I used to save praise for big wellness wins. Lose the weight. Run the whole morning. Fix the kitchen. Meanwhile the small stuff was happening all the time, and I wasn’t noticing.
These days I collect the small stuff. A color I love. A line that makes me laugh out loud at the kitchen counter. A drawer that finally feels new. Here’s what I’m keeping for this week.
1. A podcast that stays funny and honest
How great is Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang? Her recent interviews with Mindy Kaling and Matt Damon are full of behind-the-scenes gems.
Remember that chilling scene in The Talented Mr. Ripley? Matt Damon says: “I hated [Philip Seymour Hoffman] so much that day. It was like a f*cking Marvel superhero coming out of him… And we liked each other! You know what I mean? But that was not in the room.”
That kind of honesty is rare in entertainment. I find it restorative, like a long walk at the end of the day.
2. A salon pedicure in a shade I could live in
I got a salon pedicure the other day — the first time in, can I say, years? I was in a rush, so I went with Fast Track Cherry by Dazzle Dry. It turned out to be such a gorgeous color that I’m almost writing a whole entry around it. (Their pink is great too — I keep meaning to get it.)
I’ve had their at-home kit for a while, and readers keep telling me it’s worth it. In a salon you get the color done properly, and that one hour is the only ceremony I can reliably sustain. A small ritual, not a big upgrade.
3. An empty-nester dog with an extremely good name
A friend just got what she calls an “empty-nester dog.” Her name — wait for it — is Miss California 2025.
“I’m not usually a dog person,” my friend says, “but I’m in love with her.”
I think that’s the most relatable dog-ownership sentence I’ve heard all year. My kitchen timer is more invested in that dog than either of them, and I’m not judging.
4. The best observation by a middle-school kid this year
My son ran into an old friend who’d clearly had a major growth spurt. His deep thought, delivered deadpan: “Bro, this is the only time in life where you don’t see a friend for six months and they suddenly have a beard.”
I laughed so hard I nearly knocked my mug over. That’s his level. And it’s exactly the kind of thing I want out of our house every day.
5. A fresh drawer of 12 pairs (the world’s comfiest knickers, allegedly)
Every couple of years, I retire all my battered underwear and start fresh. I just swapped mine for 12 new pairs from Stripe & Stare multipacks — the “world’s comfiest knickers,” apparently. They are. I went with black, sand, and neon, just to keep one small dose of personality in there.
Fit notes I keep sending to friends: sizing runs true across all their multipacks, so if one size works for you once, it’ll work the next time. I went mid-rise because it sits comfortably at my waist, and the neon is for the days I don’t want to think about my outfit at all.
The 80/20 version of a good week
I don’t always make lists. But when I do, I’m trying to keep them small and aim for “good enough,” not “perfect.” A podcast that stays honest. A glossy red that catches light on the kitchen counter. A kid’s quote that asks the question I never dared to ask. A drawer that feels new. That’s the 80/20 of a life that works.
What have you been enjoying lately? Share your favorite comfort find in the comments — I read all of them, and I keep the best ones.
Note: if you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely like.
A note from Hazel
I’m not sure why I wait years between pedicures. But I’m also not ashamed of it. The bigger goals still sit on the shelf, and this week the small ones were enough. That’s the whole thesis.