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Loving these new little booties I got this fall so much. And speaking of booties, ’tis the season again for my favorite foot duvets!! If you happen to be in the market, trust me, these are the comfiest slippers ever. I pretty much live in mine all winter long.
Having so much fun with the new recipe videos we’ve been creating here lately. Have you seen a few of them yet?! If not, you can find the full list of them on Facebook or on our new YouTube channel. Big thanks to our amazing new videographer, Laura, who is making everything look extra delicious. She is the best. ♥ On that note, I’m also…
Listening to Barriers on repeat, the new 3-song EP from October VI (a.k.a. Laura’s band!). Guys, it’s SO GOOD. And it’s only $2.99 on iTunes! (So take a listen and then support the musicians and buy it, don’t just Spotify it.) ;)
Stocking up on my favorite comfort tea for the season. What’s yours??
Thinking a lot about this article and the effects of screen time and our always-wired world. Worth the read.
Ordering deer whistles for my car. Guys, I had no idea these things even existed until my friend, Julie, was talking about them last week. Do any of you have them on your cars? For just $5, I figure they’re worth a try, especially as deer season begins…
Jumping on board the pumpkin craze for the season. pumpkin baked oatmeal, ginger pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin pie overnight oats, roasted pumpkin seeds, 5-ingredient Thai pumpkin soup, cheesy pumpkin parmesan french breads, brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies.
Feeling so proud of Barclay, and this thoughtful interview he gave last month about an extremely sensitive issue facing our home state of Kansas (and the country) right now. May we all continue to listen to and learn from one another.
Getting excited about two little impromptu weekend trips that Barclay and I just planned for this month — first to Omaha this coming weekend, and then to Washington D.C. a few weeks after. If you have any recs for places you love, please holla! I’ll be sure to report back with our faves. :)
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I had no idea deer whistles existed either!! Thanks for posting this, I live in Texas and definitely know a few people who could use these.
DC Recommendations: Dolcezza, Amsterdam Falafel, District Taco, District Doughnut, Rose’s Luxury, Ice Cream Jubilee, Keren Restaurant.
Loved reading that article about the concert about gun violence. Thanks for posting it and thank Barclay for taking a stand! Thank you thank you thank you!
I had them on my car in Tennessee, but I don’t have that car anymore. I have witnessed the whistles in action on my own car. A deer turned the other way. It was bizarre.
Old Market is a gem in Omaha. I wish we had something similar in KC. The Diner for breakfast (I considered this my ‘Luke’s’ when we lived there). So many good places for eating. Stokes, Spaghetti Works… too many to name.
Joslyn Art Museum – free
Take a drive out to Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey. Walk behind the buildings and look out over the fields. It’s SUCH a peaceful place!
Grab an Omaha World Herald newspaper…a quality newspaper!
Hitchcock Nature Center in the Loess Hills is a beautiful place to hike and climb a look-out tower. Would be a beautiful time of year for that!
Enjoy!! ??
Being from Iowa I am definitely familiar with deer whistles. I remember my parents’ cars had them on them but I think they were manufactured with them that way (late 80s/early 90s). The REAL reason I am commenting though is to recommend a few places to hit up in Omaha! I lived there for a few years and while I now live back in Iowa there are several Omaha spots I am passionate about. You’ve *got* to hit up Amsterdam Falafal (https://zoma.to/r/17566007). It has ruined all other kebab shops for me, it is the standard against which I now compare all others. There is also a great ice cream shop around the corner from Amsterdam called e-creamery too. Omaha’s most popular ice cream place, though, is called Ted and Wally’s and is located downtown. If the weather’s nice there’s a nice brewery downtown called Upstream with a great rooftop patio. Just a few suggestions for places I love and think about often when I’m missing Omaha! :)
New Orleans is a great city! My husband and I will be visiting for the third time this November. We stay in the French Quarter and there are so many great restaurants and bars to visit. It’s such a fun, energetic town.
Sorry my bad. Thought you were looking for recs of places to visit in general. Not enough caffeine today. :-) Enjoy your trips!
Never been to Omaha, but a few recs for DC…brunch at Founding Farmers, Ray’s Hell Burger, Cupcake throwdown between Georgetown and Sprinkles in Georgetown, find a Korean bakery for some Bing Soo – delicious Korean shaved ice, and a Korean BBQ place for delicious meat that you grill tableside if you’ve never done that before. Peking Gourmet is delicious Chinese, apparently G.W.’s favorite, but the Peking duck is to die for. Tosca for a fabulous fine dining experience near the White House – they do Northern Italian food with handmade pasta.
For DC – Not sure if you’ve been before, but here are some tips off the “tourist” path. Brunch or dinner at Le Diplomate or anywhere on 14th street, an area that has completely transformed over the past 5-7 years. Depending on the time of day, pick up coffee at The Wydown (a little like Quay, but smaller) or gelato at dolcezza. Hit up Salt & Sundry for cute home/kitchen goods and accessories. Cocktails just underneath it at Two Birds, One Stone. On a another day, head over to Union Market for lunch or brunch and try everything. Hot restaurants right now: Masseria, the Dabney, Tail Up Goat. If you’re willing to stand in line at no-reservations places (Just Google for tips on when to arrive) do Roses Luxury, Little Serow (very spicy! Affordable, delicious). Don’t bother with any Mexican places here, Kansas City Mexican food is far superior!
If you’re on tourist trail and need options closer to the attractions: The Hamilton and Woodward table by the White House, Bearnaise/good stuff/we the pizza near the Capitol. Any locations of Cava are also good.
My favorite comfort tea is Good Hope Vanilla (red rooibos tea) from Republic of Tea – I can’t do caffeine, so this works perfectly. Good on Barclay for that interview, and standing up for what he believes in. It made me stop and think. I always appreciate hearing a sane point of view on such a polarizing subject. I also really like the idea of those foot duvets, though our climate is warm enough that I wouldn’t have use for them.
Go to the zoo in DC!! It has all sorts of interesting information about the animals there, it’s in such a cute area, and it’s FREE. What’s not to like??
In DC I’d definitely suggest the Old Ebbitt Grill near the White House, for cocktails and oysters (or anything on their menu). Iconic and clubby and chic and old-school politico DC.
You and Barclay might dig the Spy Museum, too!
Y’all have fun!!
Yay, you’re coming to my city!
My Omaha recs: La Buvette, Block 16, Avoli Osteria, Le Bouillon, Lot 2, Paragon. Just to name a few of my faves; there are a ton of great places to eat here! Enjoy!
Birch and Barley, Ted’s Bulletin, Open House, and Kramerbooks/Afterwords Cafe all have excellent brunches in DC. Oyamel has excellent tapas, and Zaytina is great for Greek/Mediterranean. Ice Cream Jubilee and District Donuts. For nightlife, definitely hit up the 14th Street area. Bar Pilar is a personal favorite, but there’s so much to choose from. Shaw and Bloomingdale are also fun areas with lots of places to grab a drink.
If you’ve never been to any of the major Smithsonian museums, Air and Space, US History, Portrait Gallery, and Natural History are all definitely worth doing once in your life. But if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path, museum-wise, the Building Museum, the Hirshorn, the Botanical Gardens, and the Newseum are all excellent too. The zoo is fantastic and free. Take a tour of the National Cathedral. If you have good weather, the C&O canal, Roosevelt Island, and National Arboretum are great places to be outside. Union Market is a foodie’s dream, but Eastern Market is a lot of fun, too.
Brunch at Founding Farmers is a can’t miss in DC… but make a reservation or hunt down seats at the bar. I make sure to visit every time we’re in DC. Whatever you do, order the bacon!
DC Recs, if I’m not too late! Proof is my favorite restaurant! I actually eat pate there, which I don’t do usually. I usually order a combo of small plates, but my husband loves the duck entrée. And I always always always get the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Georgetown is a great cupcake destination: Sprinkles, Georgetown Cupcake, and my favorite Baked and Wired (ultimate vanilla w/ vanilla frosting!!!!!!!). I recommend doing a taste test of all of them. Good Stuff is fun for burgers and shakes. Next on my list is Oyamel (Mexican)…I have heard nothing but great things!
For DC, I second all the Smithsonian Museum recommendations as you can’t beat a free museum and I personally think that our national portrait gallery is amazing along with the Air & Space and History.
If you have time get the tickets to the White House Tour as they just do a superb job, and it is the only place you can see it.
If coming after Thanksgiving, it is fun to walk around the National Christmas Tree but does get crowded on those nice winter nights.
And if you go to the Zoo now, you will be able to still see the panda before he goes to China.
So many good places to eat, I second the Eastern Market as being fun, and brunch at Founding Farmers is so good. As well as many places mentioned before – though totally agree on skipping the Mexican as that is something we just haven’t been able to master yet. I’m holding out hope though.
I remember asking my dad about deer whistles when I was a kid. Your reminding me of them made me poke around the Internet to see if there was evidence for their effectiveness.
I found an article that had collected its tests well enough, though the image links are broken and there are typos. It seems that the air-powered whistles produce “ultrasonic sound waves from 16,000 to 20,000 Hertz”, which is out of a deer’s range:
” …common Whitetail Deer hear sounds from 500 to 12,000 Hertz, and, at elevated volumes, sometimes as high as 16,000 Hertz, but never beyond that.”
https://www.thevog.net/threads/deer-whistles-do-they-really-work-an-in-depth-report-by-fred-rau.3439/
Ah well. I came here for your Jambalaya recipe (https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/jambalaya-230294)
Thanks for that!
All the best,
Reed