Guess what? I finally got back to an estate sale this past weekend :). While it wasn’t one for the ages, it felt good to be back in my element—pawing through kitchenware, haggling with the dude at the checkout table, and wondering if I started sneezing because the house was infested with mold. A Saturday morning well spent! I also did some sitting out by the pool, we hauled ourselves into Manhattan, ate some pastrami at Katz’s, and cleaned out our closet—all in all, a good weekend.

Aaaand, since we’re somehow almost in August, I’ve made a personal vow to spend as much time as humanly possible in the sun for the next month. So if you see me, be sure to tell me how tan I look. (You can take the girl out of Jersey, etc.) Now that I’ve gone the whole intro without talking about the Olympics, let me talk about the Olympics.

On my Brain 

I <3 The Olympics 

Never have I ever categorized myself as a patriot… except during the Olympics. I, like many millennials, am disillusioned and skeptical of our great country, but put Katie Ledecky in the pool and wrap Simone Biles in the flag and I’m screeching at the TV like a bald eagle. I’m not even a sports girl? But something about the Olympics, man… it’s just so moving. I’d also like to say that Peacock has been doing a surprisingly good job of collating all the major moments throughout the day in their “Gold Zone” section, and I’m really enjoying watching snippets of all the sports I’ve never really seen during primetime coverage.

Just to clarify, in case you’re overwhelmed with all the coverage: Primetime Olympics coverage starts at 8pm and provides the highlights of all the major/most popular events the US was competing in throughout the day, all mashed up together so Americans can cozy up after dinner and get a recap. SO, if you’re watching Gold Zone live during the day, you’ve likely seen some of those big moments already. Some personal highlights for me thus far: 

• Flavor Flav sponsoring the US women’s water polo team upon hearing they were working multiple jobs in order to afford going to the olympics 

• Men’s rugby... Hot  

• The energy of the crowd cheering for Léon Marchand in the men’s 400m IM

• The Italian women’s gymnastics team—they’re so friggin’ cute 

• Suni Lee’s comeback after kidney disease 

• Equestrian!!!! 

• Canoe slalom as a sport, how fun 

In My Cart 

A Sweat Set I Need In Every Color (& It’s On Sale RN)

Hate to tell you that Kimberly Noel has done it again! Just like we’re a Hydro Flask household, we’re also a SKIMS household, as we’re hard pressed to find better shapewear, bras, and boxers for such reasonable prices. Jeffery has recently even switched all his drawers over to these 3” briefs, and when he so graciously asked if I needed anything while putting an order in last week, I happened to find some sweats on sale.

Now, I’ve been moaning and groaning about why-can’t-I-find-good-sweatpants for months. I have a few pairs from Old Navy that are very comfy, but give me Diaper Butt™, so I’ve been told by those closest to me that I shouldn’t wear them out of the house unless I want people thinking I have a load in my pants. Okay, fine! I also have a pair of sweats from Aviator Nation (that I got on Poshmark, obvs), and they’re… fine. They have an elastic band which I don’t appreciate after a large meal or particularly bloated day, and I much prefer a drawstring on sweatpants in general. 

Well good news, this zip-up hoodie and pair of sweatpants is perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I’ve been wearing this set for 4 days straight without washing… because that’s just what you do with brand-new sweats. Order your regular size in the pants (they’re perfectly oversized with a drawstring waist and reinforced pockets), and a size up in the hoodie, which is by far the coziest thing I own at the moment. They could never make me hate you, Kimberly. 

I Broke Down and Bought These Viral Storage Drawers 

I hate TikTok shop so much that if I see “creator earns commission” on the bottom of a video I’m immediately scrolling. BUT! They got me. When one of the ads mentioned fitting full bottles of hair products in these acrylic stacking drawers my ears perked up, because the state of our bathroom cabinet was getting embarrassing. I did order them on Amazon though, because for some reason I don’t want TikTok shop to have my money and I’m less depressed about forking it over to Daddy Bezos? Idk it’s all sick and we can’t win, but I have these drawers now! And they definitely cleaned up this disaster area and I’m already thinking about getting more for under the kitchen sink. 

In My Belly 

Foolproof Roast Chicken with Unreal Chicken Fat Croutons 

This is my new go-to meal whenever we’re having people over for dinner. A roast chicken is actually so easy because it does its thing in the oven while you yap and pour wine, but the payoff is very impressive and very Barefoot Contessa coded. I’ve adapted this recipe from Alison Roman by scaling back the anchovies (I’ll add one or two in the butter) and I’ve been mixing fresh herbs like thyme and parsley in with the butter as well. The croutons are absolutely heaven-sent because they get almost custardy inside from soaking up all the chicken juices and butter, but they’re crispy on the outside after a trip under the broiler. I’ve been serving it with a simple salad to cut through all the richness of everything else—most recently I did frisée and butter lettuce with a ranch-ish greek yogurt, chive, and dill dressing. I could not recommend more.

My Ultimate Macaroni Salad Experience 

There are so many versions of mac salad out there, and, sorry to tell you, most of them are very mediocre. They’re often too dry, not acidic enough, or just lacking in flavor—but I’m sooooo pleased to bring you a macaroni salad recipe that falls somewhere between the vegetal-y fresh kind you make yourself and the soupy stuff with a slight chemical tang you’ll find at delis and supermarkets.

The big secret is no big secret, really. It’s that the salad dressing needs to be thinner than you’d think the day of making, then after sitting in the fridge overnight, add a fresh glop of mayo and a glug of white vinegar to reconstitute the whole thing into a delightfully creamy consistency. Oh also! I love when mac salad has pimentos, but I couldn’t find them so I diced a jar of roasted red peppers instead, and couldn’t really tell the difference. I might also add a handful of shredded carrots next time. Anyway, here she is: 

• 1 lb macaroni, cooked in well-salted water & cooled 

• 1 jar of pimentos or roasted red peppers, diced 

• ½ a yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced 

• ½ a medium white onion, minced & rinsed 

• 2-3 kosher dill pickles, diced 

• 1 stalk celery, diced 

Dressing: 

• ¾ cup mayo, and about 3 tbsp the next day 

• 3-4 tbsp pickle brine 

• 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar, 1-2 more tbsp the next day 

• 2 tsp dijon 

• 1 tbsp sugar 

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• Fresh black pepper 

• Salt to taste (I didn’t add any bc the pasta was salted well enough)

Cereal for Dessert

That’s it, that’s the tweet. Hardy har har. No but really, I think we’ve collectively forgotten the power of Frosted Flakes, and I’m here to tell you that a little bowl of cereal after dinner is affirming, joyous, satiating, etc. I used to think the name-brand Frosted Flakes were the answer, but I’ve actually come to prefer the Trader Joe’s brand because they’re a little thicker (?) and crunchier so they don’t get as soggy in the milk. Then that moment where you get to tip the bowl back and slurp all the milk out? Ecstasy. 

You Ask, I Answer 

Q: Ways to maximize storage in a small apartment? 

A: This one hits close to home! At a time where lots of people my age are moving to the burbs and getting lots more space, I actually feel really good about the way we’re able to make a one bedroom apartment work for us. Would I love to have more storage and rooms to decorate? Of course. But we’re very content where we are and I think it’s because we’ve implemented some really important habits into our every day. Here are my thoughts: 

Do Once a Quarter Clean Outs 

I’d actually say that the number one way to maximize storage is to constantly be going through your stuff and assessing what you really need. We’ve established a rule for our shared closet that serves us very well: If we’ve run out of hangers to put things on, that means we need to do a clean out. And every single time, we end up with at least two garbage bags full of clothes to donate and a pile to sell on Poshmark or DePop, and we both feel relieved to be rid of things that no longer fit or that we just don’t wear.

Update Organizational Systems As You Go

Fancy organizing products and ambitious systems are only as good as your ability to maintain them. Something I’m always doing is thinking about the ways we flow through the apartment and how to make it easier to keep things neat. In the kitchen, I keep a magnetic rack on the fridge that holds salt, pepper, oils, paper towels, and a pot holder so they’re always handy while I’m cooking. In the bedroom closet, we sprung for a big shoe cabinet with doors because our shoes were always falling everywhere. We keep luggage and extra linens for guests under the bed instead of taking up space in a closet, because we rarely reach for them. And in the hall closet, I keep a rolling cart full of backup cleaning supplies, vacuum attachments, and our Bissell Little Green upholstery cleaner so I always know where to find them. 

Integrate Closed Storage Anywhere You Can 

No one says you need to get rid of all your random charging cords or torn-up dog toys, but in order to corral clutter and feel more at ease in a small space, closed storage is the name of the game. Baskets, cabinets with doors, storage benches, under-bed boxes, dressers—these will all be so helpful in keeping you sane. We have lots of big furniture pieces in a small apartment, but they hold so much stuff that we need all the time, and being able to shut the door and forget about the mess is invaluable. For example, if your entry shoe rack always looks unkempt because you have a tendency to kick your shoes off haphazardly, consider a closed shoe cabinet like this designer-fave IKEA STÄLL shoe cabinet, so you at least don’t have to constantly look at shoes everywhere. 

Need a gift suggestion for your mother-in-law’s birthday? Stuck on how to rearrange the furniture in your living room? Want to know what to do with a jar of marinated artichokes? Come to mama. Hit me up with your questions, and I'll answer them in an upcoming letter.