for 2022…cute and cozy

Where You Should Travel This Year…according to your enneagram.

7 Iconic Hotel Suites Around the World…I LOVE a nice hotel room.

A Park Avenue Apartment With Its Own Carrie Bradshaw Moment…very NYC.

8. Spring finds under $200.

9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.

Monday: One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta

Tuesday: 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp

Wednesday: Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

Thursday: Sheet Pan Lemon Brown Butter Salmon and Potatoes

Friday: Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs

Saturday: Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter Polenta Fries with Lemon Aioli

Sunday: Bakery Blueberry Vanilla Crunch Muffins