Sunday, January 16, 2022

Care Package 003 | January 2022


Considering that the last Care Package post I wrote was in *gulp* March 2020 (plus another in July that never made it out of the drafts), I figured it was time to revisit this series. But not without first mentioning that my husband surprised me this weekend with the most epic date idea: Dinosaur World!

If you've never been to Dinosaur World and are wondering, it's basically a beautiful park filled with hundreds of (possibly to scale?) model dinosaurs. There's also a gift shop for all your dinosaur (and dinosaur-adjacent) needs. I think I was more excited than most of the five year olds in the park. Ya done good, husband, ya done good.


I mean...


...can you blame us?!

Care Package 003


And now, onto the non-dinosaur portion of the post.

To Read

Image credit to Girls' Night In.
* Girls' Night In: If you're not already subscribed to this newsletter of cozy glory, I would highly recommend it! They send out new emails every Friday (with the occasional email on other days of the week). Their last email was a list of the best blankets money could buy. A newsletter after my own heart.

* Want book recommendations? Yes, this is a shameless plug to read my last blog post if you didn't catch it. There were books that I didn't get to talk about that I loved (i.e. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, which both share a vaguely ominous vibe). I was obsessed with reading in 2021, and I'm already adding to my 2022 reading list! It's going to be a good book year.

To Listen


* For my folk friends: I am probably way behind the times on this one, but I heard "Harder to Forgive" by Brandie Carlile while perusing novels in a Barnes & Noble, and almost had myself a nice weep. This one pairs nicely with a new song from the always-heartbreaking Josiah & the Bonnevilles (one of my favorite singer-songwriters) entitled "A Conversation." It, too, almost made me cry. #majorweeper

* If you want to rock out for 2 minutes and 5 seconds: One morning I woke up and had Pinegrove's "Alaska" in my head FOR THE ENTIRE DAY. I went to bed with the song still in my head. It's a foot stomper and a massive earworm.

* For the indie darlings: Clearly I am not the only one obsessed with songs slowed down and reverbed, because these edited versions of songs pop up on YouTube all the time (hey-oooo). But I have to give props to Ricky Montgomery, whose song "This December" was already a jam before he released an official slowed-down version of it! It slaps.

To Do

Image credit to Spry Fox.
* Play Cozy Grove: I realize that most everything in this post has been cozy in some way, and I am very proud of that. Cozy Grove is no different. It's a video game similar to Animal Crossing (at least I hear), and has you play as a Spirit Scout, traipsing around an ever-growing island running errands for ghost bears who need to make peace before entering the afterlife. If that sounds spooky, it's not. Mostly I just run around digging up turnips and buying funky glasses in this game to dress my character. It's relaxing and in no way strenuous, and I'm addicted.

* Drink green tea: As a certified Anxious Lady, I have found out firsthand that coffee + me = Crazy Eyes McGee. So this year I'm trying to switch to green tea in the mornings, as much as I'll miss the delightful sugar rush that is Starbucks' Brown Butter Caramel bottled iced coffee (yum). I've noticed so far that green tea has saved me money (because making tea at home is cheaper by far), lessened my anxiety, and made me feel more hydrated. GO TEA GO!

Image credit to Target.
* Check out the Magnolia Hearth & Hand line at Target: I feel like this is a good time to mention that this post is not sponsored whatsoever, but I'm out here doing the Lord's work by hyping up the Magnolia collection for free. As someone who is newly married and figuring out for the first time what home decor is, this line of literally all things snuggly has been a lifesaver. I'm also obsessed with their Salt fragrance, which I've been compulsively sniffing every time I put on my hand lotion. Give it a browse, my people. 

* Go to the library: I know I don't have to plug the library to anyone reading this, because y'all are natural readers, but I just have to shout it out anyway. The library, man. What a concept. What a blessing. I just love the freaking library. Especially because I've been reading up a storm lately and don't have the money to buy every single book I read, going to the library on a Friday night to get a stack of literary fiction feels like a miracle. *standing ovation*

* Make pasta: Shout out to the dinner I can smell cooking on the stove!!

Well, that's it for now. As always, if you have any recommendations of your own, please send them my way! I would love to know what you all are obsessed with as of late. ♥

I can't wait to eat that pasta,
E