Liking Lately - FEB & MARCH '24

What I'm into and liking lately. From books to music to random amusements, get my perspective on what's worth your energy.

How did THAT happen? January felt like an era in and of itself and here I am, on the edge of April, feeling like spring might just pass by in a breath (as it currently snows outside…). And while I really enjoy sharing what I’m liking lately, it just seems like I don’t have the energy for these big, monthly info dumps.

More on that later.

But for now? Here’s what I’ve been liking lately.

Books

It’s happened- I read a few books the past two months that I *gasp* didn’t like. And I don’t really want to bring negative energy (even if it’s not that the book was bad, just not my personal taste) into this space, so you are officially getting the highlights.
To see everything I am reading, have read, or want to read, check out. my Goodreads.

While You Were Out
by Meg Kissinger
(and accompanying author interview by my writer pal, Leslie Lindsay)
Mental health. Chicago’s North Shore. Beautifully jarring prose. All my jam all the time.

Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less
edited by Daniel Jones and Miya Lee
I read the Modern Love collection not too long ago (and hey, the show of the same name on Amazon Prime based on the NYT column is star-studded and glorious), and had no idea a collection the mico versions existed. A quick read but still oh-so-full of love.

The Anthropocene Reviewed
by John Green (of The Fault In Our Stars fame)
This might sound awful, but here it is: I’ve always said I enjoy John Green the person more than John Green the YA fiction author and this book is basically published proof of my feelings. I could not recommend it more.

Two Tribes
by Emily Bowen Cohen
Your typical middle grade graphic novel that is, naturally, really not all-that-typical. Important and powerful yet accessible.

How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing
by K.C. Davis
I needed this a year and a half ago. But it also helps now.

Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American
Laura Gao
Akin to Two Tribes above, my favorite kind of graphic memoir for any age: easy to read and hard truths abound.

Podcasts

Good Inside with Dr. Becky Ep 8/15/23 Overstimulated and Touched Out
It’s me, hi.
Good Inside with Dr. Becky Ep 10/11/22 How To Keep Houe While Drowning
Amazing conversation with the author of the book by the same title (mentioned above). Even though I am no longer drowning, I still found this extraordinarily helpful beyond the contents of the book.

Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Ep Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Yoga of the Mind
Which only makes my unsuccessful hunt for a yoga studio to frequent that much harder to stomach.

The Daily by the New York Times Ep The Year of Taylor Swift
OBVIOUSLY

Minimalist Moms Ep 304 Reimagine the Transformative Power of Movement with Katy Bowman
For tips and tricks until (and even after…) I find that elusive yoga studio…

You’re Wrong About Ep The Battle of the Sexes with Julie Kliegman
Everything I didn’t know I needed to know about tennis and sexism.

This American Life Ep 792 When to Leave
Not only was there an interesting kismet moment of a surname reminding me quite a lot of my pre-married name (which is quite rare, I promise), but anything involving Ira Glass that reminds me of a Taylor Swift song (specifically It’s Time To Go…) is a win for me.

TV

Ms. Rachel
as a children’s librarian and early literacy expert, I am a true Ms. Rachel stan. the only guilt I feel putting this woman on repeat for my son is the inevitable YouTube ads that pop up from time to time and even then I have seriously considered yet another streaming service subscription (i.e. paying real money for ad-free YouTube) because she is worth it. Give Ms. Rachel a raise and make her president, please!

Clothing/Accessory

Target swimsuits
Good ole Target, coming through in the clutch when I realized most of my current swimsuits fit a bit too snug for my liking. Become a mother, they said… just be prepared to not fit (after somehow recently fitting?) into your wardrobe for a while.

Olive & June topcoat
I’ve been a fan of Olive & June nail polish for a while now, but always reached for Seche Vite as my topcoat out of… I don’t know. Loyalty? Habit? But after being gifted some of O&J’s topcoat and it keeping my nails looking fresh for days after being in ocean and pool water, chasing a toddler about? I think it’s time to switch!

Random

Travel
After so long of no or limited travel (read: pandemic, pregnancy, infant + postpartum anxiety), I managed to leave the state twice in the span of a month! out of BOTH of Chicago’s airports! Neither destination was new-to-me, which I usually prefer, but visiting my best friend for a long weekend and taking our first family-of-three weeklong spring break to our usual spot in Florida were exactly what this newly-minted homebody needed.

And that took a lot of energy, so now it’s time for a month of much-needed rest.

The Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show
A staple of the garden’s yearly schedule, I have admittedly never been to the annual Orchid Show! But when I wanted to treat my mom to a fun but lowkey night out, I really couldn’t think of a better way. And this show exceeded both our expectations by lightyears and I cannot wait to go to future shows

CHANGING MY MIND
In so many ways, my life has been pulling me toward specific projects and activities that truly excite and energize me. But, you can’t have it all at the same time, so some things, some rituals, even some beliefs, need shifting.

And, as they say, nothing changes if nothing changes.

So the direction of this little newsletter is going to shift soon (when I, you know, have the energy) to follow this new path I’m finding myself forging. I hope you’ll stick around and meander along with me because I’ll still be letting you know what I’m liking lately in a new way… among other things (I hope).