Five Friday Faves - 11.3
things that are making A Day In My Life a bit better
On Loneliness
I have been thinking a lot about loneliness recently. The feeling of loneliness is one way my anxiety tends to manifest. Personally, I find that social media, can make me feel lonely/alone/left out, when rationally I know this just isn’t the case. But still, there are moments, when like Mindy Kaling, I wonder “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” I’ve talked a lot with guests about how hard it is to make new friends after a move, and it really is. We’re 3 years in, and there are moments when I feel like we’re finally finding and making more of a community for ourselves where we live, and others when I feel like we’re still not there. Some ways I have been personally combatting this feeling by saying yes to a lot, finding and jumping into new community opportunities, reaching out to friends to check in and prioritizing 1:1 time when I can, and trying to talk about these feelings with my husband when they’re swirling. My anxiety, and these feelings, tend to ebb and flow, especially in times that are particularly stressful in the world, but if you’re feeling similarly, you’re not alone. If you need someone to chat with, happy to chat.
Five Friday Favorites:
On a lighter note - here are some frivolous things making A Day In My Life better:
AIRE Ancient Baths - My husband LOVES a bath/spa/schvitz moment, which I can also appreciate, so when we were planning our trip to NYC, we decided we needed some serious relaxation. Let me tell you, it was AMAZING. The range of baths was incredible and the salt floating bath was my absolute favorite. No notes. We had an hour and a half in the baths which was more than enough time, and then I experienced my favorite thing number 2.
Dyson Hair Dryer - I tried the Dyson for the first time at Aire and wow. It’s great. I have the original AirWrap and love it, but the fly-away taming thing on the hairdryer is amazing. I am going to try to purchase the attachment upgrade for my old AirWrap to prevent me from buying a new hairdryer.
In Kind Magazine - Awaiting me upon my return, were Issues 6 and 7 of In Kind Magazine. I subscribed after following their newsletter on recommendation from a friend, and I am already SO HAPPY I did. I started with Issue 6, and the Ruth McKearny article and How to Raise Kids Who Like You will live rent free in my brain for a while. I feel so lucky to have a strong relationship with my parents and they always “offered me a better option” and feel so grateful for that. I am taking it slow to savor all of it but already finding so much food for thought - might even order some of the back copies to hold me over until the next one.
Water Flosser - I found this via SmarterInASec and I love it. My husband bought one of the ginormous water piks, and this works so well but is a fraction of the size. So far, I am loving it and find it very satisfying to use.
Almond Joy - I feel like I exhausted all of my energy on Halloween in college dressing up like a sexy (insert something not sexy here), however, one thing I am capable of getting into, is an Almond Joy. I eat them approximately never, but when those snack-sized ones come home from trick-or-treating, I squirrel a few away.
What’s for Dinner
This week was a bit chaotic because we got back from NYC on Sunday afternoon, but we stopped at the grocery store on our drive back and got some basics for the week, otherwise, the majority is from the freezer or very easy to prepare.
Sunday - Molly Marbella - This is a SUPER amazing and delicious meal for guests, very easy to prepare in advance or make in real-time.
Monday - Carnitas Tacos with Rice- using Carnitas from Costco (from Freezer) with rice and broccoli
Tuesday - Out for Halloween - Pizza in our neighborhood
Wednesday - Leftover Ginger Pineapple Chicken from the freezer
Thursday - Brats and Tots - my in-laws brought 9lbs of Bratwurst from Wisconsin this week, and they are my son’s favorite thing.
Friday - Pasta and Ballz - Grossy Pelosi Meatballs and Marinara from the freezer.
Monthly Reads
I share my monthly reads on Instagram at the beginning of each month, you can catch up with them here! This month was a bit slow and all audio books, but some good ones in here! What are you reading?!?! Send me your recs!
More A Day In Her Life:
ICYMI Lindsay Cadigan was on A Day In Her Life this week sharing about her days balancing being a mom of twin boys and the Director of Events at Boston Magazine. Also, if you’re local to Boston, Lindsay is going to be reading her book Betty The Confetti Yeti at The Donuts with Santa hosted by Boston Moms - take a look, I booked some tickets for my fam!
- - Episode 8 has started a new Substack so you should go subscribe if you loved her episode! And if you haven’t listened yet, you can check it out here!
Agree that almond joy is the superior Halloween Candy (but also basically only good at Halloween!)