Friday Roundup
Kicking off 2025 in my own time
Welcome to Friday Favorites! This quick glimpse of my week goes out to all subscribers. I include a fan-favorite recipe, something I’m watching, reading, or listening to, a recent find, and a win for the week.
What I’m Cooking
I just returned home from spending the holidays in Sun Valley, Idaho, where we caught up with family and friends. There were a lot of snowy days, which I spent cozied up on the couch. Now that I’m home, I’m craving healthy chicken broth-based and vegetable soups. Soups are such comfort food, and they’re a healthy reset after all the holiday indulgence. Which I feel 0% guilt about, because it all tasted so darn good. But tonight, I’m using the dregs of my refrigerator and freezer to make Detox Soup; it’s lemony, full of immune-boosting greens, and delicious. If you have frozen broccoli, you can roast it straight from the freezer. Just transfer it to a sheet pan and roast!
What I’m Listening To
I just forked over cold hard cash for a year subscription to Blinkist, an app that summarizes books. It’s the Cliff Notes tool for busy entrepreneurs, self-help devotees and memoir junkies. My first stop was “Mastering Your Morning Routine,” a compilation of tips from Blinkist editors that incorporated several books. I’m NOT a morning person. And whenever I hear tips about waking up at 5 am to be healthier, more successful and more productive, I immediately feel bad about myself. But I loved the practical approach on Blinkist, which as a mom and entrepreneur, really spoke to me. So, while I won’t be starting a new routine of waking at 5 am in 2025, I will try to stick to a bedtime (11 pm) and wake-up time (7 am)—I like a full 8 hours, people! And a glass of water before my morning shot of Nespresso is the first thing I’ve incorporated. I have a Nespresso original machine in my room and the first thing I do in the morning is make a shot. Adding a glass of water before I get that caffeine boost will help me stay hydrated!
What I’m Coveting
I’m packing for a few days in NYC and then a trip that continues on to Paris (get excited for an updated Paris Recap post). But before that, I’m headed to D.C. bright and early tomorrow to help my daughter move. Sooooo, I need to be organized for a quick travel turnaround. Washington will be cold with a 90% chance of snow on move-in day (fun!), and NYC will be in the 20s and 30s. I live in a hot and humid climate and own very few cold weather layer pieces. My daughter just turned me onto UNIQLO. The cashmere blend and ultawarm longsleeve t-shirts are in my suitcase ready to go!
This Week’s Win
Self-forgiveness and understanding! I thrive on organization, goal-setting and routines. But I’m starting the New Year a little “out of order.” Instead of sticking to dry January, I already had a glass of wine on the plane yesterday. Instead of diving into workouts and a healthy diet, I’m about to begin an out-to-dinner fest in D.C., NYC and Paris. Instead of rebooting my kitchen, I’m postponing until the last week of January. I’m home for 24 hours before leaving town again, so my routine is out of wack. All of this is giving me a touch of anxiety that “I’m doing it wrong.” But I keep telling myself that it’s ok. There’s no wrong time for a New Year’s resolution, and mine just isn’t starting today.
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