9 Things That Made My Life Better Last Quarter (July-Sept. 2024)
It turns out, returning to work after parental leave is a lot, and returning to a 130% full workload after… well, literally anything is a LOT. Don’t worry, I’m okay: it was just for one semester, which is winding down now. (Hence the return to blog-dom and wonderful things like “writing for fun.”)
Anyway, the third quarter of the year is long gone, but my appreciation for the big things and the people who made it better isn’t. However, since I deal exclusively in the small things with these blog entries, here are a few of those that also helped.
a riser “renovation”
There weren’t any power tools involved, but I did add a pair of monitor risers to my work set-up. On my desk, one helped me find more space and stop craning to peer into my laptop’s camera to unlock it. I can set up my SAD light to hit my face more directly too. I like having my printer on the other riser, so I can store paper and ink cartridges underneath it for easy refills.
It’s official: I’m an Old. Old doesn’t signify a particular number of years but rather a state of mind, and I’m afraid that being delighted with the design of clothespins is an incontrovertible omen of the latter. But, honestly, I really like these little guys with a hook on one end and a regular clothespin clip on the other. The hooks swivel 360 degrees, and the flexibility is super useful. I can use the hook side to hang wet laundry on towel racks and shower rods, or I can clip the hooks to straps or edges for storing baby bibs.
Being an Old© (see above), I learned about these elastic shoelaces through the New York Times Wirecutter and not TikTok. But both sources are correct that these accessories make it both easy and aesthetically pleasing to turn lace-up shoes into slip-ons. I’ve been using these on my sneakers and Doc Marten boots for a few months now without any loss of foot support, and they hold tight: even a very determined, patient, tiny-probing-fingered baby can’t loosen them.
I prefer drinking from a straw when I’m at work, especially since my teeth have become super temperature-sensitive (a long story). I also prefer not leaking iced coffee all over my clothes and/or the subway floor. I’m not sure what strange arcane magic this tumbler uses to make a straw lid that both permits the entry of the straw and also doesn’t allow the egress of liquids, but whatever esoteric sacrifice was required, it was worth it.
machine-washable dress pants
Good dress pants aren’t machine-washable, because they’re made of fabrics like wool. I have a couple pairs of these higher-quality trousers for formal occasions, but I also don’t have eighty bajillion dollars (conservative estimate) to spend on dry cleaning, nor do I have the time to drop them off and pick them up. And I am a sweaty person–or maybe I only think I’m sweaty because, while commuting and teaching, I have to switch between very cold and very warm environments most of the day. Anyway, I bought some less nice but more convenient dress pants, and now I feel both appropriately dressed for work and unstymied on laundry day.
sweater polos
On the other hand, sweater polos make laundry day a little more complicated (because they must hang to dry), but you can pry them from my cold, no-like-really-cold-because-it’s-winter-and-most-of-mine-are-short-sleeved hands. I love their fit and look, and they’re super comfortable. If seventies-inspired style is wrong, then, in this particular case, I don’t want to be right. (In other cases, like that of bell bottoms, I’m OK being right.)
pin locks
I bought a couple of beautiful enamel pins that I like looking at, but I don’t like pins and patches on my bags. So I made the pins into anchors for key leashes inside a backpack pocket. However, the rubber pinbacks didn’t hold up to the rough-and-tumble #commutinglife and constantly went AWOL. The locks I bought to secure everything in place were fiddly to install with a teeny-tiny hex key, but now my keys are securely leashed, and I don’t accidentally stab myself on a scandalously naked pin whilst reaching for other bag contents.
I use a Presto card to get around on transit, and I also lose my Presto card as I get around on transit. I am, it seems, very talented at allowing important objects to slip out of my pockets unless they’re zipped in or tied down.
Not all my pockets have zippers, so I opted for “tied down.” I leash this sucker with my keys as soon as I’ve tapped my way into the transit system. And I appreciate that, despite the sturdy plastic construction, “tapped” is still an easy option.
canned beans
Ah, the delights of the musical fruit! To wit: they are tasty, cheap, quick to make, and healthy. Husband doesn’t care for pulses or pulse-like legumes, so I didn’t used to eat a lot of them. But, since I love many bean-based dishes I’ve seen others cook, I decided to make a bigger effort to recruit these versatile star ingredients for my brunches and lunches. So far, it’s working out deliciously! My go-to Saturday morning breakfast is now savoury breakfast beans and mushrooms on buttered toast.