Spring Tings 2026
things I didn't see coming, elevating my daily life, and wildly entertaining pop culture
Welcome back to another seasonal update: everything from March, April, and May worth mentioning on the interwebs! Spring is when I break out of winter’s deep hibernation mode with the rest of society, reemerging with weekends away from home and a surprisingly full schedule. Despite how excited I feel for having plans again, this transition is not always easy or seamless for me (I can see a pattern in my mood thanks to my 5 year journal). And it has me wondering… is spring my least favorite season?! Being afraid of tornadoes doesn’t help.
I definitely go through growing pains in spring. My birthday is in March, so there’s also a literal spotlight on my growth and age this time of year, on stepping forward into hitherto uncharted territory. Knowing I need exposure to the world once again but resisting it. Blooming into the person I’ll be by summer—full of actual energy from the sun instead of mustered energy from months spent resting on my couch.
I went to California twice this spring, as well as attended two concerts, a comedy show, and a decent amount of movies. I put in many miles on our local bike trail and drank lots of beer to celebrate. I made a few purchases that have elevated my daily life, including getting my color analysis done. I listened to a few great podcasts and read some great books. So let’s get into it all!
CALIFORNIA
The first trip was to San Francisco to visit family and go to the ballet! Despite sitting in a warm theatre for a late night show, me (a tired bitch) and my cousin (very pregnant) managed to stay awake the whole performance because 1) the dancing was absolutely incredible and 2) the crowd was GOING OFF!
We booked this before Timothee Chalamet made his now infamous comments about ballet and opera, but that had just happened a couple days before we went. Maybe the crowd was extra loud in support of the arts? Or maybe SF Ballet is that poppin all the time?!
It was such a wholesome trip and has led to such an excitement surrounding ballet that I did not know would be on my bingo card for 2026. I started following the lead dancer from the performance we saw on YouTube and have been watching her weekly videos ever since! My boyfriend and I are fiending to go to the ballet in Chicago sometime soon and make a night in the city out of it.
My next trip to California took me to Los Angeles to visit my travel bestie, Jess. 💕 It was so fun seeing her new life there and all her local haunts! She unfortunately got me hooked on the Hailey Bieber Skin Smoothie from Erewhon, so I’ve been forced to spend $120 on all the ingredients to make it at home. 😅
We also stayed a night at the Beverly Hills Hotel (complete with a celeb sighting), making it the bougiest girls weekend ever. To round out my visit, we celebrated her birthday at Antico Nuovo where I had my best meal of 2026 so far! I used to actively dislike L.A., but between this trip and my previous one in 2022, I’ve come to accept it’s a fantastic place to visit if you have money to spend. 🤑
CHICAGO
I had fun plans in the city three times this spring! My boyfriend and I went to see Lily Allen perform West End Girl, and then I went to a comedy show and a Two Friends concert with girl friends. Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the world, and I feel so lucky to only live an hour away.
Before the Lily Allen show, we went to Perilla Steakhouse for our first Korean BBQ experience. I have been sooooo into Korean culture lately—reading books, listening to podcasts, and watching an insane amount of Seoul vlogs on YouTube. I’m trying to plan a week there in 2027, but in the meantime, I wanted to try some Korean food here!
This was such an incredible meal, and if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can get a $150 dining credit at this restaurant. I’m still dreaming about the fried chicken, and my boyfriend is still dreaming about the glass noodles. Highly recommend and really fun for a date night!
BIKE TRAIL AND BEERS
For my birthday this year, I wanted to celebrate by pretending I was back on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Where all I had to do each day was walk and drink good wine. We live super close to a bike trail, so why couldn’t I have a similar experience here in Indiana?? We put a midwest twist on it and got beer instead of wine at the end of the walk. Same same but different.
We walked nine miles to a brewery, where my parents met us to celebrate my birthday and drive us home lol. We loved it so much that we’ve done it again twice already and have plans for even more trail walks this summer. If you live close to a trail that you aren’t utilizing, take this as your sign to plan a walk or bike ride!
PURCHASES, PODCASTS, AND BOOKS
Hem Blanket: I've been on the hunt for the perfect throw blanket for our couch. I wanted it to be stylish, comfy, and warm without being too heavy. When we stayed in the CUTEST Midwest-meets-Scandinavia cabin last fall, this blanket was in the living room. I knew I needed it, but the color I wanted was sold out for months. I ordered it immediately when it came back in stock, and it’s perfection!
Weck Jars: I bought these on a whim after seeing a girl use them in a video for a salad recipe I wanted to make. But I have been using them almost every day since! They are perfect for storing said meal prepped salad AND for drinking the aforementioned Hailey Bieber smoothie. I’ve also been using them for big glasses of iced dandelion tea.
Color Analysis: This is also very K-beauty coded. So many of the vloggers I watch get this done in Seoul. I was inspired to finally book a session because one of my favorite fashion influencers talked about getting hers done on a podcast she was on. I’ve been wanting to elevate my style and also buy higher quality, longer lasting clothes. So the idea of knowing my best colors if I do want to invest in pieces made a lot of sense. I also loved seeing which make up shades work best on me! Really enjoyed my experience with and got a lot of value from House of Colour—they have many, many locations around the US if you want to book.
Is 2026 the year of the memoir?? Strangers by Belle Burden is still on my mind months after reading it—the highest praise. It’s the literal horror story of how even a “good marriage” can end so abruptly that all heterosexual women fear, which is one reason I think it’s getting talked about so much in so many places. Then there’s the pre-nup of it all, the wealth, the famous grandmother, the sandwich incident, etc. Could not recommend this one more!
I also could not put down Lena Dunham’s new memoir, Famesick. She is such a talented writer, and I’m so glad she found her way through the darkness of fame and chronic illness to still be here with us today. Another memoir getting a ton of press (but more negative) that I still want to read is Lindy West’s Adult Braces. Memoirs seem to be getting discussed more than other books this year!?
Love Trapped podcast: I have not devoured a podcast this hungrily in a long time. Expertly produced, an insane story in more ways than one, and very current. A former bachelor contestant is accused of impregnating his one night stand, but what unfolds after is unimaginable (and is still ongoing).
Snark Bait’s episode on Hilary and Hailey Duff’s Falling Out: I thoroughly enjoyed Hilary Duff’s new album, Luck…or Something, and diving back into her lore in the process. I wasn’t aware she had a split from her sister until I heard some lyrics on the album. This deep dive into what possibly went wrong was an interesting listen. I so wish I could have made it to one of her concerts this year!
Esther Perel on Fashion Neurosis: I have been a fan of Esther Perel’s work for such a long time. I listen to her speak quite often, but this interview was unlike anything I’ve heard before. By being in conversation about fashion instead of relationships, I learned so many new things about someone I’ve been following for years. P.S. The host, Bella Freud, is that Freud’s great-granddaughter!
What’s Next
Last summer I felt extreme amounts of FOMO while seemingly everyone was somewhere fabulous (thanks internet), and I had no plans. I told myself this summer would be different!
I’m also a big soccer fan, so I strategically planned my PTO around being off for the World Cup lol. All this to say, I’m off work for almost all of July! I’ll be in Michigan beaching it up for a week and then in Copenhagen to live my fantasy life there—cafe hopping, shopping, and looking chic (at least trying my best to). Besides that we have our annual friends’ float trip, and I hope to spend even more time on the bike trail!
I hope you enjoyed this post—thanks so much for being here 😊 Make sure you subscribe so you catch my next seasonal round up in 3 months, when I report back on my trips and everything summer.
I tried the Hailey Bieber smoothie in LA too! I guess you need to have more than one to drastically improve your skin! lol