The Edition: No. 307

+ The new urgent of work-life balance for women.

+ This shaker-stitch tunic sweater is perfect for WFH or lounging.

+ How to deal with the friend who always bails on plans.

+ LOFT is having a 40% off sale.  I snagged these heart-print PJs.

+ Listening to your own advice is the key to making good decisions.

+ Too much Anne Boleyn drama in this top? (Or just enough…)

+ What happens when you stop multi-tasking

+ This small steamer is the best. Their sweater shaver is also awesome.

+ One Skillet Greek Meatballs with Lemon Butter Orzo.

+ This Truly body-acne serum and shave butter are both awesome.

+ Sarah Winter talks post-partum psychosis and how she made it back.

+ Plus-size outfit: Tie neck blouse + suit pants + suit blazer

+ Ice globes are the new beauty treatment on the rise. (I bought these.)

One Long Read. A few weeks ago I was fascinated by an article about a person stealing manuscripts from book publishers.  Well, they caught the mysterious thief.  (Read both articles, they’re so interesting.)

Last week, Jess Ann Kirby wrote about what taking a break from Instagram taught her about herself and her social media use.  She talked about social media addiction, boundaries, and tying your self-worth to the reactions of followers on a platform.

For many reasons — anxiety, lack of time, and privacy — I never dived headlong into creating content for social media.  But it didn’t take very long for Instagram to become the primary vehicle for sharing content and earning money for most influencers.  And, to be frank, we didn’t think about the consequences until we were way down that rabbit hole.

While I enjoy creating content for multiple platforms, and I love the community that has built up around this blog, it’s an incredible amount of work.  And when I think about the influencers producing YouTube content, Instagram Reels, podcasts, and so much more, I wonder how much longer we can just keep expanding the creator economy until it bursts.

But beyond the types of content, there’s also how much of yourself you’re expected to share with people who are still strangers.  From daily activities to deeply personal details.  Many of my fellow influencers talk privately about the deeply personal and intrusive comments that frequently fill their DMs (especially the influencers with children).  Some attract trolls, and even stalkers, who delight in causing them pain.

If one good thing comes out of this pandemic, I hope we start thinking about how we consume social media and the expectations we have for the people who create it.  Instagram and other social media platforms are only as healthy as we make them.

{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}