A New Rhythm in Motherhood & Travel
A monthly recap and look ahead: turning 35, springtime celebrations, three tropical trips on the horizon, & thoughts on the way travel impacts our littles.
Hello there! Happy May!
I love May. It’s my birthday month and just one of the most marvelous times of the year. In fact, Monday was my birthday. I turned 35-years-old (Anyone else out there - wasn’t 1990 the best year to be born?) and am feeling so grateful for each and every day, month, and year of my life. I celebrated in a very low-key way Monday with my kiddos, brother, and parents and a bunch of Mexican food. Cinco de Mayo is the very best day of the year to be born. At every year and stage of life it has been a really fun birthday! It is a beautiful time of year to take a trip (I’ve been fortunate enough to go on two incredible birthday trips in the last few years - Harbour Island in 2021 and London in 2023), it was really fun in my school age years (I always got to take a swing at the piñata first), it is the perfect day to throw an all out wild time party (I see you senior year of high school and senior year of college), and it is a wonderful day for celebrating now with my children over chips + guac and tacos. I want to throw a party/trip to remember for my 40th birthday so watch out world because 5 years will be here before we know it and the margaritas will be strong. It’s really just a happy, warm, sunshiney day. Can’t ask for more on a birthday!
P.S. This post is too long for email so click through to Substack to read it in full.
I have found myself in the most fortunate of situations this upcoming month - I’m traveling to the Bahamas three separate times. I haven’t left the country since going to England in 2023 so I am thrilled by the prospect of spreading my wings a little. Each of the three trips will be so different and special for varying reasons and I’m trying my hardest to keep my shopping budget in check thanks to my soaring travel budget. It has been a masterclass in restraint but don’t worry, I will have summer-y, vacation-ready items to share with you! I adore the Bahamas. I mean, who doesn’t? The islands have the most incredible way of harmoniously blending historical charm with contemporary comforts. The plantation shutters, the rum punches, the sundrenched coral prints, the dark mahogany woods, the turquoise waters, the rainbow of naturally occurring color, the plush bougainvillea, the conch on every menu, yes, yes, yes.
The first trip is to Nassau for a wedding. I’ve been incredibly close friends with the groom since I was two years old! Edwin is staying back with our kiddos and, I have to say, I’m looking forward to a few child-free days. My best friend is doing the same thing - her husband is staying in California with her 3 boys - so we are staying together and I can’t wait! It feels like we accidentally lucked into the dreamiest tropical girls trip where we also get to be with other friends who feel like family. A trip full of the good stuff.
The following weekend, Edwin and I head to Harbour Island for a dear friend’s 40th birthday! It is a Charleston friend so we all see each other but, oftentimes with children in tow or in-between life commitments. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to the quality time with our friends away from it all where we really just get to have fun and share great conversations in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. We’re staying at Bahama House, which has been on my list for awhile now so I’m just tickled by the prospect of the whole trip. I am so drawn to the design of Bahama House - it looks like a masterclass in blending British colonial influence with laid-back Bahamian charm. I know I’m going to be ogling over every detail. We’ve stayed at another Eleven Experience property before and Edwin and I both say it was quite possibly our best trip ever. Expectations are high. Can’t wait!
Then, a week and a half later, we are taking the kids to the Exumas for 5 nights on a little family trip. These will mark the first stamps in their passports. A happy milestone. I’m excited their first trip outside of the country is to a place none of us have ever been before. The Exumas will be new to Edwin and me as well. We get to experience it with fresh eyes as a whole family. I simply can’t wait to see the boys’ faces when they see the color of the water in the Exumas! I know it will take their breath away and completely expand their minds around the beauty of the world, still undiscovered to them. We rented a house for this trip through The Good Life Bahamas. It is our first time renting through them so I’ll be sure to report back! It was a recommendation from friends so I have a great feeling.
Since becoming a mother 4.5 years ago, I have not traveled nearly as much as I did in my pre-kids life. Having 3 kids in 3.5 years will do that. While my life hasn’t been completely devoid of travel - we’ve taken wonderful trips to California, Connecticut, North Carolina, New England, and to the mountains out west as well as a few adult trips (the aforementioned two, New York City, etc.) - but it hasn’t been rich with travel. My life has been rich with so many other things - family at the very tip top of the list! It is exactly what I’ve hoped for and nothing I would have traded for the world. As I look ahead to these three trips out of the country to the same place, but different islands, I’m excited for the years to come as my children grow and they become even better ages to travel and see the world. I’m delighted by the prospect of seeing the world and being a student of the world again (with and without my kids) as we move out of the “baby years.” I’m currently a student of books so I see the world that way as well as a student of so many other things - primarily, motherhood and learning from other remarkable women around me - but being a student of people, places, cultures, and foods, wow, that sounds exhilarating! I’m a firm believer that, while my children won’t remember these trips from their childhood, the travel will inform their childhoods, inspire them, shape them, give them new perspectives and things to consider. Routines are fantastic for children but so is getting them out of their comfort zones. Travel is a beautiful and safe way to do that. Traveling with people I love lets me unwind from the upkeep, organization, and to-dos of regular life allowing me to really make the ones I love feel like the sun. It really is such a privilege to be rich in travel, rich in seeing the world.
For now, it’s the tropics for me. I’m anxiously awaiting these times away and what they have in store for me. I’m seeking sunshine and disconnection. I don’t mean that I won’t be taking and sharing photos; rather, I’m inspired by the idea of walking into a sandy restaurant with bare feet and being in a place where that is more than welcome (disconnected from our ways in the US). I’m looking forward to walking into a dimly lit bar with dark mahogany bookshelves to find old books worn down by the humid air and dog eared and thumbed through pages. Maybe there’s a corner of curiosities tucked in the bar too (disconnected from the newness of the US). I love the way traveling to the Caribbean can feel like a sun-drenched trip back in time - in the best way - full of the charm and easy magic of island days of yore. The pace slows, the air shimmers with the sunlight, the taste of salt lingers on your skin, the rum punches are strong… it’s that intangible magic of a bygone era that we just can’t capture in the states.
I’ve been looking back on April and wow what a month. It was a very celebratory month! We kicked it off in Arizona for our spring break and a wedding. The wedding was truly for the cutest, most genuinely in love couple around. I’ve known the bride since she was born so it was a true treat to see her marry the man of her dreams. We ended our spring break only to start a second week of spring break as our best friends from California flew out for their children’s spring break. We kept our kids out of preschool and had a blast in Charleston, at the beach, barbecuing, at the aquarium, strawberry picking. You name it, we did it! We then went with them to Palmetto Bluff for a few nights where we celebrated Henry’s 3rd birthday with a strawberry cake - using our loot from our very prosperous day of strawberry picking! We rented this house and it was perfect for our two families. We sadly bid farewell to our friends and then celebrated Henry’s birthday back in Charleston with all his buddies and classmates! He dreamed of a “green lizard cake with blue polka dots” and boy did ABCD Cakes deliver! I can’t recommend her enough. Henry was ecstatic! I’ve never done party favors before for my boys’ birthday parties as I have no intention of being that overboard mom - I like to shower my kids in love, not in superfluous stuff (that being said, my boys LOVE party favors and I’m actually always grateful for them as a mom because they usually give us something to do later in the day after the party. So, maybe I need to reevaluate, ha!) - but I couldn’t help myself this go round. I ordered custom M&Ms with Henry’s face on them and happy birthday notes to Henry. As I’m sure you can imagine, they were a huge surprise and a huge hit. 3 year old minds were blown.
The April celebrations continued with Easter! Easter egg hunt after Easter egg hunt but, my the joy they bring. I’ll be so devastated when my boys are old enough to know there’s no real Easter bunny. Easter is one of my favorite days of the year so I don’t mind that the celebrations extend over the course of the whole week. My boys were quite literally jumping for joy upon hunting for eggs, petting real bunnies, and bouncing around with their little friends. We had a lot of family out of town so we really felt the Easter love this year thanks to friends who feel like family - they took us into their Easter and we had a blast.
April also brought lots of scooter rides and walks with my boys and girlfriends, endless appreciation for the marvelous city I live in - blooming like crazy, music classes outside in the sun, tennis, Peter’s curls being extra curly, jasmine exploding everywhere, spring soirees, swim lessons, pool playdates, a lovely pop-up from Aurelia Demark, and lots of quality time with my boys. Motherhood has been busy, wonderful, and extra full lately.
A few things:
Crate & Kids (aka Crate & Barrel’s kids line) has an amazing 30% off cribs, nursery seating, baby bedding, and more sale that runs through today. The sale includes items that rarely go on sale like their cozy cribs and some dreamy décor items I love. Many items can be custom embroidered with your baby's name too. My sister has this timeless convertible crib for her son and it is gorgeous (it is their #1 best selling crib) in her green nursery (psst, Sarah, you need this green quilt - normally over $100 but on sale for under $50). The sale marks a great time to refresh necessities like changing pad covers, crib sheets and matching toddler bedding, and sleep sacks. I picked up a fresh sleep sack for Peter! P.S. This is a really sweet personalized baby gift on sale.
Mother’s Day is this weekend! I can’t wait. I shared a few Mother’s Day thoughts here + some gift ideas. In addition, I wanted to remind y’all that I’m so lucky to share a 20% off code - JILLIAN20 - for 20% off jewelry from L’Heritage Fine Jewelry (including the necklace I wear every day).
Hill House summer dropppppped. Be warned: there are a lot of knockout pieces I love. Ready? My favorite silhouette from the brand in a cute summertime floral stripe and a seersucker blue. How about this perfect summer gingham check? I love it! Oh, look at this romantic sweet pea dress. Date night ready! Smocking, yes please. White trellis top and shorts - this set is fantastic for the beach.
P.S. Pair that perfect gingham check dress with these new espadrilles to nail an easy summer look. Or snag them in red for high summer.
This set sold out instantly in yellow and it’s finally coming back!
My girlfriend ordered this blue and white stripe dress so I tried it on and now I think I can’t live without it in my closet too. It is so lightweight and breezy! Use code JILLIAN10 for 10% off.
A must-have for your pool/beach bag with your littles this summer. High quality sun products for littles are life.
These running shorts! In my cart!
This liberty dress looked so beautiful on Jen on Easter. I’m thinking it might need to be in my closet as well. :)
On my radar:
Recipes (Let the summer fruits reign supreme!):
mini pavlovas with whipped cream, strawberries, and flowers (p.s. Juana is a great follow on Instagram!)
Podcasts:
I never have enough podcast content to consume! So, I don’t mind that it feels like everyone and their sister has a new podcast. One I’m particularly excited about is Aspire with Emma Grede. She;s so impressive and her first episode is with Gwyneth Paltrow soooooooo…!!!
Niche but Your Places or Mine sounds intriguing to me - A podcast about places and buildings, with tales about history and people.
Books:
The Names by Florence Knapp
It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin by Marisa Meltzer
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
The Blue Book: A Must-See, Can’t-Miss, Won’t-Forget Guide to Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
Exciting launches:
Citrine x Naomie Olindo: the CUTEST most sunshine-y swim collection for you and your littles. Naomie did a sensational job!
Fanm Mon x Lavin Label: I am so excited to see the entire collection from two brands I LOVE launching on Thursday.
The spring collection from Art of the Entry is so dreamy. I love the tassel door stopper.
Miscellaneous reads:
I cannot get over this! The combo of De Gournay and Bunny Mellon is too much of a good thing. JK, not possible.
Thoughts on going from one to two children. You know I love some good motherhood reflections.
For Mother’s Day, Lowcountry Warrior Moms here in Charleston is doing a critical fundraiser that will help inform their grants for the remainder of the year. The organization is wonderful. They support mothers of critically ill children at the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital. I cannot imagine being in these mothers’ shoes. Consider giving, if you are able.
Mother Knows Best: Advice, Tips, & Life Lessons. My dear, sweet friend Abby was so kind to mention me!
Thank you for reading and for following along with my Substack. I so hope you enjoyed this longer post. If you made it this far and feel so inclined, I’d be grateful to you if you could give the post a heart just below here. It helps others find me on Substack and helps me grow. :) Thank you so very much! My monthly recap posts are my way of getting my stream of consciousness thoughts down on paper and to share what is restoring, refreshing, and renewing me right now. My wish is that it will stir something in you and inspire you to add a new idea or a little extra bit of beauty to your life. I will see you on Thursday for my next installment of my weekly post, The Catch-Up.
