The Mindholiday spring edit

All of the things I always pack in my carry-on and Your NYC spring syllabus

Apr 02, 2026

Spring has always been my favorite season, heavily filled with the promise of new beginnings. My birthday, new verdant botanical shoots of life poking through the Earth’s crust, the feeling of sun and humidity on my skin after months of cold, dry air. The first Mr. Softee ice cream cone, droplets of dew on daffodils. New babies and puppies emerging outside in strollers and on harnesses, after months of incubating and growing in the warmth of their homes. There’s so much potential energy!

I come alive in April every year, and New York City does too. It’s a time of year laden with optimism and hope. And there’s something borderline theatrical about how the city sheds winter—as soon as it hits 55 degrees out, we’re all in shorts drinking iced coffee and photosynthesizing outside. Everyone’s out later, drinking glasses of crisp white wine on the sidewalk as the sun goes down and the moon rises. Sure, there’s a chill in the air, but we cannot be bothered to ruin another outfit with a puffer jacket or god forbid a scarf. Purse cardigan or bust, baby.

Sometimes, I forget why I love living here, but all it takes is a 70 degree day to remember. Here’s to remembering and living, along with a NYC spring syllabus to help you plan your free, warm days!

xx,

Bella

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A curated list of the things I loved last month, from thrifted finds to discoveries that made my life better and brighter—this month was a bit CPG heavy, I’ll admit!

I was sent this Dona Matcha set in a PR mailer a few months ago, and although I had loved matcha in the past and bought it at coffee shops, I had never made it myself at home. This changed everything for me, and now I’m in the habit of making one with my breakfast every morning. I love their commitment to sustainable sourcing!
Now that there’s no snow on the ground, I’m finding myself living in my Nike Cortez sneakers again. Comfortable and a nice pop of color!
Canyon Coffee (on a weekday!) is my new favorite place to walk to in the morning. It’s about 20 minutes from my house so I get a nice little sweat in, and if I get there at a truly random time, there’s no line. Their labneh toast is to die for!
It’s overalls season again! I love wearing mine with an overall tank underneath (similar). And paired with a fun resin bangle I got at a yard sale in LA for $3 (similar).

Multiple new discoveries came out of my trip to California:

In Ojai, I stumbled across a vintage Marlboro denim jacket from their rewards program, which apparently still exists. I went down a rabbit hole: they used to offer insane prizes, like weeklong trips to the Marlboro Ranch with free food, cigarettes, drinks, and activities. That jacket cost 800 Marlboro Miles. At 5 miles per pack, that’s 160 packs—3,200 cigarettes! I’ve never smoked a day in my life, but this jacket has already received so many compliments.
I tried this ceremonial grade cacao at the Mar Vista farmer’s market and noticed enough of a difference in how I felt to bring home a bag with me.
My friend Jenna had the Painterland Sisters peach yogurt in her fridge and I enjoyed it so much that now it lives in mine, too. Very thick and creamy.
Kumquats… Jenna also has a kumquat tree in her backyard and we picked some and made kumquat margaritas. I’ve never seen them in season on the east coast, but maybe I’m missing something!
Rory’s Place granola, another obligatory Ojai purchase. Expensive but really good.

Whenever I have a weekday or a big weekend filled with nothing looming (which doesn’t happen often enough), I like to jot down a little syllabus to give it some structure—the activities I plan on doing, the restaurants I want to try, the art projects I want to attempt. Here’s what I’ve come up with for this spring in the city. Feel free to use it for inspiration!

Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

I try to go every Thursday morning because it’s quiet and there’s practically no one there. The cherry blossoms are an obvious treat, but there’s so much more. It truly changes so much every single week in the spring—one week the daffodils will be blooming, the next tulips, and so on!

Or make the trek to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx for the orchid show.

A truly delightful spectacle, on display through April 16. Truly so special and worth a visit!

Go dancing!

Attend a technicolor day rave to celebrate 4/20 or an outdoor rooftop show and get boogying. Soul Summit is my absolute favorite—not to be missed!

See some art.

Keith Haring @ the Brant Foundation (one of my favorite places to see art)

If it’s overcast out, head to the Brant Foundation in the East Village to see the Keith Haring exhibit currently on display through May 31.

And while you’re on a roll, head on over to the New Museum, which recently reopened after a major overhaul, including twice the gallery space, and a lovely vegetable forward restaurant (coming soon!), perfect for a leisurely lunch.

There’s also the 82nd Whitney Biennial, on display through August 23.

Make some art, while you’re at it too.

Really leaning into the DIY mentality this season

I’m desperate to try cyanotype printing, which seems relatively user friendly and like a good way to spend a warm day outside. All you need is a starter kit and your imagination!

Celebrate Earth Day!

Spend it on Governor’s Island for their celebration—food trucks, outdoor sound baths, walking tours, and more! There are also Citi Bikes all over the island, so you must bike the perimeter and take in the city views.

Pick up some candy from Candor!

This female-founded candy shop opened this week in Fort Greene and is stocked with candy from every corner of the world! I also love that they’re giving back and donating to local food banks. I went last night and was blown away by the selection they had… if they have the mango slice candies in stock, you must get them!

Try a new restaurant!

There’s finally a legitimate British pub in NYC—Dean’s, located right next to King in Hudson Square. I will be waltzing over ASAP to try the crab & crumpet and their scotch egg.

I’m also dying to try Bar Heretic in Fort Greene, which I imagine will serve as an overflow space for when Rhodora sidewalk seating is completely full (as it usually is on a warm day).

Take a sail around the harbor.

If you’re looking for a fancy date, a fun excursion with friends, or a lovely way to celebrate an anniversary, might I recommend booking a private sail on a vintage boat around the harbor? It’s a fun way to see the city during sunset, and it’s not terribly expensive if you split the cost between 6 people (the capacity of the sailboat, which was built in 1954 and is very charming).

Walk from the top of Manhattan to the bottom.

AKA the Broad City challenge, but one of the best walks you can do, and the best way to see the city on foot! It’s 14 miles long, so it’s worth doing before it gets too hot out. Warning: it takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours with stops!

A well-packed carry-on makes the chaos of travel feel manageable… like you've got a small, perfect world in your hands while everything else is uncertain! Over years of trips (long-haul flights, last-minute weekends, the occasional transcontinental red-eye I swore I’d never book again) I’ve gotten pretty ruthless about what earns a spot in mine. These are the things that made the cut, and the things that continue to make my life much easier.

My personal item is the Loeffler Randall Dina travel tote.

This wasn’t gifted to me—I bought it with my own money after seeing everyone on Substack rave about it, and as soon as it arrived, I immediately knew why. It fits so much without being overly bulky: my 15” laptop, iPad, kindle, over the ear Bose headphones, toiletry case, two cameras, a watercolor set, all of my cables and chargers, and I threw in my water bottle, sweater, AND my packable down jacket on top and it still zipped!

I had been using the same Dagne Dover weekender bag for 5 years and thought it would never be dethroned even though it was becoming threadbare, but this Loeffler Randall miracle bag has taken the crown because of its ability to hold my entire life, the convenient trolley sleeve, all of the pockets, and how it fits flawlessly under the seat, even in economy. I’ve flown 5x with it already, and I’m legitimately speechless at its performance… Jessie Randall how did you do it??

What’s always inside my personal item

I keep the Loeffler Randall Dina tote packed and ready to go in my closet (minus the stuff I use everyday) so I can cut down on the amount of time I have to spend packing. Here’s everything that lives inside.

Pills and potions

Living Proof texturizing hair foam, which I live and breathe by because it makes my hair look AMAZING without any heat. This is probably my most recommended product of all time, and every friend that’s tried it has fallen for it too. I never style my hair on vacation (or in real life), I just scrunch this in and go. It saves so much time and energy!

life changing enough that I’ve written about it 1000x

Lemme Sleep gummies, which work insanely well for red eyes and jet lag. I actually manage to get a few hours of sleep on planes, thanks to this!
DIEUX moisturizer, which is the only thing that keeps me from shedding like a snake after dry plane cabin air. Also Byredo hand lotion and Necessaire lip balm to really revive me, and a Biodance mask for when I arrive to my hotel.
TOUCHLAND hand sanitizer, because it never ever leaks and I like spray.
Ursa Major face wipes, because they’re incredibly refreshing and make me feel awake and alive.
Paula’s Choice exfoliating toner pads, which I use on red eyes to eliminate acne and to scrub off germs.
Marvis travel toothpaste is a little luxury for overnight flights and I won’t go back to the regular stuff. It feels so fresh!
I always have a tiny emergency bag filled with Tylenol, Advil, Zofran, Mexican cold medicine (it’s better), Immodium, a blister stick, bandaids, and Pepto Bismol… This has come in handy so many times, I swear. You never know when you’re going to feel off, and it saves you a run to the nearest pharmacy.
GoodOnya is my favorite electrolyte because it’s organic and not too salty. Tastes like lemonade from childhood!

GoodOnya is in every bag of mine and I’ve converted MANY friends

Electronics

My JBL portable speaker is always with me because you never know when you’ll need good tunes on the beach or in the hotel room while getting ready. Waterproof and insane sound quality… easily the best $130 I’ve ever spent. Also sometimes I use it in rental cars if they’re old and outdated without CarPlay!
A fully charged Kindle, because I’m always reading on the plane… and everywhere else.
My Contax comes everywhere because shooting on film is my favorite! However I will warn that it’s expensive and if you’re looking for a good entry level film camera this is the one for you.
Any my Fujifilm x100v for when I’m feeling digital… great camera, however I recommend buying it used because it’s also a bit expensive!
Noise cancelling Bose headphones, which effectively drown out baby noise more than anything else I’ve tried.

Creature comforts

A travel watercolor set that my friend Jen graciously gifted me… for when inspiration strikes on the go!
My junk journal so I can chronicle my adventures wherever I am.
The Halfdays packable down jacket, because planes are COLD and this folds into a travel pillow and has a trolley sleeve! Complete game changer. I bring my cobalt blue one everywhere.
My trusty Owala water bottle—I try to drink two full bottles per flight (and yes, I sit in the aisle seat and pee every 30 minutes).
LOOP earplugs for when I’m feeling overstimulated! Also excellent for shows and concerts.
The best dopp kit I’ve ever tried, which can fit so many toiletries it’s borderline insane, along with 2 weeks of contact lenses and my eyeglasses.

My carry-on suitcase is the expandable Away bigger carry on flex.

I bought this years ago and I’ve put it through the wringer, and it’s held up so well. It’s big enough that I can pack for a month in Europe without a problem. In fact, it’s so capacious that I always overpack (🙃) but I tell myself it’s fine to do so because I’m still never checking a bag!

She always fits in the overhead bin space too! I’ve never had an issue.

What’s always in my suitcase

Cram packing cubes are the best I’ve encountered so far. They really make a difference, especially if you’re staying in multiple places and packing and unpacking!
A Baggu packable crossbody that actually looks like a cute purse instead of fugly travel fanny pack (I’m looking at you, Uniqlo).
My trusty Asics sneakers, which allow me to walk 20k steps in a day pain free.
A Hunza G bikini, which is so blessedly stretchy that it meets me where I’m at, even after eating plenty of pasta and pizza and gelato.

A monthly roundup of what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to—the books, shows, podcasts, albums, and essays worth downloading to binge before your next flight.

Read

Lost Lambs: Hilarious and worth the recent hype. I laughed out loud many times.
South of the Border, West of the Sun: I torture myself with one Murakami novel per year. I bought this in Mexico City after leaving my Kindle at home (disaster), and couldn’t put it down.
Strangers: A real life divorce horror story and now my worst nightmare. Gwyneth Paltrow is set to star in the movie adaptation.

Listen

Fred again.. & Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk played a back to back set in London together, and it made me very emotional (I cried!). Bangalter has only performed 2x in the past 17 years, and his son was there for it jamming and in tears the entire time!
The Acquired podcast episode on the history of Formula 1… It’s over 4 hours so it’s long, but makes for the perfect roadtrip or plane listen.

Watch

Conde Nast’s Where the Chefs Eat series on YouTube. If I’m traveling to a new city, I always see if there’s an episode covering it before I make any restaurant reservations! I’ve found the recommendations to be delightful so far.

A monthly sneak peek at where I’m booking my clients and where I’m traveling myself—the destinations, hotels, and curated experiences that are on my radar right now.

Sending one of my favorite clients to Costa Rica with her family and she’s staying at Rio Perdido for a rainforest immersion and then Esh Hotel in Nosara for some laid back beach days!
Just booked Borgo Egnazia for a mother/daughter trip in May—one of my dream properties in Puglia!
A last minute booking at the Four Seasons at Ko Olina for friends and their kids spending spring break together. Dreamy, with a good kid’s club!
I did an overnight at the Palihouse Santa Barbara for my birthday and it was a dreamy home base for exploring!
Dreamy Lou Pinet in Saint Tropez… I just booked a client here and want to send everyone here—the design is stunning, and the pool is beautiful!

I am donating 20% of all subscription revenue through the end of April to Eden: People+Planet, an organization that is dedicated to the idea that you can't save the planet without taking care of its people. They plant trees at scale (in Honduras, Brazil, Nepal, Madagascar) while creating sustainable employment for the communities who live there.

All Mindholiday paid subscriptions are 20% off through the end of the day. Enjoy!

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