Danya’s Favorite Middle-Class Things 2023
Honeywell HFD320 Air Genius 5 Air Purifier, $179
This has been the breakout hit of Danya Recommendations of 2023. I know of five people who have purchased this at my behest. What I like about this is the duality of air purifier and fan. My friends with cats seem to especially appreciate it for the air purification function. And as a home with ⅔ allergy sufferers, fans usually just blow dust around and make the boys cough. But this purifies the air and then blows it around. I have two because my house is a stupid split level. It is truly my favorite discovery of 2023.
Spanx AirEssentials Cocoon, $148
I can’t be uncomfortable. Last year I recommended the Barefoot Dreams travel wrap, and this year I am on to the Air Essentials line from Spanx. Don’t be misled by the brand, this is not shapewear. But it is well made and structured like you expect from Spanx. It’s lighter than the Barefoot Dreams so you can wear it when it is a little warmer outside. It is soft and cozy and perfect. I got mine in the “palm” color and it makes me want to pretend that I am in a cocoon and about to metamorphosize into an elegant butterfly. But it’s really just me laying in bed wrapped up like I’m in a straight jacket.
Photo Credit: Spanx. I have never looked this good in lounge wear. I like to imagine I could slink on to a plane wearing this and automatically be upgraded to First Class because I look so chic. But my true look is more akin to the people pumping gas at Casey’s and going in for a slice of pizza.
AJ and I dined at this hard-to-reserve table for my birthday and it was a triumph. Located in the lower level of The Hotel Kansas City, it is the perfect winter escape with moody vibes. The Chef’s Table is where diners can observe the kitchen staff and watch the meats being cooked on this dope stove. People watching is fun here, too, as it is kind of a scene. Pricey? Yes. But still within Birthday Meal Reasonability (which is a spending tier at my house). After dinner we enjoyed some live music and drinks at Nighthawk, and spent the night in one of the King Corner rooms. It was nice to park once and be able to have fancy dinner, “dranks” and then retreat to your fancy room. It also enabled me to wear a pair of very impractical pink platform shoes. Because birthday.
Photo by ME! This is the dope stove you get to view. I was hoping if I looked interested enough I would get scraps thrown at me like a stray dog. Alas, this is a classy joint and not the alleyway in “Lady and the Tramp.”
Rowood Miniature House Kit, $42
This is my latest obsession. Does this hobby make me look like a former child star trying to reclaim her youthful glory? Probably. But I have reasoned this away by saying that if I were a man who built ships in bottles, I would be hailed for my sophistication and ingenuity. Instead I get peppered with questions like, “But…why?” And, “What will you do with them?” My answer? “Whatever I want!”
After testing a few scales and brands, this is my recommended brand for beginners. It’s similar to constructing a more complex lego as far as skill needed. Now, if you enjoy translating Mandarin (despite zero understanding of the language) and like a little more aggravation in your hobbies, this is the one I recommend.
This is my actual model! It took me about 8 hours to build. The quality is top notch and I recommend this for beginners. Sometimes when I’m working on it I get lazy and feel tempted to skip certain tedious steps. But it’s the little details and tiny touches that make it look so special.
Perricone MD, No Makeup Eyeshadow: $39
I suck at eye makeup. There is no amount of primer or brushes that can keep my eye makeup from falling or smudging or making me look like a curvy version of the heroin-chic look of the mid 90s. I read a review from one of my favorite lifestyle sites, The Candidly, that recommended this. It blends in with the sensitive flesh of my eyelids and gives a tiny bit of shine. It could be used as a base, but I really like it on its own.
I need a shirt that says, “Ask Me About My Trip To Duluth, MN!” This is one of my favorite towns in the USA. It is an 8.5 hour drive from KC and is about as far north as you can get on I-35 before you hit Canada. It is a historic and decidedly blue-collar town with its roots in shipping and freight. What it lacks in the way of sandy beaches, it makes up for with a darling boardwalk that runs several miles on the shoreline of Lake Superior and is dotted with lighthouses and old ships and ice cream shops. While Duluth has a thriving tourist trade, I never feel like I’m being price gouged or sucked into tourist traps.
There are so many places in the world I want to visit and I only have so much time (and money) to travel that I don’t care to revisit most places more than twice. But we have been to Duluth three times in the last five years. The boys can kayak and hike, and I can walk over the lift bridge and shop and have lunch at a smoked fish stand. We love to go in August when the Kansas heat feels like a boil on Satan’s butthole. Duluth will usually be about 20 degrees cooler and feel like a golden strand of an angel’s halo.
My favorite hotel to stay as a family is Pier B and my favorite romantic getaway is Solglimt Bed & Breakfast.
This is Split Rock Lighthouse, one of our favorite spots. I think AJ was a lighthouse keeper here in a previous life. He would love the solitude and itchy sweaters and high-stakes of bringing ships home safely.
Bose QuietComfort 45 Noise Cancelling Headphones, $329
If you abhor earbuds as much as I do, consider these over-the-ear headphones by Bose. They are noise canceling (which is imperative when I travel or just don’t want to listen to boys in my house) and have the best sound quality of any headphones I’ve owned. We are Bose loyalists in our home and have the portable speakers as well. I snagged these for 30% off during an Amazon sale, so if you are patient they are much more affordable. But beware: the noise cancelation function is so good that I frequently forget I have it on and I get the bejesus scared out of me because I forget there are other people around.
Julie Blackmon “A Life in Frame” Exhibit, Kemper Museum of Art: Free!
I spent the most delightful Sunday afternoon at the Kemper Museum enjoying this exhibit. From the Kemper Museum website: “Julie Blackmon's subject is the conflation of art and life—particularly everyday life in Springfield, Missouri. The works on view show scenes depicting family, community, and landscape deeply rooted in her Midwestern heritage.”
Her photography is beautiful and interesting and not too complicated. A huge bonus for me is the soundtrack provided by local musician Kevin Morby, who orchestrated the perfect audio to accompany this collection. So bring your Bose headphones, stop by Café Sebastienne for a bite and some tea, then spend some time wandering around this museum. You will feel super sophisticated and want to pat yourself on the back for doing something so high brow.
The exhibit closes on January 7, 2024!
Photography by Julie Blackmon. Records, 2021.
I don’t drink alcohol as much anymore. Since I turned 40 I discovered that alcohol is rotten for my anxiety, messes up my sleep cycle and raises my blood pressure. So I limit my intake to when I am out with friends or celebrating something special. But I still like the feeling of having a special drink on the deck in the evening that isn’t boring. Plus I have super cute barware! So I get a special glass, soda water, fresh limes and make myself a little mocktail with this shrub. Then I quietly applaud myself for being so sensible. (Side note: My husband invented our own Soda Stream at home because he was convinced he could make a better product. His fizzy water absolutely tastes superior, but it is so complicated to use, I get nervous that I will inadvertently make some sort of detonation device that destroys my neighborhood. So I have to wait for him to make it for me.)
This is my personal favorite flavor of shrub, but all of them are tasty. KC Canning Co. also makes some legit pickles and are available at most locally owned specialty food shops.
