My April Reset

It’s happened!
That itch you get when the weather starts to turn and you suddenly want to clean your entire life.

I try to plan for it, but the planning somehow makes me resistant.
So instead, I wait for the feeling to hit.

And now it has.

April is when I do my annual life overhaul.
Closet, makeup drawers, neglected appointments. All the things I’ve been putting off, or just fully ignoring.

It’s less “spring cleaning” and more… course correction.
A reset. A bloom, if you will.

For the next six weeks, this is the plan, some appts have already happened, but the majority is still upcoming:

• CO2 laser on my face, chest, and neck.
  Seven to ten days of downtime in exchange for a full skin reset.

• Getting veneers for two cracked teeth I’ve ignored long enough.
  Finally getting this handled, because I can’t keep pretending I don’t see the discoloration every time I look in the mirror. Teeth are important!

• Reviewing my closet and it’s contents. I need to stop buying and start rediscovering! I know there are some gems that are already in my closet, that I’ve forgotten about, so I am booking out a whole day with myself in my closet this month to try on everything and make notes on what I can get rid of, what needs alterations or repairs and what needs replacing.

• Cleaning out my bathroom toiletries and makeup:
  We all have those drawers. Slightly dingy, vaguely chaotic, and long overdue for both a deep clean and an honest expiration-date check.

• Haircut and potentially a keratin treatment. Frizz is a level 10 right now.

• Another mammogram. Now that I underwent my breast explant 6 months ago, they need to get a new map of my breast tissue without implants.
  Not glamorous, but necessary.

  

• Finding a new internist because if I’m being honest, my approach to healthcare has been… casual at best. I’ve been seeing my parents’ doctor, who probably should have retired 15 years ago.

• Also on the hunt for a new OBGYN (mine retired) and a new dermatologist.
  Which feels like dating, but with higher stakes and worse lighting.

And can we talk about healthcare for a second.
What exactly is the point of having insurance when no one actually takes it anymore?

For me, doctors and treatments have always lived in this weird in-between. Ignore it unless I’m sick enough for the ER, but not “worth it” enough for concierge medicine unless I’m ready to casually spend the price of a facelift just to have a doctor text me back.

So instead, it’s this constant middle ground. Calling around, being told they don’t take insurance, paying out of pocket anyway, and wondering why I even have it in the first place. At this point, my insurance feels like a moot point.

If anyone in LA has doctors they love who don’t require a membership fee that rivals private school tuition, please send them my way. I will be deeply, genuinely grateful.

The most comprehensive and responsible thing I have done this year is sign up for Function Health. You get 2 super comprehensive blood tests a year, which is way beyond what a normal annual physical checks. It breaks everything down in a way that’s easy to understand, especially if you put in chatgpt. My friends and I like to compare certain biomarkers, and our biological blood age. Im 35.6! It’s my new kink. You can sign up and check out Function here.

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After I do a full closet and bathroom overhaul, I will come back with pictures, and lists of what I’m keeping, getting rid of, storing and buying. But for now, this is what is on my pinboard of stuff I want for Spring:

To Shop: these are the items I saved this week

Calla lilly earrings here, very flattering capri pants here, red flats here, this very cool white sheer button up here, a great black transitional jacket here, this great black gathered skirt here, he perfect lace crochet summer party dress here, everyone needs this trench/ raincoat here , a button down that can be standalone or used with wrap belt here, this tank with rolled strap comes in black or white here, a great slim jean here, the white heel i need for summer here, this tassel necklace here

Also, can we talk about

Banana Republic for a second?

They just reissued a few archive pieces that are so cute. Very vintage-inspired, textured, a little worn-in, slightly rugged in that effortless, laid-back way that always gets me.

What pulled me in originally was checking out the “Archive Reissue” collection, but what kept me there was everything else. The basics, the easy spring pieces… all really good. The kind of pieces you don’t overthink, but end up wearing constantly. They’re the pieces that play well with others, the quiet anchors that make everything else in your closet feel more intentional without trying too hard.

woven leather flats here, knit sculpted dress here, silver nugget earrings here, mid rise painter pants here,suede jacket here, packing jacket here, oversized vintage cotton tee shirt here, pullover sweater here, ticking button down here, clogs here, linen cowel neck dress here

To eat: The BEST banana zucchini bread you will ever eat! This is one of my favorite recipes for adults and kids alike. I always try to sneak vegetables in everything and trick my kids. These taste incredible and they have no clue the main ingredient is zucchini! I make them with gluten free flour, but choose your own adventure…

Zucchini Bread (Extra Moist Version)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or GF flour)

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
  (or 1 cup monk fruit/date sugar + 1/2 cup sugar)

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups grated zucchini

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup avocado oil

• 1 tablespoon sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line two 8x4 loaf pans with parchment.

3. In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, beat eggs.

5. Add zucchini, mashed bananas, oil, honey, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix.

6. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined.

7. Divide into pans and bake 50–60 minutes, until set. Cupcakes: 30 minutes bake time.

To see: Project Hail Mary. Take your kids, your friends, your parents… anyone. I saw this the night Artemis II landed back on Earth, fully in my “moon joy” feelings, and it hit. This film is tender, emotional, visually stunning, everything that reminds you why being human is actually kind of amazing. I kept thinking how cool it is that a human mind dreamed up this story, and then a whole team of brilliant minds brought it to life so I could sit there on a Friday night and experience it with my family. It’s the hero’s journey, friendship, feel-good, save-the-planet energy all rolled into one movie that leaves you feeling better than when you walked in.

Let’s get ready to bloom!

xo, Simone