The Smart Domestic – True Stories of Semi-Competent Adults

Hygge eats: An ode to tomato soup

February 6, 2017 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

By Katie Colt

Everyone we know these days is stressed. Unending reports of impending doomsday for anyone, everywhere, at any time, take up a lot of emotional space. For some, the world feels like it is on the edge of overwhelming tumult, and it’s a naturally protective measure to self-soothe and seek refuge.

Food has always been a comfort for me, each bite working to quiet my daily anxieties. It’s a fact* that warm, edible liquids make everything better. So for Hygge Week, I’m sharing my unabashed, unadulterated love for tomato soup. Allow me to present the case for tomato soup as the perfect hygge food.

It is a banquet for your senses. Tomato soup glows in a warm ember-red color that nudges you to eat it in front of the fire. Its smooth, earthy-fruity fragrance soothes your nostrils as the logs crackle and burn. Its velvety, rich texture is equally divine as the way it glimmers on your spoon before entering your mouth. The best tomato soup, a perfect marriage of tempered creaminess and acidity, tickles the taste buds before sliding down into one’s belly—like a Sade song for your gastrointestinal tract.**

Anything you add to it is made exponentially better. A perfectly pan-toasted Gouda grilled cheese? Dip it right in. Stale wheat toast onto which you melted questionable shredded cheese? Throw it in there. Avocado slices or a heaping spoonful of leftover guac add an extra element of heartiness. My personal favorite addition: Ready-made cheese tortellini. While the soup is simmering on the stove, toss those puppies in and cook until warm and tender. It’s an adult update on SpaghettiOs, and the bit of nostalgia in each bite makes my heart smile.***

It is also extremely satisfying by itself. Despite its ability to improve other ingredients, tomato soup needs no one. It is strong; it is independent. And it is filling, with no croutons or crackers required. Even though it feels like a guilty pleasure, it doesn’t have to be. (My grocery store favorite is Amy’s Organic Light in Sodium Chunky Tomato Bisque, a mouthful to say, but a mouthful you’ll thank yourself for consuming. It makes up for the lack of salt with a hint of sweet.) I never regret making myself a can for an easy, yet soul-satisfying lunch.

What foods bring you joy and warmth? Share your favorite hygge ideas with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (or here in the comments).

*Editor’s note: Apparently Katie has accepted the new American definition of “fact,” and I can’t disagree with this statement about warm foods.
**Editor’s note, again: Bet you didn’t see that line coming, huh? I definitely didn’t.
***Hey, it’s Suzanne here: I tried SpaghettiOs at some point a few months ago when my kid rejected them, and I’d much rather go for this adult take.

Katie Colt lives in Chicago with her husband and son James. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @katiebabyhorse for her musings on motherhood, music, and more.

Hygge decor: 7 ideas to help you forget your hatred of winter

February 1, 2017 by Suzanne 1 Comment

By Meryl Williams

I do not care for winter.

I do not care for it so much that I moved to a climate where I believed it would not touch me, but it turns out that the gray of the Pacific Northwest does worse for my mental health than snow. So now I’m back in my native Midwest! I have decided to embrace winter, and the hygge decor around my new apartment helps. (So has global warming and a very mild-weathered 2017, but that’s another story.)

If you’re feeling some cabin fever, hygge up your place with these decor ideas.

Fake fireplace cover:

The best-case scenario for a new place is that it comes with a working fireplace. The second-best case is that you get a really pretty non-working one. My apartment has the latter, so I like having a cover up against it to keep me from feeling sad about not actually being able to use it.

Tiny, white lights everywhere:

As we all know, tiny bright lights are for all of winter, not just the holidays. These ones I Scotch-taped to my fake fireplace are twee *and* offer a flattering soft lighting option. (Editor’s note from Suzanne: Bright Lab offers some cute ones!)

Cats on blankets:

So hygge. Go get you some cats.

Assorted coffee mugs, zero glassware:

Who needs gold-leaf-rimmed wine glasses when I have a perfectly good mug whose message leads people to believe I read more than I actually do? Coffee mugs make every beverage a winter beverage: Tea, LaCroix, root beer, you name it. Hygge. It. Up.

Stacks of books:

Speaking of literature, look at all these pretty library books I fully intend to read over winter, even though I know I’m just gonna end up re-reading all seven Harry Potter books instead! They make excellent decorations!

Cross stitches:

I did not make these! My talented sister-in-law did, and my apartment benefits from them. Not only are they adorable and politically in line with my views, but visitors constantly compliment them. (Editor’s note again: Here are two cute options to buy for your own home.)

Lots of dang foxes and birch trees:

Snow is terrible, but foxes attempting to dig through it are adorable. Pepper your home with IKEA birch tree branches and fox art, and you’ll forget how much you loathe January.

Have at it! May hygge get you through until spring!

Meryl Williams is a writer working on a collection of essays about learning to play roller derby. If you want to see more of her writing, sign up for The Sleeper Hit newsletter or find her on Twitter (@merylwilliams).

Hygge listening: Curl up, plug in, and pay attention to these podcasts

January 31, 2017 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

By Andrea Rogers

Hygge is all about taking pleasure in the small things and being present, so it might not immediately bring to mind your smartphone and earbuds.

But thanks to a boom in podcasting over the last couple years and a trend toward higher production values, better writing, and professional voice acting, I’m just as likely to listen to a podcast as read a book.

In honor of hygge week on The Smart Domestic, here are a few podcasts to savor.

You Must Remember This: Six Degrees of Joan Crawford

You Must Remember This is devoted to the untold stories of Hollywood. The creator, Karina Longworth, describes the most recent season, which focuses on Joan Crawford, as a “beach read.”

Imagine yourself lounging with a swanky old-time cocktail (a Paper Plane, perhaps?) listening to the scandalous exploits of Crawford, a self-made star who expertly used her sexuality, wit, and drive to conquer Hollywood. With great music, sound effects, and excellent narration, you’ll feel like you’ve been whisked back to the golden age of Hollywood.

Stranglers

Stranglers is my top podcast recommendation at the moment, and if you were a fan of Serial, you’ll love it. The show’s creator, Portland Helmich, takes on the case of the Boston Strangler, one of America’s most notorious serial murderers.

Through recordings, interviews, and re-enactments, Helmich peals back each layer of the case to reveal that it was likely multiple murderers who committed these crimes. She paints a detailed portrait of the terror that gripped the women of Boston at the time, and interweaves the perspectives of victims, law enforcement, and superstar defense attorney F. Lee Bailey (lawyer for O.J. Simpson and Patty Hearst) to create a story that will really suck you in.

The NoSleep Podcast

The NoSleep Podcast is a horror fiction show with several stories in each episode. Stories run anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes, and you’ll find some top talent among the writers and voice actors. Occasionally, the show will do an hour-long special edition. I highly recommend the Season 7 finale, “Borrasca.”

And sure, you can listen to NoSleep in the car or while you’re doing chores. But where’s the hygge in that? Turn down the lights, grab a blanket (you just might want to pull it over your head), and in the spirit of old-timey radio, enjoy these chilling stories.

In between watching horror movies and perfecting her eyeliner wings, Andrea Rogers tries to focus on adult pursuits including a career in PR and marketing, motherhood, and marriage. She blogs about the four Ms she likes most (music, movies, make-up and monsters) at mamawearscombatboots.com. Follow her on Twitter @andrearogers.

Photo by Alice Moore via Unsplash

Hygge reads: What to read that’s cozy and comforting

January 30, 2017 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

By Hillary Copsey

Nothing is cozier than a good book and a comfortable chair. I’d argue that’s all you really need for hygge, though sure, add in a blanket, a cup of tea, and an early twilight so you can flip pages in the warm glow of a reading lamp.

For maximum coziness, consider these books.

The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien:

Hobbits understand hygge, so consider the parts of this book set at Bag End in The Shire to be instructions for maximizing the comfort of your own home. Same for the interlude at Rivendell, though elves are a bit more ostentatious in their luxuries. And when Bilbo and the dwarves are adventuring, pull your blanket around you and be thankful you don’t have to face off with Gollum in a cold, dank cave.

The Bullet, Mary Louise Kelly:

A tense criminal mystery with the added intrigue of mistaken identity, this novel will keep your pulse pounding and show you, in comparison to the protagonist, who finds a bullet mysteriously lodged in her neck, just how snug and secure you really are.

Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling:

Magic is real. Friendship saves the day. Humor drives away boggarts. Good defeats evil. Happy endings are very hygge.

Alif The Unseen, G. Willow Wilson:

Equal parts fairytale, sci-fi thriller, and love story, this is the kind of book that keeps you up all night. At the very least, you’ll want a second cup of tea so you can read just a few chapters more.

Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery:

What’s cozier than a childhood favorite? I’m assuming my childhood favorite is one of yours, too, but c’mon, who doesn’t love Anne Shirley? Who hasn’t wanted a bosom friend as loyal as Diana? Who didn’t dream about Gilbert Blythe? If you are the exception, pick one of your own beloved books to reread and remember what it felt like to be a child, completely transported to some other place, some other time, just through the magic of the written word.

Writer Hillary Copsey wants to #MakeAmericaReadAgain. Find her on Twitter @HillaryCopsey or sign up for her forthcoming newsletter about reading, books, and discovering new perspectives in the modern world.

Photo via Unsplash

How to be hygge: Our favorite cozy things

January 29, 2017 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

Winter has some terrible qualities, particularly if you live in an area that’s icy, slushy, or gray. But the season is a good excuse to cuddle indoors under a cozy blanket, binge-watch TV shows, read something comforting (or thoughtful or thrilling), and treat yourself to a snack.

When I heard the term hygge for the first time, I was captivated. It’s a Danish word that’s defined in a variety of ways, including “the art of building sanctuary and community,” “coziness,” and “making everyday moments more meaningful or special.” It may be a distant cousin to our English word hug. And it’s a term that’s become en vogue in recent years, particularly in the coldest months.

Since we’re in the depths of Midwest winter, with weeks of frigid weather to get through, I’ve declared this Hygge Week at The Smart Domestic. I asked some friends for suggestions on simple pleasures, and they’ve obliged with recommendations.

To kick things off, I’m recommending some creature comforts to help set the mood for us.

DRINK

We’re partial to Earl Grey tea in our house, but I also like herbal tea for late-night sipping. I’m eyeing this honeybush hazelnut as a caffeine-free option. (The tea shop I’ve linked is owned by a co-worker here in Ohio.)

If you’re a coffee drinker, I endorse A Love Supreme blend by Chicago’s Dark Matter Coffee. You deserve good coffee in your life, and this one is my all-time favorite with notes of cocoa, walnut, and cherry. If you want to slum it with something from your local grocery store or Amazon, I like Peet’s light roast. I’m also a sucker for novelty mugs, and this one by Adam J. Kurtz is my current “mug wishlist.”

EAT

Whimsy and Spice is an online sweets shop based in New York, and I’d like to try the chocolate butterscotch bars or some of their chocolate shortbread cookies.

If you prefer the Amazon Prime route, you can always go for some sea-salt caramel chocolates.

SNUGGLE

We have many throw blankets; I endorse this soft, machine-washable blanket as an all-purpose one (it’s often commissioned for pillow-fort building here). If I splurged on something new, I’d go for this modern blanket made of recycled fiber.

Who’s ready to get hygge? What’s your secret for staying cozy during dreary weather (or when you need some self-soothing nights at home)?

7 tips for finding affordable, original art

January 10, 2017 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

Over many years of decorating apartments (and now a house), my husband and I have moved away from movie posters and inexpensive prints (though we still have some around the house!) in favor of funkier art that reflects shared memories, travels, and cultural tastes. We’ve collected original art created by friends, paintings by my dad, prints from Etsy artists, and family photos.

Today, I’m sharing seven tips for how to start an art collection and add more personal elements to your home. I’ve certainly bought pieces from big-box stores and websites, but now when I look around my house, I see years worth of memories and personal connections. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:

Shop local: Coffee shops. Art fairs and street festivals. Open houses at art studios. Antique shops and thrift stores. Art is all around us, when you start looking for it. I’m partial to hipster craft markets and antique malls. Our favorite coffee shop in Chicago had a rotating selection of local artists’ work on the walls, and we found many pieces we loved, including the big piece from our friend Shira Ballon below.
Make it personal: If your dad is a hobby painter (which is true, in my case), ask for a piece of his work to put in your home. If your cousin makes lovely watercolor paintings, commission a piece for your dining room. If a friend posts pictures of their art portfolio, make an offer to buy some of their work. You should always pay your friends for their work, OF COURSE.
Do it yourself: There are tons of tutorials for how to create abstract art, oversized prints, string art, or other custom art for your home. If you’re even slightly crafty, try your hand at making your own art. Add your kids’ (very messy) paintings, and let them select some obnoxious decals for their bedroom walls.
Collect pieces while traveling and exploring: On our honeymoon, we bought a small drawing at an art market in London. On a cross-country train trip to the Grand Canyon, we snapped lots of photos of American landscapes. On a family trip to Ireland, we shot photos of funny signs, gorgeous misty landscapes, castles, and cliffs. Now we have art peppered throughout our house that reminds us of some of our favorite trips.
Go vintage: If you know you like a certain theme, subject matter, or style, search eBay and Etsy for vintage art that you might like. Or scour thrift shops, antique shops, flea markets, and auctions.
Redefine “art.” Abstract sculptural pieces, sentimental objects, kids’ finger paintings… If you like something visually and you can figure out a way to mount it to your wall, IT’S ART. My husband found some giant, rusty gears at an auction for about $10 and mounted them on some rustic wood panels. Voila! Art!
Take your time! We have pieces we love that we printed from photos in the last few months, and we have pieces we bought eight years ago on our honeymoon. If you tweak your collection over time, slowly and thoughtfully, you’ll discover your preferences with styles, colors, and more. This amazing narwhal piece below came from our friend Rebecca, who sells her work on Etsy. We bought it several years ago in Chicago, but I love seeing it in our house now.

When I look at the art on my walls now, I see stories, connections, and memories. But more than that, our art is about what we like, no matter whether it’s trendy or “normal.” I’ll add one more bonus tip: Get weird, and keep it weird. Art should be fun, and weird, and personal.

What are the stories behind your artwork and collections? And where’s your favorite place to shop for art? Tell us in the comments!

7 New Year’s resolutions from real people

December 29, 2016 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

Resolutions are confusing to me. We crowd the gym in January to abandon the treadmill a few weeks later. We buy fruits and vegetables to eat healthier snacks, and then we binge-eat spicy cheese curls from the vending machine at work. We stock up on books and delete the Facebook app, only to find ourselves scrolling through newsfeeds late at night on our laptop, curious about what high school acquaintances have accomplished lately.

(Tell me I’m not alone here.)

We can’t resist the fresh start of a new calendar year and the optimism that this year, 2017, is the one in which we get healthy, work out more, read prolifically, eat better, become wiser and more patient with our children, and Live Our Best Lives (thanks, Oprah!).

My personal goal is to write more and to share tips, stories, and essays about modern life as we know it. (You’ll be here to read whatever shows up, right?)

But I also wondered: What are my friends resolving to do/change/be in 2017? So I asked. Here are seven resolutions from real people:

Lose weight.
“I have been losing weight. I want to continue so I can keep up with my daughter and set a healthy example for her.”
“I’d love to lose weight but that is pretty much what I do every year. I feel like January is a bad time for that kind of goal. It is the season for staying inside, huddled under a warm blanket, and snuggling the dog.”
Sleep more.
“My goal is to make sure I am getting enough sleep. Over and over I realize this is the cornerstone to everything else in my life.”
Figure out how time works?
“2017 is going to be my Year of Time. I’m always late for everything, and it’s because I’m really bad at time. So this year, I want to focus on getting good at time. I don’t know how I’m going to do that yet, because I don’t fully understand how time works, but I’ll start with being more mindful.”
Master money habits.
“Getting better control over our finances.”
Pursue creative hobbies.
“I really want to devote my time in 2017 toward two things: 1, getting awesome at playing roller derby and, 2, getting more of my writing published. I’m also very ambitiously planning to start going to bed/getting up earlier to spend weekday mornings working out or writing. I stay up too late.”
Read and drink.
“I want to start every day with coffee and a book, not my phone and social media.”
Do all the things? But mostly gardening and cooking.
“Improve patience, refrain from too much overt grumpiness, cook at home more (we’ve been leaning on delivery/take out/fast food way too much), actually establish a decent garden area/container plants, read more, establish healthier habits (get in some exercise, make better food choices, yada yada yada). Make some decent flat biscuits like my grandma used to make, and which I rediscovered in Vivian Howard’s well-written and evocative “Deep Run Roots” cookbook. Grow and cook some turnip greens.”

Do you make resolutions at the start of a year? What’s on your list for 2017?

Image by Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Smart gifts for your favorite people

December 1, 2016 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

holiday-gifts

I love the idea of Christmas shopping, with the hope that I’ve chosen a unique, perfect gift for everyone on my list. But the throngs of shoppers in big-box stores make me cringe. So I spend a lot of time making notes through the year of interesting, unusual, perfect gifts for my family and friends. If you’re in need of some inspiration, we’ve put together a little gift guide to generate ideas for your friends, sisters, husbands, brothers, and kids.

Books

Here are some I’ve had my eye on:

In the Company of Women
The Underground Railroad
Swing Time
Born to Run
Cookbooks: How to Celebrate Everything / Dorie’s Cookies / How to Bake Everything

Children’s books

Here are some recommended (from your trusty children’s librarian blogger, Leslie) and entertaining books to keep the kiddies busy:

Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems (This is a great rhyming book and is pretty funny!)
Wake Up, City! by Erica Silverman (For those city dwellers in your life.)
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty (There are a few others to check out too: Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer.)
Miss Moon: Wise Words from a Dog Governess by Janet Hill (Great for dog lovers!)

Useful-ish things

A pretty, minimalist teapot (paired with some good tea)
A wine sealer for open bottles (paired with a bottle of wine)

Pretty things

A sparkly cardigan or a fleece wrap-cardigan
An interesting scarf
Charming jewelry

Nerdery

For littles

Super-soft pajamas in any color of the rainbow
A warm hat for cold winter days
A tiny instant camera to capture fun moments in print
Toys! Like this camper-van, cool stacking blocks, a musical alligator, “smart dough” modeling compound, a circus story box, an activity book about America, or an adorable trolley (And yet, all my kid wants are “blind bags” with Trolls, Finding Dory, and Shopkins characters.)

What’s on your wishlist or shopping list that everyone should know about? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook!

Grateful for bagels

November 21, 2016 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

Bagel. by Alexander Rhys on Flickr

When I came back to work after 10 weeks of maternity leave, my co-workers, teammates, and friends signed a “Welcome back!” card.

They gave me a grace period to catch up on emails and remember where I was and what I needed to do.

They asked me about the baby, and about my older boy, and about me.

But the thing I keep thinking about is bagels.

My manager detoured to my favorite local deli that first day and picked up a bag of fresh bagels, along with schmears, for my triumphant return to the office. She celebrated me with carbs and cream cheese. She remembered what I liked, and she made me feel like I was a necessary, loved part of the team by remembering that.

She sent an email alerting our team that I was back. She set meetings for us to catch up. She told me how glad she was to have me back in the office. She let me be for a few days, absorbing 10 weeks of missed meetings, emails, and work miscellanea. Her words mattered, but so did her gestures.

And now here I am, a few weeks back to work, living the working-mom life (thinking about and not thinking about my baby all day), being grateful for a place to think about other things, happy to make a good living by using my brain.

And I’m thankful for co-workers who welcomed me back with words and gestures, and who care enough to feed me. I’m grateful for the bagels.

Pay it forward

All this to say, if you have a co-worker coming back to work after a leave for any reason (family, personal, medical, maternity), greet them warmly. Sign a card. Ask how they’re doing. Let them settle back in for a few days. Bring them breakfast.

If she’s a new mom returning from maternity leave, ask if you can pick up her coffee one morning. If you know where the “wellness room” is for breastfeeding moms, make sure it’s stocked with paper towels, Lysol wipes, tissue and a comfortable chair. (Bonus points, if you’re a people-manager or HR manager and you add parenting magazines, storage for pumps and accessories, and a mini-fridge for milk storage.) Leave her a note to know you’re there in solidarity. Tell her kindly and gently if her shirt has spit-up all over the shoulder.

It takes a village, y’know?

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