My 24 Obsessions and Delights from 2024

In no particular order

2024 was magical and life-changing and pushed me to physical, emotional, and mental limits. I knew it was all coming, yet there’s still so much to unpack and digest. I still cling to the comforts that certain moments and seasons of this year brought.

So, I’m finding myself resistant to all the prompts to laboriously reflect. I don’t want to rehash the good, the bad, and the ugly — to tie up all of 2024 into a pretty bow and move on to the next.

This New Year’s, I’m choosing to sit with it all a bit longer, while simultaneously making space for 2025 ambitions. (More on this soon!)

Maybe it’s avoidance. Maybe it’s Maybelline.

One thing that I’m more than happy to look back on? The unexpected obsessions and delights of 2024 that elevated my day to day.

Here they are. And happy New Year ✨

1. The Apple Notes app. For years I used it like a scratch pad — a temporary holding space, with an “inbox zero” mentality. Now I’m using it more like a digital notebook, delighting in my little lists and notes from weeks and months past. It’s motivated me to capture more of my passing thoughts as they come.

2. A weighted blanket. I finally pulled ours out after its pregnancy-era hibernation. I fall asleep faster and stay in a deep slumber, which is so so helpful during a period of life when sleep is so fragmented with a little one.

3. NOT traveling. There were a couple times this year when I reveled in the peace of walking through my front door after a spurt of travel, and knowing I would not be leaving again for weeks (if not months). Routine, stability, and space for my own nesting have been critical for my own recharging this year.

4. Notion. Not a surprise at all, but a testament to how much this app elevates my writing, work, organization, planning, and personal growth.

5. Outfit uniforms. I’m tuning in more to my go-to combinations, focusing on swapping out quantity for quality within my “outfit genres.” An important mental shift: considering my dressing habits as less a reflection of being uninspired, and more of a statement of knowing what I like. I’m excited to explore this more in 2025.

6. Podcasts that are co-hosted by two good friends. On my never-skip list: A Thing or Two, Bad on Paper, Honey We’re Home.

7. LinkedIn games. Queens and Tango are now in my night-time rotation along with the NYT Wordle and Sudoku. The best part: new ones release at 3am ET — a moment of delight during middle-of-the-night nursing sessions.

8. My desk. And the little trinkets, mementos, and book stacks that adorn it. My altar for creativity.

9. Webcatalog. This tool can turn your favorite websites into a desktop app — great for a little digital-life organization and minimizing how many tabs are always open.

10. Putting a space heater by my yoga mat. So much more comfortable and enticing for wintertime flows. In 2025 I’m looking to make movement more cozy and sacred.

11. Espresso anything. Iced and shaken, in affogatos, infused in chocolate. Since coming home from the hospital I do not miss my daily cup of coffee, and the ultimate mom treat in my book is any sort of espresso combos.

12. Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell. I didn’t read much in 2024, but this book definitely filled my cup and set the vibe. I loved immersing in Anna’s world of high fashion, a passion for all things editorial, and her general air of Capricorn energy.

13. Digital detoxes. This year Gmail told me I was running out of storage, and suddenly I felt the weight of being online for 15+ years. I’m slowly cleansing and decluttering my online world, which has resulted in quite an unexpected mood boost. 10/10 would recommend (and excited to share more about my process later this season!).

14. Buttermilk chicken. Specifically this recipe. And all things Bon Appetit while I’m thinking about it.

15. Releasing ambition for ambition’s sake. Questioning attachments to vanity metrics. Tuning into a balance of the feminine and masculine energies when it comes to tackling longterm goals.

16. Spring. It’s never been my favorite season, but last year gave it meaning, particularly as the “eve” of giving birth. 2023 was fall, 2024 a spring—where most of my memories take me when I think back on this past year.

17. Eating without restriction or rules. It’s insanely freeing, to not feel so at war with the ingredients in my fridge. Gluten and dairy are just as welcome on my plate as protein and veggies. I’m trusting my body, prioritize quality where/when I can, and feel healthier and more at peace than ever.

18. Five Below. One just opened in my (relatively small) upstate town, and it is the best.

19. Being influenced by my 9-year-old stepdaughter. Forever cooler than me, and I am 100% on board with that.

20. TikTok rabbit holes. There were a few days there where I trained the algorithm to give me 90% Wicked behind-the-scenes content and “Dancing Through Life” choreography. Other rabbit holes included Taylor Swift lyric breakdowns and breastfeeding/pumping-tok. Platform controversies aside, TikTok has kept me connected to fandoms and communities that aren’t always so accessible IRL.

21. Smelling good. I stayed away from super-scented products while pregnant and the early baby weeks. These last few days in particular, I am coming back to this sense and indulging with new perfume (thank you Adam), lotion, and alll the hair and shower things.

22. Substack. I love it. And while I’ve been more of a lurker than a writer this past year, I’m finding my footing :)

23. My Ethereal Visions tarot deck. Gifted to me for Mother’s Day, this deck has delivered some of my most sacred spreads this year.

24. Becoming a mom. I’m writing this on New Year’s Eve, and savoring the last few hours and minutes I get to say, I had a baby this year. Check out Mom Brain for some 2024 favorites from my mom era so far.

Now, I’d love to hear from you! If you enjoyed this week’s issue, please consider:

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