Hello!
I’m back! After a relaxing summer (mostly) at home, I’m more than ready to get back to a fall routine of reading, writing, and sharing more. Our kids are settling into some skeleton routine of “school”; two in high school, one in middle school, all 100% virtual, as well as two kids in college. One will stay on campus; the other is coming home as I type. As this super odd year full of “firsts” marches onward, we will continue to roll with the punches, learn as we go, and simply do the best we can.
So I thought I’d kick off the start of fall with a handful of things I’ve been loving lately, and even a few I’m completely obsessed with. It may take a few newsletters to include the ever-growing list of products, books, podcasts, and shows we’ve been blowing through, but I’ll do my best to keep it current because you will not want to miss these!
For a couple of years now, I’ve been carrying readers in my car, purse, and pocket. You can find a pair clipped to my shirt collar and perched on my head. They are collecting in every room, yet I never seem to have a pair when I need them, particularly outdoors. My eyes have gotten so bad that I cannot read a label on a package or the text on my phone without the aid of reading glasses, so it was time to succumb to the aggressively clever marketing assault from Caddis via my social media. Starting at $95 a pop, they’re not cheap, but they sure are stylish, so of course, I took the plunge. I grabbed Progressives for my husband and sunglass readers (genius) for myself, as well as a couple of extra pairs to mix and match. The frames are sturdy, stylish and all come with blue block lenses. I also love the frames from Eyebobs, but to be honest, it was the clever marketing of Caddis that caught me and finally convinced me to pull the trigger.
In addition to the daily betrayal of my already terrible eyesight, another delightful function of aging is sleep disruption, or sometimes, the complete escape of sleep altogether. Restlessness, stress, hormones, you name it, can keep you up at night, and lately, it has been more challenging than ever for me to get a deep, full night’s sleep. I am one that quickly drifts off within minutes of hitting the pillow, but making it until dawn (if I’m lucky) has been a severe challenge. So yet again, I’ve been influenced by “innovative” marketing and seduced into the dream of a full night of z’s by Equilibria, a female-owned brand of full-spectrum CBD gel caps and drops. CBD takes time and consistency to work effectively, and as I’m only on my second round, I have not achieved all I want to sell me on a solid night’s sleep completely. But I firmly believe in the powers of CBD and will give it a full three months before I decide if it’s working for me. (FYI- for those don’t know but maybe wondering, CBD does NOT make you high.) Do some reading about the superpowers of this plant and as always, check with your doctor to see if it’s right for you. I’ll report back when I’ve effectively achieved 7-8 hours in one single night of sleep.
Let’s face it, the mask is here to stay, at least for the unforeseeable future. Do the right thing by always masking up, and while you’re at it, up your fashion game. Color, pattern, bedazzled or bejeweled, make a statement with your mask style, and show everyone your smize, AKA, your smile through your eyes. I found some really soft, adorable designs from Lele Sadoughi (shown), Nordstrom Rack, Target and J. Crew. Whatever your style, there’s a mask for that.
And finally, it’s no Christmas miracle that our social media feeds us exactly what we want to see. I never doubted the coincidence of how precise the targeted marketing has become, but it is at the point now where it can feel creepy, and often downright terrifying. That being said, if you have not seen the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, you must. Immediately. If you are even a quasi-savvy social media user, you know that it has become a not-so-subtle advertising assault weapon, predicting your every need, thought, and desire. It’s fascinating, scary (especially how it preys on the unsuspecting minds of our children), and unimaginably sophisticated. But my belief is if used with eyes wide open, social media can be a powerfully positive tool. I’ve learned about places, products, and people I otherwise wouldn’t have, and feel I can effectively weed through the trash (as in those Russian inspired ads with bizarre names that seem to know you’re “looking” for just the perfect white blouse or natural toothpaste. You know the ones I’m talking about). Watch the show, consider yourself informed, and proceed into the deep depths of Instagram shopping at your own risk. Clearly, my feed knew it was time for me to give up on crappy, disposable readers, upgrade my stiff surgical mask to match my outfit and attempt to finally get a good night’s sleep. You can imagine my dismay to watch The Social Dilemma and discover it wasn’t “genuine”. Oh well, at least I can finally read the fine print with my new glasses.;))
Happy first week of fall, all! Make it a great weekend!
Cheers!
klm
