I’ve taken a break from these posts as I’ve enjoyed the final weeks of summer. I say this all the time: it’s been a GIFT to have time off and enjoy life without a profession occupying the majority of my brain space. The State Fair, live music, roadtrips, patio beers and more dog walks that I can count have filled the time – it’s all been joyful.
Of course, now that the trees are starting to paint their tips in gold and red. And with that seasonal change, I’m craving some routine. So here we go, I’m back at it with my little Friday lists.
Learning a musical instrument was one of the first things that I knew I wanted to do when I began contemplating how to spend my time off from the professional world. I sang and performed in choir in High School. In grade school, I tried playing both piano and French horn and failed miserably at both because I never practiced. Since then, my musical adventures have been limited mainly to attending live events and singing loudly in my car along to Taylor Swift, Broadway musicals and 90s grunge.
Given this limited experience, I decided on acoustic guitar mostly for it’s portability. Our small home doesn’t have space for a piano. I also like the idea of throwing a guitar in the back of the truck for whatever campfire or roadtrip might support it.
Historically, I’ve never been good at activities requiring hand-eye coordination. I’ve never been defined as one adept with her hands. I find the learning curve for a new instrument daunting, especially since I”m starting from scratch. But I’ve always subscribed to the theory: do things that scare you. You grow through what you go through is another of my favorite mantras. And even though I’m in my fifth decade on this planet, I know it’s still possible to grow new neural pathways in my brain. So why not take this extra free time that I have to learn something new?
I signed up for beginner, one-on-one lessons at MacPhail because the organization has an amazing reputation and it seemed the most accessible for my beginner/beginner level. In-person also gives me a level of accountability for showing up and doing the work, not to mention, the opportunity for real-time feedback. MacPhail paired me with an instructor for 16 lessons, each 30 minutes and once a week. I’ve attended four lessons so far.
The good news: I’m able to make some sounds from the instrument that are not completely terrible. I do find it discouraging to have to try so hard. It’s frustrating to have something not come easily. I’ve never done anything like this in my adult life. My fingers get lost on the strings. But I have my assignments and I’m trusting the process. I’m also proud of myself for getting out there and putting myself in this position.
If you are looking for a similar challenge musically, MacPhail has an amazing number of options for all levels. So far, I highly recommended them.
(2) Lap Desk
To carry on the theme of “things Heather is doing while on sabbatical”, a commitment to my morning rituals has been a priority. I fell in love with Morning Pages via the The Artists Way during the pandemic (I know I’ve talked about this book previously). There is something so therapeutic about a brain dump first thing in the morning. However, if I have somewhere to be, it can be hard to squeeze in and prioritize first thing, especially if I’m up and letting the dogs out before sitting down with my pages.
A few weeks ago I had an idea, though. What if I just start writing the pages from bed before my feet even hit the floor? What if I gave myself no chance to make excuses or get busy with something else first? To enable this habit, I began the search for a laptop desk to write upon straight from bed.
I found the one above at Barnes & Noble. I was looking for immediate gratification and it was a nice surprise to see B&N had a variety in stock locally. My only beef is that the desk is clearly designed for someone who is right-handed. I’m a lefty. But I’m also well-versed in living in this righty world. I can adapt and usually do. I’ve already begun using the desk a couple of times a week. It’s been nice to just prop myself up and write. I’m sure the desk will come in handy for other uses as well. But at a minimum, if it’s something that will help my morning pages habit stick, it’s worth it the purchase for that alone. I specifically chose the one above because of the wrist rest and other features like the pocket on top that can hold my Wyte Out while I’m writing.
(3) Haim’s I Quit
I recently listened to a story on the New Yorker Radio hour about how there wasn’t really a song or album of the summer for 2025. I disagree with that. Haim’s fourth album feels like the summer of 2025 to me. Please note, though, I also left my job of 14 years this summer making the I Quit title especially relevant.
The band played at The Armory in Minneapolis earlier this month and I paid an exorbitant amount of cash for balcony tickets during the artist presale but every penny was worth it. The song Relationships has been a banger to me since they released the first 15-second clip back in March. Gone summed up so many of feelings as I drove home from Blaine on my last day of employment with that tune on blast. The Farm is sweet and sentimental and Down to be be Wrong is an “anthem of giving up” that I can really get behind. I enjoy this full recording, no skips. It’s accompanied me on more dog walks this summer than any other album. The show was also amazing. No regrets.
Finishing out the summer theme, let me introduce you to my new holy grail product. There is not much that I find more annoying in the summer than blowing out my hair. However, my luck with air drying has been inconsistent. One day, it’ll work great. I’ll apply a curl cream, twist and end up with something cute. Then the next time I got for it, I get a frizz-fest that just doesn’t lay right even after all the twisting and set-up. When I purchased the Dyson r dryer, my blowout game got stronger. Still, it’s an effort and it takes time. When I’m hitting that 6/7/8th day hair that desperately needs washing, I begin to dread the chore.
That’s probably the mindset that I was in when I purchased the Air Dry cream from JVN last month. I’d watched a few Tiktoks from Jonathan Van Ness using this cream on his luscious locks. Then I saw it work for others, too. At that point, I decided I needed to give this product a try despite my reservations on air drying.
I ordered via Ulta. The price point was actually lower than I’d expected: $28. Not cheap but also not prestige-priced. I used the product for the first time on a Saturday afternoon before we headed out to a soccer match. It was a warm day so perfect for avoiding the dryer. My first impression was the smell was fresh and clean, not cloying or annoying. It was a little wetter in it’s consistency than I’d expected. But after showering and adding a couple of pre-treat products (a dime-size dollop of repair cream, a couple sprays of a root volumizer and another dime-size dollop of a pre-style smoothing cream), I used about a quarter size dollop of the JVN cream and brushed it through my hair with a wet brush to distribute the product.
Then I sectioned my hair and twisted sections away from my face using maybe one last dime-size dollop of the Air Dry cream to seal in the twists, focusing on the important ones around my face. After that, there was nothing left to do but wait.
About halfway to dry, I could already tell this product was a game-changer. My twists kept their hold as my hair dried and I was careful not to touch it too much or break up the twists. After 1-2 hours later, it was completely dry. That’s when I finally fluffed my hair and broke apart the twists lightly and loosely. What remained was a stunning wave that I’ve never been able to achieve without using heat prior to this product.
The best part? The style lasted for days! I think I went 8 days before my next wash (not that I recommended that). The frizz control and hold were out of this world without any crunch. My hair was soft and beachy. I’ve already ordered more product because I don’t think I ever want to go without this magic cream ever again. I do feel badly for my new Dyson dryer – she’s getting way less action now that this product is in my life.
This app went viral on Tiktok a year or so ago featuring the hauls of people unpacking their mystery packages from Whole Foods and other restaurants and grocery stores from around the country. At that time, I felt it was almost impossible to grab a bag. But recently, I’ve found some success. The cool thing is that you are saving food from going into the trash. At the same time, you can also get a heck of a deal. On a recent Whole Foods prepared foods purchase, I scored a chicken salad sandwich, beet & goat cheese salad, a pint of pasta salad and 2 lbs. of cooked salmon for $10. That feed me for a weekend plus. Recently, I also picked up a $6 bag from the Buttered Tin in STP that featured their lovely cheddar chive biscuit, a slice of chocolate chip loaf, 3 bakery cookies, a scone and a cinnamon roll. It was a steal. (The only sad part is that we left the haul on our countertop when we went to dinner, a certain black and white husky found it and devoured it before we had a chance! I’m still in mourning.)
If you are looking for a deal and to stop food waste, it’s a fun app to download. I have experience with both Whole Foods bakery and prepared food bags as well as the Nautical Bowls restaurant and Buttered Tin. All have been way worth the $$ and trip to pick-up.
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