8 Intriguing Do's and Don'ts -- You Need This.

Today is National Vinyl Record Day. It’s the come-back kid of music. And why not?

There’s something to the physical act of placing a record on the turntable, the warm, live-audience sound, and the inconvenience of skipping to your preferred tune that makes us slow down and savor. I mean, I wish I could say the top-selling records are Beethoven and Bach. The’re not— It’s Swift and Styles. But still:

Record players make you think more about the music. And, it’s magic.

What else is magic? Today’s email:

• How to prep your daughter for her cycle.

• “I Do’s” and “I Don’ts” for Marriage - 16 years in.

• A Changing Country.

• Leave the jeans, take the trousers.

CYCLE PREP: Need a good question for your next girls night? Here it is: what kind cycle prep did you get as a tween/teen?

🦗 🦗 🦗

Most likely, you’ll have a good laugh ( 😘 No blame for all our mamas out there — it was so taboo!). For our girls, let’s do things intentionally. This means being upfront and communicative with your girls rather than clandestinely handing them a pad or tampon.

Good news! You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. This course is perfect for introducing girls to their cycles— informative yet reverent. My wise friend paired the course with a fun over night trip, complete with some outdoor adventure and a little clothes shopping. Pro tip: for a little less awkwardness, have her watch the video in the car while you’re driving. (Didn’t I tell you she’s wise?)

MARRIAGE: Ever heard of Offensive Marriage? The institution is suffering and is under attack. You know it. We know it. So, what do we do? 🤔 We need to go on offense (and stop playing defense), but how? By putting in the work in our own. 👊🏼 Wisdom is earned. Here’s a few earned pearls of wisdom from our sixteen years of L-O-V-E.

Four “Do’s”:

1. Assume the best of intentions of your spouse (his intentions, his sacrifice, his time management, his self knowledge, his love of you).

2. Greet him with a smile, hug, and a kiss. Let your eyes sparkle. Every time. And teach your kids to do the same.

3. Give him freedom of time with good friends and wholesome hobbies without resentment.

4. Keep the whimsy: play, adventure, flirt, explore, laugh

Four Don’ts

1. Don’t fight dirty (e.g. don’t bring up past grievances).

2. Don’t leave him the scraps … of your love, your time, your energy or (literally) of the food!

3. Don’t love him the way that’s easiest for you; learn his love language and love him there.

4. Don’t forget manners — please, thank you, and excuse me keep a baseline good attitude even when busy and struggling.

Are you married — 5 years or 50? You’ve learned something! Vote below and offer your advice in the comment section.

STYLING: Nothing screams 2010 like skinny jeans and yoga pants. Ya’ll can just go. 👋 We’ve been asked to share our favorite substitutes for the cigarette jean, yoga pants, and sweat pants — something breezy, a bit more put together, yet still good for every day. Here’s what’s in our shopping cart:

1. High-waisted trousers. Styled well, these rust-colored trousers look comfy but polished. These are a bit fancy, but perfect paired with a graphic tee and sneaks or a blouse and heels for date night or church. Favorite way to wear them: paired with a monochromatic feminine blouse.

2. A breezy dress. I just bought this dress that is perfect for layering with a blazer in the fall and belting in the summer. (Sustainable and ethically made, too!)

3. Embrace the elastic. Yes, please. Small prints pair well with stripes or neutrals. Rust is the new dusty rose, right? Here’s a simple DIY version for all the sewing queens.

4. A one piece romper. But are they versatile? Here are some ideas on how to rock the romper, plus what’s in our carts: this casual one piece and another sustainable denim choice.

VALUES: America IS changing — and for the worse. A recent Wall Street Journal poll discovered that America is pulling back 📉 from values that once defined it. “Patriotism” declined in importance from 70% to 38%. “Community involvement” dropped from 47% to 27%. In 1998, 62% deemed religion important — now it’s 37%.

Will we even have future generations to reverse this trend? It looks doubtful. Americans’ value of “having children” dropped from 59% to 30%. However, some categories went up. In 1998, 31% of Americans said money is a very important value. Today that number is 43%. What can we do? The solution is simple: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” — Mother Teresa. ❤‍🔥

• Pray for Canada.

• How to Maximize Small Spaces 🏡

• Live longer - without changing your diet or exercise.

• How to watch the best celestial show — tonight and tomorrow.

• 🧼 Lessons on Hospitality from Martha. 🧼

• A list of 25 Annual & Perrenials to plant this fall.

• Let’s see this house fall down. 🃏

“According to @protectyoungeyes, we should have 10 solid talks about porn with our children before age 10. Among other great ideas, they recommend reinforcing — “no digital secrets”. This is a high standard of open conversation, but I agree with it and it needs to be done (along with talks on how to protect your own body). It’s a difficult subject, I know. And I have failed miserably at it. But, I’m going to make a commitment today to talk about these issues with my children now and then again over the next couple of months.” - Mr6am

We’ll be back from vacay with a tan and fresh content this Wednesday. Until then, have a fantastic weekend,