Do: Friday Roundup

Hello Silicon Valley! In the blink of an eye, three weeks passed without publishing a single article. Rest assured I'm still here and Simply Silicon Valley lives on; life got hectic, and in the fight to keep my priorities in check, Simply SV didn't receive my time. Today I'm back on the scene to share some ideas from the archives that I'm currently excited about.

GO

Lately, I'm freshly appreciating Villa Montalvo. Why? Because they graciously hosted my son's 8th birthday party. How did I not think of this sooner? Montalvo is free, open every day, and offers beauty and adventures galore. We had a pizza picnic and then hiked to the look-out, all in LEGO Nexo Knight theme. I told parents to drop-off and pick-up at the villa steps, because everyone appreciates a grand entrance.

I also recently had my first taste of Rose International Market's eggplant dish. To. Die. For. Yet another reason to go enjoy their well-priced, authentic Persian cuisine.

MAKE

I'm loving the Indian Butter Chicken recipe from back in May. It's so yummy that I've been preparing it at least twice a month. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30 compliant, to boot. (I ate leftovers of it as I edited this article.)

BE

It was hard at times, but I knew in my gut that it was the right decision to be irresponsible in regards to the website these past couple weeks. And I'm happy to be back on the writing train.

DO

One of the first articles I published was Do: The Best Home Décor Ever. Currently, gorgeous fall persimmons are dripping from trees in my yard, and now they can be found all around my house. Persimmons are the perfect fall décor—they're like miniature pumpkins! I love how they look lined up on my mantle or piled in a bowl. (They're also a delightful fruit that I first tasted just last year.)

GET

I smiled when I recently spied a J.Crew mannequin donning a trench coat. It was fun to know that J.Crew agrees with Simply SV. If you're in need of a fall coat, invest in a timeless and versatile trench.

Speaking of J.Crew, you might remember the article Get: The Best Boys' Tee Ever. While taking care of back-to-school shopping, I was thrilled to discover that J.Crew made two more short-sleeved boys' shirts with their luscious jersey cotton: there is now a v-neck tee and a polo. Join their email list and wait for a 30% off promotional code.

What Simply Silicon Valley articles are you most benefiting from? Please share in the comments on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Have a wonderfully stormy Silicon Valley weekend!

***This post written from Sue's Gallery Café in Saratoga Village. Their chrysanthemum tea is delicious and, my friend tells me, a rare find.