Welcome to the January 2026 version of RPL at Dwelling, the place I share what I’m as much as once I’m not within the kitchen or in entrance of the digicam.

Each few months, I provide you with a glimpse into what I’m engaged on, habits I’m cultivating, issues bringing me pleasure, books/TV reveals/podcasts I’m having fun with, and extra. Consider it as stream-of-consciousness blabbering meets a semi-curated checklist of suggestions meets life replace.

👩🏽‍🍳🍽️ What I’m engaged on within the biz

In case you missed the massive information, after a 12 months of onerous work, we lastly launched our model new meal planning web site this month! 

From working surveys and interviews with hundreds of readers such as you, I’ve realized that what most residence cooks want just isn’t extra recipes, however construction and assist with the logistics aspect of issues.

The psychological burden that exists outdoors of the kitchen — selecting recipes, cobbling collectively grocery lists, and determining meal prep steps so weeknights are just a little smoother — is definitely the largest problem most residence cooks face.

We designed our meal planning web site to try this give you the results you want so you may merely give attention to the enjoyable half: cooking scrumptious meals.

And it brings me GREAT JOY to see that so lots of you might be completely loving the meal plans and already experiencing so lots of the optimistic impacts I had hoped you’ll 🥹

If you wish to take our new web site for a spin, you may attempt it out risk-free for 7 days!

🧘🏽‍♀️What I’m engaged on in life 

A couple of decade in the past, I used to be coping with fairly a little bit of stress—a demanding job, uncertainty about my profession as a lawyer, continual migraines, a restrictive elimination eating regimen to uncover the reason for stated migraines (which made stated migraines even worse). 

I began meditating to take care of the stress, and it helped fairly a bit. However, if you happen to’ve ever tried to meditate, you already know—it was onerous. Like, actually onerous. 

Within the years since, I’ve halfheartedly tried to renew meditating on quite a few events, however frankly, I’m weak and delicate. Whereas the apply of meditation eludes me, I’ve been engaged on mindfulness extra broadly. Listed below are just a few methods I’ve been including extra mindfulness into my life. 

Breathwork

Within the final 3 to 4 weeks, I’ve been doing deliberate breathwork day-after-day, particularly “cyclic sighing,” which has been proven to scale back stress and enhance temper. 

I knew I’d keep on with this behavior provided that I tied it to a different behavior I already do (AKA behavior stacking) or bundled it with an exercise I like (AKA temptation bundling). 

I’ve the behavior of brushing my enamel and scraping my tongue as quickly as I get up, and through winter, I’m all the time tempted to get again into mattress afterwards (it’s nonetheless darkish out and 61ºF in my home). So I began permitting myself to get again in mattress after my oral hygiene routine, however provided that I do my breathwork for 7 to 10 minutes whereas in mattress.

And up to now, I haven’t missed a day. 

I really feel calm and centered throughout and instantly after breathwork, which is a pleasant method to start the morning as an alternative of dashing round to get my day began. I additionally discover myself utilizing this system later within the day if I really feel harassed or agitated, and whereas it may not remedy 100% of the issue, it does noticeably assist. 

Hobbies 

Just a few years in the past, the thought of taking a break in the midst of the workday to learn a novel or to paint on the sofa would have felt so international, so lazy, so in contrast to me. However, after working onerous on my workaholic tendencies (ironic!), I’m proud to report that I do exactly that frequently. 

And by chance, these two actions are additionally good alternatives to expertise mindfulness…if, after all, you don’t enable your self to get distracted by different issues, particularly your cellular phone. 

So, at any time when I deal with myself to considered one of these breaks, I ensure I go away my telephone in one other room. That means, I can actually give attention to the exercise, whether or not it’s getting completely absorbed within the plot of an amazing e-book or giving all of my consideration to coloring an intricate design. 

📚 What I’m watching, listening to, and studying

📺 Watching

I can’t cease recommending Process, the new-ish HBO present starring Mark Ruffalo. It follows two foremost characters—an FBI agent heading a activity drive assigned to research a string of violent robberies, and an unsuspecting household man. 

It’s dynamic, weaving between leave-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense and heartfelt feelings, and it delves into the difficult query of what occurs when good individuals make unhealthy choices. 

📚Studying

I’ve learn SO many good books recently (try my prime studying picks of 2025), however there’s one I need to highlight for this month.

Household of Spies, Christine Kuehn

An exhilarating, surprising true story of an American lady who slowly uncovered her household’s previous as Nazis, first residing in Germany within the Thirties as Hitler got here to energy, then in Hawaii as spies who aided the Japanese authorities in attacking Pearl Harbor. 

Though you realize the fundamental premise of the story from the start, each web page is gripping and suspenseful. 

It looks like a very vital learn now for People, because it’s a reminder that the Nazis didn’t begin executing Jewish individuals as quickly as they got here to energy. 

They laid the groundwork over years: they tapped into nostalgia and nationalism for a Germany that after was nice, created a cult of persona round one man, attacked the press for reporting information, banned books deemed unpatriotic, waged struggle on mental thought and experience, focused political dissidents, demonized Jewish individuals as The Different, and crushed dissent with violence on the streets…earlier than they ultimately turned to their Remaining Resolution of dying camps and gasoline chambers. 

The parallels with what’s occurring within the U.S. immediately are placing. It’s simple to really feel helpless, so listed here are some organizations doing nice work that you could help:

My purpose with RPL at House is to typically give attention to the optimistic—issues bringing me pleasure, experiments I’m attempting out in my private life, enjoyable stuff in my private {and professional} life.

However issues are actually heavy and scary within the U.S. proper now, and I’d be remiss to not speak about it right here.

🎧 Listening

Circling again to the theme of constructing habits, I beloved this latest episode from NPR’s Life Package podcast on constructing tiny habits. Good habits could be onerous to construct, and I beloved this bite-sized, low-effort strategy to it from habits scientist, BJ Fogg, writer of Tiny Habits. 

Additionally from Life Package, I loved this episode on take a break from alcohol. At the same time as somebody who’s drastically decreased their ingesting over the previous couple of years—dabbling between zero alcohol to minimal alcohol to sober curiosity—it was nonetheless an informative hear. 

💃🏽 Enjoyable Issues

It’s been a busy work interval launching our meal planning web site…however we’re headed to Australia for 2 weeks!

We’ll be in Adelaide visiting Max’s household, then Kangaroo Island for many wildlife viewing and outside actions, and Melbourne for a pair days (my favourite meals metropolis!). 

If in case you have suggestions for enjoyable issues to do within the Adelaide space, Kangaroo Island, or Melbourne, please go away them within the feedback!

That’s it for this month! Drop me a line under and let me know what you’re studying, watching, or engaged on in your individual life!