"If you’re anything like me, you live and breathe coastal grandmother trends. Do I live anywhere near the coast? Well, not unless you count the coast of Lake Michigan. But Ralph Lauren, blue and white stripes, hydrangeas, Nancy Meyers, crisp rosé, a sweater haphazardly thrown over your shoulders—all of this adds up to a dreamy, slow, and beautiful lifestyle that I aspire to. And despite my love for Nancy, there’s another icon I’ve been obsessed with lately: Ina Garten.
let's face it: meeting someone in the wild is a lot easier said than done
When I was a kid, I would watch my mother plan glamorous and colorful dinner parties for her friends, complete with beautiful tablescapes and fantastic food. She always had an Ina cookbook open on the kitchen counter and would follow her recipes and legendary party-throwing advice.
As I got older, going to the bar weekend after weekend started to sound less appealing, and the idea of throwing my own dinner parties took over. I could pick my own theme, design my own menu, and decorate my tables! And, just like my mom did, I turned to the closet in my parents’ house and tore through Ina’s cookbooks, learning tips and tricks from the best.
Ina’s newest book came out recently, and for the first time, we didn’t get a cookbook. Instead, she released a memoir of her life, from her childhood to present day, sharing intimate, hilarious, and sometimes sad memories with her loyal audience. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and after recently receiving it as a birthday present, I started reading immediately. Ina lives such a beautiful and delicious life, so I was hoping to gather some wisdom from the queen herself—and boy, did she deliver. While I recommend reading this insightful book for yourself, here are the top eight lessons I learned from the iconic Ina Garten.
In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.
What I learned from Be Ready When the Luck Happens
1. It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out yet
We twenty-somethings feel all the pressure to have everything planned and figured out. Career, partner, city, kids? The list goes on and seems to grow every year. I constantly go back and forth about the choices I make and have made in life. Is this the right career path for me? Do I want to live in Chicago forever, or is London calling? Do I need more hobbies?
In her memoir, Ina references a book called Passages, which she read when she was younger and again in her twenties. The second time around, it really spoke to her. She noted that “your 20s are the time when you master what you think you’re supposed to do. But in your thirties, when you’ve figured out what you like and don’t like and you’re more confident, you can move on to what you really want to do, which might be totally different.”
Did I just hear a collective sigh of relief? What freedom! Thank you, Ina Garten and Passages, for reminding me that I don’t need to have every decision mapped out. While I am a planner, I have permission to change my mind and do something completely different.
Ina’s husband, who was included in nearly every chapter of Ina’s memoir, gave her this piece of advice at the start of their marriage: “Pick something you love to do. If you love it, you’ll be really good at it.” Ina fell in love with food, cooking, and parties and made that love her career. Why can’t I do the same? Note to self: Ina Garten didn’t even buy Barefoot Contessa until she was around 30 years old!
2. Life happens fast—just jump in
Ina starts her memoir with a crucial story—when she was introduced to Barefoot Contessa. While reading a newspaper, Ina came across an advertisement for a shop for sale. The 400-square-foot store located in Westhampton Beach was for sale for $25,000. Ina told her husband about it, and the two drove from Washington, D.C. to Westhampton to look at the store that weekend. Ina immediately put in an offer of $20,000, expecting that the owner would consider and counteroffer, providing time for Ina to decide what she really wanted.
On that Monday morning, the owner called Ina and said the store was hers. Ina’s life changed overnight, and while she might not have been completely ready for this, she jumped in headfirst on this new adventure. To me, this is one of the most important lessons I learned from her memoir. Life isn’t waiting for you and won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
“Your 20s are the time when you master what you think you’re supposed to do. But in your thirties, when you’ve figured out what you like and don’t like and you’re more confident, you can move on to what you really want to do.”
3. Use “no” as motivation
Reading about Ina Garten’s childhood and young adulthood made me realize how much the world has changed since the 1960s and 1970s, specifically for women and girls. While things aren’t perfect in 2025, women have come a long way.
Many times throughout her life, Ina was told “no” simply because she was a woman. But instead of letting that stop her or dissuade her from growing, she used it as motivation. Ina wanted to learn how to fly a plane (just because), but no male pilot in her area would teach a woman. So she looked around and kept asking until she found one that said yes, and then she flew that plane.
She and her husband wanted to secure a loan from a bank for a new house. Despite both Ina and Jeffrey having jobs, the bank wouldn’t count Ina’s income since she was “just going to get pregnant soon anyway and quit.” The banker also told Ina she didn’t exist on paper since she didn’t have any credit cards. Ina was infuriated that this man would comment on her body and choices, so the couple found a new bank that was more progressive. She also cut up their credit cards and applied for one in her own name. Now she “existed.”
There were countless stories of Ina’s stubbornness and determination to reach her goals despite her gender. And while equality and feminism have come a long way, we’re not done. Personally, that voice that says “no” to me most is in my own head, and Ina’s determination and attitude are inspiring me to shut it up for good.
4. Growth always comes with growing pains
Ina Garten didn’t become Ina Garten overnight. Ina shared memories of her first summer owning Barefoot Contessa, and boy, was it hard work. Ina worked 22-hour days, baking and cooking all day and night, dedicating herself to that store. Ina’s hard work paid off, of course, at the time and in a larger sense that we know today. But it didn’t come without its downfalls.
Ina actually separated briefly from her husband during the starting phase of Barefoot Contessa. She felt that she and Jeffrey were isolated in these old-school gender roles, and that didn’t fit for her anymore—not sure it ever did. Ina and Jeffrey spent some time apart and ended up coming back together, but it must have been extremely difficult to be without her partner during this transformative time.
My partner and I recently moved across the country together, and while we couldn’t be happier in our new home of Chicago now, the first few months were challenging in ways I wasn’t expecting. Of course, I should have expected that uprooting our lives, leaving our friends and his family, changing jobs, and moving in together would bring its issues. We went through our own growing pains, and now I’m thankful we went through them together.
5. Sometimes you need a fresh start
After this tricky spell in their marriage, therapy sessions, compromises, and really listening to each other, Ina and Jeffrey decided they were right for each other after all. To kick off this fresh start, the two decided to wipe the slate clean—literally and figuratively.
They decided to leave their home in Washington, D.C., and set their sights on New York City. They got rid of everything—furniture, art, skis, books, wedding gifts—and left it all on the curb for someone new. Then, they moved to a new city with just two suitcases and each other.
While I won’t be throwing out my bed or books anytime soon, I could take a page out of Ina’s book (lol). I am going to make my own fresh start. Picking out a cute new spring outfit has been way too difficult, so I’m starting with cleaning out my closet. My cosmetics have taken over our bathroom, to the dismay of my boyfriend, so I will be going through those makeup and hair products and replacing what I need. I will be making a fresh start in little parts of my life to make my whole life lighter.
“Slow down…you can take a little twirl and still get exactly where you’re going.”
6. When hosting a dinner party, less is more
You didn’t think this was going to be all life lessons, did you? I would be remiss not to include a party planning tip from the queen herself. While Ina Garten’s cookbooks are chock-full of tips and tricks for hosting, she did include a handful of stories of parties past in her memoir. One that stuck out to me involved omelets and a lot of stress.
While hosting one of her first parties, Ina decided to make custom omelets for every guest at her brunch. The result? A party that missed the host to connect people and spark conversation, and a host that felt exhausted and disappointed from missing her own soiree.
Ina emphasizes throughout the book that taking the easy route is sometimes the key to hosting a good party. Pick dishes you can prepare ahead, make batch cocktails that guests can serve themselves, and remember to keep a cool, calm, and collected attitude. Your guests can feel your stress, and it impacts the fun you’re meant to be having, so do everything you can do to make life easier for yourself.
7. The best things in life take time
We are all constantly in a rush. I feel like I’m late every day, behind on tasks, and always need to do my laundry and then fold said laundry (which often overstays its welcome in my hamper). Sometimes, I feel like life is racing by, and I only realize how quickly it really goes when birthdays and Christmases roll around.
Ina shared a small story about this that really stuck with me. Ina and Jeffrey went to Europe for a summer trip and found themselves driving in France when they came upon multiple roundabouts in the road. Ina joked that in the US, roundabouts like these would cause a lot of stopping and starting, honking, and perhaps some rude hand gestures. But she noted how relaxed the French drivers were and learned something herself. “Life is not about straight lines or the shortest distance between two points,” Ina shared when discussing the roundabouts. “Slow down, they seemed to say, you can take a little twirl and still get exactly where you’re going. Such a nice approach to life.”
Ina is telling us that we don’t need to rush everything. The best things in life take time, and it’s okay to slow down. We’re all on our own timelines, and it’s okay if your life looks a little different from that of your friends. Or maybe the real lesson here is we should all just move to France.
8. Be ready when the luck happens
I mean, how could I not include this one? This is what Ina named her memoir, so I read it with this phrase in my head. I have always loved the idea that hard work plus a little bit of luck brings success, and this book provided a great reminder. Ina put so much hard work into her business—from developing her craft to becoming a strong manager to creating lifelong business relationships. Her success didn’t happen overnight, and it sure didn’t happen without all of her determination and effort. This memoir serves as a reminder that luck is nice, but nothing comes from luck alone. Following your dreams, believing in yourself, and putting in the hours, plus a sprinkle of luck, are what success is made of.
Should you read Be Ready When the Luck Happens?
Still unsure if Ina Garten’s memoir should be your next read? The answer is a definitive yes. I fell in love with Ina through her cookbooks, fun personality, and dinner party tips, but after reading her memoir, I now look at her in a different light. Ina went through hardships in her childhood, dealt with misogyny throughout her life, and heard “no” so many times. She dealt with everything thrown her way with determination, grace, and positivity. I admire Ina, her success, and her character, and I respect how open and honest she was in her memoir. This book provided an escape to a different time and a personal POV of one of the greats, and it has been one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far.
Meaghan Moore, Contributing Writer
Meaghan is a Chicago-based writer who covers fashion trends, celebrity style, beauty news, and lifestyle.