issue #16 - the one on the best/worst things we’ve bought

July 04, 2020

What’s the best thing you’ve ever spent money on? The worst?

Ditching all my mismatched t-shirts and pajama pants and replacing them with 5 pairs of these pajamas single-handedly changed the quality of my sleep. They’re so breathable, super soft, and the most comfortable things I own. At $25 per pair, they also make for the perfect ’treat yourself’ present that won’t break the bank.

They’re also my go-to gift for the women in my life.

I can’t pinpoint a single purchase as being bad, but I think back on the money I spent on clothes, cocktails, and my social life in my early 20’s and regret 80% of them. Did I need to buy a new going out top every month? Absolutely not. Was that round of drinks necessary to put on my Visa every Saturday night? Nope, and I apologize, liver. I wish I had my financial game together earlier in my life, but better late than never?

If this is your first e-mail from me, welcome! In addition to writing the book How To Pack, I'm an entrepreneur and angel investor, an avid reader, and a mom of a rambunctious 4 year old (with another boy on the way).

Every Saturday, I share the 25 best reads from the Internet (culled from the daily shares on my Instagram), the books I've read that week, and things I'm generally loving at the moment.

If you need to re-download my packing list, you can do so here.

#ThingsILove This Week

What I read/am reading this week:

  • Song Of Sacrifice - this book started off strong, draaaaaaaagged in the early chapters, and picked up steam again about 1/3rd of the way. It was worth it in the end, especially if you’re a mythology nerd (it’s a prequel to the Trojan War). It’s a lighter read than Circe or the original Iliad, and I’ve already downloaded the sequel (both available on Kindle Unlimited!)

  • Screen Queens (ARC provided by NetGalley, available in June) - skip this. On paper, it’s everything I enjoy in a brain candy book - easy reading, strong women (in this case, girl) characters, themes of empowerment. But despite its promising description, it fell flat in every way. The characters are one-dimensional, the plot is predictable, and it’s a snooze of a book. Not worth your time, or the time of any young women in your life who may be attracted to books like these.

  • I’m Fine And Neither Are You (ARC provided by NetGalley) - this book is surprisingly excellent. I thought it would be an enjoyable - but forgettable - book on female friendship and the motherhood juggle, but it was surprisingly moving and very thoughtful. Penelope is a familiar protagonist - a woman who has it all on paper (the family, the career, the home) but feels like she’s losing control, is slightly envious of her best friend whose life looks even more idyllic, and something bad happens at the beginning of the book. Penelope’s journey is entirely relatable and inspiring, and I loved how it focused on her reclaiming her life versus being rescued in some way.

  • Burnout (ARC provided by NetGalley) - just started it, but WOW. It talks about stress and burnout strictly from women’s experiences with it, and is incredibly readable. Highly recommend.

  • What I hope to read before the baby arrives - Cribsheet, What No One Tells You, and The Moment Of Lift. What I hope to cook from before he arrives - Indian-ish and Tex-Mex Cookbook (I’ve been making the nachos multiple times a week!)

You can find every book I’ve read this yearhere, and myAmazon favorites here.

Mother’s Day Gift Picks

The Top 5

The Catch Up

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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