Technically my birthday was Wednesday, and I LOVE a birthday. Everyone who knows me knows I love a birthday. My kitchen looks like a flower shop right now. Just how I like it.

My birthday week started on what I thought was an executive leadership entertainment retreat for 4 days with no cell phone! Which sounded like pure bliss.

I was VERY wrong. It was Sad Camp for high-performing over-achieving adults.

We talked about our feelings.

We cried.

We talked about our childhood.

We cried.

You name it.

We cried.

Yes, they actually called it sad camp, and it fully lived up to the name. It was also one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I came home with a sense of relief I did not know was available to me.

The only thing I can compare it to is giving birth. No one's experience is the same; there are a lot of tears, happy and sad, and no matter what roller coaster you took to get there, the end result is magical and will take work for the rest of your life.

I’m still unpacking everything from that experience and will for sure share all the learnings and growth here when it’s time.

One quote that resonated with me that our guide shared with our group was:

“You can be someone’s drink of water, but you don’t have to be their ocean.”

Just let that sink in!

On my way home from sad camp, I pulled over at Restoration Hardware because I could not make myself open four days of text messages and email in the car….and I needed a drink. No wine at sad camp.

Is it not insane that we feel like that? Oh, just me?

Shout-out to RH for the warm veggie salad, the French fries, and a crisp glass of Sancerre, which collectively prevented a full-on spiral.

Here is what surprised me.

The chaos that would normally send me over the edge just didn’t this time, and I can’t even put into words how that felt.

Over the next few days, I kept waiting for the drop. Things that would normally trigger me went right past me. The world felt lighter.

I still cannot put into words what that was like, and I am not sure what kind of sorcery I walked into last week, but someone hand me a wand and a cape because I am here for it.

The rest of my birthday week included a fabulous massage at the Four Seasons Nashville followed by a pool day with a best friend.

Take note: schedule a day during the week of your birthday to get a massage and do absolutely NOTHING!

Shout out to Ashley for literally one of the best massages ever! I had every intention of reading at the pool, but the girl talk and the Hugo Spritz were too good to open a book!

My last birthday celebration of the week was dinner at Aba with some dear friends. It was the most perfect night! I love my friends so much, and I am so grateful for the roles each of them plays in my life. Aba’s Feta Martini is to die for, their stracciatella is on another level, and I’d like their Salmon kabobs for every meal. They also have locations in Austin and Chicago. Dallas is opening soon!

As I am sure you’ve gathered, I love birthdays and everything that goes into making it special, whether that is for someone special to me or myself. Here are a few birthday celebration ideas!

Spa Day For Yourself- Take the day to do something for YOU! Something about water brings me a sense of peace, even if it is a pool! Every year I treat myself to a massage and a pool day at a nice hotel! Four Seasons Nashville has been my go-to since they arrived to town. Make sure to check if you can use the pool same day as you book a spa service or if you can purchase a Resort Pass for the day!

Your Best Girlfriend- You really can’t go wrong with anything from Jenni Bird. Her pieces go with everything, are unique, and are honestly just everyday-quality wear! Here are my faves. Colette- Silver, Colette- Gold, Mega U- Gold. She is also having a 25% off SUMMER SALE!

Your Husband- This is always a tough one, because my husband buys what he wants when he wants it! I’ve snuck a few cool things the past few years though! He loves this Turtlebox speaker, and apparently it was quite impressive to his golf buddies. He also loves this Yeti backpack I got him for Christmas this year! My man loves some compartments! While we are talking about Yeti, they have this ice bucket that keeps a white wine bottle freezing cold, and of course you can tell him you bought it for his beer!

Here is the embarrassing part.

I love birthdays so much that it is genuinely humiliating how often I forget everyone else’s. Not “I sent it at 9pm” forgot. Fully forgot. I have missed best friends. Plural. And that just plain sucks.

Then I scramble and send a gift card, which is not on brand for me at all. I love gift-giving, and thoughtful gift-giving at that. A gift card is what I send when I have already failed.

Want to know what is the worst? My husband’s birthday is five days after mine, and before I left for sad camp, I decided to relieve him from all birthday duties and just plan my own dinner party, and guess what I forgot? To include that it was also his birthday party on the invitation. Now, of course he's pretty much a perfect human and he could care less, but I literally forgot my own husband's birthday!

So I built a gift site with ChatGPT to fix it.

Check out a demo site here I built for you to see! I am so fascinated!

Don’t worry, I included the entire prompt with examples below! The last one was a family command center you can read about here if you missed it! This literally changed my life.

What it remembers about people

This is the part that actually changes your gifts. The site holds everything I would otherwise have to remember about a person: their interests, favorite brands, dislikes, budget, clothing and shoe sizes, their Instagram handle, and the random things they have mentioned in passing.

You know the ones. She says something offhand about a fragrance in March, you think “oh that’s perfect for her,” and then March ends and so does that thought.

What it does with all of that

It builds me a personalized gift-research prompt using their profile, my saved ideas, and everything I have already given them. I ran the one it made for my husband through ChatGPT this morning and got 8 REALLY good ideas. I ran them by him. He agreed on all of them.

For context, this is a man who buys what he wants when he wants it.

It also tracks each gift from Idea to Ordered to Wrapped to Given, keeps future ideas separate from past ones, and saves links, prices, occasions, and notes so the great idea I had in March still exists when their birthday shows up in November.

What it saves me from

Giving someone the same candle three years in a row.

Anything I mark as Given moves automatically into Gift History, which means I can no longer repeat myself.

It also handles birthdays for family, friends, coworkers, and my kid’s friends, shows me what is coming up on a dashboard and a monthly calendar, and exports everything to my calendar. I can share it with anyone who has the password, even if they do not have a ChatGPT account.

And it is not just birthdays. Holidays, showers, weddings, teacher gifts, all of it.

I used to think being good at gifts was a personality trait.

Turns out it is a system, and I just did not have one.

Now I do, and I have never felt more prepared for a birthday that is not mine. If you have ever sent the panic gift card, build the site. It takes a morning and it makes you look like the most thoughtful person your friends know.

Which, for the record, you already were. You were just busy.

I am working on an epic birthday gift guide for every kind of person in your life, so keep an eye out for that one.

Tell me what you build. I want to see it.

The Prompt:

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My toddler started pre-K last week. Two days a week.

Somehow it felt like I was dropping him at a boarding school in another country and wouldn’t see him until Christmas break. His first day was two hours long.

The night before, I had the bag packed. Blanket for naptime, his stuffed dog that looks like our dog, snacks, a change of clothes in case of an incident. Every form signed and checklist checked.

Morning of, he had breakfast. We did the pictures (it was 95 degrees at 8AM) with the first day of school sign, all the things!

We were ready. We were early, even and that does not happen in our house.

I looked away for three seconds, and he found a toy bulldozer on the front porch that was covered in grease.

Which meant one thing…

He was also covered in grease.

He had a full-on meltdown because I had a full-on meltdown.

A wet towel and extra juice box later, we arrived at school and walked him inside. I pretended my eyes weren’t full of tears, and he took roughly four seconds to scan the room, locate the Paw Patrol fire trucks, and decide he was set.

Peace out, Mom. They have fire trucks here. I’ll be good.

He was fine. He was, in fact, having a great morning. With 2 hours to spare, I went to the gym and worked out my emotions.

And then, before I’d fully recovered, it was time for the

Pick. Up. Line.

Nobody warns you about the pick-up line. Dear lord, the longest line….

I sat in my car with a number hangtag on my mirror waiting for someone to walk my child out to me. It’s one of those moments you’ve watched in movies your whole life, and then one day you’re in it.

Nothing about that morning went the way I planned it, and he had the best day anyway. He is already thriving.

Momming isn’t easy, and this time of year is especially hard. Let the moms you know know you’re thinking of them. Buy her a coffee, give her a hug, and know she is doing whatever she can to keep it together.

Luckily, with back-to-school time comes A LOT of sales, which makes shopping a bit more fun! Here are some of my favorite sales going on now!

Nike Winflo 12- Hands down the best athletic shoes I’ve bought in forever. They are 25% off right now which brings them to $82.50. Just add them to your cart and the price will show up at checkout. In full transparency, I didn't even mean to buy these. I tried on three pairs at the Nike store in New York when we were there for the World Cup, grabbed the wrong box on my way out, and didn't realize until we were back at the hotel. They were my size, I didn't have time to go back, and I have never been happier about a mistake. They feel like walking on a marshmallow.

Dillard’s- If you sleep on Dillard’s, you are nuts! Hands down, they have the best shoe department of any department store and their sales are incredible. I went yesterday and bought three pairs of shoes for $120 and then checked out the sales online when I got home. A lot is 65% off! Think Free People, Farm Rio, Sam Edelman, Jeffrey Campbell, etc. I got these Sam Edelman sandals and these Steve Madden ones. Here are a few more of my faves!

Okay. A confession, and then the good part.

I started writing this because I needed a creative outlet and wanted to make better use of my time than doomscrolling. Still true. It also takes a lot of time, and I have a kid in private school, and mommy wants to go to Italy next year.

So here’s the deal, and it’s simple. The curated stuff stays free forever. The links, the finds, the things I researched at 11 pm so you don’t have to. Always free.

The chaos goes behind the paywall. Chaos meaning the things I build and how I built them, so you can build them too.

This is the first one.

No matter how many lists I make, somebody still texts me at 4 pm asking what’s for dinner.

That is the problem I set out to solve. Not organization. I am extremely organized. That’s the trap. I was so organized that the information had nowhere left to go.

Before this, keeping my family organized looked like this:

• A grocery list I dictate to Google Home, which lands in Google Keep.

• A shared Apple note for what’s for dinner and a separate one with our crazy schedule.

• A grocery list living in Instacart and Walmart

• Then all the things constantly piling up in my brain:

  • Who’s doing pickup? Who’s doing drop-off?

  • Date night details. Do we need a babysitter? Who has her number?

  • Where is the dog sleeping when we’re out of town?

  • Whose birthday is it? Do we need to buy a gift? Do we have tissue paper?

  • What city am I in next week?

It was everywhere. It gave me low-grade anxiety at all times. And no matter how many notes existed, somebody was still going to text me at 4 pm asking what we were doing for dinner.

There are a lot of cooks in this kitchen. I have one child. Some of you have four, and I genuinely do not know how you are upright. But even with one, the number of people who need to know things on a given day is absurd.

So I built one place for literally everything to live!

So, what is it?

A personalized family command center that is password-protected. I literally built by having a convo with Chat. Nothing to download, no app anyone has to remember to open, no group chat that’s unreadable by Wednesday.

On it: the calendar, what’s for dinner, the grocery list, the running to-do list, family notes, and a photo feed so whichever grandparent has him that day can post what they are up to. One spot, updated in real time, and everyone who needs it can see it.

And here’s the part I can’t get over. I didn’t type it. I didn’t design it. The closest I came to building anything was uploading some family photos.

I talk to it. In the car, over Bluetooth, at a stoplight, walking into a meeting.

“Add a doctor’s appointment next Wednesday at eleven.”

“Dinner Thursday is chicken and rice, add sour cream to the grocery list.”

“His grandmother has him Friday, put it on the calendar.”

That’s it. It’s on the site. My husband sees it. My mom sees it. My mother-in-law sees it. Nobody has to be told twice, and nobody has to text me.

I had it build a demo version to share here, because I love you all, but I do not need the entire internet knowing my pick-up schedule and my to-do list.

Pretend you are the Parker Family and check it out here!

You can build this too

I built the whole thing in a week, from nothing, by having a conversation.

Below this line is the whole thing.

• The full prompt, copy and paste ready

• How the site is structured, so you can cut my sections and add yours

• How to set up the voice updating so you can do it from the car

• How to password protect it and give access to grandparents, sitters, whoever your crew is

• What broke on me and how to skip it

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If I’ve spoken to you in the past three weeks, I’ve probably already shared my obsession.

The show is based on the Elin Hilderbrand book, is perfectly cast, and stars Jennifer Garner, who still looks like she did in 13 Going on 30!

Hollis, played by Jennifer Garner, curates a flawless five-star weekend with her best friends from different seasons of life, in the most insane house in Nantucket. There is fabulous food, beautiful bedding, gorgeous oceanfront views, and a schedule designed to create the most luxurious weekend.

Sounds pretty spectacular right?

No spoilers here, but let’s just say the drama is also five-star!

The show is extremely bingeable, but it’s also the only thing that gets me through thirty minutes on the StairMaster, so I’ve made it last a few weeks.

Here’s what the show made me think about. No matter how hard she planned, no matter how many boxes she checked, the perfect curated weekend descended into absolute chaos.

Which was, coincidentally, the exact energy of my week.

I usually try to write these a little throughout the week over my morning coffee, but I’m not sure I actually had a cup of coffee this week, which means I am totally winging this one.

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My little boy starts school next week, so I’m all in my feels. He’s a mini-me social butterfly, thrilled to go, and blissfully unaware that we are not, in fact, going with him. I’ll tackle that heartbreak next week.

Add a stress headache that clocked in Monday morning and refused to leave until midday Thursday, a to-do list with its own to-do list, and 64 separate text chains in a single day.

SIXTY-FOUR.

I have an entirely separate article brewing about texting etiquette, and some of you should be extremely nervous.

The only times all week that headache let go of me were the times I was having a real conversation with a human being.

Sorry Claude, you know I love you!

One of my best friends left her sunglasses in my car last weekend, so I ran them over after work under the condition that she pour me a glass of wine.

Fair trade.

We sat on her back porch, enjoyed our wine, and a proper catch-up about her new job and all the things. And here’s the funny part, we talk constantly.

We send each other reels at midnight.

I could tell you what she had for lunch.

But we hadn’t sat down for an actual, no-agenda girl conversation in ages, and it was so refreshing and I didn’t realize how much I needed it!

And my head didn’t hurt.

Then, of all places, work.

I had two introductory calls this week with people I had never met. Both were the good kind, the kind where you end up talking more about life than business.

I wasn’t answering 40 emails while pretending to listen. I wasn’t rushing to get off the phone so I could attack the next thing on my list.

I was actually paying attention, and I genuinely enjoyed the conversations.

Because we connected as people, those calls are going to lead to more business, more conversations and more opportunities together.

I’m really glad I ignored a few of my to-dos.

Maybe my week didn’t need a better system.

Maybe I didn’t need another list, a new calendar strategy or 15 uninterrupted minutes to “get caught up,” which is a fictional place I have been trying to visit for years.

Maybe I needed to stop responding to everyone and actually connect with someone.

That’s what The Five Star Weekend gets right. You can choose the perfect house, plan the perfect meals, invite the perfect mix of people and create an itinerary with absolutely no white space.

Life will still come in and knock over the floral arrangement.

The five-star part isn’t the house, the wine or whether everything goes according to plan.

It’s who is sitting beside you when it doesn’t.

So if your week looked like mine, or next week already smells like a dumpster fire, take a breath, make a martini, call the friend, and remember: sometimes life doesn’t hand you lemons. It throws them at your face. Duck, garnish, carry on.

And go watch Five-Star Weekend.

Preferably sitting down. Do it for me.

Here are some Five Star rated items that caught my eye this week! (see what I did there).

Bandolier Dillon Carryall Tote- This came accross my IG feed earlier this week and I have my eye on it! I LOVE a bag with compartments and this looks perfect for travel too! I currently am on my second lululemon backback (linked here) for travel because it have a place for everything!

Anthro Shift Dress- How cute is this and it is and all of their sale items are an additional 50% off through the weeekend!

Dolce Vita Jelly Tote- I love this cute tote for the beach, pool, lake or anywhere really! It’s also on sale too!!

Nantucket Hotel Lobby Candle- I feel like I need this! The website describes the scent as a fresh, floral tribute to summer on the island. This scent captures the effortless magic of salty ocean air drifting through overgrown beach roses in full bloom. Sophisticated, clean, and deeply restorative.

Jelly Sandals- I love an open toe jelly sandal! Norstrom sale has so many on sale right now! Here are a few of my faves!

MarshMellow Comforter- I still can’t believe how cheap this comforter is for the quality! You can also wash and dry it which is a big deal as I have a giant dog who also loves how soft this comforter is!

I’ve got to admit, my school agent that I created and posted about here has saved me SO MUCH TIME! Not only does it make me one sheets, I also just use it to ask it questions on the go. My husband and I share the same chat and since I uploaded all the new student documents and it scans my emails weekly for updates then I know everything it is telling me is correct.

What day does school start?

When do I pick up his uniform?

What time does school start?

Thinking you could use it for all kinds of projects like home rennovations, travel documents, moving documents, etc. I think I may tackle home reno ideas and timelines next! Will keep you posted of course!

Just kidding.

It’s incredibly flattering. It means someone thinks you have your life together enough to weigh in on theirs.

People ask about career moves. Parenting. Travel. Tough Conversations. Financial investments...

Okay, no one has ever asked me about financial investments. And if my financial advisor is reading this, he’s probably wondering why the same DocuSign has been sitting in my inbox for two weeks. At this point I’m hoping it’ll just sign itself.

Why would I rather chew on glass than talk about finances?

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Anyway...

I genuinely like helping people.

But here’s the thing.

I don’t always feel the need to weigh in.

Somewhere along the way, having a take became a personality trait.

Every headline needs your reaction.

Every group text needs your vote.

Every Instagram comment section wants to know where you stand.

It’s exhausting.

I’m not talking about the big stuff. The things that actually matter, deserve thought, conversation, and sometimes strong opinions.

I’m talking about everything else.

The latest TikTok feud.

The office gossip.

The friend-of-a-friend drama.

Somewhere along the way, we started acting like silence meant you weren’t paying attention.

Or worse, that silence meant agreement.

It doesn’t.

Sometimes silence just means...

“I don’t know enough.”

“I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Honestly? I don’t care that much.”

You don’t have to manufacture a take just because someone handed you the microphone.

In fact, I think we’ve forgotten that opting out is an option.

Your attention is finite.

Spend it on purpose.

Every conversation you enter, every opinion you develop, every argument you follow is asking to rent a little space in your brain.

Not everything deserves a lease.

You can disagree with someone without trying to convert them.

You can let people have different opinions.

You can decide a debate isn’t worth your Tuesday afternoon.

You can read the comments...

...and then keep scrolling.

Someone sends you a nine-minute voice memo explaining why Rachel unfollowed Ross.

Opt out. (I actually think I may just listen to that one later)

Your group text is dissecting a conversation you weren’t even part of.

Opt out.

You get CC’d on an email chain that’s somehow reached seventeen replies.

Opt out.

(Or at least don’t hit “Reply All.” Your colleagues thank you.)

The inbox, by the way, is just a to-do list other people write for you. Sometimes the assignment is simply “Delete.”

You don’t have to be the hero of every email.

This isn’t about becoming uninformed.

Read.

Learn.

Stay curious.

Curiosity doesn’t require commentary.

You don’t have to audition for every conversation.

You don’t have to prove you’re paying attention by having an immediate opinion.

Silence doesn’t mean indifference.

Sometimes it just means you’re making dinner.

Or listening to a podcast.

Or living your actual life.

So here’s your permission slip.

You don’t have to weigh in.

You don’t have to pick a side.

You don’t have to have the perfect response.

You’re allowed to say,

“I appreciate you asking, but I really don’t have a take on that.”

Every conversation is asking for something from you. Your time. Your attention. Your emotional energy. You don't have to say yes to all of them.

Hard right turn: after all that opting out, here's what I'm opting in to.

Bauble Bar is having a 25% off sale right now! I grabbed these safety pin earrings and a few of their beaded necklaces!

I’ve tried every razor there is and sorry ladies but this men’s Bic 5-blade razor wins. It for sure isn’t the prettiest one but by far works the best! This is a new discovery…sorry Venus we are breaking up!

Zara has my heart but All Saints is a close second! I went to both of their locations in New York City earlier this month and apparently they have really good sales! Their jeans are so soft! They're having a 60% off sale with an additional 20% off and that's nuts! This jacket is normally $625 and is marked down to $249. Here are a few of my faves!

I have a body oil problem per my Little Luxuries article, and even last week I found another one. It is a bit lighter than others I’ve used so it dries quickly. Plus it smells like the best vanilla I’ve ever smelled in my life and has shimmer. I linked it here for you!

If you follow me on IG, you may know I’ve been on my martini journey and after a year I finally made one at home! Shout out to Courtney at Cheesegal who has the best dirty martini recipe. And of course I bought these perfect Riedel glasses to have it in!

I don't know about you, but I am constantly saving recipes on Instagram that I want to make. But when I actually go to make them? It's a whole scavenger hunt: find the post, flip through the link, the blog, the DM, just to figure out what I'm cooking. So I had Claude help me out and create a cute recipe book from all the recipes I've been wanting to try this summer.

Do you know the posts that say “comment RECIPE,” “comment LINK,” or “comment TOMATO” if you want this recipe? I commented on all the ones I wanted and shared the links with Claude.

I prompted Claude to create me a simple recipe book that I could print out, and below is what I got. I also made sure to ask Claude to credit the influencers who created these recipes because I for sure did not!

Prompt: Please create a recipe book with these links. (INSERT LINKS) Please make sure to credit and include links to the website for each recipe.

Curated Chaos Club Recipes

383KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

As promised, here is a new addition to my weekly articles! An early 2000’s Glamour throwback! IYKYK!

The wine glass. No joke. My only ig stories from the day were wine glasses….proof below.

Is this what soccer moms do? If so, sign me up!

The moments that make life feel luxurious are rarely the big ticket. They’re the smell that you want to bottle up. The softest sheets you’ve ever slept on. The brand new pair of white socks….you KNOW that feeling!

Which brings me to a feeling I’ll never forget. A new issue of Glamour lands in the mailbox! I swear that magazine was a pivotal part of my high school years. My favorite part was always the lists. The little roundups of things some editor with impossibly good taste swore would change your life. Who remembers the Hey, It’s Ok section… hysterical. I may try to write a few of my own!

So consider this your fresh issue. I was scrolling TikTok recently and a woman asked everyone to share their favorite “soft luxury habit,” the little things no one sees that make your life feel polished [see post here]. I started typing a comment and could not stop. 609 likes on my comment later I thought I should share with more than the comment section! Here it is, completed, with luxury.

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1. Make the bed before you leave. Every day. I do not walk out the door without doing this. It takes ninety seconds, and it means that no matter the chaos of the day, a neat, tidy, finished room is waiting for me when I get back.

2. White sheets. White comforter. No exceptions. Fresh hotel energy in my own bedroom. Yes, I have a three-year-old. Yes, he ate blueberries in bed yesterday morning. [Messy Mouths Stain Remover saves everything white in my house]

3. Nothing on the kitchen counters but flowers. Not the mail, not the chargers, not the appliances. When we sold our last house, that was the advice from our realtor, and she was so right.

4. Pretty containers. The shampoo, the spices, all of it goes into containers that deserve to be seen. Hot Take: if it comes in a pretty container, of course leave it. I see you, Flamingo Estate.

5. Lights out, fresh candle, morning workout. My morning workouts happen in my bedroom in the near-dark with one candle burning. It turns a Tuesday workout into a boutique studio class. I LOVE ambiance, and if I’m getting up early to sweat it out, this makes it so much better.

6. A stocked gift-wrap stash. Cute gift bags and tissue paper, always on hand. When a birthday party is happening that I didn’t RSVP to, I at least have something to make the gift pretty. TJ Maxx has the BEST discounted gift bag section. Every time I go, I grab a few random bags to have on hand.

7. Stemmed wine glasses only. The thinner the better. Water, wine, whatever. If the glass has a stem and feels like it might shatter if you look at it wrong, it’s correct.

8. Sancerre is the only white wine. I don’t make the rules. If no Sancerre, at least make sure it’s French. We don’t drink New Zealand Sauvy B around here. (T.Swift, I love everything you do but letting out our Sancerre secret made me sing, why ya gotta be so mean?)

9. Speaking of French- THE BUTTER- French Butter is just better. End of Story. The kind wrapped in silver at Whole Foods or if you can find it at a cute local market. I promise you it is life-changing! I love this one at Whole Foods and this one from Sprouts!

10. Sourdough from a local bakery, weekly. A standing appointment with a loaf of bread. It makes the whole kitchen smell like someone in this house bakes. I attempted to jump on that bandwagon….I killed my starter before it started.

11. Maldon salt on everything. The flaky pyramid salt. It’s just prettier salt, which makes it so much better. Get this cute dish to store it. I approve this on the counter.

12. Body oil. Lotion is fine. Body oil makes you glisten and they smell so good. There’s a difference! These are my faves!

13. A signature scent. One perfume, worn so consistently that people think of you when they smell it somewhere else. I do change mine up a few times a year, but my staple is the most basic one, Baccarat 540….I’ve also tried all the dupes. The OG is where it’s at, hands down. Here are some I like! PS. the Ranger Station one will have people following you to ask you what you are wearing! Proceed with caution.

14. Clean your makeup brushes. Sunday night, warm water, a little soap.

15. New Lululemon socks. A crisp new pair of socks is eleven dollars of pure bliss. If I were a billionaire, I’d have a brand new pair of socks to wear every day!

16. All black at the airport. Always.- If I spill coffee on myself, which is bound to happen, no one will know. Plus it’s just more chic. Here are a few of my favorite essentials.

17. Walking Wednesdays. One protected hour, one walk, just me and all of my thoughts. Permission to let my mind wander even without a podcast or music sometimes. It works best for me 6AM-7AM!

18. A Little Luxuries Pinterest board. Curating the dream is its own luxury. It costs nothing and I love a little manifestation.

19. A Swanky Spotify Playlist. Nothing I enjoy more than cooking dinner to soft sounds and a glass of wine, My husband has a speaker literally in every room so it’s such a nice touch to have music playing all over the house. This Ritz Paris Spotify playlist is my go-to, and I also love the Dinner with Friends one curated by Spotify!

20. Clean up. Of course most mornings come with a tornado when you are trying to get out of the house so if it isnt possible to clean up the clothes you decided not to wear or put away your hair dryer, do it before you go to bed. Love a clean start in the mornings.

21. The good hand soap at every sink. Not hidden away for company. Love these!

22. Fresh flowers for yourself. I love Trader Joe’s flowers. Their hydrangeas are gorgeous! They also have eucalyptus and that lasts for almost a month! Fresh flowers just make my day better!

23. A matching pajama set. Sleeping in the free t-shirt you got in college because you signed up for a credit card isn’t very luxurious. Something about a matching pajama gives me so much joy! Try the Dairy Boy ones or Eberjey!

24. Coffee mug & Saucer. Elevate your everyday coffee or tea experience with a beautiful cup and saucer, the ones you get at a European hotel. Not the kind that comes in a set of 6. Anthro has a dream collection.

25. New Baking Sheets. I know that doesn’t sound too fun but something about new baking sheets make me so happy. No more gross brown ones you were handed down from your parents or ones you’ve scorched in the oven. I love these from Crate & Barrell. I’ve had then for over a year and they still look pretty new!

What’s your little luxury? Please share! The weirder and cheaper, the better.

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My twenties were fueled almost entirely by ambition, ordering 2-for-1s, and the completely irrational confidence that I could survive on four hours of sleep.

My early thirties were about building a career, collecting passport stamps, and watching my social calendar evolve from weddings... to baby showers... to the occasional "Congratulations on the Divorce!" happy hour.

Then came the season of “let’s have a baby,” which is its own weather system entirely.

And now here I am at forty: an executive job that I genuinely love, a three-year-old starting school, and a life where a spontaneous beach week requires the logistical planning of a small military operation.

Funny thing is...every version of my life felt busy while I was living it. Every version also felt incredibly important.

And I honestly wouldn’t trade any of them.

The moment that stopped me this week

Earlier this week, my husband was scrolling and saw a friend of ours had posted on her story: the flags at half-staff at the college where her dad taught. He looked at me and said, “ Did her dad pass away?”

A month ago. Her dad died a month ago, and I had no idea.

Not because anything happened between us. Because life happened, she’s deep in her season, I’m deep in mine, and somewhere in there, a whole month went by while my friend grieved her father and I was convincing my three-year-old that his milk tastes the same no matter what color the cup is.

I texted her that night. We ended up having a wonderful catch-up, the kind that makes you wonder why you ever let it go so long.

And it reminded me of something I heard on a podcast this week: every single person you pass today is in a season you know nothing about.

The woman who cut you off in the school pickup line might be in her “dad is dying” season.

The coworker who seemed short with you might be in her “marriage is hanging by a thread” season.

I'm going to try harder to stop rushing my seasons.

I’m spending less time asking, “What’s next?”

...and a little more time asking,

“What’s beautiful about right now?”

Because this season won’t last either.

Not the years when your biggest responsibility was remembering where you parked.

Not the “Mommy, Can I sleep in your bed"?”

Not the “I only need 40 units of Botox.”

Not the group texts that somehow require 147 unread messages to decide where to eat dinner

Not the honeymoon years.

Not the special moments where your parents get to see you as a parent.

Not the career-building years.

None of it.

Every season expires eventually.

And somehow we never realize we’re standing in “the good old days” until they’ve quietly become the good old days.

This week, try noticing someone else’s season.

• Offer to take the family photo instead of letting Dad’s forearm make another appearance in vacation memories.

• Help the mom at the airport who’s somehow carrying a toddler, a backpack, a stuffed dinosaur, two snacks, and what’s left of her sanity.

• Tell someone they are beautiful.

• Text the friend you’ve been meaning to text.

• If you capture a beautiful moment for someone, send it to them.

• Buy the coffee for the car behind you. You will never see their face. That’s the point. Maybe it’s a mom who cried in the parking lot after her first school drop-off this morning. Maybe it’s a guy having the worst Tuesday of his life. Six dollars, and you changed the weather in their car.

None of these cost more than a coffee and thirty seconds. All of them say the same thing: I see you, whatever season you’re in.

And if you’re reading this from a folding chair at an 8:00 a.m. soccer game while the humidity is already 99% and someone forgot their shin guards...

Congratulations.

This is your season.

It may not look like your twenties.

It may not feel as glamorous as spontaneous trips to Europe or dinners that didn’t require ordering chicken fingers.

But one day you’ll blink, and the folding chair will be gone.

The shin guards will stay exactly where you left them.

Your Saturday mornings will get quiet.

So cheer a little louder.

Take the picture.

Text the friend.

Help the stranger.

Laugh at the chaos.

And don’t spend so much time racing toward the next season that you forget to enjoy the one you’re standing in.

I loved the “worth the money” Tiktok trend this week so I thought I would share mine! I linked everything too!

Higher Dose Sauna Blanket- This is 100% worth the money! I LOVE a sauna but there is nowhere to put one in my house! This one rolls up and fits under my bed! I try to lie in mine at least 3 times a week. Catch up on a show, take a nap, listen to a podcast- it’s an hour to detox, relax and SWEAT IT OUT!

Spanx Sheer Zip Jacket- How cute is this?? I am also OBSESSED with this color. I wore it to the airport yesterday and received a few compliments! Use the code LANDYN15 for 15% off!

Whereafter Body Wash- Want to smell like the Four Seasons? I discovered this last year and am on my third bottle. I also bought 6 as Christmas gifts last year! There isn’t another smell like it! Promise it is worth it!

Lola Blanket- this is the SOFTEST blanket in the entire world! I love the Lola XL! I have the antique ivory, and our 120-pound Bernese Mountain Dog also has this bed! He literally doesn’t get out of it!

Jenny Bird Earrings- I can’t say enough about this brand! These are PERFECT everyday earrings. I have them in silver and gold! They have the most secure backs! Very timeless and Classy with a little edge! They are also ON SALE right now!

Zalto Wine Glasses- Ok, hear me out! Yes, this is a ridiculous price for 2 wine glasses ($180), but they are thinner than paper. I like my wine glasses on Ozempic, ha! I don’t own them but discovered them years ago at a restaurant in New York! They are on my wish list for sure!

My child starts PreK 3 in August. The number of emails we’ve already received is astonishing! We love his school so much, but I may need to get my master’s in being a preschool mom! If I miss a theme day, I won’t be able to live with myself.

Here is where Claude comes in! I connected my Claude to my Gmail and had it scan through my emails that include the school’s name. Claude is smart enough not to include the Zillow emails where the house is on a road that is also the name of the school, which is crazy! It then creates me a one-sheet with all pertinent info like the deadline to pay the dues, school uniform information, and even a grid with all important contacts!

Below is a sample one I had Claude create so it wouldn’t include all of our personal info, so you could see! SO HELPFUL!

Step 1: Open Claude, Select Customize, Select Connectors, Add Gmail account

Step 2: Create a Project and Title it as the name of their school so you can come back to it easily!

Step 3: Open the project and ask this prompt.

Create a document with all the important information included in (INSERT SCHOOL NAME) emails that pertain to my son's school. I don't want to miss out on any deadlines or things I should know!

I watched Voicemails for Isabelle on the way to California for our annual 4th of July trip.

Watch the trailer here

SPOILER ALERT:

Here’s the premise, lightly, because you should go watch it yourself: a woman loses her sister. Gutted. Wrecked. And she keeps leaving voicemails for her, the way you do when your brain hasn’t caught up to the fact that someone’s gone. Except that a stranger starts receiving them. (A HOT STRANGER) And instead of being weird about it, he falls for her. Not for her face. For her spirit. For the woman who could be that heartbroken and still love being alive that loudly.

That’s the part that got me. She gave zero fucks. She was in pieces, and she still loved life out loud, and somebody fell in love with her because of it, through voicemails meant for someone else.

I sat there at cruising altitude thinking:

I want my son to watch me love life. To see me try the thing, take the trip, talk to the stranger, cry at the movie. I want him to grow up knowing that being heartbroken and being full of joy aren’t opposites, that you can hold both on the same plane, in the same week. And mostly I want him to be kind. Wildly, unreasonably, go-out-of-your-way kind.

So that’s the whole newsletter, really. That’s the feeling I’m chasing here. I want you to close this tab the way I felt closing my laptop on that plane, lighter, happier, and a little more determined to go be good to people.

A little bit more about me…

Hi, I’m Sloane. Talent agent. Toddler mom. And someone who firmly believes thick-rimmed wine glasses are the Crocs of stemware.

I’m married to an objectively very hot man; we’ve somehow produced the world’s cutest kid, and I spend most of my waking hours working. Like... if Outlook had a loyalty program, I’d be platinum.

This newsletter is my creative outlet. Also, the most selfish thing I do for myself, besides Sancerre.

This is where all the notes in my phone, screenshots in my camera roll, “saves” on Instagram and TikTok, and 97 browser tabs finally become something useful. Travel, little luxuries, beauty finds, life lessons, pretty gifts, healthy-ish recipes, AI rabbit holes, and anything else I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time researching so you don’t have to.

You’ll also get front-row seats to my increasingly concerning attempt to convince Claude to run my life. Calendar? Inbox? Meal planning? Taxes? I believe in you, buddy.

I’m also convinced an expensive-smelling candle can solve at least 40% of life’s problems. The other 60% probably just need a vacation.

If you actually read all of that, welcome to the Curated Chaos Club.

1. I’ve literally never ever ever ever smelled a better laundry detergent in my life. You need this little luxury in your life. TRUST ME!

2. I love a barrell pant and I found these at Free People Movement on vacation. They run large so I got an XS! Also this sports bra is the most supportive. I thought I was too old for FP Movement…but I changed my mind :)

3. Who doesn’t love a glass of wine in the bathtub. This quite possibly could be the most practical thing that I own.

4. Just discovered this brand and it is on SALE! Scarf Print Dress

5. I jumped on the dairy boy bandwagon! I 100% get all of the craze! These PJs get softer and softer after every wash! Also, every color has a different farm animal in the pocket!

6. Back to the most amazing smells ever! If you continue to follow along, you'll notice that I have an obsession with things that smell expensive! Imagine the smell when you open the front doors to the salt, air and beautiful view of the ocean At Your Four Seasons suite in Saint Barth’s…thank me later!

7. I just feel instantly more posh having my morning coffee from this Ralph Lauren cup.

8. A new French white wine fave…anyone else wanna try this white wine TikTok craze?

9. Discovered these in Napa. They're offensively expensive... and unfortunately worth every penny.

1. If you haven't use Wispr Flow, stop everything you're doing right now and download it! Did you know that it's four times faster to dictate your texts and emails than to type them? This app saves me SO MUCH TIME! Use this link for a free month! Listen to this Emma Grede podcast episode with AI expert Alli Miller for all the tips!

2. I haven't quite decided which AI app I want to use. I personally think Claude is more professional and ChatGPT has more of a personality. I'd say at this time I use them both equally! This week I needed to book a Marriott hotel and I have both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the AMEX Platinum. I can never remember what points and perks go with what card so I simply asked Claude the prompt below in less than two seconds, it created a chart for me! Chase Sapphire Reserve for the win! SAVED SO MUCH TIME!

   1. What cc should I use to book a Marriott Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve?

      1. 

Have any fun Claude prompts? Leave them in the comments…

Cheers!

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