issue #75 - the one about rage-cleaning

My friend Ali is a smart one. And a wise one. And this is the exact advice I needed this week.

My to-do list is filled with the usual tasks - catching up on e-mail, following up on some work tasks that I keep putting off, scheduling appointments and running errands.

But most of the tasks were tidying projects.

I finally organized our disaster of a pantry yesterday morning (and ordered this can rack to keep said cans organized). While the house slept, I tackled the bar that had become a fulfillment center for our house (and put everything away).

I blacked out during these rage cleaning sprints. I forgot about the election and the mountain of work awaiting me. There was no music or podcast playing to keep me company.

It was just me, my label maker, a bunch of bins, and some garbage bags. And when I finished each project, there was no rage left.

Just an overwhelming sense of peace and calm.

When things feel out of control, pick a house project and go at it.

Next up - my workout clothes and growing sweatshirt collection.

What I read and loved

• Valley Girls (ARC provided by NetGalley, out January 21) - the power and danger of social media, systemic racism and sexism, and the relentless pursuit of profit swirls in Mark S. Luckie’s debut novel. There are so many parallels to our actual reality (Google’s anti-trust lawsuit, Facebook coming under rightful fire for the spread of misinformation from foreign entities, the trolling and abuse women face on social media) that you think you’re reading a nonfiction book. I can’t quit this genre (startup tech novelizations), and have been overwhelmingly disappointed by most books I’ve read. Valley Girls is the rare one (along with The Underwriting) that is worth your time. And in this case, your pre-order.

The Top 5

1. What’s in a Name? (The Juggernaut)

2. When It Comes to Indoor Dining, Restaurant Workers Face the Greatest Risk (Eater)

3. Why everything from furniture to diet soda is so hard to buy right now (Vox)

4. Stockard Channing Answers Every Question We Have About Practical Magic (Vulture)

5. Jeannie Mai and the Privilege of Submission (Zora)

All the smart reads

Monday

• Race And Voting In America (Axios)

• White supremacists and militias have infiltrated police across US, report says (The Guardian)

• Alexey Navalny Has the Proof of His Poisoning (The New Yorker)

• Baby Phat Walked so That Modern-Day ‘Streetwear’ Could Fly (Zora)

Tuesday

• Democrats’ Coming Civil War Over Police Unions (Politico)

• It’s all fun and games... (For The Love)

• The pandemic is destroying energy efficiency (Axios)

• Nadiya Hussain: ‘I want to blend in. But the truth is, I’m never going to blend in’ (The Guardian)

Wednesday

• This 14-year-old girl won a $25K prize for a discovery that could lead to a cure for Covid-19 (CNN)

• Studies Point To Big Drop In COVID-19 Death Rates (NPR)

• The next environmental crisis could be in space (Axios)

• The Spanish Princess's Charlotte Hope on Breaking the Infertility Taboo on TV (Town & Country)

Thursday

• The $1.6 billion business of flu (CNBC)

• Getting the flu can wreak havoc on your finances (CNBC)

• Attica Scott: Democrats Didn’t Have My Back After Protest Arrest (New York Magazine)

• Nigeria protests: security forces open fire on protesters in Lagos (The Guardian)

Friday

• The Underemployment Crisis (The Atlantic)

• Stevie Nicks on art, ageing and attraction: ‘Botox makes it look like you’re in a satanic cult!’ (The Guardian)

• You can’t get the flu from a flu shot. Here’s why. (The Conversation)

• United States wants to end most payouts for leading vaccination-related injury (Science)

Things I love this week

• ‘Love’ may not be the right emotion, but I finally watched Totally Under Control and it’s a must-watch. And terrifying. But a must-watch all the same.

I restocked a few favorites this week that are worth sharing:

• This Overtone coloring mask & conditioner keeps my grays looking fresh. I use the mask once a week, and the conditioner the other times I wash my hair during the week.

• I added a couple new Ella high-impact sports bras to my collection, given how well they help up my girls during my (indoor) 5K this week.

• I restocked a few Wander Beauty favorites recently - Mist Connection (a toner-essence), Do Not Disturb (the best retinoid on the market, in my opinion), and the Fast Line Instant Facial (which is the only mask I’ve been using regularly). If you’d like to give them a try, you can get 15% off with my code HITHA15.

I’m a proud friend & investor every day, but especially this week. Please go support my friends and portfolio companies on these exciting new launches:

• Brightland just launched a set of minis (for $70), which will make a perfect gift for yourself or your food-loving friends. I preordered a set for myself, and also bought new bottles of Awake (their cooking olive oil), Ardor (their chili oil), and Parasol (raw champagne vinegar).

• The Girls’ Night In team launched Whiled, a new product company focused on products designed for downtime. Their puzzles are gorgeous and beautifully constructed, and I’m saving this one to do with Rho over the holidays.

• Small Packages launched their second annual Women In Food box, filled with incredible treats from chefs and makers that happen to be women. It’s perfect for sending to friends you’re missing this holiday season or for yourself and a lower-key holiday season.

• Fair Play completely transformed our marriage. The card game is a big part of the method, and they are finally available for pre-order.

• Rom Com Pods’ second season is SO GOOD. Once I drop Rho off at school, I treat myself to a stroll in the park while listening to the new episode and it’s a joyful way to begin the week.

• Focus has been a struggle for me lately, but my friend Keren delivered the answers I needed with this episode from her podcast.

Looking for my favorite things? You can find them here.

If you like what I’m sending, please forward it with someone you love (or someone you don’t). Or both. Everyone could use some smart reads in their life.

xo,HPN