The Mondays: June 10, 2024

Last week was the week when all the spinning plates hit the ground…again. And now, toiling under the dual tyranny of a bad cold and a toddler who has decided that eating dinner is optional, I am trying to pick up all of the shards before leaving for D.C. on Saturday. I think I’d rather just crawl into the tiny, cedar-lined closet in my basement storage room and just hide, but I’m told that isn’t an option. So I’ll just do something I enjoy: write a blog post.

Can we talk for a moment about nostalgia?  Recently, thanks to the rise of 90s culture as a trend, I have been bombarded by waves of nostalgia.  The songs I loved as a teen are playing in restaurants.  The high school students who walk past my house look like they subscribe to the Delia’s catalog.  And some of my favorite beauty products from my youth are back, and better than ever.

On Friday, I walked passed a waitress at a restaurant near our house and the scent that hit my nose made me do a double take.  Love’s Baby Soft is back.  Its Lemon Fresh sibling (my favorite) has also returned.  And, of course, there’s always Clinique Happy.

Buf-Puf is the greatest manual exfoliation tool, ever.  A few years ago, it became impossible to find, but it’s back.  

Finally, the Vacation Orange Gelee was the tanning cream of my youth.  If you wanted a deep, California beach brown, this was your product.  However, the version sold in 2024, has 30SPF and is free of all the harmful chemicals we so gleefully smeared on when we were kids.  

I haven’t purchased anything from Ann Taylor since last year.  When I started working from home, the brand, which had been a staple of my past life, fell off my radar.  But this weekend, I ended up cruising their Preview section, where they promote their newest arrivals, and there was so many good things.

This mustard yellow jacket is great for now or later.  I would wear it with a t-shirt for work from home.  For the office, I would likely buy the coordinating dress or wear it with white or navy separates.  I also like this field shirt, which would look great with white pants for WFH.  And this striped dress is a great option for work or weekend.

Want a bolder color mix?  Try this marigold hue with lavender.  I’m serious, it works.

Pinterest and Instagram keep feeding me s’mores content, which is proof the algorithm works.  This post from Oh Sweet Basil is particularly fantastic.  It’s a pretzel, Reese’s s’more.  That’s all you need to know.  

Also, if you like a traditional s’more, JetPuffed now makes square-shaped marshmallows.  

I’m trying to spend more time outside this summer.  This means that I’m headed out to my patio after Sloane goes to bed, and it can be chilly after the sun goes down.  So when I spotted this gauze blanket, I realized it was the perfect thing for chilly patio nights or overly air-conditioned living spaces.  It feels more summery than the faux-fur blanket I usually use, and washes up easily.

What else did I love this weekend:

• This custom Lingua Franca embroidered sweatshirt makes a great gift (for yourself).
• I spent Sloane’s nap time cleaning up my phone’s camera roll using these tips.
• Stat Significant discusses at what age we stop finding new music. If you’re feeling in a radio rut, The What put together a summer playlist that features a lot of bands I’ve never heard of, which probably means it’s cool.
• Fine, Instagram broke me. I bought a Frank & Eileen Popover. If you want a $98 version, this is a good one.
• A lot of people are trying to cut back on their buying with a no-buy year. I’m trying no-buy days. Hopefully, I make it to weeks.
• Finally, as AHP says, just trust me.

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