Hello. When my music streaming service of choice provided me with its annual report on the songs I listened most to from last year, it was plenty of pianist Hania Rani. I wasn’t familiar with Rani’s work until one of my colleagues, Artistic Director Jaspal Riet, included Rani’s song “F Major” in her top picks for 2020.
This weekend, whether you celebrate Christmas or not; If you are gathering safely or not at all; If you’re staying at home or venturing outside, I hope you’ll find something to entertain, inspire, or delight in the At Home and Away team’s picks for the best of 2021. These are the books, movies, TV shows, recipes, snacks, and other things that helped my colleagues live a full, cultural life during the year. the past. Perhaps there is an artist, an idea, a habit that will help you do this next year.
Jaspal Riet, Technical Director
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“White Lotus.” The music, the actors, the grim sense of humor – that was all I craved, and it temporarily fulfilled my endless needs.
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New Mexico. For the first time in a while, I took a real vacation on a plane. I forgot how much I enjoyed being in a completely different scene. It is exhilarating to say the least.
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“French Dispatch.” This was my first and last movie experience in 2021. I loved the movie, but the biggest takeaway was how much I missed popcorn at the cinema.
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Top Chico. Well, it may be trendy, but I practice bubbles in a glass bottle.
Ted Kim, Head of Newsroom, Professional Programs
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windows. I can eat ramen at any time of the day and for any meal. winter and summer. any variety. Did not matter.
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Disney +. By day, streaming is a surefire way to get our kids involved. At night, we escape to his other content (often new Marvel shows). What would epidemic families do without it?
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Any wool from Patagonia. Fleece is the perfect garment for working around the house. Patagonia is the best. They are like sweaters, but more solid and comfortable. It’s warm without being too warm and casual without being too casual.
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yeti mug. The other mainstay was the 14-ounce Yeti. Rambler cup. They are very durable, suitable for outdoors or indoors and keep your coffee warm for more than an hour.
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Road & Track Magazine. I have always loved luxury cars. And in a time when luxury car prices never seem so far-fetched, what better than to read about them and glimpse in pictures—often while sipping from my Yeti mug and wearing Patagonian wool.
Tonya Dorgy, Artistic Director
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The small overgrown park at the entrance to Russell Street to McGolrick Park in Brooklyn.
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The soft scent of Drift Baby Detergent on clean clothes.
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Mogul Mowgli by Bassam Tariq – a thrilling drama about a British-Pakistani rapper who weaves political history, identity crises and dark surreal sequences – stayed in my head for weeks.
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grow lights. Using a simple and inexpensive LED setup, I was able to grow sunflowers in my kitchen in January.
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Delight in my Carrot Cake recipe from Dory Greenspan.
Minju Bak, Deputy Style Editor
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Perfumes. My tastes remain simple (sandalwood, nag champa), but lighting these sticks and letting the scents slowly explode is still a meaningful ritual.
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Korean language lessons. I signed up for remote Korean lessons and felt better than I expected to spend an hour a week listening and working with a language I know well and studying a language I know well, but I don’t usually have a chance to use in my daily life.
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wool leggings. There’s always a moment when I’m grateful I invested in these leggings, when I spot them and pull them out of the back of my wardrobe as the cold weather hits.
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Gin and ginger chews. I’ve always hated ginger, but my middle age has brought me a little closer to its calming properties, as long as it’s mixed with sugar and gummy candy (tapioca starch).
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“The History of the Eagles.” With so much talk of another band’s recent documentary, I recommend checking out this two-part clip on the Eagles, which spans the long and complex history of an unbroken band. Whatever you think of them, it’s a good personal study.
Sam Sefton, Assistant Managing Editor
And some of my best in 2021:
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“As I Used To” by Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen. this song! “Waiting inside like I used to / Avoiding big crowds like I used to.” It’s my favorite song of the year. This is an audio version.
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Almond scented candles. There are many types of almond candles (lots of good ones on Etsy). Some smell like biscotti, others like marzipan. Often the fox adds a cherry accent. My perfect almond scented candle will smell like the pink liquid hand soap you find in many airport bathrooms or showers. I found great comfort in owning a house that smelled of biscuits.
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Yogurt making. I watched this Sandor Katz video and couldn’t believe how easy it was.
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Reading instead of the Internet. I know I’m not alone in finding that it takes a lot of effort to log off and read for extended periods, but I’m amazed (and worried) at how much I can read in an hour versus how little my reading appears for an hour staring at my phone.
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Stretch my quads. It turns out that many other physical aches and creaks can be cured by purposely tightening the muscles in my thighs every single day.
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Old music. It was strange and exciting to visit albums that I haven’t listened to in decades, such as “Hunkpapa” by Throwing Muses, “New Beginning” by Tracy Chapman and “Bloomed” by Richard Buckner.
Tell us.
What’s your best take on the 2021 list? Write to us: athome@nytimes.com. Include your full name and location and we may include your contribution in an upcoming newsletter. We are at home and away. We will read every message sent. As always, below are more ideas for how to pass the time this weekend. I will be back next week.