![\"easy](\"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/pickled_onions-1-680x1020.jpg\")
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On New Year\u2019s Day, Daniel asked me if we should just go ahead and keep the Christmas decorations up until my birthday on the 25th. \u201cOh no way,\u201d I told him, smirking at the thought of it. \u201cThat\u2019ll be much too late.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well well well here we are, 19 days into January, and it\u2019s as merry as ever at our house. I realize now that if putting up the decorations is holly and jolly, then taking them down is the exact opposite, which is to say\u2014it\u2019s hell. Just the kind of hell that I currently have on my to-do list.<\/p>\n
Another line item on my to-do list: plan all the ways we need to baby-proof this house. For a few weeks now, James has been rolling over from his back to his tummy (and rolling and rolling and rolling). It’s adorable and he has the time of his life while doing it. Me though? I’m having a heart attack. <\/p>\n
To All the Moms I\u2019ve Ignored Before<\/a> by Meaghan O\u2019Connell \u201cI\u2019m sure the Virgin Mary had Jesus Christ himself and then turned to one of the Magi and was like, \u201cGuys. Breastfeeding does not come naturally or easily. No one talks about this.\u201d Elizabeth, who\u2019d had St. John the Baptist a few months earlier, was probably sitting there exasperated, rolling her eyes like, Mary. Remember? I was just complaining to you about little Johnny\u2019s shallow latch. You have to squeeze your boob and make it like a hamburger. Weren\u2019t you listening?<\/p>\n The thing is, she probably was listening, or at least half-listening. She just hoped it would be different for her.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u2018Yeah, I\u2019m Not for Everyone.\u2019 Lena Dunham comes to terms with herself.<\/a> The Dream<\/a> Believed<\/a> I\u2019ve always been a huge fan of documentaries but now I\u2019m in deeper than ever. They\u2019re almost all I watch these days. The problem is that it seems I\u2019m ONLY selecting ones that break my heart. It’s true and, I don’t know…maybe strange and masochistic, I guess. The subjects vary, but it\u2019s as if I\u2019m filtering for ones that at best, affect me for days and at worst, make me lose faith in humanity (I wish I were being hyperbolic). There is just so much pain in the world\u2014now and always. Pain and sadness that I can’t even begin to explain or make sense of, but that I know must be the true definition of unbearable. And on one hand, seeing the hard things that have occurred or are occurring now feels like a responsibility, and on the other, I can feel them breaking me down, little by little. Is it clear that I’m really easy breezy? I may have lost you by now. Anyway, these are two I’ve seen recently that, while tremendously upsetting, didn’t<\/em> kill off a piece of my soul (again, I am so.much.fun.): <\/p>\n There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane<\/a> White Right<\/a> I know I know, WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND SLEEPWEAR?! You\u2019re right and I\u2019m almost done! Listen, I\u2019ve had about a dozen bathrobes in the past 15 years (some higher end, some on clearance at TJ Maxx) and this one is the best by a mile. It\u2019s unbelievably cozy, with soft jersey on the outside and a plush fleece on the inside. It hits at the knee (the ideal robe length), available in multiple colors, and even comes in plus sizes. It\u2019s not cheap, but I\u2019ve washed mine many, many times and it holds up well.<\/p>\n The Ordinary Skincare<\/a> \nA two percent salicylic acid treatment solution with witch hazel for blemish-prone skin. This two percent treatment solution helps exfoliate skin, fighting the appearance of blemishes and for better visible skin clarity with continued use.<\/em><\/p>\n \nA hydrating formula with ultra-pure, vegan hyaluronic acid. This formulation combines low, medium, and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, as well as a next-generation H.A. crosspolymer at a combined concentration of two percent for multi-depth hydration. <\/em><\/p>\n AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution<\/a> Legacy Box<\/a> Skinny Pizza Dough<\/a> (5 WW points for 1 serving) On New Year\u2019s Day, Daniel asked me if we should just go ahead and keep the Christmas decorations up until …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[999],"tags":[1182],"class_list":["post-16608","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-what-i-love-this-week"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andiemitchell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nIt\u2019s a rare and special thing to come across an article that makes you feel compelled to read every last thing that the writer has ever written, but that\u2019s how I feel after this article, by Meaghan O\u2019Connell. The subject matter is hilariously\u2014embarrassingly\u2014poignant, and O\u2019Connell has a stunner of a voice. All of it is just.so.damn.good. For instance:<\/p>\n
\nI loved Lena Dunham\u2019s show, Girls<\/em>, so much. And for a long time, I liked Dunham herself. I found her to be so interestingly and satisfyingly precise in the way she articulated her humor\u2014particularly in the way she depicts self-absorption (a big part of Girls<\/em>). But in the past couple of years, I\u2019ve struggled to maintain that fondness for her, and not for ALL of the reasons that people frequently cite when talking about why they\u2019re turned off by her, but there\u2019s enough there to leave me feeling, I guess, troubled. This profile piece in The Cut explores that murkiness that many of us feel\u2014that ambivalence\u2014between enjoying the things that make her unique and lovable and shaking our heads in disbelief at the things she does.<\/p>\nLISTEN<\/h3>\n
\nI\u2019ll venture a guess that each of us knows *at least* one person involved in multi-level marketing. I know well over a dozen, which is likely why I found this season of The Dream fascinating. It\u2019s an exploration into the often murky (and intentionally misleading) world of \u201cpyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, and all the other businesses that require their members to recruit their nearest and dearest in hopes of a commission.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThis podcast is disturbing and at many points, hard to listen to. Still, it\u2019s important and worthwhile. The subject: How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades? Believed is an inside look at how a team of women won a conviction in one of the largest serial sexual abuse cases in U.S. history. It’s also an unnerving exploration of how even well-meaning adults can fail to believe.<\/p>\nWATCH<\/h3>\n
\nFor a number of reasons (the most significant being that I have a child), I was completely rattled by this story of Diane Schuler, a suburban mom who drove the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway (upstate NY) and crashed head-on into an SUV, killing herself and seven others. The documentary deals with the events leading up to the crash and the aftermath, when toxicology reports revealed that Schuler had THC in her system and a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. Meanwhile, her family and friends maintained that the reports couldn\u2019t be accurate\u2014she was the perfect mother and wife, they said repeatedly. You can watch it on Amazon here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nEmmy Award-winning filmmaker Deeyah Khan joins the frontline of the race wars in America, sitting down face-to-face with Neo-Nazis and fascists and marching with them at the biggest and most violent Far Right rally in recent years. Khan, who received death threats from the Far Right movement after giving a TV interview advocating diversity and multiculturalism, tries to get behind the hatred and the violent ideology, to try to understand the personal reasons why people embrace racist extremism. You can watch it on Netflix here<\/a>. Or start by watching the\u00a0trailer here<\/a>.<\/p>\nWEAR<\/h3>\n
\nThe older I get, the more I enjoy taking good care of my skin. Masks, serums, dermaplaning\u2014they\u2019ve come to feel like nourishing little rituals for me. But the deeper I dive into the world of skincare and anti-aging, the more money I tend to spend. So many of the highest rated and most sought-after products carry $100+ price tags. Not The Ordinary though, a company whose motto is: “Clinical formulations with integrity.” I\u2019d add \u201cand *ridiculously* affordable prices\u201d because most of their products are only $5 or $6. Here are my favorites so far:<\/p>\n
\n10-minute exfoliating mask
\nAlpha hydroxy acids (AHA) exfoliate the skin’s topmost surface for a brighter and more even appearance. Beta hydroxy acids (BHA) also exfoliate the skin with an extended function to help clear pore congestion. This combined 32% AHA\/BHA solution offers deeper exfoliation to help fight visible blemishes and for improved skin radiance.<\/em><\/p>\nFIND<\/h3>\n
\nIf you’re like me, you have a few big plastic storage tubs full of old photos and VHS tapes with all your family videos. For years I’ve said I need to scan the photos and digitize the tapes, but when? How? My printer\/scanner is shabby quality at best. And there are hundreds of photos! Well, I found my solution: Legacy Box\u2014the company that will do all of it for you.<\/p>\nMAKE<\/h3>\n
\nSheet Pan Gnocchi and Roasted Vegetables<\/a>
\nSaut\u00e9ed Spinach With Garlic<\/a>
\nBrussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese<\/a> (389 cals\/serving)
\nVeggie sandwich<\/a>
\nStuffed Sweet Potatoes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"