just the hits #4

and how I hope this day goes

I’m writing this on Thursday - we’re still in Pennsylvania. The kids are playing a nonsensical version of hide-and-seek in our loft, where I’ve camped out on the couch as my office for the day.

Thank goodness for noise-canceling headphones.

Here’s how I hope we spend today (the Sunday of Labor Day weekend).

I want to sip my coffee in bed while journaling and scrolling through my Instagram and Substack feeds, before getting in this Peloton ride. We’ll take the boys to karate and brunch, and I hope I can convince them to go for a long walk in the park before we return home for the evening. I’ll throw together our usual Sunday pasta while enjoying a spritz. Once the boys are in bed, we’ll watch an episode of The Bear - two, if we’re lucky. I plan to indulge in some revenge bedtime procrastination with a long bath and starting a new novel (even though I’m currently reading 2 other books), and put my Kindle away once the words begin to blur.

It may not be my perfect reading day, but it feels like a perfect day nonetheless.

As we transition to the fall, this is how I want to end the year:

completion > consumption

I’ve rounded up all of August’s things - books, recommendations, and answers to your questions.

august '24 things

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Marriage & Masti

by Nisha Sharma

Nisha’s Shakespeare Aunties series is one of my all-time favorite series, and I had high hopes for Veera + Deepak’s story even before I knew it would be based on Twelfth Night (my favorite Shakespeare play). Nisha, as usual, exceeded my already high hopes and delivered a book that I’ve now read over 7 times since I received the advance copy earlier this spring. It’s sexy and emotional and brilliantly funny (as is the whole series). If you haven’t read this series (or any of her books), you must. All of her books are my comfort re-reads, and this series in particular.

You can find my 2024 reads here, and my August reads here.

Moving Bags ($50)

I spent the week doing laundry and packing up our things in these lifesaving bags - the boys’ clothes and school supplies, the clothes we’re taking back to the city, home gym equipment, work gear, and some of the books/craft projects I had every intention of reading/doing this summer and never did. They’re perfect for storing off-weather clothing, for dropping off donations, and for seasonal moves. I can’t recommend them more.

Find all my Amazon favorites here.

She's Right and She Should Say It

I’ve known

John Jannuzzi

for over 10 (!!) years now, since my earliest blogging days. I’ve long been a fan of his work (from writing to cookies), and there are few better to opine on the rapidly changing landscape of media, creative work, and influence vs. influencers. This essay is his response to the now viral story by

Emily Sundberg

(which I recommend reading), and his brief mention of my work was a spark of joy when I’ve been otherwise down and lost about my writing career.

I share smart & fun reads, cheap (and useful thrills), and outfits on Instagram, and random musings on Threads. If that’s your thing, please hang out with me over there! You can come join us in the Substack chat to ask questions or share smart reads and little joys.

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Sharing

• my new Flagship shop! I’ve curated my favorite items from my favorite independent brands, and Flagship makes it simple to purchase them from a single site. I’ve purchased - and still love! - every item on my Labor Day collection.

• the book that prompted my completion > consumption epiphany

• two daylists I managed to save - brat summer hot girl walk and electronic chill flow.

• my morning pages notebooks (I actually filled an entire notebook, for the first time…ever?). They’re currently 25% this weekend, and I’m resisting the urge to buy the matching mug.

• a few travel GOATs - this plug adapter, my go-to steamer (dual voltage/powerful/compact), and the most important thing I pack when traveling with my kids.

These are my most popular recommendations.

Making

a mess as I unpack our lives from the past 2 months.

Answering

the same 3 complaints from my kids:

• I’m bored! Okay - find 5 things in your room you want to donate.

• I’m hungry! Did you check the snack basket?

  • my cousin gave me this tip - every morning, she fills a basket full of snacks for her kids (mostly healthy, some fun treats) and directs them to the basket between meals. Genius.

• Can we watch TV? Not until you read this book/these chapters, and write me 5 sentences about what you read.

Reading

• Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn (DNFing The First Man in Rome because I’m never going to finish it before our trip in a few weeks!)

• The Perfectionist’s Guide to Letting Go by Katherine Morgan Schafler

Trying

• to hit a full month of morning pages in September

• to say no to whatever September invitation comes my way (and responding with “thank you for the invitation. I’m not available, and will decline with gratitude”)

• to plan some book events around the paperback release of We’re Speaking

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If you enjoyed this weekend’s letter, please consider:

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Wishing you a wonderful Sunday.

xo,
HPN