Erin Archives - A Flimsy Plan

My 2026 Word of the Year: Nourish

January 7, 2026 No Comments

Remember last year when I said that it makes sense to post the Word of the Year a few days into the year? Once again, I am living that truth. (But, tbh… I’m mildly doing better than last year? Like… MILDLY. Like by 3 days…)

It’s mid-January, if we’re being honest, as horrifying as that is. I just got home from a long day that included work, the gym, emails I didn’t want to answer, play outline refining, and DM messages that required my full brain. I’ve eaten dinner, I’m in my comfiest clothes, and I’m settling in for a quiet night at home.

And honestly? That feels very on theme for this year.

Reflections on 2025’s Word of the Year: Elevate

Last year’s word was Elevate, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that it worked.

I elevated my work. I did a workshop at the International Conference on Residency Education that was not supposed to be a solo presentation but still ended up highly regarded. Full Circle Theatre had a massive year… artistically, structurally, and reputationally. We pulled off projects that would have 2011!Erin. We received five CAT Awards, which seems insane as new members. I elevated my professional life at my day job, stepping more fully into leadership, responsibility, and trust. (Ugh. All the worst words… especially as I’m still not an official, compensated leader.) I elevated my personal relationships, my collaborations, and my expectations of what I deserve from the people around me, even when it sucks.

I also, quite literally, elevated my physical effort. If you asked anyone… I moved more. I lifted weights. I pushed my body harder than I had in years.

Until I burnt out and I stopped.

Because here’s the honest part:
I elevated a lot… but I didn’t always replenish what that elevation cost.

Somewhere in the process of doing amazing, meaningful, ambitious things, I quietly let go of some of the things that are just for me. Goodreads will tell you, I read fewer books. I cooked less. I spent more money eating out and drinking than I wanted to. Certainly, I moved.. but inconsistently instead of sustainably. I wrote constantly, sure… but often for output, not for nourishment. I created all the time, but not always in ways that filled me back up.

Elevate asked a lot of me. And I answered.

But by the end of the year, I could feel it: I didn’t need to go higher. I didn’t need to keep Elevating. I needed to come home. To myself. In this life that Calgarians live, barely above sea level.

My 2026 Word of the Year – Nourish

So this year, my word is Nourish.

Not discipline.
Not optimize.
And not grind (absolutely not grind). Last year was kind of about grind and I failed. I said I was going to move and feel better about my body and feel better about myself and I ultimately didn’t. So I’m picking something kinder for 2026.

Nourish.

I want to nourish my body… not punish it, not correct it, not chase some ideal version of it. I’m never going to be 24 again, as much as I love to joke about 2011!Erin. I recognize how things feel in my body. I want to move consistently because it makes me feel strong and grounded. Honestly, I want to cook more food at home that actually feeds me. I want to feel good in my body again, not just about what art it can produce.

If we want to put a pin on it, I want to nourish my creativity. That means finishing my novel. Writing on this blog because I want to, not because I feel like I should. Bringing Off Book back in a way that feels sustaining instead of another thing on the list. Making content that uplifts me, not just content that serves a brand or a strategy.

I want to nourish my attention. Less vegging out. Less unfocused doing. And less scattering my energy everywhere just because I can. I don’t want to do less. I don’t think. It makes me so incredibly mad when people tell me I’m “busy” like I’m not just doing what everyone else is doing… I’m just louder about it and I don’t always make the choices that make my personal life better. I want to do what I’m already doing… but more mindfully, with intention and care.

And maybe most importantly, I want to nourish myself with kindness. Less shame about my body. Less guilt about rest. And less beating myself up for not doing everything perfectly, all the time. (Yeah. Shockingly, I didn’t fix that in 2025. In fact, I may have made it worse.)

Elevate was about going up and out.
Nourish is about going inward and staying.

That doesn’t mean this year will be quiet or small. If you know me at all, you know that’s not happening. I don’t have that ability in this silly little body. But I want the work, the movement, the art, and the ambition to be fed by something real, not just momentum.

So that’s the word. Nourish.

If you were to pick a word of the year, what would it be? Do you do resolutions instead?

Culture

Six Things I Learned From Seeing 10 Plays in One Month

May 15, 2025 No Comments

Things I Learned from Seeing Plays photo collage with playbills

Since Porcelain Dolls closed, I’ve seen 10 plays in one month. Here’s what I learned!

On Monday’s Off Book, I mentioned that I had seen 10 plays since Porcelain Dolls closed just about a month ago and would you be surprised at all to know that I had lots of people reaching out to me? Asking what shows. And how I did it. And why? All good questions. Questions that I may or may not answer before diving into the meat of this post – what I learned from seeing 10 plays in one month.

This is semi-common knowledge, but I am a new member of the Calgary-ACTS Nom Com (nomination committee) this year. In exchange for a free ticket or two, I try to see all of the shows our member companies present so that I can nominate the best of the best for awards and vote on the eventual winners. I take this responsibility extremely seriously and, while I will end up missing about five shows, I see almost everything. Plus, I have subscriptions to the Vertigo Theatre and Alberta Theatre Projects opening nights. And then I try to see projects that my friends are working on. It adds up! (So that’s the how and why.)

6 Things I Learned from Seeing Plays in One Month

As for the what? Well… I’ll answer what I learned. I am actually not going to name names when it comes to the shows. These are holistic lessons that came from seeing so much back to back. Some of the shows were really good, some were less good, and I don’t intend to categorize them in this post. What would anyone gain from that?

Acting is Reacting

This month, I’ve caught myself going all theatre school and talking about motivation and tactics more times than I ever thought I would over ten years out of university. I rarely do tactics anymore as an actor, unless I hit a wall when it comes to understanding or performing a scene. It’s a tool, not a standard for me, at this point.

But boy, is it obvious when no one has ever bothered to explain to an actor that their character wants something out of every single scene and each line should help them get that thing! It’s obvious when actors think it’s just about learning their lines and making the movements on the stage that their directors told them to make. And it’s especially obvious when they aren’t listening to the other actors onstage because they are too worried about just doing those two things right.

Good Director? Game Changer.

Okay, this isn’t revolutionary. This is in line with my first point and it’s something I knew, but I re-learned it. Directing isn’t just about making pretty stage pictures. In fact, I would say it’s rarely about that. A good director helps the actors understand the human emotions behind the words they say and evokes motivation to create those stage pictures. A good director sets the tone and tempo. A good director creates a rehearsal room energy that draws out those inspired choices from actors. And all of this is way too evident onstage.

Simple Is Better

Maybe not always. I mean, we all love a good Cirque du Soleil show or Broadway mega-musical. But especially when resources are limited (time, money, space, people, knowledge), it is better to focus on the small things you can do well, instead of throwing things at the wall and seeing what will stick. Now, don’t get me wrong – simple is not always cheap and it’s not always easy, but it’s usually my favourite.

The Gap Between “Good Ideas” and “Good Execution” is a Canyon

Not always. But it happens. And I think we should always keep taking big leaps and seeing where we land. Because no show is ever the last show – so let’s take the lessons we learn and do better next time.

The Audience Vibe is Everything

A good audience evokes a great performance. So that makes me think about Full Circle Theatre – how do we find and create the audiences we want? How can we set up our audience experiences as soon as they walk through the door so that they know what to expect and can show up for us?

Theatre is Alive

Seeing 10 plays in a month is totally different than seeing 10 movies in a month. I think a lot of people can easily watch 10 movies in that time! But theatre is a living, breathing experience where you share the same air as the storytellers in front of you. When things go well, you are ecstatic for them. And when things don’t go well, you choke on your own breath, praying for them to get it together. It’s uplifting and exhausting.

And I learned that even when something isn’t to my taste, I will hunt for the things they did well and the bright side of the experience. Because after I shared a room with those artists who invited me to share a story with them, how could I not?

Seeing 10 plays in one month reminded me why I make theatre. And I cannot wait to do it again.

So now I ask you – what is the last thing you learned from seeing a play?

What Seeing Plays in Taught Me About Theatre Header Image

Life

Holiday Bucket List Wrap-Up

December 31, 2024 No Comments

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! I have thoroughly enjoyed my week off posting – I’ve just been hanging out, working out a little, finishing some books, and socializing like crazy. On Saturday, we had our third annual Cheese Party and it was everything anyone could want it to be. Full of delicious cheese, gossip, and games.

This morning I took a very satisfying Power class taught by my friend Nicole. I washed my hair and then made a healthy lunch… and I’m just about to get ready for a 90s Bingo Night at Bottlescrew Bill’s to ring in the new year. I’m thinking Britney Spears mini-ponytails.

But before I do any of that – what is the point of making a plan if you don’t check in on it? I haven’t been great at closing the loop on this blog, but this time things are going to be different. This time, I’m going to let you know what I’ve actually completed on my 2024 Holiday Bucket List. Look at me go!

Life

Hot Chocolate Showdown

December 22, 2024 No Comments

Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash

Y’all. I write about beverages on this blog a lot, but there is one that just has not gotten enough love. Hot chocolate is the drink of the season. It’s cozy in a cup. It’s the only drink that can make you feel both like a kid on a snow day and like a festive adult who has their life somewhat together. (Spoiler alert: I do not. Remember my burst pipe?)

But let’s be real — not all hot chocolate is created equal. Oh no. There are good ones. There are bad ones. People have opinions. And many of them have wrong ones. So today, we’re diving headfirst into the great hot chocolate showdown. Buckle up, because I have a lot to say. (Spoiler #2: White chocolate is the reigning champ. Perfect drink, no notes..)

Classic Milk Chocolate

Okay, so it’s the standard. The OG. The cocoa powder you stirred into hot water as a kid and topped with enough marshmallows to form a flotation device. Classic milk chocolate hot cocoa is a vibe. It’s comfort, it’s simplicity, it’s the sweater of holiday beverages.

But here’s the thing: is it exciting? Does it thrill you? Or is it just… there? Look, I love it. I respect it. But in the hierarchy of hot chocolates, it’s the shallow squats during the warm up in a fitness class.

White Hot Chocolate

Only slightly different but oh so much better. White hot chocolate doesn’t get the love it deserves, and honestly, I’m tired of it. Yes, white chocolate is chocolate. It has chocolate in the name!

Besides, it’s creamy, it’s rich, and it’s the perfect base for holiday experimenting. Feeling fancy? Add a splash of vanilla or almond extract. Feeling festive? Crush some candy canes and sprinkle them on top. Feeling like you need to enter a sugar coma? Whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and chocolate shavings. (They can be “real” chocolate if you insist.)

If regular hot chocolate is a hug, white hot chocolate is the kind of friend who shows up with wine, asks how you’re really doing, and burns shit with you. In a good way.

Gourmet Hot Chocolate

Is my debate actually turning into a tier ranking? Who can say? It’s not like I actually plan these things… maybe you’ve leveled up from your cocoa powder days and are now dropping $12 on a hot chocolate with gold on it. (As you should.)

These are the hot chocolates that come with edible glitter, handmade marshmallows the size of your head, and more toppings than a sundae bar. They’re decadent, they exist for the ‘Gram, but who cares? You have to do it at least once! (Witness my Zoolights post.)

Spiked Hot Chocolate

Actually, speaking of my Zoolights post… This, my friends, is where hot chocolate truly shines. Nothing takes a cozy drink to the next level like a splash of something hard. (Ugh, I need a better word. I’ve been trying to stop calling alcohol “adult” beverages, but this is not the best alternative.)

Okay, sorry for the non-sequitur. What I am trying to say is that if you haven’t tried Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey in hot chocolate, stop what you’re doing. Right now. Go.

It’s like a Reese’s in a cup. Sweet, boozy, and absolutely perfect. And if peanut butter isn’t your thing (tragic), Baileys, peppermint schnapps, or spiced rum all bring their own holiday magic. Spiked hot chocolate is forgiving, festive, and guaranteed to make even the most aggressively cheesy Christmas movie feel like peak cinema.

Wildcards

You know that I’ll put something doing its own thing at the top of my lists. Spicy Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne? Iconic. Frozen hot chocolate? Chaotic but fun. Vegan-friendly or matcha-infused variations? Absolutely valid.

Do they stick to tradition? No. Are they delicious? Also no. (Just kidding, they’re great. I just feel bad for the cocoa powder people. I dunked on their taste, I can’t let them be the only ones.)

And the Winner Is…?

Please. As if I’m going to pick a winner. At the end of the day, the real winner of the hot chocolate showdown is you. Because you get to drink it all. (Yes, even the weird ones with turmeric.)

So, what’s in your mug this season? Are you a classic cocoa devotee or a fan of the spiked-and-chaotic? Or are you right, and you obsess over white hot chocolate like me? Let me know in the comments.

Fitness

Yoga with Adriene – Energy (Fitness Friday)

December 20, 2024 No Comments

Today’s post is just going to be a little baby post. Just a little short one. Today was my last day in the office for 2024 – I’ll still be working on Monday and Tuesday morning, but from the comfort of my basement. We went for a cute lunch at NOtaBLE as an office to celebrate and I very well might never eat again. The food was so good and I had so much left over… I cannot wait until I decide that I must eat my leftover Stilton cheesecake in the middle of the night. So, as you can imagine, I’m thinking a lot about delicious food and also a lot about moving my body. Specifically, Yoga with Adriene – Energy.

Longtime readers will remember that I have sporadically in my life announced that I am going to do a Yoga with Adriene yoga journey. This announcement regularly appears in my Word of the Year posts, and usually I actually do complete the journey. Sometimes I complete it a few days into February, but I think Adriene would support that. She is all about honouring the journey that you are on and finding your way back to your mat.

So obviously, I need to be doing that again this January. Those days where it is dark outside when I drive to work and dark outside when I drive home from work so I just don’t feel like driving to the studio, I need something that I can do to keep moving. That thing, of course, is Yoga With Adriene. (And maybe some other YouTube workouts.)

But Adriene isn’t doing a 30 Day Journey this year! At least that’s what I heard! What to do!?

Not to worry. Yoga with Adriene – Energy has come to the rescue. Only the first seven days are new (a Pranayama practice), but that doesn’t matter. It’s still videos that I haven’t done often, if at all, and someone else is picking the video that I’m going to do for me. What else can I ask for?

I love not making decisions!

So there we have it. Who’s doing Yoga with Adriene – Energy with me? Most do-able workout challenge ever. Sound off in the comments!

Life

How to Actually Rest During the Holidays

December 18, 2024 No Comments

Y’all. I had big plans to write this post while sipping Beer 10, surrounded by Survivor finale drama after a fun night of trivia. Instead, I’m coming to you live from a day that started with a burst water pipe in my basement and a frantic call to first my dad and second a plumber. If that’s not a metaphor for how the holidays can sneak up and slap you in the face with chaos, I don’t know what is. But maybe that’s why today is the perfect day to write about rest. When all you want to do is cry, it’s more important than ever to make space to breathe. So let’s talk about how to actually rest during the holidays—because if I can find a sliver of calm today, anyone can.

Lean Into Low-Key Family Time

For me, nothing feels more restful than hanging out with my family while we collectively do… nothing. There’s something magical about existing in the same room as people you love, even if everyone is doing their own thing. Reading, scrolling, napping, chatting intermittently—it all counts.

It’s like body doubling but for emotional connection. If you’re not familiar with body doubling, it’s a productivity tool where having someone else in the room helps you focus or feel more at ease. During the holidays, it works in reverse for me: when we’re all lounging around, it reminds me that rest is okay because we’re all resting together.

Skip the Hustle

There’s a fine line between holiday traditions and holiday obligations. Feel free to skip anything that feels like the latter. You don’t have to host the cookie exchange, make your own garlands, or create a “perfect” holiday memory at every turn.

Give yourself permission to say no or, better yet, to do the easy version of everything. Store-bought cookies? Absolutely. Just stick them on a plate. Streaming a Yule log on TV instead of making one in your fireplace? Everyone loves seeing that hand stoke the fire!

Find Rest in Connection

Sometimes the most restful thing is spending time with people who get you. Whether that’s a close friend, a sibling, or your best co-worker, lean into the relationships that feel effortless. Catch up over coffee, go for a walk, or sit in the kitchen while someone else cooks (pro tip: offer to stir something once in a while and they won’t even notice you’re just hanging out).

Rest doesn’t always mean solitude. For some of us, connection is the recharge we need.

This includes carving out time to share small traditions with people who matter. This is my first Christmas with Tyler, and we are going to be chill and simple. We’ve already watched Die Hard together—his favorite—and we’re probably going to watch it again. We just need to hibernate together, who cares what else happens?

And if you’re wondering how to make room for all this restful connection during a busy holiday season, it’s worth revisiting 2022’s Blogmas post, No Is a Complete Sentence. Setting boundaries is a huge part of creating space for rest, connection, and all the things that bring you joy.

Take the Pressure Off

I know it’s tempting to make everything perfect—decorations, gifts, traditions, outfits—but let me save you the trouble: nobody’s holiday is ever perfect. And that’s fine. What matters is the feeling, not the optics.

So if you want to stay in your pajamas all day, you should. If you forgot to wrap a gift and end up handing it over in the store bag, also good. Your friends and family are not judging you (and if they are, that’s their problem).

Schedule Absolutely Nothing

This one’s crucial: block off some time where you have no plans. Not “no plans unless something comes up.” Not “no plans but I’ll still check my email.” Just nothing. (And, yes, I am very much a victim of the “I’ll take today off but still check my email” mentality. Don’t be me.)

Use this time however you want. Maybe you sleep in. Maybe you watch a bad movie. Maybe you wander around your house eating two week old Rice Krispie squares. The point is, it’s time for you, free of expectations.

Make Rest Easy

Rest isn’t always the big stuff like sleeping in or taking a day off. It’s also the little moments—like drinking hot chocolate while staring out the window, or spending 20 minutes untangling a ball of yarn and calling it mindfulness. (It counts!)

For me, it’s white hot chocolate with Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey and sitting next to my favourite person watches football. Or putting my feet up while my favorite movie plays in the background. The simple things are often the most restorative, and they don’t require a big production.

How are you planning to rest this holiday season? Let me know in the comments—or don’t, because you’re too busy relaxing with your people. Either way, you’re doing it, Joe.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some setting my phone on “Do Not Disturb”, a mug of spiked hot chocolate, and the season finale of Survivor calling my name.

Fitness

5 Fun Ways to Stay Active During the Holidays (No Workouts Required)

December 6, 2024 No Comments

The holidays are here, which means cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, and approximately a million things to do. For me, December always feels like a whirlwind, and sometimes it is truly impossible to fit in a formal workout. And if you read Wednesday’s post, you know I’m feeling guilty about that. And working on not feeling guilty about it. Because staying active during the holidays doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym or doing a 45-minute cardio session.

If you’re like me and need to make your holiday movement to feel festive and fun, I’ve got you covered. (Plus, even Harvard agrees with me that you’ve got to keep moving!) Here are five creative ways to stay active during the holidays that you’re probably doing anyway—or can start doing now.

1. Decorating for the Holidays

Holiday decorating is a sneaky way to stay active during the holidays. Pulling the box of ornaments out of storage? Strength training. Carefully balancing on a stool to hang garlands? Core work. Untangling miles of string lights? Maybe not a physical workout, but definitely a mental endurance test. Plus, once you’re done, your space looks festive and magical. Worth it.

2. Holiday Baking

Holiday baking isn’t just about the cookies (although let’s be honest, it sort of is). But if you’re feeling guilty, consider this: It’s about the movement—rolling dough, whipping batter, and crisscrossing the kitchen to grab ingredients. Add some upbeat holiday music, and suddenly you’re in your own baking montage. Staying active during the holidays can be as simple as dancing while you whisk frosting. Your arms might even get a little sore from all that whisking!

3. Playing in the Snow

Remember how much fun snow days were when you were a kid? Who says adults can’t join in? Go outside, build a snowman, or organize a friendly snowball fight. It’s like recess, but with mittens and hot chocolate waiting for you afterward. Running through the snow burns calories *and* boosts your mood. And happy people just don’t kill their husbands.

4. Volunteer Work

Volunteering during the holidays is a great way to stay active while giving back. Packing food hampers, sorting donations, or delivering meals to neighbors all require movement, and you’re helping your community while you’re at it. It’s a win-win that makes your heart feel as full as your gift bags.

5. Nature Walks

Sometimes, the simplest activities are the best. Taking a walk to admire holiday lights or enjoy a snowy trail gives you fresh air, gentle movement, and a little time to decompress. Throw on your coziest scarf and grab a warm drink to make it even better. Plus it’s warm in Calgary right now! Walking is a classic way to stay active during the holidays, and it’s easy to fit into your schedule.

Staying Active (and Festive!) This Season

The holidays are busy, but they don’t have to be sedentary. With a little creativity, you can stay active during the holidays in ways that feel festive and fun. Whether you’re dancing in the kitchen, climbing a ladder to hang mistletoe, or strolling through a winter wonderland, every little bit adds up.

I’d love to hear how you’re staying active this season! And why is it just sprinting across the room to your iphone so you can skip “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time”? (The worst song.) Let me know in the comments below—and feel free to share your own favorite ways to stay active during the holidays.

Stuff About Me

Feeling Like Myself Again (Wellness Wednesday)

December 4, 2024 No Comments

This is an interesting post for Blogmas. It’s not very festive and I don’t know if it’s going to end up positive. I mean, it probably will end up positive, because that is my default, but who can say?

It seems appropriate, though. What I’m about to write about is what has been on my mind lately and this blog has always sort of been about vomiting what’s on my mind onto the internet. Blogmas wouldn’t be Blogmas without me writing a few posts that are weirdly and specifically personal.

I feel like I’ve recently gotten on a real wellness kick, without actually doing anything, during what is really the worst time of year. I’ve been thinking and talking a lot about my sleep hygiene. Things like getting into my bed earlier, putting screens away an hour before bed (which I’m terrible at), building a nighttime routine. I’ve also been thinking – and talking – a lot about paying attention to how I’m nourishing myself. Maybe tracking my food and how I feel as a result for a bit.

This all sounds good, right?

But I’m also catching myself feeling guilty when I don’t work out. (Which, honestly, I do need to do more, for my strength and for my sanity and for my sleep. The guilt just doesn’t help.) I’m catching myself feeling guilty any time I have a drink or eat pizza for the third week in a row. And all that guilt and self-flagellation is making my wellness worse because I just reach this point of paralysis and stress where I let my current habits completely take over.

So why am I putting myself through this at notably one of the most stressful times of the year? (So they say, anyway. I honestly find the holidays full, but not that stressful. Which I know may not be normal.)

I’m just ready to feel like myself again.

We worked on Riverona for so long, which took over a lot of my life. And then I travelled in October and have basically been sick since I got back into the country. And, quite honestly, I’m sick of feeling shitty.

I’m ready to start feeling good. And more importantly, feeling like me.

So that’s what Wellness Wednesdays are going to look like for the foreseeable future. Wanna join?

Life, Stuff About Me

My Holiday Bucket List

December 2, 2024 No Comments

Y’all. It felt so freaking good to hit “post” on yesterday’s post. This is why we do it, friends! (For the dopamine and the self-indulgent attention.) As you can imagine, life has been very full lately, between Full Circle Theatre work, launching ShakesPeers, a trip to London, actual work, training at Moveology, joining the Calgary-ACTS executive board and nom-com, friends, family, relationship…

Well, I hate it now that I wrote it down. That’s too much.

But Blogmas is so good. It feels good to write down my thoughts and feelings, to document my life, to share with all of you. I also really love finding new blogs that are doing Blogmas every year. It’s so much fun to learn about wildly different people, the type of people I would probably never stumble across by accident. Blogs somehow still feel more pure and less curated than vlogmas and tiktok, and I love that.

But this post is not about how blogs are still a weirdo fun corner of the internet. This post is about my Holiday Bucket List!

Because why not create yet another challenge for myself this holiday season? But I’m going to make this very easy. And fun. And use a classic productivity hack – including things that I am going to do anyway, so that I can check them off my list and feel like I’m getting some momentum. The Progress Principle, am I right?

My Holiday Bucket List

Stuff About Me

Erin’s Favourite Things

December 27, 2023 No Comments

Okay. Come with me on this very self-indulgent blog post. It is the week between Christmas and New Years, I am living in my feels because this is the time where I get to. I am watching a competitive makeup show and enjoying a glass of wine from my new “Riverona High School Fencing Champion – By Default” mug. (When do you ever get to have merch that is about you? When!? This is the coolest.) And I am also about to give you the ultimate cheatsheet for becoming my friend and/or boyfriend. Because this is a list of Erin’s favourite things.

What? Why?

Because earlier this year, one of my favourite podcasts Hey Riddle Riddle did “Favourite Things” Brackets on their Patreon. They have a host named Erin Keif. It started with Erin’s Favourite Things (in bracket form) and then it expanded to the other two hosts and their editor and one of their most popular guest hosts and… anyway. It was delightful.

I’m not going to do a bracket, because how could that even work with just me? And also, maybe I’m hopping on the “Erin’s Favourite Things” SEO, but who cares? It’s my name too!

Also, I’m doing 50 things because that is what Erin Keif did. Please enjoy some wholesome and fun stuff from two women who would like to do the splits. And if you wanna bracket it… who am I to stop you?

Erin’s Favourite Things

Diet Coke on Fridays
The part of The Hold Steady’s “Sixers” where this riff happens (You should listen to the entire song, but this moment is the reason why this was my #2 most listened to song this year)
Uggs. I wore them when they were trendy, I wore them when they were cheugy, I wear them now.
When it’s raining exactly the right direction outside so you can open the window and read or sleep without any of your things getting wet
When the entire Riverona cast breaks because Joel David Taylor slapped Principal Prince and came up with an unreasonably funny ad lib
When your niece or nephew demands that you flip them upside down “again and again and again and again”
When you find a new recipe that is both delicious and good for leftovers so you can meal prep on repeat
That moment where your podcast is the exact same length as your walk
Pantyhose/tights that are exactly the right size and still compressive, despite the size chart making zero sense
How hard this part of Taylor Swift’s “Now That We Don’t Talk” sticks in my soul (especially “with important men who think important thoughts”)
Rose gold anything
The last 20 minutes of a Paint Nite where finally you start to feel like you’re a good visual artist
Megan Baldrey’s tinted lip balm from Wild Briar Body Care
When you’re in a fitness class and the instructor perfectly times the beginning of jacks with the beat drop
Cambozola
Having an amazing theatre project that other people are equally excited about
Friends’ Trips with Claire
Rom-com novels about sports boys that have a secret soft side
Those rare moments when you finally overcome your time blindness and arrive at something early enough that you can circle for parking or read your book without being stressed about time
When Kevin Weir introduces me to a book series that scratches an itch I didn’t know I had
Gerard Bertrand’s Cote Des Roses rose. And not just because of the bottle.
Transforming any Starbucks seasonal drink into an americano misto and then going for a walk with said hot beverage
Seeing plays with my mom and then debriefing them afterwards
When I’m out in public and see someone who I know but I think they won’t recognize me, but then they say hi to me!
Vertigo Theatre opening nights
Clean sheets and freshly moisturized legs
The moment that Hans Wackershauser takes a joke too far that it becomes a joke again
Para-social relationships with people I actually know on Instagram but don’t get to see nearly often enough (you know who you are!)
When an actor walks into an audition and they are absolutely the right person for a role (Sarah, Mike, this is about you!)
Getting needlessly fancy cocktails with Claire and Kendra
When you’re thinking about someone you haven’t spoken to in a hot minute and they text you at that exact same moment
Aerin Amber Musk perfume
Ice cream with cookie dough or brownies in it
When people do really good TransAtlantic accents or vague 1940s movie impressions
Every single Seanan McGuire book, especially when you forget you had a pre-order and it’s delivered to your ereader
Cooking mushrooms and onions in butter (or, honestly, anything in butter)
When you arrive at an airport 45 minutes before you needed to and you just get to hang out, have a bevvie and not stress
The Bath & Bodyworks Champagne Toast scent
Sibling cooking nights (yes, Kevin Weir, Darci and Bryan, I’m talking about you)
Titanic (the James Cameron movie. All of it.)
When you can hang out with your partner’s family or friends without them and it’s cool
Similarly, when you are equally friends with both parts of a couple (Mike and Meg, Hans and Megan, I’m looking at you!)
When you let your hair air-dry and it does exactly what you want it to do
Backyard fire pits
Having a solo beverage and a book while in a bar or cafe
Surprisingly comfortable 5-inch heels that are also cute
Waking up early but also naturally
When you go to a farmers/craft/holiday market and all the vendors are friendly but not too friendly, so it’s not awkward
Hotels with heated towel drying racks
Discovering someone else you just met or don’t speak with often is also super into that very niche thing you love and you both talk about it excitedly together.

That’s it. I’ve been looking forward to this post literally all December and, even if it doesn’t help me garner new friends and/or boyfriends, it helped me realize what I care about. I’ve always been relentlessly positive but it feels so good to deliberately articulate things that make me this way on the blog.

So! What are some of your favourite things!? And do you think we can make this a bracket? Many of the things are universal, so I think we could!

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