021624: Things that made life special this week
Bone broth hot cocoa (really!), mischievous interior design, two Valentine-themed bike rides, my favorite cardigan, and more
Hello and welcome to Things That Made Life Special This Week, a celebration of the pursuits that add a little something extra to the everyday.
Following up on a couple recent recommendations:
After briefly trying two Guerlain Abeille Royale products, I ordered the sample set of the whole product line: a toner, a “watery oil,” a double serum, and a moisturizer. It only included 7 days’ worth of serum, but after testing the rest for three weeks, I would say the two most worth the price are the toner and the watery oil—especially used together. I didn’t expect to be impressed by a toner; I typically use cheap-o Thayer’s alcohol-free, unscented witch hazel toner, which leaves my skin feeling super clean but kind of dry if I don’t immediately apply product. But this one is moisturizing and creates a glow. My skin feels really healthy, plumped, and ready for makeup application after using the toner and oil together. But most of all, it looks the best it ever has totally makeup-free (with sunscreen, of course). If you’re going to buy a double serum, this one from Clarins is a better product for value than the Guerlain.
The Agent Natueur deodorant is great! Definitely lives up to the hype for effectiveness and smells lovely.
After a busy weekend of restaurant dinners and attending a Super Bowl party at a friend’s house, it’s been a very at-home week for me. We had a couple of mild weather days in Boston and it put me in the mood for spring cleaning. Polishing silver and brass, Windexing glass, wiping down baseboards, that sort of thing. I got a minor start, but I have so much more to do—that’s my plan for today!
Watching: One Day on Netflix
The other week I recommended the book this limited series is based on: One Day by David Nicholls. And now it’s been made into a show! I watched the first four episodes this week and the show brings the characters to life very much how I envisioned them in my head. It’s a really bittersweet love story about two young people who are too guarded and insecure to share their true feelings, and who keep ruining the moment by saying or doing the wrong thing. It doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness of being in your 20’s, trying to make your career and love life fall into place while realizing adulthood is not what you envisioned it would be.
Eating (Drinking?): More
drinks: functional bone broth hot cocoaI know, bone broth hot cocoa sounds so weird. But trust me! For this one, I do recommend using store-bought beef bone broth unless you’re making a very pared-down recipe at home (aka no garlic, fennel, turmeric, or other things that will put flavor front and center).
Between the bone broth, the collagen, the ghee or butter, the cacao powder, and the milk, this drink has at minimum 25 grams of protein, more if you use dairy milk. It’s also low-sugar, and it tastes like a delicious après ski winter treat. It does not taste like beef. I love that the wellness community has come back around to seeing the value in animal proteins (while still eating a ton of plants, of course) and that recipes like this are proliferating as a result.
Listening: “Beata Heuman’s Secret Ingredient is Mischief” on the Business of Home podcast
I admire Swedish-born, British-trained interior designer Beata Heuman’s eye more than almost anyone else working in the design industry today. My copy of her book Every Room Should Sing has a sticky note on almost every page, marking something I’m inspired by and want to recreate.
Moving: Two Valentine’s Day bike rides with Hannah Frankson on Peloton
Hannah Frankson is one of my favorite Peloton instructors and her Valentine’s rides are really special. I took this one from 2023, which is themed around loving yourself, and this year’s ride which features one song for every different kind of romantic love.
Doing: Polishing my silver
We were supposed to get a big blizzard in Boston this week (lol, the dusting of snow didn’t even stick) so I planned some long-procrastinated indoor activities to fill my time. One of which was polishing silver: a task I love so much more than polishing copper because it goes really fast and the payoff is huge. This is the product I used.
Wearing: Sézane Gaspard cardigans
My friend sent me a link to a few Sézane pieces she ordered this week, and one of them was this perfectly simple, soft, versatile sweater. I own it in three colors: ecru, red, and vintage blue. It’s thin enough that you can tuck it into pants without bumps, pretty layered over a shirt or worn on its own as a top, reversible so it buttons in the front or the back. I rotate my clothes for summer and winter, and these sweaters stay in my drawer year-round. If I were to buy another color today, it would be sage.
Reading: Taste by Stanley Tucci
My husband gave me Tucci’s charming memoir for Christmas and I started it this week. It’s a really fun page turner that covers his struggles and triumphs by talking about what/where he cooked and ate over the years. Like many of us, he was in my consciousness as an actor, but I became especially charmed by him during the pandemic when he started making home bartending videos. And his travel show, Searching for Italy, is my go-to airplane watch.
Making: Savory and sweet crêpes!
This week was such a fun food week with Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day back to back! I ended up rolling them into one by making crêpes on Valentine’s for dinner. I used this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and left out the vanilla extract since I was using the same batch for savory and sweet. I filled the dinner crêpes with pesto chicken, bacon, and mozzarella, which was a fab combination. And I put out a whole spread of toppings for the dessert crepes: sugar, hazelnut chocolate spread, fig jam, orange marmalade, lemon wedges, chestnut paste, and more. My husband chose orange marmalade for his, and I chose a sprinkle of sugar with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for mine.
Join me in the open recommendations thread on Substack Chat, where I’d love to hear what’s making your life special this week. Here’s how to download the app if you don’t already have it.
I hope you have a great weekend!
xx Jane
This newsletter includes a few affiliate links. I like to shop small and don’t exclusively feature brands that are part of an affiliate program, so not all links will earn me a commission. But some will! If you plan to buy something featured in this newsletter, using my link will help support the time and love I put into writing these for you. I appreciate your support so much!