The Edition: No. 209
Jan 26, 2021
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. // Mae West
+ The best article that I have ever read on goal setting.
+ Pajama flash event with PJ Salvage at Nordstrom Rack.
+ How to let go of friendships that aren’t worth keeping.
+ Love Lululemon Align leggings? Try these CRZ Yoga dupes, and don’t miss their wire-free sports bra for light exercise.
+ Why do I spend weeks putting off tasks that will take 10-minutes to do?
+ Want a pale pink nail polish that isn’t baby pink? Try OPI I’m an Extra.
+ Losing at Work: Tools for failing with grace.
+ Snapped up this olive wrap sweater dress and side ruched dress for casual Friday.
+ Slow cooker chicken enchilada stuffed sweet potatoes.
+ Need a comfortable, throw-away flat for work? These ones are the best.
+ Joan Didion has a new essay collection. Run, don’t walk.
+ These FRAME jeans only come in two sizes, so if you gain or lose sizes, you don’t have to buy new jeans. Interesting concept.
Long Read. The Caliphate podcast debacle reveals a lot about who is allowed to fail. A fascinating look at why a man has gotten multiple passes, but a woman can’t get one.
Fancy bruschetta-style toasts are a lifesaver when you need to use up leftovers, make a quick lunch, or just want something simple for dinner. The ideas in this photo are a great place to start, but I love this Roasted Grapes with Thyme and Ricotta recipe and this Elote-style Avocado Toast are both great.
Want to make your own toast with what you have laying around? The key is to have a layer of cream cheese, ricotta, jam, or another base condiment. I like tomato jam with eggs and some kind of green, lightly wilted with salt, pepper and paprika.
If you have a favorite toast idea, leave it in the comments.
{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}
I’m extremely intrigued by those jeans….how do they work?!
I am very skeptical of these jeans. Unless they are actually just jeggings, I’m unclear how a fitted pair of skinny jeans fits a 29 and 34 the same. I fluctuate between a 29 and a 30, and when I’m fitting in the smaller size, the larger size looks too big. Unless these are just a crazy expensive pair of jeggings?
For me, quarantine has been the Time of Toast! My go-to is to mash up some avocado on the toast, lay some kimchi over it and then drop an egg on top (whatever style I’m in the mood for that day). It’s a great mix of crunchy bread, creamy avocado and spicy kimchi — and I’m of the mind that you an put an egg on anything and make it better. It also comes together in the time it takes to make toast, which is a benefit on workdays when things just seem to take off by 8 am.
Honestly, all I want these days is some super comfy, fleece-lined top that’s appropriate for work. Any suggestions?
This Uniqlo Heattech top is soft, warm, and cozy. It is admittedly not dressy enough for most offices, but under a blazer or desk sweater, it can definitely pass. And on a Zoom, it is just a basic solid color shirt. I purchased it in two different colors, and wish I had picked up every color when they had my size in stock. It is a fantastic deal too, less than $10 for some color/size combos: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-heattech-stretch-fleece-crew-neck-long-sleeve-t-shirt-418442COL08SMA002000.html?glCountry=US&glCurrency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQiAmL-ABhDFARIsAKywVafdy_LnaSt2qcm5mUMMUlAyXNGN53Kqdd5zT1S9rFabGkHDr2erQyMaAj-nEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
My 3 favorite toasts:
– Hummus with zaatar spice and thinly sliced cucumber and/or carrot
– Avocado with cumin, chili flakes, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime
– Mashed black beans with thinly sliced radish and pickled onion
Also, highly recommend using Maldon flaky salt as the final touch on toast – complete game changer.
I use an everything bagel seasoning on my avocado toast that kicks it up a notch. Very tasty!
yes, this! and I like to add lemon zest or a small squeeze of lemon too. yum.
My go to toast is ricotta, pesto and sliced tomatoes topped with a little salt and pepper. Simple and flavorful!
If you like that goal-setting book, I highly recommend reading the full book Atomic Habits. I am not a goal-setting person by any means but this book spoke to me in language I could follow.
My go-to toasts: ricotta/pear or apple/honey/sea salt; hummus/cucumber/za’atar; mashed white beans with rosemary/tomato/parmesan/salt and pepper.
How do these yoga pants compare to Colorfulkoala?
The material is a bit different, I don’t find them as tight fitting. They’re supposed to feel like you’re wearing nothing. The CKs are Lulu Wunder Under, the CRZs are Lulu Aligns.
Hey Abra! I totally agree with the sentiments expressed in the article you posted about Caliphate – that women are forced to make penance for things that are brushed off in men’s careers – but wanted to flag that Rukmini Callimachi, despite her south Asian first name, is Romanian-American and to my knowledge does not identify as a woman of color.
Thanks, I’ll change it. I shouldn’t have assumed.
This sort of exchange is why I love this blog so much. 🙂
The Caliphate story is infuriating. I just fell down a rabbit hole of NPR stories about Michael Barbaro’s behavior after everything fell apart. Something is fishy at The NY Times these days and, as someone who dreamed of working there as a journalism undergrad, it makes me sad.
I read that Lily article on friendships probably 3x because it resonated so much with me. The pandemic has really brought some ‘Covid clarity’ about who is going forward with me, and who isn’t. The natural ending of a friendship seems so painless but the reality is much more complicated. What if one of you *doesn’t* move away, or have some other major life change that materially impacts your relationship? Do you have a breakup, or do the slow fade, or is it somewhere in the middle? I wish someone would talk about the reality of ending a friendship with grace and kindness when things are just over, with no wrongdoing.