Welcome to our weekly “walk and talk,” where we bring our weekly walks to you. Our walks are a time to catch up on family life, share online shopping hits and misses, exchange recipes, discuss our newest Netflix binge — all the stuff that friends share with each other. And now we’re sharing with you!
Don’t miss a single link! Click here for previous editions of our “Walk and Talk.”
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
CHRISTA: Two of our favorite binges are back. We were so happy for the return of our favorite money laundering family in Ozark (Season 4, Part 1) on Netflix. Seven episodes went way too fast – I need more after that ending! And we’re continuing to watch the weirdness unravel in Servant (season 3) on Apple TV+ (new episode every Friday).
Two other recommendations that my daughter and I watched (also highly rated) are: the post-apocalypse drama Station Eleven (HBO Max) and the supernatural thriller Archive 81 (Netflix). Check them out and let me know what you think. (OK, I might be watching too much TV, friends!)
MEGAN: Ozark, I miss you already! We burned through it so fast I might have a little PTSD. My fav season yet. Word on the street is the 2nd half of season 4 will be out after May 31, 2022, and before December 31st. That way they’re eligible for two different Emmy cycles. In the meantime, we have been watching The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime). It’s set in the early 60s in the US but the premise is that Germany won WW2 and what the US would be like if that were true. A little mystery, a little love story and enough war stuff that the boys in my house like it, too.
RANDOM STUFF WE’VE PURCHASED
CHRISTA: New makeup! I did a purge in both my makeup drawer and my travel bag. I think there may have been some very old items in there. (Tip: if you’re curious, here is an article about makeup expiration dates.) I am a fan of ItCosmetics – I ordered this new eyeshadow set (the included brush is great!), this bronzer and this blush set (includes a good travel brush). I also like Tarte makeup and purchased this favorite foundation (tip: this foundation stays put when I am wearing a mask) and this juicy lip balm. Both of these sites sell travel sizes in a lot of their products so it’s easy to stock your travel bag with your favorites at a lower price, too.
MEGAN: My skin has been like the Sahara Dessert this winter so I’ve been upping my moisture routine. I picked this Cerave oil/gel lotion up at Walgreens last week and it’s been a game changer on my early morning dog walks.
WHAT WE’RE EATING
CHRISTA: We are eating way too much from Door Dash! To break our cycle, we ordered a Tovala oven (tip: on sale for $99 right now) and their weekly meal delivery. We’re still testing it out and I’ll report back on what we think. So far, we’re finding that the meals are delicious. They’re an easy option for lunches, but to cook a dinner for two of us might require two of their ovens. The food cooks based on each recipe’s QR code that you scan on the oven, and uses a combination of steam and baking. You can also scan other barcodes to cook prepared meals (selection is a little limited for this) or you can cook your own meal in it. As Megan said, it’s kinda like an adult Easy Bake oven – but this one cooks with steam instead of a light bulb! Does anyone else have a Tovala oven? If so, what are your favorite meals?
MEGAN: I made the best shrimp and grits this week! I followed this recipe exactly (the author said she had three marriage proposals over these grits!). BBQ shrimp (I used frozen – tip: get the ones that are peeled and deveined) cooked on the stove top with steamed green beans in the microwave make this a 30 min meal, super quick and so yummy. Note: 1 cup of uncooked grits makes a boat load! However they are super delicious the next day with scrambled eggs.
WHAT WE’RE SHOPPING FOR
CHRISTA: Lots of spring/summer dresses! Head to the LOFT site and check out the new selections for spring. The pretty colors will lift your spirits on these dull winter days! I love a simple dress for summer – one-and-done dressing! LOFT has so many options, you’ll find it hard to choose! (Right now LOFT has 50% off full-price styles with code REFRESH, until 2/12.) I ordered this light blue dress, this black dress and this navy dress – all keepers! They will be super cute for the summer with some flat or low heel sandals. I can’t wait for it to be warm enough to wear them.
MEGAN: Other than lots of moisturizing lotions and potions, I’m shopping for a pair of black low heeled booties. I saw an Aquatalia pair last summer during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I can’t stop thinking about them – $450 dollar booties aren’t in my budget right now, but guess what? I found a brand new pair on Poshmark for $75. If there is a designer piece, or something that’s outside of your budget, don’t forget about Poshmark and The RealReal. They have lots of treasures.
WHAT WE’RE PLANNING
CHRISTA: It’s time for some painting around my house. The trim and doors upstairs need a refresh (such a boring project). Since the painters will be here, I’m also going to repaint our bedroom, and do some wallpaper in there. I LOVE wallpaper and I am excited to try some in the tray ceiling! This is the wallpaper I plan to use. (Here is my inspiration for the project.) For my local friends, I have always used CertaPro in Loudoun County for our painting. We’ve used them for about 15 years now and are always very happy with the work.
MEGAN: I am getting ready to redo my kitchen so lots of planning going on over here. From cabinets, appliances, hardware, lighting, counters… the list goes on and on. Here are a few of my inspiration kitchens (one, two, three). Lots more to come on this topic, maybe it’s own post! I welcome any tips and tricks from you renovation survivors, I know it’s not going to be easy.
WHAT WE’RE WEARING
Fanny packs. Yes. We said fanny packs and we’re owning them! Technically I think they are now called “belt bags” — so does that make them cooler? They are essential for any walk (especially if you’re going a long distance), and we love the lululemon selection. They surprisingly hold a lot, too. Don’t forget, these little bags are also perfect for your next amusement park trip, outdoor event, concert or shopping trip to keep your hands free. What are you waiting for? Join us with your belt bag!
Lululemon has a great selection of colors and sizes. Christa’s smaller camo bag holds all the essentials – and the larger iPhone even fits. Megan’s larger bag has room for some extras, like hand sanitizer, cash and her mask (in case we stop for a snack along the way or maybe a diet Coke).
UPDATED 02/2023: Christa’s bag is the hard-to-find lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag 1L (here and here).
AND, HERE’S WHERE WE WALKED…
A peek along our walk and talk…another cold and grey day. We’re looking ahead to sunnier days when these woods along our path are full of greenery! On the bright side, it wasn’t raining (or snowing)! And walking outside even when it’s cold is still good for you!
CHRISTA’S “WALK AND TALK” LINKS
- Ozark (Season 4, Part 1) on Netflix
- Servant (Season 3) on Apple TV+
- Station Eleven on HBO Max
- Archive 81 on Netflix
- ItCosmetics and Tarte
- Tovala oven and meals
- Wallpaper
- CertaPro
- lululemon belt bags
MEGAN’S “WALK AND TALK” LINKS
- The Man in the High Castle
- Cerave oil/gel
- Grits recipe
- Aquatalia Boots
- Poshmark
- The RealReal.
- kitchen inspiration one, two, three
- Wellness tip article that is good for you!
Walking is always so much better when you go with a friend! We hope you’ll share our blog with your walking bestie. And let us know in the comments what you’re watching, wearing, eating, planning or shopping for. We hope you enjoyed this “walk and talk” together!
Bravo! Love the walk and talks! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to the next one! Megan, my vote is kitchen number “two” 😊
Archive 81 was the best! I really hope there’s a season 2.