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Hello! How are you? You’ve made it through another week of this bizarre-twilight-zone-existence. You deserve a hug from the kindest polar bear. Best I can do for now is offer up some thought-provoking, helpful, and yummy things I discovered this past week. It’s a virtual hug.
P.s. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Gosh dang. I cannot take anymore reminders of the fact that we are in the midst of a world wide pandemic!” – this Sunday’s blog post might not be for you. (3 of the 8 offerings are pandemic-related) But I hear you, and I promise future Sunday’s will have more to offer than pandemic advice and brownies. Soooo take what you need from this post and kick the rest to the curb! Totally fine by me.
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Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies // Tuesday was my husbands birthday! High on his list of culinary loves are peanut butter, caramel, and bourbon. I baked up these brownies for him, served them with Dulce de Leche ice cream, and had a bottle of bourbon waiting for him when he came home. I’m ready for my Nobel Prize. (Sally’s Baking Addiction)
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Ruffino Spritz // Very refreshing! Highly recommend making these as soon as Chicago warms up a bit next week. Ruffino has a special place in our hearts since we visited one of their vineyards during our honeymoon in Florence! (Ruffino)
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Nothing Much Happens // This podcast is a lifesaver. Kathryn Nicolai is the author and narrator of these stories designed to help you drift off into a peaceful sleep. These days I often wake in the middle of the night, unable to calm my thoughts and unfortunately unable to go back to sleep. This podcast has been a major help. The narrators voice is so easy to listen to! Give it a shot the next time you’re having trouble catching some zzz’s. (Kathryn Nicolai, Curious Cast)
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Choose a Covid19 Mantra // I listened to this podcast ep. while going on a long walk with my dog, Hugo. It’s fun just to listen to Gretchen and her sister talk to each other – but the bonus is they usually discuss helpful habits for adding some happiness to your daily life. This episode inspired me to choose my own Covid19 mantra! I’ve always struggled with productivity guilt, you know, never feeling like I’ve done enough. In running my own business… I’m in charge! I decide what needs to happen and when. I loathe the (very American) idea that our productivity is a measure of our value. So I am striving to learn that life is about more than work, and I am enough. So here’s my mantra: who I am is enough, I have enough, what I do is enough. Let me know what your mantra is! (Happier with Gretchen Rubin)
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How Will the Coronavirus End // I know sometimes we just need a break from talking, thinking, reading about the pandemic. But this article has a lot of valuable information – that does mean its a long one… but you’ll walk away super informed! I definitely struggle with the unpredictable nature of what we’re going through right now. Reading this helped me understand what has happened up to now and what the future trajectory could look like. Click here if you’d rather listen to the author discuss this article in Podcast form. (EdY Yong, The Atlantic)
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Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting* // Key takeaway: “From one citizen to another, I beg of you: take a deep breath, ignore the deafening noise, and think deeply about what you want to put back into your life.” (Julio Vincent Gambuto, Forge by Medium)
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Fetch the Bolt Cutters // ICYMI Fiona Apple dropped a new album! My old fav is When the Pawn…
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Road to Perdition // movie rec… this is not a new movie, in fact if this movie were a human – that human could vote. But this is a movie I believe to be great. If you havent’ seen it – watch it now! If you’ve seen it, time to watch again and be whisked away by the Thomas Newman score and charmed by America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks. {Fun fact! Some scenes were filmed in the town I grew up in, Geneva IL}
