022324: Things that made life special this week
Kimchi, a polka dot dress, new country music, old pop music, an essay on liking yourself, 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.
Eating: Kimchi!!
2024 is when we love and care for our gut bacteria. I’ve been having a real kimchi moment lately; I especially like this one, available at Whole Foods. Since making Kathleen Ashmore (Kat Can Cook)’s kimchi tuna salad a few months back, I’ve been going through lots of kimchi. Most recently, I made the tuna salad recipe with chicken and it was great.
Buying: Cosima dress in navy blue polka dot from Hill House Home’s spring collection
I’m so excited to debut this dress on a warm weather vacation and again in the spring! It’s everything a wear-all-day-and-all-evening dress should be: lightweight, swishy fabric, forgiving smocked bodice, flattering boatneck, belt-able at the natural waist, and cut without bulk so it’s easy to layer a cardigan, pullover, or jacket on top. So basically: perfection!
Listening: Beyoncé’s new singles, Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages
I mean, of course! Beyoncé, making country music? Intersection of an artist and a genre I love? I am in! Absolutely cannot wait for this full album.
Moving: Britney Spears 20-minute Full-Body Strength with Robin Arzon on Peloton
I’ve been loving Peloton strength workouts lately, especially ‘artist series’ workouts that celebrate the music of one band for the whole class. This playlist used some of Britney’s greatest hits and the 20 minutes of work flew by!
Doing: Cultivating a flexible routine
Despite this week throwing me some curve balls, I’ve been able to punctuate every day with at least one element that makes me feel grounded. Often that’s a walk in the sunshine or a workout, if all else is going haywire. Or at the very least, a cup of hot herbal tea before bed. I’m a firm believer that just one or two elements of routine can be enough to sustain my need for order; one of those rigid 9-step morning routines (lemon water / meditate / journal / walk / cold shower / skincare / etc etc) isn’t necessary and just adds more pressure!
Reading: “Show Up For Yourself First,” by Anne Helen Petersen on the Culture Study substack
This article covers topics adjacent to my recent article on rest: the importance of spending time in solitude so you can get to know yourself, like yourself, and really believe you are enough.
It sounds basic, but people who like themselves are likable. Not because they’re “happy” (liking yourself and constant happiness are not the same thing) but because they’re at ease. They’ve done the work of getting to know themselves, of sitting with the parts of themselves they might sometimes dislike, of working on rejecting shame society has invited them to feel, of seeing themselves and their needs clearly. And that sort of ease? It’s magnetic.
Making: Pistachio Butter Cake from A Table for Friends by Skye McAlpine
(You can get the recipe for the loaf version here with a Times UK subscription if you don’t want to buy the cookbook.)
I may have mentioned that one of my friends and I instated a monthly baking date, which has now been going three months strong. Basically, we pick a recipe in the weeks leading up, get together after lunch on a Saturday or Sunday, and bake, aiming to be finished by late afternoon so we can have the cake with a cup of tea or flute of Champagne. Inevitably, the bake takes longer, we get chatting, and we finally finish and enjoy our sweets as the sun is setting and it’s a more appropriate time for dinner than dessert. And it’s always worth it!
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
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Jane - I am getting caught up on reading - I love all the info on dishes, bakeware, China etc., took me down memory lane - your Aunt Beth has the lovely Wild Strawberry China and I liked her patter so much I bought four dinner plates❣️what is it about strawberries that are so adorable and a bit of whimsy. I learned a lot of great info from your research.
This weeks article was as terrific as all the others. I love your “Bake Off” with a good friend and the blue dot dress will be lovely on you💙🤍💙I must admit the British Breakfast looked amazing and I love anything with beans and scrambled eggs and I am going to check out the food in the lunch on the go in a bag but the only red flag is I wonder why the high sodium? I love all chicken salad!
I am interested in the Cold Showers as a lot of people take cold really cold bath dips and rave about it - warm water feels so good to me but many really busy people get up early and take a cold shower and say it is the best way to start your day…..interesting. I’ll research more on that but that could be a hard sell for me💦💧💦😉
The pic of the water at St Andrew’s is so “Pastoral” Without the Pasture, but the same great vibe - anything green and running water, stream etc., is so easy on the eyes. Have a Wonderful Weekend💚