Happy Sunday, friends!
This week I did something truly wild: I picked up the phone and made the doctor’s appointments and mortgage calls I’ve been avoiding since… well, let’s just say longer than I’d like to admit. Isn’t it funny how the smallest tasks can feel like climbing a mountain in flip flops? But I swear, there’s something about spring — the longer light, the green bursting from every branch (I didn’t kill my oak trees!) — things that shake those stories loose, at least a little bit. The ones where I tell myself I don’t have time, or I’ll do it later, or that the person on the other end of the phone is going to think I’m a buffoon for asking the question I have which… why is that my greatest fear?
But I made the calls, asked the questions (nervously, but out loud!), and no one laughed or told me I was unqualified to be a grown-up (which is still surprising to me). This is your gentle nudge from me and my very alive oak trees: make the call. Ask the thing. Do the tiny task that’s been tap dancing on your nerves. Then reward yourself with a pot of beans, a new pair of breezy pants, or a big slice of birthday-adjacent cake.
Here are this week’s links — full of gentle encouragement, hormonal spirals, and the soft chaos of figuring it all out. Let’s get into it.
• I’m so thankful I grew up well before smartphones — back when AIM away messages were a personality and you had to physically go to a computer lab to send an email. My awkward years are in a photo album at my parent’s house where they belong. This piece on Taking Back Childhood from Phones – Finally made me want to hug ever flip phone I ever owned. (The Free Press)
• Is it postpartum? Is it perimenopause? Is it just Tuesday? This essay in The Cut hit a little too close to home in the most validating way. If you’ve had a baby in your 40s—or honestly just feel like your hormones and your to-do list are both quietly trying to end you—this one’s for you. We really don’t talk about this enough.
• Jenny Vanderburg Shannon shared a beautiful reflection on the women writers who’ve shaped her life — the ones whose books live in a special stack, always within reach. The Mothers is a love letter to the authors we return to again and again, in joy, grief, and everything in between. It’s tender, wise, and you’ll probably want to start your own stack by the end. (Substack)
• I’ve been meaning to make King Arthur’s Recipe of the Year all year (classic), but this Cinnamon Roll Focaccia might finally nudge me into action. It’s giving brunch, it’s giving bake sale, it’s giving “maybe I’ll just tear off a piece every time I walk through the kitchen.” Honestly, it looks like a very good idea. (King Arthur Baking)
• Lenny Kravitz does it for the ancestors and truly, what a vibe his Paris home is. (YouTube)
• This week on Instagram, I shared a little reel about what it’s meant to live in our old Victorian house in Bellville for the past year. It’s creaky and crooked and full of love (and plumbing problems). If you’ve ever dreamed of lace curtains, peeling wallpaper, and a porch full of people you love — I think you’ll feel this one. I’m plotting a little garage bakery next!
• It’s a very good week to make a pot of beans — the kind that simmer slowly while you putter around in socks (maybe that’s just me?). 7 Tips For Making the Best Pot of Dried Beans is your gentle guide, and Rancho Gordo is your bean. While you’re at it, bake a loaf of bread (the cheddar scallion variety) to go with. Bread dipped in beany broth is a simple perfection.(Bon Appetit, Joy the Baker)
• Mom asked for this Lowland’s Celery Salad for Mother’s Day which will be the least I can do for her. She deserves a salad that’s mostly cheddar cheese and truly so much more. I’m also brainstorming some sort of chocolate and peanut butter dessert because that’s her favorite.
• One of my least favorite parts of summer? Shorts. Specifically, jean shorts. I can’t remember if I ever thought they were comfortable or I was just more willing to be uncomfortable but I’m officially done. I This year, I’m leaning into these breezy cotton gauze pants and matching sets that feel like pajamas. This is where I’m at. Meet me here. (Gap)
• I was firmly in the camp of “there’s no such thing as a good margarita mix” — like, we’ve all been burned by the bummer of a fake lime mix. But The Kitchn taste-tested as many mixes as they could find and there’s apparently a clear $9 winner. A nine dollar hero, y’all. This feels like good news. Margarita season: saved.
• I’ve officially entered Birthday Cake Season (my birthday’s at the end of the month, so feel free to start baking now). If I were back home in California with family, I’d absolutely be having a Texas Sheet Cake — it’s our default celebration cake. But since I’ll be here in actual Texas, I’m dreaming up something dfferent. I’m leaning Doberge-inspired because… pudding between cake layers instead of frosting is elite. (Joy the Baker)
• If you’re reading this Sunday post here on the site, come on over and join me on Substack too! You’ll get these weekly Sunday posts (links, laughs, and the occasional life spiral) delivered straight to your inbox — no social media scroll required. And soon, we’ll be kicking off Bake Club-style online baking classes for paid subscribers, but the free version is super chill, easy, and chatty — just how I like it. Sign up here! (Substack)
Have a sweet day, friends.
My love to you,
Joy
