A New Month, A New Me
The triumphant return of ANM! Did you miss it?
In case you're new around here, these are my (roughly) monthly round-ups of the things I'm currently obsessing over. This blog is completely unsponsored, unpaid, uncompensated, so there are no affiliate links (and on the unfortunate flipside, no special deals for readers). However, these are generally my favorite things and I love to share them! Not everyone is going to love everything I recommend and that's okay, I'm just looking to spread a little extra happiness in the form of things that are currently on my mind.
Let's do it!
Footwear so good I'll never need another pair of shoes: Xero barefoot sandals & Vivo barefoot boots
I've been high-key obsessed with barefoot/zero-drop shoes for a couple of years now. They are far and away the closest I can get to feeling like I'm walking around barefoot (which has always been my preference) without actually destroying my feet on city streets or wooded trails. As a bonus for people who are fitness junkies, the best thing you can do for the health of your Achilles tendons is to wear footwear with NO HEELS. I understand a lot of runners disagree with me here, but I believe that wearing the lowest-profile shoes help keep your feet and ankles mobile, activated, and healthy. That said, don't go out and start training for a marathon in flat shoes tomorrow if you aren't used to it! It takes time to change your patterns, so take it slow. I've been wearing the Xero sandals every damn day for two summers now and I adore them. I just snagged myself a pair of the Vivo boots on sale and I can't wait to rock them all fall and winter here in New England.
My go-to albums for any mood right now: Golden Age by Houndmouth & Thank You for Today by Death Cab for Cutie
Houndmouth popped up on my radar for the first time last summer and I became pretty instantly obsessed. This album is a wide departure from their previous blues-rock sound, opting instead for a peppier synth feel, but once I got past the initial shock of the switch I started bopping right along with them. The whole album has a solid beat that's great for getting work done and overall has a feel-good vibe that the 80s have come back to claim the air waves, but in a new and modern rather than dusty and nostalgic way. Death Cab has held a special place in my heart for most of my younger years so I was pleasantly surprised to see a new album appear last month. "Transatlaticism" got me through some things in High School and "Plans" was heavy in my rotation through college. This album is satisfyingly similar to their older work and also refreshingly new at the same time; they've toed the perfect line between evolving as a band and staying true to their sound. I've had this album on repeat for the last couple of workdays and I'm still not sick of it which is pretty much as high of a recommendation as I make. Give both a listen to cure any "no-new-music blahs" you've been suffering lately.
Mental illness robbed us of an amazing man this year, in remembrance: Anthony Bourdain's show Parts Unknown & cookbook Appetites
I know that "Kitchen Confidential" and "No Reservations" are most people's highest recommendations but I've been bingeing Parts Unknown on Netflix for the past couple of months and I had no idea what I was missing out on all these years (and you've got until October 1st to catch up - when Netflix will remove the title to make room for other things). In this show there are so many moments where you can feel how in love he was with the places he visited. The food takes a backseat to the culture and history frequently, but in that respect I think it really nails the whole picture of what it is to be a tourist in these countries. I do take issue, personally, that his Massachusetts episode focuses almost entirely on the heroin epidemic that the country has suffered over the past couple of decades, but only because I love the state so dearly for its many other facets, not because I think the "war on drugs" failure should be minimized. I picked up his cookbook on a whim while perusing the shelves of the Brookline Bookseller with a girlfriend this summer and it's the first cookbook that I've honestly enjoyed reading cover to cover. His voice is assured yet utterly humble, and he wrote in a way that allows any level of home cook to feel like they have a teammate in the kitchen helping along. The resounding sentiment from every recipe is "it's okay if you screw it up the first time, just try it again and don't sweat the small stuff". Never one to stand on ceremony or to be a stickler for presentation, all the recipes in the book are approachable and completely un-intimidating, right down to his multi-day breakdown of how to make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.
Unbeatable rom-com duo on Netflix: Set it Up & To All the Boys I've Loved Before
One thing of which I will never be ashamed: I freakin' love a solid, cheesy, romantic comedy. To me, nothing says "self-care" like a homemade meal and either a good book or a classic rom-com. Last week I watched both of these and they did not disappoint. I'm over the moon that Netflix has decided to embrace the genre. I think (besides Morning Glory...a personal favorite) there hasn't been a truly fantastic one since the days of 10 Things I Hate About You and How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. (The argument could be made for Mean Girls but we're still talking about several years here.) In "Set it Up" we get to watch the intimidatingly gorgeous Lucy Liu and equally stunning Taye Diggs get tricked into dating by their adorable assistants. "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" is a manifestation on film of every teenage girl's worst nightmare. Both are frequently cringe-worthy in the best possible way and I felt completely satisfied with each of them in their own ways. Watch now, thank me later.
That does it for this month, but I'll have more for you in a few short weeks. Time really does fly. In the meantime, I LOVE to hear if people have tried out my recommendations, even if they hated them, so please leave me a shout in the comments! Tell me if I missed the boat on something else or if you have THE life-changing thing in your back pocket.