THE WEEKLY EDIT:
Reading: Line Sheet
If you're interested in fun facts, business, and things happening in the industry, Lauren Sherman has a great newsletter that I'm really into. Sherman offers incisive reportage on all aspects of the industry and its biggest players. For example, this week her newsletter informed me that Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s Rose Inc. sold for $2.5 million (eeeek!) in a fire sale to Hong Kong-based AA Investment and The RealReal just hired a very famous bankruptcy lawyer. Hot tea I didn’t drink elsewhere.
Wearing: The Not So Basic Tank by Sold Out NYC
There have been many viral tanks and some have lived up to the hype - we can add ‘The Not So Basic Tank’ by Sold Out NYC to that list. I ordered black and white while pulling together my capsule postpartum wardrobe and the luxe ribbed cotton, delicate racerback, and collarbone grazing neckline did not disappoint. The tanks are great to wear alone but I’ve been layering underneath everything (blazers, sweaters, cardigans, etc.) during these cooler days. Wash, rinse, repeat!
Making: Chicken
I made chicken for the first time in my adult life last week (random, I know, but I've been a pescatarian for a very long time). I used gloves, had questions (like...do you wash it?), and needed a little moral support - anyone else find cooking chicken intimidating!? - but I did it and it turned out great! I made this Ina recipe which requires a 50-minute bake time aka precisely the right amount of minutes for this newbie to not stress about undercooking.
Using: Simple Modern Water Bottle
My breastfeeding water drinking requirement is 128 oz/day so the vessel in which I consume my molecules is key. I’ve tried a few different ones (including everyone's beloved Stanley 40oz) and after review, the Simple Modern bottle is the one for me. I can carry it with one hand, open and drink from it with one hand, it’s leakproof, easy on the eyes, and the 32 oz size keeps my math simple: 128/32 = 4/day to hit my needs.
Sale Alerts: Sea, Jenni Kayne, oh my!
I am completely and entirely shopped out but there are some really good sales and I don’t gatekeep:
SEA is up to 60% off
Jenni Kayne is 20% off sitewide
J. Crew is up to 60% off
Mango is up to 50% off and there are some really great finds: the wool coats, this Khaite-esque studded shoulder bag, an oversized leather bomber, a barn jack, oh my!
There are a ton of current Manolo’s on sale here
Following: Kelly Rutherford’s mirror selfies
Gossip girl here! Spotted: Kelly Rutherford posting internet breaking mirror selfies and the outfit inspiration is giving!
ALRIGHT, LET’S GET INTO IT:
Letting Go of What's Not Serving Us
We're in the final stages of the year, which is the time when we're all feeling equal parts burnt out and motivated to make changes heading into the new year. The last week of the year - when the holiday dust has settled, the gifts have been opened, and events have died down - it's the chance to look back on the year and set yourself up for a new one. I live for this quiet time of year when the world collectively decides to sign off and take a damn break.
Not only is the end of the year a time I like to make a Pinterest mood board for what I'm hoping the new year will bring, I also like to focus on what I want to RELEASE next year. It's something I've been doing for years, so I wanted to share that with you today.
Over the years, I've worked on releasing things which I'm sharing below, and moving into 2024, I have a few new things I want to let go of. These are practices that are no longer serving me, and maybe they're not serving you either? So grab a glass of something comforting, wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, turn off your notifications, and release with me.
Here are 10 ideas for getting started:
Doom scrolling
There's a fine line between staying informed and doom scrolling. Not only can the Internet be a scary place to visit, it can heavily affect your mental. I try to consume the news or whatever info to stay informed for about 5-10 minutes a day, and then move on. When I find myself looking at the same types of posts or articles and becoming consumed with them, I know I've fallen prey to a doom scroll. A few ideas to help with this:
Install an app that limits your social media or browsing time.
Skip social accounts and the news online in favor of a quick podcast that rounds up that day's stories, like The Daily or The NewsWorthy.
Numbing & toxic vices
During the Pandemic, I found myself numbing the overwhelm with alcohol. It was a slow realization and build, and one that I battled with internally for a while, but ultimately I realized that I was using alcohol to numb, and not out of pleasure. This is still an ongoing thing for me (when not pregnant) because, on one hand, we use things like a glass or two of wine, or an edible, or whatever, to relax, but I urge you to let go of vices that have turned toxic. Or at least to take note of whether that relaxing agent is truly serving you in the same capacity it once was.
Self-criticism
'It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me.' This Taylor Swift lyric has been swirling in my head since I heard it, as it's such a clear look at self-criticism, IMO. This is something I'm actively trying to release heading into the new year.
Copy-and-paste culture
One of my favorite TIB Substack articles to date has been, Is the Art of Personal Style Lost? which seemed to hit home with a lot of you. In a world of copy-and-paste outfits, style, language, body shape, Instagram face, choices, and so on, can you turn inwards to find more individuality? Can you release trying to fit in the box everyone else is?
Phone use around family
I keep catching myself walking around the house with my phone in my hand when my girls are around, and/or scrolling while the girls watch 'Parent Trap' instead of watching it with them, laughing at the jokes. I watched this recently about the psychological impacts phones have on relationships - signaling that holding your phone sends a psychological message saying 'You are not the most important thing to me right now' and that is certainly not the message I want to send my family. It's hard in the hyper-connected world to leave the phone in the other room (important missed calls from family, texts, etc.) but I want to break my habit of constantly having my phone nearby. Not only to be present for my kids but because they're watching, and the example I set now will probably be what they mirror.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The In-Between to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.