Bits and bobs
Some things I am enjoying lately and musings on sharing as such
Earlier this week I was at a friend’s house for dinner and like any good evening, the conversation topics were many and varied. While not altogether congruent, a few weaved themselves together and have been weaseling into my thoughts since.
One discussion was on the value placed on arts and creative pursuits - both by those who do the creating, and those who hire or purchase or consume the output made from creative efforts. The other was relating to creating anything broadly, and then social media specifically — when do we listen to the “want” vs. “need” vs. “should” vs. “should not” voices in our head; when are we creating based on our own wants vs. what we think others want and what will have best ‘success.’ I definitely don’t have the answers, but I love the conversations that make me think long after the discussion itself has concluded.
I mention this as writing here definitely has a mixture of want/need/should and in some cases, one could equally argue should not. I wanted to start writing more - I was feeling an innate need that I could no longer ignore, and I decided to do so publicly to keep me accountable, to help me keep going even when I might not want to. So some weeks the essays are drafted simply as a should. Some topics, being vulnerable and on the internet, could easily be qualified by some as should not.
And then what do I want to write? What do people want to read? Of course I am writing based on what I have to share, but let’s be honest - it’s much more enjoyable if I think people actually want to ready it too. And what do people want to read? This is an “anything goes” space - so we get to experiment together.
In some surprising feedback recently, I was delighted to hear that someone enjoyed my delving into sleep masks. Which made me think that in addition to my thoughts and musings and feelings and what-not, perhaps a list of some other random favorites might be in order.
So here is a small assortment of things I have been enjoying recently, or some for a while, that I think are worth mentioning.
Unreal Candy
These aren’t new, but I just tried Unreal chocolates for the first time a few months ago, and I am seeing them pop-up more and more. They are lower sugar, real ingredient chocolate candies and I love them. I do not have the biggest sweet tooth, but it’s unfortunately more present than it used to be and I find these to be such a fun treat. The “snickers” peanut/nougat bites are my favorite.
Crispy Green Crispy Fruit / Rind Snacks
I know there is lots of advice that suggests one should avoid eating on planes, but that will never be me. I want all the snacks, just assuming I have saved anything for after take-off. I love popcorn, tangerines, jerky and licorice (any color, especially black), but the real MVPs for me are dried fruit. If I can pull it together enough that I have packed my own snacks, I love the freeze dried Crispy Green Crispy Fruit. It’s like air, so I can snack away my boredom to my heart’s content. If not, in most airports I frequent I can find Rind snacks - either the apple chips or the chewy fruit combos. They are tasty and satisfying, but I don’t feel terrible upon landing, knowing that I will have eaten the whole thing.
I like them all, but Pear is my current number one. Women’s College Basketball
I am not the most avid sports fan, but I’m not not a fan, and I am always down to go to most any game. However I will admit that most athletics I watch are men’s - be it collegiate or professional - with the exception maybe tennis and the Olympics. I last likely regularly watched women’s sports when I was still in school. So in it has been fun in the last year seeing Caitlin Clark and Iowa bring more attention to women’s basketball.
Enough attention that when my dad last month mentioned going to a USC women’s basketball game to see JuJu Watkins play, whom he called “the best player in college basketball” I was able to respond “I thought that was Caitlin Clark.” He clarified that JuJu as a freshman is better than Caitlin was then, and gave me a litany of other stats, including that she had lead the Trojans to a phenomenal season. I ended up joining him for the final home game the weekend of that conversation and it was so fun to see USC good in basketball, with great athletes that made the game extra riveting, and to witness a full house for a women’s game.
I am exited to care more about Women’s March Madness this year than Men’s, and can’t wait for Monday’s second-round game at the Galen Center when the No. 1 seed Trojans will play No. 8 seed Kansas. I’m equally enthusiastic to see how far we make it in the Tournament - can it be our first win since 1984?
JuJu Watkins shooting a free throw, February 25, 2024 Christophe Robin Salt Scalp Scrub
I do not wash my hair every day, I assume like most women. Which is fine, healthy even. But I also exercise daily, so sometimes life and/or hygiene may require a back-to-back wash, other times it may mean my sweaty hair just marinating under a hat. This isn’t a pretty picture - I can’t believe I even typed those words. All of this to say, regular shampoo isn’t always enough for me.
Enter this salt scrub shampoo: Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt. I use it maybe once every other week, although weekly wouldn’t be a bad idea. I love how the salt crystals feel on my scalp and how much it suds up, but I also really like my hair afterwards - it feels clean, bouncy and free of any residual build-up. It seems expensive to me for shampoo, but it lasts forever and I replace it before I am out, so I have obviously found it’s value. It also comes in a travel/starter size.
Kitchen-Aid Citrus Squeezer
Like many, I start my mornings with warm lemon water. Which for years meant that I while I was trying to be healthy, I was potentially poisoning myself as the yellow enamel was chipping off my very old squeezer and exposing me to who knows what, plus occasional flakes of paint in my water. And then I was greeted with a sticky counter in need of an extra wipe down, as lemon-juice-droplets no doubt dribbled between the cutting board, squeezer and glass.
I was given this A-plus upgrade, the Kitchen-Aid Citrus Squeezer, as a birthday gift almost in jest, but it is legitimately now one of my favorite items. It makes every morning that much better. There are both a built-in strainer and a juice-catcher, plus a flat bottom so it rests nicely (and cleanly) where you set-it. I am so besotted with this silly little thing I got them as stocking stuffers for too many for Christmas.
What are you enjoying lately? Anything worth sharing?
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