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me when it's 95 degrees out, and every other day
Note from the Editor
TGIF and happy September Adamczyk!
We have a special guest editor today as we kick off "Nesting Month” here at GNI. Jolie Kerr is the queen of clean — she runs the podcast and roving advice column, Ask A Clean Person, which discusses allll the possible cleaning conundrums out there, from how to wash those strapless, sticky bras, to how to actually take care of your jeans. 👖She's also the author of a book and is a columnist at the New York Times, Lifehacker, and Jalopnik. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @joliekerr. Alright, handing it off to Jolie!
Until next Friday,
Alisha, Founder at GNI
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A Note from our Special Guest Editor, Jolie Kerr!
When I heard about this month's theme, Nesting: Making Your House a Home, I was like, well yes I know some things about nesting! And I definitely know a thing or two about the importance of a night in; I describe myself as a highly social introvert — I have a pretty active social life, but I also have a lone wolf personality and I find that I need to schedule downtime to make sure that I balance my desire to play with my friends with my need to be alone.
Fortunately for my love of taking time for myself to putter around my home, we had a crazy rainy August this year. Every time there was a washout of a Saturday or a Sunday, I sulked for a bit and then made the best of it by declaring a "cabin day" — the term used for impossibly stormy days at sleepaway camp when we stayed indoors and found creative ways to keep busy. As an adult, I find that I use my cabin days for what I call micro-organizing projects: Focused jobs that take, say, 20-60 minutes, don't require too much energy and can be done while watching TV or listening to a podcast.
The good news is that, after all those rainy weekends, as I head into fall I may not be as tan as I'd hoped but my home is organized within an inch of its life. And hopefully, reading about some of the projects I took on will serve as inspiration for your own micro-organizing! — Jolie
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this week's picks
our team's Jolie Kerr's recs for your night in
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via @glowasyougo, shaming all our makeup org game.
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Micro-organizing. ✨I love a short-form organizing project because they remove what I think is the biggest barrier to the purging of stuff: how overwhelming the task can be, both in terms of time and energy. Cleaning out an entire dresser worth of clothes might take a few hours, but tackling a sock drawer that's gotten out of control? No sweat! You can do that while catching up on The Bachelor. Aside from a dresser, some other good candidates for micro-organizing projects are: sorting through a tote bag collection, cleaning out a junk drawer or bedside table, or rearranging a linen closet.
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BRAUDITING. 🕵️♀️ I devoted my August podcast episodes to bras, in a series I called BRAUGUST. As part of the BRAUGUST festivities, I asked my listeners to perform BRAUDITS: a review of their bra collection to weed out ones that no longer fit, were past their prime, or that just never got worn. My own BRAUDIT was one of those August micro-organizing projects, and I still smile every time I open my underthings drawer and see all my pretty bras lined up by color.
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Watching Claws. 💅 For my micro-organizing project needs, the show Claws was the one that best lent itself to multitasking, because it didn't need all the attention that Sharp Objects required to keep up. Also, seeing all those bottles of nail varnish organized by color in the salon scenes was inspiring!
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"Dusting" my makeup. 💄 I'm a Sephora junkie, and to keep my habit somewhat in check, I periodically do what I refer to as "dusting my makeup." The idea is to sort through my collection of lipsticks and eyeliners and all those samples that come with Sephora orders, pitch anything that's expired or that I'm no longer using, wipe the outside to remove smears and dry shampoo residue (hence the term "dusting my makeup!"), and rearrange everything. If you need some help getting started with a makeup organization project, check out this guide I wrote.
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Calendaring. 📅 No matter how old you are, September probably evokes a strong back-to-school feeling. If you've been gripped by that feeling, use that as motivation to get your calendar in order. In addition to birthdays and events, use the calendar to schedule recurring tasks (if you use an electronic calendar, set up reminders) to help you stay on top of things you tend to let slide, like workouts or cleaning. Make notes-to-self about holiday obligations to cut back on the stress of having to remember to make travel plans, go shopping for presents, or plan a big meal.
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1. Mesh Washing Bags: I know most of you won't hand-wash your bras, and that's fine! But if you do launder your bras in the machine, put them in a mesh washing bag to keep the straps from winding around other garments and getting stretched out.
2. SoakWash: I love this no-rinse detergent for hand-washing my bras, wool sweaters and other delicates because, even though hand-washing is actually super easy, it's definitely nice to remove a step in the process and not have to rinse after you've washed.
3. Clear Plastic Organizers: These individual drawer organizers are great in bedside tables and junk drawers, for holding small items like hair ties, lip balm, and whatever other little odds and ends you've got stashed. |
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smart reads of the week
for the group chat.
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Creating a calm space 101. 🙏 You’re probably not going to be able to avoid technology in all aspects of life (tempting as it may be); but your bedroom still stands a fighting chance. If you’ve been trying to pull off something a little more serene where you lay your head at night, there are simple tips to get your calm on. "The bedroom tends to be the place of relaxation and refuge, the quiet space within the house," one expert says. "But what ‘quiet’ means can be different to different people." Time to start thinking about the details that can have a big impact – like wall color, blackout curtains, lighting, knick-knacks, and beyond.
Raise your hand if this book got you through puberty. 🤚 American Girl’s The Care and Keeping of You just turned 20, and wow, do we feel old. Written in a ~cool, young aunt~ voice, this book kept us informed about what our bodies were up to at a time when you couldn’t pay us to talk to a real adult about it. From first periods to acne, it covered a lot of our most pressing questions – and made them feel a lot less scary. While a quick look back makes it obvious that the book wasn’t perfect, it did instill in us the value of asking important questions about our bodies – and the message that they were worth taking care of.
Nesting mode, literally: Send this to your friends who are expecting. 👶 We love this piece on nursery design 101. Scrap the idea of matching the rest of the house (it’s old-fashioned), says the piece. Instead, find ways to personalize the space, get creative with storage, and design for growth and play.
Decorate, but make it technicolor. 🌈💥Have you noticed the "maximalism" trend in interior design lately? Rather than the "less is more" approach, it's all about incorporating bold colors, shapes, and unexpected pieces in your space. This piece from Curbed features some major interior design eye-candy to get you inspired — our fav is Dan Pelosi's art-filled Brooklyn home.
Bonus read: Baby goats are the best reason to smile this week.
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Presented in partnership with Try.com
Here's how to never pay for the wrong size dress again...
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Try is a Chrome Extension that lets you try clothes before you pay for them, making sure that — get this — they actually fit you before handing over any cash. If you're a compulsive online shopper like us (guilty), this might be a game-changer for you! The Try extension works at all our favorite retailers like Madewell, Shopbop, Nordstrom, and more.
Use this link to receive $25 towards any item you decide to keep.
This cute PJ set is by Reformation, also available on Try.
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#sponsorsthing:
Vincero watches are handcrafted with top-quality materials and sold at a fair price. Each timepiece blends edge and sophistication in a way that makes you stand out in any room. Vincero is giving Girls' Night In readers an extra 15% off! Use code GIRLSNIGHT at checkout.
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Thanks for supporting brands like Try.com and Vincero,
who support Girls' Night In.
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community announcements
- 🌈This Sunday Ali LaBelle, Creative Director at Ban.do will be taking over our Instagram stories @girlsnightinclub to talk about all things design, self care, and her Sunday routine.
- Reminder that our September book club pick is An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Tag #GNIreads with your thoughts so far and RSVP for your city's meetup here.
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👋 ready for the weekend like 👋
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