These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things (currently)
I thought we could all use a break from the heavy and sad essays. And the ones that are full of info to learn or process. Or the ones where I am writing it like it’s a book and it’s crazy long and in-depth. So, this week I decided to make a list of the current things I am obsessing over. I hope it will maybe introduce you to something cool that you might be interested in, or at least entertain you!
1 - Chappell Roan - Had I written this list when I started listening to her a few months ago, there would have been at least some of you that hadn’t heard of her yet. However, since I am writing it now, I doubt any of you are like “oh wow, this is a brand new suggestion I have never heard of.” She absolutely BLEW UP a few weeks after I was introduced to her. Anywho, she is an incredible singer/performer/artist who has an amazing voice, really unique style, and such fun songs. I am not exaggerating when I say that I listen to her every single day for at least an hour.
I genuinely love all of her songs and there are zero that I skip. And it is really hard to choose my favorites, but I have chosen my top 3 for you.
1 - Pink Pony Club (linked) - this was my entry point to Chappell and it touches on an emotional spot for me. Cute story - my mom watches this one on YouTube every single day.
2 - My Kink is Karma (linked) - this would be my first favorite if I didn’t have an emotional attachment to Pink Pony Club because the sound and lyrics of this song just blows me away.
3 - Femininomenon (linked) - OMG! The energy here. How do you not get pumped to this?!
Not only is her new album incredible, but I also highly recommend checking out the singles she released before she got super famous. They are also really good. I am excited to announce that I am seeing her at Lollapalooza in August. Funnily enough, I lived in Chicago for 13 years and never once went to Lolla. Now I don’t live there and this will be my first time going.
2 - Sarah Louise Tilsley - I recently finished my level 1 training in Celtic Reiki. My teacher was Sarah. I am absolutely obsessed with her YouTube channel. Her ASMR Reiki is sooooooo good. I am dog-sitting right now and have had her playing on YouTube for hours and it is keeping the dogs soooo calm during their separation anxiety.
For anyone wondering what ASMR, Reiki, and/or Celtic Reiki is, I have linked them on each word so you can see a definition. There has been a huge influx and saturation of people doing reiki on TikTok and YouTube. I am concerned that many of them are just moving their hands around and calling it “reiki” in order to get followers. You actually have to be trained and attuned to do reiki, and there are special symbols that are used when doing it. I don’t see many creators using the symbols. She is very good about using the symbols, and talking you through the process in a way that is so relaxing.
She was a wonderful teacher, and I look forward to taking level 2 with her. She is a master in Usui reiki (traditional reiki), Celtic Reiki, Oceanic Reiki, Egyptian Reiki, and Angelic Reiki. I like that her videos and her method is realistic and authentic. She isn’t trying to make everything look and sound perfect. Hers are just really real, and they relax the hell out of me. Check her out on her YouTube!
3 - Witchy and Faery Books (and some others, too) - I have been a non-fiction girly for most of my adult life. Especially memoirs, biographies, and self-help. However, this year, I am finding my love of fiction again with some witchy and faery books. It all started last year when I listened to the Circe audiobook by Madeline Miller, and absolutely loved it. Now, unfortunately, I have not cared much for the other modern books on Greek mythology that I have read this year (Clytemnestra and Stone Blind). However, it did lead me down a path of really good supernatural fictions. I have read/listened to 30 books so far this year, and am currently working on another 4. So far, here are the books I have enjoyed the most! (All books are linked)
Weyward by Emilia Hart (Witchy Fiction - my favorite I have read this year. Very entertaining. Trigger warnings.)
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (Witchy Fiction- this is my second favorite book I have read this year. Her other book London Seance Society wasn’t nearly as good, though.)
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (Faerie Fiction - my third favorite I have read this year.)
Emily Wilde’s May of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (2nd book in this series. Halfway through this one and I really like it, but not as much as first one.)
The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton (Faerie Fiction - an author I found on TikTok. This is a YA novel but I still really enjoyed it.)
The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga (Self-help non-fiction. I didn’t necessarily love the writing style but I found it to be profoundly helpful. So, it wasn’t an enjoyable read but it was a helpful and insightful read.)
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (memoir - incredibly interesting, well-written, and entertaining. I did the audiobook and I really think listening to him read it is the way to go.)
Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith (memoir - also did the audiobook for this. I know not everyone is a fan of hers - and Will’s - but I thought this was a really honest account of her side of the story and her life, and I appreciated that.)
4 - Rewatching nostalgic childhood favorites - (all linked)
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre - I own the DVD box set and my favorite episodes are Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack & the Beanstalk.
1985 Alice in Wonderland TV mini-series - I also own the DVD for this one, and it is a live-action version chock full of 80’s stars and it is so beautifully weird
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and Sword in the Stone - my two favorite cartoon Disney movies.
5 - The idea of befriending a crow - I keep seeing TikTok’s of people being friends with crows, and I want to make friends with one. If I give them food, they will bring me presents. And I like presents. That is all.
6 - My “morning” routine - I am very aware that trying to accomplish all of this in the morning if you have a job and/or kids is a lot harder to do than it is for me. I am very grateful to be able to have the freedom to do all of this. If you have any way of doing any or all of these, they have been very helpful for me. Also, I know I wake up at noon and that isn’t morning. But, it is for me. Before opening any social media, texts, or emails (at least I try to do these before that) here are the things I do:
I say to myself “I am excited to see what good things happen today.”
I drink some water
I go outside and plant my bare feet in the earth for a few minutes, and then I hug my tree
I eat breakfast and then take all my supplements and meds for the day
I listen to a few TikTok’s I have saved that are abundance manifestation speeches from Abraham Hicks (here are links - One, Two, Three and Four.)
I check my astrology for the day on my Chani app and I check my astrology planner where I have made my weekly notes and I prepare for the day.
I meditate or I watch a quick reiki video on YouTube.
I write in my manifestation journal, and in my sleep/dream journal
I do some somatic and Qigong stretching and gentle flow exercises
Then I brush my teeth, do my skin care, and start my day
I know that is a lot to be able to do before most people start their days. In my current situation, this routine has helped me so immensely. Mentally and physically it has made such a difference with my current illness symptoms. If you can do a few of these before you start your day, I bet it would be super helpful.
7 - Making my own moisturizer - I have been making my own face oil for a few months now, and it has worked so much better than any other serums or moisturizers I have used before. Currently, most days (not all, but most), I only use an oil-based face wash and this homemade oil, and my skin has been so much better than it ever was with anything else I have used.
I think we have been incorrectly led to believe that if we put oil on our face we will break out. But it has actually made me break out less. What tends to happen is that when you use products to clear up breakouts, it dries your skin out. And when your skin is dried out it starts over-producing oil to compensate and then you break out more. Maybe it’s because I am older now and my skin is changing? However, I would be curious how this would work for younger people. I know my mom and a couple of my friends are really enjoying it. In fact, my mom started using it because she looked at my face and exclaimed “what are you using on your skin? It looks the best I have seen it!”
Now, mind you, I still break out, but they are mostly the hormonal chin breakouts that nothing topical will prevent. But the rest of my skin is smoother, softer, less red, and less broken out than it has been in longer than I can remember. Also, it makes the best foundation primer I have ever used. My skin and wallet are thriving without all the expensive shit.
I’m not an expert, so try it at your own risk. However, my research and experimentation has been successful for me and a few people I know so far. But I take no responsibility for making any claims that this will work for you. LOL! Ok, now that you have had my disclaimer, with no further ado, here is the recipe for my oil (all linked to the brand I order):
Pure 100% avocado oil - here is what my research yielded about avocado oil on your face - it is a really good moisturizer, it is anti-inflammatory and has a bunch of antioxidants, it helps boost collagen production, it contains vitamins A, D, and E so it helps with skin cell turnover and anti-aging, it helps wounds heal more quickly, it doesn’t leave an oily residue and can reduce the risk of acne, and it reduces the damage from free radicals. It is not supposed to clog pores on your face, although different sources are divided on this topic. I have not noticed this being a problem as long as I just use a small amount of my oil concoction. (A little bit of this recipe goes a long way. And sometimes I put a tiny bit of regular moisturizer on top of it at night.)
Pure 100% apricot kernel oil - it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, it is really good for inflammation, it removes dead skin cells and makes dark spots less noticeable, it has a lot of vitamin E and helps protect the skin, and it is really good for oily and acne-prone skin and doesn’t clog pores.
Pure 100% almond oil - (avoid if you have a nut allergy). As is the case with the others, it moisturizes, anti-inflammatory (reduces puffiness), treats sun damage, smooths lines/wrinkles/scars, and improves complexion and tone.
Pure 100% jojoba oil - it attracts water to the skin’s top layer so is good for moisturizing, it can help bind skin cells together and thus is good at wound healing, it is very soothing for your skin, it is an antibacterial oil and has anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties, and it actually treats acne as it can dissolve white heads and blackheads.
Pure 100% grapeseed oil - as usual it is anti-inflammatory and helps reduce redness and acne, lots of anti-oxidants, helps with collagen and elastin, of course it is moisturizing, it is non-greasy and doesn’t clog pores, and it is astringent and causes skin cells to tighten and treats dark spots.
To my knowledge, none of these are greasy and shouldn’t clog pores. Additionally, as you have seen, many of them are actually supposed to be helpful for breakouts.
There is a lot of overlap in what they do, and I don’t know for sure if you need all of these in one concoction. However, that is what I do and it works. I just mix equal parts of each of these in a jar. Then, I add some essential oils for scent and specific skin issues.
Be careful adding essential oils. All of the above mentioned oils are known as “carrier oils” and are unscented. So they shouldn’t cause a reaction. But test them out on a small patch of skin first to make sure you don’t have a reaction. When adding essential oils, you want to make sure you are buying a good brand that is 100% pure, and make sure it is safe for skin. Also, only add a few drops as they are very concentrated. Additionally, certain ones are better for skin than others. Do some research to make sure the essential oil you want to add is safe and good for your skin, and don’t apply them directly to your face. Add them to the carrier oil mixture.
So, I mix equal parts of those 5 carrier oils, and add a few drops of some different essential oils that are safe and good for skin. And it has been saving me a lot of money and has been helping my skin so much!
Ok, those are a handful of things that I am currently obsessing over. I hope that something in there is a suggestion that interests you and helps you!
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