Sunday Things, No. 20

Camp mode, tradwife culture, and what to say when you're tired of explaining yourself.

Hi, happy Sunday!

We’re in full on getting-ready-for-camp mode over here. My oldest leaves for overnight camp tomorrow. She’ll be there for 4 weeks, and I’m trying my best to wait until her bus pulls away to dissolve into tears.

And for my paid subscribers, stay tuned for another Just Between Us post this week. ♥️

WATCHING: Part Three of The Summer House Reunion, obviously. I’m glad it’s over because I can no longer watch Amanda position herself as the victim so seamlessly while West just sits there in silence and chews his lip and perfects his “aww shucks” good ol’ boy routine. Also, thoughts on In the City? Are you watching? I’m loving it. Lindsay is gold and I’m here for her calling out Danielle and how she’s treated Lindsay the last few years.

READING: I’m still reading The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. My reading time was drastically cut down last week because of end of school festivities and getting ready for camp. I try to read every night but I think I only read twice last week. I’m excited to get back into my routine this week.

LISTENING: I kept seeing the buzz around Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, so I decided to jump in last week. If you’re interested in tradwife culture and all that it entails, you’ll love it. Have you read it yet?

My favorite look of the week, and I only wore it for like 3 hours. A quick trip to the pool to take a break from packing!

Ugh. The glamorization of alcohol continues over on Instagram, except this time with the added bonus of being super judgmental and shaming to those of us in sobriety! Oh, good times.

A follower sent me this post a few days ago. I missed it because I unfollowed her years ago, and I really hate sharing it because I don’t want to drive any more traffic to it. BUT I do want to highlight it and point out what she’s not showing. She’s promoting drinking as fun and carefree and a way to feel young. (Ironic, isn’t it? We were carefree when we were young partly because we didn’t have to deal with alcohol and its bullshit.)

Here’s what that reel isn’t showing:

• The sloppiness and regrets that come along with the 5th drink

• The 3AM wakeup and coinciding shame spiral

• The moderation rules she’s created around her drinking

• The mental energy those rules require

• The hangover the next morning

• The increased anxiety throughout the week

• The smell of cured meat the next day (Sorry, but I had to say it.)

Instagram isn’t real. Drinking on Instagram definitely isn’t real. You’re not seeing the whole picture. There is so much behind the reel.

Curate your feed. Protect your space. Keep going.

(Also, here’s my response reel.)

If you've been sober for less than a year, this one's for you. You ask, I answer. Comment or reply to this email. I’ll choose one to answer next week. 💛

"I'm six months sober and I'm so tired of explaining myself every time someone asks me why I’m not drinking. I don't want to make it a whole thing, but I also don't know what else to say. Help." — J.

J. — Congratulations on six months! Such a huge milestone.

OK, let’s talk about this because it comes up constantly and I have thoughts.