#BreakThings: Find Small Joys

10.13.20

Winter is coming.

I doubt the creator of Game of Thrones knew how scary that phrase could be when he wrote it. But as we look ahead to a winter spent indoors, isolating, hoping to maintain good health, things feel very bleak indeed.

Like most of you, my surge capacity is depleted and respite is lacking. So every day is about a few small joys — a happy dog grunting her way through breakfast, a brisk walk in the crisp air, a hot tea sweetened just right.

Just grab a little bit sunshine, and hold on. Stock up on books and save up movies. Buy a new board game or two. Store up some joyful things to ration out during the dark months.

But we’ll make it through. I swear.

The world of the rich and famous is much different than ours. This Economist article about the high-flying, lucrative world of private tutors is like a trip to another realm. If it were a television show, I’m not sure anyone would believe it.

The commodification of feminism has never been my favorite thing. But recently, I’ve felt the need to display my pride for the Suffrage Centennial. Check out my favorites including this fun mug.

100 years. Let’s start ourselves on a good path for the next 100 by voting this year.

Cooking from new recipes is all well and good, but it’s those “nothing in the fridge,” Tuesday night dinners which are tough to whip up. This article from The New York Times discusses how to use “culinary building blocks” to make meals. It sounds brilliant.

Shopbop is having their fall progressive sale. I put together my best mid-priced picks to get you started. I always recommend hitting the winter coats and the boots first.

Paying off debt is the best thing you can do for yourself to emerge from this pandemic in a better spot than you started. If you’re lucky enough to be in a stable job, without restaurants to go to or travel, you have a leg up. CNBC has concrete tips for getting started with a strong debt payoff.