Fluffy therapy

Squishmallows and softness

I have a confession.

Sometimes I go to Kmart and hug the squishmallows.

There’s a big cage full of them and they are so weird and funny and cute.

I’m usually there buying kids’ birthday presents so it’s not as creepy as it sounds but it is therapeutic.

Ditto to all the warm, fluffy items in the house at the moment. The daggy dressing gown. The Uggs. The crocheted blankets and Dolores, our darling cat.

If summer is all about Zooper Doopers and watermelon, winter is all about cocooning in the softest, cosiest way.

When the outdoors is harsh, we all need a gentle haven to slow down and rest.

Pop on a moisturising Halloween-style sheet mask, heat up your wheat pack and snuggle up until the wind drops and the outdoors beckon again.

Watching

Stick

Down-on-his-luck ex-pro golfer, Pryce (played by Owen Wilson), discovers wunderkind golfer, Santi, at the local driving range.

In the same vein as Hustle, the Adam Sandler movie about a talent scout that throws everything into a rough diamond player, Stick is as much about backstory and psychology as it is about golf.

The real question is: Can you ever come back from public humiliation and major loss to reclaim your story?

With comic side-kicks and plenty of heart, Stick picks up where Ted Lasso left off. Watch on Apple TV.

Yoga with Kassandra

I’ve been feeling utterly wrecked lately so I’ve decided to do something about it.

First: Rest. Eat more veggies. Drink less wine. Read a book. Have a bath, nap or meditate.

Second: Get back into yoga. Instead of schlepping to classes in the cold, I’ve started doing 15 minute YouTube classes with Kassandra (and her cat). She’s absolutely lovely and the experience is not that different to being at a class (except the smell - less sweaty foot, more musty carpet).

Watch on YouTube.

Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee

This show is blatantly ridiculous but so fun to watch. Comedians battle it out in absurd games and spelling competitions where the big lols come from improv humour. Watch on ABC.

Joan

Been wondering what Sansa Stark (aka Sophie Turner) has been up to?

Turns out she’s become a jewel thief.

Take a little trip back to 1980s London (with excellent art direction - the hair! The make-up!) and follow the antics of Joan (based on the true story of Joan Hannington), a single mum who finds herself in a tough spot financially.

She tries the obvious route (get a job) but her wild, risk-taking side gets the better of her and voila - she becomes a classy crook with a killer ‘80s wardrobe, very few scruples and a world of trouble.

Watch it on Stan.

Reading

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Over the long weekend, I wanted to switch my brain off completely so I dug into my beach read pile and unearthed this gem.

Sally Hepworth, like Liane Moriarty, has a solid grasp of the intricacies of family and marital relationships, and the nuance of close communities.

This story follows two couples whose lives collide disastrously at The Drop, a renowned suicide spot in a small, coastal town.

With all the intrigue, insight and detail that make Hepworth’s domestic thrillers so relatable, this is a fun, easy read that keeps you on the hook until the very end.

Listening

Caamp - Millions

Cooking

Coconut and lentil soup

I’m in love with this soup. It’s like a warm hug in a bowl and is loosely based on dahl recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 x tin each of brown lentils, tomatoes and coconut cream

• Fresh garlic and ginger - lots, chopped finely

• Carrot, celery, spinach, potatoes and corn - chopped

• 3 x chicken stock cubes

• A generous glob of butter for sautéing

• 2 x heaped tsp curry powder

• A packet of pre-cooked brown rice and quinoa

• Toasted mustard seeds (optional)

Sauté the garlic and ginger in butter, chuck in the veggies, coconut cream, lentils and tomatoes, rice, stock cubes and curry powder.

Add a bit of Maggi Seasoning, miso or soy sauce if it’s too bland. Add some toasted mustard seeds if you have some. It might also need a splash of water to loosen it up a bit.

Cook for about 20 mins and you’re done!

Hope you have a wonderful week, my loves.

Stay warm!

Love,
Em xx