THE WEEKLY EDIT:
Listening: The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift
I would be remiss if I didn't mention it!
Feeling: Butter yellow and shades of greens
Shades of butter yellow like this and this and greens like this dress and this are sitting in my shopping carts. Sort of neutrals, sort of color and a whole lot of lovely for spring!
Life Hack: The Buckle Booster
Ever since my oldest switched to a booster seat, using a regular seat belt, the struggle with finding the buried buckle has been real! My husband found and ordered these buckle boosters, which have made clicking in much easier for her. Phew!
Applying: DreamBeam SPF 40
Listen, between getting the girls up, giving them breakfast, making their lunches, getting everyone dressed, breastfeeding Jack, and getting all three loaded up into the car, the last thing I have much time for before heading out for drop-off is myself. But I care and put in a little effort. This DreamBeam is a one-and-done product that has been great specifically for drop-off; it’s a moisturizer, an SPF, and has a soft golden hue for a warm glow. It gives me just the right amount of tint, smoothness and glow to feel a little more pulled together—this, plus a dab of color on my lips and sunglasses, boom!
Loved: Meghan in this Heidi Merrick dress
This dress was a moment! Side-note, GERI10 gets you 10% off at Heidi Merrick.
Wearing: Flattering denim, Saint Germain sunglasses & a strappy sandal
I ordered these Le Slim Palazzo’s from Frame and they are so flattering. The high waist, the hip hug, the stretch - I haven’t felt particularly “sexy” in denim in a long time and these were a nice confidence boost. Also feels good? A fun new frame to breathe new life into my wardrobe. And! We were in LA yesterday (hence why this newsletter is a day late - sorry!) and I packed these green sandals (see what I mean about into green?! also, GERI15 for 15% off JK anytime) for dinner.
Watch list: Ripley & Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
I’m prioritizing every second of sleep I can get at the moment but have started a watch list for when we’re back to regular sleep and these two are on it - have heard good things about both.
Planning: An Ina Garten Cookbook Club
Ok, this Ina Cookbook Club is hilarious! The denim shirts, the cosmos, the Ina recipes…so good! I’m ready to host one. Who’s in?
ALRIGHT, LET’S GET INTO IT:
Defining Personal Policies
My friend Sam once made reference to her “personal policies” and as the term came out of her mouth, I felt a deep level of respect. The sheer idea that she’d spelled out her policies signaled to me that she’s a person who knows what she wants, has strong boundaries and likes a certain level of control in her life.
I imagined Sam, a Type A gal known for her perfectly organized, color-coded shared Excel sheets, printing her policies on a big, thick poster board that she’d then plaster on a wall like a teacher would their rules of the classroom. PERSONAL POLICIES, in all caps, bullet points for an easy read, cheerleader looking penmanship and aesthetically pleasing color choices so it’s very pretty to look at.
While I’m not sure if Sam ever actually wrote her policies down, I was inspired to spend time thinking about, defining and writing my own. While I most certainly had personal policies, I’d never fully fleshed them out nor had I put them down in one place. So, I got to work.
Call them policies or call them commandments, I defined mine as a set of self-imposed rules or standards for various aspects of my life — me, home, kids, work, marriage, personal relationships. To nail them down, I contemplated what it is that I’m consistent about and what my non-negotiables are. I tried to be specific about the personal policies that align with my values and goals, and I avoided anything ambiguous. Policies and ambiguity don’t go hand and hand, after all. The caveat? As life flow changes, my policies are flexible and revisable.
Here are three of my lists:
Me:
Trust my gut
Order whatever I want when we eat out
If it doesn’t feel authentic to me, don’t do it
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