20+ in 2024: what i bought in august
two-thirds through this challenge in will power and avoiding instagram ads
Hello! How are you? Is it starting to feel like fall where you are? In Brooklyn, I’m excited to report that mornings have begun to have a tinge of cool to them.
About two weeks ago, for the first time in months, I noticed I could cook in the kitchen without sweat literally running into my eyes. I could sleep without the A/C!
Fall is my season, and I’ll probably be doing some spooky-themed fall list (of what? I don’t know! Please comment if you have an idea you feel strongly about). But it’s also just a season that makes me joyful. I’m so glad it’s on the horizon.
So, let’s dive in to what I bought in August. . .
As you may remember, I went over my 20 items in July, so I was working with a grand total of 21 items.
Honestly, August was busy with working out, job applications, the general anxiety of anticipating a loss of income as my contracted work was probably coming to an end—turns out, I have it for a few more weeks and it’s just enough to cover my rent and my day-to-day needs, which is both something I’m grateful for, but I’m operating on “survival budget” mode with pretty limited indulgences.
That being said, I turned 32, and I made an allotment of one birthday gift to myself. Should this go on the list? Maybe, but I’m giving myself one free pass. What was it, exactly?
the birthday present
I bought the new tour edition of Happier Than Ever, the Billie Eilish CD, which includes some unique tracks. I love Billie as a musician, but I hadn’t ever listened to this whole CD, and it’s so good! I don’t know that I excepted anything else, but it’s also nice to hear the evolution of her music. I’ve listen to her since the release of Bellyache and Ocean Eyes, but it’s something different to listen to the albums straight through, multiple times, in contrast with each other. It’s still frequently melancholy, but there’s this depth, this new perspective, that feels so refreshing and I enjoy it, especially since I’ve spent a lot of time listening to Hit Me Hard and Soft, and I can chart the journey between these two albums.
gifts of bounty
I was also gifted some wonderful things, like a membership to the New York Botanical Garden. I went there with my dad and my fiancé, and while there, they offered me an annual membership minus the ticket purchase I’d made—effectively offering me an annual membership, which includes free admission for two people and advance ticketing to some of their wonderful events, at more than 50% off. My dad graciously got this for me.
I also received Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly, which I’m so excited to cook my way through. I borrowed this from the library and tried a few things from it, and loved it, and my partner kindly gifted it to me for my birthday. I am very selective about cookbooks, but there are tons of process-type recipes in this book (things to do whenever you prepare a certain food, rather than just in one recipe), and I’m really looking forward to indulging in this book.
Lastly, I received two very amazing pieces of cookware: a sauté pan and a stockpot made by my favorite cookware company, Made In. These were generously gifted to me by family, and I cannot wait for them to arrive and put them to work. (I’m planning on making some bone broth from scratch and some sort of chicken recipe so far.) I will follow up with a deep-dive on these pieces as I enter the fall deep-home-cooking phase of this year, especially as I try a few of Sohla’s recipes. Side note: are people into cooking chatter? I’m happy to talk more about this, if people won’t be super bored by it! Let me know!!
I am very excited for a few pieces coming down the pipe, and I cannot wait to share them with you as soon as they’re ready. Thank you so much for reading.
If there’s anything on your mind about purchases, slow living, anti-consumerism, or anything related. . .leave a comment! Let’s talk about it. :-)