April Activities 2021

by Liz Heather in , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

  • Two new nail polishes that I bought and love: English Lavender by butter and Cold Brew Crew by essie. Beautiful colours.

  • 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.

  • There milk chocolate coconut almonds from CVS are UNHOLY.

  • 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.

Fake plant from Target

  • 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.

  • Things are already changing fast with new restrictions loosing in NYC, but did you know you can rent out a bar for an hour?

  • 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.

  • Had no idea that Banza made a pizza crust but I tried it and it’s wonderful.

  • 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 don’t eat a ton of fast food, but I’m sorry, some of these are genius ideas.

  • I’ll regret it if I don’t buy a box of these, right?

  • I know that it’s common to read an article about something and feel “that’s me!” but this one really resonates with me: “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing.”

  • The best brand at Target: A New Day.

  • Love and fully agree with all of this woman’s questions about things that don’t make sense.

  • 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

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.

December Dalliances

by Liz Heather in , , , , ,

So many things happened last month, highlights ahead!

  • I literally started doing my hair instead of just letting it air dry and it’s kind of nuts how easy it is to do.

  • I started using Origin’s GinZing Eye Cream and even though it’s only been a few weeks, I’m really liking it. Is it actually lightening my dark circles? I’ll be able to tell within a few more weeks, I think, so I’ll come back to this next month.

  • I made cauliflower hummus for the first time and it was not a hit. Maybe ‘cause I couldn’t get it as smooth as I imagined it should be, but still - not good at all.

  • I visited the Glossier flagship store in Soho and it was pretty fun and only slightly ridiculous. The robot mechanism that delivers your purchase to you at the end made me laugh. No opinions on their products as of right now since I only went to buy a Christmas gift for someone, although I did try a sample of their Milky Jelly Cleanser that felt pretty nice. The big drawback of the place is that it’s credit-card-only (no cash), which I have pretty strong opinions on. This is a great piece on that whole issue.

  • I went for food at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment in Union Square for their $13 lunch special (which includes a drink) and it’s probably one of the best lunch deals in that area for sure. Also the decorations at Christmastime are insanely lovely and aggressive.

  • Ate the smash burger at The Spaniard, which was really, really good but of course it was because it was a Pat LaFrieda blend. The bun was so perfectly toasted and it’s now definitely one of my favourite burgers in the West Village. Only thing I didn’t like were their onion rings - waaaay too doughy. Gotta keep it real with letting the onion shine through.

Smash burger at The Spaniard

  • Finally tried the Bite Agave Lip Balm that was part of Sephora’s yearly birthday gift and it’s definitely nothing special, way too sticky!

  • Also tried the Bite Lip Crayon in Glacé that was also part of the Sephora birthday gift and it’s so wearable and lovely, I’m excited for the 2019 Sephora birthday gift options (they just announced them!)

  • I got my hair cut! I went to Davidov Salon in the city for the second time, and I think this’ll be my regular place from now on.

  • Made a ton of chickpea nuts and they’re such a good and fast snack to have around. Favourite’s probably the BBQ.

  • HUGE fan of this eggplant lasagna.

  • Watched the latest Chilling Adventures of Sabrina holiday special and for a few scenes, it was actually kind of scary, which weirded me out. I still can’t decide if I hate or like this show.

  • Watched Salt Fat Acid Heat and loved it. Samin Nosrat has such an approachable nature, I wish there were tons more episodes. I also loved the last bit of the series when she says, “For me, cooking has never been about the food. It’s about what happens at the table. Making good food accessible is really important to me. And any little way that I can do that, from inviting a bunch of friends over for a simple meal, to making them help out in the kitchen when they arrive, just helps make it feel like good cooking is within reach for everyone. My ultimate goal is to make people feel comfortable and taken care of so that they can just enjoy the moment. And maybe eventually pass that kindness onto others. Cooking for them, with them, just happens to be the easiest way I can do that. Anyone can learn to cook and do it well. Be thoughtful. Be curious. And use salt, fat, acid and heat to guide you to delicious food. And if for some reason a dish doesn’t turn out well, it’s okay. You can always try again tomorrow.“

  • I’ve been using Kate Somerville’s ExfoliKate as a face exfoliator once/twice a week for the past few months and I absolutely love it. It’s crazy gentle and smells so weird that you feel like it must work.

  • Can’t stop making this incredible firecracker chicken. Tastes like take out.

  • Why do I continue to watch the new Fuller House episodes? I wish I could tell you. It’s the only show I hate watch at the moment. I fully hate it. The jokes are bad. Everything is corny. I’m unhappy when I watch it. Okay, it’s over. I’ll never watch it again.

  • I have so many thoughts on this dog cloning article and I have absolutely no idea which side I’m on. Obviously it’s seems like a wildly controversial and terrible idea… but also what if you just miss your dog so much and it can bring you happiness? Also, the fact that people with money are already doing this makes me all kinds of mad/crazy/excited? I don’t know, man. I’m all over the place with this.

  • I tried the hair mask from Trader Joe’s and I love it, I just wish the packaging were bigger.

  • As you already know, I started watching This Is Us and even though I’m only halfway through the first season, I have a couple thoughts. I hate the character of Kevin so much - it’s either him or the actor, I don’t know. His storyline is just so boring, I want to scream. Also, I’m not actually convinced it’s a good show. Everyone won’t shut up about how good it is, but it’s definitely got its moments of pure cheese. I’m just not convinced. I'll give it a few more episodes to make sure I’m not wrong.

  • I watched The Year Without A Santa Claus for the first time and it was cuuuute. Love that old school animation so much.

  • Tried Smashbox’s Super Fan Mascara - and it’s not great so I’m thinking I’ll exchange it for the Make Up For Ever one (Smoky Extravagant Mascara) that I really like.

  • Ate the French onion soup burger at Le Rivage and it was only okay. They kept bragging about how many awards that burger has won, but I mean… it wasn’t anything special. I think that if they replaced their English muffin bun with a potato bun then maybe they’d be cookin’. Their escargots, however, were dynamite - I love it when they’re served while they’re still in the shells. So fancy.

  • Have you ever had a dunkaccino? It’s a half hot chocolate & half coffee drink from Dunkin Donuts. I recommend.

  • In love with this new shirt that I got from Uniqlo. Every woman on earth should get this crazy soft, perfect shirt.

  • Baking Hack: if you don’t have any brown sugar, do you know that you can make some by combining white sugar and molasses? Insanity. It really works. Check online for specific measurements.

  • Went to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree with Nathan!

(If you have any interest in past monthly roundups, they can be found here: November 2018, October 2018, September 2018, August 2018, July 2018, June 2018 & May 2018.)