Issue #76: 15 Things and Routines I've Loved for 5+ Years

My tried and true.

Morning Person is a weekly newsletter packed with obsessively-curated recommendations and ideas—let’s get to it!

💕 “Meet Cute” Mini Rom-Coms: Rom-Coms and romance novels are having a resurgence, and I’m all for it. I’ve already scheduled a Galentine’s Day double-feature to watch ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ and ‘Your Place or Mine’ (out Friday!) and have been diving into Meet Cute’s series of feel-good stories about love. Each series is broken down into six parts with 15-minute bite-sized episodes that make for a quick and fun listen. For something sexier, I’m also loving the audio stories on Vibes Only and

Heartbeat

and have many more recs in this issue all about sex. Speaking of, I am still in a full-blown love affair with Miley and Shakira’s new songs—just added them to the playlist of empowering breakup songs I’ve been building since college.

🦐 Colu Henry’s Smoky and Spicy Shrimp with Anchovy Butter and Fregola: The conversation during breaks from my evening classes almost always deviates toward food. Hungry for the dinners we’ll eat once released at 8:30, we share intel on quick, cheap bowls, restaurants still open for takeout, and the impressive meals partners are cooking—which is how I came across the NYT maple and miso sheet-pan salmon that led me into a deep dive of Colu Henry’s elegant yet homecook-friendly recipes (and playful Substack,

COLU COOKS

!). On Sunday, I made Colu’s smoky shrimp, a one-pan dish where fregola is cooked in a butter spiced with anchovies, garlic, and tomatoes. You can officially consider me a super-fan: Her cookbook is at the top of my list of books to pick up on my next Powell’s run.

📺 “Extraordinary” on Hulu: This new British comedy series hits a similar vein of humor and brashness as “Lovesick” and “Fleabag” (which is to say, I loved it). It takes place in a contemporary version of London where nearly everyone receives a superpower at eighteen. Jen is still waiting for hers at 25, but her best friend (who can commune with the dead) ) and boyfriend (who can rewind) are committed to helping her discover hers in this bsweet spin on a coming-of-age story.

My life at 30 may look nothing like life at 25, but certain items and routines have stood the test of time. In my twenties, I tested everything, in part for my job, but also because I was trying things on to see what fit. My breakfast changed most mornings, I rotated through new clothes alarmingly fast, and I used twenty beauty products to get ready where I now use only three. In an industry that’s built largely around trends and the “discovery” of new products, I’m rarely surprised by the question, “Do you still use/love [insert product]??” Here are 15 things I’ve been using and loving for the past five-plus years. Consider these my tried and true:

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