You're speaking my love language 🎁 ...

Gift-giving is NOT my love language.

My mother-in-law’s birthday is two days away, and I’ve procrastinated yet again. It never fails. Birthdays, weddings, house warmings . . . I end up buying something quick and easy. And quick and easy is superficial.

But this year, I have a secret weapon:

The Village Green

Think: beautiful, practical, heirloom-quality and small business online shop rolled into one. We can’t wait to showcase their storefront.

But also in today’s email:

• Undereye Masks: You know what they say — beauty is in the eye…

• Home EC: Cooking in the kitchen with kids.

• Gift Giving: A guide to help those with a different love language.

• Zucchini surplus, solved.

• Mr6am for Emperor!

BEAUTY: Those lines under and in the corner of your eyes — they come from a lifetime of smiling 😄 And that is beautiful in and of itself. But, do we have to look tired even when we aren’t tired? NO! This is where under-eye masks come in handy. They replenish the thin, extra-sensitive undereye skin with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid (30 pairs/$45!). They can reduce fine lines with retinol. And others can de-puff and de-darken using caffeine. Trust us — they’ll give you a confidence boost.

If you feel like treating yo-self before Sunday church. 🌠 

HOME EC: Chef school isn’t easy as pie. But, how does cooking under a head chef compare to toddlers? The jury is out. Cooking with kids tests your patience, keeps you on your toes, and makes spectacular messes. Is it pretty? No. Is it worth it? … [crickets] Okay, yes, it’s worth it. I’ve seen the fruit: like teenagers independently cooking family dinners. And it’s glorious.

But, really, how do we get through the tough stage? First, contain them. Second, start with easy recipes. Think: minimal ingredients and prep, and, with time, make independently. Third, arm yourself with kid-friendly tools. 🤯 Next, make it pretty . . . and save on laundry. (And don’t forget yourself.) Beauty will save the world your blood pressure.

GIFT GIVING: Some people got it; some don’t. 🙋🏻‍♀ If gift-giving isn’t your love language, we’ve spelled it out for you:

1. House Warming: Make her the hostess with the mostest with these botanical napkins, Shakespearean bread warmer, and these beeswax candles.

2. Summer Wedding Gifts: Break from the registry. Give her something that’s built to last and to pass down to her babies. This paired with a cutting board and sour dough starter would be practical and pretty, brass salad servers as a symbol of durability and strength, or hand-fabricated pewter measuring spoons . . . for creating the sweet stuff of marriage.

3. Birthdays: Isn’t a blank slate always the best gift for a new year? For the gardener, a fresh basil plant and pradu wood shears. For the aspiring florists, something practical and pretty. For the mixologist, the loveliest cocktail shaker paired with a crisp, elegant summer cocktail recipe.

4. Grad Gifts: There’s no place like home. Remind her to write with these, or give her a set of clever cards so she doesn’t have to interrupt her trip to the library with a trip to Rite Aid. (So off-brand 🙄.) And for her tougher days, a dangley earring makes all the difference.

And a free gift for you from The Village Green!

• Getting your 💤? Here’s everything you need to know about melatonin.

• The longest-living people on Earth eat these 8 fruits regularly. 🍇

• And, while you’re at it, eat your fruits mindfully — enjoy them more and get more satisfaction.

• Don’t forget the veggies. But what to do with all the zucchini?

• Killing Indiana Jones 🐍

I’ve been learning a lot lately — a lot of which I wish I was taught when I was 20 (instead of 40). If I was emperor, these subjects would be mandatory in school:

Taxes and Personal Finance, Real Estate investing, Cooking, Insurance, Weightlifting and Fitness, Self-Defense, Social Etiquette, the Art of Conversation, Public speaking, Entrepreneurship, Car Maintenance, Basic Home Repair, Stress Management, How to Pray, and Discernment of God’s Will.

What would you add?

-Mr6am

A big, big thank you to Blair and The Village Green for sponsoring our issue today! It’s a beautiful thing - knowing the name and face and family behind a small business. I’ve found my ‘go-to’ gift giving shop.

Until next Wednesday, yours truly,