The Liz List - October 25, 2019
Image via Liz Adams.
Happy Friday! 🎉 I’m in Dallas today. I got here yesterday, and I’m visiting for a couple reasons… 1) my sister-in-law and brother are playing a show (she’s a singer and he plays guitar) and 2) I’m getting my first ever… 🥁… laser treatment with my girl Amanda at Eleven Wellness. She recommended an IPL (“Intensed Pulse Light”) Photofacial to help with my melasma (boo to annoying pregnancy side effects). Amanda’s a skincare wizard, so I do whatever she tells me. 🧖♀️ Straight after the peel this morning, I’m driving back to Austin. When all is said and done, I’ll have been in Dallas for less than 24 hours. I kept it efficient! Gotta get back to my girl! 👼🏻
This week’s high and low…
First the low. I’ve had a bit of a cold which is never fun. 🤧 But, at the peak of my cold, Kate had a couple rough nights in a row, waking up a few times between 3-5am. So, just like… bad timing. 🤷🏻 I don’t think it’s sleep “regression” since it only happened for a couple nights, so that’s good. Since then she’s been sleeping fine, so probably just a fluke thing. But honestly being sick and lack of sleep aren’t my lows. They’re just the triggers that led me to the realization that like… honestly I’m struggling to juggle it all lately. I’ve put too much on my plate (definitely part of this is my own fault, Enneagram 3 🙋🏻), and it’s to the point where I’m unable to enjoy anything happening. I’m just going through the motions, living hour to hour, am spread extremely thin and something’s gotta give. I thought I was adjusting to mom life pretty well, but I must admit I’m having a tough time right now. I’m still processing everything, and I like to process things emotionally before sharing (as opposed to sharing in real time), so that’s all I’ll say at the moment. But when the time comes and I feel like I can actually share something helpful and not just come across as complain-y, then I will. I know a lot of moms go through what I’m experiencing lately. I’m definitely not immune to the struggles of being a new mom!
But y’all. This was a week of several highs. 🙏🏻 First, my husband scored us tickets to see Dave Chappelle on Wednesday night. It’s almost impossible to get them. We’ve tried several times before when he’s come to Austin last minute (as Dave does), but this time it worked! He was absolutely hilarious. Also… another high. I just checked into my hotel in Dallas and as soon as I finish this post I’m going down to the bar BY MYSELF to order a spritz and maybe a cheese board and just live my best life down there BY MYSELF. Did I mention I’ll be by myself? 😅 Finally, another high was getting to spend time with my brother and sister-in law-last night! They’re based in Nashville, so I try to take advantage of seeing them when they’re in Texas.
Tomorrow, I plan on enjoying my weekend at home because it will be my last for a while. I’m out of town for the next three in a row. ✈️ We’re traveling for fun things, so I’m looking forward to it. But yeah I’m going to just chill and enjoy a relaxing weekend while I can.
Without further ado, here’s what I’ve been into this week:
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: My fellow germaphobes… you’re gonna love this product. Phone soap. It’s sanitizer for your smart phone. My husband’s job comes with a lot of handshaking, so when he gets home his phone goes straight into this device for 10 minutes. It uses UV light to kill 99.99% of bacteria. We love it. 😷
RECIPE: I’m making this soup recipe from one of my fave bloggers Liz Adams this weekend. Turkey Sausage, Spinach, and White Bean Soup. 🍲 I hesitate to share it before making it myself, but every recipe Liz has ever shared that I’ve made has been great. Plus my girlfriend Chelsea cooked it this week, and her husband said it’s the best soup she’s ever cooked. Sounds like a solid endorsement to me considering husbands don’t usually love a soup night!
SOCIAL MEDIA: I hesitated to link this article because it’s from the Wall Street Journal and therefore may be behind a paywall for you (although sometimes it lets you read one article, so give it a try), but it’s a piece on the business of social media influencing and whether brands are getting their money’s worth with partnerships. It delves into how much money is being made, how the deceit (i.e. buying followers and likes) of some influencers is giving the industry a bad name, declining engagement rates, and more. Personally, I don’t think influencing is going anywhere, but I do think brands are getting wise to which influencers have an authentic following and which don’t. I also think followers are demanding more from the bloggers and influencers they follow, and that’s a good thing.
SOCIAL MEDIA: From Betches.com… How A Lesson in Basic Anatomy Can Help You Spot a Bad Edit. Happy FaceTune hunting, everyone! 🕵️♀️
FASHION: I enjoyed reading this article via Fashionista.com: Has Fashion’s Tokenism Overlooked the ‘Inbetweeners’? As an “inbetweener” myself, it really resonated with me. An interesting insight into the modeling industry, for sure! The body positive revolution happening right now has been AMAZING for women and fashion. I love that it’s resulted in curvier models (not to mention models of all races) in ad campaigns. I do think it would be nice though to include all shapes and sizes in marketing campaigns, on the runway, and in magazine spreads - as opposed to just extremes on both ends. I think we’ll get there soon! 🤞🏻 In fact, I know some brands are already doing this. Outdoor Voices is the first that comes to mind, but I know there are a few others.
FASHION: Louis Vuitton opened a factory in Texas. TBD on whether a luxury bag made in Texas will carry the same appeal as one made in France, but props to LV for giving it a shot! If there’s one thing Texans can do, it’s leather. 👜
NEWS: 5 Steps for Following The News Without Going Insane. Enough said. 🇺🇸
RELIGION: Sorry to bring up religion, BUT… let’s discuss religion. 😅 Because some Southern Baptist men really ticked me off this week. Here’s an article explaining what happened. The idea that women are somehow not fit to preach is so asinine I can’t even begin to adequately put into words my extreme annoyance that this happened to Beth Moore. So I won’t! As a Christian (raised Southern Baptist), it pains me that there are people out there espousing this point of view. If women called to ministry are relegated to the sidelines, then it’s women - AND Christianity - that suffer.
PODCASTS: My friend Ellen started a podcast! It’s called “Step Up” and she’ll be interviewing women in politics. If you’re into policy and advocacy, check it out. #proudfriend
Have a great weekend!
XOXO,
Liz