issue #34 - the final one of 2019

I’m taking the next 3 weeks off from #5SmartReads & Q&As to read all the books, hang out with my kids, and hopefully get some sleep.

(But I will post what I’m reading and probably drinking on my Instagram, because I want to).

And if you miss me, you can check out my interview with Girls’ Night In (one of my portfolio companies) or my episode of Travel Genius.

My Winter Skincare Essentials (sponsored by Nuria)

When the temperatures drop, there are a few things I do.

I take my coats in for dry cleaning and my boots in to be cleaned and weatherproofed (note to self - do this at the END of winter in 2020).

I buy a new pair of sweatpants.

And I stock up on my favorites from Nuria, a new clean beauty brand from a former J&J scientist who created some of the most popular skincare products from the last decade (like my beloved Neutrogena Hydro Boost).

The Defend Gentle Exfoliator and Triple Action Eye Cream are two of my beauty Holy Grail items - I use them every day (in the case of the eye cream, twice a day). The exfoliator goes on smooth and after a moment you’ll feel your dry skin sloughing (it sounds bizarre, but it’s deeply satisfying and leaves you glowing). While I may never erase my undereye circles, the eye cream has significantly reduced them - and the amount of concealer I use.

When the temperatures drop, I’m adding the Hydrate Moisture Replenishing Serum and Revitalizing Night Jelly Treatment to my order.

Calling both products hydrating is a massive understatement. The serum has a jelly-like consistency that melts into your skin, while the night jelly douses your skin in intense moisture without feeling heavy.

The result? Very happy skin.

I also love Nuria as a company. The brand blends cutting edge science with the best beauty ingredients from around the world. Every Nuria product is vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated with clean ingredients. And with every purchase, Nuria contributes to She’s The First (one of my favorite nonprofits that supports girls’ education all over the world).

You don’t have to take my word for it. Order the Winter Wisdom Gift Set (which contains my four favorite products AND has 100% proceeds going to She’s The First through December) and try them for yourself. Traveling over the holidays? Be sure to stock up on the TSA-friendly Mini Brights.

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 two boys (a 4 year old and a 4 month old).

Every Saturday, I share the 20 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. You can join the conversation on all these articles - and more! - in my Facebook group.

Looking for my packing list template? Here you go!

#ThingsILove This Week

• A final gift guide (mailed for you edition) - Round Pond Estate’s gifts sets (get $10 flat shipping with code HITHA), the Social Justice Small Package for the budding activist in your life, the aforementioned Winter Wisdom Gift Set from Nuria Beauty (it’s THAT good), a Book Of The Month or Headspace gift subscription, or the Bath + Body Box from Equilibria.

• I’ve been waiting for this dress to go on sale since summer, and it finally did. I can’t wait to wear it to dinner at Glenmere next week, and for the rest of my life. Ganni is so good.

• Other things I’m packing for Glenmere - my Birdies (the only shoes I’m going to need), cashmere sweatpants and dress, my Hydro Flask (it is Sparkletini season at Glenmere and I plan to have several), and this nap dress.

• It hasn’t been the best week for sleep, but my weighted blanket (I have the 15 lb twin, and it’s between my flat sheet and my duvet), stone diffuser and this oil blend, silk eye mask, Sleepcasts on Headspace, and CBD regimen has definitely helped. All I need is a Time Turner to get more hours FOR said sleep.

What I read this week:

• The Idea Of You - it was a week where I had things going on every single night, and my brain could not handle any new books. A re-read of one of my favorite books this year was just what I needed.

Current book reviewshere,every bookI’ve read this year, and all myAmazon favorites.

Hitha’s Favorite Things

• You can access my gift guide here at any time! If you’re planning on gifting my book, How To Pack, this season (or anytime), I’d love to personalize a book plate for you! Just hit reply with the recipient’s name and your address, and I’ll pop it in the mail.

• Libro.fm is my favorite audiobook app (it credits your favorite independent bookstore with the sale). Use code HITHA to get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you create a monthly membership. You can find my favorite audiobooks here.

• This is the only book club I’m a member of

• my Amazon shop

• my favorite vitamins (both their pre-natal and their essential one for women)

• my favorite produce delivery company

• the app to save #5SmartReads to read later

• the notebook that has changed my life (see how I use it here and here). Get 15% off with code HITHA15.

• the marriage check-in my husband and I do every single week

• my favorite workout - and why. Use code G37YVV for $100 in accessories (spin shoes, weights, headphones - oh my!)

• Small Packages (one of my portfolio companies) is the curated gift box company I’m always talking about - get 15% off your order with the code HITHA

The Top 4

1. ‘Go back to work’: outcry over deaths on Amazon’s warehouse floor (The Guardian)

2. Peanut King: After 37 years in prison, a giant of Baltimore’s drug trade returns to face his city’s ruins (Baltimore Sun)

3. The inevitable takedown of the female CEO (TechCrunch)

4. You Don’t Need More Motivation — You Need a System (Forge)

The Catch Up

Monday

• These female artists were forgotten — and one woman’s work was even credited to men. Now, an exhibit is making amends. (The Lily)

• The extraordinary danger of being pregnant and uninsured in Texas (Vox)

• New Trade Group of Startup Investors Who Don’t Focus on Flipping (Bloomberg)

• Hyderabad case: How effective is India's justice system in dealing with rape? (BBC)

Tuesday

• Change in Finland: A government led by five women and the world’s youngest prime minister (Washington Post)

• For Beyoncé, Creativity Is the Ultimate Power (Elle)

• In Sweden’s Arctic, ice atop snow leaves reindeer starving (AP)

• ‘This Is Not Our Shame’: Five Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s Abuse on Trauma, Justice, and Sisterhood (Glamour)

Wednesday

• Climate, not conflict, drove many Syrian refugees to Lebanon (Salon)

• Seek & Thrive: With Experiential Marketing Maven and Hidden Rhythm CEO Cynthia Samanian (Thrive)

• A stunning indictment of the U.S. health-care system, in one chart (Washington Post)

• Little Women Is A Big, Important American Masterpiece. Let's Treat It Like One. (Elle)

Friday

• Meena Harris on Kamala Harris’ Campaign: ‘Women Aren’t Allowed to Make Mistakes’ (Fortune)

• The U.S. communities in danger of being overlooked in the 2020 census. (Axios)

• My baby needed expensive intensive care, but my insurer was taking a long weekend. How can this be? (STAT)

• How One Conversation with Warren Buffet Changed Saima Khan’s Perspective on Business (Medium)