RPL at Home: June 2026

Welcome to the June 2026 edition of RPL at Home, where I share what I’m up to when I’m not in the kitchen or in front of the camera.

Every few months, I give you a glimpse into what I’m working on, habits I’m cultivating, things bringing me joy, books/TV shows/podcasts I’m enjoying, and more. Think of it as stream-of-consciousness blabbering meets a semi-curated list of recommendations meets life update.

⛱️ What I’m working on in life 

Most people get super excited for summer and make a lot of summer-specific plans. But for the last five-ish years, summer has been—more or less—just another time of year for me. 

For one, the weather is fab year-round in San Diego. It’s warmer in October than in June. And when you look out your window on a July morning, it’s indistinguishable from a December morning (aside from the angle of the sun). 

Two, running an online content business doesn’t have a “slow season.” Over the last many years, I’ve probably worked about the same amount in summer as I have in winter.

But this year, I want summer to feel different. At least a little bit. 

I got a headstart on this goal by starting June off with a glorious vacation in Europe (more on that below!). 

And for the rest of the summer, I’m making a low-stakes summer joy list (I got this idea from the Liz Moody podcast, which I love!). It’s basically a list of seasonally specific things that I are best enjoyed in summer. 

👩🏽‍🍳 What I’m working on in the biz 

Speaking of summer changes, I’ve been pouring a lot of energy into Meal Plans by Rainbow Plant Life lately, and I’m really happy with how it keeps getting better and better!

On the recipe side, we’ve been listening to your requests and adding more high-protein meal plans, more lunch recipes, and more quick-and-easy options.

A few that have been on repeat in our house:

• The 10-minute avocado lime bean salad. Max has been absolutely smashing this with tortilla chips while watching the World Cup, while I have been eating it outside for lunch with a book in hand (no surprise there!).
• The high-protein red lentil curry and high-protein tofu scramble, which each clock in around 30g of protein per serving.

A few new features I’m excited about 📱

We’ve also been adding new highly-requested features to the Meal Plans!

The big one is Cook Mode. If you ever cook from your phone, this is a major upgrade (no more squinting at your screen or losing your place).

Tap the Cook Mode button in any recipe and you can tackle the steps one at a time, then swipe between the ingredients list and instructions without scrolling up and down the page. Pro-tip: check off ingredients as you go and the list autoscrolls to the next thing you need to add 🤓

A few other new features we’ve added:

I’m always delighted when I hear from subscribers about how the plans are helping them eat better, save money on groceries, and even win over their non-vegan partners.

But my favorite recent review had to be this one, which came via our feedback form:

To whoever wrote that: don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere 😄

If you’re not already a meal plans subscriber, you can see what all the fuss is about with a risk-free, 7-day trial. Click here to get started for free!

What I’m watching, listening to, and reading

📺 Watching

Hands down the best show I’ve watched lately is Widow’s Bay starring Matthew Rhys. He’s been one of my favorite actors since he starred in The Americans — possibly my favorite series of all time — and I’m delighted to see everyone is currently obsessed with him. 

He’s also a master of accents (he’s Welsh but based on the roles he plays, you’d never know!). 

One of my regrets about not being able to write RPL Home every month is that I read so many books in the meantime and I can’t share all of them with you… but here are the highlights! 

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. This book has been on my list for over a decade, and I’m so glad I finally took the time to read it. It feels like it should be a classic, up there with Great Expectations and Les Misérables. 

We follow four characters in 1975 India who come from very different backgrounds but find their lives intertwined during the national “Emergency” declared by then-Prime Minister, Indhira Gandhi. Trust me when I say these characters—their stories, their hardships, their courage—will stay with you for years.

Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black by Gregory Williams. A few weeks ago, I read this article about a recently deceased professor, Gregory Williams, who grew up thinking he was white but learned—at the age of 10, in 1953—he was actually Black (his tan-skinned father had been passing for white for years).

I knew I wanted to learn more about his story, so I bought Williams’ memoir and read it in just two days. His life story is compelling and gripping and his unique ability to understand race in this country is eye-opening, to say the least. 

🎧 Listening

If the second book I mentioned interests you (Life on the Color Line), you’ll probably find this episode of NPR’s Fresh Air fascinating. Journalist Susan Saulny connects the dots of her family’s history, from the Black family she grew up with in New Orleans to her white-passing great-uncle’s family in Chicago. Here’s a gift link to the full article. 

And for the romantics, I recommend this recent episode of Modern Love, “Friends for 16 years. Lovers for One Night.” I don’t want to say more because I might give something away but it was beautiful, funny, and sad all at once. 

Have you watched, read, or listened to anything great recently? Let me know in the comments!

✈️ Fun Things

Thank you for all your recommendations for Barcelona and Paris! We had an *incredible* trip, and I’m still feeling so grateful.

First stop: Barcelona. 

Highlights: Falling in love with everything the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí designed, as well as the broader style of Catalan Modernisme that adorns many historic buildings. 

We visited Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, just days before the Pope did so it was even busier than normal. Normally, my introverted, sensitive-to-loud-sounds self would run away, but the grandeur of the architecture had me hooked. Also, noise-canceling headphones helped a lot 😅

We followed the crowds to his other well-known creations, Park Güell and Casa Batlló, both delightfully whimsical and beautiful. My only regrets are that (1) I had more time in Barcelona to explore all of his work and (2) I came during a less busy time (eventually, even the noise-canceling headphones couldn’t persuade me to visit any more tourist sites). 

We then headed north along the coast near Girona to celebrate our friends’ wedding. 

The wedding took place in a monastery originally built in the 13th century(!) and nestled into the Catalan hills. It was absolutely beautiful. I love love! 

Next up: The Dolomites. 

When we were initially planning our Europe trip, we knew we wanted to go somewhere we could hike. Our friend couldn’t stop gushing about her trip to the Dolomites, so that was all the convincing we needed. 

I have to say, I was wildly underprepared for just how gorgeous the Dolomites were. 

We were nestled into the mountains with a stunning view of the jagged, white-faced Dolomites, bordered by picturesque rolling green hills and endless rows of pine trees. The air was absurdly fresh and the water, straight from the mountains, was SO delicious (yes, plain water can be delicious!). 

Along the hikes, we marveled at the ethereal scenery as well as these gorgeous horses. Maybe we marveled too much because our hike times were a lot slower than the estimated times we found online lol! 

Finally: Paris

When we were booking our ticket, the best flight deal we found was a return flight from Paris, so we ended our trip with a few days there! This was my third trip to Paris, and like pretty much everyone else in the world, I love it so much lol.

Having already done many of the mainstream touristy things on previous visits, we mainly spent our time walking (10 miles a day 😅) and exploring all the charming side streets and admiring the architecture. 

We hired Cédric from Paris B-sides to take us to some lesser-known areas off the beaten path. He was a great tour guide, and I highly recommend getting in touch with him if you want to see a different side of Paris from a local’s perspective

Luckily, we left the day the scary heat wave began. I’m thinking of everyone who’s been dealing with the insane heat in Europe and hoping you’re staying safe! 

That’s it for this month! Drop me a line below and let me know what you’re reading, watching, or working on in your own life 🙂