Links we sent our friends #77

30th birthdays, nail polish, custom t-shirts, and more...

Hello! It’s Aja. Today’s my 30th birthday, and I’m feeling… pretty good about it! So many people have told me their thirties were fantastic — including my optometrist, who saw my birthday on file and said, “You are going to loooooooove your thirties,” with exactly that many Os.

Have you entered our giveaway yet? Go leave a comment; it’s quick (and if you’re a paid subscriber, you automatically get more entries!)

Here are some responses so far…

• Liz
  : “I’m thankful for therapy & for mental health discussions being normalized. The feeling of coming out of a rut is freeing and lovely.”

• Alex Steele
  : “Thankful it’s an ‘on’ year for my avocado tree, and that she offers so many that we have more than enough to share with our neighbors and parents.”

• Kara Smith
  : “I’m thankful for my husband’s ridiculous sense of humor — feeling the squeeze of the sandwich generation (caring for amazing and exhausting kids while managing a parent’s health stuff) and he keeps me laughing every day.”

Aja’s Links:

1. Sam and I are going to one of our favorite special occasion restaurants tonight. I love that their “three course” dinner is choose your own adventure — so you can get three bowls of pasta if you’d like.

2. My Catbird gumball pearl ring, which was actually one of my favorite things of 2023, is 20% off (through today!) It looks way more special than its price; in fact, when I got engaged, people thought it was my engagement ring. Lol.

3. Loved reading

   Teresa Wu
   ’s round-up of holiday traditions. Doesn’t
   Becca Freeman
   ’s annual Secret Santa sound fun?

4. I got my nails painted in a beautiful blue in Mexico City — deeper than baby blue, lighter than navy — and have been searching for the nail polish since. Thank you to my mother-in-law for identifying it as “french blue” and leading me to this gorgeous polish.

5. Oatmeal has been my breakfast of choice for twelve-plus years, and I didn’t know there were new ways to eat it…

   Justine Doiron
   proved me wrong with this delicious (and very cozy) recipe. (Aliza: I’m on a long-standing oatmeal kick too! Mine is definitely not this interesting — but it’s functional.)

Left: Aja’s new favorite polish; Middle: Aja’s old favorite ring; Right: Aja’s forever breakfast (with a fresh spin).

Aliza’s Links:

1. Hi, New York people! One of our readers (we’ve featured her fantastic upcycled designer bags before) is hosting a pop-up this weekend with other creators and designers. Claire describes it as a “1950s department store where you can find everything you need to fill your home.” Wish we could be there.

   

2. I really must learn this…

3. I’ve been a sounding-board for my husband this weekend as he chooses between this pair of Nikes and these. Their annual Black Friday deal (which ends today) is one of the ones that feels worth it.

4. Love how this playful, cinematic spotlight gives the Nutcracker’s Prince a moment to shine.

5. Any upcoming trips?

   Tori Simokov
   put together a helpful roundup of travel essentials for Window Seat categorized by luggage, wellness picks, tech, and organization (and featuring a few picks from Aja and me).

6. This Nashville nostalgia merch is everything (and they offer custom design services!)¹

Question we asked our friends:

How do you feel about your thirties — whether you’re in them, approaching them, or are looking back on them? Don’t hold back; I want your authentic feelings (and advice on making the most of them, if you have it)!

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In case you missed it:

• Our 23 favorite things of 2023

• Lessons from the first 13 months of motherhood

• My husband won’t take my last name

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1. They also donate a portion of their proceeds to local/regional nonprofits like the ACLU of Tennessee. Which makes me love them even more.