An Unaesthetically Pleasing Roundup
All The Ugly Shit I Love
I love links. I love recs. Someone’s “lip balm that I want to be stranded on a desert island with” is my kryptonite. I NEED to know the “one item of clothing” whoever-the-fuck can’t live without. And yes if someone on the internet knows about an esoteric kitchen tool that will “change dinner prep forever and make your kitchen prettier in the process” I AM SALIVATING.
But more often than not, product recs (and honestly media links too) feel like someone’s ability to skillfully curate an aesthetic personhood. Like, this think piece means I’m thoughtful and culturally relevant. That pair of jeans means I value classics. Those oil cleansers mean I understand that dewy is next to godliness.
This is all to say that I love aspirational roundups but I also hate them. So today I’m offering a Very Unaesthetically Pleasing Product Roundup to share with you, my beloved readers. Because the internet in general and the mamasphere in particular are full of pretty shit no one really needs, but where’s the roundup for shockingly ugly shoes that will eradicate your foot pain and make you feel like you’re walking on clouds?!
Sara’s Unaesthetically Pleasing Roundup (or All the Ugly Shit Sara Loves)
Unaesthetically Pleasing Item #1
These are my Flents Quiet Time earplugs. You might be asking yourself what exactly I use these stunningly purple earplugs for, and why exactly they’re so critical to my overall wellbeing and ability to thrive. To which I’d say, what don’t I use them for and what can’t they improve? Ever since my body created humans and developed super-sonar level abilities to hear those humans hiccup in their sleep on another floor behind two closed doors and amidst the thunderous roar of two sound machines, I’ve needed earplugs for sleeping because I’m the lightest sleeper in the world and it’s honestly a pain in the ass. But these earplugs really help! I can still hear my kids if they need me, but as soon as I pop the plugs in, I feel like I’ve been cocooned in a cushy blanket of silence, and they trigger a Pavlovian response - my body unclenches and everything is cued for relaxation and sleep. I love it. And them.
Upon waking in the morning, I KEEP MY EARPLUGS IN throughout most of the getting-reading-for-school rush. This means I can sleepily click my way into my morning on my computer huddled in a corner on the couch without my kids’ obnoxious television choices ruining my morning calm. This also means all of my kids’ whines, yelps, and loud demands are less abrasive than they otherwise would be. 10 out of 10 recommend starting your day as a parent with the volume turned way the fuck down. I also use these earplugs when I’m working because my husband works from home too, and even when he’s on another floor, I crave monk-like silence for optimal working conditions because that’s the type of high maintenance gal I am.