What Stuck with me in 2023

here if you need a pick me up

Dec 28, 2023

The world is crowded, opinions can be tedious, and lists meant for consumption verbose. In the spirit of lightness, ease, and having fun, here is a best of list that will not pressure you. It will not weight you down or tell you you must. It is simply here if you need it.

Everything below moved me and entertained me this year. Everything manifested joy and satisfaction. Everything made sense.

Books*:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Glossy by Marisa Meltzer
I Could Live Here Forever by Hannah Halperin
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

Zauner writes with impeccable attention, captivating you about nearly everything: from her relationship with her mother, which is fraught, wild, shocking even, the Korean food that sounds incredible every time, to her moms horrific and devastating battle with cancer, to her redemption and very cool success story.

Podcasts:

The Kids of Rutherford County by Meribah Knight — a fantastic, infuriating, eye-opening, four part NYT reporting piece about young children being jailed at an alarming rate in Tennessee.
Moms Night Out with Jenny, Katie, & Mandy — 3 powerhouse working Moms having real, relatable and funny conversations. A new episode drops every Wednesday with a fresh perspective on friendship, motherhood, marriage, careers and so much more!

TV Shows on Hulu:

The Bear — Starring Jeremy Allen White.

The Dropout —Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes. A fascinating biographic miniseries about the rise and fall of Theranos.
Only Murders in the Building — Selena Gomez, Steve Martin + Martin Short are my favorite murder solving comedic trio. The gorgeously decorated NYC apartments setting adds a swoon factor.
Little Fires Everywhere — I might actually like this miniseries adaptation starting Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington (also exec producers) better than the book! (Which I read ages ago, so watching this now feels fresh and moving.)

✍🏼🍽️ EAT

Kedron Valley Inn’s Ransom Tavern | South Woodstock, VT | If travelling through or to Woodstock, Vermont — make the 10 minute detour from traditional Downtown Woodstock to experience Ransom Tavern.

Products^:

Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment — truly giving the glossiest, comfiest, most hydrated lips. I am besotted with every flavor as well the unscented.
Golden Glow Eye Patches — an absolute delight. especially after drinking alcohol the night before. put some in the fridge. apply in the morning and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.
Murchison Hume All-Purpose Cleaner — non toxic with the lightest trace of clean fig or white grapefruit. It leaves no streaks on my quartz countertops. (Use with a microfiber cloth for optimal streak free-ness).
Kiehl’s Shave Cream — male readers, this is for you. (A Bob Luiso favorite).

Items^:

Kulkea Ski Boot Backpacks - Boys / Girls — for my kids and my niece: the highest quality, with separate vented pockets for each ski boot, ideal for little rippers.
Bedside Carafe & Glass Set — timeless, pretty and functional. Much joy was attained with this simple upgrade to my nightstand.
AprèsThreads — beautifully handmade kids sweaters with their names, or a cute saying, and more. You name it, this local mama will stitch it!
Kohv Eyeware — local and family owned, brought to you from a Cove on Squam Lake. If you noticed me rocking large pinkish purply shades (maybe here) those are my Birch Blush, I get compliments on them all the time!

NASA Soccer Mom status complete with Rhode Peptide lips! (NASA = North Andover Soccer Association).

under eye patch success. they are shimmery, golden, calming and leave you looking and feeling like all three!

*I used to write a lot of book reviews on III. While it was gratifying at the time, it was not something I could keep up with. I still want to tell you what books I loved, though.

^In the spirit of celebrating the year, the hard workers, and the little things that made it great: think of these items for whatever comes next. Perhaps the January and February birthdays. Yay for them! (I realize everyone just got done with all the gifting, the guides, I know!)

[This content is not paid or sponsored but I may earn pocket change if you make a purchase from some of the links.]

Connect with me in the comment section if you are seeking more insights or have questions! And: tell me your favorite book / podcast / show / product of 2023!

Happy low-key week in between the Christmas hangover and the New Year! | Welcome to my new subscribers! Thanks for being here. Thanks for reading + supporting!