A Few Things | May 13
Personal updates, links, and recommendations. Plus, thoughts on hosting Normandy Retreats!
Personal Update
Hello! How are you? Here’s what’s been up with me lately:
-The kids had a school break and we took a roadtrip — two nights in Heidelberg, Germany, and two nights in Strasbourg, exploring the Alsace region of France. We had a such a gorgeous visit, and we loved seeing places we’d never been before. My report is on Instagram — Heidelberg & Alsace.
-I was interviewed by the Arizona NPR station about my take on vasectomies and the role of men in the abortion conversation. You can listen to the interview here.
-I just got a DM that Doug Emhoff — husband to Vice President Kamala Harris — is focusing on the role of men in the abortion conversation. I’d love to get a copy of my book into his hands! (Or a stack of books for his whole staff!) If you’re reading this and have a connection to help me make this happen, please reach out.
-Yesterday, I opened new dates for Office Hours appointments, and for Mother’s Day, I’m hosting a 3-day sale — the meetings are normally $85, but for 3-days, the price is $65. If you’d like to book an Office Hours meeting — to talk about anything on your mind — you can find meeting times here (there are spots in May and a few in June). I only open up Office Hours meetings 2 or 3 times each year, so don’t miss your chance if you want to grab a spot. I’ve hosted dozesn of these meetings on every topic under the sun and it is always such a pleasure to connect with you.
Current Projects — Normandy Retreats!
After requests from many of you, I’m finally putting together a few Normandy Retreats! I’m SO excited about this!!
I’m picturing groups of 12 women, spending a week exploring Normandy like a local — visiting vide greniers and my favorite brocantes, a picnic at a chateau, an afternoon workshop with Gijsbert (he’s the talented craftsman who helps us with renovations), a visit to Mont St Michel, a class about local cheese, a family dinner with the Blairs — stuff like that.
I’m just in the planning stages, so I asked a few questions on Instagram and this is what I learned:
1-For dates, I asked what’s your preference?
-Last Half of July
-First Half of August
-Sometime in September
Over 89% chose September.
2-For accommodations, we’re thinking about opening up the Tall House & the Small House to retreat guests (our family would stay offsite and we would prepare the Tall House & Small House as if they are vacation rentals), and we would also have rooms at a nearby Hotel & Spa.
I should note: the Tall House and Small House bedrooms are only accessible by stairs, and some bedrooms have shared bathrooms — it would be like staying in an Airbnb.
I should also note: Even if guests stay at the hotel, they will still get to tour the Tall House & Small House and attend activities on-site.
I asked: Would you prefer:
-Staying at a unique location like the Tall House & Small House
-Staying at an elegant Hotel & Spa
The response was about half and half.
3-As I work on itineraries, there are so many options! I’ve considered giving each retreat a theme — like art, history, or food — then planning activities and classes focused on the theme. Or, I could make each itinerary a mix of activities with no overall theme.
I asked what’s your preference:
-A themed retreat
-A mix of activities
86% said they preferred a mix of activities.
4-Then I asked, if we go with themes, what’s your preference?
-Art themed retreat
-History themed retreat
-Food themed retreat
-Other
Responses were 20% art, 31% history, 47% food, and 1% other.
5-Another possible retreat would be something for people who are interested in relocating to France. Retreat guests could visit properties for sale, and attend workshops from experts on topics like: getting a residence visa, buying a home, and how taxes work as an expat. This would be a really practical retreat — less about exploring and getting inspired.
I asked, what’s your preference:
-Practical Relocating Retreat
-Relax & Get Inspired Retreat
79% chose relax and get inspired.
Do you have opinions on retreats? Feel free to comment. I hope to make an official retreat announcement with more details soon — make sure to stay tuned so you don’t miss out.
In The News
-In the Washington Post (gift link) — ‘Menopause Brain’ Is Real. For decades, some doctors have told women that the brain fog, insomnia and mood swings they experience in midlife are “all in their heads.” Now, emerging brain imaging studies of women — conducted before, during and after menopause — reveal dramatic physical changes in structure, connectivity and energy metabolism.
-In Slate — Almost Like Being in Love. This essay is about what it’s like to have adult children. (Even though I have lots of adult children, I think that so far, I’m shielded from the feelings in this essay, because I still have kids at home. But of course, that won’t always be the case.)
-In the New York Times (gift link) — Meet My A.I. Friends. A columnist spent the past month hanging out with 18 A.I. companions. They critiqued his clothes, chatted among themselves and hinted at a very different future.
-From Discover Magazine — Hidden Epidemic: Tapeworms Living Inside People's Brains. For anyone who has been hearing about brain tapeworms in the news.
-From Mother Jones — I Read Everything Elon Musk Posted for a Week. Send Help. "It is hard to overstate that this is just... what one of the most powerful men in the world does all day. It is the media diet of one of those influencers who only eats organ meat. At least Howard Hughes kept out of sight."
Shopping
There’s a big sale on Beats Headphones going on at Best Buy. These would make excellent graduation gifts, or Father’s Day gifts, or a gift for yourself if you need headphones. I posted these on Instagram and heard from so many readers. Here are the favorites:
Beats Flex
Wireless Earphones, available in 4 colors. Was $69, now $49.
Beats - Solo³
Wireless On-Ear Headphones, available in 3 colors. Was $199, now $114 (save $85!!).
Beats Studio Pro
Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones, available in 5 colors. Was $349, now $179 (save $170!!!). This is such a great price for these pro-level headphones.
Beats Fit Pro
True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds. Available in 7 colors. Was $199, now $159 (save $40!)
Lately On Design Mom
How to Fold a Fitted Sheet
A photo-tutorial for anyone who’s looking to tidy up their linen closet.
Salted Caramel Brownies for Two
Yes, please. The perfect late night snack.
Ten Easy Options for Greening Your House
The little things add up.
Before I forget: My Design Mom Facebook page was hacked a few weeks ago, but I finally have it back! It was so weird — the hackers basically shared upbeat viral videos and then tried to turn on subscriptions. Hah! I guess that’s how they hoped to make money? Not sure. I’m so happy to have control of the page again. What a stressful situation that was weighing down on me, but now it’s resolved. Hooray! And thank you to everyone who let me know about the hack. I appreciate it.
That’s all for now. I hope you’re having a great start to the week. Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned above, or whatever’s on your mind.
kisses,
Gabrielle
I was really saddened by the Slate article. Both of mine are out of the nest and I have lived far away and very near each of them. I can’t imagine going more than a few days without hearing their voices, or sharing a funny text or an interesting article. Our closeness has certainly waxed and waned, but it’s never been what this woman describes and gosh I hope it never will be. As I’ve read in several Mother’s Day posts over the last few days, everyone’s relationship with their parents is different, and distance goes both ways. Sometimes it’s challenging to work out what the “respectful” distance is with adult children, but sometimes the same with their empty nest Mom! My daughter is sometimes a touch offended when I say I’m busy!! Anyway, it certainly did make me appreciate the relationship I have with my kiddos.
In the United States, most healthcare plans do not cover HRT until menopause. For the troubling changes that occur in a woman’s brain during the many years that she is in perimenopause(brain fog, inability to recall words, forgetfulness), HRT can help and is available, but the out-of-pocket expense could be several hundred dollars a month. Even if you are able to pay that much for it, a woman often has to suffer through medical gaslighting over whether or not her symptoms are real, if HRT would actually help them, trumped up dangers over HRT, and finding a provider that will actually prescribe them. We truly are choosing to not treat middle aged women. It’s an injustice.