This is obvious, but was that the longest January that ever Januaried? Also, I had to sit down and do the math yesterday to remind myself of my age, what is happening? Time isn’t real anymore so we should all just silently, but confidently stop looking at clocks. Like when a clock’s battery dies, just don’t replace it…? I don’t know, but that feels like it could be an answer to something.
You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I recapped how my 2021 resolutions went - why don’t more people do this? If they did, then maybe there wouldn’t be such a stigma around making resolutions in the first place. I completely failed in getting some of mine done, but like… that’s okay? Not everything has to be a success.
The Phantom of The Opera - went with Nathan (his first time, my gazillionth) and he loved it! Thank god too, because if he didn’t… let’s just say I’d TAKE UMBRAGE.
MJ: The Musical - it was really good. It does seem insane that it was still made after everything, but the actors were great and the dancing was incredible. I’m sure it won’t last and maybe that’s a good thing? I don’t know.
Come From Away - went with Nathan and it was good! I can’t see myself ever wanting to see it again, but it was good.
Phantom of the Opera, January 2022
MJ: The Musical, January 2022
Come From Away, January 2022
I promise you I wash this Raptors mask a lot, January 2022
Seeing The Phantom of the Opera with Nathan, January 2022
Restaurant Week has returned and so has the heavenly wild mushroom soup with truffle oil & mascarpone at Giorgio’s of Gramercy.
Didn’t even mind how burned this bread was THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS SOUP IS, Giorgio’s of Gramercy, January 2022
The Sparrow Tavern just reopened and good christ, they might have the most incredible burger in Astoria. Just wild, wild stuff.
I made these ginger sesame noodles with caramelized mushrooms and while they were good, there were way too many steps to get to the eventual meal. Noodles need not be so complicated! Just as a sidenote: I feel like 90% of food bloggers should take, like, a yearlong break or something. There’s too much content when it comes to new recipes online and so much of it just isn’t any good and might be wasting all of our time. Am I wrong?
I made the Momofuku Soy & Scallion noodles from the package sold at Target and it was pretty good! I added zero ingredients other than what came with the package and yes that was a mistake, but I’ll add more to it next time since there are five packets left. I’m thinking caramelized onions, mushrooms and maybe actual chopped raw scallions too. Ooo yeah, that sounds good.
I went to Bench Flour Bakers for the first time and what a sweet little place, I just wish it were closer to civilization. I had a scone that was incredible, great coffee and I can’t wait to go back to try their duck burger. The soup was a bit of a yikes situation but that’s my fault, I never like English pea soup so that was my mistake to order it.
Scone from Bench Flour Bakers, Astoria, New York
I’ve been using the brightening powder from dpHUE and I can’t really tell if it’s working. It also has this weirdly strong metallic smell, which can’t be good?? Probably should return.
I tried a sandwich from Alidoro in the West Village and WOW is that place overrated and laughably expensive for what you’re getting. I’ve made better sandwiches AT HOME. There are better sandwiches in literally every corner bodega. How on earth is this place succeeding?
I also went into Sullivan Street Bakery next to Alidoro and what the hell? Why is that place so small? Isn’t it supposed to be a big deal? This whole street was a joke.
View from the Time Out Market rooftop in DUMBO, New York
I’ve been using the Three Ships lip exfoliator, lip mask and face mask and they’re all really good products. Love the act of having to mix up your own mask in a little bowl before it goes on your face. Seems like a great company. (Thank you, Harmeet!)
I was a little disappointed to hear that Forsythia is introducing a $75/per person tasting menu now, but then I realized they’re doing a $40/per person two course meal with wine at the bar so I can’t wait to return.
I finally ate at Mamo with my dear friend Diana and it was good! Truthfully the food was very okay, but the addition of truffles to everything is the main draw here. It’s also a beautiful place, so it’s definitely worth a visit.
Diana then took me to Angelina Bakery in Bryant Park for dessert since she had heard good things about it, and bless her heart but I think this place slightly misses the mark. They’re big on chestnut cream here, which in my opinion tastes like air? It’s weird because once you taste it you think, “Oo this texture is nice” and then you wait for the flavour to kick in, but it never does. It’s odd. Usually the French are good at desserts. And they do look beautiful, but that’s where the intrigue ends. Oh god, and the hot chocolate! Waaaay too chocolatey, but this is a personal preference. For comparison, I’ve always hated the City Bakery hot chocolate that most people adore, so take this with a grain of salt. (If you are in the area for something sweet, I vote that you go to the Lady M around the block or the Japanese chocolate king Royce.) (And Diana, please continue to introduce me to new places - even if they’re trash, I want to go with you!)
In love with the seasonal lemon poppy seed cruller at Daily Provisions. God, I love a cruller, they’re lighter/tastier than a donut but sweeter than a boring croissant. And those sexy ridges? Get out of here.
Lemon poppy seed cruller, Daily Provisions, New York City
There was a big snowstorm last week, so I woke up at 6am and took the train to Central Park. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and it was so worth it. I arrived before sunrise and it was absolutely breathtaking. It snowed the entire time and all you could hear were the birds. I can’t truly express how magical it felt. It also led to a crazy amount of people liking one of the photos I took that morning, which, you know, feels nice unfortunately. I’m a whore for likes.
Speaking of Sephora, I tried the lip oil from Merit and returned it the next day. Lip oil just isn’t necessary. You get the same effect when you use lip balm, when will women see this scam??
I also sampled some Kylie Skin products (I know, don’t judge, I really just wanted to try them to have an opinion) and they were all awful. The face wash leaves your face tight and extremely dry, the toner does absolutely nothing but burn a bit (in a bad way) and the face lotion is thick as hell and leaves this gross film on your face. And the “high gloss” looks like it’s a kid’s product to use at playtime. Returned everything obviously.
I tried the Impossible chicken nuggets and they taste identical to regular chicken nuggets. If I were an eight year old vegetarian, I’d be jacked right about now.
I stopped by Leonelli inside The Evelyn and their slice was incredible, I’m dying to try the roast chicken sandwich next time.
I know I mentioned it last month, but I have to make a mental note to remember to buy all of the snowdrop scented Mrs. Meyer’s items that come out again in November (minus the hand wash because I’m loyal to my foam soap). This scent has given my life meaning?
I had a Chip City cookie and it’s nothing too crazy, Levain is definitely better.
I’ve never been a giant fan of salmon but I’ve made this lemon brown buttered salmon recipe twice now and it’s oddly delicious. Is browned butter the answer to typically gross food? Yes. Yes, it is.
If you’re Canadian, do you remember Christine Cushing? I’d completely forgotten about her but recently came across her YouTube channel and I forgot how much I liked her and the way she cooks.
What I’ve watched this month:
The Golden Girls - honestly…. just a fun, great time. I never watched it as a kid but I randomly put on one episode while I was cooking and it’s wonderful. I’m almost done the whole series. Few thoughts? There’s an entire episode about Blanche’s husband coming back to life (she thought he was dead) and the whole storyline is about how he faked his death and how it turns her life upside down and then this scene happens at the end <spoiler> that reveals it was just a recurring dream that she has about her husband and how it isn’t a sad dream because it helps her remember him to keep his spirit alive and I don’t know if I’m doing it justice, but it’s the sweetest scene and so unexpected somehow. Also, Rose is definitely the best character. And last thought? I really don’t care for Sophia, she’s much too mean. I understand that she’s supposed to be, but I wince every time she enters a scene.
Scream (5) <spoilers> - look, I’ll always love the franchise but here’s the ranking of the best ones to worst: Scream, Scream 2 (Scream: The College Years), Scream 3 (Scream Goes Hollywood), Scream 5, and finally Scream 4. And that’s not me hating it! There just… there didn’t need to be this many movies. The original will never be matched and that’s okay! Certain parts of the new one were great of course - Dewey’s “I’ve been stabbed nine times” and I loved the Skeet Ulrich hallucinations because they were hilarious. It’s really just a fun movie that revisits the original in a decent way. Scream 4 is the real bad one of the franchise, so let’s all just agree that that’s the one we’ll collectively forget.
I was thinking about watching the new Pamela Anderson/Tommy Lee thing on Hulu but then I heard that she didn’t even want it made! At first I thought that seems impossible because how could it get made without their approval, but like… that tape was released without their approval, so I guess it kind of makes sense? In any case, there’s no way I’ll watch it now.
I had lunch at The Regency Bar & Grill and oh what a nice little spot. The caesar salad was perfectly dressed and the eight hour short rib was decadent and perfect. Service was great, too. Love a good hotel restaurant.
New habits I’ve adopted this past month:
When I buy something in a store, I do a quick check on my phone to see if there’s a cheaper price for the same item on their company’s website OR if they price-match with other stores, I quickly look that up as well. This last week alone I think I’ve saved maybe $20. Is everyone doing this and no one is talking about it? Or am I a little too proud of my cheapness?
If someone mentions a name of someone famous that I don’t know, I’ve decided to stop looking them up to find out who they are. Frankly, I shouldn’t care and I love not knowing things that do not affect me directly.
I am going to stop buying flights through third party websites. It’s always such an annoying hassle to deal with them if something goes wrong with your flight, and yes airlines are complete scumbags but at least if you book directly, the chances of being treated better are higher.
This last habit isn’t really for me, it’s for you: you’re not using Q-tips in your ears, are you? Please stop! Apparently it even says on the packaging that you shouldn’t use them in your ears. Please, please stop! Ear health! It’s important!
I’ve learned the secret to what you’re supposed to do when you’re done having acrylic/artificial nails - get a gel manicure as soon as the fake ones are removed. That way your little baby nails are protected for a few weeks while they re-adjust to being normal sized again.
I would really love to learn how to do the splits. You might think it’s impossible, but I’ve seen some videos that will make you eat your hat in a few months time.
I officially started keeping track of my receipts (I should be embarrassed that I haven’t done this before but here we are), so I’m kind of excited to see how that goes. I want to go through every one at the end of each month and see what the hell I’m spending too much on. This might be a terrible idea.
If you have any interest in reading what went on in December, come on over here.
Forgive the lateness of this post! I am excuse-less. Here’s what went down last month!
Here are the two lists of the best tweets of the month.
I perused Jessica Merchant’s new cookbook and some of the recipes are definite must-makes this summer. Garlic confit, stone fruit halloumi salad, tomato pie, BLT corn salad, scallops with tomato cream sauce, and the list goes on. Sometimes I like to browse the cookbooks in book stores just for inspiration when I’m in a cooking rut.
I bought the Dr. Teal’s foaming bath Vapor Bath scent and it’s underwhelming! I mean, it’s good, but nothing like the vapor heaven I was anticipating.
I made the ramp butter from Missy Robbin’s (of Lilia fame) recipe and it tasted fine but was nothing like hers. No idea where I went wrong. Maybe I was supposed to use salted butter? Maybe the butter quality wasn’t good enough? Maybe my food processor was inadequate?
Ramps
My sad ramp butter
In other ramp news, I ate the ramp, cheddar & poppyseed croissant from Mel The Bakery and it was delicious. Great bakery. Must return.
Ramp, cheddar & poppyseed croissant from Mel The Bakery, NYC
So I made the Milk Bar crumbs (without the cake) because I thought that’d be a fun treat to just keep in the fridge. But without the cake and the icing? Suck city. Such a waste of time. Tastes useless on its own.
I watched the movie Riding The Bullet (why, I don’t know) and of course it was terrible, what was I thinking. Proves that you don’t have to be talented to make a movie, so there’s really hope for anyone in this world.
I made focaccia for the first time! I had some leftover green garlic so I incorporated that into it and it was a raging success.
Before
After
I watched the third and final season of Shrill and it was perfect. I hate that it’s over since every season was better than the last, but life must go on. No spoilers, but I loved how it ended. Best character of life = Em.
Went to Momofuku Noodle Bar again and finally tried the buns (not pork, but mushroom) and wow. I wish I knew how to cook a mushroom like a restaurant quality chef. It’s a mystery I’ll never crack.
Sometimes there is no greater joy than getting to experience a new potato chip flavour. And the Lays ones this summer… are wonderful.
I can’t stop making this chicken caprese pasta salad. There’s something about the idea of a cold pasta salad that sits in the fridge and gets better each day, I just love it. It always reminds me of a staple food that white people would take to a picnic in the 90s, but I don’t know what I’m basing that on. Wasn’t that a white person thing? I remember mentioning the idea of a cold pasta salad to one of my West Indian cousins at a get together and she gasped at the idea, “Why would a pasta ever be served COLD???”
I rewatched Mad Man and this is probably the best scene in the whole series. The line “the moon belongs to everyone” will always make my knees weak.
I listened to the Martin Short / Charles Grodin episode of Julie Klausner’s podcast and it only reaffirms how I feel about podcasts. They’re so fucking boring, I’ll never know what people get out of listening to them. Absolutely not for me.
I went to a Mets game and it was wonderful to be back in a stadium. I also got the Mrs. Met Wonder Woman bobblehead I’ve been eyeing for over a year now.
I ate a white chocolate apricot scone from Il Bambino in Astoria and it was insanely good. I always forget about scones. You can’t sleep on a scone. I also always forget how much I love apricot. It’s never IN anything, why is that?
I revisited The Beekman and it continues to be just a solid ass place to take someone from out of town for a drink. It’s so beautifully designed and I’ll never get over what a great job was done in restoring it.
The ceiling at The Beekman, NYC
Look at the stairway details at The Beekman, NYC
Okay, I know everyone knows about the cookies at Levain Bakery, but the dark chocolate peanut butter one might CHANGE YOU SPIRITUALLY.
I got some great British food gifts from Myers of Keswick in the West Village for my dad, it’s just a great little shop.
I finally went to the Dame pop-up! Exquisite fish and chips. I did sneak in my own gravy from Pommes Frites down the street since they don’t offer any, but no one seemed to mind (and by no one I mean that I hid it with a napkin anytime someone walked by). I understand this isn’t behavior I should exhibit, but fish and chips without gravy should be illegal. Anyway, I’m so excited they’re expanding into a full blown restaurant. Must return to see the new menu items.
Look at that fry and TELL me he isn’t screaming out for sip of gravy
Secret gravy tastes better?
So I was all excited to go see the new Little Island in the city, but then I realized that this goddam area was the one that I was so against a few years ago because it meant that they’d tear down the Pier 54 remnants! I can’t believe time had made me forget this fact! Those dirty fucks! So I may not visit it now. Debating all my options. Mentally I don’t know that I even need to escape to a new floating island.
I bought these black flats for my new part time hostess job (more on this in another post) and they’re so comfortable, it’s shocking.
Of course I listened to Olivia Rodrigo’s new album Sour and the best songs are by far traitor and driver’s license (duh).
I took Baby Dog on a mini day trip to Coney Island and it was too fun. We walked along the pier, got my prediction from Grandma, spent three seconds in the sand and then sat by the water. We also went to the Coney Island Brewery and the best things about that place? The music is so perfect and late 90s, there’s a free tap that has still & sparkling water, they have beer flights on the menu to try different kinds (such a great idea), the grilled cheese was NUTS, and the alcoholic pink lemonade was summer in a can.
Smiling at the ocean
Wonder Wheel
Baby Dog at a brewery
Can I install this in my house, PLEASE
Some things I’m looking forward to doing this month: I’d really love to make this garlic jam that sounds incredible, I’m making it my mission to get to Mama’s Too on a Wednesday this month to try one of their legendary Wednesday sandwiches, and I’m so excited that casual street fairs have returned (check below for some upcoming ones).
Look, I’m the last person on earth who wants to support this family. Truly. But I’ve been looking for a nude set of lip liners forEVER and the fact that these were also mini lip liners - what more could I ask for? I love mini makeup versions of anything because I never, ever finish full sized items so those are a waste of money for me.
That being said, I am in love with this set. I use each of them as a liner and as a fill in colour. And they last. Look at these heavenly colours.
The major news of the month? I can’t believe I get to be fully vaccinated. It’s hard to describe how incredible it feels but I’m so ready to really start this next phase and I can’t wait for everyone I love to feel this feeling soon. Here’s what went down last month.
Here are my favourite tweets from last month. Also, I’ve decided to compile the best tweets list every two weeks rather than only once a month mostly because I love re-reading them and want that sort of joy in my life twice a month, not just once.
I did Nathan’s podcast and we talked about Rogers, sex robots & god only knows what else.
I’ve made this lamb ragu from Alison Roman twice so far, it’s so luxurious but somehow easy to make. I’ve put it on tagliatelle as well as zucchini noodles and both have been wonderful. Small tip: it does get better after it sits in the fridge for a bit, for some reason. (Also, the recipe doesn’t call for it, but I added basil at the end. I tend to add basil anytime something calls for parsley because it’s just so much more flavourful and fun.)
I want to buy new underwear and I’m looking for any suggestions that aren’t Victoria’s Secret, Aerie or The Gap. I might just bite the bullet and try the ones from Blush (love love love the models they use).
I tried the strawberry short cake soft serve from Milk Bar and it was heavenly. The soft serve is even better than the strawberry cake (although the cookie crumbles within the cake always make my knees weak). In fact, I’ve yet to try a Milk Bar soft serve that I didn’t love (their vegan apple pie soft serve was out of this world), should I have been buying their pints this whole time? Yes.
I gave a chance to Ouai’s Air Dry Foam and it didn’t impress me or anyone else for that matter, so I guess I’ll just stick with the Wave Spray instead.
The rain boots that I bought a few years ago from Winners have disintegrated and I’m in search of new ones, but please don’t recommend Hunter ones. I hate Hunter. Open to any other suggestions!
Influenced by a TikTok video, I bought Falscara and holy shit. I know I promise this a lot, but I’m going to do a video on it so you can see how good a product it is. So many videos are coming, I vow.
I tried a sample of Glamglow’s Glowstarter moisturizer and was pleasantly surprised at how it really does give you a pleasant glow. What’s that about.
It’s uncivil how expensive body suit/swimwear hangers are. Who is this benefiting? I just want to hang my delicate bodysuits and carry on with my day.
Trader Joe’s has started selling their own vodka and I’m hoping they’ll start to sell it in New York soon. Seems weird that they don’t already.
I tried a small sample of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Elixir and discovered that the true magic behind the elixir is how she got anyone to believe that it does anything at all. Makeup products truly enrage me at times.
Nathan and I went to a movie theatre and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. We saw Godzilla vs. Kong and I found myself beaming through every inane scene. Perfect movie to see after a year of no theatres. Would I ever watch it again? Good lord no.
I bought a lotion bar from Gift Box on Broadway in Astoria and I love it. I think I’d use it more if it were slightly smaller and more manageable, but I love it nonetheless.
I tried Rao’s spaghetti and it was incredible, so now I’m forced to seek out their other types of pasta. Such a quality pasta.
I ate at The Pineapple Club and the basil fried rice and frozen pina coladas were both outrageously good.
I bought this bag from Zara and I’m honestly nervous to even wear it out for some weird reason. Like, am I the person who would have a bag like this? Do I want to be that person? Am I feeling this way because of having nowhere to go for so long? Have I always been this fearful? Some of these questions I shouldn’t answer, I realize.
Just bought these shoes in tan and I think I have my life all figured out now. Now if I can just leave the house wearing said shoes and holding said bag.
Speaking of shoes, I truly can’t decide if I love or loathe these slippers.
Last shoe thing: head over HEELS (not sorry) in love with these feet hugging sandals. Should’ve bought four more pairs.
I made these chocolate banana muffins and they were great but the real standout is the recipe at the bottom for the salted honey butter. Christ, you should make that butter.
I perused Molly Baz’s new cookbook and it’s a big one. Some standout recipes: The Big Italian salad, a dilly horseradish cream sauce for shrimp, and of course her caesar salad recipe.
I never thought I’d be the type of person to buy fake plants, but this one is so lifelike and pretty that I had to get it. Plus it’s perfect for the top of a bookshelf.
It’s ramp season and I couldn’t be happier about it, you’ll hear more about my ramp creations next month.
I watched This is a Robbery on Netflix and don’t waste your time. Yes, it’s an interesting story, but save yourself a few hours and go read this instead.
I’m watching The Nanny and loving it. I’ve only ever watched a few episodes growing up, and I thought I would hate it because of how much everyone makes fun of Fran’s voice but her voice is fine! It’s wild that anyone ever said it was annoying. Also, the theme song is catchy as hell.
I rewatched Speed and it’s, of course, still great. What can’t Keanu do.
I watched the 90s movie The Crush and it’s really weird that movies like that would never have a chance being made today.
I’m all caught up on Riverdale now and… it’s hard to remember when it was really good. Maybe it was all Skeet Ulrich? Was that the main draw in my mind? I can see that making sense. In any case, it’s taken a turn.
There’s something so inviting about having good washroom rugs, I just got these soft-as-hell Threshold ones and I’ll never buy another brand again.
I visited the midtown Ideal Cheese Shop (been meaning to forever) and it’s such a great spot for NYC delicacies as well as, obviously, cheese. They had pre-packed bacon from Peter Luger and salmon from Daniel Boulud.
I tried the breakfast Beyond Meat sausage patties and surprise, surprise, they’re great. There’s nothing this company can do wrong. I’m becoming suspicious.
I got drinks and some small bites at Bar Dalia in Astoria and what a sweet little place! Would go again.
I finally got my hands on the kitchen-scented mini candles from Trader Joe’s (the scents are lemongrass, tomato leaf, fresh mint). They fill me with joy, unfortunately. I also got their grapefruit scented body butter, which goes on very smoothly but I’ve noticed it has a scent that’s slightly off-putting over time. I will not dwell on that fact further.
I love seeing what promotional giveaways are planned for the upcoming baseball season but since we’re technically still in a pandemic, the Mets are only releasing what the promotions are each month (makes sense). So I’ve bookmarked the page to go look at on the first of each month.
I was walking past a Home Depot in Queens and the smell of the sandwiches at Rocco’s was heavenly. I had just eaten, otherwise I would have leaped into line. Must remember to get a Philly cheese steak here next time. The Yelp reviews are calling me.
I bought this earring organizer from The Container Store and it’s perfect. Fully recommend. I also finally got a purse organizer and some shoe boxes that make me feel like I might be a successful woman in her prime.
Left: purse storage holder, Right: shoe storage boxes, Not Shown: me, opening & closing my closet door ten times to bask in my new found organizational skills
I had no idea Zara had a home section. I wish I didn’t have this knowledge, but now that I do, you must too. Literally ALL of these glasses are gorgeous. Tempted to go smash each glass in my kitchen cupboard right this instant.
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: the new/final season of Shrill comes out this week (!), I might be going to a Mets game (!!), dying to eat at Under The Volcano, really want to visit the new Dippin' Dots store, I’ve been craving a good club sandwich for months so I might try to get brunch at Mark’s Off Madison, I know it might be early but I can’t wait to go tan on Governors Island soon, and at some point I’d really love to take one of these pasta cooking classes.
The club sandwich at Mark’s Off Madison, photo courtesy of Front of House
The leaves are starting to fall, the colder winds are coming, the pumpkins are starting to appear and I’ve never wanted an October more than I do right now. This time of year stirs up so much inside of me, I can barely breathe. However you enjoy this season, I hope you take some time to bask in these autumn days that are typically so fleeting. Here’s what went down last month.
I ate at Buvette and their snails were definitely the highlight.
I saw the movie The Car and it was phenomenal. You have to see it. The dialogue is atrocious, but a young, smokeshow James Brolin? Christ, he can get it. It’s a perfect bad movie.
I went to Gramercy Tavern and of course that place never disappoints. The service, the food, everything is impeccable. Some photos below.
Of course they have their own sanitizer
The Harvest Daiquiri with Frozen El Dorado 8 yr Rum, Green Chartreuse, Caradonna Farms Apple Cider, Lime
Chilled Corn Soup with Pickled Cauliflower, Beets, Avocado
Something new: did you know that Sephora has in-store rewards available that are different from the rewards shown on their website? Something to check out near the front cashier the next time you’re in a Sephora.
I bought the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion again because it’s such a great product for calming down acne and one bottle lasts at least six months or so.
A great piece about the arts scene in New York City right now.
I rarely listen to podcasts, but I listened to the Conan O’Brien episode of the Michelle Obama podcast and it was great. The episode is about marriage and I liked it so much because I love hearing about how couples first met and fell for one another.
As with every other person on earth this month, I watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix and then immediately deleted all the games off of my phone. I know the whole message was to delete Instagram and Facebook, but I’ve never had Facebook on my phone (what am I, 90?) and I truly don’t go on Instagram that much (not by choice, I have a shite battery that lasts about eight minutes a day).
I started watching Girlfriends and even though the pilot is rooooough (as most pilots are), it’s an all right show. It’s insane that Sex And The City basically stole this entire premise. I did, however, stop watching because all of the women are so wildly tiny, it warps my brain to sit and stare at skinny women for long periods of time.
I bought this scalp massager and holy hell, it’s incredible. It elevates a shower times a thousand.
I tried a sample of Fab Pharma’s Rescue Mask and it’s pretty great. It’s weird to not wash a mask off yes, but your skin feels amazing in the morning after use.
My friend Dusty had his movie reviewed by Roger Ebert’s website which is so huge and amazing. Wildly proud.
I started watching Sister, Sister on Netflix and Lisa is the greatest character of all time.
The new autumn candle at Trader Joe’s? Honeycrisp Apple! Already bought! Already sold out! Will I light it or just keep it to smell every so often? None of your business.
Another great New Yorker cover.
I was fortunate enough to eat at Atoboy (thank you Katie & Greg!) and it was perfection. I’ve never eaten tuna so heavenly. Such a wonderful meal and the service especially was warm as hell.
I finally bought those Aerie bike shorts I’ve wanted for months and they’re incredible. Bike shorts should always be this damn soft.
Finally ate at Arte Cafe on the Upper West Side and loved it.
I visited the Krispy Kreme flagship in Times Square and it was pretty great. Most locations in every suburban city have glass windows where you see the donuts being made, so I didn’t get the huge appeal?
I may or may not have indulged in some of the seasonal desserts at Comfortland in Astoria, I won’t tell you details because they weren’t anything amazing. Honestly, nothing compares to the apple fritters at San Remo’s in Etobicoke.
I watched the Surviving R. Kelly sequel on Netflix and it didn’t really have any new information, which makes sense because there hasn’t even been a trial yet.
I also watched all of season one and some of season two of Twin Peaks (for the first time) and I have some thoughts. First things first, the pilot is incredible. But… why is the background/theme music so terrible? It never matches any of the scenes in tone and it just leaves me confused most times. Some parts are so fucking off and bad (acting-wise, script-wise) that I literally googled certain scenes to see if they were supposed to be funny or if I was missing something. What the fuck is with all of the dancing? And THIS scene? What in the good holy fuck?? UGH, and then David Lynch SHOWS UP IN THE SHOW? Kill me. The entire series should’ve lasted one season. I can officially say that I don’t give one shit about who the fuck killed Laura Palmer, she’s the luckiest character of them all to be dead. Blow me, Lynch.
When Jhene said ‘I used to think I was introverted because I really liked being alone but it turns out that I just like my peace, and I am very extroverted around people who bring me peace.’ I FELT THAT IN MY CHEST.
Ok I’m stoned but this seems like a good idea: what if there was an app that both you and your partner have where you both swipe right or left on movies that are on your streaming services and when you find a match it lets you know
i sit with my daughter while she falls asleep and i always whisper “i love you” in her ear as soon as she falls asleep& she says “i love you too” well tonight we had a little argument before she fell asleep i still whispered “i love you” & all she whispered back was “good” LMFAO
It should count for 4 if you swish it. There I said it.
— C.J. “Lakers Fan Since I Was A Baby” Toledano (@CJToledano) September 12, 2020
i like how nick nurse looks like a kid who is in the middle of a realistic dream where he woke up coaching a major league basketball team and is like "oh god, ok, im gonna try!"
my girlfriend regularly tells me “if free public libraries didn’t already exist and someone tried to invent them, they would be condemned as a socialist plot” and I think about that a lot.
i hate that weight gain is seen as ‘not looking after yourself’ when for a lot of people it’s a sign that we are enjoying food, maybe seeing our friends more, maybe going out more, maybe just letting go of societal standards for a bit! weight gain can be from happy changes too
Dave Grohl goes above and beyond to make 2020 a little more tolerable. Man, this is just heartwarming as fuck! There goes my hero indeed. I wanna be Dave when I grow up. https://t.co/QCsuM0MHp8
does anyone else constantly think about how Jessica Simpson was body shamed in 2009 for being a size 4? and how fatphobic our society has to be to think that even this very small body was unacceptable and worthy of global bullying? because whew I really really do. pic.twitter.com/mSj7GVyzgF
Diving catch through smoke while wearing a face mask, what a demented universe we're all trying to bend into some semblance of normalcy https://t.co/cNKrXiPkdg
Y'all ever think about how indigenous people successfully lived in the Americas for 15,000 years then Europeans came here and 500 years later the whole nation is experiencing apocalyptic climate disaster.
sometimes i remember that if a clown wants to trademark their makeup they have to paint it on an egg that is stored in a special clown egg warehouse and then i have to go lie down pic.twitter.com/5ltP6aQzL5
Why get a dog if you’re just gonna pull on it every time it stops to smell something? That’s what they do. Why not take a fish out the tank and throw it on the floor
Why don’t conservatives ever want to interfere with my body in a HELPFUL way? Fix this little bump on my leg! Exfoliate my elbows! Stretch my quads! Bitch, FLOSS ME.
This is a reminder that the IRS audits way more people who make under $30,000 per year than they do millionaires because the GOP repeatedly stripped their funding and the poor don't have the resources to fight the IRS, while the rich have lawyers to fight them at every turn
once u start shoplifting there is no going back it literally rewires your neural pathways and thought patterns like I now get physically mad whenever I have to pay for something
I wish anti-maskers weren’t a thing so us regular people could complain about masks being annoying without looking like a Q Anon dipshit who refuses to wear one. I just wanna be able to say “this sucks” without having to follow it up with “BUT I WILL BECAUSE IT’S MY CIVIC DUTY”
Some things that I’m looking forward to doing this month: I must decorate, I really want to make this fall kale salad that sounds incredible, I’m planning a visit to Sleepy Hollow for the day, if I can find the time I really want to try these vegan burgers, I need to finalize the details for my costume this year, MUST BUY these winter stamps, I cannot wait to get my hands on these again, I’m intending on doing my 31-days-of-Halloween celebration yet again (which means that I’ll try to do at least one spookily themed thing each day), and I will definitely be watching some of these 90s sitcoms Halloween episodes. Also, I’m not a huge cronut fan but these flavours (below)?! Get out of here. Already pre-ordered.
The key word being was. We bought an air conditioner! We’ve been an A/C-free family for some time now, but since we’re spending so much time at home, we figured now was the time to be cool. In other news, everything still blows! What a shock! Here’s how I spent July.
I didn’t even know another Halloween movie was being made but of course I’ll go see it even if it turns out to be trash, you gotta support classic horror franchises, that’s just basic horror etiquette 101.
This is the most basic, boring-sounding sandwich on planet earth, but it tastes incredible I promise you (I didn’t add bacon, but I did add fresh mozzarella) and whatever bread you use, it’ll still be great. I find myself constantly forgetting about the greatness of mayo because I, my dear, am an idiot.
I ordered a bunch of new address labels on Zazzle because they were having a Christmas in July sale, so I bought some seasonally inspired labels to use over the next few months. If you’re not seasonally co-ordinating your return address labels, are you even living?
I attempted to watch the new Baby-Sitter’s Club on Netflix and it’s really not meant for me. I was never into the books or the movie or any of it, I never liked the idea of kids caring about making money, it seemed too sad to me. “Just be a kid!” I’d always thought.
Speaking of childhood nostalgia, I have started to watch reruns online of Sweet Valley High, which I loved as a kid. It’s no Breaker High, but it’s still pretty great to rewatch. God, Jessica really was an absolute bitch.
Some other things that I’ve rewatched: Con Air (practically a perfect movie, will always love, *Nic Cage forever* might be the only tattoo I’d ever get), Supermarket Sweep is on American Netflix and I was so excited (for about three episodes) then I moved on with my life, Sleepless in Seattle (still a very nice, average, reliable movie), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (actually a really great summer movie, will always be a fun time to watch, will forever be a huge Keanu fan, I just feel like I could trust him??), and Dick Tracy (will always love this movie even if it has eight million too many montages, the set design is gorgeous, and this one outfit that Madonna wears makes me question… everything).
Some new movies that I’ve watched: Always Be My Maybe (so, so great! How did it take me so long to see this! So many good scenes, such a good movie), The Karate Kid (insane that I hadn’t seen it before, kids were uncomfortably mean in the 80s, favourite part was when Mr. Miyagi beats up the children, great movie), The Stepfather (pretty fun time, so happy we’ve starting watching horror movies again), Eat Pray Love (ugh, I don’t know, I do love movies about women just leaving and doing fun shit alone and abandoning their lives, but this was pretty lame, I hated James Franco’s character more than life and truly didn’t understand how Julia Roberts was even briefly into him), and finally the original The Hills Have Eyes (which I loved weirdly enough despite being incredibly tense the entire movie, I just thought it was so well done and scary and incredible, the rape scene is of course awful and I shut my eyes for that part, but that was the only thing I hated, it doesn’t make sense that I liked this movie so much).
I don’t know how to word this, but something is off with the reasonably priced (and almost too cheap) parmesan sold at Trader Joe’s. It melts weird. It doesn’t taste like normal cheese. Something is afoot and I won’t buy it any longer. I’m truly dreading and equally anticipating the day that all of Trader Joe’s secrets are exposed. Be warned.
That being said, obviously I’m in love with the seasonal summer candles that TJ just released. We have a complicated relationship.
Trader Joe summer candle trio, 2020
I made this gruyere mac and cheese with caramelized onions (I used almond milk and it still came out good) and can every recipe just include caramelized onions? The world is ending, let’s just put sweet, tiny, brown onions on everything and call it a day.
I have to remember that Essie’s vibrant colours just f-ing suck. Only their muted/bland colours are good. They should really just stick to those. And if you’re looking for loud colours that stand out, the summer collection at Urban Outfitters is my go-to (and there’s always a 3 for $10 sale with them).
I listened to Taylor Swift’s new album and so far my favourites are definitely: the 1 and this is me trying.
I’ve been thinking about cancelling my Ipsy subscription again (because I think I don’t care about makeup at this current moment in time) and when I logged on to cancel, they let me choose one of the items being sent next month as if they knew I wanted to leave! So I chose a Sunday Riley product (because any sample I’ve tried from them, I’ve loved) so maybe I’ll cancel next month?
I tried a sample of Drunk Elephant’s shampoo & conditioner (which smelled so lovely) and my hair did seem softer the next day. There’s something about this brand though, I feel like they might be tricking us with their beautiful packaging and minimalist persona.
I bought and tried the ancient Biore Strips and I have absolutely no idea if they did what they’re supposed to do. Are you supposed to see the blackheads or whiteheads come off onto the strip? It felt like it just tried to peel my face off. No idea what’s going on with these.
I have been in love with the Peter Thomas Roth Correction Pads, I use one pad before bed each night and I think they’re doing something good because I always wake up with no new pimples. It has even started erasing all of the redness I’ve been experiencing lately from the summer heat and sweat and mask-wearing. At this point, I can definitely see myself rebuying when I run out, and if I do then I’ll definitely not get them from Sephora because you can get them way cheaper at other online retailers.
I’ve also started using this Dr. Dennis Gross All-In-One face cleanser and I think it’s a good one. It’s hard to tell because I started using it the same day at the correction pads I mentioned above (yes that was a bad idea but here we are), so maybe they’re working together to make my face good? We’ll revisit this.
I finally opened up this Belif set I bought a few months ago and it’s really nothing special. I think the face cream is probably the best item in there because you truly don’t need to use a lot to feel moisturized. But the face cleanser? Meh. I don’t think it does very much, it definitely didn’t help any redness. And the toner? Don’t get me started on how I kind of think toner might be a scam. And the “eye moisturizer”? Seems superfluous. My eye area is plenty moist, thanks.
Perfect summer soap scent: Fresh Rainfall. If I can’t travel this year, I will escape into this scent. (Send help.)
So I heard that Lady M now ships their cakes to Canada and I was able to scream in excitement for approx. four seconds before looking into it and seeing that it’ll cost you over $100 to get ONE cake sent. THE GALL, I tell you. THE GALL.
I briefly looked into the app Sweatcoin after hearing good things, but it really just seems like an app where its main goal is to track you. And yes, your phone already does that whether you’re aware or not, but I think I’ll pass on the extra tracking.
I heard that the upcoming Halloween Bob’s Burgers episode will “follow the kids as they try to deliver a burger to the hotel on their street.” It’s such a sad little bit of tiny information, but I love their seasonal episodes so much that I’ll take any crumbs available.
Christ, why do I keep forgetting that Bareburger is absolutely nothing special? Why in the good fuck is it taking so long for a Shake Shack to come to Astoria?!
I ate on the patio at Hoja Santa in Astoria and the tacos were nothing to write home about. The service, drinks and chips were outstanding though, so I may have just ordered badly.
I refer to myself as dark skinned and people are like “wtf no you’re not” I refer to myself as light skinned and people are like “lmfaooo this bitch is delusional” so from here on out I will simply be referring to myself as....skinned
Hey, I think President Trump is on to something with this idea of limiting COVID infections by not testing as much. Who knew the secret for staying forever young was as simple as not celebrating your birthday?
small dog slander makes me sad. Of course they’re “yappy,” they have tiny bodies, it’s not a personality trait. They also have teeny tiny paws to put on your leg when you are sad
I woke up with a small, specific sadness: I miss being on a trip with family or friends and waking up to the murmuring sound of other people, already awake, having a conversation in the kitchen in the morning.
i remember my ex got mad at me bc i once tweeted i wanted to cuddle with shia labeouf, lmaooo like every argument we had he would be like “why don’t u go fuck shia” like bro i would if i could 😭
Has everyone stopped to meditate on the fact that an 87-year-old woman on chemo has to keep working full-time, full-force, because she's quite literally the only thing stopping the country's full slide into fascism?
Can’t keep 900 baseball players safe with almost unlimited resources but sure we can protect millions of kids jammed into schools where teachers have to raise money on GoFundMe for like pencils and shit.
My dog decided it was time to go to bed about twenty minutes ago. Off he went. I stayed on the couch, ya know, as is my right. I’ll me damned if he didn’t just walk back in here and look at me like “did I stutter? It is time for us to go TO BED.” Welp, good night, y’all.
I tried Thai iced coffee and it was so wildly sweet and too aromatic, I probably wouldn’t get it again. And I also tried a Vietnamese iced coffee and it was the perfect level of sweet! What’s the difference between the two, you ask?
I finally tried the katsu sandwich at Hi-Collar as takeout in the East Village and it was absolutely nothing special. No idea why people are so into it.
I haven’t been to Bite in so many months, so it was nice to get takeout earlier this week. God how I’ve missed their ciabatta bread. They use it on their sandwiches and it comes from Balthazar each morning and it’s always heavenly.
I tried a grapefruit shandy and holy shit, it might be my favourite new summer drink.
I ate on the patio at L’Artusi since it just reopened and good god, that carbonara will change you. So psyched to see they have the wagyu steak tartare on the menu now, too. The burger, the panzanella salad and the charred corn were all great, but that carbonara was the standout.
Yeah, I’m NOT gonna get a Manhattan??
Carbonara heaven, 'L’Artusi
L’Burger with roasted potatoes at L’Artusi
Sweet Irene!
Some things I’d like to do this month: I’d love to try this tomato toast with blue cheese mayo, I’m going to start using a new clothes steamer I just bought with the hopes of getting rid of my iron & ironing board, I rebought a tube of Revitalash because of how great my lashes were looking when I used it a few years ago so I’ll start using it on August 1st and track my progress to prove how great this product is, I can’t wait for Moesha to be coming to Netflix this month, and I am waiting waiting waiting until I can find time to return to Lilia (on the patio) to eat this incredible tomato focaccia & garlic butter (shown below).
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in June over here.
It’s over, the holidays are over. Usually that makes me unhappy but this year they felt like the perfect amount of time. I’m crazy ready to start a new year. I remember being a kid and thinking, “In 2020, I’ll be 35… oh no” And now that it’s here, I’m pretty excited about it. I think it’s because there are so many things to look forward to this year (going to a wedding in the Catskills with Nathan & Baby Dog, going to London to see my friend Sarah, going to Barcelona with Gary, seeing where him and his family live in Glasgow, seeing a Euro Cup semi-final game in Amsterdam with my brothers, spending the day in Lisbon, spending quite a bit of time on the coast in Portugal, going on an anniversary trip in August). So. Excited. For. Everything.
But enough about the future, let’s delve into the recent past for a minute. Here’s what happened in December that was notable:
I made these Chickpea Pitas that were very good, I used wholewheat tortillas instead of pita and it still tasted great.
I have so many creams and lotions, please no one ever buy me another one. I just started using this Vichy Collagen cream (that I got two Christmases ago!) as a morning face cream and it’s wonderful. Very soft. Not sticky or greasy. Fully recommend. Especially for winter mornings.
I have no idea how I got them, but I had a stack of Dr. Dennis Gross (terrible name to put on a product) Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel packets that have been hanging around my beauty box (which is a storage box full of beauty samples and gifts and things I intend to one day use but haven’t yet) - so I just started using them once a week and whoa. They be tingly. Is that a good thing? I guess? I know nothing about skincare. In any case, they feel like they’re doing something magical when I use them but that’s about it. Are they worth $88 American dollars for a pack? God, no. But if you get a chance to use them as a sample or something, go for it. What do these wipes DO exactly? I’m told they’re “anti-aging.” Sidenote: I hate products that only promote that. How could you ever prove something is anti-aging?! You can’t! Unless you use it for 5-10 years and have before & after shots. And no one is going to do that. It’s bullshit. I’d respect the product more if it just said, “We don’t know what it does, but it feels fun on your face. Give a try!”
No one can stop me from loving old-school animation. The giant eyes and heads on today’s animation is horrifying to me and makes me miss the days of the 1992 version of Aladdin and the way kid’s movies used to look. I came across this old made-for-TV-movie Annabelle’s Wish and though it was nothing spectacular, I love the way it looked.
I tried the Japanese cheesecake that I’ve heard so much about: Uncle Tetsu in Square One. Verdict? It’s not cheesecake. But that’s not a bad thing. It really just tasted like a light, cheesy bread - but with none of the fulfillment of being too cheesy.
Looking forward to a new season of Curb on the 17th.
One thing that’s pissed me off this month: PINK (the Victoria’s Secret brand) no longer carries underwear in size XL. They just stopped making them. It happened at some point last year. And I mean, I was already not a fan of regular Victoria’s Secret, but now? This is insane. For a brand that already has existing problems with inclusion, are you fucking kidding me? I’ll never go back into any of their stores. I hate that I’ve supported them for as long as I have.
I watched a couple of the newest SNLs over the Christmas break and the absolute best part of all of them? These performances.
Lizzo, her dancers, her musicians, everything: perfection. Not only are they great performances, but seeing women who have regular fucking bodies? I need it. I need it bad. I’m a 34 year old woman and I still need to see this. I needed this when I was a teenager, I needed this when I was a kid. I could go on and on about why this is needed, but hopefully you just get it.
I rewatched Mean Streets because I genuinely couldn’t remember if I like Scorsese movies or not and… some are good? Best part of this movie:
I tried some wasabi Kit-Kats from Japan and yowza. They good.
This sounds like a broken record but I watched the newest season of Fuller House and I still don’t know why I watch this show when I know it isn’t good. I have a problem. Although it did bring me to this song that I now love.
I just bought this incredible throw blanket for the couch from Indigo (that is wildly on sale right now), I suggest you get one.
End of the year posts can get a little cheesy or heavy or preachy, but I absolutely loved this one from Ijeoma Oluo:
After using one Tarte eyeshadow palette for literally all of 2019, I branched out and got two new palettes. This Huda Beauty one (love it, great for going out) and this Colorpop one that is stunning but absolutely does not last throughout the night.
No idea how Sephora had this as a reward, but I got a mini version of a Pat McGrath mascara and I love it. Also, SO IN LOVE with these balms.
While in Mississauga, I went to The Dr. Seuss Experience and oh man, it’s wildly overpriced for what it is. I mean, it’s in an old Sport Chek for christsake. Should’ve cost $5/person, MAX.
Excited to see this movie (below), love a winter horror movie.
I saw Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and it’s very okay. Definitely not among the best movies I saw in 2019. Also, I think I really don’t like Quentin Tarantino. Gotta remember that next time. Overrated hack.
There’s this postal store in the East Village that I’m quickly falling in love with. They act like a post office, but they also sell various independent lines of greeting cards and small gifts. Love this place.
I tried a sample of Glossier’s Cloud Paint and I think I might splurge and get one. I’m still not sold on the idea of using my fingers to rub product on my cheeks (I’m totally fine using my fingers on my eyelids though for some reason), but we’ll see. I’m going to go to the flagship store to try on some colours. Will report back.
I went to Lilia for the second time and yes, it’s a very good restaurant. Their bread special is fucking unreal and the agnolotti is stellar, I just wish it weren’t in Brooklyn. I know for sure now that L’Artusi is my favourite place for pasta, but this one is definitely top five.
I made a little Christmas video (below) of my holidays that I’ve already watched too many times.
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m on the hunt for a new coat (specifically a somewhat-fancy coat, perhaps faux-fur) because I hate not having anything dressy to wear outdoors, I’m really excited to share my resolutions for the year (post coming soon), I’m so interested in getting a lash lift but they’re too expensive so I’ll continue to debate it in my mind, excited about Restaurant Week starting, I finally got Jenny Slate’s new book so I’m looking forward to reading that, and honestly the main thing I want is snow. That’s it. The quietness that comes with it. The bitter air it brings. I want it all and I want it now.
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in November over here!
I love being in the middle of the holiday season. So many get togethers, fat-ass blankets are on the bed, the snow is on its way, presents are coming, I love it all. It’s finally time for reflection and to celebrate the entire year that has come and gone. It’s the best time of the damn year. So excited for December to start. Here’s what happened last month:
Chrissy Teigen started her own website and though I haven’t tried any of her recipes on it yet, I intend to soon. I’ll likely start with this Lemon & Walnut Pasta since it’s been pretty popular. One thing I do like so far about the site? The newsletter that she emails out. She gives restaurant recommendations in them, which I happen to love.
I rewatched The Game and it’s still as great as I remembered. Michael Douglas can do no wrong.
Quick question: does anyone ever change up their makeup routine? I want to and don’t know how. I’m thinking maybe I’ll go the YouTube-tutorials route, but they can be so boring. Any suggestions welcome. I do not want to watch James Charles. His face bothers me.
I tried the Hard Kombucha from Trader Joe’s and it’s absolutely nothing special at all. The regular non-alcoholic stuff is way tastier.
I rewatched Rosemary’s Baby (I first saw it as a teenager and did. not. enjoy. it.) and surprise surprise: adult-me didn’t enjoy it either. It’s just really frustrating to watch. Mia Farrow makes all these terrible decisions and her husband has sex with her when she’s unconscious (???) and it’s just a lot. Must remember to never watch again.
I tried the Staten Island-style pizza at Joe & Pat’s in the East Village and it was good, but nothing to write home about. Skinny pizza is skinny pizza.
We haven’t watched any old Twilight Zone episodes in forever, probably because we forgot about it but also maybe because I think we’ve already seen all the good ones. But we recently watched The Long Morrow episode (mainly because it’s mentioned in a Gilmore Girls episode where it’s noted how romantic this episode is supposed to be) and WOOF. It fucking blew! I was pissed. I should’ve known it would suck though because it was “Logan’s favourite episode.” Serves me right.
I tried these cauliflower crackers from ALDI and whoa. Greatest cracker. This was also the first time I’ve ever been to an ALDI and I was expecting a bit more, to be honest. It’s just a dumpy grocery store? Why all the caps?
I’ve been following this woman Arielle for a few years now and I like her a lot. She used to work for Buzzfeed and that’s where I’d first heard of her (don’t judge me) and now I just sort of like to keep up with her life and what she’s doing. Very sweet, likable person to follow. This sounds vague as hell, but I’m really just mentioning it here because I feel like it’s hard to come across good people to follow who don’t make you feel bad about your own life and are sort of inspiring.
You know how you’ll buy something that’s supposed to change your life and you use it for a week and then never again? Yeah, that’s me with every single thing on my dresser. ANYWAY, I’ve actually started to use the Origins GinZing Eye Cream every night for the past little while and it really works, I think. (God, this just reminded me that I need to start remembering to put on neck cream. I can’t remember where I heard someone say that no one cares about their neck when they’re young and then WHAM one day your neck looks like that of an elderly turkey.)
I really thought I wanted to buy this new Frozen Colourpop palette but then I realized that I actually only want that colour in the middle, soooo I might just get this Huda palette in Topaz instead. (Yeah, I just bought it.) I’m very in the mood to do holiday makeup this year.
I think I’ve decided that there are way better eyeliners out there than Fenty’s Flyliner. It sticks to your eyelashes so that a coat of mascara can’t go on smoothly! It sucks. There! I’ve said it! Still love the sponge, though.
I rewatched The Day After Tomorrow and I’ve gotta say… I love movies like these. Dante’s Peak. Twister. This one. Love watching the world get all fucked up. But really, did climate change WRITE this movie? It’s great.
I have been watching so much Living Single and maaaaaaaan, this show’s perfect. It’s funny, it’s got heart, it’s not a typical kind of sitcom, there are minimal white people, it’s got it all! Love it so much. Wish reruns were easier to find on TV.
Hulu is having a sale right now where it’s $2/per month for a year. Yeah, that can’t be right. Check it out, might be worth it. Sale ends Monday December 2nd.
I am in love with these socks I got from Express. Love a smooth, soft sock in the wintertime.
I made this Melt In Your Mouth Chicken and it was actually pretty good. Never would’ve even thought about coating chicken in yogurt.
I rewatched Big and of course I love this movie, it’s got a wish-granting robot machine in it. I should’ve wrote this damn movie!
Words can’t fully describe how much I love the Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas themed episodes of Bob’s Burgers. They’re always the best.
I watched Rumble in the Bronx and wow. Just a fun movie. Best part is by far the moment he launches a toddler out of harm’s way.
I went to Mister Paradise in the East Village and I’m sorry, it’s too expensive to drink in public these days. It’s nuts. One drink should never cost more than $15, have we all gone insane to silently agree to these parameters? And if you’re advertising “fancy sauce” for your fries, it better not be fucking ketchup mixed with mayo. That is some bullshit.
I watched True Lies and holy shit, a lot happens in this movie. In a good way. Fun watch.
I tried a sample of this Belief cream and it is luxurious as hell. Feels like it might be the perfect neck cream, too. You know, if you’re looking for that kind of thing (YOU SHOULD BE).
So I watched the Mr. Rogers movie with Tom Hanks and it’s just an unnecessary movie. I’m not hating on Tom Hanks, he’s fine in it (although he looks nothing like the man, it isn’t a good impersonation, the story doesn’t need to be told, ETC.) but it really just didn’t need to be made. A great Mr. Rogers movie already exists. They already did it! That being said, I teared up whenever any of the Mr. Rogers songs were sung. I can’t NOT cry at those songs, I’ve got a beating heart, don’t I?
So when I did Nathan’s podcast earlier this month, we talked briefly about going vegan for a week (we watched The Game Changers documentary) and we did it and now our lives are changed. Hahah, no no no, but that’d be wild. It was a hard week to do (mostly to cut out the dairy) but it did feel really good, so we’re going to try to limit meat and dairy much more strictly and see where that takes us. I promise not to talk about this for the rest of time.
I tried Trader Joe’s Vegan Mozzarella and holy hell, it was bad. Tasted like cooked plastic. Returned it immediately.
In contrast, their vegan butter was really, really good and a great substitution for regular butter.
In true November fashion, I had my Thanksgiving croissant from Momofuku Milk Bar and I got it at their new flagship store in the city that is huge. They also had (vegan) apple pie soft serve that was insanely good and the seasonal pumpkin dulce de leche truffles they have right now are amazing. And the flagship location accepts cash! This better be the start of all the damn locations accepting cash. Don’t GET ME STARTED on places not accepting human cash.
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to attempt to make (rather than buy) some of the Christmas gifts I’ve giving this year but we’ll see if this actually pans out, I’m awaiting Jenny Slate’s new book from the library, I definitely have to find time to watch Krampus, putting up the (real) Christmas tree since this is the first year we’re getting a normal, adult sized one, the first day of snow is apparently tomorrow (in NYC) and I’m in looooove with the fact that it’ll also be December 1st when this happens, taking the family Christmas card, I have an obligation to make these Nutella cookies, and I will definitely watch a few of these. Santa, get your ass over here!
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in October over here!
April is one of the best months. It’s still cool enough to have my winter blanket on the bed, but warm enough to maybe go out without a coat. Nothing is better. Sorry about the weather-talk, but it’d be insane of me not to mention it’s so beautiful out. Onto this month’s happenings! So many things took place!
Firstly, the big news. We’ve moved! Only a few streets away, but into a waaaaay better apartment. It’s almost a joke how much better it is. We were coming from a basement apartment, so pretty much anything above ground floor would impress us, but there are a hundred little details about our new place that I’m in love with. So crazy thankful and happy with it all. We’re still getting settled into the place, but I’m planning on doing a post about all the little things I’m doing to it with the decor and storage and boring things (but oh so fun to me) like that, so keep an eye out for that post coming out most likely before the end of the month. So excited to get this place homey and lovely.
I went to a Rapters game at the Barclays Center and whoa, it was a dumb amount of fun. Nathan met someone in the audience at one of his shows who works at Barclays and got him a few VIP tickets (fifth row from court side!) and it was pretty incredible. There was tons of free food (shriiiiimp!) and soft serve ice cream and beef tenderloin and fancy water and free snacks, it was the best. I could list all the food specifics here, but I don’t want to seem like a dick who thinks she’s better than you (but might be?).
I went to the Glossier flagship store again to try this highlighter aaaaand it was pretty basic, so that was disappointing. I also tried their Boy Brow again and I think that yes, it is a good product. Although is it worth $16? Not sure. I’m still considering Benefit’s mini version for $12, so that’s likely the next eyebrow product I’ll buy/try.
I treated myself and bought the full size version of Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask (which is HUGE and should last me eight hundred years) as well as a new Fenty sponge because my old sponge was beginning to look nasty.
I tried the new basil foaming hand soap from Trader Joe’s because that’s an amazing idea for a scent. But the quality of the bottle itself is so cheap, it makes an awful squeaking sound when you use it. Don’t buy.
Yes, I hate receiving foundation samples. You know this. That being said, I tried the one from Yves Saint Laurent and even though it was the wrong colour for me, it felt crazy nice and moisturizing on my skin. I can see why people go so crazy for this product. I still won’t buy it because I don’t really love wearing foundation, but maybe one day when I believe that foundation makes a difference?
I tried the Smile Foot Mask from The Face Shop and HOLY SHIT. It’s good enough that you can ignore the creepy baby feet on the packaging. And I mean, my feet are pretty well taken care of already, but this was some next-level shit. Definitely keeping this one in the rotation.
I know that I told you I was going to start taking collagen, but with the move I slacked a little so I don’t want to comment on it yet. I’m gonna start it again and take it on a daily basis starting tomorrow so I will definitely have thoughts on it this time next month.
Love this meme.
I went to Niagara Falls with my family and it was the best. Just a ton of fun.
I started watching Schitt’s Creek and it’s pretty good so far. I only saw about five episodes, but that’s enough to have an opinion, yeah? I want to watch more, but those Frasier reruns aren’t gonna watch themselves.
I also watched Crazy Rich Asians and it was great! I’d wanted to see it for awhile and it was just a fun movie. A friend of mine accidentally called it Crazy Sexy Asians and it made me laugh, but that’s a way better title. I love, love, love Elvis’ version of this song, so whenever it gets covered, I’ll love it to pieces. Also, the wedding scene? With the water? Jesus! So nice. Even watching it now makes me teary, it’s so beautiful.
Ate at The Cactus Club with the lovely Marla for her birthday (!) and it was goooood. The short rib pappardelle? Heavenly.
One of my favourite recipes that I haven’t been able to make for awhile since I used to live in a place WITH NO OVEN is this baked pickles one. Just made it last night and still holds up. So tasty.
Have you ever tried chocolate mint coffee before? We just got some beans from a place near us and made some this morning and I was jacked for about three hours. Really tasty, I just don’t understand how a person could drink coffee every day.
I was in need of a fancy dress so I went to Burlington in Union Square and was shocked at how nice/inexpensive everything was. I got a Calvin Klein dress (that I later returned because I’m CLASSY) for $40! Such a great place. Easier to browse than Century 21, for SURE.
The reason I needed that fancy dress? I WENT TO THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE BEETLEJUICE MUSICAL! And it was incredible. I have a friend who’s in the ensemble and graciously invited me and it was everything. I’ve never been to an opening night before and the air was electric. Such a fun time. I met Richard Kind at the after party and gushed about Clifford for approx. two minutes before he ran away.
Really enjoyed the new Lizzo album, the best songs are definitely Like A Girl and Soulmate.
I tried the relatively new chicken pieces from Shake Shack and there’s literally NOTHING DANNY MEYER CAN DO WRONG. They’re delicious, obviously.
I had no idea that The Strand will buy your old books. Amazing.
There are no Home Sense stores in the States (as far as I know), which sucks. But I came across Home Goods on the Upper West Side (thank you for the suggestion Harmeet!) and even though it’s really not as good, it’s actually okay. I appreciate the attempt of them trying to be a Home Sense.
I went to the new Rec Room in Square One and it was pretty good, I thought. Obviously you need to walk in with a full wallet, but I mean… it’s something to do? It’s pretty much Playdium with better food.
And that was April! Some things to look out for in next month’s roundup: highlights from Tianna’s visit to NYC, I’m going to a screening of Booksmart, and I swear I’ll do that apartment post. Honestly that’s the only thing I’m really, really looking forward to - I love this new place so much. Thanks for reading!
