The Best of March 2025
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos
Considering how bad January and February were, it’s kind of a miracle that this past month was so full of good things. I had the best birthday (of my life?) and it feels like there’s so much hope. Am I deluding myself? Anything is possible! But I’m going to try and ride this high as long as I can. Here’s what went down last month.
The best tweets of the month can be found over here.
I made these cottage cheese crackers that are ridiculously good. I’ll put the recipe below because I got it from someone’s mom on Facebook (jesus, that’s the most I-just-turned-40 statement I’ve made so far).
Cottage cheese crackers
I brush the parchment paper with olive oil as well so that nothing sticks
Speaking of turning 40, Nathan took me to Turks and Caicos to celebrate and it was an incredible trip. I should probably do a post about it. Yeah, I’ll do that. Stay tuned.
I finally visited The New York Earth Room art exhibit that’s been going on for decades and it was very neat.
The New York Earth Room art exhibit
Discovered the secret to amazing chicken parm: get bone-in. Changes the entire game.
I got these brown wedge heels from Target that I am currently living in, I love them so much. Might get them in black, too. I also bought this comically large bed pillow that might fix my life.
Lord, how I missed the Hillstone caesar salad.
Hillstone caesar salad
Nathan and I have started picking up garbage around our neighborhood twice a week and it’s been great. He got a trash grabber stick months ago, and it might seem insane but it makes us feel pretty good.
Some things I watched:
The Monkey - hated majority of it. And I realized just how much I loathe this new genre of body-harm horror. It’s gaining traction and I can’t stand it (think Hereditary, Smile 2 etc.)
I’m all caught up on The White Lotus and this season isn’t the greatest, so that’s been disappointing.
I’ve really been considering whether or not I should go to Dollywood this year. It’s the 40th anniversary (which we share), so that’s why I was thinking about it. Just a thought.
I saw The Jonathan Larsan Project (so good) and Buena Vista Social Club (stellar). I didn’t realize how much I really missed going to shows.
I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen (the Goop dupe) for a few years now, but I saw actual proof of how good it is recently. When I was on vacation, I guess I forgot to sunscreen the very top part of my forehead and to see the difference between that small area and the rest of my sunscreened face after an afternoon in the sun? Wow. This stuff is a holy grail product.
I am in love with these duos that Target keeps releasing each season (below).
Friends
I had lunch at La Mercerie and it was good, I don’t know that I’d ever need to go back but it was fine. The older I get, the more I tend to be annoyed at trendy places.
I’m still making these GF bean muffins constantly. Yes they sound disgusting, but they might be the best chocolate chip muffins I’ve ever had. I should stop telling people that they have beans in them.
I did a spring french tip manicure and it turned out pretty good!
Spring french tips
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: it’ll be nice to pack away my winter clothing, I have to start looking for wedding guest dresses and I’d really like to make this firecracker chicken again.
You can read last month’s roundup over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best Tweets of March 2025
The best tweets of February can be found over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best of January & February 2025
The beginning of this year has been rough to say the least. There’s no way to know when things might get easier, but in the meantime - here’s what went down these past two months.
The best tweets of January can be found here and the best tweets of February can be found here.
Very in love with this Patcha Soap Co. salt scrub I got from Healthy Planet. A salt scrub is forever a good gift, especially the Sabon ones.
I ate at the gluten-free place Gud Daae on Lakeshore and it was so good.
Potato Pucks at Gud Daae
Brown Chicken Sandwich at Gud Daae
Sundae at Gud Daae
I’ve come to the newish conclusion that Sephora has nothing for me. Every single time I enter that store, I feel an alarming amount of rage. Stop telling women what they need.
Andrew Dismukes has been so good on SNL lately. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice this sooner.
I took my niece Maya to see Come From Away and it was even better than the New York production (maybe because the accents were better?).
Come From Away in Toronto, ON
I bought (and had tailored) these Gap jeans and I also bought a pair of tan loafers. Really testing out a new aesthetic here.
I finally tried out the Mel Brooks idea of slicing a bagel into three parts instead of two and I feel enlightened.
Mel Brooks is a genius mainly because of this idea
I took the kids to a maple syrup farm (Elliot Tree Farm) because it should be law that every Canadian child must see how sap is made at some point. Of course their gift shop had some gems (below).
The most Canadian candle
Incredible
I cancelled my Costco membership because I’m trying to support less American companies, so I found Bulk Mart (which is Canadian) and it’s great so far.
Some things I watched:
The Substance - such a great movie. The sounds/audio was brutal to hear at times, but all in all one of the best movies of last year for sure.
Babygirl - loved it.
Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action (documentary) - pretty despicable, hard to watch.
Child Star (documentary) - it was good, but there was too much of a focus on Demi Lovato (which makes sense because she made it) but I was expecting less of her.
Enlightened - I hated Laura Dern’s character so much that it made it hard to watch.
The Apprentice (movie) - meh. But Jeremy Strong was fantastic.
The Resort - the first half of the series was good, but then it took a turn.
Mommy Meanest - I love watching a bad Lifetime TV movie maybe once a year.
Little Women (the 90s one) - how have I never seen this before? Absolutely loved it.
Big Little Lies - I was expecting more since the cast is so wild, but it kind of sucked. I really don’t think Laura Dern is a good actress and the writing was so bad.
Succession (rewatch) - Logan is so much funnier upon second viewing, I didn’t notice that before.
Lost (rewatch) - still great. Still can’t really explain the ending.
The Last Showgirl - I do like Pamela Anderson but wow is she a bad actress. Also Jamie Lee Curtis overacts in every single thing she does these days and Bautista was so hollow. The script was awful, but since it had a nepo director it’s not surprising that it wasn’t good. I did like that I could tell it was shot at the Rio in Vegas but otherwise, hard pass.
Heart Eyes - love Devon Sawa, but this was nothing special. I do love a themed horror movie always, though.
The White Lotus - god, this season sucks so far. It’s just so slow, I can’t stand it.
It would be insane if I didn’t mention it here, but Baby Dog passed away in January and everything collapsed around me. It happened quickly, but I was with her until the end and it’s hard to speak about it at all even now. Every time it snows it makes me think of her so of course there was record snowfall this year. It still doesn’t feel real, so I’m just trying to take it day by day.
Baby Dog
Baby Dog, January 2025
The Best Tweets of February 2025
The best tweets of January can be found over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best of January 2025
In all honesty, this was the hardest month I’ve had in a very long time so I don’t think I can really talk about any of it yet. I’m taking some time, so give me a few weeks and I’ll do my best to continue the monthly posts as soon as I feel that I can.
Thank you for even coming here, and even more for understanding.
The Best Tweets of January 2025
The best tweets of December can be found over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best Photos of 2024
You can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
December Dalliances 2024
Love an outdoor bulb
Love an outdoor bulb
The last monthly post of a year that was intense and full of change! Here’s what went down last month.
The best tweets of December can be found over here.
I recapped how my autumn list of things to do went.
The President’s Choice Elk Crossing ice cream is unbelievably good.
Elk Crossing ice cream
The restaurant Earl’s put out a cookbook and I can’t stop making their chicken hunan kung pao.
I found out that the house from the movie The Santa Clause is in Oakville, so I had to drive past it. And look at their perfect decorations.
The Santa Clause house in Oakville, ON
The Santa Clause house decorations
I found a dupe recipe for the Levain dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies and I truly can’t tell the difference.
Levain peanut butter chip cookies
Got a Philly cheesesteak from Gladiator Burger and wow. Will definitely return.
I will fully admit that crumbl cookies are overrated, but their monthly dessert specials are wondrous. Look at this eggnog tres leche (below). She’s beautiful.
Eggnog tres leche
I perused the new Half Baked Harvest cookbook and it’s absolutely nothing revolutionary, there’s a cheeseburger pasta in it for christsake. I still think we should force a limit on how many books a food blogger can release.
I did make these white wine mushroom stuffed shells and they were (as most HBH recipes are) probably too cheesy, but the vegetarians liked them so I guess it was a win.
White wine mushroom stuffed shells
I also made this slow cooker roast and it was so easy and perfect for lunch sandwiches on Christmas day. And secured the greatest (Canadian)grocery store cake: the caramel crunch cake.
Caramel crunch cake
Ate at this great Mexican place The Mule in Hamilton.
The Mule in Hamilton, ON
Some things I watched:
Die Hard - yes, it’s insane that I’ve never seen it before now. So good.
Challengers - LOVED Zendaya’s character. Second favourite movie of the year (first was Anora). Only question was HOW was that hotel bed that big??
Jagged Edge - pretty good. I love this genre of movies (80s/early 90s thriller/mystery).
Carry On - anticlimactic ending, but overall not terrible.
Nosferatu - liked it! Honestly it could’ve just been the fun of who I saw it with, but truly hard to tell.
These little guys (below) continue to make me smile each day.
Would die for them
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to start using this first-of-the-month checklist again and I’ll recap my resolutions from last year as well as make new 2025 ones.
If you have any interest in the other monthly roundups of 2024, they can be found here: November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February and January. And you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best Tweets of December 2024
The best tweets of November can be found over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.