Weekly Roundup

Many of the Black Friday sales I listed in yesterday's post are still going! Check 'em out! I was sure to link to big box stores as well as small brands and local artists. I've added another 10 retailers since publishing yesterday, so keep checking back. Please pass along any sales from artists in your area and I'll happily add them to the list.

This room reveal was the funniest room reveal ever. (You gotta watch the video in that link!)

In a couple of weeks, we are headed to Minneapolis, Hudson Valley, and New York City. It doesn't look like we'll have a snowy winter vacation, but I'm thrilled to experience a climate other than San Diego's. I definitely need to take advantage of Black Friday sales to stock up on layered clothes to keep warm! Do you have any ideas of places we should go during our winter travels to those areas?

Did you see the video of me making pies for Thanksgiving on Instagram? A few of you asked for my pie crust advice. I've been experimenting (and continue to!) for a couple of years now. My number one pie tip is to keep the crust cold at all times. Some profesh pie makers say to wash your hands in cold water and ice bath them! I'm not that serious, but I definitely do several trips to the fridge to keep the dough chilled. If you plan on making an apple pie, you MUST have one of these. It's both efficient and entertaining! And for less than $20, it will give you hours back to your life in time saved. Here are a few of my pie necessities:

Emily rounded up a great socially-minded gift guide. I love that she collected great brands and products that benefit artisans and our world. My only gripe is the pouch that says "girl boss." Why I hate the term girl boss.

It's been just over a week without Mabel. Thank you all so much for the love when I shared on Instagram that we had to put our one and only fur baby to sleep. I was overwhelmed to get so many sweet notes from online 'strangers.' The world of social media has its flaws, but the connections I've made through Instagram continue to amaze me. A few of you animal lovers were curious as to what happened, so here it goes. Mabel lost a lot of weight suddenly. She normally weighted around 10 pounds but dropped to 7 pounds almost instantly. She was so bony and started to look like a different cat. We took her in to the vet on Friday for tests, brought her home, then took her in on Tuesday to see a specialist. By then, she had already lost another 0.5 lb and things weren't looking good. Tests came back and we were told she had cancer in her gut. Since her personality/behavior hadn't yet changed, the doctor suggested that if we could get her to eat, she might live a happy life a little longer. We brought her home and spent a miserable day with her. Her demeanor had shifted and she was clearly not comfortable. It ate at our insides to see her like that and to know that the treatment options wouldn't make her feel better. We made a promise long before ever adopting a pet that we would never let them live in long-term pain, so we decided to let her go. Some of you asked if we plan on getting another cat. We don't have any immediate plans and we'll probably take the opportunity without an animal at home to travel and do major renovations (kitchen and added bathroom, here we come!) Our home isn't the same, and I don't know how long it will take for this to be the new normal, but we're adjusting. Again, thank you for the support. The loss of a pet is so unreal. Julia has some nice tips for what to do during a loss.

When I grocery shop, I try to buy organic, and I purchase all eco-friendly house cleaners. So I'm trying to make the same choice with select home products. It's a gradual shift because it's pricey, and takes time to find the right replacements for the things you want. However, I'm making a commitment to work on achieving organic bedding. We spend so much time in bed, so it's no place for pesticides. Learn about that here. I already used these organic sheets (on sale for $30!) in a couple different colors, this hypoallergenic pillow (only $25!), and this past week I got this organic duvet cover set (50% off this weekend plus more coupons). One day, when I redesign the master, I'll get us an organic mattress. I was looking at these mattresses or these. It's great that some of our favorite retailers now carry organic (those sheets are from Target!) and it's even better that select retailers are committed to making sure all of their products are safe for us and the environment. Arhaus is one of those brands and I teamed up with them to create this 'lil graphic that just skims the surface about how to make earth-conscious choices in our homes.

Please share your favorite organic and eco-friendly products or brands that you like to use. The more we know, the better!

Happy post-holiday weekend! I think I'll be eating lettuce over the next two days to make up for the amount of stuffing I ate on Thursday.