Jessica's Friday Five: Summer themes, foot peeling magic & the random plastic bit system
Published 26 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader,
Right before writing this newsletter, I just clicked cancel on a potluck dinner we host every month at our house for our friends and neighbors. There's just too much going on right now, and I had to tell these beloved folks that we needed to create a little space in our calendar. Here's a permission slip if you need it to take something (or several things) off your list or your calendar if you're in a busy season. You can do anything. You cannot do everything.
Let's get to your Friday Five:
"The Summer Of": If you're heading into summer in the same hemisphere as me, consider having a theme for your summer. A handful of years ago, we were gifted a popsicle recipe book, and it was "The Summer of Popsicles". Last summer we got a pass to go to Chuck E. Cheese and went every Friday for pizza and games for our "Summer of Chuck E. Cheese". Maybe it's your summer of strength training, rosé, or Friday nights with your grandparents, going for long morning walks, or reading the Sunday Times in bed with coffee each weekend. A summer theme is a fun way to bring a little joy into your season. Want more summer tips? I've got tons of them.
Foot peeling spray. Deep in the comments in a Facebook group I'm in about a month ago, someone mentioned this foot exfoliating spray to help with keeping feet smooth during the season of sandals and bare feet (she said before this spray her husband was shredding their sheets with his heels - eek). Intrigued and because it wasn't very expensive, I picked some up for myself. The other night my family of four were sitting around a bathtub spraying our feet and being both totally grossed out and delighted by how well it works: you spray it on your feet and then just rub the skin lightly and tons of dead skin and dirt come off. It's incredible; I've never seen anything more effective.
A home system you might need: You find a random plastic bit on the floor. This looks like it might be an essential piece of something. Or a screw and you’re not sure to what item it belongs. I used to leave it out on a counter or something, hoping we’d figure out what appliance, game, or electronic device it was a part of and we could put it back where it belonged. But then we’d end up losing it. Or the cats would knock it off the counter and the robot vacuum would suck it up. 😩 Now we have a simple system: anything like this goes in this box (an old takeout container pictured here). Maybe we’ll never figure out where it goes. Or maybe we will know where to look when we realize something is missing a key part. A simple system that solves an occasional and annoying issue.
Safest swimsuit colors: If you're in the market for a swimsuit for a child or beginning swimmer, consider bright oranges, yellows, pinks, or reds for safety. Read more here and see examples of what different colors look like underwater. 🟠 🟡 🔴
How I'm staying updated on AI news: AI is a humongous disruptor in nearly every sector of our lives, some of which is great and some alarming. As a parent, a small business owner, and a human being, I feel responsible for staying thoughtful and informed about it. The current best way I'm doing that is with The Deep View email newsletter (it's free) which gives me a little bit of AI-related news to think about each day (this week it highlighted how Duolingo's AI-first approach is backfiring, how AI is improving weather forecasting and medicine/drug development, and how folks are predicting it might double our lifespans (!!)).
Bonus Sponsor Resource: Don't sleep on AARP membership, y'all. I'm far from retirement age, but I've been an AARP member for years because their deals are exceptional, and you can be a member as long as you're at least 18 years old. They're having a Memorial Day sale right now, so you can join for just $11 a year. That's unbelievable. Plus, you get a Free Insulated Trunk Organizer or Splash Day Bag. Listen - if you ever stay in a hotel, go to an amusement park, rent a car, or go to a restaurant, you will probably get a discount if you're an AARP member. This resource is from one of our Friday Five sponsors - thank you to them for keeping this newsletter free for readers!
