all the good things | 21

Friends! Happy New Year!!! 2020 was kind of a lot. I know the pandemic isn’t over but I am feeling much more hopeful about EVERYTHING as we move into 2021…

There’s a lot I could say about last year & my hopes for the future, but honestly I think it kind of boils down to this: I grateful to be here, I’m grateful for every opportunity to connect & feel joy, & moving forward I want to build on that gratitude for each moment as it is happening. And… whatever your heart is yearning for in 2021, I hope you get all that & more. Those are my feelings today in a nutshell.

(P.s. Please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks of Austin Powers anytime I hear “nutshell”?!)

Ok my friends, on to sharing all the good things I found this week…

• I made braided Challah for the first time & I’m pretty amped on it. She turned out beautiful & tasted so perfect. The braiding was surprisingly easy to get the hang of. Give it a go!! (The Inspired Home)

• Recently I was asked what I am doing for fun these days. Fun. In 2020. They don’t seem to go together, do they? When I think of fun I think of laughter and/or heart-pumping excitement. I realized that the most fun I’ve had lately is simply on the couch laughing with my husband. Luckily, he’s pretty funny most of the time. And we did spend a decent amount of time re-watching The Office (highly recommend this). If you haven’t yet seen this never-aired cold open for The Office – watch it now! Laugh & have fun. I insist.

• To keep on that laughter train… I found this bit of writing to be so. so. funny. I was just loosing it as I read it to myself. Very much enjoyed. If you went to Harvard… I hope you can still laugh at this. Harvard Magazine Personal Advertisements’ Many Synonyms For “Rich” or “Thin”. Favorite bit: “Excellent at dressage on a regular-sized horse but could easily compete riding a much smaller animal, like a sheep, if the situation called for it” (The Toast)

• For NYE dinner I must unabashedly say that I nailed it with these two recipes: Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka & Coffee Blondies. (Half Baked Harvest & The Vanilla Bean Blog)

• Humans, our nature & how we interact is a small obsession of mine. The more I can understand about us & our flaws – the better. I was fascinated by this article: “How Inuit Parents Raise Kids Without Yelling”. (NPR)

• I made a playlist of my favorite 2020 jams, listen on shuffle. I warn you, my tastes are all over the place. (Spotify)

• Trevor got me a couple books from my wish list for Christmas & I can’t wait to read them, but first I have to finish the two I’m currently readying (a problem I’m not really mad about). Caste by Isabel Wilkerson & The Mister Rogers Effect: 7 Secrets to Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others from America’s Beloved Neighbor by Anita Kuhnley. Support a black-owned Chicago Bookshop (Semicolon) by shopping the links provided!

• Just in case you happen to also be a nearly-thirty-something person who is on the fence about having kids… I enjoyed these perspectives: I Was a Proud Non-Breeder. Then I Changed My Mind & The Pandemic is Changing My Mind About Having Kids. (The Cut & The Atlantic) (By the way – I believe there is no right or wrong answer on this, just the right answer for you)