10 - largely pointless and niche things - that I adored in the last year
Yes, this is my love letter to Cabbage.
A lighter topic this week as:
1. The last two posts have been pretty deep and meaningful
2. I have my period and am operating at about 20% capacity - if you spot a typo please forgive me.
3. It was the first week back in the office and my brain is still trying to be offline.
I am ADDICTED to the sub section of social media where complete strangers, share their very specific recommendations with me. ‘How I avoided corporate burn out’, ‘5 ways I healed my gut health’, ‘Everything I wish I knew before I became a mother’, ‘The best savings accounts to help you retire by 50’ to name just a few. Frankly, it appears there is no piece of advice or bizarre fact I won’t absorb from a complete stranger on the internet, which makes me either a complete idiot, or very resourceful - I’m not quite sure which yet.
So, here are a list of 10 of my hyper fixations and pearls of wisdom from the past year. Things that brought me joy, made my life a little easier, or are just a solid recommendation in the hope that you might find them useful.
Of course, like many other late twenty year old women, particularly those living in Australia, my vanity and fear or aging has me shelling out for the best SPF I can find. I’ve tried everything, with so many breaking out my sensitive skin or frankly breaking the bank. This however, is affordable, light weight, gives a beautiful glow and most importantly protects my skin. I will say, I battled through using this when it was the world’s worst dropper dispenser. One of my absolute highlights of 2024 was discovering it now uses a pump - game changer.
Cabbage
I told you this list was niche. Hear me out. My husband does not enjoy a side salad. However, I’ve found a bunch of recipes using cabbage as the base that he is obsessed with. It’s versatile, lasts for ages and most importantly is so affordable. Such a staple in my veggie drawer and some of my favourite things to do with it are:
Pickling - I just make this up, thinly sliced red cabbage, some ACV, honey, salt, pepper and chilli flakes, give is a good mix with my hands, into a jar in the fridge, lasts at least a week.
What my husband has nicknamed the Burger Salad - linking here from the wonderful Emily English. I’m yet to find a recipe of her’s I don’t love.
Amazing side to a pasta dish, I change this up, sometimes red cabbage with sliced orange, other times green cabbage and sliced apple or pear. Can’t go wrong.
Roasted with honey and garlic. Delightful.
Protein Water
I am fully aware this sounds really gym bro of me. However, I do love to run and to workout but absolutely despise protein shakes. I don’t do milkshakes, never have, never will. The milky, gloopy taste takes me right back to the warm cartons of milk at primary school (just me?) and simply makes me want to vomit. I know that protein is important and I’m not exactly chowing down a steak every morning for breakfast. My alternative, which is probably not the best thing in the world, but is working for me is this drink. Light, like a diluting juice, mixed with water and 20g+ per serve. I can also buy it at Coles, who doesn’t love convenience.
Investing in good quality clothing
I’m aware I’m harping on like your mother, I know. I’m a serial outfit repeater and not ashamed of it. When I find something I like, I’ll wear it to death. So finally, instead of trying to buy more, I’m buying better. Fashion is so important to me, dressing is a way of expressing myself and being creative. Finding pieces to add to my wardrobe as my taste shifts and evolves will always be a part of my life. Buying these things that I adore, yes, comes with a price tag. But you best believe I’m girl math-ing the cost per wear. Of course, if I can get these pieces on sale it’s an added bonus. So if you see me wearing my Skall Studio blouse once per week for the next 5 years, don’t be surprised.
Podcasts
I feel like I was a bit late to the game here. I’ve dabbled, definitely, but have only really got into podcasts seriously in the last year or two. There’s nothing I love more than popping on a podcast and heading off on a pre or post work walk. It helps me switch off, while feeling educated or connected to like minded people. It’s a real cure whenever I’m suffering from the inevitable loneliness that strikes once in a while. My current favourites are:
‘Dish' with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett
‘Inherited’ by Shameless Media
‘Modern Love’ from the New York Times
‘Tape Notes’ by John Kennedy
Spontaneous trips
This seems indulgent and potentially obvious. However, I’m going to be very specific here. The thing I adore is not only the trip itself. It is very specifically deciding to go on the trip approximately 14-20 days out from said trip. Therefore, not being able to find time to get really stressed, change my mind on location 15 times, scroll through at least 1000 air bnb’s, hotels or campsites instead of a more reasonable 5, convince myself I need a whole new wardrobe for said trip, and clean my house within an inch of its life every weekend leading up to the trip. Obviously, not always possible, but when it is - this is my new holiday method.
Nuffin Feta Dip & Cracked Pepper Dip
My friends know. This is absolute crack to me. It sells out all the time, but if you can get your hands on it - incredible. On a bagel, served as a side with a bed of heirloom tomatoes, in a salad bowl. The opportunities are endless.
Using hot cloth to take off my cleaner
Maybe everyone already knows this? I once heard that you shouldn’t wash your face in the shower because the water is too hot for the sensitive skin on your face. I clung to this random nugget of information for at least 15 years. However, I indulged in 3 facials at Rationale ahead of my wedding and my wonderful skin therapist told me I absolutely have to remove a balm cleaner with a hot cloth. This has been the best advice I’ve ever been given to help the stubborn clogged pores around my jawline.
Buying a proper handbag
The last time I visited home, my mum said she knew I was a proper adult now because I had a handbag. For YEARS I was the person carrying fourteen items in my hands and under my arms. A water bottle stuffed in a coat pocket and my phone seconds away from falling through my fingers. Many of my friends also know the story of the time I lost my wallet and found it in the fridge on top of a punnet of raspberries. A good handbag, and more importantly an organised handbag, I truly believe is the secret to inner peace.
Organising my freezer
I have my parents to thank for this. God love them, they live their life in a very specific way. But sometimes, they come up with an absolute pearler that the world just has to know. I had always been a batch cooker and in a good habit of stocking my freezer for a rainy day. However, often the rainy day would come and my freezer was so rammed with random mismatched Tupperwares full of who knows what, that I would bail on the freezer and default to uber eats. In comes the life hack. A list on the freezer door, where you write up what you’re putting in when you make it. For example, 4 x portions of lentil Dahl 7th Jan, 2 x portions of lasagne 1st Jan etc etc. I know have a comprehensive encyclopedia of the contents of my freezer. I work it into my plan for the week and pat myself on the back when Thursday rolls around, I can’t be bothered cooking and low and behold there’s a delicious meal waiting for me.
