interlude
January forced me to follow the Lazy Genius principle of living in the season. My usual daily rhythms were upset: I suffered a cold after my Indonesia trip that ended up dragging on for two weeks. Plus, there was a snow day in the first week back to work. Operating at half capacity, I leaned into the societal trend of a “soft life” focusing on coziness and rest. I had to adjust my expectations of my own productivity, and it’s true enough that I don’t need to put away my laundry right away, or do a deep clean of the condo, to survive (and even enjoy) the day-to-day. Doing one small thing at a time, I focused on recovering. Only now do I feel ready to start 2024 in earnest.
I had another post planned, but the theme of that artwork felt a touch too heavy in this “soft” season. To honour how I feel – and maybe how you feel, too? – I’ll do my quarterly roundup a little early, and share some light ideas to make this season a little easier.
resources
YouTube music. I actually listen to YouTube more than Spotify these days. The following are best enjoyed with a YouTube ad blocker:
Full albums on YouTube let me discover new artists outside of the Spotify algorithm. (Yes, I’m trading one algorithm for another, but it’s working for me right now!) Louie Zong is a prolific animator and music artist who releases several short albums per year. I’m most fond of his Italian disco take on classic Mario tunes, made all the more entertaining by the cover:
Playlists are great for getting into a flow at work or home. I appreciate ones where the individual tracks and artists are timestamped, so I can follow up on those I like. See, for example, the long-running series of “Khruangbin Vibes” (tracks which sound similar to that Texas band, but not quite the same):Lastly, Tiny Desk Concerts provide the homey acoustics I crave after mainlining any other genre of music:
Houjicha chocolate Rice Krispie Squares recipe. I wrote this down the other day, upon request, but I’ve been making Rice Krispies this way for years. If you keep all the ingredients on hand, assembly takes no more than 15 minutes. It’s an easy no-bake treat for pot lucks; flexible with different flavourings and mix-ins; and a good gift with cookie cutters and nice wrapping.
Keeping multiples of tools in their most useful places. Both the Lazy Genius and Rob Henderson recently endorsed this; I’ve been doing this before they articulated the concept, but I want to do so more intentionally now. In my case, I keep hand lotion both near my bedside and in my car, where I tend to notice my hands are the most dry. Another example: I keep my vitamins in an inconspicuous case on the table where I eat breakfast. The key is noticing where you think “I could really use X item right now,” and putting the item in that place. This is a really small adjustment – yet every time I use the tool in its natural habitat, I feel a tiny dash of delight.
Do you have a favourite YouTube music trend or pot luck recipe? What’s your favourite item that you keep in multiple places? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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