We enjoyed the last few days of summer this weekend!

Eloise: After overheating on the sidelines of children’s sports in the morning, it was so nice to escape on the boat in the afternoons and cool off. I had been home sick on Friday, so I also got to binge watch a show and read a book, which was absolute heaven (I feel like I never get to sit still for that long!) Now we’re rested and recovered for the week ahead and I think the weather in Maryland is going to cool off enough to maybe feel a little more fall-ish. We’ve been dipping our toe into fall with some apple recipes and I’m excited to fully embrace that this week.

Dinah: I had a very relaxed weekend because my plans to travel changed, but the highlights were having a girlfriend over for a glass of wine and getting to flex my cheese board muscles, and a walk with another friend and her daughter. This week is going to be a busy one and I’m also feeling a little bit under the weather, so I’m focusing on healthy eating, lots of rest and planning for a trip I am taking in a few weeks.

Monday Missive: September 20

What We’re Reading and Watching

• I’ve been hearing so much about lymphatic drainage recently-Lauren Bosstick is always talking about it on her podcast, apparently Megan Markle gets facials that emphasize it, and I read this GOOP article about it. After reading about her on GOOP and hearing Bosstick’s interview with Lisa Levitt Gainsley, a certified lymphedema therapist, I had to get her book and check it out.

  Gainsley shares a lot of the background of the lymph system and its role in the body, which is the kind of thing that is so fascinating to me, and then detailed information about specific lymphatic massage sequences. I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but my face has been getting so puffy when I get tired or when I eat salty food, so I was very excited to try out the sequence for your face, and I thought it was very effective at depuffing my face and waking up my skin. I also felt like it cleared my sinuses and generally drained fluid out of my head in a very gentle way. If you want to skip all the background reading and try the facial massage, this video by Lisa Eldridge a great way to started-I find it easier to follow along with the video version so that you know exactly what it’s supposed to look like. -E

• I’m so late to this show, but when I was sick I binge watched the first season of The Spanish Princess on Amazon, a historical drama about Catherine of Aragon and I loved the period costumes, the castle settings and did I mention that the actor who plays Prince Henry is so dreamy? -E

• I have been loving The Only Murder in the Building on Hulu, which stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. The three of them have such a charming dynamic and as a lover of true crime podcasts, I can very much identify with their obsession and how it brings them all together. Plus, the celebrity cameos are amazing! - D

• I “treated myself to a murder” as Grace Atwood likes to say, and read The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (I think this may have also been a Grace recommendation!). The main character, Ambrosia, gets sucked back into a scandal from her college years when her 10 year anniversary at Wesleyan approaches. It was a quick read and the mystery of it all was engaging, and I’m sure that anyone who went to Wesleyan would enjoy all of the very specific details. - D

• I’ve been walking a ton lately and have fallen back into podcasts as a result. My current favorite is Bad Blood: The Final Chapter, which is all about the trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. I loved John Carreyou’s book about Holmes and am so happy that he is back with all of his expertise about the case to weigh in on the trial. - D

What We’re Buying

• I found a new to me denim brand, Pistola, at my friend Lisa’s shop and I’m so excited for it to cool down a few degrees in Maryland so that I can actually wear my new jeans. They’re a more reasonable price point than some high end jeans and they have a perfect amount of stretch and a casual feel. -E

• My skin care staple brand, Biossance, has new body cream that I’m really enjoying and it’s 25% off right now- I can’t tell how effective it is yet, but it has a great texture and moisturizes really well (especially after a little dry brushing, if you’re trying the lymphatic massage). -E

• The best pastry chef in the world (I might be biased), Adam Young of Sift, Young Buns Doughnuts and A.T.Y Confections, released his new cookbook over the weekend! I actually worked on a cookbook with Adam back in our Ocean House days, and I’m so excited to see what he and the team have created. - D

What We’re Making

• I actually did my linen closet clean out last week and it was a huge success (and took shocking less time than I originally anticipated). This week I am going to try to spend 10 minutes every day looking through my clothing and getting rid of older items, and move more of my summer clothes into my basement storage to make my bedroom closet less cluttered. I’m aiming to be really brutal with myself and the work clothes from 10 years ago that I am still hoarding. - D

• We’re dipping our toes into fall with apple recipes-Lila made us the yummiest apple crisp this week and I made an apple themed snack board on Sunday for the boat. We’re excited to share our super simple recipes soon! -E

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