March 18, 2021

How’s everyone doing? Last week was hellaciously bad for me, but it ended on the most delicious note: I got food-bombed! In one of my dispatches last summer, I suggested the idea of “lunch-bombing” a friend (ie, treating them to a surprise delivery meal), which not only leaves your friends feeling loved and nourished, but also helps out struggling restaurants. Friday night a package of perfectly-cooked, still-warm cacio e pepe arrived at my doorstep, along with a pre-mixed negroni from a dear friend who works at Vic’s. Sobbing while shoveling hay bale-sized twists of pasta into my mouth is an ugly-cry I can definitely cop to.

1.

Talk about a power couple! I got way more out of this 25-minute, Oprah-produced podcast episode featuring Dr. Brené Brown, than I did from watching Harry and Meghan discuss their new freedom from royal entrapment for two hours—at one moment, while standing inside the confines of a chicken coop. (Oooof! SO MUCH SYMBOLISM!). Anyways, god bless Brown for the way she explores the hard stuff like shame, vulnerability, fear, accountability, etc., and goes on to break. it. down.

In this episode entitled “The Anatomy of Trust,” she does just that, with equal parts elucidation and relatability. One of the biggest takeaways for me: trust isn’t dependent on the length of a relationship—or rather, it’s not a given. (Thanks, Caroline, for recommending I give this one a listen!)

2.

UNSUBSCRIBE ALL: Along with trying to swear less, each new year I resolve to trim down the scores of marketing emails hitting my inbox by actually opening each one, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking the “unsubscribe” option (versus simply deleting them). But even welcome emails and newsletters have their furtive methods for tracking one’s digital footprint. Here’s a primer on how to disengage those sneaky pests, from a fast fix in your email application settings, to browser add-ons and extensions.

3.

Take the Tata! When your friend is moving apartments and sets some shopping bags loaded with unwanted grooming and beauty products in front of you, I repeat: Take the Tata! I’d never been a big Tata Harper enthusiast until a friend’s recent bathroom closet purge—so I’m admittedly pretty late to the party—but the Resurfacing Mask has been a game changer for my skin. “Glowy” is not a word I’d normally assign to my complexion, even on the most-hydrated of days, but…now it is.

4.

I can’t wait to dig into this new Netflix series based on author Emily Spivack’s book by the same name, featuring tales and accounts of the various meaningful articles of clothing we hold onto. Fashion, in the self-expressive sense, is of course a component, but not in the way we think of fashion with a capital F. These garments are much more about sentiment, memory and the way they make us feel, than anything having to do with designer labels and big trends.

5.

Leave it to Marni to make me wish I had a big green lawn to sprawl out on with all these colorful new furniture pieces and picnic-friendly tote bags. If anyone has a chance to dip into NYC’s Meatpacking District location where there’s even more offerings, you can check out (and test out) the full collection.

HOMEWORK FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER: Send me your most memorable takeaways, lessons, hacks from the last year. We just lived through a year of Covid. And while we’re still a long way from normal (or the new, post-Covid normal), the last year taught us a lot. So: best recipes, failsafe Zoom tips, new discoveries, favorite WFH outfits—even the meaningful life lessons. I’ll take ‘em.

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