The 12 Best Recommendations I’ve Gotten Lately

Including a banger 1990s divorced moms playlist.

Hi!! How is your week going?

I’ll be sending a personal update this Friday (I’m eager to hear your thoughts), but in the meantime, I’m excited to ask: Have you heard of Rec League? It’s an app where you can recommend things to friends — not just things (dresses, kitchen tools, etc), but also books, movies, recipes, travel destinations, parenting tips, life hacks, whatever you’re into. I feel so giddy about it — the energy reminds me of the humor and joy of the original internet.

A couple weeks ago, I reached out to their small team — including Grier, one of the Block Shop sisters. She came over to my house for coffee (and teenage gossip, since the boys got home from school while she was there), and I loved hearing the thinking behind Rec League. “People are missing a positive, joyful space on the internet to express themselves,” she told me. “It’s fun and life-affirming to catalog and reflect on the things you love in one place.” It really is!

Here are 12 recent recs I’ve enjoyed (and I’d love to hear yours), and thank you to our sponsor and shared love, Rec League, for bringing these to life.…

1. Trader Joe’s hash browns, naturally.

2. Having a cat. My niece would agree!

3. Making your front yard wild.

4. The ’90s divorced moms playlist.

5. James by Percival Everett. “With my pencil, I wrote myself into being.”

6. Yummmmm.

7. Parachute pants (my sister swears by their balloon ones, too).

8. Should we all go to County Clare???

9. Wouldn’t this ’70s perpetual calendar make a killer Father’s day gift?

10. Custom photo matchboxes.

11. La Chimera, starring Josh O’Connor. Have you seen it?

12. An adorable screen time monitor.

Plus, here are five recs of my own:

1. Annoying words you shouldn’t write. These always make me laugh.

2. Sitting in front of your house in a lawn chair. We met two good friends this way.

3. Stamps as a birthday present.

4. The 20-layer lasagna at I Sodi.

5. A colorful sandwich spreader. Also: Marcello Hernández’s comedy special about growing up with his Cuban mom, and keeping a blanket in the car for coziness purposes.

Thoughts? What recs are you giving these days? And if you sign up for Rec League, please share your link in the comments — I’d love to follow you! xoxo

via @iamthirtyaf

1. 12 Favorite Etsy Finds. And five amaaaaaazing shops.

2. Hopie Stockman Hill Does This Cool Thing Whenever She Travels. The textile designer on easy dinners, a pattern-filled bedroom, and cool everyday earrings.

3. 12 Practical Things That Make Life Easier. Like a stamp drawer, European raincoat, and fridge ingredient you might disagree with.

(Thanks so much to Rec League for supporting Big Salad, which allows us to send this midweek issue without a paywall. Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like and use ourselves. Thank you so much.)

Thank you so much for reading! A very personal issue is coming up on Friday – looking forward to hearing your thoughts, as always. xoxo