Week 70: inspired breakfast, 90s aesthetics, breaking the "seeking loop" and more

Welcome to this week’s edition of Five Favorites! A newsletter that’s big on small moments.

Eating breakfast with my kids every morning, often in a still-sleepy haze, had put me in a bit of a breakfast rut. When they eat their banana pancakes (so fun! so easy! just mix one egg plus one mashed banana per kid and cook) which I don’t partake in and I have time to make something just for me, I’ve been making migas — and loving it.

Migas are a delightful Mexican or Tex-Mex dish that combines tortilla with eggs and tomatoes, onion, and peppers. The lazy version I make just uses either pieces of tortilla or tortilla chips (or a mix of both) and whatever salsa I have in the fridge, plus a scrambled eggs or two and some cheese (optional.)

I simply put a little bit of oil in my pan, add the tortilla and cook until golden, mix in salsa, and crack two eggs, serving when the eggs are scrambled in and cooked. This recipe is closest if you’re looking for more detailed instructions to follow. A true breakfast favorite!

In case you missed it, I’ve been spending more time reading lately and finding it to be really helpful with the pace and overwhelm of daily life as working mom.

I just finished a lengthy, and frankly heavy, classic read from one of my all-time favorite authors. The Poisonwood Bible held its own and was certainly worth reading, but I found I enjoyed it a little bit less than Kingsolver’s other books, like The Bean Trees or her recent must-read, Demon Copperhead.

Still, she writes voice and point-of-view in such a masterful way. This story features five female POVs recounting a family’s time as missionaries during political upheaval in Belgian Congo. It’s hard not to recommend anything she touches, and this book’s no exception.

As I’m nearing the end of my Shetland run 🥲 (psst, if you’ve seen the show — I’m so surprised how much I still love the post-Jimmy seasons!) and I’ve got new seasons of two longstanding favorites, The Pitt and Shrinking, on tap next. But I did manage to squeeze in Love Story, the celebrated-yet-controversial depiction of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s courtship and tragic passing.

I’ll admit that I primarily watched the show for * the aesthetic *, which is absolutely delivered on. In early episodes, the depiction of Carolyn’s lifestyle made me nostalgic for a time and place I never lived in (lol) and drew some parallels to early Sex and the City. The freedom! The fashion! The lack of smart phones!

The show overall was better than anticipated. If you’re watching it for the costuming or acting rather than a nonfictional account of two people’s lives, I believe you’ll find it worth watching it, too.

I also started another BBC show called Riot Women, which I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about so far. Reviews are strong, though! And I love the idea of centering a story around aging or middle-aged women, as we don’t see that on screen often. Have you seen it?

Each morning I start my day (after dropping off my kids) with intention setting on the Insight Timer app. Every month or so, they offer different themed meditation challenges and, along with my continued use of Brick to help with scrolling less, these have helped my life’s balance and mental state a lot.

Most recently it was their dopamine reset challenge. It focused on interrupting the "seeking loop" (the urge for constant scrolling or notifications) through daily mindfulness and nervous system regulation practices.

One of the ten days was especially helpful, emphasizing the need for “non sleep deep rest,” or even just moments where our brains are not asleep but not searching for anything novel. Phew.

I get a lot of “pings” at work — they can feel relentless at times. Coupled with my personal phone usage, focusing here makes a big impact for me. This is to say I recommend all of the above: meditation, the app’s themed offerings, or simply an intentional break from information overload for your brain.

It could be as simple as an hour without your phone before bed, or a day you spend with family and block out all the apps that distract you. I’m finding the efforts to do so hugely restorative and helpful. Take what you need if that resonates with you.

As a follow up to my fancy t-shirt purchase a few months ago, which unfortunately (for the price point, that is) was worth it, I invested in another basic from Leset. Their pointelle shirt, which I got in navy, has become another wardrobe staple for me.

Although I’m not about to replace my whole wardrobe at this level, I do find the quality for t-shirts and other basics (like these socks!) to be worth investing in at this stage. It’s a new favorite, for sure.

Until next week!

Recommendations are vetted and written by a real person, not an algorithm (or AI). I appreciate your support!

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