The Jones List August 2024
The Jones List is where we celebrate life's small joys! This week, my latest Substack discoveries and beauty must-haves to beach reads (if you are Euro-summering) and life-changing salad hacks, we've got a little bit of everything. I'll also share my quest for the perfect crossbody bag and a simple phrase swap that's been revolutionising my daily routine. Ready to explore? Let's go!
Am I late to the party with Substack? I have to admit I don’t really know how it works (like the Notes section – is this like a suggestive feed or did I sign up unknowingly to all these people??) but I am loving it. I’ve found all my favourite writers and it’s a much better app to scroll when I find myself awake at 3:00am. It’s basically a collation of blogs and you can choose to subscribe for a cost to writers whose content you want to see or you can get their free content subscription which is usually a post maybe once a week. My favs?
Every Shade of Grey Katherine Ormerod
Talking about India Knight she writes the beauty column in The Times (UK Newspaper) which I still subscribe to. The way she described the new Hourglass pressed powder is so convincing I had to buy it from Cult Beauty. Wouldn’t you if you read this? “It blurs, mattifies and conceals all in one, without looking like you have anything on your skin, even in bright sunlight.” I must admit it is incredibly finely milled and I love it’s blurring powers!
Over the school holidays I cashed in all my Qantas points and went to Thailand where I indulged into my holiday reading habit and chewed through 6 books in 2 weeks. Top holiday reads are:
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe – Margo is a single mother struggling to make ends meet so she starts an Only Fans page as an experiment. Assisted by her veteran pro-wrestler Dad and her flatmate she starts to gain traction. Is this the answer to all of Margo’s problems?
Stepping Up by Sarah Turner – Younger disorganised sister Beth has never really been able to commit to anything. But then suddenly she finds herself solely responsible for her sister’s two children due to a traumatic accident. How will she cope and will she be able to step up?
You are Here by David Nicholls – Oh I love David Nicholls of “One Day” fame. He is such a soothing balm. Two middle-aged singles meet on a walk across the English countryside where they tentatively start a friendship. Will it lead to more?
Chickpeas are the missing ingredient to any salad! The trick is to fry them! I just discovered this and it has instantly added an oomph to all my winter salads. Fry a can of chickpeas in a pan for about 15 minutes salting then towards the end. Add to any green salad, Greek salad, roast winter veg salad and behold their crunchy salty protein laden goodness.
Banana bag – I don’t think I can ever go back to any handbag style that isn’t a crossbody style with a larger compartment. It all started with the trendsetting fav from Uniqlo and I admit it is hard to beat! The only thing I don’t love about it is there isn’t a separate compartment inside so valuables can fall out. I did lose my keys on a Friday night using this bag! So I’m on the search for a slightly larger alternative. In the running are the following:
Or if I win the lottery, the Creators Crescent Bag
Or I may just wait as Uniqlo has a new version. It hasn’t hit Australia yet but it’s black and quilted and could be just what I’m looking for.
Lastly,
This easy switch has made a HUGE difference to my life:
Replace:
I have to/ I need to
With:
I get to/ I choose to
Works every time. I have to do the weekly food shop becomes I get to wander through this supermarket choosing food to feed my family. The only thing that it hasn’t worked with yet is anything to do with the dog and ‘accidents’ of the solid kind.
