A Few Things | October 24
The chili recipe that has won a dozen cook-offs, our interview with TODAY, and so much more.
A Little Personal Update
Hey there. How are you? It’s currently Fall Break in Normandy. Flora June gets two weeks off of school (we’re on Thursday of the first week). And Betty gets next week off, so she’s coming home this weekend, and she just texted a suggested itinerary to make the most of her time off. We’re all brainstorming Halloween costumes, and wondering if we’ll have time for an overnight travel-adventure — maybe to Brittany (Bretagne).
We’re also having a media-filled era at our house. I’ve been creating media — lots of videos, essays, and posts about the election. And our parenting book came just over a week ago, which means we’ve been doing lots of media interviews for publications and outlets across the country. And when I have a minute, I’ve been watching media too. I just finished the most recent season of Slow Horses (on Apple TV — I originally called it Slow Dogs and I have no idea why — what a typo! Hahaha) and really enjoyed it.
In Small House renovation news, the radiators are in! Well, the ground floor radiators are in. We need to rent a scissor-lift to put the upper-floor radiator in place. But still, having heat is a big milestone. Today, Ben Blair and Gijsbert are laying the subfloor of the final room (though not the final project) that we need to tackle — a ground floor bathroom that is also a utility room.
Press for The Kids Are All Right
Press mentions of The Kids Are All Right have started to come in. So many great interviews! I’ve collected 8 of them here if you’d like to read/listen and learn more about the book, or just listen to Ben and I chatter away.
From TODAY.com — Ben And Gabrielle Blair's Surprising Advice About Screen Time. And a sweet note to us from the editor: “Thank you for doing this story — I didn't know how much I needed to read that screen time can be OK until I read this and had a VERY strong emotion of gratitude.”
In the Salt Lake Tribune — Memo to parents: No single path to success for kids, whether for school, work or religion.
From Insider — an excerpt from the book: We Accept Our Kids Won't Always Be Happy.
From the Mormon Land Podcast — Parenting challenges and choices from which schools to attend and whether to stick with the church. In addition to the article from the Salt Lake Tribune, we were also interviewed for their Mormon Land Podcast. Our episode is from October 16th, episode 361.
From the Edit Your Life Podcast — Rethinking Parenting Expectations & Pressure. We loved this conversation with Dr. Christine Koh — it was our very first interview about the book.
From the Erica Diamond Podcast — Gabrielle Blair: The Kids Are All Right. In this interview, we delve into parenting strategies, societal pressures, and how me and Ben have embraced unconventional approaches in raising our kids.
From Mary Van Geffen — Three Tips for Parenting Now So Adult Kids Will Want To Hang Out With You. Mary Van Geffen hosted me for an IG Live discussion.
From Talk Shop Live — Me and Ben Blair field questions about the book on a live forum.
Our First Reviews!
Here is a video of Ben Blair reading me our first reviews on Amazon (you can watch it on IG, and I’ll embed it below). Confession: I don’t actually read reviews of my books. I was advised by fellow authors not to. But Ben does, and then he reads them to me when they are good. Hahaha.
If you are up for leaving a review that would be incredibly helpful. It doesn’t need to be fancy — even just writing “loved it” or “highly recommend” is wonderful. Or if you’ve mentioned it on IG, you could write the same thing on Amazon.
As you know if you have ever shopped for something online, reading the reviews is key in helping people decide whether to choose a book. Head to the Amazon page to leave a review. And thank you to those who already have.
Don’t miss John Derian’s Collection for Target
John Derian is one of my favorite designers. And his shop in New York is a true wonderland — definitely worth a visit if you’re in the city. But I know it’s also out of reach budget-wise for many of us. So I really love that he does collections for Target. They are so good — perfect details every time. And they are so reasonably priced!
Go check out the collection. And enjoy a bit of John Derian’s creativity in your own home. Be aware: his collections typically sell out quickly!
Lately on Design Mom
Dessert for Two: Peanut Butter Cup Deep Dish Cookies
Oh come on who could resist? Make some for a late night snack when your college kid is home for fall break.
DIY: Lace-Imprinted Clay Containers
These are so delicate and pretty — and you can make them with air-dry clay! If you’re feeling sentimental, you could use a bit of lace from an heirloom christening gown or wedding dress.
Award-Winning Three Bean Chili Deluxe
This has been a family favorite for 24 years. And this recipe has been used by Design Mom readers to win chili-cook-offs all over the country.
That’s all for now. I hope you have having a really good week. Feel free to comment on anything above or whatever is on your mind.
kisses,
Gabrielle
STOP TEASING ME WITH THAT TARGET COLLECTION! I really love it and really don't need a thing in it. My willpower is wavering... I must deserve a reward for something, no?
Congrats on the book press! that chili!!! and I called it Slow Dogs the other day! Slow Horses? Loved it. I used to fancy Gary Oldman in the 90s! ha!