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In(habit)ing the World: In Conversation with Cara Blue Adams - Ordinary Habit

In(habit)ing the World: In Conversation with Cara Blue Adams

In You Never Get It Back, Cara Blue Adams crafts a captivating portrait of life in motion. Across thirteen linked stories, readers get to know Kate Bishop while she grapples with early adulthood. From earthen landscapes to seaside towns, Adams renders vivid backdrops as Kate navigates more complicated, emotional terrains: family tumult, career changes, relationships with partners, friends—herself.

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Getting To Know Artist Ojima Abalaka - Ordinary Habit

Getting To Know Artist Ojima Abalaka

The artist behind our Birthday Bash puzzle: Based in Nigeria, Ojima Abalaka’s work explores rest, people and identity in the context of everyday life. We were drawn to her bold lines, and joyful expression of the scenes that she creates. Her artwork Birthday Bash can be found on our 100 piece puzzle.  

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Puzzles We Love—for the People You Love - Ordinary Habit

Puzzles We Love—for the People You Love

Here are a few things we love: A light dusting of snow on the window pane. The hiss of the radiator alerting us of a change in season. The faint itch that comes after wearing our favorite wool sweaters for too long. The first sip of hot coffee in the morning. The rhythmic beating of our hearts in our chests. The way it intensifies when we care for our others—when we care for ourselves.

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Rest, Remembrance, and Rereading: Reflections on Wintering by Katherine May - Ordinary Habit

Rest, Remembrance, and Rereading: Reflections on Wintering by Katherine May

The last time I reread a book was the winter of 2019 (The Girls by Emma Cline for curious minds). It was a time when I felt every aspect of life shifting—my reading life included. Stories became urgent, and I yearned to feel familiar pages between my fingers.

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Sundays with Phoebe Gormley - Ordinary Habit

Sundays with Phoebe Gormley

When we first discovered Phoebe Gormley, we were in awe. She revolutionized Saville Row in London as the first exclusively women's tailor, focusing on investment pieces for women in a world of fast-fashion. We caught up with her to see how she spends her Sundays.

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At Home with Purely - Ordinary Habit

At Home with Purely

We’re huge fans of shrubs at Ordinary Habit, so when we came across Purely we knew we’d be hooked. Purely makes infused apple cider vinegar in a variety of flavors – the perfect thing as we gently reset our diets in the new year.

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Human Habits and Possibilities: Reflections on Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King - Ordinary Habit

Human Habits and Possibilities: Reflections on Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King

As the end of the year approaches, I find myself grasping at beginnings. I want books that open me up to possibility (even if those possibilities are dashed within the first few pages). Books rich in dialogue and plot—stories about love, but not exactly love stories. Of course, there are the stories we tell ourselves about love, and then there are the ones that Lily King writes.

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A Holiday Cookie Recipe from Echo + Tre - Ordinary Habit

A Holiday Cookie Recipe from Echo + Tre

Baking is big in our household, and this time of year the cookie making never seems to stop. We wanted to share one of our favorite recipes with you – one that Echo’s been making since she was a teenager. We hope you find these as delicious as we do!

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Sundays with Lida Ziruffo - Ordinary Habit

Sundays with Lida Ziruffo

We first stumbled upon Lida’s work in Magnolia Journal, and immediately fell in love. There was whimsy within the work, but in a quiet way. With muted tones, and luscious scenes, we thought it would be the perfect fit for a puzzle. Based in Orvieto, Italy we caught up with Lida to see how she spends her Sundays.

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Game Night with Ordinary Habit - Ordinary Habit

Game Night with Ordinary Habit

Do you hear that? It's the faint sound of children laughing, the chime of champagne flutes mid-toast, the rustle of wrapping paper coming undone. It's easy to let these ordinary moments pass us by. But if we slow down and listen closely, they can ignite the senses—and inspire a feeling of nostalgia—especially during the holidays.

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At Home with Natasha Feldman - Ordinary Habit

At Home with Natasha Feldman

There’s a million reasons to love following along with Natasha Feldman – she’s hilarious for starters, but more importantly her...

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A Thanksgiving Cocktail from our friends at Esme - Ordinary Habit

A Thanksgiving Cocktail from our friends at Esme

If there was an Ordinary Habit restaurant headquarters, it would be Esme, in Brooklyn. Dear friends, and ever supplying our french fry and cocktail cravings, they’ve fueled many brainstorm sessions ever since we started. We hope you enjoy this cocktail as much as we do, and if you’re ever in Brooklyn, make sure to stop by!

On the menu since day one, the Zelda Fitzgerald is a riff on a classic cocktail that combines rosemary honey and citrus with the botanicals of your favorite gin into a holiday (and year round) classic.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2021 - Ordinary Habit

Holiday Gift Guide 2021

This holiday season, we're building on our mission by giving you even more ways to engage in artful, everyday play—together, at last. Enter the Ordinary Habit Marketplace, which features a curated selection of brands that we know and love.

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At Home with Helena Price Hambrecht of Haus - Ordinary Habit

At Home with Helena Price Hambrecht of Haus

We started following along with Haus early on, on social media, and have been fans ever since. With their new releases, and additional flavors, there’s one for every occasion. Whether it’s on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail they’re always a delicious treat!

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Sundays with Manuja Waldia - Ordinary Habit

Sundays with Manuja Waldia

When our friend Farah at One Stripe Chai introduced us to Manuja’s work, it was love at first sight. We were thrilled to include her vibrant celebration of sisterhood al fresco, entitled Troublemakers, in our latest collection of puzzles, and we remain mesmerized by its bold colors and beautiful details. Read on to learn more about how she spends her Sundays in Goa.

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(Life)Style Habits: Reflections on Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados - Ordinary Habit

(Life)Style Habits: Reflections on Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados

When I was younger, my sartorial inclinations weren't motivated by much else other than the desire to check a box. It seemed to me that style was less of a habit and more of an expectation. Clothing was a way to tell a story I felt too shy to say out loud. These days, my reading habit has shifted how I understand aesthetics (both on and off the page). Recently, I picked up Marlowe Granados' debut novel Happy Hour, and I was reaffirmed of the nuanced role style can play in someone's life—and how it can quietly transform their story.

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At Home with Farah Jesani of One Stripe Chai - Ordinary Habit

At Home with Farah Jesani of One Stripe Chai

When we got a note from One Stripe Chai Co.’s founder, Farah Jesani, in our inbox we knew we’d found a kindred spirit. Immediately we hopped on a call full of laughter and stories about how we all love pairing puzzles and tea time, and thus our dream collaboration was born.

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A Quiet Habit of Connection: Reflections on Seek You by Kristen Radtke - Ordinary Habit

A Quiet Habit of Connection: Reflections on Seek You by Kristen Radtke

From observing the details of a book’s cover design to breathing in the inviting scent of its pages, these small acts make me feel a little less lonely in my body, even when I’m alone with my mind. This duality was at play while reading Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke.

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Old Desires, Renewed Habits: Reflections on Objects of Desire by Clare Sestanovich - Ordinary Habit

Old Desires, Renewed Habits: Reflections on Objects of Desire by Clare Sestanovich

In the seventh installment of this series, Rachel Schwartzmann reflects on Objects of Desire by Clare Sestanovich.

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Sundays with Kate Arends of Wit & Delight - Ordinary Habit

Sundays with Kate Arends of Wit & Delight

For years we’ve been fans of Kate, and the world she’s created at Wit & Delight. Started in 2014, Kate began publishing personal essays about her life, design, travel, and everything in between. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her extroverted husband, Joe Peters, son August, daughter Bennett, and their sweet English labrador, Winnie Bear.

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Ordinary Habits, Fanatical Language: In Conversation with Amanda Montell, Author of Cultish - Ordinary Habit

Ordinary Habits, Fanatical Language: In Conversation with Amanda Montell, Author of Cultish

In the sixth installment of this series, Rachel Schwartzmann speaks with Amanda Montell about her new book, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, and the habits she hopes to cultivate in reading, writing, and beyond.

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Sundays with Durga Chew-Bose - Ordinary Habit

Sundays with Durga Chew-Bose

Durga Chew-Bose is a Montreal-based writer, whose work has appeared in Hazlitt, The New Inquiry, and The Guardian, among other publications. She is the author of Too Much and Not the Mood. 

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Cheers To One Year - Ordinary Habit

Cheers To One Year

A year ago today we launched Ordinary Habit. With the aim to breathe some new life into the world of games, we wanted to reshape how people thought of play time — focusing on tactile mindfulness, elegance and beautiful artwork with our first product, a collection of six 500-piece puzzles.

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Nourishing a Habit of Love: Reflections on The Book of Difficult Fruit by Kate Lebo - Ordinary Habit

Nourishing a Habit of Love: Reflections on The Book of Difficult Fruit by Kate Lebo

Food writing is transportive and—especially during a period of isolation—a gift to the senses. Reading The Book of Difficult Fruit: Arguments for the Tart, Tender, and Unruly (with Recipes) by Kate Lebo was certainly no exception. Lebo's storytelling is enough to satiate the most well-versed foodie. And while I initially thought the book would nourish my reading practice, it ended up feeding something much deeper.

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