As I have bone in my search to do less and have less, I have confronted one leg with a crossroads: what I need and what I don’t. The classification needs versus the WAG can be a complicated business, similar to the classification of the opinions that others have of you compared to the new ones you have of yourself: murky territory for people of a lifetime. Where do I start and who should be in the end?Here is the link between our poor perceived quality and how we spend. And it is one of the reasons why my relationship…
Rohan Desai
Changing favorite readings is my favorite social currency form. I reversed some really special books this year and felt that it was the right time to compile a list of those who remained in my mind long after reading the last page. My criteria for what makes a reading worthy of sharing extends beyond simply like the book. Many of these authors made me feel uncomfortable and apprehensive, and this is how I like it, but that does not mean that I do not enjoy an escapist book.Today I am sharing a brief and incomplete list of the books that…
Photographic tasks in my home as part of a collaboration with West Elm.There are people in my life who are the most wonderful, always reflective, always unique, always successful gift donors. I learned some lessons of thesis and family friends about how to be an excellent gift of gifts, and I share with you today. These gift ideas apply to any occasion, from vacations to birthdays and every small intermediate celebration. This is to share significant gifts with the people we love.5 ways of being a great gift of gifts1. Listen all year, or start now!People tell you what they…
Here is, our Gift Guide of 2024 Christmas! 51 ideas for Reflective, unique and memorable gifts. The best gifts are what they say I understand and love that little strange thing of you. I have divided each section into wide categories and I have included a small note what kind of person would you like to recite each element. Happy parties! That we can give and receive the love we need.Buy all my Christmas gift guide 2024 selections below. Gifts below $ 501. Designer’s toothbrush, $ 24. For a little nostalgia, combine it with an invoice of $ 20 as…
Earlier this year, I shared the first publication of our Wit & Delight Entertaining series, “how to organize an informal dinner.” This series is a collaboration between my Lisa friend. Both eager hosts, we wanted to share ideas for entertainment that are accessible and special at the same time. I am very excited about our second entertainment delivery: the dessert party!Life is full in the week before the end of the year. Finding time to connect with friends and family can fall on the side, especially for those in a season in which young children are part of their daily…
The holiday season is in full swing. To maintain my impulse expense under control, I began to maintain a long list and in execution of things that seem intriguing that I would love to have. I call it purchases without guilt because the success of the dopamine I receive when organizing my favorite products almost triumphs that press the purchase, it is if I follow it enough. Most of the elements in this list come from this process.Whether you are looking for gift ideas or reading just for fun, I hope you find something that caught your attention. Here is…
With the correct intentions year after year, why do we fail in our resolutions? I don’t know the answering machine, but I have two ideas. On the one hand, they are bold. There is nothing wrong with the big objectives, but to be sustainable, that last until the following year, the objectives must be feasible. Second, and I think this is the greatest culprit of what interrupts our success: we begin to pursue our goals without being aware of how our lives are currently seen or how we really spend our time.Knowing your habits puts it in the driver’s seat…
Two weeks after I hit publish on my 2023 recap last January, everything felt on the brink of falling apart. I could feel that the balance of my life—work, personal life, marriage, and my relationship with all of it—had been teetering on edge for a long, long time. However, I thought that if I acknowledged how I truly felt about it all, the delicate balance of my life would lose its shape, never to be reconstituted.We usually don’t face this circumstance unless there isn’t another option. It sits so profoundly in the dark that there isn’t a map. But we feel…
Sobriety is a deeply personal subject of often sensitive. The decision to adopt sobriety can express for many reasons: great in health, emotional healing and a mixture of the two. The reasons are exclusive to each individual and formed by their lived experiences. When some choose sobriety, they can bring emotions in others that may be fighting with their relationship with alcohol. Each story in sobriety is valid. I share my thoughts from my own trip, fully aware that my path can resemble yours. My experience does not define sobriety as a whole, nor decrease or invalidated yours. The data…
Photo by Stephanie Sunberg for Maria StanleyTime management and organization have never been natural to me. When life became aMaMangeabel, a constant since my second son arrived, I looked at experts. Not once I thought about listening to my own rhythm and body. Productivity, I thought, was something to dominate, not something to understand.Then I hit a wall.I was tired of feeling like that, so I stopped fighting with my own nature. I stopped receiving productivity advice from people who do not have ADHD.For years, I had my leg trying to contort myself in some that I was: structured, disciplined…
I see such a deep connection between our interior lives and the way physical movement creates space—not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Movement has been the foundation of my healing journey, and while my body may look different than it did a few years ago, it’s just a small reflection of the deep transformation I’ve experienced. When we move with intention, with presence, we start to feel what it’s like to really live in ourselves. To fully occupy who we are. That’s why I wanted to sit down with Berit Ahlgren, the founder of Sunna. She’s created something that’s…
Jammy Eggs With Pickled Leeks, Dill, Capers, Smoked Salmon, and Buttermilk Crème Fraîche ToastsThere’s something extra magical about winter weekends at the cabin. Slow mornings. Coffee by the fire. Long meals. No agenda. The simplicity of being in nature. My friend Lisa Hackwith and her partner have spent years hosting friends and family at their cabin on a small lake, and over time, Lisa has developed a creative approach to cooking that makes weekends feel both effortless and special. Instead of hauling a long grocery list up north and ultimately leaving food to waste, she embraces the challenge of using a…