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| monin pistachio syrup. |
I'm trying to be better about making coffee at home, and while I have not yet dropped the big bucks on a fancy espresso machine and have been using my very basic nespresso, my lattes have been greatly improved by the addition of monin pistachio syrup. It's very sweet so a little goes a long way, but I much prefer the pistachio flavor in this brand vs. torani. Add a little steamed oat milk, and you have a latte that rivals that of your favorite local coffee shop.
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| maya brenner's asymmetrical letter necklace |
Since Olive died in 2021, I had wanted a little memento to remember her by. Tattoos are not currently my thing but jewelry is (and always will be), and the Maya Brenner asymmetrical letter necklace with the little "o" fit the bill perfectly. My parents gave it to me for Christmas, and I haven't taken it off since. I highly recommend it if there is someone you want to keep with you.
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| agolde parker distressed denim shorts |
Happy 4th of July - because nothing says "America" like jorts, I'm here to recommend AGOLDE's Parker Distressed version. I'm admittedly late to the party with these, but recently snagged a pair and they are great--not too short, the perfect amount of distressing and a very comfortable rise. They're definitely on the pricier end, but worth it (I also recommend these, which are a tad cheaper but just as comfy).
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| goop himalayan salt scalp scrub |
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| arc'teryx patera parka |
It's winter and it's freezing and I'm here to recommend my favorite winter coat if you're in the market for one. I bought the Arc'teryx Patera a couple of years ago (when it was $200 cheaper) but I would buy it again today--it is incredibly warm, even by Quebec City standards, and has down insulation on the inside and Goretex on the outside--one of my biggest pet peeves are down jackets that have no rain protection (because what good is that going to do when it is actually snowing/sleeting/being disgusting?) and this checks all the boxes while also looking pretty sleek. Get this instead of a Canada Goose, I promise you won't regret it.
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| stendig calendar |
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| the best fall candle. |
I've tried my fair share of fall candles, and I do declare the Capri Blue Pumpkin Clove to be the absolute best. At $38 it's not cheap, but they last a long time, burn more evenly than other brands I've tried, and the jar is cute. Also the smell: it's not a cloying pumpkin (it's more like you spent the last hour baking pumpkin bread) and it's everything you could ever want when channeling those cozy fall vibes.
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| Wilfred - The Only Coat - Aritzia |
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| Wilfred - The Only Coat - Aritzia |
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| Wilfred - The Only Coat - Aritzia |
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| the best water bottle ever? |
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| the magical straw and guzzle option |
I recently got an Owala Freesip water bottle after seeing a colleague's during a meeting a work, and I think it might be my most favorite water bottle of all time. It's stainless steel so it keeps drinks super cold and has an optional handle that pops from the top for easy carrying, but what I love most about it is its built-in straw AND the option to guzzle water if that's the method you want to use to drink. And sometimes, you just need to guzzle, you know? This has officially replaced my hydroflask and yeti as my beverage container of choice, and I cannot recommend it enough.
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| táche pistachio milk |
It's no secret that I love pistachio flavored things. As a kid I loved pistachio ice cream (and instant pudding, yikes) and more recently I was a huge fan of the seasonal pistachio latte at Starbucks. So imagine my surprise and utter delight when I discovered táche pistachio milk! I just placed my second order--it's definitely a bit pricey (it ends up being $60 through their website for six 32-ounce cartons if you don't subscribe to autoship) BUT I used this exclusively for coffee during my first order and even with a hefty splash I could stretch a carton for a while. It's slightly sweet, thick, and you get a nice but not overwhelming pistachio flavor in every sip--I love it for making lattes with my nespresso and it's also delish with cold brew.
With swim season right around corner, this year I decided to be proactive. I usually wait to start looking for suits until we're in the throes of summer and by that point my size is sold out and I'm wearing the same sad suit of summers past. But not this year! I recently bought J.Crew's long-torso ruched femme one-piece (what a name) and it is absolute perfection. I dig the ruching, the long torso fits perfectly (no wedgies here) and it's also super classic and chic.
If you're looking for the perfect one piece, this one checks all of the boxes.
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.
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.
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.
Even though I'm working from home and my human interaction is severely limited, I find some comfort in 1) putting on normal-ish clothes and 2) putting on a bit of makeup. Pandemic or not, I don't typically wear a lot of makeup, but most days I'll usually slap on some tinted moisturizer, mascara, my beloved eyebrow gel and a little blush.
A month or two ago I bought Ilia's Limitless Lash Mascara from Sephora and have loved it ever since--it's not clumpy and while I don't necessarily see a difference when it comes to eyelash curl, it definitely extends them in a major way. What really sealed the deal on my love for this mascara was when I had a socially distant outdoor drink with a dear coworker and friend, and the first thing she said to me was "Your eyelashes! They're insane!", which is never a bad thing to hear. It comes off easily with makeup remover but really does a superb job of making your eyes pop. I recommend it most enthusiastically.
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| truff hot sauce |
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| Kush Fiber Brown Gel - Milk Makeup |
