heather & olive

It's no secret that my condo is rather small--it's definitely a one-person, one-dog space. Thanks to the super high ceilings, it doesn't feel that tiny, but the appliances in the kitchen are...not big--there's definitely no room for a french door giant fridge, which is actually fine because it makes me a little more mindful when I shop for groceries. When I do my upgrades, I'm going to be getting another small fridge (leaning toward the SMEG) but that means no ice maker, and I'm a lady who requires her beverages to be ice cold. In the past I've tried a variety of ice trays, but I recently picked up the lekue ice box which has become a total game changer. It saves so much space vs. the hodgepodge of silicone trays I was using before, and I love that the cubes are on the smaller side so they easily fit in my water bottles.

Although this is probably only of interest to the population of people who live sans automatic ice maker, I highly recommend the lekue ice box. 

I spent the weekend doing the usual (aka nothing), but I've got a serious itch to do a refresh in my condo. I'm already planning on replacing my kitchen appliances at some point and I also want to add a washer and dryer to my unit (there's laundry in my building's basement but it's kind of scary and I usually go to the laundromat that's two blocks away--I know, I lead a very glamorous life).

This weekend, I started small(ish)by ordering new bedding from West Elm--they were having a sale but it was still quite the investment. I bought a new set of their Belgian Flax Linen sheets and also got their European Flax Linen Linework Quilt and Shams. I'm excited for a more luxurious bedtime (and I seriously need a new mattress but that's a problem for another day). Another small change I'm planning is to add new hardware to my kitchen cabinets--I have my eye on the Massey collection from Rejuvenation...one thing at a time. 

Looking forward to a short work week--happy Tuesday!

Jeez, that weekend went by fast--I'm constantly amazed that every weekend seems to fly by, but I don't really do much of anything. Friday was low-key with leftovers and on Saturday I ventured out for a quick Trader Joe's run and picked up a delicious breakfast sandwich from Ramona's, which is fast becoming my breakfast/lunch go-to (also, I'm officially on board with every breakfast sandwich containing broccoli rabe--so good).

Sunday morning consisted of laundry and exercise and I spent the afternoon with  a couple family FaceTimes and making The Best Bolognese Of Our Time. Honestly, I wasn't that mad about the quietness of it all.

So here's to Monday--I think I'm going to start the 3rd season of "Killing Eve" this week (speaking of series, I watched "The Undoing" last week and it was so good) and I'm definitely looking for the long weekend ahead...not that I'll be doing anything. 

The Thursday Special this week consists of the best purchase I made in 2020: the Peloton. And before I start, I would like to preface this by acknowledging that I have turned into that person--the person that gets all starry eyed and won't shut up about how amazing it is and who their favorite instructors are and how it has changed their life and all the little anecdotes that make you want to strangle someone until they finally shut up about a damn stationary bike.

Oh, how I used to cackle at the Christmas commercial from 2019 and roll my eyes at all of the converts and fanatics. 

How the mighty and self righteous have fallen.

Prior to this, I wasn't big on spinning--I had taken a handful of spin classes at my local CycleBar and I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't say I was obsessed: I thought it was a good workout and I appreciated the amount that I sweat.

Then, the pandemic arrived. I went from walking around 4-6 miles a day and taking Pure Barre classes to barely leaving the house and it showed--I needed something that would motivate me to workout, and it just wasn't happening with streaming workouts online or making myself go for a run. I ended up ordering it in the end of July and it arrived mid-September, and I've been riding it consistently ever since.

I think what I like most about it is the variety of the classes--not just cycling but strength and stretching. Also, the fact that it's in my bedroom means that it stares me in the face the second I wake up and there are literally zero excuses (and I'm the queen of excuses)--if I'm pressed for time I'll hope on for a quick 20 minutes and feel like I got a solid workout in.

All this to say: I love it, I used to be a major skeptic, and if you get one we can talk about it for hours. 

Happy New Year! 2021, I'm happy to see you, although I know the next couple of months are going to be a slog. But that's okay--I mean, really, what can you do?

The past couple of months were very quiet around these parts. I spent the holidays by myself in Portland, and it ended up being...fine. There was a lot of family Facetime, delicious food and way too much champagne, and while I certainly would have liked to have been with my people in person, I was reminded of how lucky I am: I have my health and a job and a small and funny four-legged friend. Things could be a hell of a lot worse.

I'm starting this week with a clean condo and an almost empty inbox and I plan of focusing on not losing my mind (at least for the foreseeable future) because this is such a tough time of year--even without a global pandemic. Maybe that means spending a little more time in this little corner of the internet but given my track record no promises will be made.

Here's to a fresh start.

Mixing things up this Thursday highlighting what is undoubtedly the Best Bolognese Recipe of Our Time. It's no secret that I love bolognese: if it's on the menu at a Italian restaurant, 9/10 that's what I'm ordering. At home, I've dabbled in a number of different recipes over the years: ones with just beef, ones with pork, veal and beef, ones with tomato paste and ones with copious amounts of garlic. I finally tried Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce and it is by far the most delicious recipe I've ever made--absolute restaurant quality. It's fairly simple, but I think the secret is cooking the meat down in milk and using white wine instead of red. It's not a saucey sauce, but instead clings to the noodles and provides insane flavor with every bite. 

Will this recipe change your life? Look, I'm not going to lie to you: yes, it will. 

At the very least, it will make you incredibly happy and satisfied while you eat it and every time you think of it for the rest of your life. 

Hello! I can't believe it's been almost two months since I last checked in here. (Just kidding, I totally can). I guess I've just felt a little burned out between the political climate and the more recent increases of coronavirus cases. And truthfully, I really don't do much these days. I had been meeting friends for outdoor dining a bit this summer and played a bunch of golf, but I think I'll be reeling it back and returning to extreme hunker down mode.

Otherwise things have been been pretty good. I was promoted at work again which was rather unexpected, but I'm really excited to take on more responsibility. We're also officially not going back to the office until July 2021--I didn't realize how much I was going to miss it. Kind of a bummer, but Olive will definitely appreciate my constance presence for the next 9 months. 

My Peloton arrived in mid-September, and I'm completely obsessed. It's really helped me get back into a workout routine, and as someone who didn't really take a ton of spin classes before I made the big purchase, it's been a pleasant surprise to see how much I'm loving it. An added bonus? My pants fit again. 

Other than that, I'm making all the cozy meals I can, making my way through The Americans (with some Lovecraft Country added in) and looking forward to Thanksgiving. It's going to be very different this year but I'm still excited to head to my parents' place for a much, much smaller celebration.

Wear your mask and stay healthy.