Best of 2023 — Sit & Stay Awhile

The Bests of 2023

The Best Moments of 2023

Now that I have a job where I actually get a weekend, David and I got out of the desert and took many little weekend trips and it was so relaxing and refreshing. It’s nice to get out of town even if only for a day or two. We waited in a two hour line to try a donut place that’s been around for a hundred years, picked our dream ocean view home on a small SoCal island, spent a few days at Disneyland with my brother and his family and literally drove an hour just to eat at our favorite creole restaurant. David and I went to a few concerts and comedy shows, visited San Diego beaches we’ve never been too, went on short hiking trip and explored a lot of small towns between the California desert and Los Angeles.

Best Song: Now That We Don’t Talk

Best Album: Midnights

I’ve never considered myself a Swiftie but apparently 2023 was the year I played Taylor nonstop (according to my Spotify end of year wrap up). Midnights was my most listened to album of the year and Taylor’s version of Now That We Don’t Talk, yea I definitely played that one on repeat at home and at work.

The Best Makeup & Skincare of 2023

When it comes to makeup and skincare, I’ve been wearing and using the same product since basically forever. But 2023, I went outside my comfort zone and tried a few new brands. As someone who has been in the blogsphere since 2010, I’ve become skeptical of “influencers” and the products they swear by. I rarely buy something someone recommends unless I’ve been following them for decade. One online recommendation and two new brands I tried this year that I absolutely love include:

Best Mascara - Ilia Mascara

Face Cleanser - Youth to the People

Eyeshadow: Merit Midcentury

The Best Project of 2023

At the end of 2023, I changed career paths and started a new job, got married and moved. Although it was very stressful, I was excited to move. We moved into a bigger place so I was happy to design and decorate a new home. A project we’re still working on, I’ve had so much fun working on the guest room. I’d say our home is very coastal and cozy, we both love the ocean and grew up near the California coast. I spent a few years on the Maine Coast, so incorporating the Maine Coastal vibe into our home has been really fun. Lots of woodsy elements, whites and blues and wilderness, lakes and ocean artwork make for a really relaxing tone for the guest room.

The Best TV Shows of 2023

I felt like I watched a lot of new stuff in 2023. As a nostalgic person, I tend to rewatch my favorite shows. Since David is not a big re-watcher and just to be more knowledgeable of what’s popular, 2023 was the year I watched a lot of different things . Both on HBO, Hacks and The Last of Us ended up making the top of the list as my favorite shows of the year. The writing, dialogue and being a product of Paul Downs, Hacks just spoke to me. Reluctant to watch The Last of Us, (I am not a zombie person, the only zombie movie/tv show I will watch/rewatch is I Am Legend), after the first two episodes I was hooked, often stressed but I couldn’t wait to watch the next episode. And obviously, Season Two of Yellowjackets just delivered!

Hacks

A little late to the game on this show but I am absolutely loving the newest Paul Downs comedy, Hacks. The writing is excellent, Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are fantastic as the lead actors and I cannot wait for the third season. If you haven’t yet watched this show it centers on the professional relationship between a legendary stand-up comedian and a young comedy writer. Just go watch it!

Last of Us

Do I even need to say anything about this show? I’m not really aa zombie person, except for the classic Will Smith, I Am Legend. This show is perfection but also really intense. I was on the edge of my seat every single god damn episode. I was hiding under the covers or yelling at the tv throughout the entire season. Pedro Pascal kills it and I love the actress who plays Ellie. One of the best shows of the year! Have a favorite episode? Would love to hear your comments?

YellowJackets

And then there’s Yellowjackets, a very twisted feminist version of Lord of Flies, the plot follows a girl’s soccer team while they are stranded in the Canadian wilderness. With cults, cannibalism, seances, a killer soundtrack and supernatural elements, it’s one of the best shows I’ve watched in a long time.

The Best Shops of 2023

In an effort to reduce my online shopping and supporting bigger retail stores, I am trying to be more mindful and buy from locally owned business, visit the Sunday farmer’s market more often, check out the hundreds of thrift stores in the Palm Springs area and follow smaller online shops. A few of my favorite local shops for gifting (and treating myself to) these are my favorite places to shop in the desert.

The Kids Bakery in Indio, CA

Gre Records and Coffee in Palm Springs, CA

The Body Deli in Palm Desert, CA

Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum - Joshua Tree, CA

Oliver Napa Valley in Palm Desert, CA

The Best Fashion Choices of 2023

As a librarian/archivist being a minimalist is kind of hard. I love collecting things - everything from books, records, things from my travels, fashion, 80s and 90s nostalgic knick knacks like Polly Pockets and stickers, it can be overwhelming and just hard to maintain. As I’ve aged, I’ve become more of a minimalist. One its better for the environment and two, you don’t need all the things. Over the last few years, I’ve gotten rid of a lot of crap. Many of my ‘collections’ have become quite a bit smaller and instead I focus on buying more quality made furniture, clothing, etc. And now, it feels so good to not have all the stuff. I’ve spent the last two - three years getting rid of old and cheap clothes and have instead spent more time looking for more quality made clothing. Here are a few my favorite fashion items in my closet right now.

Best Tees: A Perfect Day Ribbed Crew Necks

The Best Shoe Ever: Rothy Mary Janes

The Best Sweater Wrap: Athleta Pranayama Restore Wrap

The Best Decision of 2023

One of the best decisions I made in the last year was going to an in person yoga class. I’ve been practicing yoga now for about fifteen years. I got into it in college and took classes at home during the summer but between working and going to grad school I stopped attending in person classes and started doing DVD yoga workouts and then YouTube workouts. Nothing is wrong with that but it was easy to turn it off if I didn’t want to do it. Right before I got married last November, my parents gifted me a two month membership at a local yoga studio to help me destress right before the wedding and I’ve been gong every week ever since. It has helped in so many ways, my body feels better, my mental health has improved immensely and it feels like dance class from when I was a kid, I’ve made friends with classmates and I look forward to seeing my yoga people.

The Best Books of 2023

After leaving the library world, I knew it was going to be more of an effort to keep the momentum of reading going. I set a goal to read 60 books (a year) but wasn’t sure if I would be able to reach that now that I no longer work in a public libraries. I’m now a dedicated audiophile and surprisingly surpassed my yearly reading goal this year. Narrowing down my top five was really hard, I read a lot of really interesting books this past year. Nonetheless, here are my top six.

Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

A haunting and beautifully written novel by a debut author, this story takes places in a fictionalized South Bend, Indiana and follows the residents that live in a low-income housing building. There’s so much going on in this book and it’s dense but I absolutely loved it. This is a story about the darkness of American culture. If there’s one book I recommend to read this year, this is it! But also just supporting my ND/SMC writers.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

It’s Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out with a little bit of Stepford Wives vibes. This story is all about discrimination, and the marginalization of coworkers in the New York publishing industry. Hulu just released a limited series based on the book and it is just as excellent as the book. A must read and watch.

What Lies in The Woods by Kate Alice Marshall

Tore through this book the day I got it. I’ve spent the last year reading all of Kate Alice Marshall’s books and I love them all. A dark story about friendship and betrayal, I haven’t read a thriller this good in a long. long time.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

An ode to the 80s teen slashers, this book is perfection. If you’re into teen summer camp slasher/horror, you’re going to love this one. It’s the right amount of gore, suspense, twists and horror tropes! Read in one sitting, this book is weird and creepy but soo good!

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

This book gave me all the nostalgia feels. A steamy story of summer romance, family and friendships, I couldn’t help remembering my own memories of lazy summer days and falling for the boy next door. I loved every minute of this book!

Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson

This book was sooo good. It’s Lumberjanes meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Stranger Things. The ladybirds are a secret society who hunt interdimensional parasites that feed on human emotion and sometimes just humans. After witnessing the death of her best friend, Prudence left the Ladybirds, but she is forced to train new recruits and discovers secrets about her old group that she will have to expose. Highly, highly recommend.

The Best Restaurants and Meals of 2023

Alps Village - Palm Desert, CA

Croatian, German and Greek Food. Literally chef’s kiss!

Uncle Chai’s- Rancho Mirage, CA

Thai street food that is literally perfection, and also has great prices.

Misaki Sushi & Grill - La Quinta, CA

Premium sushi, fat rolls and the most delicious green tea ice cream!

Felipe’s - Palm Springs

You’re going for the vibes, the alcohol and food is excellent.

El Campanario - Indio, CA

Probably my favorite sit down Mexican restaurant in the Coachella Valley.

The Best Movies of 2023

Barbie

I mean it was the movie of the year. My love for Greta Gerwig began when I started working in public libraries in 2011. When I first started working at the Rancho Mirage Public Library, I gave myself the task to properly shelve the DVD collection, yes I am a nerd. One day while shelving, I came across a movie called Hannah Takes the Stairs, watched it and really liked it so I went looking for more Greta movies. After that I was hooked. After Ladybird and Little Women, Greta has become more mainstream but I don’t care, I love everything she writes and directs. We all know Barbie was perfection so let’s move on, I can seriously talk about it for the rest of this post.

Bottoms

Ok, this movie is aggressive but I love it. I first saw Rachel Sennott in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (which is also a great movie) and loved her. Her character is kind of annoying but I still really liked her. Rachel Sennott co-wrote Bottoms with Emma Seligman and it is a wild movie. It’s basically a teen feminist fight club movie. The language is foul, the violence is aggressive but it is hilarious. Just watch it and tell me what you think!

Totally Killer

A Back to the Future Teen Slasher you need to watch immediately. This was a surprisingly great movie. A fun horror comedy, the story follows Kiernan Shipka’s character who, after her mother is murdered by the same Sweet 16 Killer who went on a murder spree thirty years earlier, travels back in time to 1987, where she has to catch the killer during his original spree and return to the future before she is trapped in the 80s forever.