issue #146 - the 'OOO' one

August 07, 2022

I’m on vacation at the moment and savoring every second, so this is all you’ll get for this editor’s letter. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend and summer, and you enjoy catching up with the smart reads of the week. And I hope I’m getting in a final beach walk with hot coffee (yes, even in the summer) and my husband before we pick up the kids from my in-laws and get settled before another week of camp/work/all the things.

Four quick things:

  • I was honored to be interviewed by Real Simple on my packing tips for summer travels (alongside my friends Kish and Vanessa, and other experts I really admire). Give it a read, especially if you have summer travel plans ahead.

  • I’m hosting a night-at-the-Minetta Lane theatre in partnership with Audible Theater. If you’d like to join us for the performance of HEART on August 12 at 7 pm, grab a ticket and I’ll meet you there! And if you can’t make the play, be sure to check out the recording on Audible!

  • Feminist Press (one of the longest operating independent publishers, and who I serve on the board of!) has a Kickstarter for IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET, an anthology of queer and trans writers on their favorite horror films. This campaign is a great way to pre-order your copy (both ebook and physical), and get your ticket for the most incredible book launch party I think I’ll ever attend (even better than my own!).

  • Youth Represent (an incredible organization that both supports and advocates for youth caught in the justice system, also a proud board member) is hosting its annual wine fundraiser event on September 22 (and it’s virtual, so anyone who enjoys great wine can join!). We’ll be tasting wine from Adama Wines, a South African winery owned and operated by Black women.

What We Read This Week

  • Well, not a book, but an indie bookshop! My dear college friend Emily Helck just launched The Lost Bookshop! They sell books for getting lost and finding your way. I love how she categorizes books by grief, parenthood, among animals, and so many amazing topics. Each book in the shop is handpicked and aim to help people in periods of change or transition. Emily is an artist, teacher, cancer survivor, someone who changed the course of my life, and I am so proud of her - and can't wait to shop!

  • Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola- I've followed Bolu Babalola on twitter for years and she is a romcom scholar and master of the craft. Her first novel follows two students at university from fake dating to real feelings. The dialogue is snappy, the chemistry crackles, and I'm hoping for a sequel.

Top #5SmartReads Of The Week

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

Your Questions, Answered

If you had to choose a place for a destination wedding where would you choose?The Taco Bell chapel in Las Vegas, where Sri and I will renew our vows someday.

Honestly I would elope if I did it all over again and then host a massive reception at home (or wherever we had to celebrate with family), so i’d pick the spot I want to honeymoon!

But there are likely unhelpful so here’s where I attended destination weddings and had a wonderful time:

  • Cabo San Lucas

  • Malibu

  • The South of France

I also think destinations like Miami, Napa are well suited and experienced at hosting destination weddings.

Opinion of Chanel bags and clothes.If you keep your bags in excellent condition, they can be a better investment than the stock market! Just opt for caviar leather so it’s more rugged, and stick with the classic styles and colors and try to avoid th more trendy pieces.

For me, luxury designer clothes for everyday wear isn’t right for my life, though I do have some very special dresses that I wear for formal occasions. If you really love a piece, check The Real Real, Vestiare Collective, or other luxury resellers for that specific piece.

Thoughts on prenuptial agreements given divorce rates up?Incredibly personal decision that I have no general feelings about and is a private decision.

If it is top of mind for you, I would make sure you have a calm, open discussion with your partner about it before making a decision and finding a lawyer tighter to execute it.

(From a fellow Reader) FYI- parties must have separate lawyers for a prenuptial agreement to be valid in most states. So they should discuss the prenup together but cannot find a lawyer together.

Favorite vacation spot?Glenmere Mansion. I feel myself relaxing as we drive up every time we visit and it’s just the most special, relaxing, incredible place to recharge- which is the only kind of vacation i’m interested in these days!

Career coach recommendations?Just answered it recently! A lot of these answers can be found on my Substack! Linking to the most recent weekly newsletter where I answer this!

What is a future vacation spot you want to bring your kids to? They could be any age! There’a lot of places I can’t wait to take them but I really want to take them back to India and explore some places i’ve never been to either together!

Definitely we want too pend time in our respective hometowns, but also explore Calcutta, Kerala, and other places.

Favorite party favors for small groups? Is edible the best options? Thanks!Brightland olive oils! 

Ami the only one that didn’t accomplish all the todo for as summer learning for kids?You’re not alone! My grand goals of worksheets after camp every day fell by the wayside after two weeks, and I have no plans to bring it back in August.

New headshots for work this week, what to wear?Jewel-toned top with flattering neckline for your body type, some nice earrings or necklace, and the hair and makeup look that makes YOU feel your best!

Would Glenmore be a good spot for a baby moon? Or is it mostly wine & soft cheese?We went to Glenmere Mansion for our baby moon and they made delicious mocktails and made sure I had plenty of great options at meals.

They even have the massage tables with the hole in the center so you can safely lie on your stomach!

Educational gift for 5 year old niece?A KiwiCo subscription!

We’ve been longtime fans ad customers of KiwiCo for both kids and I was thrilled to get to work with them earlier this year. The activities are really fun and engaging and educational.

Did you like kingmaker chronicles?!LOVED IT. LOVE LVOE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

Amanda Bouchet, you are a genius and how can I get an ARC for A Curse of Queens because I can’t wait until October!!

What was the name of the detox you did?ProLon - but I want to preface this with the fact that your liver and kidneys do their job and no diet or cleanses will “detox” your body.

For me, I did ProLon to give myself a full reset- nutrition, sleep, mindfulness. Not having to worry about preparing food made it easy and I had to take it really easy because you’re not consuming your normal caloric intake, so I didn’t have any plans and spent a lot of time meditating and stretching and doing long treadmill walks.

My husband is about to start business. V nervous! What advice to look out for?How exciting! And of course it’s also nerve-wracking.

When starting out, you’re going to both be working int he business (internal ops and strategy) and on the business (client activities). Coming up with a solid plan on how you'll split your time and smart goals for them is what I would be most focused on, and I would block twitter and the LinkedIn home page to prevent FOMO or envy (we all have it and I personally need to block it in order to function!)

Good luck to both of you!

Feeling oddly nervous about vaxing my 4 & 1y/os. Had no qualm with 6 y/o. Any advice? Whenever I feel an unexpected emotion to my feeling, I like to journal it out and basically have a conversation with myself:

“Why are you nervous about this?”

“Well, I’m nervous because…”

Let yourself write/dictate/type without judgement, and when you go back to review the why, you’ll have some good questions to discuss with your child’s pediatrician and you SHOULD ask those questions to your HCP (and not strangers on the internet).

If it will help, so many incredible scientists have done detailed explanations of the pediatric vaccines that are clear and east to understand:

Any good templates or info on writing a business plan.First Round’s Business Model Canvas is an incredible for framework if you’re in the very early stages of figuring out your business model, which I think is the first step before a formal plan!

Enjoy the OOO! Going on vacation?Doing a massive friend hang on Wednesday, which I find so good for the soul, and then Thursday Sri & I are dropping off the kids with @gitanara1519 and taking a long weekend!

You shared a 5 minute yoga workout once, can you reshape? Thank you!Not a 5 minute, but @neeti.narula filmed a quick morning practice for me and this one on her page is very similar!

Favorite family vacation spot for kids ,5?!Honestly Disney World is the best place for young kids, and have my brilliant friend Angie Niles plan and book your trip- she put together the most perfect itinerary for 3 year old Rho + pregnant me an dI can’t wait for her to book our trip next year!

When the panini is more under control, I would totally do a sail on @disneycruiseline-Llauren Levinson recently went on one and it looked amazing, and my friend with he most discerning taste Veronica Chambers also recommended it!

How to recharge on a vacation with 2 kids under 4? I find it more draining than an actual benefit of going away.It’s A LOT- for me, the fewer plans we have, the better. When we went to Ocean House last summer, our only plan was to hang on the beach and relax and that’s exactly what we did, save for a visit to the Mystic Aquarium and daily walks to the lighthouse.

My friend The Fashion Magpie wrote the most beautiful and honest post about vacationing with young kids- highly recommend giving it a read!

Inexpensive Staycation recommendations?A day trip to a nearby beach (since I know you live in New York- Liz Teich did a Reel featuring some beaches and parks for Westchester residents that are worth checking out!)

A day trip to the Hudson Valley is also awesome- Storm King Art Center is excellent and the Taco Bell in nearby Chester is very good.

A Bucks County day trip- visit the New Hope Railroad for a steam train ride and then to the Bucks County Children’s Museum, and then stroll through New Hope and across the bridge to Lambertville.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

xo,HNP

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