Morning Brew - 🐐 GOAT

Hello! Hi! Rachel here with an exciting update. As of today, we have a new sidekick on Sidekick! A warm welcome to fellow writer Maliah West. I’ll let Maliah introduce herself, but before she takes it away, this is your open invite to hit reply and shower her with welcome messages. 

Hi everyone, Maliah here! I’m so excited to be on the Sidekick team. When I’m not working you can find me reading, traveling, or proudly tending to my seven plant children. My likes include Beyoncé, making fun cocktails, and kombucha. My strong dislikes include tomatoes and long lines. Prior to Morning Brew, I was a fellow at Insider testing drying racks, candles, and more.

— Rachel Cantor, Maliah West

Simone Biles is rightfully dominating the news cycle this week (even for those of us without a Peacock subscription). On Tuesday, the 24-year-old gymnastics GOAT announced she’s prioritizing her mental health and taking a step back from the Olympics. She added in her statement: “It's OK sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are—rather than just battle through it.” Power to her. 

Fans around the world lauded her decision, including Michelle Obama, Justin Bieber, and Hoda Kotb. And even those who initially judged her harshly quickly apologized (see this WaPo op-ed from Diana Nyad). Last night, Biles posted a vulnerable update on social, telling fans: “The outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before.” 

Biles, along with tennis star Naomi Osaka, is ushering in a new generation of athletes and leaders who place their mental well-being above the expectations of others. While previous generations may have been told to suck it up and say “Yes” to every opportunity that came their way, Biles proves that, actually, knowing your limits and advocating for your own mental health is the toughest move of all.

• If your Hot Vax Summer isn’t what you thought it’d be, make up for lost time with the New York Times’s (free!) Summer In the City series. This weekend’s edition covers the best places to find outdoor live music.
• Thanks to the pandemic, the rule book on international travel has gotten way longer. Solo female travel influencer @hey_ciara urged her 86K Instagram followers to take a couple of precautionary planning steps vs. putting their long-awaited tropical vacay at risk.
• Now you, too, can serve authentic bread dipping oil like they do in fancy restaurants. (Or eat it with fresh sourdough bread for dinner—who’s with us?) It takes less than five minutes and features ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
• TikToker Micha Yvette says this energy management technique changed her productivity game. She’ll help you map out your stamina peaks to avoid a dreaded midday slump (h/t YouTuber Rowena Tsai, who inspired Yvette to create her personal “energy curve”).
• A history of the Negroni, 2021’s most popular cocktail. 

Wi-fi is not cheap, and it sucks. We pay a premium for connecting to the cloud, and it feels like there’s no way out of it. Finally, WSJ writer Nicole Nguyen addressed the elephant in the room (aka mediocre-speed internet) and shared a few pro tips to lower your internet bill. 

She says calling your service provider is worth the long wait time and snoozy holding music, because it often helps lock in a better rate. And if you’re an experienced sweet-talker, sometimes you can cop a price lock. Another option: Buy your own modem and router online (we stan Eero) vs. renting equipment. It’s a little more $$ upfront, but after a year or two, you’ll see your ROI. And if all else fails, “Often, threatening to switch providers, citing slow speeds or better rates elsewhere, can get you a better deal,” adds Nguyen. “But be willing to switch if your service provider won’t budge, assuming there’s another comparable provider in your area.” 

“Smart” is an understatement…

Super genius is more like it. Because the Withings Body+ smart scale is top of its class—aka the #1 best selling smart scale in the US. 

If scales went to high school, Body+ would be valedictorian. It provides a full body composition analysis which includes body fat %, body water %, plus muscle and bone mass. Body+ syncs this data instantly via wi-fi to the free app, so you can seamlessly analyze your health trends over time. 

Body+ is compatible with over 100 partner apps, including Apple Health, Google Fit, and more. 

And now you can get 20% off Body+ on Amazon—but you only have until August 1.

Get a super deal on a super smart scale today.

• Avoid a slippery floor with Brooklinen’s super plush bath mat. It’s budget-friendly, so it’s easy to replace when the time comes. 
• This $10 Bath Body Wrap towel from Target will stay in place whether you’re DIYing a blowout or chasing your dog around the house, thanks to its thick Velcro strap.
• Sudsing up with Nécessaire’s Body Essentials set (body wash, exfoliator, lotion) is like having a date night with yourself. Choose from three gender-neutral scents or opt for fragrance-free.