issue #102 - the one about the mundane

I was thinking about old school blogging this week.

The LiveJournal/Xanga era, where we would document our days in exhaustive detail and share the mundane as if they were precious, poignant moments in our lives. Which they were, though I certainly didn’t realize it at the time.

I miss it. So I decided to document my week like I used to, and it made me appreciate the everyday moments that I normally take for granted every day - the first sip of an iced latte prepared by someone else, the random things Rho says when we’re walking down the street, the joy of seeing friends and sharing a meal. It’s also a helpful place to document Peloton workout stacks I like, remind myself of non-Blue Apron meals to whip up quickly, and that I will miss these chaotic days when my kids are grown and don’t want to hang out with me anymore.

Give it a read, if you’d like. And if any of it brought up a moment this week that you are newly grateful for, please hit reply and share it with me. I would love to know. 

What we read this week

Hiwote

• We Should All Be Millionaires: A Womans Guide To Earning More, Building Wealth, And Gaining Economic Power by Rachel Rodgers - I was inspired to read this book up listening to a conversation between the author and activist, Rachel Cargle. It’s been interesting to get her take on two competing desires I (& many women I know) have - wanting to burn the whole system down and also wanting a life that is financially comfortable here and now. 

Diksha

• The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta - Currently reading "The Serpent's Secret" with my 10 year old and absolutely loving how it weaves Hindu mythology into a modern day tale of a young girl living in New Jersey.

Hitha

I read and loved Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance and Anna K Away. Reviews are posted on my Instagram feed, and here’s what else I read this week:

• Frankly, We Did Win This Election by Michael C. Bender - starting this book right before bed might have triggered a number of nightmares, but it is an absolutely fascinating look at the Trump’s re-election campaign through the insurrection. Frankly, I still can’t believe the past 5 years happened, and this book could’ve been a novel if we didn’t know better.

The Top 5

1. Airbnb Is Spending Millions Of Dollars To Make Nightmares Go Away (Bloomberg Business Week)

2. Train Your Brain to Remember Anything You Learn With This Simple, 20-Minute Habit (Inc.)

3. Simone Biles Is Already the GOAT, but Her True Greatness Is Still to Come (Sports Illustrated)

4. When Racism and Anti-Semitism Get Together on a Podcast (Apparently)

5. Disaster Patriarchy: How The Pandemic Has Unleashed War On Women (The Guardian)

The Catch Up

Monday (Hiwote) 

• Cultural Curator Mikas Builds A Renaissance Legacy In Lisbon (Cuisine Noir)

• We’re Learning The Wrong Lessons From The Worlds Happiest Countries ( The Atlantic)

• What’s Next For Black Farmers? (The Root)

• What Deadlines Do To Lifetimes (The New Yorker)

Tuesday

• 'We are no longer afraid': Thousands of Cubans protest against the government(NBC News)

• What to watch for during earnings season (Axios)

• While Telling Others’ Stories, Ashley C. Ford Was Writing Her Own (Bustle)

• Why food and housing assistance is essential for improving America’s health (Vox)

Wednesday

• When states don’t expand Medicaid, women suffer (The 19th*)

• Honeywell, Premier to Bolster U.S. Production of Medical Gloves (Bloomberg Law)

• Mars Needs Women (Marie Claire)

• Democrats' spending flip-flop (Axios)

Thursday

• My Letter to the Federal Prosecutors Who Won’t Take My Case (Alison Turkos)

• Explaining Infrastructure: How a Bill Becomes a Road (The Dispatch)

• Maya Moore Isn’t Finished Working (Glamour)

• Why cars are driving inflation (Axios)

Friday (Diksha) 

• Where Would Food Be Without Padma Lakshmi (The Cut)

• How Pramila Jayapal Views The Biden Administration (The New Yorker)

• Voluntourism: New Book Explores How Volunteer Trips Harm Rather Than Help(The Guardian)

• A First Lady For All Of Us: On The Road With Dr. Jill Biden (Vogue)

Things we love this week

Hiwote

• This sunflower serum from Ayele is my FAVORITE skincare product in the world. I’ve been using it religiously for the past 6 months and it consistently leaves my skin feeling supple & smooth… even amidst hormonal breakouts. 

Diksha

• I've been using the Ilia Serum Skin Tint daily after washing my face - it's light enough but provides some serious glow and gentle coverage to look decent on Zoom. The fact that it has niacinamide, squalene and hyaluronic acid, while giving me some coverage is pretty amazing. And I used the shade match on their site to find my correct shade, which required no store visit. 

Hitha

• I don’t know about you, but I’m still wearing my mask even when I’m walking around outside. I had to restock on our favorite Barrière masks for ourselves and the kids - they’re breathable, offer good protection, and come in lots of cute designs. 

• For my fellow Southern Charm fans, I did a little shopping spree at Naomie’s boutique L’Abeye (to support, but also because I wanted some new clothes). This dressand this blouse are a safe bet, and I bought this linen set mostly because it compliments my book cover. The size range (just S-L) is maddeningly narrow, but I heard from them that they are expanding it soon. Will keep you posted!

• I also bought this dress from MM.LaFleur’s sale for the same reason. Be smarter than me and don’t forget to use the code EXTRA20 for an extra 20% off the sale styles! And if you’d like to try some of their latest collection, booking a styling appointment will get you 20% off your order.

Take care of yourself, and please share #5SmartReads if you’re enjoying them!