Ashley and I flee to the west side of Manhattan–to the Hudson River parkway–when the heat sets in. The cooling breezes from the water and the light from sunset make it a pretty unbeatable destination. Of course, over the course of this week of extreme heat, we have spent many evening strolling over there; and we realized just how much we’d missed those views during the winter (when those same breezes keep us away). On Sunday night, we walked to the end of the Christopher Street pier to watch the dancers practicing the Tango before heading into the West Village for dinner at a favorite spot, Barbuto.
If this weather keeps up, Ashley, who is usually is most at home in a desert environment, will be asking if we can walk out there nearly every night! The extra little person in her belly is clearly adding his own heat to her temperature.
Every year, it seems, I find myself searching for the perfect summer sandals. Oddly, the pair that I seem forever trying to replace was a $16 pair from Payless! After Aron’s resuccitation efforts failed (the lovely fellow tried surgically stitching them back to life), I’ve spent untold riches in search of their equal. This year, a growing belly brings new challenges.
As my due date draws nearer and the number on the scale climbs, my feet have started killing me! None of my favorite sandals (e.g. my Salt Water Sandals
or my gladiators) are cutting it. Here’s the goal: a non-sporty, stylish sandal that’s also comfortable enough for the demands of walking in New York (at minimum, 2-3 miles each day).
that are quite nice, but they come with two caveats: they’re very tall, and they’re suede-lined. In my mind, the perfect summer sandal cannot be suede-lined. They get too dirty too easily, and they become slippery and gross when it rains (which is often during the summer). This unfortunately (and to my utter bafflement) rules out most comfortable sandals!
Naturalizer had a favorite option, though it came with a suede foot bed. Clarks
make some great options, though let’s be honest: most of them look like “comfort shoes.” Still, there are some non-suede-lined possibilities there.
So far I have home some faux Birkenstocks, which I’m loving for standing around (not as much for walking), especially because they slip on, and I’ve tried adding insoles to my saltwater flats. And I’ve been considering trying out Tom’s–though they aren’t actually sandals. But I may have finally found an option that meets both my style and comfort criteria (if still slightly short on arch support):Easy Spirit Remi Sandals
. They look like gladiators, go as well with a dress as with pants, are designed with comfort in mind (soft leather) but skip the suede, and they have a velcro closure that means less time trying to bend over and buckle my shoe (also key)!
Who makes your pick for best (comfy, stylish, pregnancy approved) summer sandals?
A steamy weekend meant lots of salads. It’s one of my favorite things about the start of the season: the return to simple, no-cook salads–and to the aroma of fresh basil filling the apartment. It doesn’t get much easier, or tastier, that some sweet cherry tomatoes, julienned basil, and a generous scoop of rich ricotta, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. Add fizzy basil-limeade (muddled basil, simple syrup, lime, and soda–you could use Sprite), and hello summer!
