Rewatch podcasts

Believe me or not, I had no clue that rewatch podcasts were a thing till this very month. But as I was picking a series for this season, I learned that One Tree Hill’s female leads – please bear with me, it’s a popular ‘00s teen drama I grew up with – are running a rewatch podcast. As I’m not yet ready to take on a nine-season binge session, I figured it could be a lovely way to take a walk down memory lane and also get some behind-the-scenes perspectives and tidbits along the way, and it indeed is. Better still, it is also a nice way to casually practice your listening skills on the go. If you’re not an OTH fan, there are also quite a few podcasts about other shows, too, from Gilmore Girls (w/ Luke from Luke’s Diner) and Scrubs (w/ Vanilla Bear and Chocolate Bear) to The Sopranos (w/ Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri). – Marina

Free puns

Out of all the jokes in the world, I’m partial to British comedy. That’s why each new finding in this field brightens my day – just like videos by comedian Darren Walsh did! Shortly, this guy goes on the streets and gives out puns on any topic people ask him. You just have to watch it! I can’t decide what impresses me more – how easily he improvises or how hilarious these one-liners turn out. To be honest, some jokes still fly over my head, but that’s where I see room for growth! Overall, even the idea of it is heartwarming: if someone offered me a pun on my way to work, my day would instantly get better. – Elizaveta

Posture exercises

Like many of us these days, I spend most of my time hunched over in front of my computer. This is uncomfortable and potentially harmful in many ways, but this month I decided to concentrate on my back. You see, every time I walk home from work, I see young ballerinas in training exiting the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet – and I envy their elegant posture. I finally decided that those few moments of “chin up, shoulders down, straight back” that happen each time I see a ballerina are not enough, so I turned to YouTube (e.g., here or here). Having followed along with a couple of videos, I now have a couple of handy exercises under my belt that can be done in 5-10 minutes. I can’t yet tell if my posture has improved, but I definitely don’t have back pain at the end of a work day – so it’s a win in any case. – Catherine

Breadmaking

Yeah, yeah, I know: “Didn’t we cover that in 2020?” you might say. It’s true, I did jump on the bandwagon and bake a couple loaves during that very first lockdown. Still, my impression was that it’s a messy, fussy experience that only made sense if you have to stay indoors for weeks on end. Mix, knead, wait, knead again, wait again, and so on and so forth – it’s a whole ritual. Not to mention all the dutch ovens and pizza stones you need to have! But not long ago, finding myself in an unfamiliar kitchen on vacation and craving some late-night carbs, I made the desperate discovery that you can have a stack of steamy flatbreads done in mere 30 minutes. And the best part is – you don’t even need an oven at all! Inspired by the (almost embarrassing) ease of this process, I’m now making strides with no-knead bread – again, a crazy-simple recipe that barely costs anything to make, requires little effort, and only calls for your basic oven. I really feel that I could get used to this! – Vadim