Downtime is a newsletter with all the good stuff I'd share with a friend: recommendations, noteworthy reads, and honest conversations on life. This is the Friday post, a weekly roundup of good finds and delightful distractions.

Hi, happy Friday! Do you want to hear something funny? You know how everyone who is creatively successful is all like, “You need to find the best times of the day when you can tap into a creative flow state”?

Well, I finally figured out my best times to be creative, and they are:

• In the late afternoon, fifteen minutes before I have to head out the door for daycare pickup. Aka RIGHT NOW, as I type this.

• 5:00am. Aka the time when it is impossible for me to wake up because guess what our daughter is going through a weird sleep thing.

• 8:00pm. Aka the end of the day when I am DEAD TIRED after having wrestled with a 20-pound small human (who is much stronger than she looks - how???) to get her into her pajamas so mom and dad can finally have some quiet and rest and catch up on Severance¹ and The White Lotus.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is: LOL. I need to figure out a new solution. Is there such a thing as forcing a creative flow state by tweaking one’s surroundings? Has Rick Rubin said anything about this yet? Anyway, more thoughts later I guess, but for now, daycare pickup. :)

—Alisha

One completely unrelated question for the group:

Is it worth buying a good milk frother thingy? I have one of those cheap handheld electric whisk things from Amazon, but do I need…an actual frothing device? For context, I’m trying to up my at-home coffee game so I spend less on $7 lattes.

Leave a comment

Noted This Week: 5 Good Things

1. A fun listen for the romance heads out there: I had a blast listening to this podcast episode about “the feminist playground of historical romances” on Anne Helen Petersen’s Culture Study podcast, featuring the co-host of the Fated Mates podcast, Sarah MacLean. It was well-timed, as I’d been listening to the audiobook of Alexandra Vasti’s Earl Crush, my first foray into “regency era romance” (unless watching Bridgerton counts), and having a good time. I’d never listened to the Fated Mates podcast before, but I went down the best rabbit hole listening to their back catalog (like this episode about historical romances) and it may be a new favorite. Smart women chatting about romance? Count me in every time.
   

   Weekly Recs #61: The pleasure of community, romance fiction, and parenting September 13, 2024 Read full story

2. A beautiful home find: There is something about this silver tray. It would look so pretty on a dresser or your bathroom vanity. (PS - This brand has been on fire recently for home goods; I bought this woven tray and matching canister for my bathroom.)
   
   Today’s letter is continued after the paywall. You’ll find recommendations, links, and a spring playlist to enjoy!