Buy Your Feelings? Eat Your Feelings? Both is Good
I don’t know about you guys, but with no foreseeable true end to quarantine measures in sight here in the U.S., I pretty much now oscillate between eating my feelings and buying my feelings. I’m trying to be intentional about what I buy, but let’s face it - I’m pretty much doing it purely for the dopamine rush at this point. Anyways - it got me thinking about my favorites over quarantine and for the spring and summer seasons, so if you were looking for some recommendations for directing your boredom shopping, you’ve come to the right place.
Wellness
Nutritionist: One thing that had been on my list of goals this year was to focus more on my nutrition. I know that this is a splurge for many, but I hired a nutritionist to help me sift through all the competing information I was finding about personal nutrition. I can write a whole article about this if there’s more interest, but basically we were able to through my current diet and my current struggles, and come up with goals and strategies to accomplish them. It was an enormous comfort to have a professional helping me with figuring how to cut all the shit that’s online in this area. Nutrition services were provided by Kristin at TheNomStop http://www.thenomstop.com/
Thorne Supplements : Something I was particularly interested in with my nutritionist were supplements. I didn’t want to be dependent on them, but I did want to recognize where they might help. My nutritionist recommended Thorne, and I’m so happy with this brand. For my personal diet, the most relevant supplement for me was a probiotic. Supplements are not as regulated by the FDA so there’s a lot of crap out there, but Thorne has done every certificate and check possible and that’s so comforting for something I ingest daily.
Chocolate Chip Cookies : What is quarantine without baking? For awhile I was on the banana bread kick like everyone else, but then I discovered this cookie recipe, and FUCK these are good. The recipe itself is for 6 giant cookies, but it has directions to make regular sized cookies as well which is what I do. My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe hands down. It’s the perfect amount of buttery, sweet, and salty. I make the full recipe, freeze the dough, and make them when I want :)
Journaling: Journaling during quarantine has been helping my mental state enormously. It’s not that I spend too much time alone, it’s that my interactions aren’t spread out over various people and environments anymore, and for me that has lead to a lot of social buildup. Journaling helps me process my thoughts without over-relying on my current support system. My favorite notebook is this one, but I just finished it and am trying to finish all the silly notebooks I keep buying for no reason now.
Masks: MASKS MASKS MASKS! I am in full support of these even though they are giving me some pretty bad acne. My favorite place to get them is from the company Crazy Healthy Asian. It sprung up as a result of the pandemic and sells a wide variety of quarantine needs including hand sanitizer, condoms, and customizable masks. The company has a minimalist design and some serious attitude (their FAQ’s page is hilarious), but is also focused on giving back, and that pretty much checks off all my boxes. I have their basic masks in black, and I love them. They are thin and breathable enough that I don’t get too humid under the mask, but they fit perfectly, leaving almost no gaps, and make me feel like I’m wearing a cool streetwear outfit in Asia.
Beauty/Skincare
Fresh Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash: My skin already is not a fan of humidity, and with the masks on top of everything else, I need to make sure I’m exfoliating regularly. This face wash has been helping me remove dead skin in between more intense masking treatments. It is pretty gentle despite being a physical exfoliator and it smells incredible.
Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb: Given that it is already extremely oily, I need a lighter moisturizer for the daytime in the summer. This one is a gel-cream like texture that sinks it quickly and moisturizes but without leaving almost any traces on top of my skin. Perfect for summer.
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion: Sunscreen has officially been a part of my daily face routine for over a year! Sunscreen is a MUST. I prefer Japanese sunscreens since they usually have a watery texture that feels smoother on my skin. Unfortunately, they are difficult to get in the states and the easiest one for me to obtain is this Shiseido one. I put it on over my moisturizer but under my makeup and my face is protected for the day.
SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen: Another sunscreen I use regularly is this SuperGoop one. It comes out clear and has a very smooth, primer like texture with medium consistency. It’s not my favorite to use under makeup because I feel like it starts to slide, BUT it is my favorite to use on days where I’m not wearing makeup or when I’m going out for physical activity like running and need to protect my face.
Tan Luxe The Face Illuminating Self Tan Drops: Although I’m good about sunscreen on my face now, I’m still terrible about it for my body. Consequently, my body is currently pretty brown (my pool opened!), but my face is a couple shades lighter. To even this out without drowning myself in bronzer, I picked up this Tan Luxe serum. You just mix 1-4 drops in with your first layer of skin care (for me, that is a serum), and distribute it onto the skin per usual. A word of caution, this stuff is no joke. I use two drops ONLY. I once used three and it was way too much, so start small.
Home
Bloomscape: One thing that has made huge difference in my apartment has been live plants. I do not have a green thumb, but I wanted to take care of something while being all locked up, and plants were way more low risk than cats or dogs. Bloomscape is a service that delivers plants to your door, and they also have a ton of information on each of their plants in terms of how easy they are to care for and what they need. I ended up getting a Bird of Paradise and Philodendron Brasil. Both arrived in amazing condition with care instructions and it has now been three months and they are thriving!
Technology
Nintendo Switch: I finally broke down and invested in a Nintendo Switch. I had been thinking about getting one of these for close to a year, and quarantine was enough to push me over the edge. I got smash brothers ultimate and animal crossing: new horizons to start. The thing that finally got me was how portable it is. You can take it pretty much anywhere and with just a couple accessories, it can hook up to any tv and you can play with at least two people right off the bat which makes for a more social experience.
Airpods: I know, I’m SUPER late to the game on these, but I finally got my hands on some airpods and they are game changers for my work. I usually prefer to call into meetings with my phone and these make it so easy. My other bluetooth headphones have great speakers, but terrible microphones, but the airpods are great in both areas. I don’t use them to workout because I get too sweaty for them to stay in, but since I spend the majority of my days in remote meetings now, they are well worth it (also I got them at costco :) )
The Economist App: News is so so stressful to look at right now. I’ve slowly been becoming more partial to longer form journalism such as The Economist. My dad has a subscription so I can access the content through the app, but this is where I go first for news now before googling or social media since those platforms are way more reactive and filled with a lot of misinformation/pure opinion.
Fashion
Mairi Dress (Aritzia) : Many people don’t realize this, but summer in Chicago is HOT and HUMID, which means I like to keep it super light in the fashion department. This dress fits the bill to a T. I adore it so much I bought it twice. It was on sale so I first purchased it in black, but it fit so well and was so comfy that I immediately bought it again in a cream/linen color
Somerfield Swim Bikini: As I mentioned above, my building’s pool is open! Since my trip to Greece was cancelled, I’ve been trying to channel vacation vibes in my own home which translates to pretending I’m at the beach. My current favorite swimsuit is by Somerfield Swim. I have the Reethi bottom and Wategos top, both in the color bloom, which is like a nude mauve color. I love to get as much of my body tan as possible so I opt for revealing cuts, but this brand offers some high-waisted, and higher coverage options that are absolutely incredible. .
Media - honestly I’ve been struggling to start new shows or watch new content and have been mostly rewatching things I know I like, but here are some new favorites that did make the cut.
TV Shows:
The Boys (Amazon Prime) - I’m late to the game again, but I just finished this show and holy fuck. This show really keeps you on your toes. It’s 8 episodes and I finished them all in 24 hours. It explores what our current world would look like if superheroes were real and what implications that would have. But the delivery is reminiscent of black mirror. It’s gritty and graphic but heavily grounded in reality. It’s an incredible show overall. Plot, characters, writing - it’s all there.
The Last Dance (ESPN) - This is the Michael Jordan documentary that you may have heard so much about. It explores Michael Jordan’s career with the throughline of his final season with the Bulls. It’s very well edited and presented, and I loved it because I was too young to remember the peak of MJ’s fame and influence and this really helped put it in perspective for me.
The Great (Hulu) - This show is a very self aware, loose historical adaptation of Catherine the Great of Russia’s rise to power. It stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult and it is hilarious, witty, and well styled. On the surface, it’s a period piece, but the dialogue is extremely modern, creating an engaging juxtaposition for the viewer.
The Bold Type (Hulu) - This show is nothing new, it’s on its fourth season I believe, but it follows three best friends navigating life, careers, and love in New York City. Although it’s heavy handed in a lot of areas, I LOVE how it covers topics that are not typically explored in shows like this and the chemistry between the three leads is incredible. It’s one of those easy to watch, stylish, dramas that you can just throw on to feel good.
Movies:
The Half of It (Netflix): This is a coming of age film about a high school girl, Ellie Chu, who tries to help an inarticulate but sweet football player, Paul, win the heart of the most popular girl in school. The twist? Ellie is also in love with the most popular girl. Although the premise sounds pretty corny, this movie is deeper and more introspective than I expected and presents one of the best friendships I’ve ever seen develop on screen.
13th (Netflix): This is a rewatch for me as a result of the resurgence of the BLM movement and it is still as topical as ever. It discusses the mass incarceration phenomenon and touches on other examples of systemic racism. It presents clear and concise evidence for some of the most troubling ideas about racism and it is an eye-opener. Highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for somewhere to start on this issue.
Books:
Everything in the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo: The Grishaverse isn’t actually a book, it is the name of the fictional universe in which many of Bardugo’s books take place. I read almost all of these books in the past month and I’m obsessed. It has been awhile since I have been able to get lost in a book series but this one hooked me. It is typically marketed towards the YA crowd, but trust me, these are very well done with fully developed characters and settings, and that quality that just makes you want to keep turning the page.
The books I read are as follows Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom (Duology) Shadow & Bone, Siege & Storm, Ruin & Rising (Trilogy), King of Scars
This is how you lose the time war by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: This was a recommendation from my friend Rachal, and is by far the most interesting book I’ve read, maybe ever. The book takes place in a future version of Earth where time travel is possible. Two time-traveling spies on opposite sides of a war develop a relationship through their assignments and through time. While you’re reading this book, you somehow have no idea what’s going on, yet completely understand all at the same time. The structure is completely unique and I find myself thinking about it all the time still.
Dear Girls by Ali Wong: I love Ali Wong and actually got to see her live last year so I finally picked up her new book which is written in letter format as life lessons to her two young daughters. I love when celebrity books aren’t shy about talking about how much work it is to do what they do and how hard it is to ‘make it’ and Ali definitely spells that all out. It’s also written completely in her voice which makes it the only book I’ve ever read that made me laugh so hard I cried.
I hope there was at least one thing on this list that piqued your interest, and if you have any purchases you’ve made, recipes you’ve tried, or media you’ve consumed while in quarantine that you can’t get enough of, drop me a comment! I am definitely still looking for more things to try and alleviate the boredom!
PC: Joy Lee; outdoor, socially-distanced picnic.