One of the movies we watched this week (I can't remember which), had a scene where the characters talk about the best day of their lives. I actually paused the movie to talk about this with my husband. In my almost 40 years on this Earth, one day immediately popped into my head: the day before our kiddo was born.

On that day, DC was blessed with absolutely stunning weather. There was no rain, it was sunny, and cool with a light breeze. In the morning, I completed a few productive errands and tasks. Then, I met my bestie for lunch and a calming sound bath meditation. On the way home, I stopped to pick up a slice of our favorite pie. My water then broke at home while I was conveniently in the bathroom. That was a shock, but I had no pain or stress because the sound bath put me in a mindful state. Plus, there was the hilarious moment the Husband thought I was joking because he was elbow-deep in prepping a lasagna to freeze for after the kiddo arrived. We took our time getting to the hospital because my contractions did not bother me in the least. To help with labor, the husband and I ended up walking the halls and talking for hours. I ended the night in our room watching bad TV as I breathed through my growing contractions.

This felt like a great day as it happened. But, I think the momentous change that was about to happen makes all the details stick more clearly in my mind. I have a clarity for the moment and my emotions that does not exist for other events in my life.

What was your best day?

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I picked up Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien a few nights ago. Reading this series is like slipping into a pair of pajamas. It's comfy and not at all surprising. This mystery has a set way of characters, story development, and resolution. They're all easy, breezy read. Honestly, the only hard thing about these books is not getting through the info dump of backstory at the beginning. I'm quite familiar with all the details and just want to get to the main story.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

• The social security disability program is in desperate need of modernization. [NPR]

• Instagram friendly bakeries are here to stay. [Grub Street - may be paywalled]

• The art of shadow puppetry. [Colossal]

• On a lemon tart and writing a cookbook. [David Lebovitz Newsletter]

• "Romantic cleaning content wants us to view care work as an exercise in proving one’s excellence as a mother." [In Pursuit of Clean Countertops]

• Packaging size and why we buy. [Planet Money]​

• I am here for kids' podcasts teaching me new things about our world. [Wow in the World]

• Potatoes: vegetable, grain, or political football? [The Indicator]

• Pandeconomy.  [WAMU]

• How to get started with grilling. [Life Kit]

• Pluto, not a planet, but still amazing. [Short Wave]

• Why do we talk about the British royal family so much? [Culture Study]

• The rise of the airport lounge. [Radio Atlantic]

• We got through a lot of movies this week. Let me save you the time on one of them. Fourth Grade is a bad, kinda stoner comedy (but not really). It is not worth anyone's time. [Tubi]

• Murder and Cocktails was slightly better. It had an interesting set up and premise. A couple tries to solve a murder by having all the suspects over to their house for cocktails. Sadly, every other aspect of the movie was D-list. It's also weirdly slow and disconnected. [Amazon Prime]

• Now, admittedly, I did not see the entirety of Coffee Wars. I started watching it when the husband put it on, but then I went to bed. I missed the middle hour and saw the end the next day. It's about a vegan barista competing in a tournament while also trying to get everyone to stop drinking cow's milk. Really weird premise but hilarious execution. This was like Pitch Perfect in that it did not take itself too seriously. Plus, the entire cast is all-in which helps. [Amazon Prime]

• For our final film, we watched Special Correspondents. It's about two journalists who fake cover a coup in Ecuador from the safety of New York City. I don't like the commentary on journalism, but I did enjoy the movie. Also, Ricky Gervais - who wrote, directed, and starred - surprised me with his depth of acting. I always thought he was a one note character but this movie proved me wrong. [Netflix]

• We binged all of season three of Bridgerton. It's as delightful and frothy has ever. There seemed to be more storylines to follow this season which is fine, but I thought it detracted a touch from the main romance. I want more Penelope. Also, I adored the laughs this season. The scripts just felt funnier. [Netflix]

• We have a caprese panini sandwich that features heavily in our rotation. This week, I adapted it to be a cold sandwich. Also, instead of balsamic vinegar, I spread the bread with Rao's pesto. It was delicious! If the heat continues, we may eat this one more often. We served ours with a side of roasted sweet potatoes. [Inspired by Budget Bytes from My Evernote]

• I used up some farm share veggies in a semi-stir fry. We got a head of cabbage in this week's bag. I thinly sliced half the head and sauteed it in sesame oil with some green onion. I finished it with a few dashes of soy sauce. On top, I added sliced chicken breast which I had sous vided in teriyaki marinade. It was pretty darn good for a quickly planned weeknight meal.

The Audubon Photography awards came out this week. I love how I can practically hear the scene in this image [Audubon]

DC is experiencing its worst heat wave in years. This ShadeMap helps you find the shade in your area. Also useful for finding how much sun a place my get throughout they day.

A hiring committee I am on is meeting this week to discuss the 94 (!!!) applicants for the position. Let’s just say that some discussions will be easier than others.