We came up with a few tips that we think are easy to implement but will make all the difference in your daily grind.
One of my favorite authors is Shauna Niequist, a writer who shares insight regarding relationships, community, and engaging with one another while gathered around the table, surrounded by food and drink and friendship. Niequist is a compelling storyteller who uses her own life as a platform for connecting with her readers in a genuine, intimate way.
One of her primary topics of focus is cultivating meaningful relationships and diving honestly and openly into a supportive community. She writes about this in her book Bittersweet when she expounds upon the topic of the home team:
The promises of wedding vows made with the best of intentions get tested when life — past and present — shows up. We are dynamic individuals growing and changing as we navigate life. Sometimes, a relationship cannot sustain under the pressures of change, struggle, illness, betrayal, and differing desires to make a marriage work.
Much is invested in preparation for the wedding while the statistics of divorce are a stark contrast to wedding day bliss. Many marriages do not survive today. Some statistics have that number between 40-50% for first marriages and the odds of divorce increase for second and third marriages.
When a marriage is in crisis, love is stretched. Faith is tested. Dreams feel like they become more distant.
While Los Angeles is a city known for budding actors and beach bums, it’s also a wanted destination for those looking to satisfy their epicurean desires. With little pockets of the city dedicated to various cultures and ethnicities it’s hard not to find the cuisine that you crave. But beyond the traditional restaurant experience is the unique littlemeatsLA.
This post is brought to you by Bertolli. Don’t just eat, Mangia!
The weekend is creeping to a close, and you’re already wishing Monday wasn’t a mere 24 hours away. Wouldn’t it be great if the slow steadiness of Sunday didn’t have to be eclipsed by a looming workday? If we could have something to savor on this special day, something that we could look forward to, relish in and that — beyond all — was easy to implement?
We’ve got you. Bertolli does too. We’re making a case for bringing back the “Sunday Supper,” a dedicated stretch of time where you gather ’round good food and good people and Mangia! like the Italians do. By using Bertolli’s super-simple skillet meals combined with a few finishing touches, we’re walking you through the art of curating your own Sunday supper and revealing why we think this ritual deserves a comeback, below.
I love the concept of Friendsgiving, a dinner you throw with your friends in the days leading up to Thanksgiving knowing you’ll have to spend time with your family on the actual day.
It’s more casual, less fussy, usually more wine is involved, and it’s far less political. You don’t have to worry about stepping on anyone’s toes when it comes to family tradition, and the awkward silences and stress over the seating chart seems to be greatly diminished. In all, it’s probably closer to what Thanksgiving aspires to be — a gathering with the people you love, filled with laughter and grateful hearts.
Because of it’s fluidity and inclusive attitude, Friendsgiving is also a time to get a little more playful with the menu.
A Note From The Editor: We are very aware that the words we publish in this space and in our print issues have power. Even more so, we’re in awe of how your words, our dear Darling readers, keep us encouraged and motivated in the mission to redefine what true beauty looks like — in the media and in culture — so that all women everywhere can feel known, loved, whole and worthy. We want to start sharing these words with you as well, because YOU are the real voice and agent of change.
From Darling reader Jessie McShane:
A few weeks ago my good friend Wynne, from La vie Charme Events, and I got together at a cozy pub in Minneapolis for what started as a casual happy hour to catch up. The evening was full of talk of exciting collaborations, wedding recap (Wynne had just gotten married in Canada), and business ventures. Wyn and I are both big fans of Darling Magazine so while on the topic of one of their more recent posts about Turning Your Passion into Your Profession we found ourselves talking about how we really wanted to get to know some of the local Minnesota women working towards their passions on a more personal level.
I visited my grandmother at her nursing home last week. It’s been almost three years since I saw her last, and I wasn’t prepared for how much she had deteriorated. I knew she had dementia, but as I sat by her bed holding her wrinkled hand I struggled to connect the rosy-cheeked, cheerful woman I remembered with the pale, skinny form lying next to me.
She didn’t remember who I was and I didn’t expect her to. In fact, she slept almost the entire time I was there. To help pass the time a nurse mentioned that a hymn-sing was scheduled for 2 o’clock, which pulled a bright memory to the front of my mind.
I’m sitting on a piano bench next to my grandmother in the sunlit study, fumbling through “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The chords feel too big for my hands, but she belts straight through my blunders with the determined gusto of a freight train.
Yes, let’s go to the hymn-sing.
Social media allows us to share some of the deepest and most polarizing opinions with the push of a button. The ease of challenging others or upholding values while masked by an online identity is convenient, but such an environment could also lead us to miscommunicate, dehumanize others, or come across more harshly than we mean to. That’s why we need to ask the question: can our preference for online communicating hinder us when it comes to engaging in person on hotly-debated topics?
Having a round table discussion may prove as a more worthy and personal way of discussing differing opinions. For topics warranting more time and care, round tables remind us that behind every opinion is a human with feelings, a face with a background, and a soul worth listening to.
Participating in these personal, sometimes confrontational, discussions can be difficult, especially when we can anticipate that we’ll be met with someone who doesn’t agree with us or holds a stance that is opposite of ours. We may not prefer situations like this for a few reasons: if we need extra time to process, if we sort thoughts better by writing, or if the thought of intentionally approaching someone with whom we disagree brings on anxiety. On top of all of that, physical distance can make having an in-person discussion near impossible in some cases.
However, which better helps us grow and widen our horizons — continuing to be affirmed by people who always agree with us, or offering to be challenged and questioned by people who don’t?
Whether in the news or in the workplace, we’re always hearing about advocates who are proudly supporting causes that they feel are important. Men and women across the world stand up for human rights, impoverished people groups, children being trafficked, and many other humanitarian efforts. But,
Valentine’s Day is a great reason to not only celebrate those that you love in your life, but also your friendships. This Saturday, why not go all out with some pink, gold and glam and host a girlfriends brunch? Get intentional with a few gifts,
I have lived in 37 houses, in ten cities, in three countries. No, my dad wasn’t in the military and no, I’m not in the witness relocation program. I have just always liked packing up my things, driving or flying someplace different, unpacking my things and
Best friends. Everyone wants one. We want soul sisters or brothers from other mothers and “Married to my best friend” is a popular decorative on Instagram bios. Oh, to have that one person to whom you can eternally spill the deepest longings of your heart
NARKISSOS (or Narcissus) was a young man, a son of the river-god Kephisos and the fountain-nymph Liriope. He was celebrated for his beauty and attracted many admirers but, in his arrogance, spurned them all. One rejected admirer became distraught, and called on the goddess Nemesis
New York Fashion Week is officially upon us! Thus begins the whirlwind of endless fashion shows, cocktail parties, running around the city in too high of heels, and lots of inspiration. From the outside it can look completely glamorous, and don’t get me wrong, it is
Fires again. The Santa Ana winds have swept through California and four different wildfires have burned across the city. Californians, of course, are used to seasonal fires and the evacuations and general disruption that accompany them. When I was in high school, my family evacuated our
When was the last time you experienced a random act of kindness? Last week, I received a call from an old friend out of the blue and it was such a pleasant, unexpected surprise. We hadn't caught up in awhile and he just wanted to
I have been teaching writing for years and have been writing professionally for the better part of a decade, but I just joined my first writing group last month. As I sat there with other writers, eating fruit tart and talking about one another’s work,
The journey in itself is exhausting: twenty plus hours on an airplane followed by a six hour car ride more. Yet, driving from the Johannesburg airport through South Africa to the tiny, land-locked country of Swaziland, you can’t sleep no matter how badly you may
Day after day, my husband and I watched an hour-long episode from a BBC series that he had bought me for my birthday, called Ballykissangel. With each passing day, I became more attached to the characters. They became my friends; I could picture their quaint
The air is getting warmer, flowers are blooming, and lighting bugs are getting ready to shine. All of that adds up to one thing: outdoor entertaining! It's a universal favorite to relax with friends over good food, a little vino, and a great time. Having people
Cooking a nourishing and delicious springtime meal is a lovely way to pamper your girlfriends with a much needed treat. This menu is simple, which provides you with plenty of time to visit while the beets are roasting and the fries are baking. The love
Last week I was at a social function for an organization and through a series of events found myself quickly going from surface to deep conversation with a complete stranger. It was on a topic of much conviction, one of which I have yet to
Besides being a mother, Ericka Burke is the owner and chef of Volunteer Park Café in Seattle, Washington. She uses locally grown (often from the garden behind the restaurant) and seasonal produce in her beloved pastries, sandwiches and other yummy meals. Once a month VPC
We want people to believe that we are living the dream, don’t we? We post pictures of our best times, looking like our best selves, and tend to only give our audience enough information and glimpses into our lives that will lead them to believe
For four years I lived in a perpetual state of motion. I packed, unpacked, and repacked; I left and returned. I moved mainly between two homes, West-to-East Coast jaunts as school chapters opened and closed. Other relocations propelled me to South America and, most recently,
While researching places where we could go to see “Girl Rising,” we stumbled upon Gathr, a brand new service that allows movie-goers to bring films they want to see to venues in their neighborhoods. Gathr is unique because it provides viewers who want to see
There is a scene in Nicholas Kristof’s documentary Half the Sky where the camera closes in on a Cambodian girl’s face. She is young, and the youth plays in her burnished cheeks and wispy hair. The girl is a former sex slave. Narration accompanies the
Last July, I found myself in a dark room surrounded by five of my closest friends. It was the night before my best friend Lydia’s wedding, and a bunch of us had gathered at her house for one last single lady sleep over. We talked,
Eating is a very intimate, interactive thing. No other activity demands quite so much of our attention (and may I add that no other activity is quite so easy to give so much attention to). When we eat, all of our senses come alive. We
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