If you would like to see a bunch more Pippin pics, they're here: original Patreon post.

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This post contains no year-end "I did this" creative roundup, thoughtful analysis, or New Year's resolutions. I don't read those kinds of posts, so I also don't write them.

But I am gonna share a handy list of handy life essentials I've discovered, rediscovered, or otherwise come to appreciate more this year. Because I like writing about things I like which I think might help other people.

So, here we go.

1. fleece lined trousers

Not flannel-lined jeans, no. I tried those multiple times. I never wore them because I hated the restrictiveness. And when it comes to base layer, I'm 100% in favor of it on the torso from October to April, but it always binds my legs so I only resorted to it when it was Arctic outside.

These things are twill with a bit of stretch, lined in a very thin layer of soft fleece. It's like night and day, wearing these when it's cold outside. They're cozy and breathable and not at all thick or binding, just freaking wonderful indoors as well as out.

Costco had some on sale in my size, miracle 1, and in black, miracle 2, and they felt soft, so I took a chance on a pair . They were so wonderful I immediately ordered two more from the website so I will have enough to last me a couple of winters.

2. face masks for outdoor wear

Another winter thing. You know what I haven't had all year? A dry-air nosebleed. Not a single one. That's because I started slinging on a well-fitted N95/KN95 face mask whenever we go outside once the temp dropped below 50 degrees. I declare face masks are the best thing ever invented for cold weather exercise. No icy breeze gets past mine to damage my nice, warm, insulated, humidified sinuses now. I don't care if I look weird, wearing it to places & taking it off at the door.

(I also still mask indoors at work, in non-eatery locations where the HVAC is clearly inadequate, and anywhere the occupancy is so high I can't maintain free-breathing range. But I don't 100% indoor mask, not by any stretch. Is that an empathy fail? Does my fall from 100% make me a callous, selfish monster? Maybe. It's hardly the most evil thing I'm guilty of.)

3. nitrile gloves

I already knew these were a lifesaver--or at least a handsaver--when it comes to doing any handwork with peeling, cracked, eczematic hands. But this year I've been donning gloves even when my hands are fine. It's just so damned much easier to handle wet dough or mushy ingredients, move between prep & washing & back to prep, and generally do any messy cooking task while wearing gloves.

4. double-wall vacuum insulated bottles

My choice is Yeti, but that's a matter of circumstance and convenience, not brand loyalty. All stainless steel insulated containers work pretty much the same way, and efficacy is mostly proportional to price. The big thing is, these keep your beverage at temp. So now I make a whole pot of tea, pour a small mug, and stow the rest. When it's time for a top-off, the liquid is ready to go, still H-O-T. Not the slightly-burned, oxidized warm from on a mug hot plate, not the slightly off-tasting hot of a microwaved reheat, but piping & perfect.

I learned this visiting fam this fall. My brother fixed Dad a thermos of coffee every morning as part of his hydration routine, and as soon as I saw it, I thought, "Well, that is fucking brilliant, why have I never invested in one of those?"

5. travel kettles

In related beverage news, I concluded after the last convention of this year, that life is too short to wait for hotel room coffee maker to cough up inferior hot water for my morning tea. And it's MUCH too short to either wait in line at an overcrowded convention-adjacent cafe or hope that the consulate will actually provide hot water at all. So.

I'm actually in Quest Mode for a decent travel kettle now. Probably a 1 liter Hamilton Beach, if no one has any other recommendations.

Once upon a time, I had a little 32 oz kettle for hot water, perfect for travel or for dorms where microwaves weren't allowed in the rooms because the wiring needed updating...which is why I had one. That one long since wore out & was never replaced, because reasons, but it's time, I do believe.

That's all for this year!