Sh*t That's Giving Me Life | Volume 4
Telepathic kids, soft skin and small luxuries to kick off 2025
1. OMG I know I am probably so late to the game, but Why Women Kill is the escapism I didn’t know I needed. A darkly comedic drama detailing the lives of three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the 60s, a socialite in the 80s, and a lawyer in 2019, each dealing with infidelity in their marriages. It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s heartfelt and Lucy Liu is absolute perfection. 10/10. No notes.
2. The Telepathy Tapes podcast was recommended by a friend and it is just insanely fascinating. It’s a documentary style podcast about how non verbal autistic children basically all have telepathic gifts, and keyed in to the inner workings of the universe. It is WILD. My jaw was on the floor the whole time!
3. I resisted the Merit Flush Balm (and really all of their products), but I gave in over the summer and am just in love. The texture, the color variety…so good. I started with the color Stockholm, but actually think Cheeky is better with my complexion.
4. My skin this winter has been…chaotic…to say the least. I’ve had the Soft Services Buffing Bar on my radar for a minute now (
insists the bar is a “need not a want” for soft skin and did a deep dive into the brand over on her newsletter Plant Based which I very much enjoyed). I absolutely adore small luxuries and my shower is filled with products that are a joy to use. This is now among them. There’s no turning back, this little blue bar is here to stay.5. My skin is essentially sandpaper this winter. Around the election my face broke out in a huge rash (stress related) and has not gone away. I tried a million and one products (Rx and otherwise), but the Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer is the only thing that has made a noticeable difference.
6. Years ago when I hosted the podcast Pull It Together I interviewed
about her book Always Home (Big fan. Highly recommend reading). She used a phrase that has stuck with me ever since “beauty as a language of care.” It hit me to my core. I like the things I interact with everyday to be beautiful. So my heart swelled when I was at costco and spied this ginormous Maldon Sea Salt Flake Bucket for $6.99!!! Whole Foods (who I am trying to buy from less because…f*ck Bezos) sells the tiny 8oz boxes for I think $8.99 so finding this size (20oz) for this price felt like a real win, and it brings me joy every time I open my pantry.
7. 2024 was the year I really started using Goodreads and y’all…I’m kind of obsessed. I love having a place to keep track of what I am reading and to follow others who’s taste aligns with mine. Last year I read 30 books and my top 3 were The Book of Love, Intermezzo, and Fates and Furies. If you want to follow me on Goodreads here is my rating criteria…
⭐ Garbage
⭐⭐ Underwhelming
⭐⭐⭐ Enjoyable. Exactly what it should be for the genre. Worth reading.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent. Would recommend to anyone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing. Should be nominated for an award.
8. Following the theme of small luxuries…I’m (dare I say) obsessed with the Flamingo Estate candles. The smells are super potent so you don’t need to burn them for too long, also it’s the most even burn I have ever experienced in a candle. I love lighting mine at night while I do my gratitude journal. A true simple pleasure made from clean ingredients.
9 Part of my birthday gift this year from my parents was the Calpak Toiletry Bag and y’all…I am a convert. It holds SO MUCH in such a small space and you can see EVERYTHING! Such a joy to use.
10 I realized last year (or maybe i’ve always kind of known) that my inner voice is not very nice. It’s not that I am mean to myself, it’s just that I have MAJOR imposter syndrome. One of my goals for the new year is to get that under control. In support of this, I am listening to affirmations in the morning. I found this playlist on spotify that I listen to first thing in the morning. I have been picking two themes and listening to those specific mantras everyday for a week. The following week, I switch up the theme. I’ll keep you posted on if I notice a shift.
That’s all for this week. I would love to see what y’all are reading in 2025 so if you have a goodreads, drop the link in the comments. - Xo, Alex
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Saved that playlist!!!