Mates, good Sunday to you! Please take on this picture of The Bakehouse in southeastern Texas blanketed in a number of inches of snow. SNOW! What I can inform you about this file snowfall is that my home has no insulation however a number of fireplaces.  Texas Sage can apparently survive each brutal summer time warmth and Texas snow, and I’m glad I stored my Christmas garland up for the twinkling yellow lights alone.  We had just a few days of a winter wonderland which was, regardless of its deep chill, such a delight!  Will and I made soup about it, stored a detailed eye on the water pipes of the outdated home, and simply nested – as all of us ought to do within the deepest winter.  I really feel like we’re thawing out this weekend which is the right time to correctly clear the home (and all of the muddy canine prints) and wash the linens.

We’re coming to the shut of our Mild January which has been outwardly and quite aggressively Not Mild At All, however I hope this weekend finds you taking it good and sluggish, with a recent pot of espresso and possibly a load of laundry spinning.  The providing as we speak is our 501st Sunday publish.  Are you able to even consider we’ve spent so many Sundays collectively?  Grateful for you, pal. Right here we go.

•  I’m simply going to go away this tab open in my browser as a reminder: How To Assist A Good friend Via Grief.  It will possibly appear to be we’re all going via a lot, however let’s simply present up and discuss concerning the elephant. (Substack)

•  You possibly can’t examine What They Grabbed fleeing the fires in Los Angeles with out enthusiastic about what you’d seize from your property.  It’s sobering (amongst 1,000,000 different feelings). (Curbed)

•  In the event you’ve been right here lengthy sufficient you may keep in mind just a few years again once I was studying swim.  Like… swimswim laps and such, with some semblance of effectivity and coordination.  I took one lesson with a younger man who actually simply enforced my insecurities concerning the matter after which I promptly purchased a e-book and tried to show myself (avoiding any and all eye contact with that younger man perpetually and ever).  Seems swimming wasn’t the form of factor that got here naturally to me so I quietly let it go. Welp:  The Magic of Swimming Classes in Center Age has me considering I have to not quit on myself so simply.  (NYTimes Reward Hyperlink)

•  With age and beauty I can now see the tip of a few of my massive friendships as merely coming to their pure conclusion.  That’s to not say it’s any much less unhappy however right here’s 5 Indicators You’ve Outgrown a Friendship. (Self)

•  What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? It’s on a Friday this yr which makes it a bit of sexier, proper? I nonetheless at all times go for a comfy at-home vacation.  Possibly a bit of fireplace within the fireplace pit, this Shrimp Etouffee Risotto, and a Manhattan as a nightcap. (Pleasure the Baker, Critical Eats)

•  I do suggest getting a Galentine’s Day occasion along with your girlfriends on the calendar now. Cease right here and pop into the group chat. We’re having a bit of potluck dinner at a girlfriend’s home which may even function the catch-up all of us want because the vacation season was so busy. I’m hoping to make candles in thrifted vessels as little items.  One thing like this video right here. It’ll be a crash course in candle making however I believe I can pull it off. (Trendy Day Cottage, Youtube)

•  In the event you’re a YouTube particular person, you need to definitely subscribe to lil’ ol’ me for YouTube Shorts!

•  Nonetheless gathering all of the small joys I can this January. A spotlight has been dragging the large juicer onto the counter to make a really fancy citrus juice with pink grapefruit, oranges, lemon, and ginger. It’s pure sunshine. (Instagram)

•  Abby influenced me to make Lasagna Soup (I made a stovetop model of this sluggish cooker recipe), and it’s not a lot a soup as it’s a deconstructed lasagna in a bowl. Please don’t learn this as a grievance. It’s an especially cozy possibility for this time of yr! (The Kitchn)

•  Why Martinis Preserve Getting Dirtier – we’re near leaping the shark on this one. (Grub Avenue)

•  In the event you’re searching for a cause to go away the oven on for a superb whereas this afternoon please think about making this Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread.  (Pleasure the Baker)

•  We’ve entered the glow-up portion of the Sunday publish! The chilly climate and snow made for a suprisingly dry week in Bellville and apparently, I thrive in humidity and completely shrivel up and wish vaseline in dry air.  Amy gave us many UBeauty instruments in final week’s publish. I’m very merely slathered in sesame oil layered with Glo Getter Physique Butter which has me smelling like a vanilla cookie. And Amy is correct, I believe the important thing to hydration is ingesting an annoying quantity of water.  That I’m nonetheless engaged on. (Amazon)

•  Earlier than our little marriage ceremony on Thanksgiving, I had taken a number of years off from getting manicures. Forward of the large day I acquired precisely two gel manicures and whereas they have been tremendous cute and shiny, gel manicures make me really feel claustrophobic.  I simply can’t get previous the truth that I’ve to return to a manicure studio to get the colour off or gnaw it off like a bit of badger.  Additionally, the sandblaster used to sand the gel off completely destroys my nails. Paper skinny. It’s simply…. I can’t do it!  The previous few weeks I’ve been portray my nails with Dazzle Dry which, actually I believed was a MLM (lol), and it’s nice! It strengthens my nails, dries in 5 minutes (it actually does!), lasts for greater than per week (certain, not so long as gel), it’s advertized as non poisonous, and I cant take away it myself simply with acetone. (Amazon)

•  I clear my home A LOT. There’s a whole lot of home, many canines, many dishes, and an enormous cat to wash up after.  By the point I’ve spend a day cleansing my arms have been raisins so I’ve developed an admittedly excessive upkeep hand routine earlier than cleansing.  First I rub the backs of my palms, wrists, and fingers with this retinoid stick. Then I slather my arms in handcream, pull on some meals service gloves, and at last – these further lengthy dish gloves as a result of if a drop of water will get inside my dish gloves – it’s over for me. (Amazon)

My like to you, associates!

Have a beautiful Sunday.

xo Pleasure