My life at 35 looks different than life at 25, but a few items and routines have remained the same. I’ve been drinking the same green tea for 10 years and I live for morning dance parties and staying in on Friday nights. Here are some of my favorite products, work staples, and routines from the last ten years.

I never skip breakfast. Just the other day my mom asked if I still eat as soon as wake up. And my answer is yes. I have never been one of those people who skips breakfast. I’m not kidding as soon as my feet hit floor, I’m heading to the kitchen. My breakfast varies between eggs and toast/bagel, fruit bowls with lots of berries or what I like to call my Mexican egg scramble (two eggs with a combo of olives, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, cheese).
Night Yoga. I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for eighteen years and while practicing yoga in the morning is a great way to start the day, I cannot go to sleep without my five minute vinyasa flow and or a twelve minute yoga nidra sesh. Night yoga is like cleansing yourself from all the stress at work, it just gets my mind in the right headspace for sleep.
Physically leaving work at lunch time. I actually leave my office when I take my lunch. Sometimes I eat in my car or go to nearby park to eat and recharge. I’ll listen to a podcast episode or audiobook. I’m able to actually enjoy my lunch and regroup before heading back to work.
My weekend motto - stay in on a Friday, go out on Saturday. By the end of the week, I am tired, and that’s mostly because I’m really introverted. After a week’s worth of meetings, talking with coworkers and actual work, I don’t want to talk to anyone. If I’m up for going out, I reserve that for Saturday. A Friday Night Routine - as soon as I place my work bag down, I do some kind of physical activity (this varies between the treadmill or a fifteen minute YouTube workout), order for take out or make pasta, watch a movie (I’m usually always in the mood for a romcom), enjoy a thirty minute bubble bath, do a five minute pick up of the bedroom, take my time with my evening skincare routine and get in bed early.
Rosada. Hands down the best rose. A dry Spanish rose with freshly crushed strawberries, plums and grapefruit that is both dry and thirst-quenching, it is my favorite, it is the best, it is a Chef’s kiss.

Rothy’s Flats The most comfortable work shoe ever. A bit of a splurge for me at the time, I bought my first pair back in 2017 and have never looked back. It’s pretty much the only shoe I wear to work. They’re eco friendly and flattering.
Stila Eyeshadow. I feel like Stila Cosmetics is a very underrated brand. I’ve been wearing their products literally since high school and I still love them. The Glitter and Glow liquid eye shadow is unmatched and their natural and feminine eyeshadow palettes, like why is no-one talking about Stila eye products?!
Giada de Laurentiis Feel Good Food. For simple, easy recipes, this is my go-to cookbook.
Print Magazines. Almost every weekend, I sit down to read the handful of magazine subscriptions I have and lounge near the pool and read them nearly cover-to-cover, it is one of my favorite rituals.

Green Tea. You know the people who can’t function without their coffee? That’s me but with green tea. I’ve never been a coffee person but I’m kind of grouchy until I get in at least a cup or two of green tea every morning. Over the last ten/fifteen years I switch between Teavana or Tea’s Tea Jasmine tea. I usually have a third cup but I switch to Coffee Bean Tea Leaf Black Pomegranate Blueberry Iced Tea.
Benefit Boi-ing Foundation. I don’t I really need to say anything about this product other than it is the best!
Morning dance parties. When David and moved in together one thing I was excited about was that he had a record player and an excellent collection of vinyl. Over the years I’ve amassed a small vinyl collection myself. One of my favorite things while I’m getting ready in the morning is turning up the volume and dancing throughout our home while getting ready and eating breakfast before work. I always start my day off in a great mood after a morning dance party.
Swimming. I’ve never been a gym person or someone who likes to run. My dad had me and my siblings in the pool within days of us being born so swimming has always come naturally to me. I swam competitively in high school and continued to swim for exercise in college. I try to hit the pool a few times a week to get in a few laps. I get such a high from swimming, there’s no better feeling than diving into a cold pool.
The Work Bag. I have been on the hunt for a work bag since 2012. I’m someone who carries a lot of stuff with me. Along with the usual things like three lipsticks, pepper spray and scattered mints throughout my bag, I also like to carry books, notebooks and my laptop if I think I need it. I was introduced to Dagne Dover a few years ago and their Classic Tote is literally the perfect work bag. Your welcome.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year, especially these last few months.

After almost an entire year of interviews and second interviews and rejections and lots of crying, I finally landed a job (outside of public libraries) and became an archivist. Which to be honest has been the ultimate goal since I graduated from grad school six years ago. Lots of travel opportunities happened right away and then it came down to the final few weeks leading up to the wedding which was extremely stressful, but everything worked out and we had the most magical wedding. It was literally perfect and everything I dreamed of.

A few weeks later D and I decided to move and found a condo, got approved quickly and moved out by the end of the year. I think the thirty boxes of books did it in for us, because once we started unboxing the books in the new place, we got rid of at least another hundred books. But now we’re settling in, trying to teach our little scaredy cat to go down the stairs and make our new space homey and cozy.