On My Mind: Pickleball Shoes and Cow-Print Shorts
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I am halfway through a two-part, remote-working family vacation split between Long Island, where my husband’s family has a house, and Connecticut, where my parents live. It has become a summer tradition that allows us to ride the ferry across Long Island Sound with our son, now 3 and a half years old, who loves all forms of transportation.
This year, we have been trying to get him comfortable withswimming, or at least open to the idea of getting into a pool with one of us. He still doesn’t mess with the ocean, except for one particular beach where the tide gets so low it is basically a puddle, and he prefers toplay in the sandfar from any water. We had some luck over spring break on a trip to the Dominican Republic thanks to a little-kid-size pineapple pool float my sister-in-law bought for him. He loved sitting in it while I held his hands and swished him from side to side. So in preparation for these two weeks in the “country,” I packed that float and got him a swim vest with sharks on it, hoping he might move on to the vest and let me start teaching him to kick and paddle in the shallow end. It’s been going well so far, and I’m looking forward to taking him to swim lessons this fall.
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The Big Mouth pineapple float we have is no longer available, but this crab float has the same type of seat design and is equally cute.
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I like how the curve on the front of this vest sort of mimics a boogie board and gives my son a little splash shield when I’m holding him horizontally in the water.
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I also packed one of these foam mini water blasters for our trip that we got as aparty favorfrom a friend who recently turned 4. They are easy for little kids to use and don’t take up a lot of space in a pool bag or suitcase. The blasters are a genius party favor because they come in a bunch of colors and are sold as a pack of five for $10. He also likes to play with it in the bath, though that can get messy fast if he doesn’t listen to my rule about not squirting water outside the tub.
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Pickleballis big with my husband’s side of the family. They are all very sporty and good attennisin a way I will never be. ButI’m getting better at pickleball, especially now that my son can play more independently with his cousins. My husband and I have been taking turns using this paddle from Franklin Sports, which has a sandpaperlike surface designed to give you a better grip on the ball and more control. My husband likes it better than our previous paddle — a stylish but much less expensive one from Recess. I’ve been playing pretty well with this new one and had fewer issues with balls going out on the serve.
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My son is starting at a new school this fall that is thankfully just a few blocks away from our apartment in Brooklyn. There are some newly painted public pickleball courts nearby, so I hope to find a fellow parent willing to play with me after drop-off a few mornings a week. I don’t have a dedicated pair of court sneakers, and these look legit but also stylish. I like how the accents are kind of peach rather than Barbie pink.
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As I think aboutschool starting, I have begun to imagine the clothes my son might wear on his first day. He’s still not very interested in picking out his own outfits and is happy as long as he’s comfortable. It’ll probably be too hot to wear one of these striped long-sleeved shirts fromMilk Teeth, but I love the idea of pairing one with hiscow-print shorts from Little Lawless.
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I bought these for him this spring and got one of a limited run of matching adult shorts for myself. We haven’t worn them at the same time, but I like knowing we could. Like those from my other favorite kids’ indie clothing brand,Mmoody Kids, these shorts are handmade by a designer who is also a mom. I love the bright-green stripes on the sides.
A few more things I’m thinking about
I’m on the hunt for some new kitchen-cabinet knobs to replace the old ones that were in my apartment when wemovedin October. This project has been on my list ofapartment upgradesforever, and Strategist writer Erin Schwartz’s recent story aboutchanging knobsto change your life has given me new resolve.
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Or what if I went kooky hippie and bought these knobs made of real beach and river rocks?
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Then I could echo them in the bathroom with this set of stone towel hooks.
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This two-sidedhamperfrom Zara Home took a long time to find. It’s the perfect size and shape for an awkwardly narrow spot in my apartment that naturally became a laundry dumping ground. Now, I feel calm instead of anxious when I look at it.
Also on my list of apartment upgrades is anarea rugfor our living room, which often doubles as a dining room. I want something that will make the small space look bigger, isn’t boring, and can be washed or is, at the very least,easy to spot-clean.
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Lorena Canals makes beautiful rugs that are fullymachine-washable, and this multi-stripe one is so cool. I can imagine my son using the different stripes as roads or parking spots for his toy cars. But it doesn’t look like a kids’ rug per se, and I like that it’s a bit shaggy and soft.
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Lorena Canals Handloom Area Rug Kaki
I also love this lower-profile woven rug from Lorena Canals that feels like an upgraded rag rug and comes in four earthy colors.
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Revival Kusa Rug
Here’s a woven one from Revival Rugs that’s machine-washable and similar in style but with a bit more flair. I love the juicy grass-green color and the geometric pattern.
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Revival Mori Rug
I’m also considering this other green rug from Revival.
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