Light List Vol. 2
This essay appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 2/23/26. Subscribe here!
Three Steps to a Happier Monday
Before we dive into a new week, let’s pause and ask ourselves some simple questions to reflect on where we’ve been, get excited about something today and set an intention for the week ahead.
GRATITUDE: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend?
TODAY: What’s one thing I can be excited about today?
INTENTION: What is my intention for this week?
For me, I’m thankful for snuggles with Ben, time to read and a productive Sunday morning coffee shop session. Today, I’m most excited to catch up with my mom on the phone. And my intention for the week is to remain steady.
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share, I am all ears. 🙂
Light List Vol. 2
Welcome to Volume 2 of The Light List: a monthly, running list of things making life feel lighter lately.
Enjoying
+ February rectangle calendar is being called the ‘perfect month’: I’m just delighted by this. This February has four seven-day weeks beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday – making a perfect little rectangle. There’s something so satisfying about it! You have the rest of the week to admire this rare sight before we flip to March. And it won’t happen again until 2037!
+ The idea of “Wednesday Cake.” This post is 10 years old, but I somehow came across it last week. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since! The premise is simple: celebrate the middle of the week with a cake that says, “Yay! It’s Wednesday!” Not waiting until the weekend to celebrate. Choosing to mark the middle with something small and joyful. I love that.
Reading
So far, 2026 is shaping up to be an excellent reading year.
+ I recently finished Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: a character-driven novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program, following an ambitious physicist-turned-astronaut as she navigates love, ambition and the pressure of being one of the few women in the room. It’s about space, but also about longing and identity and daring to create the lives we want.
+ And I also recently finished The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: a novel told entirely through letters, chronicling the inner life of a woman reflecting on her relationships, regrets and the shape of a life well lived.
For both books, I had heard a lot of hype but was hesitant going in. A book about space? A book that is all letters? However, in both cases, I fell hard for the main characters. Proof that a talent author can write a character you feel like you know.
+ Currently, I’m reading One & Only by Maurene Goo: a novel about a Korean-American woman navigating love, family expectations and tension between the life she’s built and the one she might truly want. I’m loving it and don’t know how it’s going to end!
+ Next up is Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, which I’ve heard such good things about. And I want to listen to Strangers by Belle Burden, recommended by a friend who’s currently listening to it and loving it.
Watching
+ Last weekend, Matt and I started Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. &. Carolyn Bessette and are really enjoying it. I find myself googling things after every episode – which is always a good sign. New episodes come out Thursday night, so it’s the perfect Friday treat for us.
Eating
+ One of my February goals is to “lock in our meal-planning systems.” What’s making it easy lately is committing to chicken & roasted vegetables every week. I slow cook a big batch of chicken in the crockpot that’s easy to shred and I roast two sheet pans full of vegetables (I like this recipe!). I make enough for Matt and me to eat it for two nights. When it’s time for dinner, we build bowls and customize with dips or sauces. If I’m planning dinners Monday-Thursday and chicken & veggies take up two nights – and we always have salmon & broccoli on Monday – then I only have to pick one new recipe each week. That tiny simplification has felt surprisingly freeing.
Buying
+ Very much inspired by reading The Correspondent, I want to start writing letters!!! So, naturally, I’ve been browsing for pretty writing paper (like this or this).
+ I’ve heard much about Quince, but hadn’t ordered much clothing from them until recently. I got these joggers and absolutely love them. I find myself wanting to wash them the moment I take them off just so I can wear them again.
What’s been adding lightness to your life lately? I’d love to hear about it!