Hey y’all — it was a weekend! Between Claire prepping for her school’s production of Clue (she’s on the crew and helped design the poster!) and Todd and me looking our gayest for Toast to Life, it was a full few days in the Koch household.

Toast is Resource Center Dallas’ annual fundraiser/auction, and it was a fabulous night with friends and supporters of an amazing cause. As a bonus, they announced an exciting $12 million capital campaign, and I’m proud to be serving on the committee alongside my bestie Eric. More fabulousness and big checks to come!

Old Friends Are Gold Friends

From Playground Kisses to 3 Hours in Ennis

When Mason expressed interest in watching a friend's tennis match in Ennis (about 45 minutes south of Dallas), I saw an opportunity to reconnect with a piece of my past. I reached out to Cara Castellow, a dear friend from my Hallettsville days. We've known each other since 2nd grade, but hadn't seen each other in person since I moved away in the 8th grade. We've just kept in touch over social media. Now, she's our State Farm insurance agent—a role that runs in the family, as her late father, Ron, was my dad's agent for most of my childhood.

Spending three hours with someone who knows your origin story is both comforting and surreal. Cara might have been my first "girlfriend" in elementary school, possibly even my first kiss on the playground—though the details are a bit fuzzy.

Oh, and because she wasn't impressive enough already, she also founded and runs a nonprofit called Cara Caters, which helps ensure schoolchildren in Ennis have meals on weekends and holidays when school isn’t in session. She's just one of those people who’s full of heart and hustle—and I’m so glad to still have her in my life.

Life's Little Luxuries

Because Life Is Too Short For Cheap Pens & Flat Towels

One of my core beliefs is that the things you use every single day should spark a little joy. I’m not saying you have to be bougie (but also... you totally can). I just like to upgrade the basics.

For example, I swear by Parker ballpoint pens. They're like $30, which is a little spendy for a pen—but they feel good in your hand, write beautifully and they’re refillable. The same goes for bath towels. You don't need to spend a fortune, but for the love of all things absorbent, stop using fabric softener on them! And if you attend as many kids’ sporting events as I unexpectedly now do, a well-cushioned stadium seat is your new best friend.

I’ve shared more of my daily luxuries over on the blog. They’re not necessarily expensive (although some kinda are)—but they definitely make the day-to-day a little more elevated.

​Read More About It​

Playing House

The 6/10 Housekeeping Method

I recently discovered the 6/10 Housekeeping Method, and it’s kind of brilliant. The idea is to do six simple things every day (make the bed, wipe the counters, run the stick vacuum, etc.) and ten bigger things each week (water the plants, clean out the fridge, deal with your junk drawer of doom, etc.). Separately, none of it feels that hard. Together? Perhaps life changing...or at least fewer mess-induced Mommie Dearest meltdowns.

​Here’s the article that explains it. Definitely worth a read. And if you already have a 6/10 of your own, I want to hear it. I might copy you!

My VCR Is Flashing 12:00

iPhone Magic Tricks

This NYT article about hidden iPhone features taught me at least a dozen things I didn’t know my phone could do. Tap the back to take a screenshot? Convert a picture of a recipe into a text file? Move multiple apps at once?! I felt like a hacker and a grandma all at once.

​Read All About It​

What I'm Listening To

Dua Lipa, But Make It Orchestral

This week’s background soundtrack has been Dua Lipa: Live at Royal Albert Hall—a concert from late 2024 that’s now on Apple Music (and Spotify too). It’s all her biggest hits, but performed with an orchestra. Very posh. Very dramatic. Very much the soundtrack of someone repotting plants in a caftan while sipping wine at noon.

Words To Live By

Quote of My Week

"Every storm runs out of rain."

– Maya Angelou

A gentle reminder that challenges are temporary, and brighter days are ahead.

That's it for this week! I always love to hear from you so hit reply and say hi! And if you missed last week's edition, you can read it right here.

YOU ARE LOVED!