Two Approaches on New Year Resolutions

Recently, celebrities Reese Witherspoon and Ina Garten both shared their own (yet very different) approaches to their 2022 resolutions. So relatable, they made me laugh.

I’m curious, which one are you? (I think I’m both.)

Here are my two versions:

Version Reese Witherspoon:

1. Don’t leave dirty dishes overnight

2. Drink at least 2L of water every day, with the help of my gigantic motivational water bottle

3. Write my blog more regularly

4. Exercise every day

Version Ina Garten:

1. Spend more money on things I love

2. Stay in bed watching addictive tik tok videos during the weekends

3. Take more random walks instead of aiming for a destination

4. Eat more ice cream

Lastly, a trick to make your New Year Resolutions more achievable. It involves categorizing things into “more” or “less”, instead of setting a specific number.

Have a nice weekend!

10 Fun Tricks to Beat the Winter Blues

With the Omicron variant, 25-degree-Fahrenheit weathers and a studio apartment to myself, this winter is the one where I go out the least. In the past month, I stepped out of my apartment only…. once a week. Sad it may seem, but I am actually having a great time: cozy, comfortable, and relaxing.

Here are 10 fun things I do to make my winter joyful. I hope it lights up yours too!

Winter mood

1. Cook up a hearty meal, such as spaghetti and meatballs. Here is my go-to recipe:

• Mix everything together from @seriouseats' ingredient list, without the onions, garlic and chicken stock gelatin. To make the texture and flavor even better, I also replace ground pork with Italian sausages that are broken down into pieces.

• Form the mix into meatballs however large you’d like.

• Make this super rich tomato sauce from blogger Pia Baroncini and cook on low for ~40 minutes. Video tutorial below, what a cute couple!

• Fry the meatballs a little, then drop them into the sauce 20 minutes before serving.

• Make pasta.

• And just like that, you’re done! Chef’s kiss!

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A post shared by Pia Baroncini (Arrobio) (@piabaroncini)

2. Bake this divine chocolate lava cake from @recipetineats. 6 ingredients, 30 mins prep + bake. Shortcut: Put a Lindt chocolate ball in place of the molten center. When finish, put a scoop of ice cream on top. Heaven!

3. Make THE best banana bread you’ll ever have. So delicious, all my friends asked me for the recipe.

4. Light up some candles. My favorite combo: Diptyque’s rose + bonfire candles. Soon after, any of my previous worries and anxiety would dissipate into this gorgeous scent.

5. Play some peaceful music in the background, like this spotify list. Puts me right to sleep.

6. Put on your coziest winter outfits, like this pair of llama fur slippers. They never fail to cheer me up, especially after a long day at work.

7. Wear a cotton bathrobe after a steamy shower. This has been a part of my evening ritual, ever since 2015.

8. Treat yourself to a quality spa. I am especially looking forward to booking a session at this Japanese spa in Greenwich Village.

9. Appreciate some art. Art always sends good vibes - no matter if it is a painting, a book, a movie, or a performance. This winter, I wish to check out many of the famous books/movies that I still somehow have never seen. My to-do list for the MLK day weekend: Finish The Great Gatsby. Yes, growing up in China, I have never read it!

10. Start a creative project. If you have some occasional creative juices flowing around, now is the time to get a project started. There is nothing more joyful than seeing your creation come into fruition, ready to entertain and nurture the world. I started my blog in the winter of 2019, and I have been loving every minute of it since. Somehow, writing became a therapy for me, helping me decompress outside my busy day job.

Et voila! These 10 things have helped me beat any blues I had, no matter if it is winter or not. Seasons always change, so is life. Before you realize, it will be breeze and sunshine again!

What are your fun tricks to beat the winter blues?