Favorite Things

Self-Care

Self-care is more crucial than ever. In a world where technology promises convenience but often leaves us feeling constantly rushed, it’s essential to make time for self-nurturing practices.

Retail Therapy: I ventured into some retail therapy this week. Have you heard of this term before? But this time around, it didn’t quite hit the spot as it has in the past. The people I encountered seemed less friendly to me, perhaps because of my small-town upbringing. I’m used to exchanging friendly hellos, and it’s a tad disheartening when that connection is missing.

Have you noticed this, too? It’s as if nobody makes eye contact anymore, and, to be honest, I miss that simple gesture of a quick hello.

It might sound small, but those seemingly minor connections are like warm rays of sunlight on a cloudy day – they brighten our spirits and remind us that we’re all in this together.

You’re either nodding in agreement right now, or you might be thinking, “Oh no, Marly must be one of those folks in the store trying to chat, while I’m just trying to find that perfect top.”

I get it. Because sometimes I’m the one in a hurry, too.

After my somewhat disappointing retail therapy experience, I decided to explore alternative ways to nurture myself. I embarked on a long walk and treated myself to rejuvenating yoga and meditation sessions to recenter and recharge.

Home

My home is my sanctuary, and since Shawn and I are “homebodies”, we like it to be a calming space.

Every summer I take out the houseplants so they can bask in the sun. I always love how bright and clean the house looks without all the plants.

However, with the sudden onset of chilly weather, it was time to bring those houseplants back indoors. To my surprise, I found myself equally drawn to the coziness and nurturing ambiance they bring to our home.

It’s a reminder that our tastes and desires are wonderfully multifaceted!

Reading

I have three or four resources I use for reading audio and e-books on my phone. My favorites are Libby and Audible. I also use Apple Books and Google Books. Obviously, I enjoy reading!

I’ll be honest, I’ve really struggled to find books I enjoy lately. I don’t like to leave overly negative reviews, so I don’t often list the books I start and don’t finish. Just because I don’t like them doesn’t mean someone else won’t.

That said, here are some books I have been working on this month:

• The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. Fiction. This book was entertaining. It’s about two people who don’t seem to like each other very much and who end up on a Hawaiian vacation together. Of course! I’ll be honest, the negative banter between the two main protagonists was cute at first. I just wished it could have simmered down more. But this is me and my personal preferences. I did finish the book and I think it’s a pretty good “summer romance” type of novel.
• Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey, Fiction. This is another light romance-type novel. I enjoyed it because there was creative storytelling and some funny dialogue. The main character, Chloe, realizes some unspoken dreams are fueling her unhappiness in life and the book revolves around her considering her options.
• The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley, Fiction. In this novel, a green notebook brings strangers together in a unique way. They share their vulnerabilities in the notebook and together they help each other overcome their fears. It’s sort of sweet, but also with some complexity. I liked this one!
• Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Yes, this is a re-read. We watched the made-for-TV Amazon Prime series, which led to wanting to re-read the novel. It’s about musicians who come together to form a band. Shawn and I think this one is based somewhat off of Fleetwood Mac, but who knows. The storytelling is unique and if you have the chance to listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend it.

Watching

We made time for TV this month, and here are some favorites:

• Daisy Jones and the Six. Amazon Prime. What a great show! Obviously, there are some diversions from the book, but all-in-all, I really liked this series. Of course, Shawn and I really love good music so this movie had plenty of it. Shawn’s a little more into hard rock and this music is more Eagles meets Fleetwood Mac, but that’s right up my alley! The songs were catchy and I still find myself humming those tunes.
• The Golden Bachelor. I watched a couple of episodes of this with Shawn’s parents and I found it intriguing. Now, I should tell you, I have not watched one episode of any of the Bachelor shows. But this one seems different. Although there are several things about the show I do not like (he kisses too many women!), I realize that is the plot of these shows and they do it to create drama. Overall, it’s entertaining, and I am curious about who he chooses.

Kitchen

I can’t go without mentioning my kitchen favorites! This week, I’ve been experimenting with a new frother, and I love the creative possibilities it offers. I absolutely love adding frothed milk to my hot teas, and the new one I have is a real game-changer!

• Vegan Bacon — I recently tried Benevolent Bacon again. Fell in love with it. And now I can’t find it anywhere. How funny is that! I used to find it at Sprouts or Natural Grocers, but now it’s not at either one. I guess I’ll have to make my own seitan bacon soon!
• Plant-Based Protein — I like adding plant-based protein to my diet and protein powder is one way to do that. We have been using Orgain, but I’m not happy with the way they use erythritol as a sweetener. So, I’ve been looking for a new protein powder. Do you have one you like?
• Ginger, Ginger, and More Ginger — We like to add moringa powder to our green smoothies every morning. Shawn decided to order a 5-pound bag of it to get a better deal. However, what Amazon sent us was a 5-pound bag of ground ginger. And guess what? Because it’s a food item, they wouldn’t accept a return. So, I’m now adding ground ginger to my green tea and any other dish I can think of. Let’s just say I see a lot of these Vegan Ginger Cookies and Vegan Ginger Donuts in our future!

Reader Spotlight

Here’s a review of my Vegan Seven Layer Dip. Serve this dip with a bag of tortilla chips and watch the party happen!

True story: I brought this dip to a get-together and someone (who didn’t know that I brought the dip), said to me, “I feel sorry for you that you can’t eat this dip.” He said this because he knows I’m vegan…and he was convinced the dip was not. It was a happy moment when I told him that it was my dip and that I would be eating it, too. He was shocked!

Recently On Namely Marly

Here are my recently published recipes.