simple pleasures: how to afford luxury, FORM pilates, and my new daily bag

no.4 - luxury on a budget, my newborn niece, pilates and my recently watched, read and bought

simple pleasures is a monthly curation of all my favourite new (and old and loved) things - think a collection of passions, habits, books, quotes, purchases, recipes, and more.

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I can’t believe it’s already April! The sun is out, the days are longer, the flowers are blooming, and my mood has lifted.

This month’s instalment of “simple pleasures” has a little bit of everything, but I mainly wanted to bring across a feeling of a fresh start, in accordance with the start of spring.

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An article on affording luxury with a finite budget

I just love Substack’s homepage because I discover gems like this article by

Elle Dresses Well

on how to manage the anxiety of affording quality clothing.

How are people affording fashion?

I recently took it upon myself to spend less on mass-market fashion and more on timeless quality pieces. But it comes at a price. And a hefty one at that, I’ve begun to realise. My current financial situation doesn’t permit me to spend as much money on fashion as I’d like. That 100% cashmere Reformation cardigan will have to wait and for the time begin I’m coveting my cashmere socks (they truly are one of my most beloved pieces).

In her article, Elle adaptly outlines ways in which to find quality and/or designer items for a lesser price, including how to navigate second-hand sites, prioritise daily costs of living (seriously rethinking my current shampoo and skincare choices now), and, I think most importantly, to have patience. In a culture that promotes immediate gratification, it might do us well to sit and consider whether or not we really need something right away.

On that note, another tip I took from

jordan santos

is to make a spreadsheet of the things I’d like and what I’ve already bought, then revisit it if I still think about an item at a later date. It makes me a lot more aware of my spendings.

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I became an aunt to the cutest baby ever

I know, we all think our own family is the cutest, but really, she is.

With the birth of my niece at the beginning of March (I’m still so in awe of my sister and this little one), I’ve been prioritising family time a lot more. Seeing her grow up so fast over the course of mere weeks is a humbling and heartwarming experience.

I just love being an aunt. It’s common knowledge that we get to reap a lot of the benefits of having a baby around, spoiling them and receiving love (even if it’s only been a month and she probably doesn’t even see me properly yet) but can still get our long hours of sleep. I’m already impatient to see her again!

I thought I’d share a couple of my favourite gifts I got her:

• THE cutest baby clothing from Donsje Amsterdam. I especially love the bunny themed peter pan collared bodysuit I got her and matching socks

• Baby Art Gallery. Something I discovered this year is that baby’s only see black and white, and since part of my major was art history in college, I just needed to get these B&W cards with famous artworks on them and make her a baby art critic.

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Back to Pilates

Since I suffered a debilitating back injury last summer, I fell out of my usual workout routine. After slowly building my core strength back up, I’m finally back to a point where I can work out again.

I’ve been a fan of the platform FORM by Sami Clarke for years. From strength to pilates (and even meal ideas), it’s my go-to whenever I have a free morning - or very occasionally, a free evening. I usually spend only 30 minutes, but my blood will be pumping and my muscles will be sooore the next day.

I’m thinking of picking up some other type of workout, like Tai Chi, but please let me know what your favourite workout routine is. Recommendations and tips are always welcome!

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Eating…

• The best ramen I’ve had so far in Amsterdam at Takumi Ramen

• Alpro vanilla pudding - I grew up eating Alpro puddings, so they’re nothing new except that they have a version with extra protein! A great little dessert to fill my sweet tooth and my protein goals.

• Japanese curry - yes, I love Japanese food. Luckily, Japanese curry is so easy to make! The basic ingredients are rice and curry roux (which you can get at any Asian store). As for the filling of the curry, me and my boyfriend like to use potatoes, mushrooms, lots of onions and shrimp. But it really is up to you. You could use chicken, tofu, carrots, spinach, cheese,… We make a big batch, so we can enjoy it for the rest of the week. It’s so hearty and lovely, and one of my favourite Japanese dishes.

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Spending on…

• A beautiful vegan leather bag from the brand Freja. I was a bit hesitant purchasing a vegan leather bag, because I do tend to prefer the quality of a leather bag, but this one looks like leather and has held up like it too. I have replaced my Polene bag with it, because even though the quality of that one is amazing, I found it a bit too much of an “it” bag and I prefer having a bag that I don’t come across daily on the streets (and I’ve made someone very happy with it on Vinted!). The Freja bag also closes, which makes me feel a little safer than the Polene, and, need I mention, it fits a book!
  (If you’re interested in a Freja bag, you can get $40 off your order with my referral link here!)

• A really cute Japanese-style paper lantern lamp from Etsy. I can’t wait for it to arrive!

• This vintage pair of dark brown manolos - As I mentioned before, I really want to simplify my closet more and invest in timeless brands or secondhand designer. I’ve been looking for a perfect slingback heel, and when I spotted these for a good deal (thanks, Vestiaire!). I can’t wait to wear these classy babies. You can find similar styles secondhand here and here.

• On the topic of shoes, I also purchased these Everlane ballet flats, since they were on sale and I’ve had my eye on them for a while. Me being patient and not immediately buying these when I spotted them paid off.

• Yves Durif Petite Vented Brush - Since my hair always gets tangled whenever I leave the house, this brush is a life-saver! It doesn’t rip out my hair and is super lightweight and small.

• Some beauty and skincare empties - I really want to reduce the routinely costs of my makeup and skincare, so I’ve opted to only buy something new when I’ve finished a product. Recently, I finished my toner and day cream, so I bought some Beauty of Joseon bits, including this Ginseng Essence Water and Sunscreen (which I repurpose as a day cream too). This brand is clean and doesn’t break the bank. I’m already eyeing their Dynasty Cream…

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Watching…

• Classic horror movies like Scream and Saw - I used to be incredibly scared of anything even remotely horrifying, but for the past few years, I’ve been exploring the horror genre, and have been loving it. Classics like Scream and Saw are also a lot milder than I expected - I even laughed out loud during Scream. Maybe I should list a few of my favourite horrors… Let me know if this is something you’d like to see!

• Wonka (HBO) - I’m sorry but what?? This was so not what I was expecting. I’m so glad I waited to stream the movie instead of going to the cinema to watch this. I had a great time with my friend just because we laughed our asses off - so definitely recommend getting a friend to join you if you consider watching it. As someone who grew up with the slightly creepy slightly mysterious Johnny Depp version of Wonka, this just felt off. I also didn’t like the majority of ballad songs (but not going to lie, I will be singing “Scrub Scrub” every time I clean the house now)

• Dune (HBO) - I’ve been a fan of director Dennis Villeneuve’s work ever since I watched Arrival. The way he does cinematography is on another level. And that paired with the chilling and recognisable soundtrack, Dune is a multi-sensory masterpiece. Now Dune doesn’t have that much going on plot-wise, but I’m told the sequel makes up for that. I can’t wait to watch it and have been listening to the audiobook in the meantime (which, btw, is really well done, as it features multiple voice actors and music, which I find an absolute novelty).

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Currently reading…

• Lie with Me by Philippe Besson - So far I’m intrigued by the simple yet emotional writing

• What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - What a breath of fresh air! I can use some light hearted reading after having read some emotionally provocative books recently. It’s cute, has some life lessons, and I can feel the cosy Japanese vibes oozing from the pages.

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - Trying out a famous thriller for this month’s Fable bookclub. I used to read more thrillers but have somehow stopped, so it’s been really fun to delve into such a well-written one!
  

For the reviews, keep an eye out for the next instalment of my monthly books newsletter.

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