an ode to the little things
“IF YOU CAN ENJOY THE PRESENCE OF A CAT, A BIRD, A FLOWER… WHAT CAN I SAY, ALL THE WORLD WILL BE YOURS.”
I’ll be the first to say it: sometimes I’ve got to take the time to remind myself of the little things. Winters are never easy on my heart, and my need for little things to love start growing sometime in November. The holidays blur on by and come January, usually lost in some sort of socially exhausted form of myself, I sit in a still world of white.
My love for coffee first grew in winter. In need of something warming, my college roommate said, “want a cappucino?” At the time I didn’t know lattes from espresso from cappucino, and neither did they, really. A microwaved cup of milk and a little single-serve packet of instant later, we were looking out the snowy window with steam emanating from our cupped hands.
Like all things that are good, short and sweet, it became a little ritual the two of us shared. Something we offered when we noticed the other was in a dark corner.
There are times in life when we need to collect all the little things we possibly can. It is these same times, be it transition, hardship, loss, or the blues, where we cannot allow ourselves to cut any corners. No shortcuts. Because we deserve to treat ourselves good, and we deserve the help we can offer ourselves. While something like a cup of instant-”latte”-in-the-middle-of-winter might not seem like a lot, what is the ocean but a multitude of drops?
It takes some figuring to identify what little things matter to you. More than figuring, it takes observation. To live life as usual, but recognize when your eyes open a little wider and maybe your heart skips a quarter beat because of-course-i-love-croissants, or breakfast-for-dinner?! these are the minutiae that suffice as little things.
In honor of little things, should you be too unsure or too lost in the sea of blue, I have my own set to recommend in the meantime.
a cup of something warm: in order to follow the rule of “no shortcuts,” whenever you do come to pour your cup of tea/coffee/hot toddy/etc, you must truly sit to enjoy it. In all reality, to enjoy a full cup, even in the slowest of forms, we’re only budgeting ten minutes at the most. So I will hear nothing of cup-on-the-way-to-work or guzzled-down stories. No shortcuts. Find your chair, your window, favorite cafe, etc - and savor it. Set your phone down while you’re at it, because warm-somethings tend to whisper secrets to life that we are hungry to hear anyway.
sunlight. yes. this is the problem, right? where in the world did the sun go? agreed. gray days on repeat are the single soul-sucking reality of winter. but she does break through the clouds sometimes, and we mustn’t let her pass on by. much like a spring flower, whether it’s indoors or outside, let yourself sit in the sun, face forward. Sun can heal all woes, if but for a minute.
meal prep. did I just say evil words? Look, you’d never catch me dead doing the type of meal prep gym-monkeys do. I respect that too, but after two days I’m over any meal. What I mean by meal prep is this: if you happen to be cooking, cook extra. Wait for it to cool, and label a container and throw it in the fridge. It’s like having a backup frozen pizza, but instead it’s homemade chili, soup, pancakes, or bolognese sauce - if you’ve seen it in a TV dinner, it can freeze. Who needs an eggo waffle when it can be your own homemade buttermilk waffles?
Keep your future self in mind when you package - perhaps three individual servings is better than one giant Tupperware that forces you to eat it for three days straight. Or perhaps you prefer that, too. If you want to invest, do yourself a favor and buy the stand-up stasher bags. I’ve tried what feels like a million silicone bag brands, stasher is king. and the stand ups are what makes having reusable bags not feel like a drag. No weird corners. If you’re on a budget, any container will do - yogurt, salsa, talenti ice creams (actually a fav of mine to be honest, I love those jars) - take a sharpie and black out the branding so you don’t think you’ve got an extra jar of yogurt when it comes to thawing in the fridge.
The art of reheating: you will like leftovers A LOT better if you take the time to reheat on the stove or in the oven. I am not trying to smash the usefulness of a microwave, especially when I want melted butter for popcorn, but it takes a leftover meal from being a bit of a drag to instead feeling like a fresh frozen pizza hot out the oven. Pancakes or waffles - straight on the rack in the oven. Takes 5 minutes at the most. We aren’t cooking them, just crisping the edges. A slightly pale pancake is particularly prime for reheating, but even a frozen-crispy waffle turns into waffle sticks no problem. Soup/bolognese/chili - on the stove. Thanksgiving dinner all smashed together in one Tupperware quite literally like a TV dinner - in the oven in a casserole dish. EVEN BREAD CAN BE FROZEN AND TOASTED IN THE OVEN.
lemons: buy a bag of lemons. Always zest lemons first to avoid hurt feelings (and stinging hands.) If you haven’t an idea on what to use lemon zest for anyway, here’s my best martha-stewart secret: buy a tiny Tupperware (I know you’ve always wanted a reason for it anyway), pour in some white sugar, and add your zest to this. Stir it up a bit, and throw in your fridge. Lemon sugar is the tiny treat for kings and queens alike, and we too are kings and queens today. We can add it to oatmeal, cakes, waffles, pancakes, even ice cream should you feel a little decadent. As for the lemon juice, we’ve got salad dressings, lemon rice soup, and my least-favorite-but-favorite health tip: a lil shot. Yes. If you can party with your pals and take shots of god knows what bottom-shelf liquor of hell, then stomaching a shot of straight lemon juice is a walk in the park. Truly. Because while it will indeed be sour, your body will not shiver in disgust like it does after a shot of tequila. Your tongue will, but your body will take it like a champ. Because lemons are like vitamins and our bodies deserve love too.
wash your face. the beautiful post-shower feeling condensed into a small ritual. A fresh face feels like a perfect breeze on a summer day. I don’t care to assume, and I won’t here either: if you do not have a skincare routine, adopt mine: Alaffia Neem Tumeric cleanser, and a bottle of Nourish Organic Argan Oil. Are you disturbed by the price? No shortcuts. And really, if you know anything about the beauty market, you know this is just the surface on what an individual could budget. Both will last many months, especially the oil, so think of it as buying in bulk. It’s only for your face, after all, and a face does not take up much surface area. Wash up, pat dry, and a little dime of oil. If you are into skincare, follow up with a gua sha massage… and please, don’t try to teach yourself - find a YouTube video that is not sped up, and follow along. After a week of that, you’ll know the routine all by yourself.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but every bit counts. What is the ocean but a multitude of drops?
“I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember
We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.”
— oliver herford [ 1863 - 1935 ]