I’m still on my positive-vibes-only kick, so let’s talk about random things I’m currently obsessed with (that makes life feel a little more bearable). Be warned: when I say ‘random’, I mean RANDOM.

Lyons Irish Breakfast Tea

The thing I have to explain upfront is that I am a former Diet Coke girlie (that is to say, a decades-long DC ride-or-die) who switched to coffee last year. Coincidentally, or not, it happened around the time I got serious about writing, and coffee is now ingrained in my writing routine. For most of that time, I’ve stuck to iced coffee, but recently I’ve rediscovered the joy that is Irish Breakfast tea – specifically Lyons.

Making regular (hot) coffee at home is a hassle to me*, but brewing a cup of Lyons is easy peasy – it comes in disposable tea bags. And if you steep it for 3-4 minutes, it’s almost as dark and flavourful as coffee, except less bitter, which I prefer. I add milk (the protein-rich kind, which is almost like cream) and one of my coffee syrups (see below) as sweetener and voila: the perfect cup of hot not-coffee that feels like drinking coffee (to someone who loves iced coffee, LOL!).

If you’re tempted to try this at home, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to make sure you get Lyons, not some other brand, if you want that put-hair-on-your-chest experience. I have been reliably informed that other brands’ Irish Breakfast teas are much weaker (so that you would need several tea bags to get the same amount of flavour).

[*I don’t have the equipment and don’t want to spend money on it. I buy the Costco brewed coffee for making my iced coffee, and that’s the kind of convenience I love.]

Coffee Syrups

This goes along with the item above, but also with my love of iced coffee. I used to put flavoured creamer in my coffee to sweeten it (and I like it very sweet, lol) until I discovered coffee syrups. Sugar-free and fun flavours? Sign me up! Plus, if you buy them at Winners like I do, they’re hella cheap. The brand I buy most often is Matteo, and my fave flavours are Caramel Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cup, and Dark Chocolate Orange. I tell you, I have the palate of a toddler. Peanut Butter Cup goes really well with my Lyons tea, but I think I’m going to try some sort of Mocha flavour next, to really give my Irish Breakfast that extra coffee kick.

Nest Lychee Rose Perfume

I have always had a weakness for rose-forward perfumes. It’s one of my fave notes. A while back, I spent many months searching for the perfect ‘jammy rose’ perfume. I ended up with a few fragrances I love, but none that completely scratched that itch. Well, a few weeks ago, I randomly found a travel size of Lychee Rose at Winners for $17 and thought “why not try it.” Readers, I’m obsessed. It’s the perfect sweet (but not cloying) jammy rose. I spray it before bed most nights now, and it dries down overnight to a beautiful soft rose so I wake up smelling like … well, you get it.

I’m so happy that I snapped up two (travel) vials of this when I had the chance, because I have a feeling the first one won’t last long. And the downside of Winners is that you’re never guaranteed to find the same amazing bargain twice. As much as I love this perfume, I’m not sure I can bring myself to pay full retail price for it 🙁

But let this be your PSA: do not sleep on Winners’ beauty and make-up aisles. It’s where I buy almost all of my skincare because you can find everything from sold-at-Sephora brands to Korean brands for a fraction of the price.

Ring Stack

With the exception of my engagement ring/trinity band combo, I don’t really wear any jewelry on a daily basis. Or, I should say, I didn’t used to. Because now I have this stack … and I am obsessed. I never take it off*. The gold (wedding) band belonged to my dad, and he gave it to me after my mom passed away to keep for my kids; I started wearing it and now it’s too sentimental to take off.

The other two rings I thrifted on the same day and I have a feeling they were always meant to be worn together. I mean, they just look made for each other, don’t they? The only markings on them is a 925 stamp, but I suspect they are vermeil or gold-filled because the finish hasn’t worn off even a little bit after months and months of daily use (even after I stopped taking them off in the shower). I’m especially impressed that none of the small stones in the band have fallen out or been damaged; they go all the way around, and in the past I was always worried about damage with this particular style. I only wish I knew the designer or brand who made them because I love both the aesthetic and the quality so, so much.

These rings have completely sold me on the benefits of fine/semi-fine jewelry. I love being able to wear pieces every day without worrying about taking them off to do daily activities, or else risking tarnish and damage.

[* unless my fingers are doing their weird thing where they randomly shrink in size and then I have to take all my rings off because they swivel too much and drive me crazy. I think it’s connected somehow to my Reynaud’s, but I’m not sure. Aren’t bodies weird and grand?]

I was reminded this week that life doesn’t conform to nice, neat, expected narratives. I published my second book, but instead of a big celebration – or even the usual transitory feeling of relief that is my AuDHD brain’s response to accomplishments – you know what I got this week? An absolutely paralyzing sense of self-doubt, the likes of which I haven’t experienced since, oh, my first forays into the query trenches, maybe. If my books weren’t already ‘out there’, I would probably not have the nerve to publish them in my current state. Lovely, right?

You might think it’s not a big deal – after all, they’ve been written and published and exist – but it kind of is. Because this is a critical time for marketing (more so than usual, and it’s always important) and it feels impossible to do anything of the sort in my current frame of mind. Like, I want to hide myself and my books, not throw us into the spotlight. I’m also supposed to start working on a new book and, well, you can probably guess how that’s going. (Hint, it’s not.)

I’m not saying this to invite pity but merely to share the reality behind a situation that might seem fun and glamorous from the outside. Does being an indie author seem glamorous? OK, maybe not … but you know what I mean.

Thank God for a few distractions! Last weekend, I rejigged my streaming subscriptions and signed up for a free trial of AcornTV so I could finally catch up on Midsomer Murders. My timing was impeccable! This was my comfort show a while back, and guess what? It still delivers. Once I finish the new seasons I haven’t seen before, I’m probably going to do a whole series rewatch from season 1.

There was also happy book mail this week when my secondhand copy of EF Benson’s Secret Lives arrived. It’s such a shame that most of his books appear to be out of print and/or difficult to get. After bingeing Mapp & Lucia, I needed another fix of witty, delightful slice-of-life shenanigans. I haven’t finished Secret Lives yet, but it’s a hoot (though, perhaps, not the same perfection as the Mapp & Lucia books). Bonus points for featuring a main character who is a prolific romance writer.

My other major distraction this week was the internet brouhaha over Lindy West’s new book, Adult Braces, her profile by Scaachi Koul in Slate, and her partners’ email responses to that Slate article. I am not a major reader of confessional memoirs, so this is not a book for me, even though I adored Lindy’s Sh*t, Actually and appreciated her perspective and writing in The Witches Are Coming. But as someone who’s floated on the periphery of the same online spaces (starting from the Jezebel years), it’s been really fascinating to watch this discourse unfold. In many ways, this feels like very much like early 2010s internet drama – which is oddly nostalgic! But it also had serious/dark undertones, and it gave me a lot of food for thought: about the boundaries between memoir (testimony) and fiction (narrative), the boundaries between writer and audience, and about what feminism means (and looks like in practice) in 2026.

The discourse also made me think (again) about my own choices and boundaries, as someone who’s been personal blogging for almost twenty years. Deciding what to share, and how much, is like walking a tightrope. To foster authentic connection, which I value, some degree of openness (and the vulnerability that comes with it) is necessary. But I also value my privacy, and there many parts of myself and my life that I find difficult to share even with my closest friends. And, then again, I despise falsity – whether intentional, by omission, etc. – and that also informs my choices about what and how I share things online. I want to be a real person on the internet, and not a persona or brand, while also being a private person. I think that I’ve mostly succeeded; at least, I feel generally comfortable with the choices/compromises I’ve made. It’s possible that I could have been more successful had I made different choices, but I don’t think the compromises would have been worthwhile to me.

Anyway, if you’ve also been following the Adult Braces saga this week, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Have a great weekend!

I saw a Reel recently where someone was making a case for an upcoming Golden Age of Thrift. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I believe that the Golden Age of Thrift is past. I thought this creator’s argument was interesting, but ultimately unpersuasive. Basically, their premise was that large numbers of boomers are on the verge of downsizing or riding off into the sunset (sorry, can’t think of a nicer euphemism) and all their nice sh*t is about to hit thrift store. I don’t quarrel with the first part of that premise, but I question the second. There is a host of systemic reasons why I don’t think boomers’ nice sh*t is going to end up in thrift stores, at least not in large enough quantities to represent a Golden Age for the average thrifter. Most of them are too depressing to talk about, and certainly would deserve their own separate post.

I mention this because it does offer a glimmer of hope (and in dark times, we need all of those we can get) even if I think it’s unrealistically optimistic. And I want to focus on the positives in this post. As we are finally coming out of a long winter – and whatever the hell the first 90 days of 2026 have been – I am looking for reasons to feel excited and enthusiastic. And thrifting is something I want to feel excited about again.

So here’s a list of the things I’m looking forward to thrifting in 2026 … which is really just an excuse for me to gas myself up about hitting up the thrift stores again like it’s 2019. [If only. Sigh.]

Perfumes

I haven’t talked about perfumes in a long time here, but I’ve been adding – very, very slowly – to my collection over the past couple of years, so the passion has never died out. And, lately, it’s been rekindled. Other than the perfume(s) that my dad buys me for my birthday and/or Christmas – which is ‘our thing’ – I am not looking to purchase any new ones. Rather, I am excited to see what gems I might stumble upon at the thrift stores.

This is especially so because my personal scent ‘nose’ gravitates towards older perfumes; most of my faves are fragrances from the late 90s through the late 2000s. Many of them have been discontinued … but they do occasionally end up at the thrifts. Sometimes full bottles, or nearly full bottles. A quick sniff is enough to tell if the juice is still good (and most perfumes can last decades if stored properly, away from direct light).

Books & Media

Books are a perennial thrift category favourite of mine, and recently I’ve been expanding into other media, specifically DVDs. And more specifically, DVDs of my fave TV shows. I am so sick and tired of the proliferation of the subscription model*, especially when it comes to movies and shows, and I want to rebuild my media library. Of course, my book library is an ongoing pet project of mine. I am a huge fan and supporter of public libraries (and use our local one regularly, alongside my book-obsessed daughter) but I also love the comfort, convenience, and security of having my own (non-digital) library. It’s my version of ‘living off-grid’, haha!

[*Again, I could write a whole separate post about this – and my fears that we are on a slippery slope towards a system where the average person owns nothing and has to pay a fee to enjoy basic amenities – but that one would be a bummer too.]

Silver Jewelry

Last year, I made a conscious decision to stick to buying only fine and semi-fine jewelry moving forward. Basically, I want pieces that last and that I can pass on to my kids. Of course, that means buying (a lot) less and sticking mainly with secondhand. Gold tends to be overpriced at thrifts, so I’m focusing on sterling silver pieces. Prices on silver jewelry have also gone up, but with patience, it is possible to find decent bargains. My faves are rings – I love stacking pieces, in particular. My holy grail is chunkier silver necklaces and pendants, but those tend to be rare finds.

Vintage Ralph Lauren

I mean … you’re not surprised, right? I don’t really need more clothes, but I have RL in a different category altogether. I am a collector of vintage pieces that feel representative of the brand’s ethos and heritage. Rarer than hen’s teeth at the thrifts these days, but I’ll never stop hunting for them.

Collectibles

Speaking of my collections … when I say “collectibles”, I am referring to my own personal niche interests – mostly stuff like MCM pottery, dishware, Pendleton blankets, and stuff like that. This is a category I used to love thrifting, and had a lot of success with, but the finds have slowed down to trickle in the last couple of years. Nowadays, it’s so disheartening to see rows and rows of shelves filled with Winners and Dollarama mass-produced home décor items. But I am determined to keep at it, wade through all the junk, and hopefully find and ‘rescue’ some vintage gems again.

Specific Items

I meant it when I said that I don’t really need more clothes … but there are a couple of items that I am still actively, and specifically, looking for:

• Vintage jeans: I’m still on the hunt for that perfectly fitting pair of vintage CK jeans. My size has changed a bit in the last year, so I’ve been on a journey to update my jeans line-up. The hardest thing to find has been a good pair of straight-leg jeans. I think vintage would be my best bet, but I haven’t found that perfect pair just yet.
• Brown cowboy boots: yes, I am still looking for a pair. Hopefully 2026 will be the year!

OK, your turn: what do you hope the thrift gods will send your way in 2026?