Jane's Curious Paradise ✨ 1st Edition
Lifestyle and pop culture topics from the perspective of a former Oprah Daily assistant editor and on-camera talent.
Welcome! I’m Jane Burnett, and this newsletter will feature curated lists of things that have been lighting me up 💡
“Jane’s Curious Paradise” is a play on the fact that I'm naturally curious, and how sometimes, what I find out about makes me feel like I'm in paradise. And for me, the only thing more fun than finding intriguing content is sharing it with someone else.
Here’s a little bit about my career: I worked as an assistant editor at Oprah Daily in New York City until I was impacted by mass layoffs at Hearst late last year. While in the role, I had a blast interviewing celebrities like Gabrielle Union, Deepak Chopra, Janelle Monáe, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Padma Lakshmi, The View's Sunny Hostin, The Color Purple choreographer Fatima Robinson, and the cast of The Best Man: the Final Chapters. I also heavily covered e-commerce by updating Oprah Daily gift guides and more.
I also have an on-camera background. From 2019-2020, I was a freelance on-air reporter for the local TV show Chasing News on FOX 5 NY and MY9NJ. Check out my reel to see me in action:
Although I’m currently on the job hunt, I’m at a point in my life and career where I generally feel like the sky is the limit! Some days are tough, but that’s part of the process. My current goal is to pivot back into on-camera storytelling—preferably in the lifestyle or entertainment spaces—and to do more public speaking (panels, etc.).
So without further ado, here are three things I’ve been loving as of late:
1.) Learning the power of getting out of my own way
Honestly, I should start shouting this personal mantra from the rooftops:
WEAR 👏🏾 THE 👏🏾 OUTFIT 👏🏾
After years of making myself feel small and worrying about what others would think if I actually wore the all the edgier outfits I’ve been saving for the *perfect* time, I finally ignored that inner critic for the first time in a while. I ended up wearing a JLUXLABEL dress and VIVAIA heeled boots to a dinner party in Manhattan last month, and the emotional high I experienced almost felt like winning the lottery.
Also, shoutout to my boyfriend, Brian, for urging me to go for it when it comes my wardrobe, and my overall self-expression. He helped convince me to wear the outfit above, and it really paid off! I’m grateful for his constant support.
Check out my Instagram post below to find out about how transformative this was for me, and follow me on IG (@iamjaneburnett) for more! #weartheoutfitwithjb
Life hack: when I’ve been overthinking about wearing certain items (like the heeled boots), I mentally tell myself to just put the item(s) on, “and let’s go.” That’s right, out the door—before I can think myself out of wearing it.
Something about thinking “let’s go” makes me feel like it’s a team effort 😂 But hey, it can be effective!
Do you have a mantra that helps you get out of your own way? Drop it in the comments section below!
2.) The viral dating show Pop The Balloon Or Find Love
This series on host Arlette Amuli’s YouTube channel has me in a chokehold lately. I’d seen snippets of it online for ages, but recently started watching full episodes, and have been hooked ever since. I haven’t seen all of them yet, but OMG.
I’ve experienced a range of things while watching, including: cackling with laughter, total disbelief at the nerve of some contestants, and rushes of excitement when people with great chemistry finally match and walk off-camera together (into the metaphorical sunset) at the end of some rounds.
Next up: a live version on Netflix on Thursdays! It kicks off on April 10th (my birthday!) at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. I’ll be at my birthday dinner with my boyfriend that evening, but I can’t wait to tune in when I can.
Also, I can’t believe that the first episode of the show, created by Amuli and her husband, Bolia Matundu, was only posted in December 2023! They’ve accomplished so much in a short period of time—there are currently 49 episodes, in addition to other videos featuring conversations with some of the contestants.
"What started as a simple idea in our living room last year—exploring what happens when we let down our guards and truly open ourselves to love—has now evolved into an opportunity to explore love through a wider world view," Amuli wrote on Instagram late last month.
This is a classic example of how sharing your talent and creativity with the world can literally change your life. As the classic saying goes, “if you build it, they will come.” Congratulations to the couple!
3.) Making homemade smoothies
Ok so I’ve always loved smoothies, but haven’t made a ton of them on my own. I have a massive sweet tooth, but tend to save sweeter foods/drinks for the end of the day. If I consume sweet items too early—basically, before I’ve eaten enough protein—I usually get a headache 😩
But recently, I started making different smoothies to incorporate healthier foods into my diet (and my boyfriend’s) more consistently. While I did a bunch of online research on potential ingredients, and I also improvised as I went—and came up with this homemade recipe that I’ve personally started relying on:
Cooked Bob's Red Mill Hot Cereal, High Fiber, Oat Bran (I microwave it with filtered water before adding it to the mix)
Wegmans Pomegranate Arils (the juicy seeds)
A few droppers full of Herb Pharm Ginger, System Restoration herbal supplement (Note: I’m not a licensed medical professional, so check with your doctor to see if this might work for you!)
A little filtered water
(Can you tell that Wegmans is my all-time favorite grocery store?!)
Of course, you can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like. It’s totally up to you!
To be honest, I wasn’t so sure that I’d like this smoothie much at first. It wasn’t very sweet at all, and since I’d used a blender smaller than the one pictured above for my first batch, the consistency was was pretty grainy and thick.
But the larger, powerful Cuisinart Combo Food Processor & Blender above worked like magic! So the process of making a bigger smoothie and blending the ingredients was a lot smoother—just like the finished product itself. I enjoy drinking it throughout the week, and will continue adjusting it as needed.
If you have a smoothie recipe you enjoy—or want to say hi—feel free to comment below!
Note: none of the content in this newsletter is sponsored.
Thanks for being here! I’ll catch you in the next edition of Jane’s Curious Paradise ✨
I love this Wegmans content!
This is so inspiring! Thanks for bringing us into your inspired world, Jane. Looking forward to next issue of this.
my mantra is "what would love do?"... and i think "love" would definitely wear the outfit!!