With nothing but time at home on our hands, many of us are realizing that HAVING more time doesn’t necessarily equal doing MORE. Some of us (ahem, me) need this time to adjust to our new normal (aren’t you sick of hearing THAT phrase?). For me, the month of April was mostly about figuring out how to move through life with less stress.

Juggling the kids and work and meetings and this move has been more difficult than I’ve been willing to admit, mostly because there is no other way for us to get through this period other than to endure it. So last month, I focused on trying things that made life easier and more comfortable, from a sweatshirt + sweatpants set to new uses for veggie scraps, new uses for my old Apple Watch, and old shows that are new to me. 

Looking for more of my favorite finds? You can find all of my previous posts on this topic here.

WEAR

To Dye For Sweatshirt + Sweatpants Set

$95

It’s like being wrapped in a cloud of comfort while looking cool in the process. I bought the crewneck set and absolutely LIVED in these the first week I had them. They’re in the wash now and I miss them. They are currently sold out of sets but a restock will be happening, and sweatshirts are still available! They will also be launching shorts + tanks sets, bucket hats, and cropped crewnecks within the next few weeks—follow their Instagram for updates.

COOK

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

$21

This book blew my mind wide open. I sat down early one weekend morning with a cup of coffee and notepad and took myself through Samin’s mini culinary education. Part science, part technique, I learned what makes up the four main elements of the “perfect bite” and became reinspired to get back in the kitchen with my new understanding of how these elements can improve my instincts in the kitchen. This book is part of our W&D Cookbook Club if you are interested in joining!

WATCH

The Sopranos

Included with HBO, Hulu, or Amazon Account

I just finished season four. “Whitecaps” is probably one of the most emotionally moving episodes of television I have ever watched. Edie Falco…WOW. If you loved Mad Men and shows that really nail the mix of dark drama with great comedic timing, give this one a try. I put watching this show off for so long and it is truly a gift.

PLAN

Setting Alarms for Meeting Reminders on my Apple Watch

Included with an Apple Watch

Turns out a ten-minute meeting reminder is enough time for me to get completely absorbed in another task and forget to dial into my call. It happened so many times over the past month that I recently started setting alarms two minutes before each call. This small switch takes thirty seconds to implement and I don’t have to worry about missing another call for the rest of the day. This is the one thing I’ve found that Siri does well, IMO! If you don’t have an Apple Watch, you can definitely do this on your phone or desktop, too.

WALK

New Balance Made in US 990v5 Sneakers

$175

These are a splurge but I’ve hardly taken them off since I bought them. I’m back to doing my long morning walks and my Birkenstocks aren’t cutting it. I saw one of my favorite French fashion bloggers wearing these and decided to bite the bullet. While I do not look nearly as cool as she does, a new pair of kicks did boost my mood this month.

GROW

Growing My Own Scallions and Lettuce

(Almost) Free

I had no idea how fast and easy it could be to grow food on our kitchen counter. I saw a friend of mine share a picture of her countertop garden recently, so I grabbed a few empty Oui yogurt jars and started my own. The trick to propagating plants is to keep the water clean—change it every day while your coffee brews!

Editor’s Note: This article contains affiliate links. Wit & Delight uses affiliate links as a source for revenue to fund operations of the business and to be less dependent on branded content. Wit & Delight stands behind all product recommendations. Still have questions about these links or our process? Feel free to email us.

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.