Weekend: No One’s Having a Better Time Than Ina 🍸

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday. Thanks to what has felt like three weeks of straight rain, I’m dealing with a case of extreme “autumn sleepiness.” To combat that, I’ll put on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Parisian-chic sneakers, pick up free coffee (it’s National Coffee Day, people), and head to a so-called “elevated take” on pilates. I’ll also treat myself to a shopping spree — since I’m at the point in the season where I don’t know how to dress. According to my research, anything with early 2010 vibes should be on my list, including Urban Outfitters-coded leopard print jeans (I don’t think I’m brave enough for Hailey Bieber’s leopard-on-leopard look) and a J.Crew-esque barn jacket (you know the one). But the thing I refuse to buy? Bermuda shorts, which I regret to inform you are sticking around for fall.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

🍂 Apologies to Meg Ryan and Gilmore Girls, but apparently we should all be channeling Strega Nona this fall.

🍗 In this week’s edition of Things That Didn’t Get the Attention They Deserved: Nicholas Sparks’s Chicken Salad, which involves 16 packets of Splenda and has correctly been described as “absolutely diabolical.”

🧥 Forget “wrong shoe theory” — “wrong jacket theory” has entered the chat. Perhaps that explains why ponchos, of all things, are making a comeback.

💍 QQ: Is it OK for a mother of the bride to wear white? The internet has…thoughts.

👀 Move over, preventative Botox — it seems we’re now in the era of preventative facelifts. Naturally, we have to ask: Has anti-aging gone too far?

Let’s be real here: Celebrity news seems to get darker by the day (looking at you, Diddy). Luckily, Ina Garten’s press tour for her new memoir has been the ultimate palate cleanser — giving us moments nearly as iconic as when she whipped up a cosmo the size of her head. Highlights from the tour include: the highly memeable, all-too-relatable dishwasher comment; a look at the library in her NYC apartment, which is surprisingly normal — particularly compared to her cookbook library; her discovery of the Trad Wife movement (her reaction is *chef’s kiss*); and, yes, the highly entertaining story of Garten’s first and last time playing beer pong, involving Taylor Swift, soccer star Abby Wambach, and some NSFW advice.

But not all the content has been as irresistible and comforting as her beloved Double Chocolate Layer Cake. The Barefoot Contessa’s press tour has also delivered a few eyebrow-raising revelations, including the time Garten’s assistant “dismissed” a letter from Jennifer Garner and details about an icy period between Garten and Everyone’s Other Favorite Hostess Martha Stewart. But perhaps the biggest bombshell of all? Garten’s admission that she almost divorced Jeffrey (correct, that Jeffrey) when the two were going through a rocky moment in the ‘70s. Of course, we probably don’t have to tell you that America’s Favorite Couple is better than ever (see: this Golden Retriever Husband repping his wife’s merch). In fact, it seems the most controversial thing about Garten continues to be her highly questionable method of cutting bagels (please name one other person who does this). Which, given *gestures broadly at everything* is pretty refreshing.

After Moo Deng, it seemed no other animal could possibly be as obscenely cute or as adorably chonky. Not so. Enter: Pesto, the ridiculously fluffy king penguin, who’s gone viral for literally being “a big baby.” At nine months old, Pesto is already clocking in at roughly 50 pounds — making him larger than both his foster parents combined (the family photo is too good) and the heaviest chick Australia’s Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium has ever seen. Naturally, Pesto has attracted a surge of aquarium visitors (in the words of one Instagram commenter, “That baby was born ready to pay a mortgage and drive himself to work”), a special meet and greet with Katy Perry, and fans around the world — many of whom are understandably captivated by his very lovable waddle, incredible appetite (he eats about twice as much as the aquarium’s adult king penguins), and fascination with bubbles. Fingers crossed that a live stream is on the way — particularly since he’s expected to “slim down a fair bit” in the coming weeks.

First we had the “Girl Dinner.” Then came the “It” Girl Meal. And now, we have the Balkan Breakfast, in which people enthusiastically forgo utensils and eat a variety of whole, raw vegetables (think: bell peppers, beefsteak tomatoes, onions), cheese, and hunks of bread ripped straight from the baguette. Sometimes the spread also includes cured meats, pickled vegetables, and a dip like Ajvar, a popular roasted red pepper condiment — and all of that may or may not be served on a cheese board (because, yes, we’re still putting everything on boards). Now, this is probably where we should mention that the Balkan-ness of the Balkan Breakfast is debatable, and TikTokers have taken a number of liberties, like adding in croissants. All of which brings us to the following question: Why can’t our meals just be meals?

Adam Brody and Kristen Bell in Netflix's Nobody Wants This

Great news for all The OC fans who passionately identified as Team Seth: Your favorite, awkwardly charming Jewish love interest is back — and “has entered his ‘hot rabbi’ era.” Netflix’s new rom-com series, Nobody Wants This, stars Adam Brody as Noah, a progressive, newly single rabbi with an extremely overbearing family, who meets and falls for Joanne (Kristen Bell), a snarky, perennially single sex podcaster. Of course, there’s plenty standing in the perfectly mismatched couple’s way — including their wildly different backgrounds (did we mention Joanne’s agnostic?) and career aspirations — which they navigate with so much humor, authenticity, and electric chemistry that The Guardian called the show “as funny as When Harry Met Sally.” That is obviously impossible because nothing could be funnier than the greatest rom-com of all time. But also, we’re sold.

The US currently does not have federal regulations in place for limiting levels of chemical contaminants in baby food. Little Spoon gets why American parents aren’t thrilled about that. So this week, they’re setting a fresh new standard by becoming the first and only baby food brand in the US to set strict limits for more than 500 toxins and contaminants based on the best-in-class European Union standards. Every batch is tested by a third-party accredited lab, and no product is sold unless it passes — period. It’s that simple. Learn more about their approach.*

Canceling plans because I’m not the same person I was when I made them

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

95% of users agreed dull skin looks brighter in 10 days with this cult-fave skincare brand’s vegan anti-aging moisturizer^† — and Skimm’rs get it free with any $75+ purchase.*

Your hunt for the perfect bra just might end here. Knix's Revolution Bra is completely wireless, but somehow provides all the support of your most hardcore bra. Soft, smooth, magical.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: You deserve nice pajamas. Lunya's Slumberknit line is as luxurious as it gets — they're soft, perfectly weighted, and can double as loungewear.

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