The race to be right

It’s October! YAY. Here I am freshly birthday-ed and ready for a full fall immersion. At the end of this post I did a fun little “Still thinking about” section that is entirely fall themed. You’ll find all my fall faves (so far) hanging out there. But first, a little chat.

As with so many of my posts this one will be a little meandering but hopefully we’ll stick the landing. The inspiration to write this week came from three sources: Half Ideas, a wellness conference, and the Vice Presidential debate. But, before you leave, this is not a political post. Your heart rate back to normal? Ok good here we go.

When I first started writing Half Ideas, I never expected it to be the most opened and commented on series in this newsletter. Two smart, influential women—Hitha and Dr. Lakshmin—even reposted about the series in their own Substacks saying it struck a chord. Both women expressed essentially the same reason for being drawn to Half Ideas that some of my readers have—it gave validity to their own unfinished thoughts. It convinced them that sharing a half idea is just as good (if not better!) than the alternative. I am genuinely flattered that Half Ideas resonates and that it has made many of you more comfortable with your almost-there ideas, but it also makes me wonder why we’re all convinced that the only good thoughts are the finished ones?

When I wrote the first Half Ideas post, I was experiencing mega writer’s block. The only things I wanted to share with you that week felt like glimmers instead of shining lights. I sat in front of this empty screen having the same nagging internal narrative you’ve all expressed—that the only thoughts worth sharing with you through this newsletter (or out loud at all) were the ones fully formed and wrapped in a bow. But if all our thoughts are set in stone and all our suspicions confirmed and all our meanderings mapped out, what does that do to curiosity?

I spent this past weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona, at a large wellness conference in preparation for my new job. Aside from melting in the 115 degree heat, I did a lot of listening and learning. This conference was attended by folks in the medical and non medical worlds of wellness and health. Some held mostly traditional views on how to help their patients and clients get better, while others held decidedly fringe views, and the majority fell somewhere in the middle.

And let me tell you, my friends, this cynical New Yorker struggled at times.

At one point I found myself sitting on a PEMF mat lit up with infrared lights and inlaid with jade discs. I closed my eyes and really tried to feel the healing the mat promised to deliver. The heat felt great on my travel-sore lower back. And I know infrared light has helpful benefits for the skin and is being studied for its possible ability to alleviate pain. But as my boss began to discuss the healing properties of the jade discs stuck into the mat, I couldn’t help myself. I looked her in the eye and deadpanned, “they’re just rocks.”

“You’re so very New York,” she countered.

Later on, I discreetly rolled my eyes as a salesperson lauded a new supplement for helping to quiet the food noise in her head at meals. But, that evening I tried it out at dinner. I found my own mind quiet, content, and utterly free of the urge to eat one more bite than I needed. It was shocking. Consider me schooled.

Now, aside from those momentary slip ups, I would like to report that I mostly stayed open-minded at this conference. Though truthfully I have no poker face and more than once my new employer gave me “fix your face” eyes or chuckled as I gawked at the new devices and supplements on display. The thing is, curiosity is hard to maintain when you really think you’ve made your mind up. It was tough to stay open at times, to admit that maybe my firm thoughts about food, health, and wellness were keeping me from being curious. While fighting my own fickle mind, I made some incredible new friends at this conference who have stories to tell that I would have never heard in my current circles. Not a bad reward.

Sometimes, it seems like no one shows up ready to be ok with being wrong. Myself included.

That sentiment clanged around in my head as I actively tried to avoid debate news today as well. The reality is that politics feels like just another arena where we’re all arriving already decided. All thoughts already formed. And while, particularly in politics, I think we have to show up standing firm on some issues, it feels to me as though a complete lack of curiosity and an absolute conviction that we have nothing left to learn (no half ideas here!) is currently ripping us apart.

Why do we feel as though all our thoughts must be complete to be spoken aloud? What fun is knowing all the answers? And if we made more space for our half ideas and those of others, would we find ourselves excited about something we never knew existed? Just something to ponder.

Still thinking about…Fall!

A group text exchange today reminded me to share that I am loving this fall scent from Ranger Station, one of fave candle makers

I’ve shared it before but fall in our house means the return of White Chicken Chili

I bought this garland for our mantle and I love how it adds to the coziness of the room; bonus points if you also add gourds

We visited this cutie little spot upstate and I snagged some mulling spices which I love to steep with cider or wine for the season

I love to swap out the tapers in my candle holders every season and I finally snagged the perfect fall orange pair at that same shop

Scooped up some fun fall crafts at Michaels for the kids. My almost 6-year-old loved this one. We’re planning on doing these and these over the weekend

I know it’s all over Instagram but the floating candles and witch hats really are fun for Halloween. My kids love having them up.

Cinnamon brooms are my go-to inside the house to bring in the warm scent of fall. I hang one on our mud room door.

There are a lot of new people here so I’m resharing my FAVORITE ever apple cake. Trust me it’s unreal.

I cannot wear any wool or cashmere so I’m always on the lookout for 100% cotton sweaters as the chilly weather starts. This one from Target was a surprising find (I grabbed green) and this is my fave from last year, I’ll probably snag one more color