The Catch-Up | Vol 12

Preschool endings, summer beginnings, stunning new launches, & my picks for end-of year-school gifts

May 15, 2025

Hello friends!

Happy Thursday and welcome to the twelfth edition of The Catch-Up, my weekly column that arrives in your inboxes every week. The Catch-Up consists of everything that has caught my eye, heart, imagination, interest, and family throughout the week.

This has been a busy week as my two older boys got out for summer break from their little pre-school and we had some things going on with our family - all with great outcomes in the end. It a little bit feels like I lived a whole month just in this week alone but I’m so happy with where we are at now on Thursday. I’m heading to the Bahamas today for my first of 3 trips to the Caribbean in the next few weeks. I’m feeling very rich in travel and grateful for it. I’m excited about my wardrobe for this first trip - I haven’t shopped a lot lately so it felt very exciting to get a few fresh pieces to wear! I’m very much leaning into the Bahamas aesthetic with my outfits... I’ll be sharing them here for anyone interested. :)

Edwin really showed up for Mother’s Day! He arrived back home 3 days before the holiday after being away for over 3 weeks producing a documentary for work. He touched down in Charleston to find 4 very excited and eager people waiting for him! He dove right in with the kids and, on Mother’s Day, arranged flowers with the boys for me, made and brought me breakfast in bed, let me sleep in and read, got me a beautiful + thoughtful gift, and watched the boys in the afternoon so I could have some relaxing quality time with my mom (watching Something’s Gotta Give, of course). It was restorative and so delightful. I felt adored and appreciated. What Mother’s Day is about. Thank you, my love. My dad and brother made us all a great dinner too and my brother made everyone happy with his famous key lime pie (I’ll get the recipe up here soon!). Just lovely!

P.S. If this post is ever too long for email, simply click through to read it in Substack.

A few quick things:

Since I am traveling this weekend and next weekend (a rarity for me!) I decided to set myself up for success and ordered a 3 day week of Sakara next week. I was influenced to try it once this spring and was obsessed! I’ve been waiting for an excuse to do it again. I think flowing pina coladas this weekend is my excuse. The food tastes absolutely incredible and I felt great the week I did it. I was an instant convert. It feels like a little luxury but one I might treat myself to this summer when we return home from trips.

My girlfriend, Megan, launched a collection this week with Mackenzie-Childs and it is so dreamy. She really poured her heart into designing this collection over the course of the last year and a half and it shows. This floral pitcher is my favorite item from the collection!

what caught my eye

Shop Links

what caught my heart

Rowan and Henry had their last day of preschool on Tuesday and their end of school party on Wednesday. Rowan finished the 3’s and Henry finished the 2’s. They feel so big to me but I love the reassurance I feel when I remember they are actually still so little. I expressed worry to Edwin the other day proclaiming, “their childhood is going by so quickly!” to which he matter of factly responded “their childhood is just beginning.” Phew, gut check! Exactly the reminder I needed. Thank goodness for Edwin for bringing me back down to planet earth. My heart was already processing the end of a wonderful year - both boys thrived in school with their teachers and buddies, their art and learning, their play and development - and how I feel so grateful for our little school and community. Then came the end of year school party on Wednesday…

Our school holds it at a park so every child needs a parent or guardian with them. Edwin took Rowan and Henry while I spent the morning with Peter. The boys had a marvelous time playing with all of their little classmates and celebrating the start of summer. I have to tell you, I was so struck by their recounting of the party to me afterwards. They called me from the car, bursting with excitement. I asked Edwin how the party was expecting to hear a smattering of thoughts along the lines of, “They had a blast! It was warm - summer is coming! We’re all beat. Heading home!” Instead, Edwin met me with, “The boys thought the morning was brilliant. Rowan got in the car and said, unprompted, ‘that was really special, Dad.’” Oh my goodness was I unprepared for that!

Not to so publicly sing the praises of my oldest born but, wow, for my four-year-old boy to be so connected with his feelings, so attuned to his surroundings, and so reflective of the life he is building - it really pulled at my heart strings. It reassured me, as a mother, that I am doing some things right. I talk to my boys about how special each and every day is, how life is about celebrating the big and little things, about how what makes us rich in life isn’t what we have but who we have. Edwin and I saw these things click for Rowan in his budding mind with his reflection that an end of year party for a spectacular school year, on a beautiful day, with his best friends, before starting what I hope will be a splendid summer was, indeed, very special. There are a multitude of lessons I hope to teach my kids and, in this instance at least, one of them is making a mark. Let the record show that Henry was quick to exclaim how special the party was as well! Henry with his easy smile and Rowan with his outgoing personality, they both know and love a good time when they find one. I’m so proud of them.

what caught my interest

I’m a longtime admirer of Lauren Bush Lauren and her life changing work with FEED. I’m also a dedicated supporter of Morgan Smith and her inspiring brand, Minnow. No surprise then that I love seeing these two exceptional women collaborating with the launch of the FEED x Minnow tote bag. The two brands united to create a limited-edition version of FEED’s iconic tote, reimagined in one of Minnow’s signature ginghams - a blue and white gingham no less, so we can all be summer ready. Lauren has dedicated her life to aiding child hunger in the US and around the world. As with all FEED totes, when you purchase this special collaboration tote, you help provide 10 school meals for each bag sold to children both globally and in the US through FEED’s giving back partners. It’s the perfect spring and summer staple that also has an incredible mission behind it. I don’t know about you but I really think about mission-driven products and brands that stand for something impactful when I’m putting my consumer dollars to work in the world these days. But, I also still love beautiful things making this a great collaboration in my mind! P.S. FEED has provided 128,111,565 school meals given to date (and counting). WOW.

what caught my kids

End of year school gifts for kiddos… do you do them? Absolutely not necessary but fun! I do remember my mom having surprises for us on the last day of school and it really stuck with me. It’s funny how some little things from childhood really do have a lasting impression. Another year of school done, a job well done! Work hard, play hard, onward to summer! As a parent, it is also nice to start summer with a new item or two to keep kids on their toes with the entertainment. Our beloved tool kit finally started breaking on us after 3 years of play, being left out in the rain, being knocked over by the dogs, etc. It is a fantastic tool box - my kids have consistently played with it for 3 years (we can’t say that about all toys!) and it would have lasted longer if we hadn’t left it outside off and on getting rained on etc. I highly recommend it. The end of the toolbox pushed me over the edge with deciding to do end of school gifts. This is what I put together for my boys this week:

For Rowan and Henry:

For Rowan:

I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles

For Henry:

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

For Peter (He loves our weekly music class so I just thought he’d love this!):

For Mom (Because moms need something too!):

The most adorable needlepoint project ever for the first and last day of school was just restocked.

Thank you so very much for reading this week’s edition of The Catch-Up. If you like what you read, would you consider heart-ing this post just below here? It helps Substack know people like my writing. I’m so grateful you are here. Feel free to drop a comment below - I love to chat! See you next Thursday with vol 13! x