Bullet Points, November 2023
I'm not an expert at consistency, but if you're keeping track, this is our third monthly Bullet Points!
Every month, I round up what I’m reading, buying and vibing with to bring to you (whoever you might be). Just for funsies!
See you next month!
Reading:
The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins. I came of age in the 2010s, so obviously I’ve already read them but I gave into the resurgence and am so glad I did. I’m reading A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes for the first time– Collins’ political commentary is on the nose.
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan. Both The Roommate and The Intimacy Experiment blew every other romance I’ve read out of the water, so I had high hopes for Do Your Worst. I preordered it, but it’s also available as an audiobook if you have Spotify premium, and the narrators are so delightful and hilarious.
A Holly Jolly Every After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. I cannot in good conscience recommend (spoiler alert) any book with a pr*gnancy trope, so read at your own risk.
Buying:
NutPods creamer. I’ve been using it in at-home lattes. The toasted marshmallow is mid, but the cookie butter is out of this world.
Local. Small Business Saturday has passed, but let’s keep those good vibes going, even if it’s just Bookshop.org1 instead of Amazon.
Stocking stuffers. What’s better than a Little Treat? A dozen little treats, stuffed into a big sock! Some of my go-to stocking stuffers: tiny bottles of hot sauce because they’re cute, Trader Joe’s lip duo2, a Terry’s chocolate orange (obviously), a rechargeable electric lighter.
Vibing:
Listening to an entire album, start to finish, while I cook dinner. It’s fun to pick an artist/band that maybe I’ve heard one or two songs from that I like, but haven’t delved deep into. I’ve done this with: The Mountain Goats’ Tallahassee, Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and obviously many a Taylor Swift album.
Baking Sunday is a not-so-consistent tradition I made up. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and I ushered it back in for winter with this Alison Roman recipe for chocolate chunk shortbread. I’m lazy, so I omit the “rolling in sugar” step and they still taste good– a perfect snack with my morning coffee.
I also baked for Thanksgiving, and used another Alison Roman recipe, The Only Pie Crust, to make my first ever successful apple pie.
Throwing a dinner party, no matter how small. I invited my 2 besties over; we cooked and listened to music; we drained two bottles of wine3; we played our go-to board game4 and had the most unhinged conversations you can imagine. It was a perfect evening.
NaNoWriMo. For the second year in a row, I cranked out 50,000 words in the month of November. It used to be such a reach, and I’m proud of myself that I’m now writing so consistently that it’s easy. (Everybody, please clap).
Taking supplements, getting outside, moisturizing & beating seasonal depression. Easier said than done, I know, but now’s the time to get those habits in motion so when it’s gray January, you’re not sad, crusty, and on the verge of being institutionalized.
You can link your shopping to your preferred local bookstore so they make a profit, too. My local is The Dog Eared Book, in Palmyra, NY.
I bought SIX of them, which was embarrassing at the register. It’s a lip mask & a lip butter, and they’re “gummy bear” flavored but it’s more akin to a sour candy without the sour…if that makes sense.
Both local. This semi-dry Riesling from Inspire Moore, in Naples; and a surprisingly delicious pinot noir from Bright Leaf Vineyard, on Cayuga lake, which made us feel very adult.
The game in question is Hues and Cues.