things I'm loving right now
including the books I couldn't put down
I’m annoyed to inform you that chia water will, in fact, make you feel better in all ways. Minna influenced me to start and end my day with a chia gel + sparkling water concoction (I use a lemon or lime Spindrift), and it’s helped me get back on my hydration game and bounce back after a poor night’s sleep.
I’m also annoyed to inform you that this woo-woo playlist is very effective at calming me down and leaves me feeling uplifted and feeling more positive. manifestica_studio is my favorite artist from the playlist, and I’ll listen to her playlist when I’m tired of the original one.
Another new fixation has been this crispy rice omelette, which I’ve enjoyed most mornings (sharing it with my dad). My new Misen pan (gifted) gives it the perfect crispy bottom and smoothly slides onto the pan.
I talked about Monologue here, but I need to rave about this app again. Monologue is the best voice dictation app out there. It formats my ramblings for me (as a text, an email, a note) and helped me stay on top of all my emails, texts, and even my writing (I’ll dictate a Substack or list of ideas while walking). Monologue’s privacy features are what makes it stand apart from other tools (all audio files and transcripts are stored locally on your device, there’s no LLM data retention, and all screenshots are deleted immediately after using). I subscribed to the full Every suite (Cora and Sparkle are excellent as well), but Monologue alone is $100/year (and well worth it, in my opinion).
Also in “things I’ve shared before and are worth repeating” is ADHD Unstuck, a quick activity that’s helped me stop a procrastination/overwhelm cycle and reset. The rise in ADHD diagnoses in perimenopausal women is not an accident, and there’s a ton of grift that preys on us in a vulnerable time. This tool was developed in partnership with Northwestern University, is evidence-based, and is free to use.
Is an obsession with Lands’ End a symptom of perimenopause? Because it’s starting to take over my closet, and I’m not mad about it. This barn jacket has been perfect for the ‘chilly-but-in-the-50s’ days, and I’m glad I didn’t put away this puffer yet. I’ve been unabashedly rewearing this pretty blouse, this cricket sweater, and this knit polo during the day, and these pajamas at night. I have my eye on this UPF jacket and mini dress for the summer.
I don’t have it in me to pick up my needlepoint or crochet projects, which are languishing on the shelves of my closet. The best I can do is monochrome coloring, thanks to a very effective Instagram ad for these coloring books. If you’d like to try it out before buying, these free coloring pages are great (especially for kids!).
This Clinique cream was a godsend for my skin after my first laser treatment (I see Dr. Anna Karp and I love her), and it’s been great for the weather whiplash we’ve been having. I use the Clinique cream at night, and INNBEAUTY’s Extreme face cream and eye cream in the morning. Both products noticeably tighten my face (in a “I just ice rolled and put my hair in a tight pony” effect) and are a great base for sunscreen and makeup.
I’m back in my reading groove, thanks to these books:
The Love Constant: I’ve been waiting for this book since tearing through the first two books of the Binary Hearts series last summer, and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. It had it all - batshit-in-the-best-way plot twists, all of the spice, and the happy ending with a very healthy dose of justice. I loved it, and I’m in awe of Ana D’Arcy.
The Princess and the PI: I will fight anyone who claims to be Nikki Payne’s biggest fan, because it’s me and I will be pestering her to write her Riker romance until she does. The Princess and the PI will tide me over for a bit - it’s got a little Veronica Mars, a little cult, and five incredible sisters that I wouldn’t mind being adopted by.
Spun Out: Rebecca Chase’s Start Your Engines is my favorite F1 romance to date, and she did not disappoint with the sequel. Chase’s books take inspiration from my favorite F1 team and leaders (Williams, Claire Williams, Susie Wolff)—while Spun Out deviates a bit from my favorite women in F1, it’s a fantastic story that left me hugging my Kindle when I finished it.
I read two memoirs in quick succession (Susie Wolff’s Driven and Belle Burden’s The Strangers) and I can’t help but think about them and what they share about marriage, privilege, and modern womanhood. In some respects, the women couldn’t be more different (Susie fighting tooth and nail for sponsorship to compete in motorsports, Belle born into privilege and wealth). At first glance, the women are more known for their marriages (Susie married to Mercedes F1 team’s CEO Toto Wolff, Belle now divorced from Henry P. Davis), but both handle it in very different ways. Driven was everything I hoped it to be, and I’m even more impressed by how Wolff built F1 Academy into a serious racing series for women to win in motorsports. There were moments in The Strangers where I rolled my eyes and judged Burden for ceding so much of her power and autonomy to her ex-husband, but it faded as I continued reading (though not completely). Burden is an excellent writer, and never begs for sympathy in her book (which was something that turned me off in Careless People). I’m currently reading House of Hilton (I’m clearly in a rich people’s mess reading mood), and it has me watching RHOBH with a very different lens.
What’s grabbed your attention lately—books, recipes, beauty items, hobbies?
We made the crispy rice omelette this morning and it was elite!! Also def a sign of getting older is prioritizing UPF clothing 🤣 I started my collection last summer with a Uniqlo jacket for my walks!!
Just finished “The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi” which had been on my TBR for a while — had to finish it before the sequel comes out later this spring. Recommend for those who like found family, strong women protagonists, adventure and a bit of magic.