We all have toasters in our basements
Some expert hosting tips, five songs I've had on repeat, and the metaphor that convinces me to do the chores I've been putting off for months.
Several years ago, when I was working on the relaunch of a lifestyle brand for BuzzFeed, I heard a metaphor in a brainstorm that’s stuck with me ever since. The phrase was ‘toasters in the basement’ and was a reference to the annoying little tasks we all put off indefinitely, even though they might only take us an hour to do––like a broken toaster sitting in someone’s basement, waiting to be fixed.
The concept of ‘toasters in the basement’ now lives in my head as a reminder to simply do the thing instead of letting it remain on my mental to-do list for eternity.
Right now, the toasters in my basement include:
Two tiny holes in my bedroom wall that need to be patched up (thank you to whoever hung a mirror there before I moved in)
A broken zipper on a pair of shorts that I love, but haven’t worn for the last two summers because of aforementioned broken zip
A set of outdoor string lights that have remained in their box since I bought them last December
As my state gets closer to its vaccination goal (and eventual freedom) it feels like the perfect time to start chipping away at my toaster repairs, AKA doing the shit I’ve been putting off for far too long.
Beyond this gentle suggestion to make time to tend to your toasters in the basement, I have a couple more recommendations.
A New Lorde EP To Listen To When The Sun Is Shining
It was 30C (86F) in Sydney over the weekend and a big reminder that I, like Lorde, come alive in warm weather. As she sings in ‘Solar Power’:
I hate the winter, can't stand the cold
I tend to cancel all the plans (so sorry, I can't make it)
But when the heat comes, something takes a hold
I wouldn’t say I was blown away when Lorde’s Solar Power album landed last month, but this week I was enamoured with Te Ao Mārama, an EP containing five songs from Solar Power in Māori.
After listening through the EP a couple of times, I came across this The Spinoff piece that features interviews with the translators who worked with Lorde on bringing Te Ao Mārama to life. I had never given a lot of thought to what goes on behind the scenes when songs are translated into another language, and this piece opened my eyes to the complex care that’s required.
And Something To Read If You’re Planning On Hosting People In Your Home Some Time In The Near Future (!!!)
My friend Rachel recently interviewed Dorinda Medley for Apartment Therapy and the piece got me *very* excited about hosting again. Rachel is, without a doubt, one of the most thoughtful and intentional hosts I know and, despite never having watched Real Housewives of New York, I was intrigued to find out more about the woman behind “I decorated! I cooked! I made it nice!” because I too love making it nice.
There are a bunch of good tips in the piece, but my favourites are to avoid making big dinner plans on Friday nights (which ladders into my broader post-lockdown goal of trying to not squeeze so much into my weekends) and to serve your cheeseboard after dinner, instead of before, so your guests aren’t full by the time you serve the main meal that you’ve likely spent a lot more time on.
That’s it for this week! As always, thank you for reading.