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issue #18 - the one after a loooooooooooong time

July 04, 2020

It’s been minute. Or, you know, nearly 2 months.

And what a 2 months it’s been.

We welcomed our second son. Helped our older son adjust to the transition. Drank too much coffee and water. Slept far too little. Snuggled the baby as much as possible. Watched approximately 42 hours of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the series from the early 90’s). Read a couple of books.

And am slowly finding myself in this new identity as a mother of 2.

We’re 7 weeks in with Rhaki, and I feel like a walking cliche (the days are long but the years are short, everything is a phase, little people little problems).

If this is your first e-mail from me, welcome! In addition to writing the book How To Pack, I'm an entrepreneur and angel investor, an avid reader, and a mom of two boys (a 4 year old and a 1 month old).

Every Saturday, I share the 25 best reads from the Internet (culled from the daily shares on my Instagram), the books I've read that week, and things I'm generally loving at the moment.

If you need to re-download my packing list, you can do so here.

#ThingsILove This Week

  • Libro.fm has been a lifesaver in the early weeks with Rhaki, when my hands are literally full with nursing and I want something to entertain me. It’s an audiobook app, for sure, but one that gives your favorite independent bookseller the sale credit instead of a certain online retailer that we all probably spend too much money on. I blew through Naturally Tan in my first week, leisurely listened to The Most Powerful Woman In The Room (this would have been fine to read). My latest listen? Elaine Welteroth’s excellent memoir, More Than Enough.If you use the codeHITHA when you sign up for a monthly membership, you’ll get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1.

  • I fell out of my journaling practice, but am slowly getting back into it with Baron Fig’s Growl Journal. Each page is a simple list for whatever entry you feel like - reflection, gratitude, musings, check-ins. I use mine for daily record sessions (to-do list and appointments for the day), and I usually have a grocery list scribbled down for each week. It's a low-stress tool to start or ramp up a journaling habit, and I’m thoroughly enjoying mine.

  • Life-with-a-newborn essentials - the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier mini (gifted), these microwave sterilization bags for pump parts and bottles, the Casper Glow light (it’s perfect for overnight feeds/diaper changes and makes a great nightlight), and Bubbsi lotion and balm. The cream and balm, formulated with coconut oil and vanilla, leaves your baby smelling like a vanilla cupcake and their skin SO soft. The balm was key for treating Rhaki’s cradle cap and my dried out cuticles. Get 10% off your first order with HITHA10

  • Non-baby things I love - my Necklet to layer three delicate necklaces without tangling them, Live Tinted’s Huesticks (which are the only reason I look like a human these days), Tradesy’s closet concierge service (my closet was cleaned out and organized in just 2 1/2 hours), and lemon-lime Gatorade to keep my milk supply up. And books. Books make everything better.

What I read this week:

  • Three Women (out 7/9/19, galley provided by Avid Reader Press) - Why don’t we believe women? This has been on my mind since fall of 2016 (no explanation needed), but even more so this week. This book explores this question, and raises an awareness of how we talk and think about sexuality. That when we hear about a student having a relationship with a teacher, a wife cheating on her husband, or a married couple who are also swingers, we immediately think of heterosexual couples first, and fit the woman in a stereotype that our society has engineered for decades. Three Women is a spectacular book - brilliant writing, empathetic, and turns society’s age old views of sex and women on their head. I can’t stop thinking about this book - or talking about it - so do pre-order it so I have someone to discuss this with.

  • More Than Enough (c/o Libro.fm) - my maternity leave ended earlier than I had planned, and this book has been the hours-long pep talk I need to fire myself up, hustle hard, and maintain non-negotiable boundaries for my family and my sanity. Listening to Elaine recount her life and share her observations feels like a long conversation with your smartest friend, and I’ll be sad when the book is finished.

Current book reviewshere,every bookI’ve read this year, and all myAmazon favorites.

The Top 5

The Catch Up

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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