Happy Guides season, my friends!

I know some of you are saying “what!? too soon!” and some of you gleefully tossed your yard skeletons into boxes this morning and are readyyyyy. If you aren’t ready, don’t stress, leave this email in your inbox and circle back when you are.

But for my girlies who shared the Mariah reel this morning: it is time.

As always, I’ve provided a ton of options, price points, styles, vibes and relationships. Amazon? Of course. Anything but Amazon? You got it. The money I’m willing to spend on myself? Of course it’s all there for you, you Nosey Nellies.

If I have a coupon code, it will be right there waiting for you inside the list. Shopping directly from my lists also means any codes will be auto applied to your cart!

If you want to reference my Guides from the past decade, check them out here.

Let’s get to it!

Adults

MIL / Practical MIL / Chic MIL

Grandparents / Grandparents Part 2

Him / Him but Boujie

Her

My unhinged wish list

Stocking Stuffers for Him

Stocking Stuffers for Her / Boujie Stocking Stuffers for Her

Kids

Toddler

Preschooler

Kindergartener

STEM/STEAM Activity Gifts (gender neutral)

Boys

Girls

Tween Boys

Tween Girls

Stocking Stuffers for Girls

Stocking Stuffers for Boys

Kids Stocking Stuffers

Gift Exchanges

$10 Gift Exchange

Favorite Things Gift Exchange

Happy Gifting!

Hits

• This + this as your best recs for handling middle school laundry

• Sticking these to my boobies

• Voting early

• Already having these checked off my list. I will enjoy December if it kills me.

• The Atlanta Dream selling out for Game 3 of the WNBA finals

• This for Gray, which is a relief because he’s getting harder to gift

• Rachel Berry officially returning to Glee, as if they could do a reboot without her

• Keeping this in my car so I can use it on the drop off drive every morning

• How thick my hair felt when my extensions came out. I was prepared to feel bald or be disappointed in my hair growth but she’s growing back in strong and thick!

• This tiny, dumb thing that Georgia and all of her friends will love

• Seeing a real improvement in my posture and rib flare with all of the sculpt classes I’ve been taking

• This instead of my usual sweatshirt

• The new two pack frozen cheesecakes from Trader Joe’s (they’re gluten free!)

• The girl who uses her CPAP straps as heatless overnight curlers

• Justin got these and loves them for Saturday morning coffee runs

Misses

• Slime. We lifted the total house slime ban for less than 72 hours and ended up needing to cut a chunk of slimed hair.

• Requesting access to Google Docs. Why does it feel so embarrassing?

• ACOTAR leaks. We’ve waited years, a few more days won’t kill us

• The fact that I’ve Pavloved myself into needing a little snack on the drive to school pick up, no matter what

• Listening to my husband take work calls because what the eff is he even talking about all day

• Planning family photo outfits, mostly because I don’t have anything that I want to wear and I always start with my own outfit.

• Tuckernuck. It just feels like the same stuff over and over recently.

• Realizing we might be a bit behind in enforcing life skill chores but also feeling exhausted at the thought of implementing them. All of ya’lls kids are doing their own laundry???

• Being gluten free in Dollywood because that cinnamon bread is as close as I’ve ever come to saying to Hell with it and suffering the consequences.

• Gas station pumps that scream ads at you at top volume. Like, please, I’m already overstimulated and now this?

Hot Takes

I got my camera pill swallow test results back and they are clear! No new findings, no surprises, the best case scenario. All of my symptoms are being chalked up to years of undiagnosed gluten intolerance and the resulting damage (iron deficient anemia, very low vitamin levels due to malabsorbtion etc) and the bleeding stomach lining that was diagnosed by endoscopy.

I’m glad I did it, glad we checked the box and happy to move forward with the knowledge that it’s not something super terrible.

A reminder that I hope sharing this kind of stuff inspires you to make a doctors appointment, schedule a routine exam you’ve been putting off and to take care of yourself. Get your mammograms, pap smears, dental cleanings and routine blood work, you deserve the piece of mind.

Hits

• Coming through with a Botox/lasers/injectables/peels discount code for you! Use code STEPHANIE-721473 and save $50 (on products, too)

• The Girls reboot/the return of the voice of our generation

• Never ironing. Ever.

• Seeing a second round of architect plans for our addition

• These waves

• Kacey Musgraves

• The hardest working piece of furniture in our family room

• People who decorate hard and early for holidays. The world is a mess, go big with those spiderwebs, babe

• The back of this

• Adding this to the kid’s smoothies because they are still very picky eaters

• Finishing the entire Maasaverse re-read! Including bonus chapters. I’m so proud of how well I timed it. I somehow still don’t remember a thing about Throne of Glass but I’ll be ok, I think.

• A new spin on my old faithful

• The #1 best seller of Prime Day and it’s cutie case

• Any and all marathon hopecore on social media

• Packing this because somehow we left for tennis lessons without our tennis racket this week. Coupon code will auto pop into your cart.

• These little tennis gifts for 2 very special birthdays

• Finally updating all of my discount codes - they’re all down below at the bottom of this email

Misses

• Murphy’s THC journey. Turns out, 26 weed gummies is too many weed gummies, dog or not (he’s completely fine).

• Missing the Olivia Rodrigo concert while she was in town. I should have taken the kids and gone!

• The Jonas Brothers playing the same set in this concert as they did in the last

• Accidentally shipping an order for me to Megan in Texas because the last time I logged into my shop account, I was sending her a little birthday treat

• Kate Gosselin

• The Hunger Games. I loved the original series but since becoming a mom I literally cannot stomach anything from the Hunger Games universe. My husband has read all of the books released since the OGs but I get sick just thinking about the concept.

• Swallowing a camera in the name of medicine

• Having a rental car yet again

• Cherry Blossom La Croix

Hot Takes

In the past 7 days, I have returned a camera that made it’s way through my intestinal tract and called animal poison control after my dog ate 28 weed gummies. I’m tired.

Hits

• Ziwe

• These for Justin, because he’s the only who eats them

• My choice when I can’t get it together for the gym

• Great British Baking show and Nigella’s huge bites

• Making my laundry smell riiiiich

• Channing Tatum’s alleged burner accounts

• This Hallie Parker playlist

• Updating these because mine are gross

• Low effort + cheap seasonal decorating because that’s all I’m good for

• Frito Scoops

• This finalist for my never ending search for a reasonably priced, super hydrating nighttime product

• When sheer and support get together and make a happy little baby

• Buying this on sale

• Adding these to cart from the pick up line

Misses

• Leggings with drawstrings

• Cleveland. Sorry, Taylor

• This horrendous collab

• Hitting the part in my Sarah J Maas re-read where there are just too many damn characters. Why did they all have to get nicknames? The Hind, The Harpie, just help me, Sarah.

• Doing another GI test this week that involves colonoscopy style “prep”

• Needing to Google how to use certain features on my new laptop, which I’m sure is my first step toward being a Boomer

• When all of the pumpkins at Trader Joe’s already have squirrel bites on them

• When kids open mouth cough and roll their tongue up like Free Willy at the same time

• Being the last person on Earth to realize the update the Roku City that scrolls on your TV with pop culture references in real time

Hot Takes

Have you heard?? It’s Prime Day! Joking, of course you’ve heard. I get it, everyone talks about it but here’s the deal (for me, at least):

While I do have a tough time with summer Prime Days, the October sale has it’s place in my actual life.

I truly want to enjoy as much of December as I can - yes, even with major travel, a million school things and making all of the magic, I want to try to take as much off of my plate as early as I can this year.

I am using Prime Day as an excuse to get every single Santa gift check off of my list for my kids. I already bought most of their stocking stuffers and am working on their slightly bigger gifts. Georgia is easy - you could give her a thousand stuffies and slime kits and she’d be in Heaven. Gray is a little more particular as a 12 year old tween boy. I think I’m going with this for him, but don’t tell him, k.

Also! Don’t forget to hide your purchases from your Amazon devices. Gray told me a few years ago that he knew what he was getting for his birthday because he saw it on our kitchen Echo. Cool. Here’s a tutorial!

Hits

• Being registered to vote

• These for sitting at the soccer fields/stadiums

• Chase Infiniti’s look at the Emmys

• Georgia’s current read

• Trader Joe’s Cinna-Dragons

• Being ahead of the game

• Having zero unread texts or emails

• This, for the impossible to gift tween boys

• The Carribean Way smoothie from Smoothie King

• This for our birthday gift cabinet

• When it looks better than the real deal

• Mixing this with my foundation to make it lighter and more radiant (a move I copied straight from Hailey Bieber, but for much less $)

• Pharmacies that deliver

• My outfit for an upcoming pickle ball themed 40th

Misses

• Misreading my own calendar

• My website photos being all messed up. I know no one reads blogs anymore but the photos being janky drives me nuts.

• Realizing it’s time to plan our holiday travel but my brain can’t comprehend because school just started

• Kanye West

• The Hyrox competition incident. I simply cannot.

• Megan Markle + Prince Harry hate. Just let them live.

• My second piercing that won’t heal

• This being real because maybe we just need a few limits on what we can or can’t buy on Amazon

• All of the laundry I need to put away. And I do mean all of it, I think my entire closet it currently folded and on my dining room table

• The new Taylor Swift riddle, because I’ll never figure it out

Hot Takes

I officially dropped the news via Instagram that we’re renovating again!

We are staying in our current house (house #6) and are in the final architect stages of creating a home that fits our bigger kid family. If you’ve been around a while, you know that we usually only live in our houses for 2-3 years, renovating them and then either moving for Justin’s work or selling in order to snag another great renovation opportunity. House #6 was supposed to follow the same pattern. We bought it as an investment opportunity and did a 3-month long renovation on the bathrooms, floor plan and primary suit with that in mind. 7 years later, we’re still here! We’ve looked at other houses but the real estate market in Charlotte is very aggressive and the houses we saw just didn’t fit the bill.

We are still a year away (if not more) from beginning stage 1 of the renovation which will be an addition on our existing home to create a garage, primary suite and bonus room. Phase 2 will be on the horizon after that so we don’t have to move out of the house and can live on site during the construction.

Phase 2 will reshape our first floor - think turning our massive dining room into an office, powder bath and coat closet, all of which we need and use daily. A new kitchen is happening, too, and I could not be more thrilled.

We’re in for a long haul but are so excited to finally get the ball rolling.

Also, any other Charlotte real estate warriors out there? It’s insanity!

Hits

• Naomi Osaka

• The set I wanted to snatch off of my friend’s body this weekend

• This for fine hair

• The Booytlicious at Sips and Dips

• Literally never carving a pumpkin again

• The Daisy Chain Fields Festival

• This front runner for my fave things gift of 2026

• This + this $3 layer underneath

• Peter Herbstreit

• These colors together

• This for stadium season

• I’ve been testing these and love that they don’t give me dry mouth

• Handing these out to my girlfriends after an unhinged night

• Waking my kids up in the morning, it really is the best little part of my day

• My favorite everyday piece now being made unbreakable

• This look for less pair of beauties

Misses

• Any headline that starts with “what the cool girls are….”

• This collab, which is sad because it had so much potential

• Heated work out classes because why are they so much harder

• Whatever is happening here

• YouTube shows on Netflix kids and Amazon Prime.

• How hard it is to block/remove shows from Netflix kids

• The insanity that is the Elizabeth HolmeHits,Ms documentary preview

• How quickly the bandana print market is becoming over saturated

• This look

• The fact that we actually experienced Weight Watchers for kids in the 90s

• Trying to be an adult who hydrates herself only to end up being an adult who pees all day

Hot Takes

I’ve been thinking a lot about adult friendships lately.

Over Labor Day, Justin I spent the weekend at the beach with a group of couples we met through carpool line at our daughter’s school five years ago. It started with small talk at birthday parties and ended up in a shared beach house celebrating a 40th birthday.

There has been school drama, team wins and losses, major life changes endless birthday parties. Five years of real life happening to all of us at once — the good, the bad, the “did you hear what happened to so-and-so” — and somehow we made sure that our group made it instad of quietly fading into a group text nobody responds to anymore.

And the best part of the trip? Laying around on sofas with people who’ve watched our kids grow up and still chose to spend a weekend with us anyway.

Go to the class parties, make the small talk, say yes when a dad volunteers to coach a rec team, schedule the play dates. This is how you meet the people who will make you laugh until your cheeks hurt.

Hits

• Pulling into school pick up with time to spare

• Any life where this is a wardrobe staple

• When a classic gets a rebrand.

• This account for parents of bigger kids

• Our gift go-to in new options

• The Greatest Showman becoming a stage production on the West End

• Starting with your own look and deciding on the rest from there

• Tiny stacks

• The Caribbean Way smoothie from Smoothie King

• This being on mega-sale

• After upgrading our mattress (out of necessity) I now want to upgrade this (not a necessity)

• A Graphic Audio for a re-read, especially a heavy world builder like Crescent City

• This kid

• This unexpected hero from the group chat

• Shiyazh Pete

• An unhinged look for less

Misses

• Teaching middle schoolers how to do seemingly intuitive life tasks like use an alarm

• My car computer system going out in a blaze of glory

• Whatever this new waistline is

• The Girls on Hulu

• Not knowing if we’re allowed to eat bagged salad

• The youth embracing low rise jeans. How was once not enough for the low rise?

• The J. Crew tiny rollneck sweater

• Pumpkin Spice Lattes (cringes in fear of the backlash from admitting that publicly)

• Learning that a colonoscopy + endoscopy does not show every bit of your intestinal tract. In order to see the whole thing you gotta….swallow a camera. Fun!

Hot Takes

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose” - Dolly Parton

Hits

• A hotel with vibes and amenities so perfect that you never leave the property

• This price point for the same look as the Doen version I currently own

• A family back to school dinner but ordering pizza and serving on cute paper plates because no one needs to do dishes the night before school starts

• The details on this pair

• ACOTAR fan art videos, but only when they match the vision in my head

• This non-boring basic to pair with shorts now and jeans into Fall

• Having every single rug, throw pillow and upholstered piece of furniture professionally sanitized post summer

• Sleeping in these to protect my extensions and cut down my morning uglies

• Putting these in everything, right at the table

• Crescent City book 2 and book 2 only

• Taking back to school photos before meet the teacher, not the actual morning of the first day

• Spending an entire girl’s weekend discussing these stems

• The design skills of every single SEC sorority girl who is in charge of house banners during rush

• Wrapping a ribbon around this

• These but with a white tee and neutral sandal

• Dressing in a cute outfit for meet the teacher, knowing I’ll look like a goblin for the rest of the school year

• Metallics for the school day

Misses

• A Princess Diaries without Julie Andrews

• Whatever in the nightmare Disney princess is happening here

• Forgetting to pack this for my weekend trip

• Everything Heidi Klum is wearing on this season of Project Runway. Can’t Law help a girl out?

• This dress being sold out because I want it so bad

• Whatever happened between Neutrogena and Hayden Panettiere

• After school emotional regulation/restraint collapse

• Setting my alarm for any time before 7am

• Forgetting to order locker magnetic wallpaper for my 3rd grader until 48 hours before school starts. No, I didn’t know that existed either.

• When your dreams are so realistic you wake up in a panic wondering if it actually happened

• Trying to find the balance between homework, after school activities, decompression time and being a big kid

• The symptoms of OCD being confused for anxiety in women more often than not

• Tiramisu

Hot Takes

I had so, so many questions about my opinions on the two Charleston area hotels from our girl’s trip so I thought I would do an in-depth review in one place. None of this is sponsored and we all paid full price, with our own money.

The Cooper:

The Cooper is located on the water in Charleston, truly right next to the famous fountain on the waterfront, just past the port, steps from downtown. The pool deck is stunning, an infinity pool overlooking the water, with an amazing bar and service. We had a day bed one day and lounge chairs another, thought the food at the bar was so well presented and the cocktails were perfect. The service will be what I compare any other hotel to going forward. Everyone went out of their way to be accommodating, always filling waters, bringing us endless towels, maneuvering umbrellas and truly justifying the room rate (which is high).

The hotel itself is brand new. One of the restaurants on site is actually not even open yet and there were always people working but it never interrupted our stay. Each room comes with a private concierge who checks you in, walks you through the property and is on call via text.

The spa is small but mighty, very sleek and has lots of additional perks - same with the gym. The recovery beds, red light therapy and spa snacks alone were worth our time.

The resort style is supposed to remind you of a private yacht and it absolutely did. The in-room snacks and drinks were abundant and included, the valets ask you to give them a few extra minutes to make sure they can cool your car completely before you get into it and even brought us cups of ice for our canned drinks as we were leaving. Dinner was amazing, most diners were actually not staying on property, and it was a hard reservation to get, so you know it’s good. We sat by the bar and loved it.

I would not take my kids there, although there were children, it just felt like a place for grown-ups to relax. I would absolutely take Justin there for a getaway and would happily return for a girl’s trip.

After The Cooper we headed towards Kiawah to stay at The Dunlin.

The vibes are very different, almost a “chic Southern aunt’s lake house” decor. Not Grandmillinial but also very Southern with an emphasis on nature. The rooms were absolutely perfect for a girl’s weekend and had gorgeous screened in balcony porches.

The property is large and has houses that can be owned/rented, but the resort itself gives a smaller, more charming vibe. If you are on a girl’s trip or wanting to relax, I would use the hotel guests only pool. It’s smaller but the vibes are chic and the frozen Paloma is worth it. Children and families are allowed in that pool, and it gets a bit crowded before nap time. The other pool on property is bigger and is open to homeowners, so it has more of a neighborhood pool vibe. Personally, if I took my family, we would hang out at the bigger pool and leave the little pool for the relaxers.

The main dining on site, Linnette’s, was amazing for dinner and breakfast - the dinner crowd was so fun and the cocktails were amazing. The crab fried rice has been called a “dish of a lifetime” amongst our friends so absolutely order it when you go.

The spa was an interesting set up for me. It is pricey with extremely high-end products, the facial was one of the best I’ve ever had, but the spa facility itself was a big miss. The locker room is extremely small. As we checked in, our attendant said many times that it was “a full house” and she “hoped they had available lockers”. At that price point, a locker to put our clothes in should be the bare minimum amenity. Considering the entire property is just a few years old, the lounge at the spa was also a big surprise. It only has sitting room for 4 with an additional round bench in the center of the room. Many women were standing or milling about in our robes, which was a bit awkward.

I would return to The Dunlin for a girl’s trip but would not make a couples weekend of it. I would also take my family but would stick to the bigger pool for splashing.

Hits

• Leaning all the way in on your kid’s random special interests and niche love languages

• This happy little blend of comfort + support in the band

• Joe Jonas as the judge on The Voice

• A mahjong app!

• I can feel the back to school organizing coming on, so these for the top of my closet

• Pizza Baby East’s “caprese salad”

• These for Gray’s room

• The pervasive rumor that gluten free Goldfish are about to hit the shelves

• This color combo. I genuinely cannot stop thinking about it. Also, if these are on your school supply list, there’s no better price.

• Packing for a girl’s trip

• This matchy matchy for tailgate season

• Georgia’s BTS line up

• The new season of Project Runway

• This faux duo

Misses

• Patrick Clancy

• Every single person who failed Lindasy Clancy

• Whatever this new trend of not putting life jackets on babies is. Absolutely unhinged.

• These 90s maternity vibes

• Summer homework. I get the reason why I just don’t want to manage it.

• Kitten heel slander

• I’m not sure if I got a bum pair, but these earbuds

• Celiac disease

• Delayed gratification. I’m really only here for the instant kind.

• That video of a farmer’s market stand dumping grocery store blueberries into their baskets and selling at market prices.

• Forgetting to print photos of your kids until those “all about me” projects are assigned (print them now!)

Hot Takes

Today is my 42nd birthday and this message is for the moms who are sacrificing it all to motherhood in their thirties:

It will get better.

You are doing your best, and most like the best, job at taking care of so many people at once. I know your needs come last and you might not know who you are as an individual anymore. But hold on tight, your forties are coming for you and they are amazing.

I have never cared less about what people think, what the “right” thing to do is our fitting in. I have time to think for myself, my husband and I are able to spend pockets of time together without kids and I recognize myself when I look in the mirror again.

I’m so grateful for all that my thirties gave me, but nothing can replace the feelings of the forties.

Hits

• Keeping things glowy

• Diet Cherry Coke in cans

• Unboxing this and it living up to the hype

• Being excited about stages of childhood that we’re supposed to dread (Middle School, we’re coming for you)

• Dreading this starting back up again but at least we can make it cute

• Raffia for a girl’s trip '

• Measuring with your heart

• Being prepared

• Jen Hamilton going scorched Earth on her now ex-husband

• These for big girls. So soft and thin.

• Long distance friendships

• This entire list for our most discerning little queens

• These for class and not just because Pete Davidson designed them (?!)

• When Murphy gets groomed to look like a giant teddy bear

• These but be warned, they do not look that cute once you open the pack. Perfect for lunchboxes and on-the-go tho

• Sale on sale

• These for big kids learning to study

• K tip extensions*

• This set

• When you wanted it so bad but couldn’t justify the price and it goes on sale. There’s no better feeling than smugness IMO.

Misses

• The forever search of finding a night cream that is crazy rich but doesn’t cost one million dollars

• Zendaya’s Spiderman press tour looks. Admittedly, nothing could beat her Odyssey run but Spiderman looks have all been a miss for me.

• The Valley Reunion looks. Why was every single dress from SheIn?

• Iron deficiency anemia

• Halloween and Christmas content rolling out. Please. I’m tired.

• My old laptop finally gave up on life and I replaced it….with the same laptop that is newer and somehow maybe half an inch smaller, so now I genuinely feel like I don’t know how to type. My sausage fingers just can’t find the keys.

• That moment of panic when you’re trying to find a picture or screenshot in your phone to show someone and you end up scrolling through your open camera roll

• *Washing K Tip extensions for the first time because its scary

• Trying to find something not too serious, not too scary and still mature enough that my 9-year-old will want to watch/read/consume it.

• Justin and I both accidentally paying for the same streaming service because the bundles switched up. Let’s just bring back cable.

Hot Takes

I officially have opted out of cooking dinners for the foreseeable future.

Somehow, despite our best efforts, we have picky eaters. And while what matters is that everyone is growing, happy and healthy, trying to feed picky eaters for the past 12 years has taken its toll on us adults. Just tonight, one of my kids said they no longer eat square foods. square. foods. As in a flatbread is out but a pizza with the same ingredients is in because it’s round. I cannot.

We have always had the policy that if they kids don’t like what we make for dinner they are welcome to make a mac and cheese or sandwich, plate it up and sit with us for the meal. We’ve tried so many incentive strategies, having them cook/meal plan, “no thank you bites” and on and on. I’m no longer looking for advice, strategies or rationales.

At this point, no one is bothering to eat any meal, even if it’s been tailored to their preferences. They go straight making their back up meal. And since they are healthy, growing and developmentally sound, that’s just fine for them.

But for me? It’s not fine for me. Because I still planned meals, shopped for them, prepped them, made them at the most chaotic time of day and cleaned up after. Yes, our family works as a team chore wise, but you know what I mean. The bulk of the labor falls to me. And all that labor results in….nothing.

So, I’m done.

My new strategy is this:

Starting this school year, I will be adding the dinner I plan to make for Justin and myself to our Skylight calendar each day. With the main dinner, I will also be adding the backup options available for the evening. The calendar will say what time we are eating dinner. Each kid can choose to partake in the family dinner or the backup dinner, but they have to tell me what their plan is that morning. If they choose back up, they are on their own 100% as to making it and cleaning it up. They also need to time manage and make their back up to be ready for us to all sit at dinner time.

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Hopefully backing off will make a change. Maybe not. Maybe puberty will help. Maybe not. But as long as everyone is growing, this job is off my plate (literally).

Hits

• Pinterest. It’s coming back.

• This for Georgia. Anything this unhinged better be under $10.

• This because I don’t get to go back to school shopping and I want to.

• Checking off all of the back to school paperwork already.

• This series for meeting the tween boy mandatory summer reading hours

• These for the longest looking legs on Earth

• Easing back in to a workout routine with the mentality that I’m not trying to punish my body into shape for anything specific but so that I can live forever

• This if it makes me look like Taylor Swift

• Leo season rolling in

• The stretch in this

• Finally, finally updating this after like 15 years

• Sharing my colonoscopy online because it inspired some of you to book yours. Good work, team!

• This account

• Being this kind of mom

Misses

• Slow internet + a zillion pop ups. Just let me spend my money expeditiously, please.

• How much I spend on fun drinks to get me through the day

• Renewing passports

• How little I see my friends in the Summer

• My son wearing men’s shoe sizes

• Fake tan hands

• Feeding my children every single night when all they really want to eat is pizza.

• Rogue but during my colonoscopy the nasal cannula shot a piece of dust or something so far into my nose that I sneezed non stop for like 48 hours. Honest to God, my abs were sore from sneezing. It was wild.

• Men in capri pants

• The packaging my iron supplements come in. Like why must it be so difficult.

• Spend more save more sales. They feel like a scam to me.

Hot Takes

So this one will be controversial but I am using AI sparingly in my personal life and this is a great example I wanted to share, if you’re also using an AI platform.

Georgia loves Audibles. She falls asleep to them, listens to them while she’s doing chores and art and just generally crushes audio books. She listens to them on the (screen free) Echo speaker in room, which is connected to an Amazon kids account. I was playing her audibles from my phone/Amazon account onto her speak but finally figured out a much better way to do it.

If your kids have Amazon devices, you can allow them to access content from your Amazon parent account, including rented and owned Audible titles. It’s a little tricky to do but google and the instructions will pop right up.

Once I gave her access to all of our titles, I had Claude make her a “menu” of all of the books she can listen to at any time. I asked Claude to include very simple instructions on the menu so she could easily navigate the book titles (the exact titles are needed to play a book, which can be tricky for series like The Babysitters Club) and call out exactly what Alexa needs to hear in order to play what she wants.

She was so excited to learn what to say to perfectly pause her Audibles and her little menu is divided up by series so it’s easy for her to use. If you have a kiddo who either doesn’t love to read or likes to be independent, I cannot stress how amazing this method has been for us. She has read so, so many books this summer and giving her a way to be even more independent has been a slam dunk.

Hits

• Zara Larson Spotify radio

• Double deckers

• Another amazing Gluten Free find

• The Babysitter’s Club series on Netflix for bigger girls

• This, but for borrowing only

• This thing for tween boys. I ordered it last minute for Gray’s 12th birthday and he’s played with it non stop. It’s kinda like fidget toy vibes but more advanced.

• Olivia Rodrigo’s new album. Never has anyone captured the mania that is high school love like her. I’m very into it.

• This being a Prime Day bestseller yet again, which means Amazon made me a slideshow of best selling products and was forced to include it

• This hack: I picked up a little zipper pouch in the dollar aisle, dropped my keys, earbuds, card wallet and keys into it and now just switch that out between my gym bag and purse. I keep all of that in my car at all times (gym shoes, too) so I need to be able to switch it up on the fly. Not rocket science but has made a big difference in time spent forgetting things/rustling about in totes.

• Buying one kind and sticking with it until the end of time

• My new over the shoulder bolder holder

• These being on sale for under $20

• Hot drinks, even in the summer.

• These being so back for the girlies. Let me dig mine out of my closet.

Misses

• Colonoscopy prep

• Learning that I will be “graded” on my colonoscopy prep based on what they can and can’t see. The eldest daughter in me wanted a gold star for my hard work but a grade?! I’m about to lock in on this thing so hard.

• Just any brand making women’s swim. Just because you make a great tee doesn’t mean you understand the crotch proportions of a women’s swim bottom

• I started my re-read of ACOTAR in prep for the new book release and I can’t stop thinking about the one girl who got a Tamlin tattoo before Book 2 was released. What. A. Nightmare.

• Not having anywhere to wear this

• Keeping up with Summer school work/reading logs/whatever they’re supposed to do to get ready for next school year.

• The trend of putting butter in your coffee to meet fat goals (?!) like what are we doing here. Just let us live.

• My kids growing out of every single pair of shoes they own. At the same time.

• Cyclosporiasis

Hot Takes

The Nordstorm sale is not it.

I said it last year, I say it again this year.

The sale sucks. All of the styles are dated, the beauty sale prices are still actually higher than some of the sales we saw on Prime Day and nothing is worth the time.

After an advanced release scroll (yes, influencers get to see what’s on sale before the general public), I saw the same tall brown boots, the same sweaters, jean brands and the same accessories that we’ve seen since 2019. I don’t really follow Nordstrom’s logic here but no one wants to see the same exact styles year after year - it honestly feels like they went to a Nordstrom Rack, gathered up what was on the floor and flipped it to the e-comm site, hoping to unload it all.

If you really, really wanna shop it, I would snag some undies on sale and that’s really it. And that’s only if your preferred undies are included, I wouldn’t bother using this sale as a means to try new vibes, I think we’ll see lower prices and better sales down the road.

Hits

• As an introvert, going to the grocery store every morning of a beach trip is the cheat code. We always needed to restock something and I got to be alone. Win, win.

• These dupes because I’m lusting after the $400 pair.

• This. It’s my new top dog. If you’re used to an aerosol, use less!

• Having a 9 and 12 year old. It really feels like the bigger kid sweet spot

• Carly Lloyd holding it down at the FIFA commentators table like 29340 weeks pregnant

• This new line up

• This recipe. The first night I served over rice, wrap style will be for lunches.

• The back of my new sports bra*

• These, a new gluten free find for me. Why is it the simplest gf products that bring me the most joy?

• Never wearing a real bra in this heat.

• Flat backs

• Zendaya + Law + the Schiapaerlli runway gown

• The crazy amount of tasks I get done on the return travel from a trip/when I’m facing down real life

• This little number for my girlies who like a little arm coverage

Misses

• *The matching shorts. They are basically undies. I kept them, but whoa.

• Typing with my busted finger

• This dress because I can’t tell if it’s cute or stupid

• Meghan Thee Stallion’s swimwear line the Love Island girls were forced to wear (especially Kenzie’s cheesy one piece)

• High School Musical turning 20 this summer because I am old

• Every single thing made here

• The new curly Instagram font

• How much stuff it takes to survive on the beach with 4 kids aged 2.5-11

• Post camp laundry. Gross.

• When people make grocery shopping a group activity. Like please, we need to be able to get in and get out, not dodge your group project in the aisles.

• The fact that I originally read this as “two toed”

Hot Takes

Ok let’s play a new game called “Diagnose Me”

I’m wondering if this little life long habit of mine is an original experience or if anyone else does this too. Also, please let me know if this is a diagnosable offense.

So every single night I need to take medication at bedtime. Super normal. It’s important medicine: hormones, SSRI, you know, the good stuff. It needs to be every day and bedtime is the most reliable time.

But every single night, I have a mental battle about taking them. Some nights, I “let myself off the hook” from taking them, especially if I’ve been “good” and have taken them consistently for however nights in a row that feels worthy of the good label.

When I do take them on time, I’m overly proud of myself and feel like a weight has been lifted from my bedtime/chill out/scroll routine.

It doesn’t matter how the pills are stored (currently, I have a cute, labeled little pill caddy) the feelings are the same. Doesn’t matter if I’m deathly ill or it’s just a regular night, I cannot be trusted. I will have this mental battle and some nights, I’ll just….pass on taking them.

So, what say you, my internet friends. Is this unique to me? Do we need a new level of medical professional to step in? Diagnose, commiserate, make suggestions in the comments, I can take it!

Hits

• This entire line being on sale. I’ve genuinely never seen the full line up hit Prime Day and this is a sale worth clicking. And I speak from experience.

• This for my 30 second summer face. It’s on sale if your Prime account is connected to your ShopBop + code prime25

• Erling Haaland’s Hermes Birkin collection

• Camp cabin moms emailing each other to put names to camper faces so we know who our daughters are telling us about in their letters.

• Cutting through the noise and stocking up on basics + necessities while they’re on sale.

• Being all wrapped up and on sale

• Running away to work in the mountains until camp pick up. We decided not to take vacation days or take a big trip, so Justin and I are going to work from the Highlands for a few days before camp is over.

• This shade of burgundy

• This strand of Mary Jane. This strand, too

• Elmo’s World Cup statement post Nicks scandal

• Replacing all of these because why do they have the same ones since high school? And are proud about it??

• This for my never-shaving-again journey

Misses

• whatever is happening here. I don’t think I’ve hated an aesthetic choice more.

• One of my children only writing letters home from camp to ask for more canteen money. Any guesses which child it might be?

• The unhinged toe sucking Love Island challenge

• When the audio book isn’t released at the same time as the e-book/hardcopy. Looking at you, Shattered Gods

• Maternal Instincts on Netflix. Fun fact: my absolute biggest fear when I was pregnant with Gray was that I would be a victim of the same crime. Even after they upped my meds, I lose sleep over it.

• The Legally Blonde revamp. Maybe we just let good things be and not try to reinvent the wheel, you know?

• Clip on bangs

• My feet after flopping around on my hardwoods all day.

• The comments on this reel saying I should have donated critter infested/feces and urine covered items to those in need.

• The bruises on my shins from shed clean out day

Hot Takes

Hi, hello. You do not have to read this hot take but I just need to update those who are invested in my house purging journey.

While the kids are at sleepaway camp, I honestly have impressed myself with how I’ve tackled my to do list. I’m someone who likes to make insane to do lists and then really relish checking things off but I think I also relish feeling the intense pressure to get it all done. This week has been so cathartic for me - just handling shit and checking off items that have lived on lists for years.

Most notably, I cleaned out our lofted, one and a half story shed. And thank god that I did. We noticed a few of the side boards had become rotted but we did not notice just how many little holes had been dug under and into the shed. I felt like a washed up Disney princess with all the critters and habitats I encountered on shed clean out day.

I was able to make 6 total donation runs - 4 to Habitat Restore and 2 to Goodwill - of wood furniture, since it can be cleaned/sanitized, including Georgia’s crib and Gray’s rocking horse. When we moved into this house, everyone got a big kid room and I just couldn’t part with those items. After not thinking of them for the past almost 6 years, I happily let them go on to other homes.

You guys, I filled a 20 yard dumpster in 4 hours. Filled it to the brim and then some. We got rid of our rotted outdoor furniture, construction supplies from 2 owners prior to us and endless carboard boxes soaked in animal pee.

I have never felt so free.

Yesterday I completed another task that hangs over me daily: Georgia’s closets. I adore this child but she is of the girly pop hoarding age. Tiny doll clothes, random art supplies, costume pieces, endless stuffies and the most random assortment of trinkets can always be found pilled up and spilling out of her two small closets.

I manhandled those closets yesterday and came out with EIGHT bags of actual trash. Not items to be donated, like ruined, ripped, sticky, glitter covered trash.

Her room looks adorable and she will be so excited when she gets home. And I will sleep better at night knowing that I am a domestic goddess who gets shit done.

Hits

• This to cover the cheeks

• Jordyn Woods’ lucky bag

• Getting my ears pierced! I am now the proud wearer of 4 of the tiniest little studs I’ve ever seen. My second holes had closed up so i went ahead and re-pierced those as well.

• This fave of mine being half off!

• Storing all of my bathing suits and cover ups in these

• Letters from camp! Our camp scans their letters and emails them to us so we get them same day, which I am obsessed with

• This for tween boys. Gray’s been crushing them.

• Keeping a running list of basics and restocks for Prime Day. If I have to buy air filters, I’m at least buying them on sale

• Leaving this on my bedside table because I only feel my whiskers while I’m laying in bed apparently

• This no mess set. Individual sets, cutie designs, no extra supplies needed, instructions on each one.

• The best $20 I’ve spent in a long time. I see it as adding protein to my kid’s meals and I’m taking it as win.

• Making dinner reservations all over town while the kids are away

• This Love Island take.

• Not meal planning/prepping/cooking for the next two weeks. My kitchen is closed while the kids are away and I could not be happier.

Misses

• Running out of dry shampoo. I don’t think I’ve ever let that happen in my life.

• Knowing that I need to tackle Georgia’s little hoarder piles in her room while she’s away at camp. It honestly helps me so much when other moms of tween girls tell me they have little baby hoarders too, so I’m throwing it out there

• Throne of Glass as a series. I know I’ve said this before but I finally finished my re-read in prep for the new ACOTAR release in October. Throne of Glass just drags on for me. The last 2 books feel relentless. Like please, no more battles, lets just wrap this up. I’m excited to start my Crescent City re-read next, book 2 of CC is a personal fave.

• Kids on E-bikes

• Poor Jen Hamilton making the mistake to take her pain to the public before she processed it herself.

• Not sizing up on my dumpster. Let’s just say bigger is always better when it comes to dumpster rentals.

• The fact that they haven’t made gluten free Goldfish yet. It just feels lazy at this point.

• Getting a single strand of hair under my press on nails.

Hot Takes

Guys, today was my day with the dumpster. I am sore, sunburnt and on a high that I can’t quite explain.

I filled that dumpster, completely on my own, and emptied out our stupid shed.

I took videos so you can see and promise to get them up tomorrow - so many of you were team dumpster and so excited for me, the least I can do is show you the insane before and after.

Stay tuned!

Hits

• Being bare faced

• Using my own code to restock this (oliveandtate20) because full price is wild

• These for Justin’s birthday, which naturally falls within days of Father’s Day

• Speaking of, this for Captain with a snap from Spring Break

• Shirley Temple Poppi

• Indoor/Outdoor

• The Tony’s opening number. We’re gonna see P!nk on Broadway ASAP.

• Skinny stem discourse

• All of the World Cup international team and staff reactions to the American weather. It just tickles me to no end as a Southerner

• This, the most forgiving cut of Summer

• The supportive girl vibes on Love Island. Also, shout out to Bea for being such a queen. And the girlie who corrected the guy who said “it’s clear we all work out”. She straight up said “not me” and that will remain the only relatable moment for me this season.

• Using these for smoothies. Anything to get the fruits and hydration into my picky eaters. Also, both kids can use this on their own, which is just perfect for me in my Summer Mom era.

• Summer whites

• Georgie’s pick of swim

Misses

• My new chin whiskers. Like what the actual eff.

• Being late on camp paperwork every single year. I literally pay the pediatrician a rush fee every year, so stupid.

• The fact that Polar Express tickets went on sale last week (?!) This is why parents are so overwhelmed, we can’t even let school get out for Summer before we need to book the holidays.

• Shaving. Honestly, any hair removal method. I need to just get laser hair remover because I loathe it so much.

• Being anemic, apparently.

• The scent of this

• Watching/hearing people kiss on tv.

• Still not having my ears pierced after having my piercing repaired 6 months ago. We had to do some scar revision to make sure it healed as flat as possible which has delayed the process.

• Choosing in store pick up instead of delivery. I am never as willing to drive across town to fetch something as I think I’ll be when the time comes.

Hot Takes

I might have gotten myself a little treat.

Justin and I typically try to take advantage of our child free sleepaway camp days and take a little trip just the two of us, but this year I called an audible.

The morning after camp drop off, a dumpster will be delivered to my driveway and I have given myself permission to go absolutely HAM on my house.

Nothing is safe.

No random stuffed animal (can’t be donated due to potential germs), old stained and ripped rugs, broken kid toys, whatever the hell is in our storage shed, cheap furniture that served it’s purpose but was trashed in the playroom days, some random things in the attic that we inherited from past owners, my completely rotted outdoor dining table that seats six, the broken soccer goal that made it one single summer and anything else that isn’t nailed down is going in the dumpster.

It is going to be so freeing. I honestly think I’ll be a new woman by the end of it all.

A whole dumpster, just for me. What more could a girl want?

Hits

• Neon Gods book 10 of 10 is finally in our hands!

• This for my car. Bonus it also repels bugs.

• A new season of Greeking Out dropping in time for summer car rides.

• This pretty little thing

• Spritz Season*

• My go to college grad gift

• Amanda’s glam on the Summer House reunion, but her glam only

• These under white jeans

• The return of Love Island USA

• A stocked big kid bored box for Summer

• Keeping it low profile on our 8-foot ceilings

• Trying these in my journey to healthier nails

• This kind of jelly

• Georgia rocking the Babysitters Club on Audible. Not only am I here for the nostalgia, but there are over 120 titles available, and it’s narrated by Elle Fanning.

• The Mac Tabby Cat Cafe, to my complete shock. Ages 7+, you get one assigned hour, get there early to get a smoothie and a coffee, plan to grab tacos across the street after. It is insanely clean and I say that as someone who is allergic.

Misses

• *Spritz season being in Charlotte and not Greece. At least I won’t have a hangover.

• This being too small to hold my phone. I’m really bad at scale.

• Karamo Brown’s People tell all. Something about it all just feels…off. He has his own major platforms - socials and a daily TV show, why not speak freely there? Why wait until People paid him?

• My fingertips being wrinkly despite staying on dry land. Apparently, I need to drink (a lot) more water.

• Slime.

• Whatever in the fly-fishing lure is happening here

• Realizing how pale my legs are.

• Sprite + Tea?! Who greenlit that?

• Sending elementary schoolers home for Summer with their instruments. Recorders are a school grounds only kind of activity.

• The babydoll dress discourse. Let us (and Olivia) live.

Hot Takes

I am prepared to be called a hater for this, but that’s why it’s called a Hot Take.

I think we need to cool it as a society on bringing dogs everywhere we go.

Last week I ran to Trader Joes (a Monday routine staple) and was in the produce section when I nearly tripped over a very small, very crusty white dog. I wasn’t aware we could bring our pets into grocery stores, but Trader Joe’s downtown is in a mixed-use area with lots of residential apartments and condos around so I’m sure it happens.

Anyways, as Mr. Tiny White Dog trotted off, not a single “service dog” designation in sight, I caught a glimpse of his back end.

And ya’ll, I kid you not, there was visible, dried, crusty poop on his butt fur.

Yes, I’m sure that’s what it was. Not, it was not mud. His feet were not impacted. Just his dingleberry hairs. Plain as day, out in the open, in the year of our Lord 2026, a dog was prancing through the produce section with his doo doo on display.

Please, for the sake of the produce and my eyeballs, let’s leave the doggies at home.

Hits

• These funky specs

• The return of pool season

• This for Georgia’s blonde pool hair, it works miracles

• These for kids and adults

• Spending more time on Pinterest

• The back of this coverup

• This being on sale. There is something so sexy in the simplicity, I own the brown but just bought the black. On vacation I wear it like a body suit with a white skirt over for light packing.

• Throwing out every single thing coming home in backpacks this week and tossing those backpacks right into the washing machine

• This, for big feelings

• Travis and Taylor courtside

• Since this best seller is sold out, I think this is our next fave

• This kind of bubble, but only styled like this

• Feel free to judge but organizing my pill case with labels of the medicine name + dosage has brought me so much joy

• College babysitters being back in town

Misses

• Bad sportsmanship

• Oral Minoxidill giving me headaches. I’m sad to give it up.

• My bare nail/attempt to rehab my nails journey. It’s really ugly and I’m not sure I can hang on much longer.

• Running out of this

• Nufs gluten free crackers

• The horrible pink helmet Hannah wears in Off Campus. Helmets are good, that one was tragic.

• Leaky goggles

• Murphy (the dog) eating an ant trap

• This suit for betraying my boobs by letting them fall out of the bottom

• Running at the pool

• The gluten free bun at Bad Daddies. Truly inedible.

Hot Takes

Off Campus and Heated Rivalry are terrible, terrible books.

There, I said it.

I watched both series first and thought “I want to know what happens with Ally and Dean!” and “There’s an entire universe of these sexy men?! Gimme more!”. Naturally, I jumped into the books headfirst and woooo boy was I in for a shock.

Like, these books are bad, bad. Not just badly written but in Heated Rivalry, the characters have zero chemistry! Which is insane to me because we all know the on-screen chemistry was off the charts. I read as many of the books as I could force myself to and each book followed the same plot - each book in the universe was essentially identical, so much so that I started mixing up the hockey players.

The chemistry between Dean and Ally in Off Campus on screen was wild - playful, flirty, intense but in the books? A total snooze fest. I fall asleep reading book 3 regularly, which is impressive because perimenopause usually demands I stay awake all night long.

I will never yuck anyone’s book/trope yum, so instead I’m going to wildly applaud the showrunners, script writers, casting directors and intimacy coordinators who took two of the least intriguing, least spicy and most unrealistically emotionally intelligent 20 something couples and turned them all into the steamiest, bingeworthy shows of the year. I am inspired by your dedication to the cause.

Hits

• This insane look for less

• This. It’s reusable! I just spotted and ordered for in store pick up - I’m really excited to decorate for graduation with them and then pull them back out for our birthday season. They’re brand new to me so I’ll report back!

• The Artemis Crew on Oprah. It’s giving 90s and I love it.

• Kristen Kish’s style

• The Raiders schedule release video

• Jonas Brothers back on tour and back in my feed

• This for Georgia’s birthday (use my code sitewide! Stephanie15)

• Every single bra worn in Off Campus. Literally, give the wardrobe department an Oscar. This was my fave.

• Actually remembering to make a reservation for our anniversary this year.

• This thing that promises to make me beautiful. It takes very little marketing to get me these days.

• My next borrow, she’s unhinged and I like it

• Listening to an audiobook if I’m getting any sort of massage or facial or am supposed to be relaxing. If I lay there in silence my brain just goes off on a million tangents and then I get upset that I’m not chilled out, and the cycle repeats. If I listen to something, I pass right out. Plus, no one tries to chat with me.

• This kind of fish

• Going for cool mom vibes with my graduation look

• This kind of dress. I will live in this all summer.

Misses

• The crochet skullcap trend

• Paying full price for this and now it’s basically free. Like wtf is that sales price?!

• Anklets.

• My 5th grade son’s field day being moved due to weather….but moved to the hour before the 5th grade band and chorus concert. The way that auditorium is going to smell like smelly, almost middle schoolers….gross.

• My nails being wrecked by years upon years of dip polish. I’m actually letting the be bare for the first time in probably a decade so that they can grow out. Let’s see how long I can stand it.

• Salads made at home.

• Watching one single reel with parents physically fighting at a children’s baseball game and now my feed is full of adult fights and kid sporting events. A massive miss for them and for me.

• The Duggars.

• The infamous vertebrate lamp. IYKYK.

• When Murphy shakes and mystery fluids splash on me

Hot Takes

I got a question on last week’s Hits, Misses & Hot Takes asking how I always find such cute sets that manage to look like an outfit and not at all like pajamas.

This comment makes perfect sense to me as I do love a set, it’s a full outfit and needs nothing else, but there do seem to be tons on the market that look like straight up pjs. To be honest, I own a handful of pj crossover sets but also have some tips on how to ensure you look like you put in the effort, not like you just rolled out of bed (even if you did, no judgement).

Avoid stripes. For some reason I’m seeing longs of vertically striped sets on the market. I think the long stripe tends to look somewhat grandpa-esque when paired as a set. Avoid a thin stripe as well, that also reads very bedtime to me. Try this pattern instead (runs large but very comfy)

Skip the long combo. Instead of doing long pants and a long sleeve top, consider mixing in a skirt, a unique shape to the top or a top with an interesting neckline.

Consider the material. I personally find that gauze blends look more like pajamas or pool cover ups than true outfits. I do love the fabric in both of those scenarios but if you’re hoping to avoid the lived in look, stick with cottons and heavier linens.

Accessories are your friend. Styling will always take your sets out of the bedroom. Throw on a long pendant necklace, a baseball hat and wrap sandals or a stack of bracelets and your work is done.

None of this is rocket science but an easy reminder that you can make any sort of outfit work for you.

Hits

• It’s birthday season around here so I’ve begun my tradition of taking pics on my phone when the kids point out something they like. It’s quick, inconspicuous and helps me know what to order once I sit down to do it.

• This beach read

• The return of Book It!

• The concept of dumpster rentals as a gift. I can think of nothing I want more, tbh

• Minis that come in tall

• Adding this to an afternoon smoothie. YOLO.

• This especially if you’re afraid to try the Rhode due to breakouts

• A longer sleepaway camp session means more to pack, so I just ordered these to pair with our trunks

• Skinny stems

• Anytime I share our art bags, people always ask what I plan to do with the saved art. Usually I reply with “give it to them when they’re 40 so they can throw it away” but I actually came up with a real use. Gray is graduating 5th grade next week, so I printed all of his first day of school pics and pulled out some of the best pieces of saved art/school projects and plan to make a banner with them. I’ll hang it the night before graduation so when he wakes up it will be a little walk down memory lane for him.

• This kind of art

• Matching sets

Misses

• This type of fisherman

• The purses that look like flowers in a pot

• Whatever is happening here

• The loss of house parties

• Pre-orders. Gimme that instant shipping notification or I’m out

• Ordering any kind of knit online. Hell, trying on a knit scares me, too.

• Not having a clue what I’ll wear to Gray’s graduation. And he was out of clean pants that fit this morning, so he wore his brand-new pants that I was saving for graduation. Fingers crossed they come home in one piece.

• Deep cleaning my freezer. How does it get actually dirty? Grosses me out so much.

Hot Takes

You guys. I had a conversation with Georgia (almost 9) that I have to tell you about.

Of course we’ve talked about periods openly here in our home. I have an 11-year-old son and feel it’s just as important that he’s prepared as is it that my daughter knows what’s coming her way, so we have group chats on the topic.

But sometimes there are moments in parenthood where you realize that some of the important info you’ve attempted to deliver may have slipped through the cracks.

This was one of those times.

This week I was getting ready in my room and of course had a kid underfoot. Georgia was in my bed, chatting, watching me and playing her tablet. I was going from my bathroom to my closet and back again, as one does, not really thinking she was paying me much attention.

Eventually I realize that she’s looking at me with….intense judgement on her face. I stop and serve face back, one eyebrow up, like “can I help you ma’am?” and this chick looks me dead in the eye and says:

“Why are you wearing a diaper?”

I say something along the lines of “well, it’s not really a diaper but…” and explain that I’m rocking period undies and remind her that there are many ways people who get periods handle it. Diapers included.

Her face remained disgusted and she said, “I know that mooooom but WHY are you wearing them AGAIN!?”

I was like dude, what? Again? I wear them every month.

Silence.

“Because people with a uterus get their period every month, remember?”

Ya’ll her face. The devastation. The shock. The horror.

She said “every month!?”

Yeah babe. Every month until you’re like a grandmother.

I fear I broke this child’s brain/heart/spirit because she looked at me and said

“that just can’t be right”.

Welcome to womanhood babe. You’re gonna be saying “that just can’t be right” from puberty until the end of time.