Only Smart Things
Posts
issue #53 - just another one

issue #53 - just another one

Another week is over.

Another blur of homeschooling and conference calls and constant multitasking and feeling like I don’t stop until my head hits the pillow, only to wake up 6 hours later to do it all again.

Just another week.

It was the week when I finally finished reading The Art Of Showing Up and doing all the recommended exercises in Part I (Showing Up For Yourself), and I finally committed to start showing up for myself a bit more.

I got in my workouts early, and showered and put on a real outfit (usually a dress that felt like a nightgown, but a dress nonetheless). I started my day by reading a pile of books to the boys, with my phone left upstairs on the charger. Once the homeschooling and work triage was completed midday, Rho would join me in bed and watch a movie or play on his iPad while I got my focused work completed.

I didn’t work a single late night - and that felt pretty great.

This week was just another one, but it was remarkable in that I began to show up for myself. The result? I showed up better for everyone else.

And I’m feeling good about a great week ahead - including speaking at the Momentum Summit on Tuesday afternoon. It’s going to be a great one, and I’m honored to be speaking alongside so many remarkable women that I respect. You can buy your tickets here. If the ticket price is out of your budget, please hit reply and I’m more than happy to help.

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 5 year old and a 10 month old).

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. 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

Have you been paying attention to the Chrissy Teigen-Alison Roman situation? All I can hope is that Alison is now more aware of how seemingly innocuous comments can make other women (ahem, women of color) feel, and that we can move on because these woman-on-woman feuds only make it harder for all of us to succeed. But I also think it’s a great time to buy Chrissy’s Cravings collection. This is the prettiest lazy Susan ever, this this spatula have a built-in scraper (so smart!), and everyone could use an extra set of tongs.
To my fellow LOTR fans: there has been a veritable Smaug-mine of Internet gems centered around Tolkien’s epic saga. In the epic question of ‘are you an Aragorn girl or a Legolas girl?', I’m happy to report that I am a Legolas girl grown into an Aragorn woman. The second is this gem of a Twitter thread of LOTR men as bad ex-boyfriends, which I’m still laughing about.
BURU is having a killer 3-for-$99 sale right now, with some of my favorite items still available! My pink happy pants and ribbed tank is the perfect ‘it’s hot but I didn’t shave my legs’ outfit, and this blouse is one of my favorite tops to wear for motherhood-related speaking engagements. This windbreaker is a hit with my kids and brings a smile to my face, and these sunglasses are an instant ‘I feel chic instead of a hot mess’ mood lifter. I’m obviously partial to my namesake denim skirt, which I love to pair with this fringed tank. And you know I’ve never met a jumpsuit that I didn’t like.
I just started Robin Roberts’ MasterClass and it is SO. SO. SO. GOOD.
Olivia is one of my first New York friends. We gravitated to each other as women who held technical day jobs and blogged as a creative outlet. And in the 8 years we’ve known each other, we’ve built businesses and had four boys between us and have grown up so much. I remember her telling me about the idea of Corporate Catwalk back then, and I’m so proud of how she’s pivoted and launched the e-commerce element in the midst of COVID and just having had a baby. I picked up a number of pieces from the site this week - a knit ribbed skirt, these sharp pants, and the perfect WFH dress in mini and maxi lengths.

What I read this week

The End Of October - apparently I’m a masochist and decided that Mother’s Day was the perfect day to read a novel about a viral global pandemic that cripples the world - and the United States in particular. But once I started reading The End Of October, I couldn’t stop and didn’t stop until I finished it. I do think this should be mandatory reading for EVERYONE. It explains virology and epidemiology clearly and succinctly, and offers a realistic picture of what would happen if we didn’t get a virus under strong management. It’s not an easy book to read - it’s actually terrifying and I had to start a re-read of The Selection in parallel to give my brain a break - but it’s entirely worth it. Now someone please read it and e-mail me so we can discuss.
Rodham (ARC provided by NetGalley, out May 19th) - what if Hillary never married Bill? That’s the focus of Rodham, an alternate biography of Hillary Rodham and one of the books I’ve been most excited to read all year. AND IT MET THE HYPE. Sittenfeld did not shy away from issues that faced the Clintons and that face America today - sexual assault, racism, micro aggressions, white saviorism, sexism - and wove them in seamlessly and perfectly into this fictional life of Hillary. I was so struck at Sittenfeld’s mastery of Hillary’s voice - Rodham matches Secretary Clinton’s voice from What Happened and Living History perfectly, and I had to remind myself at times that this was a novel and not an alternate reality where Hillary never married Bill and her life took a completely different journey. I also deeply empathized with Hillary’s continuous friend-zoning herself. Been there, done that, and grateful for it now. This book met the very high hopes I had for it, and definitely preorder it now.
The Art Of Showing Up - when things in my life are running smoothly, that’s when I show up for everyone in my life. When things are total crap? I go radio silent, and I just realized that I stop showing up for myself. The Art Of Showing Up helped me realize the ’not showing up for myself’ within the first pages of the book, and it kept me engrossed the rest of the book. Rachel Miller brings incredible empathy and support in every book, article, and Instagram caption she writes. This book is no exception and is probably her best work to date, in my honest opinion. In a time when we’re more physically disconnected than ever, this book is a must-read and all of Rachel’s methods and tips translate to connection online and not just in real life.

I’m building outmy Bookshop store, which will house all my favorite books in all the categories. Please consider purchasing your books throughBookshopandLibro.fm(use code HITHA for 3 free books when you start a membership) to support independent bookstores!

Hitha’s Favorite Things

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). Use code HITHA for 10% off your first 3 months.
CBD has been a lifesaver for me. Get 20% off your first order with code HITHA.
my favorite produce delivery company that supports small farms in the process. Use code COOKWME-NM5DMZ for 25% off.
the app to save #5SmartReads to read later
MasterClass is worth every penny. I watch them while cooking meals, when I need a break, and when I’m feeling unmotivated and I’ve learned so much from it.
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!). You can also follow me on the app (I’m hithaonthegogo) to see what workouts I’m doing.
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
my ultimate kitchen essential (and one of my portfolio companies)