Weekend: Do I Pay My Housekeeper If I Cancel? 💸

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. My cozy weekend plans include paying tribute to Dame Maggie Smith by rewatching The First Wives Club (an all-time favorite), investigating Lana Del Rey’s reported marriage to an alligator tour guide, and adding a “freshly-baked fragrance” to my perfume collection. But for an actually edible treat, I’ll be hitting up McDonald’s in hopes of securing a “secret birthday cake” (don’t tell them my birthday isn’t until, um, March) and making a batch of Taylor Swift’s famous Chai Sugar Cookies. While I level up my seasonal baking, I plan to do the same with my nails: Though I’ll probably pass on Lady Gaga’s “patent leather” look, this shimmery “Moscow mule” mani is perfect for autumn.

— Taylor Trudon / Writer, Culture & Lifestyle / Brooklyn, NY

This Pizza Bean Salad Is a High-Protein Twist on Your Favorite Comfort Food

theSkimm

It’s official: The “DBS” has taken over TikTok. No, that’s not the name of a K-pop group. Rather, “DBS” stands for “dense bean salad,” the latest viral food trend. More of a salad formula than a specific recipe, the high-protein, high-fiber DBS — popularized by TikTok creator Violet Witchel — usually includes a variety of veggies, a zingy dressing, and yes, a lot of beans. Which brings us to Kale Me Maybe’s inventive Pizza Bean Salad. While it’s no substitute for actual pizza, it is a close second, thanks to the dish’s juicy tomatoes, crunchy green peppers, salty pepperoni, mozzarella globs, and fresh basil — all topped with a ridiculously delicious hot-honey oregano dressing.

The Time Commitment: Under 20 minutes. Keep in mind, the lettuce-free salad will stay good for days — so double or triple the recipe and you’ll have a few days’ worth of lunches and/or dinners.

Key Tips: Carina Wolff (aka Kale Me Maybe) uses Rancho Gordo Royal Corona Beans, but any big white- or cream-colored beans — including butter, cannellini, and great northern beans — will do. And to make this even heartier, consider adding marinated artichoke hearts, Castelvetrano olives, and roasted red peppers.

Other Takes: The magic of the DBS is its versatility. Case in point: This simple and flavorful Za’atar Butter Bean Salad and this Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad — both of which, in our experience, are best enjoyed straight from the mixing bowl. Meanwhile, this zesty Black Bean, Corn, and Red Pepper Salad somehow tastes even better the longer it sits. Same with this Tuna White Bean Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Basil, which comes together in 15 minutes and can be stuffed into a pita or piled on top of peppery arugula. And while you can’t go wrong with any of Witchel’s salads, this Spicy Chipotle Chicken DBS is her “favorite to date.”

What’s new in food & home:

Gird your loins, pumpkin-spice hive: The “new flavor of fall” is coming for your latte.
The only thing more terrifying than Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is its themed, neon-blue cocktail — which is reportedly being sold for $31.
A surprisingly convincing case for why your home should smell like a centuries-old church. (Yes, you read that right.)

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

theSkimm

The ultimate fall accessory isn’t boot charms or Natalie Portman’s “witchy” ribbon choker. It’s a copy of Sally Rooney’s highly Instagrammable, highly anticipated novel Intermezzo (as evidenced by Sarah Jessica Parker). In her latest emotionally devastating book, we meet Peter, a Dublin-based lawyer, and Ivan, his chess-obsessed younger brother — both of whom are managing their grief after the death of their father, and in typical Rooney fashion, fall into complicated relationships with each other, themselves, and a few women along the way. In other words, it’s the Rooney-est of Rooney novels or, as some are declaring, it’s “utterly perfect.”

Meanwhile, on the internet…

Is there anything more chaotic than the Nutter Butter TikTok account? Apparently not.
The latest thing dividing the internet: One woman’s rules for how to talk to child-free friends.
If you’ve ever wondered what a $10,000 Bottega Veneta beanbag chair looks like, wonder no longer.

This Coastal Spanish City Is Full of Surprises — And Delicious Food

theSkimm

Pristine beaches, centuries-spanning architecture, and a world-renowned gastronomic scene are just a few of the reasons why San Sebastián (also known as Donostia) is worth a visit. This enchanting city-by-the-sea is located on the northern coast of Spain in the Basque Country, just 12 miles from the French border. Psst…this club will email you when they find crazy good flight deals, like a roundtrip ticket to Spain from $291. Oh, and Skimm’rs can try the club for just $1 — if you sign up by midnight tonight.

🛏 If you’re a self-proclaimed beach bum, get a room at the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra. The grand 19th-century building is set just steps from La Concha Bay on the seafront promenade. For something a little more tucked away, there’s Mendi Argia, a former villa that’s been restored into a boutique hotel.

🏖️ There’s plenty of sea to go around in San Sebastián. Swim, paddleboard, or canoe at La Concha, a nearly mile-long golden sandy stretch in the center of the city book-ended by two stunning mountains. The waves over at Zurriola Beach make it a must for surfers, but amateur beach volleyball players will find plenty to enjoy as well.

🎢 For breathtaking views of San Sebastián, you’ll want to visit Monte Igueldo Amusement Park. Yep, an amusement park. On top of a mountain. Take the 100-year-old wooden railway up to the scenic lookout, where you’ll find 20 attractions, including a wooden roller coaster, bumper cars, and a lazy river ride.

🍴 San Sebastián may have a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants to choose from, but that’s not the only reason foodies should visit. Pintxos — bite-sized snacks typically served as appetizers over drinks — are a staple of the Basque Country, so be sure to take a guided tour of local bars to sample an assortment of these innovative creations.

Ready to book your flights? You can get there for up to 90% less by trying this club for $1 by midnight tonight. They’ll email you with almost-unbelievable flight deals from your home airport, like an under-$300 round trip to Spain. It’s no wonder they have one million happy customers.*

We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:

Q: An emergency popped up, and I had to cancel my housekeeper at the last minute. Should I still pay them?

“Your housekeeper relies heavily on your commitment, so unless you give [them] enough advance notice, where [they] can potentially find another job for that day, the right thing to do is to pay your housekeeper for the [canceled cleaning].

Another option would be to offer an alternative day that week or the following week to make up for the lost time. The bottom line: The appropriate and most respectful gesture is to cover the cost of your housekeeper if you changed plans at the last minute for whatever reason, including an emergency.”

Featured Expert

Diane Gottsman

National etiquette expert and owner of the Protocol School of Texas

Which etiquette question should an expert answer next week?

I’m not married and don’t have kids, so my siblings often assume I’ll handle the caretaking responsibilities for our aging parents. How do I tell them that they need to do their part?

My in-laws moved nearby and love “popping by” without notice. I’ve tried to set boundaries, but it doesn’t work. What’s the best way to approach this?

One of the women in my friend group earns significantly less than the rest of us, so planning trips is tricky. We want to include her, but we also want to spend what we feel comfortable with. How do we handle this?

Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.

Check out the best sales to shop this week, including the Ulta Fall Haul where you can get the lip balm Sabrina Carpenter loves. (Lanolips, to be exact.)

If your kids' activewear is looking a little worse for wear, shop Athleta Girl's Back to School Edit. She'll like this cute bomber jacket. You'll like these flared leggings that'll remind you of your beloved Solows.

Get this chic wreath, ridiculously cute ghost pillow, and some pumpkin mugs, and may the countdown to Halloween officially commence.

PS: Want more product recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram.

Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.

Meet Us On The Leaderboard

Flipart | Spelltower | Crossword | Typeshift | Pile-Up Poker

Shop smarter with the Skimm Shopping newsletter—your guide to curated products, books, and more to solve your everyday needs.

Subscribe now

Have a book, recipe, or travel rec? Or, a dicey etiquette question you want answered by an expert? Submit them here.

Weekend: Do I Pay My Housekeeper If I Cancel? 💸

Together with

This Pizza Bean Salad Is a High-Protein Twist on Your Favorite Comfort Food

theSkimm

What’s new in food & home:

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

theSkimm

Meanwhile, on the internet…

This Coastal Spanish City Is Full of Surprises — And Delicious Food

theSkimm

Q: An emergency popped up, and I had to cancel my housekeeper at the last minute. Should I still pay them?

Featured Expert

Diane Gottsman

Shop smarter with the Skimm Shopping newsletter—your guide to curated products, books, and more to solve your everyday needs.

Older messages

Costco is weighing in on Diddy's baby oil

The "coolest" neighborhood is…

No, that’s not Brad Pitt texting you

The great hydration debate

“Whimsigoth” is serving fall all year

You Might Also Like

Why Kamala Harris Went to the Border

Distant By Design

From “Simple Verses” by José Martí, translated by Anne Fountain

Podcast app setup

Natalie Portman Just Nailed The #1 Skirt Trend Of Fall 2024

9 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Recycling

The GLP-1 Supplement Boom

5-Bullet Friday — Advice for Perfectionists, Tech Tool I’m Testing, How to Handle Frustration, and More

Khloé Kardashian Channeled Carrie Bradshaw In A Teeny Mini