Happy New Year’s Eve, readers!
I feel like anything I could say about this past year would be trite and redundant. 2020 was long and challenging, and it brought a lot of change—some welcome and some distressing. But through it all, there were bright spots—some momentous (like launching the podcast!) and others really tiny (like finding the perfect loungewear). Today, I’m passing those bright spots along to you by sharing some of the things I loved in 2020. From the movie binges and the most illuminating podcasts, to the purchases and daily rituals that cheered me throughout the year, these are some of the small joys of 2020.
What I loved in 2020…
Things I watched:
One of the best things we’ve started doing is watching movie series—not binging them in one day, but spacing them out over the nights and weeks. This has been great because when we sit down to watch something in the evening, there’s no decision to be made. So far, we’ve watched The Lord of the Rings, the newer James Bond movies, the Da Vinci Code movies (they were mostly bad, but this was a fun one), and most recently, the Alien films. We’re considering Jurassic Park for our next endeavor.
I don’t think I’m the only one who did a lot of rewatching this year. My favorite rewatch was Downton Abbey (I may have to start it again in 2021), and I’m currently in the middle of binging The West Wing, which makes a great background show. They removed it from Netflix, but it’s now available on HBOMax.
As for new shows, my two favorites were The Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton, which I’ll definitely be adding to my rewatch rotation.
I also really enjoyed Watchmen, Beforeigners (so weird and good), What We Do in the Shadow, Mindhunter, and Big Mouth. And while I don’t think the Undoing was particularly good, I give it a lot of credit for holding my attention and giving us a show that was fun to pick apart with friends.
But perhaps my favorite watching experiences were the two major Jeopardy! episode dumps that landed on Netflix. Cruising through 4 or 5 of these 20 minute episodes in an evening is soothing, but also keeps me highly engaged. I’m also still mourning Alex, and am looking forward to reading his memoir soon.
Things I listened to:
Lots and lots of You’re Wrong About. The series on Princess Diana was one of the most informative and distracting pieces of entertaining I found this year. I also really enjoyed the episode on the Electoral College, the Tuskegee study, The Stepford Wives, Anastasia, and human trafficking.
Nice With Parents remains one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to in a long time, and a must-listen for teachers and parents.
All the Crooked Media podcasts. It feels wrong to start the day without What a Day and weekends are incomplete without Lovett or Leave It. I also love the feminist angle on the news provided by Hysteria—plus Erin Ryan gives great book recommendations
I listened to a lot of book podcasts. Some of my favorite episodes were From the Front Porch’s “Books You May Have Missed,” Currently Reading’s “The Book Covers + Title Words That Draw Us In,” The Stacks Pod episode on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The SSR podcast episode on The Lightning Thief, and He Read She Read’s “15 Favorite Books of the Year.”
And my two favorite cozy podcasts of the year have to be Home Cooking and Pop Culture Happy Hour, which is now daily…hooray!
Things I made:
I’ll be honest here, my husband makes the majority of the meals in this house, but some of my favorite recipes I tried this year were this shallot pasta, french onion grilled cheese, and the spiced molasses cookies from Dessert Person.
I also enjoyed eating homemade butter chicken and pozole. Now that we have an Instant Pot, my husband has made both of these a couple of times and they’ve been great additions to our recipe rotation.
We also continue to get Blue Apron boxes and are enjoying how much more customizable the recipes are now compared to when we first started using the delivery service three years ago. It’s also nice not to have to meal plan for at least three meals a week!
I didn’t get particularly crafty during quarantine, but I very much enjoyed doing a couple of Hoffelt & Hooper embroidery kits.
Things I wore:
I now have two pairs of these Aerie waffle joggers, which are unbelievably soft and warm. They also aren’t too tight and aren’t too baggy, which is a tough middle spot to find in joggers.
I bought a couple of cute but comfy sweatshirts that helped me feel put together without actually putting on real clothes. I went with this one from Madewell (the green I have and love is sold out) and this one from Alex Mill, and I wear them both all the time.
My Everlane oversized cashmere waffle turtleneck was a splurge, but I have no regrets because I wear it at least three times a week. It’s soft and cozy, but makes me feel pretty.
Since the weather got cold, I’ve basically lived in these coziest of socks. I got mine from Mast General Store in Asheville, but L.L. Bean has very similar ones in more colors.
Things I bought:
Merrell clogs. These cozy, slip-on clogs are great for the only outings I’ve been doing these days—picking up dinner, walking with Bingley, taking the garbage out, that kind of thing.
Olive & June System. I rarely got manicures or did my nails pre-pandemic, so I’m not really sure what compelled me to buy this (actually I know exactly what did it: perfectly targeted Instagram advertising). I love the colors that came in the fall set, and I really enjoy painting my nails while listening to an audiobook. Now I do my nails once or twice a week…it feels utterly self-indulgent and is such a fun treat.
A Jane Austen coloring book. I find this so soothing and delightful, and it’s another perfect activity to keep my hands busy while listening to audiobooks.
Things I did:
Started a podcast! Chelsey and I didn’t tend to launch Novel Pairings in the midst of a pandemic, but it was so great to have goals and milestones to look forward to and a new creative endeavor to focus on.
Took a lot of baths. I don’t have a particularly nice or large bathtub, so until this year I rarely used it. But I’ve found it’s a good way to unwind and separate the work day from the evening. Over the last few months, I’ve seriously upped my bath game by adding ASMR rooms, candles, bubble bath, and, now, my brand new bathrobe.
A Yoga with Adriene 30 day challenge. I count it as a win anytime I can eliminate a small decision from my day. These 30-day challenges mean I know what my workout is going to be each day, which means I actually do one. I also love how these series build towards confidence in my own yoga practice and body. I’m really looking forward to doing another series in January.
Went for distanced walks with friends (and Bingley). Pre-pandemic, hanging out mostly consisted of eating and drinking. I miss that a lot, but I like this new social activity that involves fresh air and movement.
Safely spent time with family. It was a huge privilege to spend quality time with family this year when so many were unable to do that. In September, we drove to the East coast and, while our road trip itself had some misadventures, we were able to quarantine for two weeks once we arrived and then enjoy a few weeks at my in-laws’ house. We’ve also gotten to see both of my parents for backyard gatherings, which has been such a joy and something we certainly don’t take for granted.
Readers, I want to know about the things you loved in 2020, so please respond and let me know what brought you joy this year. For questions, comments, or suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com. I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara
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