Happy Sunday. Welcome to The Skinny Mini, which will take you 3 minutes to breeze through (or less). We designed these lighter editions to help enhance your Sunday with ideas and inspiration for activities that make you feel good. As one of our subscribers told us: “You’re like my favorite magazine, just without all the annoying pop-up ads.” 

(And for anyone new here, this is The Skinny, a free newsletter designed to entertain and save you time, which is everyone’s most valuable resource.)

What we’re covering: 

• Book club: what we’re reading, and why being ‘well-read’ is a priority for stylish circles

• Sunday cooking: 30-minute chicken parm meatballs are a winner-winner

• Teen wellness is um, like a thing and we can actually learn a thing or two from them

• Plus: a Bond girl’s healthy eating secrets, benefits of sleeping in the buff & why coffee and tea are good for you and the L.L. Bean Boot-inspired runway look

💡Did you know: all The Skinny editions are online and searchable—so you can easily find topics/links/recipes/items to shop that we have written about in the past. Bookmark this link for easy reference.

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Sunday book club

And, what is ‘academia aesthetic’?

The Skinny: Nicole has vowed to read a book a month this year, and she’s already behind so will need to tackle a book in this last week of February to keep up (on the shelf: Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking”). Here’s what we’re currently reading (or just finished). And we’d love to hear recos from you! Just hit reply to this email and we’ll give you a shout-out in an upcoming edition. 

Nicole: Tapping into my home library, I revisited The Leopard, which I’d purchased while living in Milan. Made into a movie in 1963 (“Il Gattopardo”), this novel is set in 1860s Sicily during the decline of the aristocracy. From its rich characters—such as Tancredi, with his indefatigable sprezzatura, and the pensive, emotional Leopard himself—to psychological insights on adapting to change, “The Leopard” leaves readers with plenty to think about. I especially loved the descriptions of the Sicilian landscape, depicted as both cruelly arid and sensual and accentuated by a brutal climate. But perhaps a Redditer said it best, noting that “every scene is like a glorious painting.” 

Jill: I took a small break from true crime TV to read an absolute mindf&#k of a thriller called “None of this is True,” by Lisa Jewell. Just the perfect amount of mystery and psychological page turner…highly recommend for your end of winter read! 

P.S. Calling all sexy librarians: put your readers on and dive into this story from Architectural Digest on the “academia aesthetic” and the reasons why being well read has never been more in stylish favor.

Pantry raid

Cooking with The Skinny: chicken parm meatballs

The Skinny: When we are serious about “what to cook when we don’t feel like cooking.” we turn to the one and only Caroline Chambers (with a substack of the same name). Her chicken parmesan meatballs, which we made, were on the table within 30 minutes and were damn delicious (Jill didn’t have breadcrumbs but because she is super resourceful, she just improvised by making them from a piece of toast).  

HOT TIPS:

• If you read our cookware round up, you might have this already but this perfect cast iron skillet is exactly what you need for this one-bowl, one-pan dish.

• Also, Caroline hooked us up with a secret: check the recipe to see what to look for when buying ground chicken, which will keep your meatballs more firm.

Gen Z report

Teen wellness scene: from FitTok to Flip Phones

The Skinny: Are the kids alright? With the massive, and growing, $6.3 trillion dollar global wellness industry—where we’ve heard that $1 of every $20 spent goes toward wellness—the newest emerging segment is teens, who are wellness-obsessed. 

So whether you are a teen, are a parent to one, or simply want to take inspiration from those who are the most chill, here is The Skinny on the world of teenage self-care: 

• Wellness Retreats, Gen Z Style – Teen-friendly wellness getaways like Telluride Academy’s Teen Wellness Retreat are on the rise with meditation, yoga, and “reconnecting with your parents” on the itinerary.

• There’s an App for That – Therapy apps, mood trackers, and “calm your anxiety” apps are hot with this crowd rn. Cases in point: ClearFear is an app specifically focused for anxiety, which has reached epidemic proportions for 11-19 year olds. And The JED Foundation has resources that live on their website to make sure every teen who needs support can find it. 

• Logging Off is the New Glow-Up – As a counterpoint to the above, many would argue that screen use is a cause of anxiety, so it’s a good sign that more teens are experimenting with intentional digital detoxes, swapping doomscrolling for old-school hobbies like hiking, reading, and—omg—talking to people in person.

• The Gymfluencer Effect – High-protein diets, supplements, and TikTok workout trends are shaping the way teens eat and exercise. But experts say some of these trends come with a side of unrealistic expectations, so here is one take on “how to recognize unqualified fitness influencers” (and there are many!) 

• Wellness is an Aesthetic – The wellness-industrial complex isn’t just about feeling good—it’s a vibe. Think about recent “movements” including Stanley cups, Hailey Bieber Smoothies, “hot girl walks,” and clean skincare. Cheat code: make your own Hailey B / Erewhon ($20) smoothie at home.

Last licks

Sunday reads

• Shopping habits: SoFi’s blog makes the case that the secret to your credit score is in…your grocery cart.

• From Paris, via Maine: These L.L. Bean Boot-inspired heels showed up on the fall 2025 catwalks.

• Good news for the caffeinated: Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter has a solid overview of the latest studies on how coffee and tea could help lower risk for certain cancers

• Stripped down: why sleeping in the nude is good for you 

• Live and Let Die(t): How Bond girl Jane Seymour looks and feels fab at 74

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