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Music to clear your clutter by

Just play this music while you re-organize your life and you will be as happy as Bill Withers is in this picture. No, really.

Clearly, one cannot be expected to get any serious de-cluttering done without a great playlist. And while everybody’s tastes differ– some people find inspiration in Taylor Swift, while others need to sing along to Carmen whilst waving their arms madly about– I say, listen to whatever works. And in that spirit, I humbly offer you (via Spotify) a slice of what I have been listening to for the past several days as I make headway in the massive never-ending project that is the re-organization of my office.

Below please find the track list, should you wish to follow along…

I Can’t Stand The Rain – Ann Peebles
Shame, Shame, Shame – Shirley & Company
Lovely Day – Bill WIthers
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get – The Dramatics
Sweet Jamaica – Lord Kitchener
Saturday Night Fish Fry – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Get Out Of My Life Woman – Joe Williams
What Is Hip? – Tower Of Power
Sunshine Superman – Donovan
The Tide Is High – Blondie
Words Of Love – The Mamas And The Papas
Reflection – Diana Ross & The Supremes
Pretty Thing – Bo Diddly
Tightrope – Janelle Monáe
I Feel Like Funking It Up – Rebirth Brass Bad

And while we’re on the topic of clearing out the old…

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The deconstructed VHS tape, on the dining room table. How many of these do you still have aying around?

The deconstructed VHS tape, on the dining room table. How many of these do you still have laying around?

Once the juices get flowing, it’s hard to stop. My plan is to systematically go through the bags and put away or get rid of (hopefully more of the latter) all of the various papers that lurk within. Then I tackle the two file drawers in my desk. And then the bits of loose paper on the shelves.

But my husband has no such devotion to a system and is much more of an all or nothing kind of person when it comes to doing these things. So when he glanced up and saw the pile of videos o my bookshelf, he lept at them, demanding to know what kind of useless nonsense was on them.

Turns out they are all copies of an incredibly cute video that his cousin and best man Mark made for us and played at our rehearsal dinner. But we have no way to play them and most definitely don’t need more than one copy at this point. So into the trash the other copies flew.

And then right back out again, because I can’t stand the idea of that much plastic going into the landfill if I can help it. And it turns out we can recycle everything but the film… you just have to take apart the casing, which I learned how to do from this video. (What did we do before YouTube?) Granted, it took about 3 minutes a tape, but I think that’s time well spent when it comes to saving the planet, don’t you?

Yesterday, at some point…

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Another January, another attempt at clearing out all of the excess stuff in my office. This is not, to put it mildly, my first time at this particular rodeo. Nor my second. Or even my third.

But this time is going to be different. I am being kinder to myself. I’ve enlisted the help of a professional (the inimitable Martha Hayden– more about her at a later point), speaking with her over the phone for hours gathering up advice and working on gong about the project in a way that will stick. I’ve even gotten my husband (who has just left his job and is, as such, ripe for activities) into the game.

This is a huge job. It is going to take some time. We have only just begun. But we are determined to, in the words of the great Alan Rickman in Galaxy Quest:

“Never give up. Never surrender.”

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Yesterday, at some point is a series of photographs that describe a moment I experienced during the previous day. The posts are meant to be stand alone images, though at times I can’t control myself, and I end up expanding the caption into a more lengthy bit of text. Hopefully the extra information is useful, or at least interesting. If not, feel free to ignore it.

Monday, Monday– or links to my favorite Best of 2015 lists

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So according to #2015bestnine, these are my nine most popular Instagram images for 2015. Might not have been the ones I chose, but it’s always interesting to see what the algorithms have to say…

The top 11 moments for women in pop culture in 2015, according to Time Magazine. Because girl power is all the rage these days. Finally.

This list comes out in the summer, but Saveur’s Best Food Blogs of 2015 is a list well worth pouring over.

No list of lists is complete without something from Flavorwire… Here are the esteemed listmakers’ picks for 2015′s best movie posters.

You can take Longreads.com’s list of the Best Essays and Criticism of 2015, print or download your favorites, and consider your subway reading taken care of for a couple of months at least.

And speaking of articles, here are 2015′s top 100 stories in the New York Times, by time spent.

As for music, here’s the esteemed mixmaster Diplo’s Best of 2015 Year End Mix on Soundcloud.

Last but definitely not least, I give you Brainpickings.org’s list of the Best Kids Books of 2015. To be honest, this might be the best list of children’s books I have ever seen. I want everything on it. (Thanks for the tip, @reclaimthetable!)

Monday, Monday (on Wednesday!)– or a few links to organizations that deserve your last minute donations…

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WaterAid is just one of the many organizations worthy of our support during these last days of 2015.

There are 2 days left to get in your tax deductible donations for 2015… If you have even a little bit of extra cash lying around, why pay it in taxes when you can give it directly to people who are working to make the world a better place?

World peace is one of those things people are always wishing for… The International Peace Institute (IPI) is a not-for-profit think tank dedicated to making it a reality.

And while we’re on the topic of Peace on Earth, Peace First is dedicated to creating the next generation of peacemakers by replacing the culture of violence with one of inclusion and support through curriculum as well as youth run advocacy programs. If the kids get into playing peace (as opposed to war) the foundation is set for a brighter future.

The Studio Museum in Harlem has been a focal point for black art both nationally and internationally, both through it’s programs and exhibitions as well as it’s artist-in-residence program. In a world of diminishing emphasis on the arts, it is a beacon in the midst of a vastly under-served community. Plus with donation comes membership, so you can check out all of the shows free of charge!

Forgive me for getting super personal here, but as one of the over 2.3 million people world wide living with Multiple Sclerosis, I am particularly motivated to help find a cure. The National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation is both a resource for people living with MS as well as a leader in providing much needed funds for research.

If there is one thing in desperate need of defending, it is our increasingly fragile environment. The Environmental Defense Fund is dedicated to creating solutions that let nature and people prosper.

And speaking of things in need of defending, our right to vote, once seen as inalienable, is beginning to be eroded in many small ways that are starting to build up to dangerous proportions. The League of Women Voters is dedicated to ensuring that all voters have the opportunity and the information they need to exercise their right to vote.

And last, but definitely not least, the scarcity of drinkable water on our planet is reaching crisis levels, especially in the world’s poorest nations. WaterAid is working in the poorest countries to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable water.

Christmas morning, at 1:08 am

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Here’s to a future where each day is merrier and brighter than the last… Where sugarplums are the primary subject of our dreams… And where the good guys of the world confound the grinches simply by holding hands and singing.

We can make it happen.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

3 great books to help your kids navigate difficult subjects

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Wonder (by RJ Palacio) is a book about an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face. And while his “facial difference” has prevented him from going to school for his initial 10 years, he is about to enter fifth grade, and the “normal” world of middle school life, for the first time. This book is the story of that extraordinary year and how everybody in the school community is affected.

It deals with bullying, fear-of-other, the “popular” group, kindness, empathy, and learning how to recognize and cope with difficult, challenging and conflicting feelings. It is also beautifully written, funny, moving, and incredibly entertaining. Middle school kids can read it alone, but it’s also a great read aloud for slightly younger kids. It has instigated so many important conversations in our household… Anything that helps provide kids with the tools they need to navigate those tween years with grace is a welcome addition to our arsenal.

Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story tells the intersecting stories of two 11 year old kids living in Sudan, one from 1995 and the other from 2008. It is a story of survival, friendship and resilience that humanizes the politically complicated refugee situation that continues to be a part of the news today.

And while on the one hand, the refugee crisis feels very remote, it is so important for us to help our kids to understand all of the complex and not-so-great things that are happening in the world these days. Encountering these difficult subjects through stories helps to create a safe place for the potentially difficult topics to be digested. And hopefully we help foster a more empathetic future through understanding.

Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter and Shane W Evans is a beautifully illustrated picture book that tells the story of Lillian, an elderly African-American woman, and her walk up a steep hill to the voting booth in her town.

During her climb, she remembers the stories of her enslaved great grandparents, her uncle being forced to take absurdly difficult qualification tests in order to vote, and her own memories of being chased away from voting booths by angry mobs. The hill becomes a metaphor for the struggle that African Americans experienced during their fight for the right to vote.

The book is a celebration of the Voting rights Act of 1965, which is currently under fire again in many states. The right to vote still needs protection and this book helps us remember how central this right is to being a citizen of a democracy like ours.

Something to do when you’re stuck at the airport

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When the Santa Barbara based State Street Ballet troupe has a 7 hour layover in Denver they get busy. Because it’s always a good idea to stretch out before sitting on a cramped airplane for hours on end, right?

It’s that time of year again…

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Tis the season over here in the northernmost part of Brooklyn.

I love listening to all different types of music, but come December, I am suddenly compelled to choose albums and playlists with a “Holidays” theme. I know it may be a bit cliche, but these songs make me feel merry and bright. Which is a lovely way to be.

So without further ado, I give you a selection of some of my favorite songs to play during this crazy and wonderful time of year. If you’re signed up for Spotify (it’s free), just click on the little triangle below to listen:

And here, as usual, is the tracklist if you want to follow along…

Winter Wonderland – Macy Grey
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – The Beach Boys
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Christmas In Hollis – RUN-DMC
Chanukah Song, Pt 2 – Adam Sandler
The Nutcracker Suite: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy – Tchaikovsky
The Christmas Song – Ray Charles
Just Like Christmas – Low
Coventry Carol – Joan Baez
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – The Temptations
Little Drummer Boy – The Flaming Lips
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – She & Him
Happy Hanukkah – Matisyahu
Twelve Days of Christmas – The Muppets & John Denver
Santa Claus IS Coming To Town – Jackson 5
8 Days of Hannukah – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton
Silent Night – Mahalia Jackson

Monday, Monday– or a few links to some lovely magazine subscriptions you might want to consider giving this seaon…

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Two recent issues of Short Stack on of my new favorite food related magazines.

Gather Journal is technically a food magazine, but each issue is built on a theme (the current one is called “Origin” and explores a few areas of natural history that are particularly relevant to where the food we eat comes from.) There are recipes, of course, and beautiful photography. Plus they have great playlists on their website. Two issues a year, for $35.

While Faerie Magazine is written for adults, it might just be the perfect thing for your pre teenaged daughter who not-so-secretly wants to be reborn as Arwen from Lord of the Rings. There are crafts, “otherworldly beauty tips”, gowns made entirely of roses and basically all things enchanted. Published quarterly, at $28 a year.

Esopus is not just a magazine, it is a foundation dedicated to the unmediated distribution of the art and writing of the people it publishes. Every spring you get the most beautiful, uniquely put together, entirely free of advertising (and advertorial) journal of creative work you have probably ever encountered. And if you give a premium subscription, it includes a limited edition artwork every fall. Published annually, starting at $30.

If you or your loved ones don’t already subscribe to The New Yorker, you need to subscribe THIS MINUTE. Thoughtful, intelligent, beautifully written articles about all of the issues and people of the day. You are automatically smarter after you read this magazine. Published just about every week. Subscriptions start at $12 for 12 weeks.

Short Stack looks like a zine, but it is actually a series of small format cookbooks bound by hand and filled with recipes built around a single ingredient and written by various luminaries in the culinary world. The first time I saw one I snatched it up, and as soon as I read it I knew I had to have them all. Six volumes a year for $75.

And last, but not least, is Apartemento, which is an interiors magazine about real spaces that real (and creative with great taste) people live in. Unmanicured and at times really messy, but always captivating and full of inspiration, it is the perfect antidote to your standard, uber-polished shelter magazine. Published twice a year for only €27.