A Few Favorite Things

I was supposed to be getting my first colonoscopy today, a random fact you didn’t really need to know but now you do. Did you know that the age it’s now recommended folks starts getting regular colposcopies was recently lowered to 45, and since I’m 45, at my last check-up my doctor recommended that I schedule my first. I nodded and assured her I would, with zero intention of actually doing so. I waited six years after another doctor recommended I start getting mammograms before I finally got my first one last fall (something that was really no big deal and I’d recommend everyone get started as soon as they are advised to do so by their health care providers).

The day after my last check-up, I got a call from my doctor’s office and a very nice-sounding woman said she was ready to schedule my colonoscopy and what day would work for me? WTF? I have never had such efficient follow-up and, caught off guard, I said something stupid like, “As soon as possible.” So, she asked if I was available on February 15th and I chirped, “Oh, sure, that’s great!” like an idiot, and then she said, “Oh wait, that’s the day after Valentine’s Day, which means the 14th will be your prep day.” She said prep day was kind of unpleasant and was I sure I wanted to schedule for the 15th, and I was like, “It’s great! I don’t even care about Valentine’s Day, so it’s fine!”

But then February 1st came and I flipped the page on my calendar and saw the 15th circled and “colonoscopy” scrawled in the box, and I thought to myself, You know, February is already challenging enough what with the cold and the snow and Groundhog’s Day and the six more weeks of winter still to go, so I called my doctor’s office and I canceled that colonoscopy. Which brings me to today, and while I am glad I am not doing that thing that anyone who saw them recognized all five celebs who performed the Superbowl halftime show should schedule for themselves, it’s still February and I still need a little help to get through it. Fortunately, there are a few things that have been cheering me up, and maybe you’d like them too:

Somebody Somewhere
This is a new comedy series on HBO that stars (and is produced by) comedian and singer Bridget Everett (HBO’s Camping). I was unfamiliar with Everett, but I have become a fast fan. In Somebody Somewhere, she plays Sam, “a true Kansan on the surface who, beneath it all, struggles to fit the hometown mold.” She moved back to her hometown to help care for her chronically ill sister, and the show takes place after the sister’s death when it explores Sam’s grappling with grief and who she is without her sister. Through this, singing is her saving grace, and we watch as she joins a singing group full of other misfits who form a community together that one might imagine could be the support Sam is desperate for.

(Another show I’m enjoying is Better Things, which just began its new season. And if you haven’t seen it, I still highly recommend the super quirky docu-style show, How To with Jon Wilson. (All three of these shows, while pretty different, bring refreshing takes on modern humanity and relationships and they feature characters who don’t take themselves or life too seriously.)

Le Bon ‘Cloud’ Socks
I discovered the Le Bon brand of socks at a little boutique in Beacon, NY, a quaint town about 90 minutes north of Manhattan that my family likes to visit for long weekends. I spotted the sparkly socks on a table after I decided that the two $100 sweaters I’d just tried on weren’t worth the money. Twelve dollars for socks was more budget-friendly, and these were really pretty, so I got them. And, wow, they are so comfortable, they quickly became a work horse of my (small) wardrobe. Then I got a marketing email from the company a few weeks ago alerting me to a new sock called “cloud,” which the email claimed were “the coziest, the comfiest, and the cutest socks around.” Well, I’m a sucker for cozy, comfy socks, so I ordered two pair, and let me tell you, they really, truly are the coziest, comfiest socks I’ve ever owned. Need these as stocking stuffers every year, please.

Kristin Ess The One Signature Hair Gloss – Copper Penny
As I mentioned earlier, I’m 45 now and, in addition to needing regular colonoscopies now, I guess I also need something to boost the color of my quickly-fading red hair. Fun fact: natural redheads don’t go grey until much later than other people (my grandpa was in his 80s before he was mostly grey); what happens is the color fades over time, starting around 30. By now, and especially in the middle of winter, my natural color is kinda meh, and even with the color conditioner I’ve recommended in the past (and still recommend!), the boost of color only lasts a few days. I needed something longer-lasting but wouldn’t cost $200 and hours of my time at the salon. Enter: Kristin Ess The One Signature Hair Gloss – Copper Penny. I knew nothing about this, but it was cheap enough to take a gamble on, and I’m so glad I did. One application brings my hair back to the color it was 20 years ago, instantly brightening my face and my mood, and the color lasts 3-4 weeks. I’m on my fourth use and so happy with it. I can’t speak to the other colors or products, but if you are looking for a copper color gloss to try at home, look no further (and if you’ve tried any of their other glosses, let us know what you thought!).

No-bake energy ball recipe
Every week I make a batch of either granola bars or energy balls that are easy treats/snacks to grab when hunger and cravings hit. Lately, I’ve been making this recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Love and Lemons (who always has the tastiest healthy recipes). I’m a fan of this recipe for energy balls because it uses only a few ingredients (and nothing too expensive or hard to find), and it’s super filling, delicious, and easily adaptable to personal taste and dietary needs. After indulging over the holidays, these energy balls have totally curbed by sweet tooth cravings. Now if only something could cure me of my desire to eat a loaf of bread and guzzle a bottle of wine every couple days…

What about you? Anything new you’re enjoying that’s getting you through winter?