Emily North's Cheat Sheet ᯓ★

CHEAT SHEET is a series that unveils the objects, rituals, habits, places, and secrets that make life better.

Jun 16, 2025

I am THRILLED to announce a new vertical on Ad Hoc that will feature some of my favorite writers and dearest friends. CHEAT SHEET is a series that unveils the objects, rituals, habits, places, and secrets that make life better. It’s like the blue-lined paper you’d make for yourself with all the formulas, tips, and strategies for an exam. Now that I’ve graduated college, I’m looking for new ways to “study.”

I’m also delighted that the first contributor is

emily north

!!! Emily writes

angel cake

, a newsletter about fashion, relationships, culture, and selfhood that makes me feel like I’m on the phone with an old friend. Her enthusiasm, radiance, and open-mindedness make me excited to enter the big scary New York City postgrad world. She’s written about dance floor makeouts, the art of gossip, and things that are none of your business. Today she’s sharing five (5!!!) things that would go on her cheat sheet for life.

EMILY NORTH’S CHEAT SHEET

1. Watching a movies in my apartment

This may seem obvious, but when I watch a movie I SET THE SCENE. I turn off all the lights in my living room except for my paper lantern which I turn to red (I have smart lightbulbs all throughout my apartment which I unfortunately love and do recommend), I light an abundance of white pillar candles (they are so cheap and elevate your space so easily!!!) and put my phone in the other room (this last part is huge). In an effort to strengthen my deteriorating attention span, I challenge myself to stay present the entire time and let my brain be massaged by whatever world I am in. The ritual of setting my space up for a movie feels so easy, yet gives a mundane day a touch of importance.

2. Walking to work

By subway it takes me around 20 minutes to get to my office door to door, this is an extremely short amount of time by New York City commuting standards, which is why people are often shocked when I tell them I opt into walking an hour to work instead of taking the subway. One of my favorite parts of New York is its walkability, it makes me feel less lonely on my worst days and exhilarated by energy on my best days. I walk through the West Village onto the Highline where I get to be amongst the plants and the volunteers who thanklessly keep the space looking beautiful every season. It is an arguably more difficult choice, but I find when I have that hour walk in the morning I am exponentially calmer when I get to my desk.

3. Taking myself out for an ice cream cone weekly

I love sugar, it is probably my biggest vice. Beyond just the addictive rush I get from a cone, I love the ritual of getting myself a treat every week. In the summer I always opt for ice cream, it makes me feel like a little kid being able to indulge in the pleasure of enjoying the freedom of summer. We are adults! We can do whatever we want! Get yourself an ice cream cone !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Doing literally whatever I want

There is a line in the song Top Dog by Magdalena Bay that goes, “I’m always happy because, I only do what I want” The second I heard it I went, “YUPPPPPP.” I find that a lot of high school / undergrad is marked by things that you just simply don’t want to do. Now that I am an adult, I literally only ever do things I want to do. Some of you may be rolling your eyes at this, but I feel this way because I value my ability to reframe the “boring” things i “have to do” as stepping stones to the most fun parts of my life.

5. Having music play in my apartment 24-7

Up until a few months ago I did not have a good speaker, I had a shitty one that my dad gave me from the back of our basement. I bought a nice speaker to have for a party that I threw a few months ago and my life has exponentially gotten better since having it. Thankfully, I do not have roomates so I am left to my own devices and can play literally whatever I want at all times. Music has such a powerful way of altering your mood and the energy of a space. I try to accurately distill whatever energy I want into my life, lately I have been playing a lot of Beach Boys in my apartment. HAPPY SUMMER!

THANK YOU EMILY!!! Let me know who you want to see featured next.