The Weekly Wrap: March 1, 2026

I’m kicking myself right now. About two months ago, I made a tiny change I should have made years ago.

My skin is generally dry, but my hands have it the worst. Between handling paper and books all day and constantly washing my hands, the skin gets so dry it can crack and bleed. I’ve always known the solution: use lotion more often, ideally at a time when I won’t immediately wash it off. But I could never seem to find the right moment.

Then I made one small change.

We have a cabinet in the bathroom where I keep lip balm. Every night before bed, I grab one and swipe my lips. One night, I remembered the hand lotions buried in the drawer and used one. Instead of putting it back - where I’d surely forget it again - I left it out on the shelf.

That tiny act did the trick.

Simply moving a tube of lotion six inches changed everything. Now, every night before bed, my hands get a good layer of lotion, and after a couple of months they look far less like the Gobi Desert.
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Now I’m looking around wondering what other small changes might make just as big a difference.

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• We just need to build more house. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• And this is why good journalism is dying. [PEW]
• *Gestures broadly at everything* [The Atlantic - gift link]
• Kids need real snow days. [The Analog Family]
• I'm coming to the cottage. [Conde Nast Traveler] 

• An old school filming technique that might be making a comeback. [Up First]
• "Race did not create racism. Racism created race." [Code Switch]
• Why fishies like artificial reefs. [Short Wave]
• The ecological impact of a very long fence. [99% Invisible]
• It's who you know. [The Indicator]
• What makes a pancake? [Gastropod]

• BRB - need to track down this book. [kcolemanbooks]
• Things you don't think about. [br_openice]
• What's up with toothpaste? [peterdraws]
• Now that the Olympics are over, we're back to watching Breaking Bad. Gotta hand it to the creators. Season two was a doozy. The way it starts and where you think it's going is not how it ultimately ends. [Netflix]

• I'm sure salmon and creamy orzo with spinach and mushrooms is great as written. But, I love that it was so easily adaptable. Instead of cream,  I used half and half. It was already in our fridge, and I needed to use it up. We had leftover asparagus, so I chopped that up to add in to the pasta. I was feeling cheesy, so I tossed a bunch of grated parm in as well. It was really good! The leftover pasta mixture made for a great lunch the following day. [Eating Well]
• Color me shocked when our kiddo sat down the night I made slow cooker kielbasa and white bean cassoulet. Instead of looking askance at dinner, she sat down and said, "Yum! My favorite!" I think it was mostly the bread we served on the side, but she gobbled her entire portion down. I topped my bowl with Tabasco cause I thought it needed some heat. [Real Simple via SI]
• I love how sous viding makes dinner prep easier. The husband started a chicken breast in the sous vide in the middle of the afternoon. I later turned it into BBQ chicken quesadillas. This one was easy and delicious. I will be making it again. [WaPo]