✨2024 edition: My favorite things

Plus: A work update, 3 last-minute gifts, a supplement with RESULTS and more

Hi! What a week. A stomach virus took over my entire household systematically knocking out my entire family every two days. It was not cute, to say the least. But we’ve emerged, finally! I know this isn’t an original thought, but it should be illegal to be sick when you have a baby. BRUTAL. Moving on! Lots to cover today.

If I were to assign it a word, this year’s would be metamorphosis. This was a year of the highest highs and the lowest (like, magma of the earth’s core) lows.

To recap, I had a baby, lost my mom (who was also my best friend), had the second-worst freelance year in 15 years of running my own business (this is common with all of my freelancing friends, at least!) and also continued growing this newsletter, introduced a judicious amount of sponsored content (more great partnerships to come in 2025!), started a second Substack and added another beat (all things baby) to my genre tool belt.

To add to the theme of change, this month, I’m talking to a few companies about full-time remote (or hybrid) work, a thing I would never have guessed I’d be looking to do even a year or two ago.

But now? I have the childcare I have (four days a week, 8:30-4:30 with the option to add a fifth day). And in a shift from the past decade plus, I wouldn’t be leaving money on the table by being committed to one thing the vast majority of my week because I can no longer just work around the clock to make it all happen.

My freelance friends have all vented about similar situations. For me, after a year of unprecedented client flakiness and editorial budgets closing left, right and center (specifically: Six copy clients flaking out on regular retainer work/recurring projects and four of my five editorial clients losing freelance budget) it’s time to use my talent stack honed in a range of industries elsewhere. What does that mean? I’ve written about everything from haircuts to health insurance, and snacks to Saas. My experience runs the gamut: content marketing & strategy, copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, social media, corporate communications, ghostwriting for CEOs and editorial contributions for top media publications.

I’ve pivoted more than Ross Geller’s sofa in the stairwell, and I’m looking to take that knowledge and experience to the right company. If you or someone you know is hiring for a fractional CMO, writer/editor, content director, copy director, or head of editorial, please let me know!

Because I’ll never do just one thing (#Gemini), I also have my bet-on-myself side hustles (like this very Substack) I’d continue to grow, in addition to some new things I’m working on. I’m excited about what’s to come. And I’m also excited not to work on a vacation or a weekend at all once in a while… for the first time in a decade+.

As always, I’m so appreciative of the support from my Civilian friends, paid and free, for hanging with me through a tumultuous year to say the least!

Let’s get into today’s programming, shall we?

Things I’m testing this month

Every quarter or so, my O.G. blogger friends

Julia Coney

and Erika Valente and I catch up and do a Zoom we call a “tech talk.” It’s about tech things we’re loving, but also books, supplements (we’re in our 40s/50s, let’s be real), wine and beauty (we’ll never let go, Jack). Last week’s call was chock-full of incredible items I’m purchasing immediately.

Like:

Novos Boost Supplement

Okay. Erika rolled up to this call looking like she was a teen. She is in her 50s and lives in Hawaii year-round. I’d assumed she had some incredible injectables and maybe just came from facial. No. She’s been taking this stuff (NMN) for a year and it’s apparently all the rage with celebs. She found out about it via David Sinclair’s podcast, which I added to my queue immediately. I ran, I didn’t walk. I’ll keep you posted on its results. I bought two bottles to start.

Kokoist Tinted Base

Julia discussed a gel polish (also an original Erika rec!) from Japan that was new to me that I’m going to check out to see if it compares to my beloved GelCare. So many shades look appealing, but I’m starting with strawberry milkshake.

Three last-minute gifts

Wooden Scalloped Bowl

This is 11% off and is under $35—but looks as if it costs way more. Cute for your sister, mother-in-law, BFF or anyone with a minimalist aesthetic who also has a think for Loeffler Randall-esque commitment to a hint of feminine flair. This looks very

jessie randall

to me if she designed things for the home.

Beekman 1802 Soap 8-Piece Set

These are gorgeously packaged as a set, but you could split them up into pairs and wrap them individually in a cute bow and gift them to multiple people easily. The Honey & Orange Blossom one is my personal favorite, but they’re all divine.

Calpak Tech Organizer

This comes in fun shades and makes it easy for the jet setter in your life to corral those crazy cords in a single place.

H&M Throw

This comes in fun, technicolor dream coat hues, but also in rich neutrals like this gorgeous tan-brown.

With that, let’s get into the best of the year.

The TIBAAC Best of 2024

CloudSole Insoles

Um, don’t make fun of me until you try them. I feel older than the hills going on and on about cushiony insoles, but then I bought another four pairs and two for my husband. These make walking 12K steps a day feel like nothing.

Ilia Beauty Fullest Volumizing Mascara

I used the brand’s lengthening mascara for years and years—and somehow, this one wasn’t on my radar! All I can say is WOW. I’ve been sort of slogging through my mascara life after getting lash extensions for over a decade pre-COVID. I never felt that THICKNESS and length until this one. I’m a proponent of drugstore mascaras and there are plenty of great ones on the market (Essence Lash Princess and L’Oreal Voluminous are my favorites) but this is the only one, for me, that yields tarantular lashes—in a good way.