Into the Fridge 🪑
Sandy Sanchez on power naps and ergonomic chairs
Sandy Sanchez 🪑
Sandy is a writer, brand strategist, and content creator in Brooklyn. She’s currently a Senior Copywriter at Headspace, and writes about interiors and design on her newsletter Small Pleasures and for publications like Architectural Digest. Sandy’s life looks like my Pinterest board, so we’re all in for a treat.
What is your fridge philosophy?
I always need ingredients to make myself a little quesadilla or breakfast taco. And some type of fruit to snack on. If I don’t even have ingredients to make a super scrappy meal, then that’s how I know I REALLY need to go to the grocery store.
Other than that, I like to fill my fridge with things that bring me joy. If I see something fun at the grocery store that catches my eye, it’s 100% coming home with me. Also, I like to be honest with what produce I’ll actually finish. I’ve been guilty of having a bag of mixed greens or celery stalk go bad, but when it’s produce I love and have recipe ideas for, nothing goes to waste.
And I always compost my scraps through my friend’s company, Groundcycle!
Your fridge is always always always stocked with ____.
Any seasonal produce, Vista Hermosa flour tortillas, whole milk, eggs, berries, microgreens, limes, at least one herb (cilantro, basil, thyme, rosemary, or dill), a range of beverages (pressed juice, yerba mate, St. Agrestis Phony Negroni, or lemonade—and ALWAYS sparkling water), and a variety of cheese options (usually shredded cheddar, mozzarella, comté, feta or queso fresco, and pecorino pepato).
My freezer always has an emergency frozen pepperoni pizza, frozen berries, pizza dough, and fun ice cream. The last ice cream I obsessed over was a black sesame chip ice cream that my friend made.
Top 5 condiments, go.
Dijon mustard
Salsa (Freddsters Salsa Macha, Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime, and homemade red salsa)
Fine, I’ll open it up to pantry too. Let’s hear your favorite snacks / pantry staples:
Sweet: Honey, my #1 pantry staple and favorite snack. I also make sure to have dark chocolate chips or Hu chocolate bars. Right now, I’m obsessed with some Michel et Augustin Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt shortbread cookies I saw a friend recommend. And cereal. Sometimes you just need a bowl of cereal.
Savory: Crackers, Newman’s Own Movie Theater Popcorn, tortilla chips, can of refried beans
Other: Decaf instant coffee, matcha, assortment of teas
A meal that’s on heavy rotation these days:
I have a go-to sandwich that I’ve been re-obsessed with this past month. I get jamón ibérico from Caputo’s Fine Foods, pecorino pepato from Union Market, and sundried tomatoes and ciabatta from Mozz Lab. It’s the best.
And on the topic of sandwiches, I’ve been loving the roast beef sandwich on focaccia from Meat Hook. It has roast cheef, cheddar, chimichurri, red onions, greens, and herby mayo. I was never a roast beef person until this sandwich.
Let’s go a little deeper…
What’s the mantra you keep coming back to?
Make time for leisure, learn how to be comfortable with change, and do things your future self will thank you for.
What products / practices are part of your regular mental wellness habits?
Journaling: I’ve been journaling regularly ever since I can remember and it’s something I’ll never stop doing. It’s a practice that has done wonders for my mental wellness throughout the years.
Experiencing new things: Visiting an art exhibition, going upstate to a new town, a night at the movie theater, picking up a new book, attending an event, hanging out in a different neighborhood.
Deep breathing: I’d love to be a more consistent meditator, but for now, taking a few deep breaths for even just a couple of minutes a day always makes me feel calmer.
Laying on the floor: It’s so grounding, and on the busiest, most stressful days, this never fails to help me feel better.
Cooking and baking
Enjoying the small pleasures of life
And your physical?
Pilates a few times a week, at-home mini yoga sessions, morning stretching, daily long walks (solo or with my dog), quarterly massages and facials, and massaging my jaw (I have TMJ).
What do you think is the most underrated part of wellness?
Micromovements! I love the idea of incorporating easy, small movements throughout your day that, in the long run, have a positive impact. You don’t have to go so hard every single day; just do what feels good to *you*.
And power naps! I take a 15-20-minute power nap at least 3x a week (especially on days when I feel a little stressed or tired) and I wake up with so much clarity and ease. They’re so meditative.
And overrated?
Doing what works for others instead of what works for your mind and body’s unique needs.
Picture this: you wake up one morning and feel like shit. What’s your next move:
I decide it’s going to be a day of taking things slow and being compassionate with myself. I’ll take a hot shower, spend the day lounging, watch a comforting documentary or show, postpone any plans I had that day, drink lots of tea and fresh juice, and either make chicken soup or order dumplings.
Give us your ride or die wellness products:
Migraine eye mask in the freezer (for the pesky monthly period migraine I always get)
Beautiful journals
Smart bulbs (warm lighting always — and switching to red right before bedtime)
Salt & Stone Deodorant (after years of experimenting, this is the one)
Oura ring (I’m really loving seeing all the data when I wake up)
Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer and YTTP Superfood Skin Drip (these cured my dry skin)
I think Sandy’s recommendation might just push me over the edge on this one My art, design, and history books
Custom-fit night guard
ClassPass subscription
Fresh flowers
Watercolor set
Ergonomic chair (unfortunately, they’re all so ugly, but I have the Herman Miller Sayl Chair and it has helped with back pain)
One thing you do everyday that makes you the most YOU version of yourself:
My morning routine is everything to me! Waking up early, walking my dog Noguchi, cooking breakfast, making coffee with my moka pot, reading and writing, showering, doing my skincare, and getting dressed in an outfit I love. Doesn’t matter what day it is, where I am, or how busy I am, my morning routine is a non-negotiable and makes me feel so me.
Whose taste inspires you?!
I’m really inspired by places! Mexico, Italy, and El Salvador are places I’ve spent a lot of time in, and I constantly reference them for inspiration in design, architecture, food, art, and colors. I have so many other places I want to travel to that I know will inspire me so much, too.
But people-wise: Luis Barragán, Isamu Noguchi, Atiya Walcott, Ali LaBelle, all of my unbelievably creative friends, and my partner, Aaron.
Big thank you to Sandy for sharing a taste of her incredibly picturesque life with us. You can read about her simple pleasures on Substack and get the visuals over on Instagram. Find her fridge favorites and more here.
Feel free to leave a comment or respond to this email with questions you want asked, people you want featured, or anything else that’s on your mind. Don’t be shy, I love hearing from you.
Inspired to breakfast taco.
Emergency pizza is so real