Stuff I Like - August Edition
a (short) list of things that are getting me by these days.
A friend and I used to joke that one day we’d have a store called ‘S.I.L.’ (Stuff I Like) and it would literally just be filled with all the stuff that we liked. That was it, the only criteria.
We came up with the idea on an inspo trip in Paris as we were following our CPO around from one high end designer boutique to the next as she tried on random clothing and pointed out everything she thought was aspirational. It didn’t really matter what we thought as the (unspoken) goal was to listen and absorb everything she thought we needed to see.
This is fairly common working in a corporate design environment, or at least it was at the big box retailers I’ve worked for. There are usually key brands or designers that become reference points and everyone sort of just morphs their aesthetic and filter to match. I learned to dissociate from my work quite early on as a means of survival because it was never really what I thought that mattered, but rather what was ‘right for the brand’ and usually ‘what was right for the brand’ was determined by someone with a larger title, more experience and an assumed higher taste/design level than my own.
When I entered into my non-working era a couple months ago, I thought I’d be free of the pressures/desire to shop since I was no longer going into an office, but the opposite happened. All I wanted to do was shop, explore, try new things. For the first time in a very long time I suddenly had the free time to comb through the endless abyss that is the internet and suss out all the things that I personally found interesting. There was no end goal of turning it into a conceptual theme or trend report. I could just consume the things I was interested in and leave everything else behind. How liberating! but also maybe not great for the old bank account?
So anyway, here’s an S.I.L. list. Enjoy. :)
Clevr Blends : I’m obsessed with their matcha and chai mixes. I add a scoop along with some collagen in a milk frother and let it get all warm and foamy while Dougie’s bottle heats up in the morning. He calls it ‘Mama’s Kawfee’ like the little southern boy he isn’t. I like that it isn’t too sweet and it has things like reishi and ashwagandha that help clear out the mental cobwebs.
Three Sisters Apothecary Bath Soaks : I actually bought these when I was massively pregnant, thinking I’d add them to my baths as a treat. They have a nice blend of essential oils and arnica that are magic on sore muscles. Unfortunately I googled to see if all these things were safe for pregnancy, and because we don’t really know what’s safe for pregnancy I freaked out and they ended up sitting in the cupboard unused. Until, that is, about 3 months ago when Dad and Dougie went to Target so ‘mom could have some alone time’. I decided ‘alone time’ equaled ‘bath time’ because the last bath I had taken was actually when I was still pregnant? I’m happy to report it was worth the wait because these bath salts are HEAVENLY. 10/10 recommend for post run recoveries or ‘mama needs a break’ bathtime.
Low effort TV : maybe it’s my age or maybe it’s the steady stream of news in my inbox reminding me the world is a hot mess but all I want to watch are shows that require very little effort for maximum entertainment. Don’t try and scare the sh*t out of me or give me some moody suspenseful David E. Kelly drama (although I have been craving me an Ally McBeal rewatch…maybe it’s the Miu Miu mini influencing me or all the 90s minimalism trending?) I’m talking low effort / low stress entertainment here.
Gua Sha : This could be sleep deprivation or the affect of toddlerhood on me, but I seem to have acquired a lot of forehead wrinkles in a very short amount of time. I don’t really care to be honest (and I don’t even know if Gua Sha helps wrinkles?) but I do like that this is a little ritual I can do morning and night that makes me feel like I’m making up for all that running I used to do sans sunscreen. It also helps depuff all the puff which I’m also very much into. A note on sunscreen: I’m in the market for a new brand. Something I can wear during the day but also won’t sweat off when running. Suggestions?
A great front racer tank : Currently my closet is divided into essentially three
parts : out of the house clothes, around the house clothes, and running clothes. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how to integrate these sections and take a more ‘whole closet’ approach to my life. Like, I’m not going to go for a 5 mile run in a Ganni blouse, but maybe there’s a way to find some crossover categories and close the gap a bit? These tanks are part of that category for me and I’ve been living in them during what little summer we’ve had. I can go sans bra (when not running) and they work with literally anything (see below : exhibit A). I love a good front racer and find this silo to be modern but not too extreme. I’ll often wear one during the day, sleep in it, and then wear it for my run the next morning. TMI? maybe? Do as I say not as I do but this has helped reduce my laundry load…a little.
Tracksmith Session Shorts : I’m working on a new post called ‘Shorts that Don’t Suck’ so I’ve been doing a little market research lately. A couple weeks ago Tracksmith was having their bi-annual ‘silver medal sale’ so I figured I’d stock up and try out some new styles. These are by far my favorite of all the shorts I bought - I’ll review them more in depth later but they’re so comfortable it’s a shame to limit them only to the world of running. Another crossover! I could literally sleep in these, which based on #5 one might think I actually do but I don’t. Yet.
MNT online + Core40 : Since having Dougie I’ve really relied on pilates to help get my core online (note I’m not saying ‘in shape’ because what ‘shape’ is the goal, really?) I was shocked after giving birth just how disconnected I felt from my body - after doing yoga for years I suddenly had zero propioception. Elaine Hayes, owner of MNT, has an IRL studio in Palo Alto and I started doing her digital classes while pregnant during the pandemic (she was also pregnant when she created the online platform). I really appreciate how challenging her classes are - most are around a half hour with no breaks. Transitions are fast and the pace is fierce so I feel like I’m maximizing all 30 minutes for a really, really great work out. Just recently I started going back to in-person classes at Core40 once a week as a treat, where I can put on a bra and co-mingle with strangers who don’t live in my house. These classes are 40 minutes of intense, no breaks, shake-inducing pilates-inspired moves on a Megaformer. The goal is to move incredibly slow while your body wants to crumble like a crusty old donut. It’s fantastic.
Drop me a comment if you happen to try any of the above, want to share a list of Stuff You Like or if you’re watching RHONY and want to chat. It’s so bad it’s good and also Jenna Lyons?
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Getting your "core online" is perfectly put and I will be borrowing that for use in the future!
Not sure if this is a problem you encounter with running shorts, but I have large thighs and shorts always get stuck between them (as one running instagram account I follow calls it, shorts chompin'). If you come across any that are good at staying put, I would love to know!
Obsessed with all of these! I’ve been eyeing those alo leggings and now I may have to pull the trigger!