April 21, 2023
What We’ve Been Up To: April
For the past two years, I’ve been cycling to work on an e-bike.
Smells on my commute: citrus blossoms, front yard roses, starchy rice cooking at a commercial kitchen, exhaust fumes and pavement, always always always the distant smell of weed, beef broth and onions (Cole's), and of course your — let’s use a perfumery term here — indolic and, um, earthy smells.
Our commute isn’t faster than a car, but the bike allows immersion in the sensory elements of the world around; a physical way to mark the boundaries of the work day; being part of a community. Lately I’ve been gravitating toward things that will pull me out of my head and create rhythms in my day: cycling, walking, burning incense, journaling, my weekly reality TV bath.
I’ve ridden 4,300 miles on my bike — 4,300 miles not in a car. It’s sometimes smelly, sometimes hot, occasionally rainy, most of the time fun, and always good for the environment — and I love it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me, a small way I can contribute towards a less carbon-dependent future.
Inspired by our own commute, this year we set up a Commuting Program that gives cash or P.F. credit each time a staff member takes a greener method into work — whether it’s public transport, bike, or carpool. Basically, anytime someone doesn’t ride in a car by themselves, they get $1 per way. Some of our carpoolers have racked up decent pocket change with this program! As part of our Climate Neutral Certification, we are working to reduce, not just offset our footprint.
I’ll leave you with some recs that take me out of the hustle of the day and into a chill rhythm — that’s what we’re all going for, right?
Currently Listening: “Different Drum” by Linda Ronstadt
Remember that one episode in “The Last of Us” (the only one I didn’t watch from underneath a blanket)? Nick Offerman plays “Long Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt on the piano. Well, if you enjoyed that, you’ll probably like this whole album. I think it’s my most played record. If this album was one of our scents, it would be Patchouli Sweetgrass — an old standby that’s warm and comforting.
Currently Watching: “Avenue 5”
Set in 2060, this show follows a space cruise ship that gets thrown off course and then stuck in space for years longer than the cruise. It’s laugh out loud funny and a good balance to the seriousness of “Succession”. If this show was one of our scents it would be Sandalwood Rose, shiny and sophisticated at first, with some unexpected earthiness to ground it.
Currently Reading: “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse
I never read this in high school like everyone else and picked up a copy at the A Good Used Book x P.F. Flagship pop-up a couple weeks ago. Scent pairing for this would be Wild Herb Tonic — feels natural and restorative.
Currently Burning: Wild Herb Tonic candles + incense
I just nabbed a whole box of these candles from the warehouse because I never want to turn up to someone’s house empty handed. The cool thing about running the business for 15 years (!!!) is that you get to see it evolve with your tastes. Wild Herb Tonic feels natural but sophisticated, like a really chic-but-rustic redwood spa that may only exist in my imagination.
Currently Re-using: An old P.F. jar to burn incense
Our Echo Park shop and Development team use this method almost exclusively — you fill an old jar with sand, plop in an incense stick, light and enjoy!
Over ‘n out,
Kristen
Smells on my commute: citrus blossoms, front yard roses, starchy rice cooking at a commercial kitchen, exhaust fumes and pavement, always always always the distant smell of weed, beef broth and onions (Cole's), and of course your — let’s use a perfumery term here — indolic and, um, earthy smells.
Our commute isn’t faster than a car, but the bike allows immersion in the sensory elements of the world around; a physical way to mark the boundaries of the work day; being part of a community. Lately I’ve been gravitating toward things that will pull me out of my head and create rhythms in my day: cycling, walking, burning incense, journaling, my weekly reality TV bath.
I’ve ridden 4,300 miles on my bike — 4,300 miles not in a car. It’s sometimes smelly, sometimes hot, occasionally rainy, most of the time fun, and always good for the environment — and I love it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me, a small way I can contribute towards a less carbon-dependent future.
Inspired by our own commute, this year we set up a Commuting Program that gives cash or P.F. credit each time a staff member takes a greener method into work — whether it’s public transport, bike, or carpool. Basically, anytime someone doesn’t ride in a car by themselves, they get $1 per way. Some of our carpoolers have racked up decent pocket change with this program! As part of our Climate Neutral Certification, we are working to reduce, not just offset our footprint.
I’ll leave you with some recs that take me out of the hustle of the day and into a chill rhythm — that’s what we’re all going for, right?
Currently Listening: “Different Drum” by Linda Ronstadt
Remember that one episode in “The Last of Us” (the only one I didn’t watch from underneath a blanket)? Nick Offerman plays “Long Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt on the piano. Well, if you enjoyed that, you’ll probably like this whole album. I think it’s my most played record. If this album was one of our scents, it would be Patchouli Sweetgrass — an old standby that’s warm and comforting.
Currently Watching: “Avenue 5”
Set in 2060, this show follows a space cruise ship that gets thrown off course and then stuck in space for years longer than the cruise. It’s laugh out loud funny and a good balance to the seriousness of “Succession”. If this show was one of our scents it would be Sandalwood Rose, shiny and sophisticated at first, with some unexpected earthiness to ground it.
Currently Reading: “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse
I never read this in high school like everyone else and picked up a copy at the A Good Used Book x P.F. Flagship pop-up a couple weeks ago. Scent pairing for this would be Wild Herb Tonic — feels natural and restorative.
Currently Burning: Wild Herb Tonic candles + incense
I just nabbed a whole box of these candles from the warehouse because I never want to turn up to someone’s house empty handed. The cool thing about running the business for 15 years (!!!) is that you get to see it evolve with your tastes. Wild Herb Tonic feels natural but sophisticated, like a really chic-but-rustic redwood spa that may only exist in my imagination.
Currently Re-using: An old P.F. jar to burn incense
Our Echo Park shop and Development team use this method almost exclusively — you fill an old jar with sand, plop in an incense stick, light and enjoy!
Over ‘n out,
Kristen