Love leaning into cozy, soft clothes at this time of year. Just a quick note for anyone else looking to invest in more natural fibers -- fleece is almost always made out of polyester, which is a plastic-derived material! Even recycled polyester is less-than-ideal, as we don't have systems in place to recover and recycle plastic textiles. Not trying to shame anyone out of buying warm, cozy clothes, but just in case anyone else is on a mission to buy fewer polyester clothing pieces :) Thank you Alisha for curating all these links and sharing your Ins and Outs, these were particularly fun to read. And again, certainly not trying to shame anyone, clothing composition is tricky and certainly there's no single, perfect way to be a conscious consumer!
omg Alisha are you inside my head??! I’m so on board with all your ins - especially burning the nice candles, solo dates and hanging out at local bookstores. Also very on board with wearing heels being out. Thank you so much for sharing - I feel seen!! 😄🥰
More compliments to strangers, yes! One of my 2024 goals was to give more genuine compliments, and I'm carrying it into 2025. I often think of something I admire about the people close to me but rarely voice it, and when I do, it feels so lovely to share that moment of connection and gratitude with them!
So many of these resonate with me, especially "burning all my nice candles instead of saving them" 🤪, reading the books I own 🤜🤛, and taking fewer photos of my kids. Also yes to soft lighting-- I love grabbing new lamp sources at the thrift store when I go and now I have a wonderful setup in my living room that makes me so happy and the different combinations of which lamps are on vs off is a really fun way to shift the vibe/mood.
Yessss. I recently made a "LAMPS" Pinterest board - I'm window shopping little lamps so hard right now. I've never regretted buying a lamp 😂 Love the idea of sourcing them at thrift stores / finding them secondhand.
In my apartment, the previous tenants ingeniously just sharpied the lightbulb in my lamp red so it now gives the most incredible pink glow! It's bright enough but fabulously cozy. Highly recommend!
Not to be that person, but this is a pet peeve of mine; the “good sweatpants” you linked are made of synthetic materials! Viscose is a greenwashed fabric, and its production is terrible for both the workers who make it and the environment. Just pointing it out because it conflicts with your listed desire to wear natural materials. Thank you!
Quick follow up, I hit enter too soon! It's so tough to be perfect in my consumption so I'm going to give myself a little grace here, but I do see how it conflicts with my statement about natural materials, so that was confusing. I was thinking specifically about coats, tees, and knitwear when I wrote that bullet point.
I'd love to be more thoughtful about my purchases this year and I think part of that is to buy things I believe to be of good quality, things that I'll keep and wear for a long time, and buying from brands who I *think* are making an effort towards sustainability and fair working conditions (Varley has a page dedicated to their "responsible" practices, but of course with these sorts of pages we are taking the brand at their word: https://www.varley.com/pages/responsibility). I'd love to explore this more in a future newsletter, of how to be a consumer these days, shop mindfully, and how to vet brands' practices. The reality is that I shop a lot and I *know* I'm not a perfect consumer - that and linking to things is part of my job and something I financially benefit from (currently).
I understand that linking to products is part of your business model, and I’ve appreciated your recs in the past. I bought one of my favorite cookbooks based on your recommendation. I don’t pretend to know what it’s like to be a content creator but, from a reader’s perspective, a quick google contradicts Varley’s responsibility claims. https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/varley
Thanks for sharing this. 👀 I’m going to reach out to the brand and ask if they can share more info or updates (I notice this page was last updated 2 years ago)
I hate to throw out produce. I've been making veggie stock with my scraps and the "sad" veggies that got buried in the drawer for a few years now. It makes me a feel a little bit better about not eating them. You can find "recipes" online, but basically most veggies are ok to use except cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Some folks will also avoid potato skins because it will make the stock cloudy but I don't care and will throw the peels in.
I keep a gallon size bag in the freezer and add to it as I cook. I make stock when the bag is full. I put them in my biggest dutch oven, cover with water, bring to a boil and then let them simmer until I think it's ready, usually at least an hour. I strain with a sieve and freeze in my souper cubes and then use them whenever a recipe calls for veggie stock.
In: taking my meds/vitamins every day, upgrading my loungewear (no more oversized/hand me down tee's), resetting the kitchen before bed (no dishes in the sink, etc.), digital to-do list for accountability
Out: red bulls for breakfast, forgetting things, throwing away groceries because I didn't meal plan
Paper planners: I got the best one EVER from Laurel Denise. It has half pages for the weeks, so you can always see the whole month - I'm obsessed; Nice slippers; Actually cooking from our cook books; Reading the books I own; Quiet time in the morning (with God if that's your thing!); Putting things away instead of putting them down; Proper hydration; Returning to my favorite crafts; Romanticizing my life
Out:
Hitting snooze!! [You hit the nail on the head here]; Holding grudges; Staying inside; Doom scrolling; Consuming media that does not serve me; Couch rotting; Saving my "nice" yarn for something special instead of using it; Survival mindset
Brick was my November birthday present and I’m such a fan! I’m locked out of Outlook (work email), twitter, LinkedIn, and Bluesky at home and keep the tile in my car. I’m so much more present and relaxed, it’s lovely.
In:
-Spending more time with my theatre family
-Reading more of my audiobooks
-Lighting my candles
-Enjoying my cozy time
-Spending time doing what makes me happy
-Cooking more food at home
-Crafting more
-Scheduling just a few minutes a day to clean and organize my space around me so I can live in it better
Out:
-Buying stuff I think I need but I don't
-Doing things I don't like and don't serve me
-Hoarding things like a dragon
Love leaning into cozy, soft clothes at this time of year. Just a quick note for anyone else looking to invest in more natural fibers -- fleece is almost always made out of polyester, which is a plastic-derived material! Even recycled polyester is less-than-ideal, as we don't have systems in place to recover and recycle plastic textiles. Not trying to shame anyone out of buying warm, cozy clothes, but just in case anyone else is on a mission to buy fewer polyester clothing pieces :) Thank you Alisha for curating all these links and sharing your Ins and Outs, these were particularly fun to read. And again, certainly not trying to shame anyone, clothing composition is tricky and certainly there's no single, perfect way to be a conscious consumer!
omg Alisha are you inside my head??! I’m so on board with all your ins - especially burning the nice candles, solo dates and hanging out at local bookstores. Also very on board with wearing heels being out. Thank you so much for sharing - I feel seen!! 😄🥰
IN
- Skincare > makeup
- Romancing my mom friends
- Quality time over quantity time with my husband (we have a 9-month old; we spend a LOT of time together but it's not very intentional)
- Roadtripping through small towns
- GOOD coffee -- life is too short for bad coffee
- Accepting the mess
- Getting creative and discovering the 'new' in what I have > more stuff -- for both myself and when it comes to playtime with my little guy!
- Getting outside in all weather types
- The Wicked soundtrack on repeat, unabashedly
OUT
- Takeout > simple meals
- Mom guilt over taking time for myself (the struggle is real)
- Plastic water bottles
- Unsupportive shoes
- Doom Googling
"romancing my mom friends" - I love this and I want to hear more!!
More compliments to strangers, yes! One of my 2024 goals was to give more genuine compliments, and I'm carrying it into 2025. I often think of something I admire about the people close to me but rarely voice it, and when I do, it feels so lovely to share that moment of connection and gratitude with them!
So many of these resonate with me, especially "burning all my nice candles instead of saving them" 🤪, reading the books I own 🤜🤛, and taking fewer photos of my kids. Also yes to soft lighting-- I love grabbing new lamp sources at the thrift store when I go and now I have a wonderful setup in my living room that makes me so happy and the different combinations of which lamps are on vs off is a really fun way to shift the vibe/mood.
Yessss. I recently made a "LAMPS" Pinterest board - I'm window shopping little lamps so hard right now. I've never regretted buying a lamp 😂 Love the idea of sourcing them at thrift stores / finding them secondhand.
In my apartment, the previous tenants ingeniously just sharpied the lightbulb in my lamp red so it now gives the most incredible pink glow! It's bright enough but fabulously cozy. Highly recommend!
Not to be that person, but this is a pet peeve of mine; the “good sweatpants” you linked are made of synthetic materials! Viscose is a greenwashed fabric, and its production is terrible for both the workers who make it and the environment. Just pointing it out because it conflicts with your listed desire to wear natural materials. Thank you!
Quick follow up, I hit enter too soon! It's so tough to be perfect in my consumption so I'm going to give myself a little grace here, but I do see how it conflicts with my statement about natural materials, so that was confusing. I was thinking specifically about coats, tees, and knitwear when I wrote that bullet point.
I'd love to be more thoughtful about my purchases this year and I think part of that is to buy things I believe to be of good quality, things that I'll keep and wear for a long time, and buying from brands who I *think* are making an effort towards sustainability and fair working conditions (Varley has a page dedicated to their "responsible" practices, but of course with these sorts of pages we are taking the brand at their word: https://www.varley.com/pages/responsibility). I'd love to explore this more in a future newsletter, of how to be a consumer these days, shop mindfully, and how to vet brands' practices. The reality is that I shop a lot and I *know* I'm not a perfect consumer - that and linking to things is part of my job and something I financially benefit from (currently).
I understand that linking to products is part of your business model, and I’ve appreciated your recs in the past. I bought one of my favorite cookbooks based on your recommendation. I don’t pretend to know what it’s like to be a content creator but, from a reader’s perspective, a quick google contradicts Varley’s responsibility claims. https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/varley
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing this. 👀 I’m going to reach out to the brand and ask if they can share more info or updates (I notice this page was last updated 2 years ago)
I didn’t know and now I know! Thanks for sharing
I hate to throw out produce. I've been making veggie stock with my scraps and the "sad" veggies that got buried in the drawer for a few years now. It makes me a feel a little bit better about not eating them. You can find "recipes" online, but basically most veggies are ok to use except cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Some folks will also avoid potato skins because it will make the stock cloudy but I don't care and will throw the peels in.
I keep a gallon size bag in the freezer and add to it as I cook. I make stock when the bag is full. I put them in my biggest dutch oven, cover with water, bring to a boil and then let them simmer until I think it's ready, usually at least an hour. I strain with a sieve and freeze in my souper cubes and then use them whenever a recipe calls for veggie stock.
In: taking my meds/vitamins every day, upgrading my loungewear (no more oversized/hand me down tee's), resetting the kitchen before bed (no dishes in the sink, etc.), digital to-do list for accountability
Out: red bulls for breakfast, forgetting things, throwing away groceries because I didn't meal plan
My 2025 In's + Outs?
In:
Paper planners: I got the best one EVER from Laurel Denise. It has half pages for the weeks, so you can always see the whole month - I'm obsessed; Nice slippers; Actually cooking from our cook books; Reading the books I own; Quiet time in the morning (with God if that's your thing!); Putting things away instead of putting them down; Proper hydration; Returning to my favorite crafts; Romanticizing my life
Out:
Hitting snooze!! [You hit the nail on the head here]; Holding grudges; Staying inside; Doom scrolling; Consuming media that does not serve me; Couch rotting; Saving my "nice" yarn for something special instead of using it; Survival mindset
This was a fun values alignment practice!
Great list! I’m going to adopt several of yours and adding step outside in nature everyday for a reset. ❤️
Lovely list.
For reducing screen time, I found Opal to be a nice app.
In:
Consistency
Sleep zealot
Working on leaving early
Me time
Journaling
Practicing Japanese
Acting my age
Being passionate about my interests
Trusting my gut
Searching for a good therapist
Manifestation
Having faith
Believing in an IRL romance novel
Believe!!!
Out:
Only sometimes or once
Sacrificing sleep
Taking Lyfts to work
Saying yes a lot
Binge watching
Only English
Chasing youth
Too cool syndrome
Self-doubt
Deleting Talkspace
Insecurity
Wallowing
Heteropessimism or hating men
Life pre-Ted Lasso
This snow looks so beautiful!! Enjoy it when you can ❄️🥰
Both your ins and outs are exactly what I would say! Thank you for sharing them!
Brick was my November birthday present and I’m such a fan! I’m locked out of Outlook (work email), twitter, LinkedIn, and Bluesky at home and keep the tile in my car. I’m so much more present and relaxed, it’s lovely.