14 Cool Things You Need to Click On Today

Photo by Danielle Tullo

It has been a week, let me tell you. And because of that, I don't think I've ever been so excited for a long weekend. Not that we have huge plans! We're not doing anything beyond saying goodbye to the city and relaxing at our lakehouse, but I am definitely here for that right now. I'm basically planning to read, and...read. Whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope you make it a great one. Here's a few fun links to check out in the meantime. 

• Within the last few years, my "good" t-shirts have started developing little holes around the tummy area--sometimes after a single wear! It's so frustrating and I've been stumped as to why. Do I have moths? Are the tees made of crappy material? What the heck is happening? This article gives answers. I was fascinated by it--and thrilled to know it's not just me with the holey-tee problem!

• I've been reading a ton lately and wanted to share some of my recent favorites: 1) Save Me the Plums is a memoir that details Ruth Reichl's years spent as the editor in chief of Gourmet magazine. It's got lots of dishy Conde Nast moments and it's just so beautifully written. I love Reichl's books and this most recent one is yet another treasure. 2) Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive was great. It's a memoir of the author's time spent struggling as a single mother and cleaning houses to stay afloat. It was fascinating to read about what goes on behind closed doors. I listened to the audiobook version of this and it was a nice, relatively quick listen. 3) From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. This was a Reese Witherspoon pick, and I don't think she has ever let me down with her book recs. I did the audio version of this one, too, and really loved it. It's a memoir of the American author's life after her Sicilian husband dies. I loved the retelling of when they first met, as well as the many descriptions of Italian food and Sicilian culture sprinkled throughout. It's beautifully written and makes me want to visit Sicily--and learn Italian! 

• The best non-fiction audiobooks.

• Speaking of books, I recently discovered a service that seemed too good to be true, but is, in fact, awesome. Scribd is a service that allows you to read/listen to unlimited books and audiobooks for just $8.99 a month. (It's basically an all-you-can-eat buffet of books.) The catch is that it's a limited selection (so not like you get all of Amazon for free!), but they have a surprising number of options including many "big" titles like Where the Crawdads Sing, Becoming by Michelle Obama, Brene Brown, etc. And at $8.99, if you read or listen to even one book in a month, it pays for itself. If you do two or more (which I almost certainly always will), it's a major deal. I'm really excited about it! If you want to check it out, use this link. You'll get 30 days free to try it out (and I'll get a month free, too!). I'm listening to my first Scribd audiobook (Pete Buttigieg's Shortest Way Home) right now.

• J.Crew is having  huge sale this weekend: 50 percent off sale and 40 percent off everything else with code WEEKEND. I have my eye on this dress-it-up/dress-it-down sundress, and I want to stock up on this split-neck t-shirt in multiple colors.

• I'm super picky about jeans, so I tend to wear my favorites over and over until they basically fall apart. After two did fall apart earlier this year, I took a chance and bought these Madewell 8" skinny jeans. And they turned out to be so good!! Very flattering, the perfect height (just-right to hold in the tummy, but not aggressive enough that the highness becomes a full-on look), and I love the Ames wash. I've been meaning to buy another pair, and am totally going to pull the trigger this weekend, since Madewell is having a 20 percent off sale. (Use code PERFECTMATCH.)

• This summer reading chart is so cool! Totally printing it out (it's free!) and using it with my kids this summer.

• I donate a ton of clothes, and always choose to give to Salvation Army since they make it so easy. But this post on where to donate clothes gave me so many good ideas for next time!

• How amazing do these spinach and artichoke melts look?

• Rach Parcell's pantry gives me serious pantry envy. (I didn't even know pantry envy was a thing, but click the link and you'll see. It's a thing.)

• So, apparently, Danielle Steele is a badass. (And a major workaholic...) She has written 179 books (!), writes for 22 hours each day, and oh yeah, has nine kids. This profile is fascinating.

• If you hate-watch the Bachelorette, you'll love this comedic take on the cast. I was crying-laughing at parts.

And in case you missed it, I...

• Threw an epic Harry Potter birthday party.

• Shared a deal for some amazing spring home products.

Have a great weekend!