issue #23 - the one where I held on for one more day

Don't you know things can changeThings'll go your wayIf you hold on for one more day yeahIf you hooooooooooooooooold on

(I’m not sorry that this song literally kept me going all week. Also not sorry that it’s probably stuck in your head now).

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 3 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. You can join the conversation on all these articles - and more! - in my Facebook group.

Looking for my packing list template? Here you go!

#ThingsILove This Week

• I’m helping my friend Ashley#clearthelists (i.e. help teachers fully fund their classroom projects), and Erica’s classroom in Portland still has some items left on the list! I’d love your support in helping clear this special teacher’s list.

• I’m constantly revamping my skincare routine, and am loving these new additions - KOSAS Tinted Oil (shade 7), The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution (a miracle worker for my dark undereye circles), and Wander Beauty’s lip oil (the brand gifted me their nude shade, and I bought the dark berry one myself).

• Grace influenced me to get the aforementioned KOSAS oil and the Drunk Elephant bronzing drops, my Fake News t-shirt, and now this t-shirt. My closet and vanity love Grace. My wallet does not.

• I’m so thrilled that Bubbsi launched its shampoo/body wash this week! I ordered the individual and refill sizes, as well as the refill of the lotion and a new balm. It’s also a great time to stock up on some Lark Adventurewear, which I love for both boys. Rhaki lives in the rompers and onesies, and Rho loves these t-shirts.

• I’ve noticed that Rho is a more adventurous eater when he helps me make the food. This week we made a stone fruit galette with store-bought pie crust and our Misfits Market fruit, these healthy donuts with the help of this little donut maker, and ‘rainbow pizza’ (with vegetables of all colors of the rainbow). This pizza stone was a wedding gift and remains one of my most-used kitchen items, nearly 9 years later.

• Podcast episodes I loved this week - Hashtag No Filter’s episode with the Wander Beauty founders, The Goop Beauty Closet’s interview with Miranda Kerr (this mask is one of my holy grail beauty products - I’m obsessed), and The Daily’s interview with Mikie Sherrill.

• Things I love and am frequently asked about on Instagram - the caftan I’m always wearing (also known as the #amazonnightgown), my favorite vitamins (both their pre-natal and their essential one for women), my Amazon shop, the app to save #5SmartReads to read later, the marriage check-in my husband and I do every single week. Small Packages (one of my portfolio companies) is the curated gift box company I’m always talking about - get 15% off your order with the code HITHA.

What I read this week:

• My Friend Anna (gifted by Becca) - I tend to get obsessed with real life scandals, and the Anna Delvey one had my attention the entire time. I found My Friend Anna a deeply satisfying book, but I have to admit that it’s for the weirdos who can’t get enough details on a scandal versus those who are mildly interested in it. The book did drag and I just didn’t care enough about the author, but it made for a quick read that scratched my scandal loving itch.

• How To Have A Good Day - this is one of those books I re-read when things feel like they’re getting out of control (and they feel downright chaotic right now). This exhaustively researched book does it what the title says - helps you have a good day, everyday, in your professional and personal lives. I’ve had a chance to meet the author and she is as warm and caring as she is insanely smart. If your days need a bit of a revamp, read this. You won’t regret it.

• The Forest Of Enchantments- for some strange reason, the Kindle version of this book is available now whereas the hardcover is released next month. If you’re into mythology, Indian culture, or just a really good and complicated story, get the Kindle version and start reading now. Forest is the retelling of the Ramayana - one of Hinduism’s most sacred texts - from Sita’s view (the main female character of the story). Previous versions relegated Sita as someone who the story happened to, versus the main driver of the story. This version puts Sita squarely in a position of power and vulnerability, and it’s one of those books I’ll read every year. All the credit goes to my dear friend Nisha for introducing me to this author and her earlier novel, The Palace Of Illusions (which I had the most intense book hangover after reading).

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

The Top 5

1. The Big Little Lie of the TV kitchen island (Curbed)

2. Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens? (Cosmopolitan)

3. The Two Brides Who Wore Three Different Outfits (The Cut)

4. The synchronized global slump (Axios)

5. 2nd Amendment AMA (Abra Belke IG)

The Catch Up

Monday

• The Media Erased Latinos From the Story (The Atlantic)

• Special report: The new art of dying (Axios)

• For Meenal Lele, Keeping Her Child Safe Became a Full-Time Job (The M Dash)

• Using Rituals to Improve the Workplace (The Aspen Institute)

Tuesday

• Can Stacey Abrams Save American Democracy? (Vogue)

• Lessons From a Decade Reporting on Women During the Iraq War (Lit Hub)

• The great global decoupling (Axios)

• To mitigate the effects of climate change, one researcher calls for a ‘contraception revolution’ (STAT)

Wednesday

• Hollywood, Anne Hathaway Loves You — But You're Bringing Her Down (Allure)

• Scoop: How the U.S. decided which China tariffs will be delayed (Axios)

• Despite calls to start over, U.S. health system covers 90% of Americans (STAT)

• The story behind the best-known local jingle in America (Vox)

Thursday

• Wanna hear a crazy story? I’m a new mom & I had protein in my urine during and after pregnancy, which is bad / THREAD (Jen Curran Twitter)

• 11 Female CEOs and Founders on What It’s Really Like to Have a Baby While Running Your Company (Fortune)

• "No Worries If Not!": The Apologetic Phrase Women Can't Stop Using (Refinery 29)

• She Once Starred in an NRA Ad—Now S.E. Cupp Wants Gun Control (Glamour)

Friday

• Women candidates are constantly asked about their electability. Here are 5 reasons that’s misguided. (Vox)

• The State With the Highest Suicide Rate Desperately Needs Shrinks (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• Dining Out Helped This Founder Connect With Her Immigrant Parents. Now Nearly 5,000 Restaurants Depend on Her Company (Inc)

• Eva Longoria on Why 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' Is so Important (Shondaland)