Newport, Rhode Island (Momcation!)

Back in July, I took a "momcation" to Newport, Rhode Island to visit my friend Lindsey.  It was three nights away, and it was really, really great.  Kenny was about five months old at the time, and it was the longest I'd been away from him ever.  It recharged my batteries, allowed me to give attention to my friendship, and I had more energy and excitement about coming home at the end.  I highly recommend it!  It's also important to me to role model for Kenny that I'm independent and have interests and activities outside of my relationship with him.

Linds picked me up at the Providence airport in her gorgeous convertible, and from that moment on, it was top down, sunshine ON!  I flew in on the 4th of July, so some grilling out and fireworks were in order.

But first, we were HUNGRY!  So Lindsey took me to one of her all-time favorite nostalgic Newport spots: the Castle Hill Inn, est. 1875.  Gor-geous.

The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn

Their beautiful lawn and terrace have incredible water views, so we got a table to have lunch and a cocktail al fresco.  I enjoyed a wine spritzer, because they're totally underrated and perfect for summer day-drinking, as well as their chicken al mattone, with heirloom tomatoes, burrata, and a roasted tomato vinaigrette.

And of course, since it was my first visit since Linds moved to New England, we had to share a dessert.  It was some kind of incredible funfetti cake-inspired layered magic, with delicious whipped cream and raspberries!

Spritzers are underrated.

After that, we retired to relax at Lindsey's house, which had a rooftop porch with water views and the perfect fireworks vantage point too.  We drank rosé and grilled out for dinner, capping off a beautiful travel day for me.

Over the next few days, we took a road trip to West Hartford for some real estate shopping (spoiler alert: Linds lives there now!) as well as took in the wharf and seaside in Newport.

We had a delicious breakfast at the Corner Cafe; the portions were huge, and the menu was full of Irish, Portuguese and West Coast influences.  It's the kind of place where you find black & white pudding, chourico, and breakfast burritos on the same menu, and it works!

While at the wharf, I enjoyed seeing gorgeous yachts and adorable shops.  I even visited the original Alex & Ani storefront and bought two bracelets to commemorate my trip.  The pineapple represents my friendship with Lindsey, and the sun represents a song I like to sing to Kenny.  Together, they remind me the importance of love and relationships in many facets of life.

 

One of my favorite things during our trip?  Touring The Breakers mansion!  I love The Biltmore in Asheville, and so I wanted to tour at least one mansion in Newport.  The Breakers is part of the Vanderbilt family empire, so it was the perfect one for my visit.  These incredible mansions not only have ocean views, but the exteriors and interiors are luxurious and high-end.  I can't believe these were considered summer homes, versus permanent residences!  Very Downtown Abbey.

My getaway to Newport was perfection.  I enjoyed the company of my friend, the delicious food, refreshing drinks, beautiful homes and seaside, and overall New England charm.  I felt so refreshed and happy when I got home, and I'll always have these beautiful memories of my first real trip post-partum.

Kenny's 100th Day Celebration

In typical new mom fashion, I'm posting something like three months after the fact, because my blog is no longer my baby...  forgive me!  But I wanted to share about Kenny's 100th Day Celebration from back in May.

In Korea, a "baek-il" celebrates a baby turning 100 days old.  Before more modern times, infant mortality was pretty high, so people often didn't show off their new baby until it was a few months old.  That indicated it had a better chance of survival, having made it to the 100-day milestone.

Now, it's an opportunity for families to show off their baby and have a party!  In Korea, many people now throw huge parties  for the baek-il as well as the "dol", or 1st birthday party.  We do plan to throw Kenny a Korean-American style dol next year!

Since Kenny came early, my original plan to visit Indiana with him during my maternity leave wasn't possible.  That meant most of my extended family hadn't met him yet.  So we planned on having some "open house" hours at my parents' house for people to come visit.  Well, once Gigi (my Mom's grandmother name) figured out she could show off her first grandchild, suddenly this was a bigger deal!

One of the traditions at a baek-il is to offer ricecakes to 100 people, to bring longevity to the baby and good luck.  Since Kenny is 1/4 Korean, we thought that maybe something like cookies would be fun!  We handed out cookies at the party, and the leftovers came with me to work.  We gave away well over 100 cookies, all individually wrapped and decorated by Mom and me.

The day of the party, tons of family and friends came to visit, including Mom's coworkers.  It was nice to show off Kenny, who behaved pretty well!  He wasn't (and isn't) at the "stranger danger" age, so he was content to be passed around.

I was really happy that my Mom could share this Korean tradition with Kenny.  I feel like she sometimes held back with us when it came to her culture, so my sister and I grew up very much all-American, English-speaking kids.  Now that I'm older, I want to embrace more of my heritage; I embrace my father's side through the DAR and genealogy, and I'm finding ways to incorporate Korean culture and language into my life where I can.

P.S.  Kenny's 100th Day weekend was also my first Mother's Day weekend!  Kenny did a potholder project at daycare (let's be real... his teachers used his feet as a stamp!) for me, and Dan gifted me a digital photo frame for my desk at work, so I could rotate photos of Kenny all day while I work.  I look at it every day!

Review: Rothy's Flats

I purchased my own pair of Rothy's and decided to review them here on my blog.  Click here for a coupon for $20 on your first pair, and my Mom will get $20 credit towards new shoes!

If you're like me, you've been getting hit left and right with targeted ads for pricey flats like Tieks and Rothy's that people are raving about!  I didn't bite on the Tieks, mainly because I go through cheap flats like crazy, because my feet sweat a lot (#truth) and they get smelly.  I don't usually splurge on shoes as a result; I buy $20 Target or Payless shoes and then toss them after a season.

But then I started to notice friends and coworkers wearing Rothy's flats, and I was intrigued.  They raved about how comfortable they were, but the kicker that got me was they were supposedly machine-washable.  That in itself felt like a game-changer for me.  The catch?  The price range is $125+, depending on if you go ballet flat, pointed flat, loafer, sneaker, and so on.  Different materials, like merino wool, costs more.

Unboxing my Rothy's Flats, May 2018

The only shoes I've ever paid over $100 for were combat boots or running/hiking shoes, something with a ton of function and not a lot of style!  So I was definitely intimidated by the price tag... but after days of waffling about it, I finally took the plunge and ordered their signature ballet flat in the Taupe Heather color, a good neutral to match the most possible outfits!  I also ordered an extra pair of insoles, because of my stinky/sweaty feet thing.

Rothy's Rubber Sole

When my shoes arrived, I got a little bit nervous; they looked narrow!  But once I put them on, I was impressed.  I felt like my feet were in house slippers.  They were as soft and comfortable as TOMS, but way cuter and with a non-slipping rubber sole.  I ordered a 6.5, which is my normal size in flats. Some people have been saying to size up for the pointed toe versions, but I haven't tried those yet.

Extra Insoles and Care Instructions

One complaint I saw in a Buzzfeed review of Rothy's was that you can see some stretch where your toes are.  I find this to be minimally noticeable.  The seamless feature of the shoes makes them so soft and comfortable from the get-go!  I even went on a 1.5-mile walk during the work day in these shoes with NO BLISTERS.  These are basically the only shoe I want to wear this summer that isn't a sandal!  That said, if you require arch support and struggle with the lack thereof in normal flats, you're not getting much more out of these.  You can probably slip your orthotics into them, but these are definitely for folks who wear flats all the time without issues.

After about a week of 90-degree temps and sweating in my shoes, I decided to wash them.  I took the insoles out and tossed all four pieces into my washing machine on cold, delicate cycle.  I used our everyday detergent because it's what we use even for the baby's laundry: All Free & Clear.  Then I air dried the shoes.  Rothy's flats looked brand-new and kept their shape even after washing!  I found that they mostly dried overnight, too.  The bad smell from my sweat left them easily.  In the future, I may sprinkle in a little scent boost, just to give a little fresh smell to them, since my detergent lacks perfume.  They didn't smell anymore after washing, but I think adding a little scent will keep them smelling fresher for longer.

Rothy's after washing

When it came to comfort and machine washing, I LOVE my Rothy's!  The sustainability aspect (they're made of recycled materials) is a great bonus.  The only thing I don't like is the price.  I really wish these were $99 instead of $125-$165+, because I WANT MORE.

I've already got my sights set on their pointed marigold flats, black loafers, and a red or leopard pair of flats.  I would love to have a half dozen pairs of these to replace all of my cheapo flats.  (Which, in my mind, would cost around the same ONE pair of Jimmy Choos, but it's still hard to justify in my head.)  So I think I may buy one more pair this year, then ask EVERYONE to give me Rothy's giftcards for Christmas.  I don't think I've ever had a pair of flats I've liked so much!

If you're thinking about purchasing Rothy's after reading this review, I'd love for you to get a $20 discount through referral, so my Mom can also get a $20 credit towards a new favorite shoe.  For once, I bought something from an internet ad that was legitimately perfect for me!

ETA in late 2018 & throughout 2019:

I have over a dozen pairs of Rothy's (thank you for the referral credits!!!), and I'm still a huge fan of the brand!  My main gripe about Rothy's is the the quality control by style and color in terms of fit/size seems inconsistent.  I now have shoes in the Flat, Point, Loafer, Sneaker, and merino wool.  I haven't purchased the Chelsea, because I have short legs and think the ankle cut won't be flattering on me.  Here is what I take for sizes:

My "True" Flat Shoe Sizing: 6.5

Rothy's Flat: 6.5

Sneaker: 7

Merino Wool Point: 7

Point: 7.5

Loafer: 7.5

Whenever I have a question about sizing, I find the "Rothy's Addicts" Facebook group to be the best source of information on all things Rothy's.  I wish there were fewer non-related posts, but generally I've been successful buying the right size in a new shoe based on that feedback.  

My other gripe is that due to demand (especially since they started advertising and focusing on celebrities) their shipping has slowed down noticeably.  That's the price of popularity, I guess!

I do a load of Rothy's shoes in the wash just about weekly, and their washability, in addition to comfort, is still the #1 reason I love them.  My shoes definitely get smelly, because they get worn often.  I haven't noticed much wear and tear, though my yellow shoes have usually shown a little more than the others.  Usually I get a mark on my right heel from driving, and I've scuffed a toe before to show a little bit of a snag.  But considering my oldest pairs are 1.5 years old, that's saying something!  Gone are the days that I wore "disposable" flats that I bought cheap and threw out at the end of a season.

The merino wool Rothy's are pricey, but they are even softer and comfier than the recycled plastic version.  I also feel they breathe better and get a bit less stinky, but time will tell there. 

Rothy's can actually have pretty good resale value, too.  I've sold two used pairs (my Cherry flats and my Lemondrop loafers) for over $100 each on Poshmark, because colors are often limited editions and people want a good deal on a pricey pair of shoes.  So if you get tired of a pair, sell them!  You can often recover just about enough to roll into a newer pair for a reasonable amount of money!

Have you tried Rothy's shoes yet?

I purchased my own pair of Rothy's and decided to review them here on my blog.  Click here for a coupon for $20 on your first pair, and my Mom will get $20 credit towards new shoes!