A Brief List Of Things That Are "In" For My Daily Happiness.
These are things that are making my day-to-day enjoyable and both physically and mentally healthy.
I'm a lazy person with a lot of opinions. So having these things are easy for me. Which means they should be easy for you too.
Bright Lipstick
Forever and always.
I've been wearing the same shade (Tom Ford's Wild Ginger) since 2011. It flatters my Winter toned skin... Popping against the paleness, the dark hair, and the dark eyes. All the rest of my makeup barely exists on my face (because I don't really wear much). But lipstick I will wear till I am old and ready to be cremated.
Spectacles Over Contacts
Glasses help your personality, in addition to helping the eyes. In fact, the only time I wear contacts is when I teach or take a yoga class. And that's because the heaters fry my eyeballs otherwise.
I have there pairs currently in rotation - each with blue-light progressive lenses.
Coffee At Home
I'm (more or less) an agoraphobe. And I have no plans to intentionally change that in 2024. I've mastered making my stimulants at home. The only reason I bother to go out to get coffee at all is really just to get my dog her Pup Cup.
But coffee made at home is cozy. And never too hot. Nor too cold (because cold coffee is trash). I sprinkle cinnamon and throw a few Malton Sea Salt flakes on the fresh grounds before brewing.
Soup Suppers
The easiest supper. I know I used to love cooking. I've outgrown that for the most part. I'm too exhausted at the end of the day. But I am aware that I need to eat. I hate cold foods (so please don't suggest "salads" as a go-to). And I don't want to microwave or air-fry or Door Dash meals that often.
But soup... It's so easy to craft one from scratch in a few minutes.
I love a Lemon-Dill Chicken Soup.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chicken stock/broth
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup mire poix (I buy mine pre-chopped at Trader Joe's)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 4 ounces of cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Optional: Pasta
- Optional: Chopped fresh spinach
What You Do With All The Above:
- Heat a pot (dutch oven, ideally) over medium high heat. Toss in olive oil, followed by the mire poix.
- Saute till soft (about 5 minutes), then toss in the minced garlic. Cook for about a minute more.
- Pour in chicken stock/broth. Bring temperature up, making it boil.
- Once you have the boil, toss in the pasta. Reduce heat to medium. Let things go till the pasta is cooked through.
- Once pasta is cooked through, add in the chicken, lemon juice, dill, and the chopped spinach. Let it go for about two minutes. Then salt and pepper to your preference.
- Serve.
It should take you a total of 10 minutes to cook this. It serves one person two times. Because I always eat a second bowl of it.
Merlot
Cherry Lime Nightcap
It's actually a mocktail. It's for sleep and inflammation. I sip it after my evening bubble bath.
How To Make One:
Pour four ounces of 100% tart cherry juice (not from concentrate - I buy mine at Trader Joe's) into a glass with four ounces of mineral water (I like the mineral content of Gerolsteiner) and one packet of True Lime (I get it from Amazon - but you could just use real lime juice).
Refraining From Snark
I won't be discussing "out" things because I would likely make some of you cry. And it is my love of making people cry that I am working on in 2024. It all comes from the thrill I get with snarkiness... Coming from me or at me. I love it all. It makes me laugh. But, it lands poorly often enough.
So I will enjoy all the snark coming at me. But will not be sharing.
I will instead channel the snark into my imagination and write it down for only me to consume. If I feel like it after I have purged it.
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