The best smell
You suggested the scents of seedless blackberry jam on the stovetop, white pepper by Sur la Table (best scent for the holidays, in many products) and “my dogs breath after brushing their teeth.” with their favorite poultry-flavored toothpaste. Their breath smells clean, and (thank goodness) it doesn’t sound like avian.” (Thanks, Sue Sternberg of Moab, Utah.)
The best changes to habits
After a rough start to the year, Martha Johnson of Maryland Heights, Mo., had the idea to create a jar labeled “Good Goods for 2022.” All year long, she and her husband take notes inside: activities, something funny someone said, the success of a loved one. On New Year’s Eve, they plan to read them and be reminded of the miracles of the past year.
Anna Squires of Golden, Colo., has treated herself to a “low dopamine morning” this year, a trend she discovered on TikTok. She doesn’t allow any “digital stimulation” until she starts work at 8 o’clock. (“Which means I’m late to The Morning,” she notes, “but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” We’ll allow it.)
Rebecca Hoover, a first grade teacher in Reading, Pa., writes a haiku diary daily. This is one of her favorites, from the day she checked her students’ work with a banana-scented marker: “’It smells like heaven!’/Who knows the smell of eternity! /like fake bananas?”
The coolest thing Greg DeCamp of Kansas City, Mo., did in 2022 was set up weekly electronic donations to a charity. “If giving is the most important thing,” he says, “it seems like a good idea to make it automatic before I can spend it on anything else.”
Buy your best
Reader favorites from the supermarket were as varied and engaging as I expected. Best clamshell potatoes: Good and Gather scalloped potatoes with chives from Target. Find the best grocery store: Aldi “red bag” frozen chicken. Best ice cream: Costco’s super-premium vanilla Kirkland Signature. Best condiment: Coriander chili sauce. Best Rice: Nishiki.
On the coffee side, Tim Sherwood of Boca Raton, Fla., says Kirkland Signature’s medium-roasted coffee in 2.5-pound bags is best for home brewing. Kasia Maroney of Trumansburg, NY, thought there was no such thing as a delicious caffeine-free dark roast until she found Peet’s Coffee’s caffeine-free dark roast K-Cup.
