A Saturday chez moi, because 75% of the workday is spent in front of a computer—and that’s no fun. And because we’re still on lockdown, in quarantine.
8:00AM
I’m up, but still in bed, luxuriating under a cocoon of comforter and weighted blankets. It’s easy waking up sans alarm when there’s sun. For half the year, I feel productive, alive, excited. SAD is a real; thank goodness it’s spring.
8:15AM
I’ll laze around in the mornings (weekend or not), but once I’m awake, I feel an urgent need to scrape my tongue immediately. I’m lethargic, gross, and inhuman otherwise; I highly recommend incorporating this Ayurvedic practice into your daily routine. (I’m so passionate about it that for Christmas one year, I gifted everyone I love a surgical steel-grade tongue scraper. Well, except my boyfriend, who insists that running your teeth across your tongue does the same thing. It doesn’t.)
8:45AM
Kettle is boiling. Hot green tea is my religion, but today, I’m feeling indulgent. I make a matcha latte instead. One-part hot water, one part warmed oat milk. Mixed with a fork, because I’m not indulgent enough to bring out the whisk. (It requires more work to clean than a quick, one-two rinse of a steel utensil). I’m striving for consciousness as quickly as possible, which requires immediate intake of caffeine.
8:50AM
I feel human. (I rinse my mug—a Venice art-fair find that matches my friend Miriam’s.)
9:10AM
I’m on Instagram.
9:12AM
I exit the app as soon as I hear the kettle on the brink of whistling. It’s relatively early, and I do my best to be a mindful neighbor—so the gas is turned off before the steam turns shrill. I fill my giant Hydroflask three-quarters of the way, then pop in a tea bag. (Green tea, of course.) I’m back in bed with my book of the day.
9:30AM
Must stretch my legs. I get up, touch my toes—this was much easier a few years ago—clasp my arms behind my back to open up my chest, ahhh.
Back to this book.
11:00AM
Getting antsy. Should I learn a TikTok dance (for my own entertainment, not for public consumption), a new salsa combo, or work on freelance projects? I choose the the responsible thing because I’m an adult and self-professed workaholic.
I station myself at the kitchen counter where I get the best light. Refill the Hydroflask. Prep with eyedrops, which are a necessity before dedicated screentime, and select my light-blocking glasses du jour. (My favorite pair is by Tom Ford—a gift to myself after Lasik—but The Book Club eyewear pieces are a close second. Not only do I own three pairs from TBC, but I’ve also single-handedly influenced a quarter of the office invest in a few pairs, too. #IRLinfluencer)
12:00PM
Lunch is calling. I was naughty last night and gave in to a midnight snack, or else I would’ve been ravenous first thing in the mornng. I’m eager to get back to work, and because cookery is not my cup of tea, I keep it simple: slice up a banana, sprinkle a generous helping of cinnamon on top, and add a spoonful of Kirkland’s mixed nut butter on the side. I wolf this down in two minutes, wash my plate, and get back to work.
1:45PM
I’m restless again, so I shut my laptop and migrate to the living room and pull up YouTube. I’ve reached an age where I can’t get away with eating everything and doing nothing without feeling the consequences—and on top of that, a very tiny, very sparkly, custom salsa costume awaits my body post-quarantine—so I’m resigned to pursue activity for the sake of health, wellness, vanity. (I won’t lie to myself.) During my college years, I was a Tracy Anderson devotee and still prefer her workouts over all else. They’re not easy, but they’re simple and require minimal sweating.
Ten minutes of standing arm exercises, another ten of a standing abs sequence.
2:30PM
Feeling accomplished and positively starved. (Workouts are taxing for the sedentary!) I want food that’s easy, reparative, and fuel-efficient, so I opt to make my usual breakfast for lunch today: baked overnight oats. My recipe simple; everything is eyeballed using the following ingredients, all plant-based of course:
- One-Degree organic sprouted rolled oats
- Vega All-in-One Shake (chocolate is what I currently have on hand, but vanilla is equally delicious)
- organic chia seeds
- organic maca powder
- Kos inulin powder
- organic cinnamon
- Moon Juice Sex Dust (not necessary—especially since I don’t like or need sugar additives—but it was expensive, and it’s in my pantry)
Add 4.5 parts boiling water to 0.5 parts oat milk (I prefer Oatly’s skinny oat drink), stirring the mixture well until everything is incorporated equally. Let it set overnight—or two nights for yummier results.
But back to the present: I grease a baking sheet with a bit of virgin coconut oil (to give the bottom a crisp finish), spread the chilled mixture so it’s just under half-an-inch thick, and top it with sliced bananas. (Always overripe, please. Save the slightly green, golden yellow bananas to snack on for a dose of prebiotics.) In the oven it goes for 10 minutes—during which I finish my book—before devouring the final result with pleasure. I highly recommend mashing the bananas prior to consumption: doing so creates an ooey-gooey topping that brings out the sweetness of the banana.
It’s the most delicious thing in the world.
3:30PM
I’ve developed a horrible habit of watching something on my laptop while eating. Before COVID-19, I rarely watched TV programs (I don’t even own a TV). I suppose my habits aren’t nearly as terrifying as the average American, but it’s still pretty atrocious: I binged HBO’s My Brilliant Friend over the course of two weeks, and am currently on the second to last episode of the first season.
4:40PM
Note to self: re-read the last two books of the Neopolitan Novels before starting the second season of the show. I start the final episode of the season.
6:00PM
Oh! Oh, oh, oh! I have packages that have been sitting in a holding zone of sorts to sanitize before I open them. I fumble around for a new pair of gloves, bring out my scissors, and start unboxing. There are two packages from the office: one with R&D samples to test, another with product requests for at-home attempts at content creation. Semi-exciting.
More riveting is a box of goodies from Sunday Forever, an indie, female-owned boutique of curated objets that promise good vibes. I’ve been a fan since stumbling upon their limited edition Tanlines candle, and because I’ve been self-indulgent throughout this quarantine, needed to restock my candle stash.
I ordered:
-
Tanlines, a creamy candle that smells of summer, coconutty Coppertone, and warmth
-
Rich, one of their signature scents I haven’t yet tried—but am excited to
-
a stunning Selenite incense holder, because good energy and feel-good scents are essential to a hygge home
… but in true Sunday Forever form, tiny gifts were thrown in. (A little charm, beautifully branded matches.) It’s the little touches that make a company more than just another purveyor of stuff.
And the pièce de resistance…! A highly anticipated shipment all the way from France, via Vestiare Collective of that 1970s Loris Azzaro top of vintage dreams.
It’s stunning. Photos don’t do this unicorn find justice. I try on the top as gingerly as I can, pose and prance around in it, then wriggle my way out of it. I wrap the top in tissue to prevent the chains from snagging the knit, slip it back into the original plastic bag it came in, and tuck everything into my closet. I cannot believe I own this piece; it’s a piece of history.
7:30PM
Dinner for one means meals—similar to the one earlier today—are simple, efficient, and unattractive. I’m partial to large helpings of macrobiotic bowls for the ease, so for dinner, I “make” a vegetable curry bowl that contains:
- brown rice, quinoa, and chia seeds
- cauliflower rice with a little bit of garlic, black pepper, and turmeric (to add more volume and better absorb all the deliciousness)
- vegan chickpea masala
- firm tofu, pan-fried in water first
- spinach, carrots, and my favorite: Chinese cabbage
- a generous dash of cayenne pepper
8:20PM
Like a good Chinese daughter, I wait half an hour after eating before I shower. (It’s better for digestion or something like that, according to my Mom, grandma, and every other Asian auntie). I emerge refreshed, smelling faintly of eucalyptus (courtesy of Nécessaire’s body wash and exfoliator).
Then begins the evening skincare routine:
- Prep with toner
- Mist to prime
- Treat with an elixir of Vitamin C and a Lactic Acid serum
- Moisturize using La Mer
- Massage (after applying a layer of facial oil) with my beloved Selfkaire tool using classic gua sha techniques
Only when I’m done with my face do I move onto moisturizing my body. (My body cream of choice: equal parts Nécessaire The Body Lotion and the oh-so-glamorous Amlactin.)
9:00PM
The ritual continues. Scent is a large part of my everyday routine—especially before bed—and lately, I’ve been diffusing Aroma Tech Santal (which smells just like Le Labo’s famed Santal 26, at much more affordable price point) into my Vitruvi. Even the simplest of things start to feel like an act of decadence.
9:10PM
I slip under the sheets, slick as can be. I’m in the mood to start another book but before I do, I can’t help but open up Instagram to flick through Stories.
9:30PM
Enough. I put my phone face down to remove all temptation and distraction, and open up La Seduction. How apropos. Between this book and the sandalwood wafting through the air, I can’t help but think of my stay at Le Pigalle in Paris…
. . .
xx
Your turn. Thoughts?