Weekend 5.30

Philly has been rainy and cold, so we’ve spent the majority of our long weekend curled up inside. Normally I like to take full advantage of long weekends (a getaway? a party? the shore?) and even Mike has fully expected me to be going bonkers by now but…

I’m exhausted. Philly’s vaccination rates are up and case positivity is down, and our friend group is basically 100% vaccinated at this point (even most of our kids are getting the second shots next week) so we’ve been going hard. Dinners out, friends over, picnics and walks and stopping by with bottles of wine…it’s been really fun. Mike and I have even gone into our respective offices a few times! But now even my very-extroverted self is feeling more tired than usual with all of this Sudden Socializing. Mike and I keep looking at each other — was our life always this nuts pre-pandemic??? (Scotti would say YES.)

So thanks to the pouring rain, we’re taking some much-needed downtime this weekend. I’m going to be cooking a few vegan recipes I’ve been dying to try (jackfruit bbq sandwiches and banana pudding), I have plans for a bath, and I’m hoping to curl up with a new book. Happily, the NYT’s summer reading list just came out, although I almost always have more luck with The Modern Mrs. Darcy’s booklists. She’s about to publish her 10th Annual Summer Reading Guide, but here’s a list of Anne’s favorite summer reads from years past. I’ve been reading her blog for ages. She’s a gem.

Anyway, Introverts, be good to yourself this weekend. If even I feel like going into hiding…whoa. This whole year-long-pandemic thing has wrought some changes, for sure.

Mike has been living in cozy clothes all weekend. Specifically Naadam’s sweatshirt and sweatpants — made out of cotton, recycled coffee grounds and a little bit of cashmere — and they feel SO good. And since everything at Naadam is currently 30% off this weekend, I now want the girl version. In mint.

Remember my Mara Hoffman Leopard Swimsuit? The one that (annoyingly) sold out in 3 hot seconds, never to return again? Well. Gap currently has a lookalike suit for 40% off. This fact is actually what made us pull together a post of the best swimsuits on sale for Memorial Day Weekend, and we did include both one-pieces and bikinis. (There’s also a photo of me in that Mara Hoffman suit if you need a memory jog.)

Need another blanket, tho. I hope outdoor dining never goes away. I am, however, in the habit of bundling up so I can sit comfortably outside for hours. And have started toting my Rumpl blanket around with me. We used it this morning at brunch. Raines and I were completely comfortable (and sharing the blanket), but Pax and Mike, on the other side of the table, were freezing. Love that these things are both super-lightweight, durable and warm. I’m snapping up another on sale. We currently have the rainbow pattern, but there’s a really pretty solid blue, too.

My fav v-neck tee, restocked. I fell in love with UpWest’s white v-neck tee last summer, but it sold out really quickly. It’s back this year, and in tons of colors. It’s also only $28. Actually…take 20% off orders of $100+ so maybe also try this dress, this romper or this cute set.

I know Printfresh is having a sale, but…I just want this not-on-sale set: cami and cropped pants in lemons.

Boring, but necessary. This is your reminder (and mine), to stock up on skincare while it’s on sale. For me that means Colleen Rothchild’s oil-based cleansing balm and her under-eye serum, as well as Biossance’s Vitamin C Rose Oil and Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum.

I was pretty happy with our Memorial Day Sales coverage this year. We tried to focus on just the sales worth shopping (which is why we have Best of Nordstrom, Best of Saks, Best of J.Crew and Best of Backcountry guides), and, as always, we have a quick cheat sheet for the sales. If interested, you can find all of our coverage on our Memorial Day Sales Page. We do have a few more articles coming out (as well as some fun ones you may have missed. Think: Beauty, Small Business and Home) so it’s worth giving that page a peek. Hopefully this sales coverage has been helpful, and if there’s something you’d like to see for next time, please let me know!

I just learned that Memorial Day was started by Black Americans. The first commemoration of Americans who were lost fighting for our freedoms was actually in 1865, and was organized by freed slaves. According to TIME magazine, “About 10,000 people, mostly black residents, participated in the May 1 tribute, according to coverage back then in the Charleston Daily Courier and the New York Tribune. Starting at 9 a.m., about 3,000 black schoolchildren paraded around the race track holding roses and singing the Union song “John Brown’s Body,” and were followed by adults representing aid societies for freed black men and women.” It’s a fascinating bit of history, and underscores, once again, the contributions of Black Americans.

Hope you have a relaxing weekend….

xo,

S