issue #133 - the brief one

May 01, 2022

For my New York friends - I’ll be interviewing Jane Green on Wednesday, May 4th about her fantastic new book Sister Stardust and the power of female friendships! I hope you can join us - register here for free.

I spent this week speaking on stages, meeting some incredible women in both Los Angeles and Whistler, caught up with family and friends, flew almost 10,000 miles, and slept too few hours.

Today? I spelled diarrhea no fewer than 8 times, watched my boys earn their new belts in karate, listened to Rho’s latest graphic novel idea (it’s pretty hilarious), and lost count how many times I did the same four wooden puzzles with Rhaki.

It’s far less glamorous and a lot more chaotic and loud, but it is my heaven. I’m so happy to be home.

This week feels like a pre-pandemic one, with events (a summer preview with J.Jill, my event with Jane Green, a group dinner) mixed in with home repairs and school drop-offs and pickups and homework and activities and trying to find some semblance of a routine.

And not losing my cool with my kids.

As they’re especially feral right now, I’m going to cut this week’s editor’s letter short to give them my full attention and leave you to the rest of the newsletter.

I hope you have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you on Wednesday if you’re in New York!

What I Read This Week

  • The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - if you’re craving a magic book that’s more mature than Harry Potter and has the dark undertones of a high society thriller, The Atlas Six is that book - and it’s EXCELLENT. The Alexandrian Society is the most exclusive magical organization and six young magicians are chosen every 10 years to be initiated in the society - but with a cost. I admittedly didn’t even know the premise of the book when I downloaded it (I judged it by its fascinating cover), and I’m all in on Blake’s magical world. While it lacks the steaminess of ACOTAR, the storytelling is phenomenal and it scratches the fantasy itch I always have.

What Everyone Else Read This Week

Marisa

  • The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Gosh I think I'd probably love anything Taylor Jenkins Reid puts out there. This was my second of her books and it was truly transportive, carrying the reader back 70 years and many lifetimes ago to follow the extraordinary life and loves of actress Evelyn Hugo. I am not usually much of a re-reader, but this is one I think I'd be happy to revisit after awhile.

  • The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley- I am also in the middle of The Paris Apartment, which is my third Lucy Foley novel. Her books are just FUN in a nutshell - always fast, gripping reads (though admittedly sometimes a little bit formulaic - it's ok, they are enjoyable enough that it's easy to overlook). Highly recommend this one, and her books in general, as well.

Shibani

  • Circe by Madeline Miller - I've been using the Libby App in conjunction with the Cleveland Public Library to listen to audiobooks, and Circe, by Madeline Miller is such a good listen. I don't know anything about Greek mythology, so this fictional take on Circe's life was truly fascinating. I also recommend the audiobook because I can guarantee I would have been pronouncing the names incorrectly if I had attempted to read it.

Madison

  • Money Diaries - In the interest of transparency, I have not read a book in weeks. I’ve started to read them - many of them - but this does not appear to be a season of my life where sustained reading attention is a daily occurrence. Still! I am a dedicated reader of the Refinery29 Money Diaries and a personal finance devotee. These are posted near-daily, and are my go-to pre-bedtime-bath reads.

Top #5SmartReads of the Week

The rest of the week’s reads (and conversations!) are below:

Your Questions, Answered

When are we grabbing coffee/lunch/drinks???I wish I could say yet to every request like this!

All my in-person events are linked here- if you’re local to any of them, I hope you can attend!

Upcoming NYC race-worried with rising cases & no social list in corral/course, run with mask?I recommend masking in the corral area and removing the mask if you find yourself running in a less crowded area.

While outdoor transmission risk is lower than indoors, these races can be really congested and masking is a practical step, as long as you’re wearing a high quality, well-fitted one with multiple layers of protection.

I’m still wearing Barriere’s KN95 masks- HITHA20 gets you 20% off!

Would you be comfortable with Broadway next weekend? In KN95 and fully vexed :)Yep! Skip the concessions and drinks and keep your mask on the whole time, and have a wonderful time!

I will be getting back to my Wednesday matinee solo dates next month and I CANNOT WAIT.

Aside from your events, what you’re looking forward to most in Seattle?I haven’t been back to the University of Washington campus since 2007, so visiting my old haunts with Melody Feldman is something I’m so excited for (and getting some food from Thaiger Room!)

In true Seattle form, it’s going to be raining wile I’m there to really make me feel like old times ;)

I’m also excited to finally meet Ruchika Tulshyan and Ambika Singh, and see Rachel Pepple for the first time in over 10 years!

Book recommendations after A Court Of Thorns and Roses?Once you finish the series to date, jump right into Crescent City and then start ACOTAR from the beginning, but listen to the full cast recording audiobook if you are able - here’s part 1, and part 2 (which just dropped today!).

What do you do when you want to feel creative at work/reconnect with your creativity?I keep a needlepoint project on my desk or in my work bag because stitching breaks help my stay in a restive flow or get into creative mode!

If I don’t have a craft with me, I do a quick squiggle drawing and fill the sections with little patterns instead of colors:

Do you have any childcare help for the nights, esp when you travel?The boys are excellent sleepers (*knocks on wood*) and Rho gets himself dressed and teeth brushed in the morning, and their schools are close together so we only have to make 1 trip for drop-off. Sri has a great routine down, so we don’t need much overnight help.

That said, we are incredibly lucky to have parents who come and stay over if one of is is traveling and there are morning meetings or if one of the kids is sick.

Tips for starting fundraising?The “Eat No For Breakfast” chapter in We’re Speaking outlines my mindset framework for anticipating the rejection that will come when you’re fundraising.

When you create that master spreadsheet of potential investors (make columns for contacts to directly reach out to and who can help introduce, why our company is a fit for their portfolio, notes on their diligence process, and the stage you are in the process. also create a separate running question and answer bank of commonly asked questions and your answers, and practice from this list and update it regularly.

Fundraising is a slog, Good luck, and when my episode on the Allobee podcast airs, I’ll be sure to share it because Brooke and I talked about fundraising a LOT.

Thoughts on shingles/Covid vaccine?I feel very strongly that both vaccines are safe and effective and offer strong protection against death and severe disease (a family member of mine was hospitalized with shingles and I don’t wish that on anyone).

Vaccines are but one public health measure to take in an active pandemic, so please consider masking in indoor crowded settings, testing regularly, and washing your hands frequently and gathering outdoors during periods of rising cases.

Basically, what I’ve been saying for the past year.

Thoughts on fast fashion?It’s…not good. Not good for the planet, not good for the workers who produce them in awful conditions, and the quality is poor. While I’ve succumbed to fast fashion in the past, I’m no longer purchasing clothes from fast fashion outlets.

Honestly, Armoire is the reason I have barely shopped for clothes since last fall. And if I do, I’m purchasing from independent designers (Nesara - code hitha gets you $10 off, holiCHIC by Megha) or thoughtfully produced lines like MM.LaFleur, Summersalt, ABLE or Quince (and both ABLE and Quince have great prices and promotions!)

Your favorite online sources for art/prints/home decor?I love wallpaper or framing my kids’ art, so I’m not the best person to ask!

I do have some Hatecopy prints I need to get framed, and I love getting prints or photography postcards from Fotografiska (one of my favorite museums) from an exhibit that I loved and framing and grouping them tighter.

I love EBTH and Etsy and flea markets to find fun objects (sculptures, obelisks, candlesticks) to decorate shelves with, as well as picking up items from our travels!

One thing you wish you would have done more of while pregnant before baby arrived?SLEEP. I would sleep in every singly morning that I could. I would nap. I would stay up late just because I could sleep in.

I also wish I had gotten formal maternity portraits to commemorate that time.

What’s one habit you always turn too when you’re trying to get back into working out?Go for a walk.

It doesn’t need to be a long walk or a fast walk, but the simple act of lacing up your sneakers and getting outside is that linchpin that gets me in the right headspace.

I also repeat workouts that I truly loved because I know how they’ll make me feel and if my body is up for them. I have some Dryp By Soha flows (code hitha25 gets you 25% off your first month), Kendall Toole’s shadowboxing workouts, Callie Gullickson’s bodyweight strength, and Aditi Shah flows that I come back to time and time again when tasing back into my workout routine.

Favorite sunscreen?Haldi recommend Thank You Farmer’s Water Sun Cream and I LOVE it. Also a big fan of Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen in colder month and their Mattescreen mixed with a touch of Drunk Elephant bronzing drops for the hotter, more humid months.

I am a big fan of Saie Beauty’s Sunvisor!

I plan to try Live Tinted’s Hueguard and Wander Beauty’s new mineral sunscreen next- always on the hunt for a mineral sunscreen for my skin tone.

What the feeling of NYC and COVID, masks indoors still or will it be weird? Anxious CanadianI still see a lot of indoor masking in NYC, and our public transportation and ride share mask mandates are still in effect.

I plan on masking indoors for Broadway shows and museums, and am excited that we have warmer weather to enjoy dining outdoors more often!

Can you share the eyebrow person you went to by chance?Absolutely! NY Lash Eyeland is incredible and I am SO thrilled with her work.

Brooke Devard recommend her and all of her beauty and travel recs are perfect.

What Broadway shows are you excited to see soon?POTUS, SUFFS, Company, American Buffalo, A Strange Loop, For Colored Girls, and The Music Man.

What’s your favorite work tote that has space??I rounded up all my favorite work totes here!

How do you feel about the possible ACOTAR adaptation??Ronald D. Moore is a genius and has yet to disappoint me (love the Trek episodes and shows he worked on, BSG is one of my all time favorites, and he did a phenomenal job with For All Mankind and Outlander).

Honestly I wish he had done A Discovery Of Witches, but I’m so thrilled that he’s producing ACOTAR

Long shot but do you know of shoes and sneakers brands for high arch’s?Hoka Bondi 7 is the BEST for high arches.

Are you excited about the return of the Mexican Pizza to Taco Bell?BEYOND EXCITED

May is the good month- Star Wars Day, the return of the Mexican Pizza, a big birthday month for our family, no work travel.

I am thrilled.

What was the sexy National Treasure book you mentioned awhile ago?Something Wilder by Christina Lauren! I really liked it.

[INSER PREORDER LINK]

Tips for nice fitting but not too formal mens shirts? Hubs is muscular, thin.These shirts from Quince are really nice and a great price point ($40)

Any recs for a good hospital bag? First time mom delivering in a month!I recommend a large tote to keep in the labor & delivery room, and a duffel or small suitcase for the postpartum room.

Best shoes for a grub dweller for alllllll the walking on a trip to NYCThese Reebok sneakers are so cute, have the cushiest memory foam insole, and zero break in time. I didn’t have time to swap out the lease for a no-tie one but I’m going to be wearing these all spring.

Here’s to a week filled with rest, not overloading your to-do list, and doing the things you want to do.

xo,HPN

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