This Week’s Favorites 07.18.26

Hellloooo my summer chickadees,

What a week it has been. Here in NYC, we endured the heat wave, legionnaires in the water supply (bless you, UES), The Odyssey premiere (bless you, traffic of the UWS), Canadian wildfire smoke (is the fire punishment for the Canadians killing all those Emus? Kidding— but also not), and life being life. And here we are. We made it.

Ron Swanson was a mood.

Also, can I just say that Parks and Rec is HILARIOUS. Not as great as St. Denis Medical, but a wonderful show to watch while we wait for St. Denis Season 3. I am still debating on whether The Five-Star Weekend with Jen Garner is worth it or if it will ruin the book. Garner in the ads already annoys me— is this a sign?!

My mornings consist of me fighting with the Hume Health Pod, strength training and sweating so much I can’t see anymore. We have reached that point in summer where I shower multiple times a day.

Something I am learning is we sometimes feel incapable of certain things— we opt for low-impact and soft movements thinking we can’t or shouldn’t jump, we can’t/shouldn’t do the explosive step-ups, that somehow, we are better off without it and our hormones are healthier if we take it slow and controlled. I just want to go on record to say that as a Pilates addict for more than a decade— all of that is a lie. I wish I had been doing what I started doing this spring a decade ago. That’s your PSA. Don’t let hormones, chronic pain or conditions keep you going at a pace that ages you at a cellular level. F-that.

I read The Courage to Choose Yourself, and while there are some suspect concepts in it, there were also parts that touched me deeply. I gave it 5/5 stars ⭐️. Mimi Ikonn should be proud of her book. I am now halfway through The Anti-Burnout Book and after will be Nantucket Second Chances because I love a Pamela Kelley Nantucket book in summer. (Let’s be honest, I read Nantucket books year round. How have I not been there yet?)

Country Living Magazine is doing its fair in Rhinebeck, NY in October, and not gonna lie— I want to go.

I sent some handwritten postcards and decided I miss snail mail. We are bringing it back. As a kid who moved every ten seconds, I sent hundreds, if not thousands of letters between the ages of eight and fourteen— then, emails took over unless you were at camp. God, I miss camping.

In the middle of Odyssey nostalgia, the smoke haze, Nantucket dreaming and my explosive HIIT sessions— these were some of the things that made me smile and/or think:

LOL to Kelly Oxford^.

“Sometimes the life lesson is that the peach was delicious.” Garance Dore (Sometimes, things are just simple. Why do we complicate everything?)

“We have to consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit.” Audre Lorde

“Faith isn’t certainty about tomorrow; it’s intimacy with the present. It’s letting love finish what effort began. It’s remembering that even when I can’t hold everything, I’m always held.” Mimi Ikonn

“The unknown isn’t against us. It’s where life meets us.” Mimi Ikonn

Forever the Olsen triplet.

“This is the richest life.

Not a life free from heartbreak.

Not one where every prayer gets answered the way we’d write it.

But a life so full of love that even the hardest days feel like miracles.” Dr. Edie Wadsworth

“In the restrictive age of Ozempic, Ina preaches the gospel of abundance.”
KJP sweaters.
Paige is marriedddddd. Dairy Girl Summerrrrrr. 🥛

This podcast episode was excellent and divine timing. I am now tuning into Ben Azadi’s podcast. So much good info and scientific studies.

Dr. Ewoma has all the tips and tricks:

I love Chef Khanna’s energy:

This message inspired me:

Lastly, Michelle Branch announced her tour. Guys. I am so excited to see this woman play her hits live. Her music takes me back to windows open and wind-in-my-hair Charleston days (with that particular Charleston marsh smell that hangs thick over the water). Pretending to be her in the church gym. It was her, Jaci Velasquez, Vanessa Carlton and JLo. Now, Branch is baccckkkkk. So in honor of her Everywhere and Back Tour— the song of the week goes to her.

Song of the week EVERYWHERE:

My Summer with Homer

Spotted on a stroll.

By: Gabriela Yareliz

It was the summer before 9th grade. I was a volunteer, with my grandmother who was visiting us for the summer, at the vacation Bible school my brothers were attending in the neighborhood.

One of the books on my summer reading list was The Odyssey. You could find me reading it outside in the sweltering heat; on the floor of the large activity room that was always freezing (they must have kept that AC at 64F and the mics at full volume); in the kitchen while sitting in one of the old wooden chairs— and every time I opened it, it sucked me into its world and chaos.

Even more than Odysseus’ adventures, I remember how the epic made me feel. When I walked past the premiere location all week, it took me back to that hot summer before ninth grade and the journey back home.

There was a tiny green frog that used to follow us around and sneak into the space between the mirror and the shell of the side mirror in the car. Named him Odysseus. He was a cutie and adventurer (also stalker, living on the edge feeling the wind in his non-existent hair).

All this to say, Homer’s story is unforgettable, and I can’t wait to see this movie.

Parrots Everywhere

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I know someone who has zero engagement with life. They just take what you say or information you drop and parrot it to the next person to appear competent. These types of people were definitely the kids who cheated off of other kids in school.

This person kept name dropping books. They couldn’t explain much about them in depth, but they knew something about them (but I was suspicious as to how). The truth is this person doesn’t know much about anything in depth, so it struck me as odd. They have the attention span of a squirrel. It was odd until the day they revealed they attend a book club. And then, it all became crystal clear— every time they would name drop the latest NYT bestseller, they would give a pre-fabricated tidbit that was being parroted from some soul in the book club who actually read the book. It is so on-brand for this person.

Sigh.

The moral of the story— don’t be a parrot. Don’t parrot people actually doing the work or people who know nothing but speak in word salads. Be the person who actually knows the information. Be the one who actually reads the book. And stay away from the parrots. They can be such energy vampires. God help them.

The Fence

“There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say…a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, ‘I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.’ To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: ‘If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.’” G.K. Chesterton

This Week’s Favorites 07.11.26

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I eventually made it home from Nashville. I took a flight from hell with little-to-no AC again (JetBlue), trapped in a seat with parents who had zero control over their children. (And these were not babies— we understand babies). The mom kept shrieking next to me, “MOMMY IS DOING HER BESTTTTT!” I assume that was a message for the entire small plane of people who just wanted to jump out of the emergency exit.

Meanwhile, her little boy kept kicking her in the face. A Hispanic mother would never allow this. This kid would have been getting his ass kicked in the airplane bathroom after the first half attempt to defy. But this white lady with artsy tattoos was melting under pressure. I was about to slap her and tell her to get it together.

Me the entire flight.

Appreciate everyone who read the Nashville chronicles and for the funny side messages and comments. I really do hope more people check out Nashville Adventures.

I am almost done with Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen, and it is great. So much better than her last release. I am forever a fan. She can truly do no wrong.

These were some additional favorites from the week:

As I prepare to do some Nashville barn intermediates with Tracy Anderson, I loved this joint interview with her and her mom.

These interviews were insightful and hilarious:

One of Theo’s best and funniest interviews EVER.
Two Louisiana gentlemen.

“Freedom is responsibility with a sexier name.” Seth Godin

“Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private virtue, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.” John Adams

“But one of America’s most underrated freedoms isn’t the freedom to succeed, it’s the freedom to fail.” Mary Holland Nader

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” Benjamin Franklin

“Repotting means accepting that the way is forward, not back. It means realizing that we won’t again fit into our old shells. But that’s not failure. That’s living.” Heather Cochran

Via Kenzie Burke.

“To love well, women must unlearn the belief that suffering is proof of devotion.” Bell Hooks

“I didn’t talk badly about you.

I talked about what you did to me.

If that makes you look bad, that’s between you and your behavior.

Because telling the truth about my experience isn’t bitterness. It’s clarity. And I’m not responsible for protecting someone’s image when they had no problem damaging my peace.

Sometimes the truth only sounds harsh because someone benefited from the silence.” Miley Cyrus

Via Kenzie Burke.

Song of the week (in honor of the great Bonnie Tyler):

It’s the song we all like to belt out in the car when driving alone on country roads. Just me?

A Golden Girl Who Turned Blue

These ladies helped me get some sleep in the Music City.

By: Gabriela Yareliz

When I got to the hotel after our walking tour, I had my work cut out for me. My navy linen dress had melted onto me. My chest and arms were blue (thank you, Banana Republic).

I started with makeup remover wipes, moved onto a wet towel and then, showered.

My evenings in the hotel consisted of four things:

Working. I was busting out contracts like a machine off of a weak hotspot (but bless the hotspot because my laptop refused to connect to the hotel wifi). Life is better in the south. If you are connected to wifi, you are not living.

Working out. I would go to the gym on the third floor. Usually, there was like three of us in there. I was the only woman I saw walk in there. I am someone who works out at home. The last time I was in a gym was in high school during my weight lifting class. I wandered around examining the machines with intrigue. One guy was on a treadmill and the other one was holding dumbbells but hypnotized by the World Cup game. Every time I would go down there, he was holding his dumbbells and staring up at the tv, not moving. He does realize not moving doesn’t count as a workout, I wondered to myself. I eventually mastered the stair master and sweat my heart out down there. I was able to lift weights. Usually, when I would go to the rack, the guy holding the dumbbells would snap out of it and leave to watch tv from his room, I can only assume.

Calls with my husband. I hated being away from my husband at this conference. What was worse was it was impossible to FaceTime or have a non-staticky call. My signal was terrible; the wifi was pathetic. I missed him terribly, and my frustration grew as the calls would go in and out.

Golden Girls. After a shower that would wash away the eternal sweat sticking to my skin (and sometimes clothing dye), I would raise the thermostat and turn on Hallmark where they would play Golden Girls. (Side note: Is it just me or do hotel showers always have weird water temperatures?) Anyway, I would let Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia put me to sleep eventually as they overpowered the screaming bachelorette parties in the streets below.

Soon, though, it was time to go home.

The Magic of Nashville

Right on Broadway!

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Nashville is a place of grit, transformation and generosity.

One of the highlights of my trip was going on a Nashville Adventures walking tour. After all the delays and inconveniences in getting to the city, this time learning from our tour guide Paul Whitten was the highlight of the trip. Do yourself a favor and book a tour with them if you are in town.

It was like 100F, but we all had a blast. He planned considerate AC and water stops for us, and more than that, his passion for his city had us engaged the whole way through.

Some of the things I learned are below (and this is from memory— so apologies for any inaccuracies. The point is you should take the tour yourself and learn from Paul!).

Smashville!

Sports give cities their renaissance and sparkle. Bringing football and an NHL team (the “Preds”) changed and revitalized the city in the early 2000s. I paid a lot of attention to the arena as the little hockey fan that I am.

The Ryman was a church. The requirements for performing there shaped Country music forever. The alley between The Ryman and Tootsies is historic. (Love the back doors to the bars).

Tootsies from the back door.

Resilience is the key to birth in Nashville. There was a young man who bombed his audition in The Ryman and was told to go paint houses or something like that. He took that criticism and let it fuel him. Ultimately, the world knew his name; he did not give up. His name was Elvis.

Nudie’s!

Nudie’s doesn’t have nude women— it honors an immigrant (Jewish/USSR) tailor by the name of Nudie who hustled hard. He started by making suits for those who wanted to perform at The Ryman and couldn’t afford an alternative for a suit. When folks were tired of looking the same, he started bedazzling. He created a fashion movement that would permeate country music and rock and roll. If I am not mistaken, I believe I heard one of Elvis’ jackets is on display at Nudie’s.

On Church Street.

Maxwell Coffee has a dark history. The Maxwell Hotel was known for hosting many KKK get togethers. As the civil rights movement went national, the Maxwell Hotel in Nashville burned down. History holds ironic moments.

The Woolworth Theater still has the sit-in counters. It was magical to see this. They have an incredible gallery with civil rights images not seen by the public. The lunch counter tiles line the walls, and the rails are the originals. Go touch a railing that a civil rights leaders gripped on the path to equality.

As I walked down Broadway, it clicked for me that it’s a gesture of generosity, all these honky tonks. You have these super famous country music stars creating platforms for the next generation of country artists. They set up these stages and schedules so musicians can do what they love and be heard and known. These artists have reached the pinnacle of success, and Broadway is a set of blocks where they turn around and extend their hand to the next generation of music. “Let me help you,” it whispers as you walk past the open windows framing band after band.

Music is a tool of resilience. Sports is an education in resilience. This city showcases both in the most fun way, and this is part of what makes Nashville magic.

From a window on Broadway.