Substack Sabbatical
Holiday gifting, TV watching and a lot of real-world work.
Hi guys! I’m back… hopefully for a good stretch. This summer was a lot — I think there was a point where I was on 8 flights in 6 weeks — and since then I've been super busy on a new project that I am excited to share soon. (Hint: Long live print!) But I’ve been really touched by how many people have asked where the Stack had gone. That, combined with a lot of questions about what I have been watching and what I am buying my children for the holidays, has pushed me to get back in touch with my inner Substacker, fight the urge to crawl into bed and get this done.
So let’s get to it.
First things first, I am officially a mouth tape truther. If you do not listen to me on anything else, believe this: I no longer wake in the night. I bought the lip-shaped tape on Amazon because I ran out of my other roll of plain old face tape, but both work the same. I also bought into the hype and bought the Dr. Diamond plasma serum so will report back on that soon. I’m also back on the Paula’s Choice Azaleic Acid Booster. If you have redness this is a magic potion.
When it comes to gifting, unfortunately, I can’t help as much with the boys — but according to my very knowledgeable boy-mom friends Jill and Cristy you can’t go wrong with a fragrance sampler, a nice leather bracelet or these sold out-everywhere Adidas Adimule clogs. I also always think a hoodie is a good option- Elwood has really nice ones (I actually own this one and it’s my new favorite), Abercrombie popovers are so soft and come in a million colors and Hollister has some good vintage-looking graphic ones.
Now for the fun stuff…
Here’s what my kids have requested:
Jewelry: The bubble letters continue to be popular. This one is really cute, this one is a little more understated and this one can be added to an existing chain. These initial earrings are really, really cool. They wrap around the ear so it’s a new take on the trend. These spiky hoops and these dagger hoops are fun as well (very Maria Tash) and make good smaller, inexpensive gifts. The quality is actually good for the price — both my daughters have them and have had no issues. Hand chains are always a fun accessory, as are these belly chains.
Socks: Socks are really having a moment. The Alo ones are a great gift, I ordered a lot of them during the 30% off sale. Brandy has these cute striped socks and these little ruffled ones online, but have a TON of great ones in-store. My kids actually ASKED for sock for Chanukah. I will also say I have gifted these kind-of-edgy Mother socks to many people and they are so comfy and fun.
Activewear: No surprises here. Set active has cute sweatshirts and bike shorts. My older daughter requested pieces from this brand CSB. This micro-bra gets layed over this more traditional one, which is really cute. And these shorts have good reviews. I’m really into these Nike sweatpants and might have to get them for myself. And I stand by that this Lulu wallet is one of the greatest gifts you can get a teenage girl.
Lounge: My older daughter found these really cute lounge pants (now sold out) and this oversized hoodie (also sold out). My younger daughter bought these Aerie pants and has since probably sold 10 pairs just by wearing them to school. They are SO cute, especially in the leopard. These lacy sweatpants were on both lists, along with merch from singer-songwriter of the moment, Megan Moroney. I ordered A LOT of these college hoodies from Hollister as gifts for those lucky enough to get into their dream school ED or EA. They are insanely soft and the graphics are very cute and different. This Free People set was ordered. Garage is always a good go-to.
Odds & Ends: This Haven Mayhem laptop cover is apparently very popular and always sold out. I am obsessed with these faux luxury bag shoppers. This shoulder bag is really cute and a good size for teenagers. As are these very Row-esque Amazon bags. If you want to spend more, the Longchamp Pliage bags can be personalized online. I’m obsessed with this cashmere bandana. And this tee is adorable for any teenage girl to add to their collection.
If you want to see all of the picks in one place, you can go to my very pretty ShopMy page here.
As for entertainment… Here you go. I’m not linking to all of them because they’re easy to Google. :)
TV: I put on this Beastie Boys documentary while I was cleaning my house and then… did not clean my house. It’s so good. All Her Fault was great, as was Hostage and The Girlfriend if you like thriller/suspense. (#teamCherry). The Diplomat remains one of the better ongoing series and stars my girl-crush of all girl-crushes Keri Russell. Fisk is hilarious. The Frankenstein movie was incredible. The visuals and costumes alone are worth watching. I like high-production-value competition shows, so I really enjoyed Physical Asia (sequel to Physical 100), Culinary Class Wars, Next Gen Chef and Building the Band. I cannot stand Jimmy Fallon, but On Brand was really fun to watch. All’s Fair lost me at episode 5, but up until then I was into it. And if you want to cry and not think watch My Oxford Year.
Podcasts: The Rest is History’s series on Elizabeth I is amazing! Heavyweight remains a truly engrossing podcast. Go back and listen to the older seasons. And Wisecrack had me locked in and not wanting to stop listening. I also like to listen to It’s Me, Tinx when she’s live and giving advice, it’s really fun and she has good takes on most relationship questions.
xoxo
Great ideas!