First Rodeo

First Rodeo

39 things I'd recommend (passionately!!) to anyone who will listen

Inspired by the inimitable Leslie Stephens.

Azora Zoe Paknad
Aug 06, 2025
∙ Paid

I loved Leslie Stephens brilliant “42 Things I'd Recommend Passionately to Anyone Who Will Listen”— and wanted to try my hand at something similar! If you haven’t read Morning Person, you should, and I have a feeling you’ll love it.

In the meantime, here are 39 things I will stand behind with ten toes down, like…

  • my non-pretentious but still great secret spots for a drink or dinner in NYC

  • the dating approach that lead me to my fiancé

  • the travel-sized bottle that changed my hair texture forever

  • my vintage bridal plug

  • the one shift that doubled how much I read

  • the white couch that stayed pristinely white after an entire can of Diet Coke was poured on it in a continuous and shocking stream…

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  1. The Sarah J. Maas series Throne of Glass.

  2. Making a large batch of kuku sabzi on Sunday night to have as a healthy breakfast or lunch for the week. I like to wrap mine in lavash bread with a handful of walnuts, and I always add zereshk, or barberries.

  3. Deleting all social media apps from my phone.

  4. K18 is the only thing that revives my dry, …

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