Currently | February


RELIEVED | to be hearing positive, ‘boring’ news out of the White House right now. I feel like I can finally let up on paying attention to the news 24 hours a day. Well, I mean, I am still paying attention to the news, but I don’t have to be outraged at every single instant. Joe Biden has a rough road ahead of him (I am currently reading the chapter in Obamas book, where he talks about how hard the Republicans were making it to actually govern), but I am hopeful that this administration will move us in the right direction.

RELISHING | the morning sun that shines into my window in the kitchen. 

USED | some of my sourdough discard to make these delicious sourdough discard apple-cinnamon waffles. ICYMI, here is the recipe.


SWITCHING | back to baking bread in the Dutch oven again. It makes these beautiful, perfectly round loaves with a beautiful crust, and I am in love.

LOVING | the coffee sock* that we bought for our Chemex coffeemaker. I originally got it as a backup in case we run out of filters (which almost happened a few weeks ago), but we might just switch to the coffee sock permanently once we’ve used up our filters, because it’s a pretty awesome green alternative to single-use filters. 

DRINKING | coffee + tea. 


SHARED | my 2021 Fringe planner last week, in case you’re curious which planner I am using this year. It’s a simple, no frills planner, but that’s just the way I like it.

(still) READING |  A promised land by Barack Obama. It’s really good, but it’s slow going (and admittedly, I haven’t spend a whole lot of time reading this month), but you definitely need to read this book. Put it on your list. So many insights.

LISTENING | to the constant hum of my work laptop’s cooling fan. I know, I am pushing this old laptop to its limits and I am hoping to get an upgrade soon. 


EATING | mashed potatoes with sauerkraut, and I recommend you give this a try. Trust me, it just goes so well together. 

UPDATED | the blog post for my barley soup recipe with this better photo, after someone recently asked me if the recipe was on the blog. It is, and you should make it sometime!


SMILING | because my outdoor runs make me happy. We had a few fairly warm days (as per usual in February in California) and I’ve been taking advantage.

WEARING | my favorite running/yoga pants from Old Navy (which I get so many comments on). Yes, I love them, too :)

LOOKING FORWARD TO | my birthday week in March. I am planning to take a couple of days off, just because I can!

What is currently going on with you?

  1. I am loving the warmer weather we’ve had lately. It’s been in the 30-40F range which is warm for us in the winter! We had a horrible cold spell of -20F temps so the warmer temps feel amazing! It’s so nice to get out for daily walks.

    I can’t wait to read A Promised Land but I need Will to be out of our room and in his nursery before that can happen. Right now I read before bed in the dark on my phone which works great. But I look forward to reading physical books again!!

    I love the new press secretary and how civil the press conferences are. A lot of people have told me Jen reminds them of me which I take as a huge compliment!

    1. Jen Psaki DOES look like you a little bit. People are not wrong! :)

  2. Yes – hooray for boring! I received A Promised Land for Christmas but haven’t read it yet…maybe I’ll start it this weekend. :)

    1. Definitely expect the book to be slow-going… it’s really good but so dense! Curious what you think!

  3. Happy Birthday week!! I really do want to read A Promised Land, so I’m glad to hear it’s something you recommend. I am very happy I don’t have to stare at the news so often and feel so many nerves when it comes to the state of the country.

    -Lauren

    1. Yup, I definitely feel a lot calmer since 1/20.

  4. Yeah for taking days off during your Birthday week.
    Love your workout pants :)

  5. I really want to read the Obama book! I totally suck at reading lately but I do want to get back into the habit.

    Also your sourdough recipe sounds really good as does the mashed potato/sauerkraut mashup. Never would have thought to hybrid these two but I can see it would work! Hope you have a great weekend and I love love love your running tights!

    1. I feel like I suck at reading too right now… but you won’t regret picking up Obama’s book. So many insights!

  6. Oh I want the mashed potatoes with sauerkraut!!! I almost never have it b/c I’m the only one in my family that eats it. The weather has gotten a lot better here and I can’t wait to run outside this weekend. It’s going to be so nice to have outdoor activities again.

    1. Sauerkraut is the most underrated vegetable if you ask me! LOL

  7. I am in love with the coffee photo as already mentioned. And those waffles I’d take one please. The coffee sock is a great thing. I only know it for tea as my parents only use those since I can remember. I am impressed you battling through that book. it would not hold my attention I am sure. And all the YES for sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. I am wondering though: Do you eat it without gravy? I always need to have some.

    1. Thank you – I love the sun on my coffee mug too :)

      Now that you mention it, I used to have a “sock” like this for tea many years ago…..

      No, I don’t eat the sauerkraut + mashed potatoes with gravy necessarily, unless I make goulash on the side, then yes. But this time, we had a smoked pork chop with it.

  8. I’m with you on the calm, boring, no-drama White House. I was telling someone earlier this week how hard it has been to re-train my mind to look forward with hope or optimism in my work because how traumatic the last 4 years have been for my students and my work. There is a LONG way to go, but hopefully, little by little, we can start to restore the humanity for other people.

    I didn’t even know you could make bread in a dutch oven! That loaf *is* beautiful!

    Love the purple leggings! Perfect for spring and brightening up grey days!

    1. Luckily, my work was only slightly directly impacted by the last administration (budget cuts mostly), but I can imagine that for you work must have been hard for the last 4 years. I am hoping you can breathe a little easier again.

  9. I’ve been loving seeing the sun more and some warmer runs! I am hoping after some rain this weekend that it will be a nice week here.Those running pants are so cute!

  10. Your planner is lovely – I always enjoy seeing people’s planners/journals – there are so many to choose from.
    Your weather getting warmer means ours is going to cool down soon. We’ve had some really hot days so the slightly cooler mornings are quite pleasant.
    Have a great birthday week this month!

  11. Yes to taking time off around your birthday! My birthday always falls around the Thanksgiving holiday, which makes it easier to take time off, but I’m a huge fan of not working on your birthday.

    This new administration is such a breath of fresh air. Actual smart people putting together actual smart policies! I’m nervous about what awaits us in 2022, but for now, I’ll enjoy what we have. :)

  12. Love workout clothes from Old Navy. I just got my first pair of legging from them – and loving them. And yes, sauerkraut FTW! Although, hm. What I have in my fridge is super-old so I might not risk it… perhaps will get some fresh before I try your suggestion.

    Isn’t it nice to not open news apps with a feeling of impending doom for whatever travesty either occurred over night or since the last time you opened the app?? Normalcy is underrated.

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