I’m a creature of habit. But more than that, I’m a lover of habit. I get a kind of silly thrill from returning to the same things day in and day out. And lately one habit that I’m really loving is my morning newsletter read. Just me, my coffee, a recently nursed bug next to me, and my morning newsletters.
It’s a funny habit, because I’ve spent so much time agressively unsubscribing from newsletters. I never thought I’d write a post advocating that anyone sign up for them, and certainly never that I’d be writing one of my own. But I’m feeling this. And I hope you will too.
Here’s a first trick for hopping on the newsletter bandwagon: start by unsubscribing. The multiple-times-per-week newsletter from the store where you bought something from someone’s wedding registry five years ago? The newsletter from the yoga studio in the city you used to live in? The unrelenting notes from the preachy politician you didn’t vote for? These are things you don’t need cluttering your inbox. Approach your email the way you do your underwear drawer: get rid of the stuff you don’t want so you can fill it with the stuff you do.
And then sign up for the newsletters that you actually want to read.
Here’s what I’m reading lately:
What she’s been writing and reading with a well-placed gif or two for good measure.
Kaufmann Mercantile – Field Notes.
Updates on new products + thoughtful, well-written in-house articles on things you didn’t know could be so interesting. Socks, etc.
Of A Kind.
Updates on new editions + punchy tidbits from founders Erica and Claire.
As for me, I’m going to start off slowly, sending a letter just twice a month. Mine is going to be a catalog of the stuff I’d talk your ear off about if we were sharing a cup of tea together: a little bit about what I’m reading (on and offline), a little bit of what I’m writing, what I’m listening to, what I’m watching, and what I’ve got my eyes on. I’m still honing the exact format. It won’t be a replacement for this space, it’ll be an accompaniment to this space. A little letter, from me to you.
And now the most important question: what have you been reading lately?
39 Comments
The Skim does sound great, signed up and am curious for the first newsletter. Thanks for suggesting it. I did a major newsletter clean up a few months ago and it's been such a relief… It's not a newsletter, but I really enjoy the sanseuticals blog. Great content and beautifully written. And I have this thing about reading my Horoscope by Tracy Allen ( via the free people blog) every Monday morning for the week ahead. Not that I live by it, but it is surprising to see how often it is actually accurate to whats going on at that moment in time.
xx
This sounds lovely! And thanks for the links…I'm always looking for interesting new reads.
Reading, reading. In an attempt to do more of it, I have started buying more books. Am currently working my way through "The Diary of a Provincial Lady" by E.M. Delafield. I would definitely recommend this book!
I love the skim. I also follow a few other, but that one most religiously. I also just started one for my blog last month. Here's to new adventures.
Would this be monthly? Sounds like a splendid way to start my morning.
Twice a month to start!
Is the newsletter different from the blog?
Yup! Not planning to repost content!
Great! I'll sign up!
I love the skimm: though the somewhat glib tone does cause me to occasionally skip out in favor of the times' daily briefing, it keeps me in the loop for the most part. looking very forward to your newsletter! As someone who has maybe four-ish years to go until motherhood, I find myself bookmarking so many of your individual posts. The newsletter will hopefully be a great resource to have right in my inbox (yep, I'm a big-time planner).
Just signed up. Going to give it a try. Newsletters are new to me although I get emails from Kaufmann but I mostly view them as advertisements.
If you scroll to the bottom, they usually link to really nice editorial pieces! Worth checking out!
Done. Though I'd like to think I would have been an automatic add.
Haven't resorted to strong arming…yet.
Hi Erin!
I'm about to embark on an apartment search in Brooklyn, and there's a particular popular neighborhood I want to keep to, but a limited budget. Anyway you can write about your apartment search, and your favorite resources? I know the same problem exists in Brooklyn Heights, so I would love to hear your input.
Thanks!
There are a few resources in this post: https://readingmytealeaves.com/2013/07/two-fifty-life-in-tiny-apartment-how-to-find-a-tiny-apartment.html! Godspeed! Don't let the hunt bring you down!
love the skimm and margaret roach's a way to garden newsletter. looking forward to yours!
Tradlands also does a really good newsletter. Similar to Kaufmann Mercantile (ie their products always at the top followed by articles below) and really interesting.
Thanks!
woohoo!! Orangette blog. (from the cook & writer Molly Wizenberg.) It's my go to– I love her writing and LOVE the articles she links to- I think you'd like it!
Just signed up for your newsletter! And I love TheSkimm. It's been my fave read for awhile especially when I haven't gotten up to date with the goings on of the world.
I was thinking this morning of doing a post on The Skim too. I look forward to your newsletter!
I read "Tiny Beautiful Thing" by Cheryl Strayed this summer and quickly bought another to send to my little sister. I wish I could have read it when I was her age.
Ah this is wonderful news! I love to begin my days with a cup of coffee and interesting/inspiring/uplifting reads, and I know your newsletter will make a lovely addition 🙂
Glad to know I'm not the only one who actually enjoys some of my newsletters! Love morning rituals in general 🙂
Wow, you just described what I did to my inbox recently. I unsubscribed to a ton of newsletters (still do it at least once a day – I must have been insane at one point) but I read The Skimm and Today in Tabs by Rusty Foster everyday.
Great idea for a newsletter! I love that it will be accompanying your blog, not just reposting. I'm excited to see what you share! And I've been reading the Skimm on your recommendation — love it. It feels like a productive start to mornings.
Yay! I am glad you are doing this because I love to read what you write! When it comes to the things I do on the 'ol laptop, I mostly subscribe to blogs via Bloglovin' and read through those.
I am actually in the process of unsubscribing from all the crap that fills up my inbox. Once I'm done I'll put a lot more thought into what I type my email into!
I signed up! I need to go through an do some unsubscribing myself. Even though I just hit delete, having them pile up in my inbox does kinda stress me out!
love the skimm and margaret roach's a way to garden newsletter. looking forward to yours!
"The newsletter from the yoga studio in the city you used to live in?" I laughed at this, because this very newsletter appeared in my inbox this morning and I thought, for the umpteenth time, that I should be unsubscribing from these things. Signed up and look forward to reading yours.
Looking forward to reading this! It sounds great – there's nothing better than getting to peek into other people's favourites. I love the NY Times, Orangette and Remedial Eating. I just finished Persuasion again (my very favourite Jane Austen book) and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves which is the best fiction I've read in ages.
Thank you for the unsubscribe link. Turns out I had almost 170 subscriptions! Phew, one source of unnecessary stress tackled by 9am. Thanks!
Although I felt iffy at first, I've really enjoyed this whole newsletter things ever since you brought up The Skimm a few weeks ago. Like, I actually feel joy in a letter-via-post sort of way—woah.
Thank you for sharing theSkimm, love it. Congrats on your newsletter, looking forward to the first one!
Done and done! Greetings from across the ocean 🙂
My favorites newsletters are What We're Reading from the NYTimes (nytimes.com/wwr) and Today in Tabs (http://tinyletter.com/todayintabs).
I read The Skimm and liked it a lot, then subscribed to all of your suggestions! I did it freely because I have recently been unsubscribing to all the junk that was coming my way each day. This morning I triumphantly had 2 emails on my personal email…and I think one of them was a link for this blog. So now I am ready for stuff I want in my inbox. It seems like these days that texts are from/for friends and emails are for info. Thanks for this post, I read it at the perfect time.
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