The Beautiful World of Sally Rooney
I just finished Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You. I’m not giving away any spoilers with this reveal: The Irish author’s third book is narrowly focused on four characters; one, a writer, seems to be a stand-in for Rooney. The plot is straight out of a Brontë novel — there’s even a brooding Heathcliffian love interest — and the prose can be distractingly cold and distant. But the questions this book forces readers to contemplate — wow. I’ve never read anything like it. Have you?
Vegan Slugging, Naturally
My great-grandmother always had a jar of salve on her dressing table — she would slather it on her face before she went to sleep. This ritual was something she learned as an actress in Hollywood, a hundred years ago. Today, it’s been rebranded as the “slugging” trend that’s trending on TikTok. But can you slug without petrochemically derived products? In a word, YES! Try this inexpensive, all-natural vegan slugging solution.
Flood Zone Homes
Last week a flood zone home in a beachfront North Carolina town partially collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean, scattering boards and debris that floated as far as seven miles. The cream-colored clapboard beauty with the bright-blue shutters was built in 1980 and had recently been listed as a vacation rental. Its dismantle must have been shocking to residents of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where the home was located, but it didn’t seem to make much of an impact on a national scale. Why? I think it might have something to do with Celsius.
Readers Trust Mommy Greenest
The results of our 2021 survey are in — and I feel like Sally Field accepting her Academy Award. I know that most of you will get that reference as, according to the demographics, 65% of you are roughly my age. But surprisingly, 24% are younger — which means Mommy Greenest continues to reach a new generation of readers who have no idea who Sally Field is.
Fight Hair Loss in 6 Easy Steps
Everyone’s talking about their hair these days: Are my eyelashes shorter? Why does more hair seem to end up on my brush than on my head? Is that (god forbid) a bald spot? And it makes sense: I’m 51 and like most of my friends, hormonal changes have changed pretty much everything about my body. I recently wrote about how to manage night sweats and hot flashes, as well as the CBD supplement-and-soak package that is my secret weapon against sleeplessness. But hair loss hasn’t really affected me, so far. I think this is because I have very thin hair and for years I’ve been fighting to hold onto each…
Giving Tuesday: Nonprofits That Matter
As we approach Giving Tuesday, I wanted to take the opportunity to present a few organizations that I believe in and support. Have you earmarked your end-of-year giving? Please consider these nonprofits, which force corporations to do better, defend democracy at a local level, and empower emerging BIPOC conservationists. Let’s do this!
Clean Beauty Made Easy
Clean beauty sounds great in theory — until you run out of mascara and end up standing in the fluorescent aisles of the drugstore squinting at the tiny print on a label. But NakedPoppy, which sponsored this post, makes it easy to choose more natural cosmetics and skincare products. The company designed a beauty assessment quiz that delivers surprisingly accurate product recommendations — from the best-match foundation for your complexion to the super-hydrating facial oil you never knew you needed. No more time-sucking scrolling! And there’s more to NakedPoppy than a neat algorithm: They’ve made clean beauty an obsession. Want to learn more and score a cool 10% off? Read…
Healthy Recipe: Chocolate Chunk Cookie
I’m not a huge foodie. I don’t follow chefs on TikTok. But when I want to make something that’s plant-based, gluten-free, and delicious, my go-to is Anna Getty’s Amalgam Kitchen. These healthy recipes go beyond good for you and your family — they’re yummy and easy to make, with step-by-step photographs that Anna takes herself. Want to score Anna’s amazing Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookie with Smoked Sea Salt recipe? Read on!
