1) I often find my cat Max passed out on our bed pillows. Sometimes I even wake up to find him sleeping right behind my head. It’s adorable, even if it leaves fur everywhere. You can’t really blame him—who wouldn’t take the chance to nap on a large, down-filled pillow all day?
2) Cheap chocolate advent calendars make me happy. The one below is from Trader Joe’s and cost about 99 cents. As much as I admire the beautiful DIY versions I see online, I always reach for the chocolate-filled calendars. I grew up with them and still buy them as an adult. Not going to lie—I used to sneak my sisters’ chocolates if they missed a date during the holidays. All’s fair in love and chocolate advent calendars.
I’m pretty sure I once ate an entire neglected advent calendar in one sitting—much to my delight.
3) In the spirit of other seasonal things that cheer me up, I love a small wooden tree and reindeer my parents brought me from abroad last year. It assembles in minutes and comes with tiny ornaments you can hook onto the tree any way you like. Connor and I “trimmed” it the other day while listening to holiday music.
It’s only about a foot tall and lasted a minute and a half, but it was fun nonetheless.
4) Trying a new food! Recently I bought a bunch of beautiful mustard greens. We actually serve them at the restaurant, which is what piqued my interest.
If you’re not a fan of mustard—as I’m not—you probably won’t love mustard greens. They’re stronger in flavor than I expected and definitely fall into the sharp, wasabi-like family. If you enjoy that peppery profile, give them a try; you can sauté them like any other leafy green.
5) Farmer’s market eggs. I won’t claim they taste dramatically different from grocery-store eggs—my palate isn’t that discerning—but they make me happy. I like knowing where they came from, and they come in a beautiful variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
6) My new label maker. This was an impulse buy, but I’ve wanted one for a long time. Yes, it’s a little Martha Stewart of me, but after labeling all my spice jars—rather than relying on sight, smell, or a sad piece of masking tape—it’s made life so much easier and more organized. Connor appreciates it as much as I do.
It only cost $10 during a Thanksgiving week sale, so it felt like a worthwhile investment. The downside is I’m always hunting for more things around the apartment that deserve a label.
7) Our new coffee table, which we bought on Etsy. After years with an acceptable IKEA table, we finally invested in a real wood piece. It’s made from reclaimed barn wood and already serves as a lovely backdrop for photos (as seen in a couple images in this post). Each table is made to order, so we picked a custom size that fits our living room perfectly.
8) The thought that I’ll graduate from culinary school in just over two weeks makes me happy. Time has flown this past year. I can’t believe I’ll soon be attending the big reception featuring all the food we created during our last week at school.
9) Parmigiano-Reggiano. No explanation needed—except to thank Costco for making this habit more affordable.
10) Making lists. Simple, practical, and oddly satisfying.