#21 2022 Best Buys, Palm Springs Travel Guide

Jan 08, 2023

Hello Friends,

This newsletter edition includes a list of my favorite products in 2022.

Plus…I’m sharing my favorite places to eat, can’t-miss boutiques, hip places to stay, and what to do in 🌴 Palm Springs, California.

Looking for a new book 📚for the new year? Check out my list of books to inspire, uplift, and encourage you! *Keep reading after the Palm Springs guide.

P.S. This issue is packed. You may need to read it in the browser or hit “Expand” to see the entire newsletter. It’s also easier to click links via the browser format.

👉I have linked many resources for you. Press and hold the highlighted text to make it easier to read the newsletter and open links. This will display the shortcut menu. From there, tap open in a new tab. When you do this, the link opens in a new tab.

Please feel free to comment if you have questions, responses, or brilliant ideas or if you feel like sharing a favorite recipe, restaurant, or anything else.

You can also email me 💌 marlayoung@mac.com.

If you are a ✨ new subscriber, check out the archives here, including travel guides.

Here's to a wonderful new year!

Find me on Instagram | Pinterest

To-Do List

WATCH 🎬

Jack Ryan Season 3 (Netflix): John Krasinski returns as the lead of the political thriller series, but this time, he goes rogue after the CIA refuses to get involved in his latest case.

Slow Horses Season 2 (Apple TV +): Slow Horses follows a group of British intelligence agents whose major mishaps on the job got them banished from MI5 to Slough House.

Three Pines (Amazon Prime): Based on author Louise Penny’s bestselling novels, Three Pines stars Alfred Molina as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. As he investigates a spate of murders in Three Pines, a seemingly idyllic village, he discovers long-buried secrets and faces a few of his ghosts.

Bad Sisters (Apple TV+:) Bad Sisters takes on a Big Little Lies plot, except that we don’t know which (or if any) of the five sisters are responsible for the murder of one of their husbands, John Paul. Told in flashbacks that help reveal many twists and turns, it’s the perfect show to watch with friends.

READ 📚

Never Finished Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by retired US Navy SEAL David Goggins: It’s not a self-help book but a wake-up call. A great book to kick off the new year.

Laundry Love by Patric Richardson: This book offers tips you may not have heard of before and dispels common myths about washing your clothes. I follow his recommendations, so my clothes last longer.

LISTEN 🎧

Undetermined (Podcast): In 2019, Jessica Easterly Durning went missing from her New Orleans home; her body was found days later, just two and a half blocks away. Her death was classified as undetermined, but due to evidence of foul play, her friends and family believe someone played a role in her suspicious disappearance. Investigative journalist Jessica Noll and former Detective Todd McComas dig deep into this unsolved case and search for answers to Jessica’s untimely death.

Behold the Lamb by Andrew Peterson (Spotify):

COOK 🍲 Allison Roman’s latest newsletter on soups includes easy recipes for a cold day.

DOWNLOAD 📱

Resort Pass (App): ResortPass is a booking platform that allows you to easily book hotel day passes for pool access, cabanas, workrooms, and more. Day passes start at $25.

SURF 🌐

Anthony Bourdain World Map: An interactive map of everywhere he ate.

Photo restoration: A free site for restoring and unblurring old images.

Plan Harmony: Coordinate group trips with calendars, to-do lists, and itineraries.

FOLLOW 📱

Mally K Goldman (Instagram): L.A.-based influencer with excellent style. Follow her on IG and check out her shopping recommendations on her blog.

HOTLIST

Sacramento

Ginger Elizabeth Patisserie is a darling bakery with delicious macaroons and coffee.

New Orleans

Vibrant Market is a beauty and wellness market on Magazine Street.

Nashville

Cafe Roze is my favorite coffee shop in Nashville.

Sunflower Bakehouse is a gluten-free and vegan bakery and cafe.

Washington, D.C.

L’Ardente is an elegant Italian restaurant with chandeliers & a gold-plated pizza oven firing signature pies.

Dallas

Civil Pour is a great coffee shop.

Is it time for a White Lotus vacation? Don’t miss this guide to Pantelleria, Sicily.
How to make the most of bad gifts?
Refrigerator organization tips.
People with a family history of early heart disease need to be tested for this inherited cholesterol particle.
Tips for flying with babies on airplanes.
The best pizza in Puerto Rico.
The different types of celiac disease.
These pineapple ginger wellness shots taste good and are good for you.
The science of dealing with toxic people.
Why we should all stop saying I know exactly how you feel.
Kate Middleton's private hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker, has Instagrammed a picture of everything she packs to get the royal's hair perfect.
How to clean an oven naturally.
Word is this is a good Dyson Wrap dupe.
Meet the team at Gate Gourmet that puts meals in the sky.
Tipping is weird now with the new technology, and service industry workers are getting creative by sharing their Venmo account QR codes.
The secret of the 8-minute phone call is a study of 240 adults that found when participants received brief phone calls a few times a week, their levels of depression, loneliness, and anxiety were ‘rapidly reduced’ compared with people who didn't receive a call.
How to organize your kitchen like a pro.
Ojai Valley, California weekend travel guide.
The best online vintage shopping.
A late person’s guide to being on time.
Why airline crews are exposed to increasing doses of radiation.
How to reach Apple, Google & Amazon for tech support.
A Long-COVID Resource Guide.

Recipes

These Toffee Walnut Bars are great for a football watch party.
Try these Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookies for a twist on an old favorite.
This banana buckwheat bread is delicious.
Finally, a recipe for real sour cream onion dip.
This black bean soup has a secret ingredient that makes it over-the-top tasty.
Carla Lalli Music’s melted cauliflower pasta recipe.
This Sweet Potato Salad with Pepita dressing is one of my new favorite recipes for a quick salad.
This crispy prosciutto salad is a crowd-pleaser at dinner parties.
This truffle butter chicken thigh recipe is budget-friendly and delicious.

Best Buys 2022

The products below are my best buys for 2022.

MiiR Mugs: I think MiiR makes the best-insulated coffee mugs. I like their line of Camp Cups because they come with a lid, but I also have their Flip Traveler for long walks and car rides.
Hoka Bondi 8 Running Shoes: The most comfortable running shoe. I 10/10 recommend this running shoe.
Great Jones Baking Dish: It makes cleanup easy. It comes with a silicone baking sheet, and cleanup is so easy.
Real NAD+Lozenges: NAD+ has been dubbed by many as the “Fountain of Youth.” NAD+ is present in all living cells, and a significant body of research suggests longevity may be boosted through NAD+ supplementation. David Sinclair, the co-director at the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical, has stated that NAD+ is “the closest we’ve gotten to a fountain of youth.” People across the U.S. have been traveling to Southeast Louisiana to get this supplement for many years to treat everything from addiction to Alzheimer's. Watch this video and read more about NAD+ here. I buy my Real NAD+Lozenges at Archway Pharmacy in Mandeville, Louisiana. Mail order is available.
Birdie Safety Alarm: When threatened, activate Birdie's loud siren and flashing strobe light to create a diversion and to help deter an attack. It’s great for travel.
Beaumont City Bike: A stylish bike for cruising around town.
Sal’s Red Gravy: Sal’s Red Gravy is from a fabulous Italian restaurant in Lacombe, Louisiana. It’s sold at most grocery stores in South Louisiana and Publix grocery stores. You can also order online.
Blue Bottle Instand Espresso: Finally, a great-tasting instant espresso perfect for travel.
Riemot Travel Cup Holder: This luggage drink holder can "hold" your coffee, water, or beverage hands-free without spilling.
Ionic Tooth Brush: The ionic toothbrush cleans differently from the standard manual or electric toothbrush, which uses brushing and friction to remove food buildup and plaque. The manual brush's ionic toothbrush has an ionic charge that ionizes your saliva. It momentarily reverses the polarity of the tooth exterior from negative to positive, repelling plaque from the teeth and pulling it towards the negatively charged toothbrush head.
LED safety vest: I use this cool safety vest for night runs, bike rides, and walking.
Oat Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix: The best-tasting gluten-free/non-dairy chocolate chip cookie mix.

If you missed my gift guides, here’s a list of my top gifts and more of my favorite purchases in 2022:

Ratio Six Coffee Maker: Ratio Six comes in three colors; white, black, and stainless steel. I love the white design. The Ratio Six Coffee Maker simulates a skilled barista pour-over process, precisely metering water flow through the bloom and brew phases. It’s a top-rated product. I purchased this coffee maker for my dad.
Turkey and the Wolf Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans: This is a fun cookbook with mouth-watering Southern recipes from Chef Mason Hereford’s popular restaurant Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans. My favorite cookbook in 2022.
Foot Massager: It’s the best foot massager.
Catbird Ring: Catbird is one of my favorite jewelry stores in New York.
Bartesian Cocktail Maker: With the Bartesian cocktail Maker, you can experience the quality ingredients, and premium pours you'd expect from a cocktail lounge. See my list of alcohol-free spirits here.
Negroni Candle: The bittersweet scents of pink grapefruit and orange blossom, are balanced with aromatic citrus oils & cardamom to form a fragrance emblematic of the golden hour of Aperitivo.
Stanley Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler 40 OZ: I’ve purchased many water bottles over the years. This one is my favorite. It helps me drink more water.
Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em from the Award-Winning Bar: From the foremost figure on the New Orleans' drinking scene and the owner of renowned bar Cure, a cocktail book that celebrates the vibrant city.
Apple Watch Band: My favorite Apple watch band.
Solo Stove Outdoor Fire Pit: It’s easy to light with an almost smoke-free burn.
Inku Cocktail Glasses by Sergio Herman for Serax: Delicate, tulip-shaped glasses. They are so popular and sell out fast.
Hatch Restore: It’s a bedside lamp, a sound machine, and a sunrise alarm, all in one compact device.
Cuyana Slim Wrislet Wallet: For the woman on the go, this wallet comes with a detachable wristlet and pocket for your phone. I like to add monogramming for a personal touch.
Riemot Travel Cup Holder: The perfect gift for a flight attendant or pilot. This luggage drink holder can "hold" your coffee, water, or beverage hands-free without spilling.
Ooni Pizza Oven: This pizza oven makes a delicious pizza.
Hoka Bondi 8 Running Shoes: The most comfortable running shoe.
CLQ Chair: It’s the best portable chair. Weighs less than your average beach and camping chair. This lounge chair rapidly packs up to the size of a water bottle. I just ordered one for beach days.

Palm Springs Travel Guide

With Midcentury Modern architecture, poolside glamour, vintage shops, and delicious eateries, what's not to love about Palm Springs?

*Check hours on everything because there are a lot of summer closures.

It's all about being outside. Depending on the time of year, it's about making the most of your mornings and evenings and siestaing the 100-plus degree afternoons away.

Palm Canyon Trail + Victor Trail loop at Indian Canyons: It's my favorite three-plus mile hike which features an epic palm oasis.

Ladder Canyon Hike: If you're willing to drive about an hour, wake up early and take on the (very exposed and sunny) Ladder Canyon Hike, which has stunning slot canyons and ladders that you climb.

Joshua Tree National Park: Hike the Black Rock Canyon to Panorama Loop Trail and follow it with lunch at La Copine.

Ruth Hardy Park: Some of the most scenic views in the city are from the public tennis courts at Ruth Hardy Park

Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium: This museum is a must-see destination in Palm Springs for lovers of desert plants.

PS Architecture Tours: Experience Palm Springs' world-famous midcentury modern architecture on this top-rated architecture tour.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: This is a must-do for spectacular views of Coachella Valley.

Palm Springs Art Museum: The Architecture and Design Center of the Palm Springs Art Museum provides an introduction to the city's remarkable buildings.

Frey House II is one of my favorite hones to tour in Palm Springs.

The Modern Tour: The best architectural luxury tour of Palm Springs.

DRINK

Cafe La Jefa is my favorite coffee shop in Palm Springs.

Shields Date Garden is famous for classic date shakes.

Great Shakes threads a mini donut on its straws.

Bar Cecil

EAT

Farm is a country-chic eatery with a patio for farm-to-table Provençal fare. *GF menu.

Cheeky's is a brunch and lunch spot.

Birba is an outdoor pizza haven with all the GF options.

Mr. Lyon's is a winning play on the old-school steakhouse.

Melvyn's if you're looking for a genuine old-school steakhouse.

The Colony Palms Hotel if you want to lounge by the pool and enjoy your meal.

Tac/Quila is great for tacos.

SHOP

There are many vintage home stores. Most are located on Palm Canyon Drive, the town's main drag.

Thick as Thieves

The Flippery

Mitchell’s

Hedge

Bridges Over Time

Hyphen is a natural wine shop.

M Vintage is a tiny shop meticulously curated with vintage pieces. No website.

Palm Springs Vintage Market takes place the first Sunday of the month from October through May. It’s an incredible event featuring local dealers, fine art, and jewelry.

Bustown Modern is another great vintage boutique.

Beaumont is on the way from L.A. to Palm Springs and the main drag of East 6th Street hosts a handful of mini antique malls. Don’t miss the Beaumont Antique Mall at 450 East 6th (no website).

Revivals should not be missed.

Angel View is the best place to score great housewares including vintage mugs and sets of cocktail glasses.

Angel View Clearance Center in Desert Hot Springs is great for thrifting. You pay by the pound.

Cathedral City Shopping

Spaces

Hedge

STAY

Colony Palms is an adults-only boutique hotel.

Two Bunch Palms is a contemporary wellness hotel and hot springs located in Desert Hot Springs, California. TBP’s has a daily calendar of classes.

Sparrows Lodge is a restored fifties retreat.

Air BNB

Boutique Homes list mid-century modern rentals.

GETTING AROUND

SunLine is the regional bus. Plan your trip with SunBus Tracker App.

Bike Rentals

JOSHUA TREE

After visiting the park, Joshua Tree National Park, take advantage of the bohemian boutiques, eateries, and music venues bordering the park, plus Salvation Mountain and the Salton Sea.

Tallgrass Tours are the best guides in the area.

SHOP

Moon Wind Trading Co

Roaming Travelers

High Dessert DayDream

Hoof and the Moon

Joshua Tree Bottle Shop

Acme 5 Lifestyle

EAT

The Natural Sisters Cafe is an organic cafe with vegan and gluten-free menus.

Food for Thought Cafe is a vegan cafe.

La Copine is a gussied-up roadside diner in the heart of Joshua Tree.