10 Things for the New Year

Microwave your salads and make sure your feet are cozy.

It’s a brand new year and we’re back with 10 new things that have been recent faves. The first 5 are from Claire and the back half are from Ashley!

1. Looking Things Up

What if you just … called Taylor up? But seriously, have you tried the active pursuit of knowledge? Because I hadn’t. I’ve never been a “wikipedia deep dive” or “read the board game directions” or even “finish the recipe ingredients list before you go to the grocery store” type person (once I had to go to a convenience store 3 times for all the ingredients I needed for a boxed cake.) I spend so much screen time watching other people complete the tasks I want to complete so I assumed the info would just soak in. But it turns out I am not a passive learner, I need to be actively looking things up upon wanting the answers and then implementing immediately. And yes it sucks way more than just assuming I know and winging it. But you know what? Now my parsley has been viable for many more days than it used to be and what a win! (Rinse the parsley, pat dry, wrap in moist paper towel then store in a zip lock bag in the fridge.)

2. Jones Road Foundation

A few weeks ago I made Ashley check out the Jones Road beauty store in Williamsburg because I felt their “no make up makeup” matched my ethos. Poor Ashley walked out with all new products while I said “looks good but I really shouldn’t be spending!” Can you believe! Anyway, next three times I told Ashley she looked especially dewey and nice guess what she had on! Jones Road foundation. So I finally got the foundation, beauty balm, cover up stick, and eye liner and I have to say I’m very happy. Go in store to have them help you color match!

3. Hunter boots

Lemme just say this: weatherized house slippers. These are like Uggs on the inside, snow boots on the outside and I’m obsessed. They’re perfect for running out of the house to walk your dog or get a coffee on the ugliest, sloshiest NYC winter days. I am so happy with them. Ashley accidentally got 2 from Macys.com and gave me her second pair and it was the best gift of my life. I am friggen thrilled! I’m tactical and cozy it’s amazing.

4. Taking Your Own Advice

How often have i told people to just stop reading a book they don’t like? Like 100. And yet I did not read a single word over Christmas break because I was fighting through Middlemarch. I’m going to try again eventually, I didn’t dislike it, it just became a bit of homework. So I’m moving on! Starting …. now.

5. Picking Values

Ashley sent me this tiktok (so embarrassing that 3/5 favorite things involve her but i guess we are deeply codependent!) that tasked viewers with picking their top 20/10/5 values. I love corny stuff like this especially in the new year. Really any rubric for self assessment is my jam, this was fun because looking up the similar words (like balance vs. harmony) helped me think through what exactly I want! ‘Tis the season for thinking and stuff you know?

6. Laid on Peacock

If you’re craving a classic sitcom with proper jokes, not just moments of levity, I recently stumbled across Laid on Peacock and I’m obsessed. It’s good old fashioned kinda twisted fun starring two of the greatest comedic actresses of our generation.

7. Having a candle going

Stop saving your candles for a special occasion! Any time I’ve bought myself a nice candle or gotten one as a gift I find the perfect place for it on a shelf or table and I just let it sit there, unlit. Every now and then I’ll have a cozy night in where I do a face mask and light the candle and say “ooh how nice to have a candle going” but this last month, that all changed. As soon as I’m in for the night, I’m popping open a candle. Sundays when I clean the apartment, the candle is on. There is truly nothing cozier than having a candle going and it brings me so much joy when I glance into my kitchen and see the soft flicker of a good candle. They last longer than you think I swear. If don’t already have a plethora of unlit candles this one smells amazing, I love this scent, this packaging is cute, and if I ever really really deserve a treat I might buy myself this one because I smelled it in a store and I love it.

8. Hot salad

I finally learned how to make a decent salad at home this summer but when winter comes crawling in, the last thing I want is a cold vegetable. I’ve always had a hard time eating decently healthy in the winter because the only hot food I know how to make is Kraft mac n cheese but as I’ve been really honing in on my meal prep strategy, I discovered hot salad. I’ve gotten okay at roasting a few vegetables for sandwiches and sides at the beginning of each week but I realized if I’ve roasted diced sweet potatoes, cabbage, kale, chickpeas and more I can just reheat those puppies, toss ‘em together, and it’s hot salad. I’ve also been occasionally using hummus as dressing. At a certain point this might just be a hummus bowl but how is it not hot salad.

9. Martyr!

I saw this book on the New and Noteworthy shelf every time I went to the bookstore for months but I had no idea what it was about. The cover caught my eye and I thought to myself, I’ll read that eventually, but even upon opening it to read it I had no idea what even the basic premise would be. I was caught completely off guard by how unexpectedly earnest but fun, funny, unique, and exciting this book would be. It’s the kind of book I could absolutely read again almost immediately.

10. Dog Nests

Bug Anne has finally proven herself as a dog who won’t immediately tear a bed to shreds so I’ve finally invested in my lifelong dream, an embroidered Bug bed. I got her a cozy new bed for Hannukah and I’m obsessed with how puffy it is. I had no idea that it would be so voluminous but she’s so comfy in it and I love seeing her so cocooned in her nest.