Think lovely thoughts
When I was a kid, some version of Peter Pan was often playing in our house. It was most likely the Mary Martin or Cathy Rigby musical versions, which my brother and I would watch ad nauseam. We knew ALL the words. When Wendy, Michael and John are learning to fly for the first time, they're instructed to "think lovely thoughts." The lovely thoughts they refer to involve candy, picnics, flowers, summer and the magic word: Christmas. It's rough out there, people! This past week has been a flurry of anxious phone calls, crazy tweets and many alarmist news articles. Today, we're going to think some happy thoughts, because it's important to take care of both your physical health and mental health. Here are some calming activities for you to enjoy -- and away we go!
For the music lover in need of a peaceful playlist: I believe Sara Bareilles has the most soothing voice in the world. Her ability to effortless transition from soprano to alto ranges never cease to amaze me. Her album Amidst the Chaos could have been written for this very moment (and a lot of it was inspired by the post-2016 world, so it kind of was). If you're looking for Sara to literally tell you it's all going to be okay, you can also listen to her rendition of Everything is Alright from the TV production of Jesus Christ Superstar and use it as a calming mantra. In other news, Mandy Moore released her first album in more than 10 years, Silver Landings and it's full of sunny-sounding tunes to brighten the day.
For the stress baker/chef: I've been on a huge cooking kick lately, so I've got some A+ recipes to share. First up, a delicious Earl Grey Yogurt Cake from Bon Appétit. This loaf was incredibly easy to make and tastes like a cup of tea in bread form. I've rarely baked much with yeast but I finally conquered my fears with a Basic Focaccia recipe from The New York Times -- thanks to much reassurance from one of my co-workers who had already conquered the bread! One tip... I was alarmed to find that the recipe said to bake at 500 degrees, which I've literally never done before. I baked it at 450 for about 30-35 minutes and it turned out fab! For one of the yummiest recipes I've ever made (it tasted like a restaurant dish and I did NOTHING special to make it that way), check out the Crisp Gnocchi with Brussel Sprouts and Brown Butter from The New York Times. I also made my grandma's biscotti recipe for the first time ever, but I'm not sharing that one :)
For the mindless, but dramatic, TV lover: We all need our guilty pleasures. Peter's dreadful season of The Bachelor just wrapped so I know we're all in need of some additional distractions. A throwback season of The Bachelor is now available on Netflix, so if you want to tune into Jason Mesnick's trainwreck of a season, you can. With my Disney Plus account, I've been working my way through Encore!, the series that has adults perform their high school musical productions. Late last year, I started rewatching The Vampire Diaries and was amazed at how quickly I got sucked in (pun intended) by the love triangles and supernatural elements. Last week, I started watching Hart of Dixie, a CW drama from 2011 starring Rachel Bilson. You do what you gotta do.
For the Little Women enthusiast: Calm down, I'm not going to talk about Greta Gerwig's Little Women again (but it is available on Amazon now, so...). This time we're talking about the woman behind it all, Louisa May Alcott. I just finished reading Harriet Reisen's biography of the author, and Louisa's life story is truly fascinating. She was smart and business-savvy and it's so interesting to read about her truly tumultuous childhood, love for her mother and sisters, complicated relationship with her father and the true inspiration behind her fictional "scribbles." And let me tell you, Louisa May Alcott was a BOSS. Just you wait until the snarky note she sent the editor of The Atlantic, after he told her to stick to teaching. Big mistake... huge!
For the TV addict who's already watched it all: Within the next couple of weeks, there are a ton of new TV shows premiering to fill up your "must watch" lists. On March 18, Little Fires Everywhere debuts on Hulu, starring power ladies Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon in the adaptation of Celeste Ng's novel of the same name. The seven-episode series will be staggering its episode release dates, so you'll have to pace yourself! The Phoebe Waller-Bridge-produced HBO series Run premieres on April 12 and stars the immensely talented Merritt Wever. While it's not penned by Phoebe, it is written by her friend Vicky Jones, who directed the stage production of Fleabag. On April 15, Hulu also launches the premiere of Mrs. America, a miniseries starring Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba and more, that tells the story of Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm & more in their fight for the Equal Rights Amendment. And speaking of frustrating historical sexism... I'm not sure how much of an upper it'll be, but there's also the Hillary docuseries on Hulu, which is already available to view.
For the at home worker seeking some calming podcasts: Inside Voices from Kevin T. Porter (of Gilmore Guys podcast fame) puts the spotlight on other podcast hosts, as Kevin interviews them about the inspiration behind their shows. Partners from Hrishikesh Hirway (of Sound Exploder and The West Wing Weekly podcast fame) features 15-minute interviews with different creative partners to talk about their projects and collaborative processes. Both podcasts deliver great insight into creative minds!
For pure joy: A quick rundown of shows I've already talked about tons but never fail to cheer me up: Jane the Virgin will completely transport you into a semi-grounded telenovela world; Playing House will remind you have your best friends; The Other Two will make you LOL; Instant Hotel will whisk you off to Australia; Younger will give you Sex and the City vibes and make you forget about all the Lizzie McGuire reboot drama; and Gilmore Girls will wrap in you a warm, cozy blanket of love.
