Good sh*t | October 2023
Chonky clogs, the trials of multilingual partnership and parenting, and liking your body as you age
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Shop
Reformer Loops Resistance Bands: I am forever in search of resistance bands that a) don’t snap on me and b) don’t clash sitting with my all black everything. These come in a pack of 3, in black, grey, and nude. Why has it taken 10 years of teaching to find these?!
Element Brooklyn Mandarin Hand Soap: Aesop, who?? This is a near exact dupe of the Aesop Resurrection Aromatique soap and if you see this under my sink paired with an Aesop bottle out on the counter…no you didn’t.
Senmer Leather Striped Tote: Stumbled upon this Etsy shop this month and have been drooling over all their bags—particularly this emerald green striped timeless but funky ditty. I am trying to incorporate more color into my looks (I love black and beige, sue me) and this feels like a non-committal way to do it.
Wordslut, A Feminist Guide To Taking Back The English Language: I devoured Amanda Montell’s second book, Cultish, in just a few days and knew I had to circle back to her first tome on the English language and how it shapes our perception of gender and feminism. As the daughter of an English major and a student of French, I LOVED hearing how history and politics have informed our language and vice versa. Isn’t as heavy as it sounds—highly recc!
Free People Hit The Slopes Colorblock Pullover: I want this in the Oxblood Combo colorway SO BADLY.
One Protein Bars: I am always hesitant to recc any sort of fitnessy meal replacement stuff, but a big part of intuitive eating is making sure you actually eat, even when you don’t have the energy to cook or a dramatically explicit hunger cue. These save me on mornings when I have early pilates clients, so I’m not drinking coffee on an empty stomach at 5am (I’ve learned that lesson too many times) and have a really great amount of protein, and don’t taste offensively horrendous (listen, it’ll never be actual cookie dough, but they’re edible). Disclaimer: I am not suggesting eating these in lieu of a meal— I’m saying they tide me over until I can make a proper breakfast. 🙃
Gratitude Inspirational Card Deck: If there’s one thing I’m gonna collect with abandon, it’s conversation, tarot, and gratitude card decks. I helped lead an incredible wellness retreat in Montenegro in early Oct, and we closed out each day by reading one of these cards—and somehow it was always the perfect exact thing we needed to hear. I was so excited to order these to have at home waiting for me to keep a good thing going.
Bedhead Queen For A Day Thickening Spray: I recently recommitted to the bangs in a big way and my stylist used this on the fringe—I have naturally pretty thick hair, but have always felt like my bangs laid kind of eh until using this, which gives it a little more weight for both wavy and blown out looks. (I only use it on the bangs).
Humani Moves LIVE Virtual 8-Week Pilates Mat + Foundations Teacher Training: This isn’t pictured, but my friend Maria, owner of Humani Pilates in Sacramento is offering a fully online mat teacher training in December and I can’t recommend her enough if you’ve been considering further study. Aside from a mastery of anatomy and creative programming, and her shared view of movement from an anti-diet, health (not beauty) first perspective, Maria is an expert at teaching teachers to BE teachers—which is something that so many programs miss. I wish a program like this had been around when I first started and I had to power pose in the bathroom before class because I was so terrified of public speaking (even to a group of 10). If you’re thinking about it you can double up on the early bird discount and my $50 off code HELENP to get $100 off the program!
*This section may contain affiliate links when available, but I only share what I love/am genuinely lusting for!
Read
Is The Wellness Industry Backsliding On Body Positivity? - The Beauty Independent
No More Girl Push Ups - The Washington Post
It’s Time To Rethink The Origins Of Pain - Scientific American
This Cream Is Not About Anti-Aging!!! - Sara Petersen
They Put A Bow On It! - The Cut
Influencers In The Wild Has Overstayed It’s Welcome - Embedded
Multilingual Couples Are Sexy. Multilingual Parents Are…Tired - Motherlingual
Teen Bedrooms We Wished We Had - The Face
Are You Sleepy Or Just Tired? - Vox
7 Habits That Cut The Risk of Depression in Half - The Dose
Cozy White Bean Mushroom Stew - Minimalist Baker
Watch
Meme Dump
In good (mental & physical) health,
Helen
If you love these emails and appreciate the work that goes into them, please drop a heart or comment at the bottom of this email so I get more reach on Substack, forward this email to a friend, or consider upgrading to a paid subscription and don’t forget to say hi over on Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube 🙃
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I LOVE your newsletter Helen. Always look forward to reading it when i have time. Karen