Happy Monday! Welcome to The Skinny, which will take you 2.5 minutes to breeze through. 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. As one of our subscribers told us: “You’re like my favorite magazine, without all the annoying pop-up ads.” 

What we’re covering: 

• “Extreme daytripping” is the travel version of a power nap, and we’ve got the itineraries to try it

• Is traditional snacking on the decline? Reports say healthy snacking is on the upswing, with cottage cheese on top

• Lessening the stress of tax season with “Write it Off” humor from Schitt’s Creek

• Party with us: we’re celebrating the one-year anniversary of our relaunch/reboot! 

• Plus: Teeing up more golf news, a new shake inspired by the Dubai chocolate bar, Jennifer Aniston’s low-impact sculpting routine, *free* hydromassages & buyer beware if you’re ordering something red

💡Did you know: The Skinny editions are online and searchable—so you can easily find topics/links/recipes/items to shop. Bookmark this link.

🔗If someone already in the know sent this, you can subscribe here.

Takeoff

The art of the hit-and-run holiday

The Skinny: No PTO, no problem. You could be wheels-up by sunrise and home in time for Netflix? The dawn of the hit-and-run holiday—or "Extreme Daytripping" is here. These breezy microtrips, for those who crave adventure but hate packing, are the travel version of a power nap: short, satisfying, and culturally restorative. You can eat breakfast at an Instagram “new find,” and take in a performance you have been dying to see, then hop on the plane back home. Spontaneity is the new luxury. Sometimes all you need is one perfect meal, one museum, and one great story.  

And, we had not heard about this until the WSJ story on this trend, but Frontier has a GoWild! All You Can Fly Pass™ that allows you to fly as much as you want within their network for a surprisingly low fee. Of course there are catches, but definitely worth looking into if you have a flex mindset. 

The Skinny Preferred “Extreme Daytrip” Itineraries:

• Boston → Charleston: Fly in for shrimp & grits, bow tie shopping, King Street for antiques, and be back before the Red Sox play (7:05 pm)

• Denver → Santa Fe: Land early, soak in Ojo Caliente (and/or skinny dip with the hippies in a local hot spring), gallery crawl through Canyon Road (don’t forget some Green Chili tasting)

• NYC → Montreal: Dress in your best French Canadian chic, DIY croissant tour, vintage shopping, poutine + a Molson, and back to LaGuardia by 9p

• Dallas → Mexico City: Museum and design-strolling morning, taco tasting, mezcal market stroll—nap on the flight home.

• Chicago → Nashville: Biscuit brunch, live tunes, quick boot purchase, and a hot chicken sendoff.

ProTip: No need to check a bag but this relaxed Herschel Supply Co. backpack is the perfect companion for a swimsuit or quick costume change.

Rear view

Looking back: the year in cottage cheese

The Skinny: We called the “Cottage Cheese Era” in our April 2024 issue (even though it had manifested well before that), and here’s an updated recap: 

A year ago, Cottage Cheese Toast was the new Avo Toast. Today, the WSJ reported on data that suggests “traditional” snacking is on the decline, while healthier snacking is in (with two of our all-stars—Greek yogurt and cottage cheese—on the leaderboard). Dairy trends in 2025 still lean toward high protein, thanks in part to cottage cheese, and while cottage cheese has been hot with Gen Z since the 2023 yesteryear, start experimenting with the below [*new*] cottage cheese ideas to avoid missing out. We’re betting on cottage cheese to follow in feta’s footsteps and be in short supply thanks to social media, so best load up. LFG, cottage cheese. We know you can do it. 

Market Growth & Consumer Demand

• Sales Surge: In April 2024, this article reports that U.S. cottage cheese sales spiked nearly 24%, prompting the USDA to verify the data due to its unexpected magnitude. Over the past five years, reports note that sales have increased by more than 50%, with 45% of U.S. households now purchasing cottage cheese.

• Global Market Expansion: According to this story, the global cottage cheese market was valued at approximately $15.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $21.5 billion by 2033.

• Brand Success: Good Culture, a leading brand, surpassed $200 million in sales in 2024, becoming a top-seller in retailers like Whole Foods.

TikTok’s Influencer & Viral Recipes

Cottage Cheese + TikTok = a match made in Gen Z heaven:  #cottagecheese fandom, with that hashtag garnering over half a billion views, features always evolving recipes that have transformed it into a versatile and Gen Z fave ingredient, far from its senior center roots. Consider Cottage Cheese…

• Chips: crispy baked “chips” are an easy way to snack your way toward protein goals (disclaimer: these “look” easy to make, but we’re not sure) 

• Queso: A high-protein, low-fat alternative to traditional queso​

• Cookie Dough: protein-rich, edible dough​

• Wraps: a low-carb, high-protein alternative

• Ice Cream: we love talking about Smearcase, as they are based within walking distance of Nicole in Brooklyn (and she met them at the Fancy Food Show)

Add to cart: The Kitchn tried a bunch of cottage cheeses, and have outlined the winners here (even calling one “decadent”).

Taxing

‘It’s a write-off’

The Skinny: It’s Tax Week, and if you're wondering what qualifies as a write-off, know you’re not alone — David from Schitt’s Creek didn’t get it either. (“You just write it off!” “Who writes it off?” “The write-off people do!”). If you don’t know what we’re talking about, a quick click here gets you on the same page fast.

Years of trying to figure this out have taught us a couple things: You can’t buy a Peloton and write it off “for my mental health” (Jill, 2022, who is still appealing, at least in her mind). 

However, as you consult with your accountant, we have a Skinny cheat sheet for some legit deductions that feel slightly criminal based on their satisfaction alone:

✔️Home office costs — Yes, even if your “office” is the corner of your kitchen table and you work in PJs - could probably be a WRITE OFF! 

✔️Work meals & snacks — Most likely a deduction if it’s for the team… even if the team is just you. 

✔️Phone, internet, software — If it’s used for work, it’s probably deductible. 

Pencils down:  For what actually qualifies as a write-off, the IRS has a surprisingly helpful guide.

For procrastinators, as we love to do like this character from The Onion, H&R Block is offering 20% off online tax prep!

Let’s party

Would anyone like to buy us a drink?

The Skinny: It’s our one-year anniversary of our relaunch, and we’re ready to party. Most importantly, we are celebrating you, our readers, and thank you for your loyalty—and for being a subscriber. 

We love what we do, which is working hard to serve up our time-saving newsletter each week for your reading pleasure, but even we can use a break—and a little help. If you would like to support us by joining us in celebration by buying us a drink you can now do so by clicking here. 

Whether it’s a coffee, cocktail or mocktail, name your price: any support at all, no matter how small, means the world to us, and we will send you a personal thank you (you'll also automatically be put on the list for any future Premium Content). Cheers!

Last Licks

This week’s newsfeed

• Last week’s most-clicked: Golf, golf & golf! Our No. 1 clicked item from last week’s Skinny was the Ladies Only Flutter Skirt—apropos for “recovery Sunday” where we all  nap on the couch enjoy The Masters’ final round. Swinging through at No. 2 was a Female Patron’s Style Guide for The Masters, and No. 3 ftw was How to Make the Masters’ Famous Pimento Cheese Sandwich. 

• Inspired by the insta-famous Dubai chocolate bar, Shake Shack recently debuted its version, reinvisioned as a shake. Here’s where you can try the Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Shake in the U.S.

• Seeing red: Last week, we read in our Retail Brew with interest that the majority of online reviews (7 out of 10) including the color red are negative. Why? Turns out that shades of red often vary from what you can see online. We’re not surprised: from Barn to Rasberry to Fire Brick, look at all these varying shades of red. To know which shades look best on you, download a color analysis app, like this one.  

• Hydromassage your tax woes away: Planet Fitness is offering free Hydromassages (even for non-members) during this tax season. 

• Jennifer Aniston reveals the low impact workout that keeps her sculpted in her ’50s, and naturally this is related to her partnership with fitness method Pvolve. And to “train just like Jen,” you can sign up for the Challenge (starts May 1; and it appears that you need to purchase the Pvolve “travel bundle”).

*If you purchase something linked in The Skinny, we may get an affiliate commission—but at no additional cost to you.