Issue No. 5

Giving Back, Being Comfy, PMSing, and the Best Wine I've had This Year

Author’s Note

My Dearest Audience (AKA My Seventy-One Closest Friends),

What a week. The world is quite literally burning. The extreme climate disasters that have plagued our nation this past year are heart breaking. My heart is with all of those folks experiencing such monumental loss. Personally, I take my safety, a roof over my head, and all of my silly little belongings for granted. I encourage you, dear readers, to find the little things you can do to help. If you know someone that lives in LA, reach out to to them, and let them know you’re thinking of them.

I feel social media can be very overwhelming with lists of organizations to donate to, GoFundMe’s, etc. Context on what each organization is doing is limited, it can feel impossible to vet these organizations, and you want to make sure your putting your donation where it’s needed most. My suggestion would be to consider what it is that you’re passionate about. Is it access to education? Food security? Women’s Health? Mental Health? Funding for the arts? and search for organizations based in Southern California and the Carolinas (let us not forget the hurricane that just wiped out entire towns, and impacted some of our most impoverished communities), whose missions align with those values and passions, and donate what you can. If you’re not in the position to donate, share the organization with people in your life that are.

Still overwhelmed? Same. Here’s a short list of places you can shop that are taking those funds and donating them for you:

• P.F. Candle Co. — donating 100% of proceeds through 1/19 to recovery.

• 100% of the proceeds on this super cute $5 tote bag go to Project Hope.

• This LA based jewelry brand is donating proceeds to support mental health services to those impacted by the devastation.

• Lisa Says Gah is donating 15% of all sales this week, donating clothing, and taking 20% off your order. (Slay, thank you Lisa)

• These adorable firetruck PJs raise funds for the LAFD.

The list goes on. If you see fit, check out this article for a list of even more brands committed to helping protect and rebuild these communities. Overall, the response has been awe inspiring. I remind you once again to tune out the riff raff, and be the good and kindness that you want to see in the world!

The Recommendation Station

I’m PMSing this week so I am a sentimental, fragile, hungry, bitch. These recommendations are among the things that make those ~special~ days a little brighter.

Clothes!

I am not an athleisure girl. I wear athletic clothes to work out and that’s really it. I love an outfit and I will be proudly overdressed at the grocery store. They say to dress for the job you want and I am not currently looking but if I were…!

All of this to say that when I am approaching my ~monthly gift~ I want to be COMFY. Which, I am just going to say it, LEGGINGS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. I do not want to be squeezed by synthetics and have a spectacle made of my booty cheeks. So, this week I am recommending my truly comfiest of comfy clothes.

1. Eberjay Jammies, I am sitting in these and their extra soft coziness right now. Divine.

2. These Victoria’s Secret Jammies are a little more economically friendly, and very soft.

3. These Aritzia Sweats — I have had a brown pair of these for YEARS (Evan calls them the Brown Monsters, lol) that have only gotten comfier and held up so well. I am ordering a new pair to Florida because I’m chilly. Also they make talls <3

   *For anyone who is confused here, these used to be the TNA Sweats but they are now called “Sweatfleece” and carry the Artizia brand name.

4. These Vuori Pants are sooo soft, they make them in long, and they are tastefully bootylicious. We have been loving this brand, their men’s products are also super comfy, high quality, and handsome.

5. No bra, no exceptions

Food!

Hungry girl needs protein and lots of it. I start my day with humane, pasture raised, local (if available), scrambled eggs with New Pepper and fluffy fresh grated parmesan on top. For lunch I do some kind of bean salad or have been *crushing* this Tuna Salad. I recommend swapping the mayo with greek yogurt, and replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos. PMS week is also red meat week so I hope you love my favorite steak taco recipe!!

Wine!

There’s this sweet wine shop/restaurant down here ran by this Italian couple from Pisa. I believe I have mentioned in here that Italian reds are my jam? Very old world of me, I know. Anyways, on recommendation from the shop owner, we tried this Super Tuscan, and wow. Not only is the wine stunning, the presentation is beautiful due to the winery’s artistic roots, and it has an amazing story to bring to the table. I pulled this from their website for my fellow nerds.

In the 16th century, the vast property belonged to the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti who, in 1549, while finishing the Sistine Chapel, wrote to his nephew Lionardo: “I’d prefer two casks of wine rather than eight shirts.” On that same occasion, Michelangelo also sent Nittardi wine to Rome as a “genuine gift to the Pope Paolo III”. Today, in honour of that tradition, every year the first bottles of Nectar Dei, the top wine from the Maremma vineyards, are presented to the Pope.

So I am elated, and will be joining their wine club. Arrivederci.

George Is Doing Well

A pressing social agenda, suntanning, and lizard hunting have found him unable to write this week.

To Close

While the overwhelming feeling this week is gratitude. Gratitude for safety, for sunshine in January, for access to all that we need and more — it’s okay to still feel down, to be grumpy, to need some extra care, or simply need to carry on, business as usual. Make a list of what you’re thankful for, take a couple extra minutes in the shower, sleep in this weekend, buy an overpriced latte or a bottle of wine with a beautiful label, do a puzzle, read a book, binge that show, turn off your phone, or make plans with your girlfriends, romanticize everything, take care of yourself, and each other. Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to read my silly newsletter.

XO, AW

Honorable Mentions: I have actually gotten a few Ask Averi Anything submissions which is so exciting (sorry I haven’t answered). I am thinking I am going to add a little section to this newsletter where I answer those instead of making it a separate thing! So please, submit any questions, advice requests, etc. to askaverianything@gmail.com.

Additionally, I am now reading book 2, A Court of Mist and Fury. If you haven’t read the series just do it.