It’s Sunday Funday, and we’re here with the latest and greatest snackable news.

For anyone new here, welcome to The Skinny, which will take you three minutes to breeze through! This is a free weekly lifestyle newsletter designed to entertain and save you time—everyone’s most valuable resource—with a curated selection of news. As one of our subscribers told us: “You’re like my favorite magazine, without all the annoying pop-up ads.” 

What we’re covering: 

• Scorpio season: They say to never fall in love with a Scorpio, but this Zodiac season is one of our favorites—and we have tips for celebrating your dark and passionate side

• Say yes to strength training: as the key to longevity and more, it’s time to pick up some weights and we’ll show you how to get started

• ‘Tis the Season for creative Advent Calendars, including a highly-recommended coffee box you can order on presale know (plus a selection of this year’s fanciest to choose from)

• If you aren’t yet aware of liquid marine collagen, you should be if you are over 25 and would like more radiant skin and hair—and we have a special promo available if you’re looking to try

• Plus: recommended spooky long-form reads we’re recommending (such as the real story behind the Amityville Horror House), the Costco bulk candy ‘scandal,’ benefits of donating blood & a trip to the town where you can speak to the dead 

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In the stars

How to appreciate the dark beauty that is Scorpio Season

The Skinny: Every time someone tries to naysay on our Zodiac musings, we offer two RTBs: first, that Nicole wrote a 20-page 7th-grade term paper on the science behind it (which, sadly, she didn’t save for posterity); secondly, that if the moon is strong enough to control the world’s oceans, the stars at your time of birth must have some influence over your personality. Right? Well, for those disbelievers who prefer actual science, even we enjoyed this essay on A Misleading Theory: The Pseudoscience Behind Astrology. 

Whether believer or not, Zodiac content is usually fun and kind of stupid content (in a good way) and there’s no shortage of it: hairstyles, recipes, where to travel, what to read. There’s even an Instagram account dedicated to cheese x Zodiac (@astrolocheese). With all that, here’s an idea of a Scorpio’s 5-9 before their 9-5, as imagined by us (and some Scorpios that we know). 

Wake up to the smell of tacos, flowers and cigarettes in an unfamiliar hotel room, remembering that you flew to Mexico City yesterday morning as a surprise to yourself. Cry into your breakfast tequila while thinking of a past lover, the one that got away, and scribble an impassioned poem to him/her on a postcard. Drop it into the closest mailbox, which you can do easily thanks to the Mexican stamps that have been in your wallet for years, waiting for this occasion. On your hitchhiked ride to the airport, scribble a grocery shopping list (on the back of a matchbook that someone wrote their phone number on last night), because you’ll be having a group of conspirators over for Pasta all’Assassina tonight. 

Speaking of Spaghetti all’Assassina, here’s the recipe for this slightly crunchy, slightly spicy, lightly charred spaghetti. If you find yourself about to throw and impromptu dinner party, or have people lingering at your home awkwardly around dinnertime, this is your new go-to. It is so easy and delivers seriously impressive results. Jill’s son Teddy perfected it over the summer, enough so that it became our Sunday staple with a solid 10/10 review every time. Oh, and ONE PAN.

In addition, a slew of “Scorpio Season Recipes” that look mysterious and delicious enough for us (such as Kung Pao Chicken Meatballs).

Scorpio style: 

Celebrity Scorpios who you can take your cues from include GenX icon Winona Ryder—complete with past shoplifting arrest for extra Scorpio cred—Ryan Gosling (and his jacket from Drive), Joaquin Phoenix, Julia Roberts, Willow Smith, Lorde, Tracy Morgan and Ciara. 

This TikTok lookbook says it all: think a touch of indie sleaze meets don’t-mess-with-me on GP. Dark grays with red accents, F-me heels and off-the-shoulder sweaters—we’ll take it. A couple of Scorpio items that caught our eye: Scorpion golfer tee and cardigan from Devereux Golf, this crewneck from Etsy (one of the coolest that we found), or this Elsa Peretti pendant that was not designed for provocation, but inspired by her “love for nature.”  

In closing, and because it’s NFL Sunday, pointing out that—according to this story—every zodiac sign has an NFL team that captures their competitive spirit (some deep astro thought went into this beyond making obvious assumptions that “the Lions are Leo”). Jill’s notation…”this really could be our year!”

Weights in, cardio out

Why, and how, to start strength training

The Skinny: For years, cardio ruled the gym floor. But now, strength training has officially taken over. Everyone from TikTok wellness influencers to 70-year-old longevity doctors is lifting heavy— and the science says they’re onto something. 

Consider this: in 2022, this meta-analysis (nearly 2 million participants) found that 30–60 minutes of strength training per week was associated with a 10–20% lower risk of premature death from all causes. Why it matters:

• Weight training helps maintain muscle mass, which naturally declines with age.

• It’s the most effective way to boost metabolism long-term (your body burns more at rest with more muscle). And as you know, metabolism tends to decrease as you age. 

• Studies show it reduces risk of chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis).

Strength training trends:

• Gen Z is embracing “hypertrophy splits” (targeting different muscle groups daily) instead of endless treadmill sessions. According to the metabolism article linked above, this type of strength training is the most effective in terms of impacting your metabolism. 

• Women are ditching the myth of “getting bulky” — #GirlsWhoLift has over 25B views on TikTok.

• Boutique gyms are mixing it up: Lagree, strength-based Pilates, and hybrid studios.

The takeaway: Just two short sessions a week can deliver measurable health benefits, from stronger bones to sharper brains. If you’re looking to get started, here’s a nice beginner’s guide from VeryWell Health.

Gift guide

Counting down…to Advent Calendars

The Skinny: ’Tis the Season and each week here out, we’re planning a curated selection of The Skinny-approved gifts. First, for those who love the holiday spirit all month long, are Advent Calendars. These should be purchased now before they sell out, and since (obviously) you’ll want to kick them off on Dec. 1. 

Our featured Advent Calendar today is from Cometeer coffee. If you’re not familiar with their flash-frozen, meltable capsules, know that Cometeer is absolutely one of Jill and Nicole’s top/best-ever products we’ve discovered, and we’re counting down the days to crack open this Advent Cal. 

What to expect: A chic, storybook-style box containing 24 capsules of fresh, high-quality coffees from roasters around the world that bring some seriouly high-powered merriment to your holiday mornings. The calendar features a different mystery coffee each day, all of which are new for 2025 including seasonal blends, rare single origins and holiday highlights. As they say, “just roll out of bed and add water,” because Cometeer coffee is ready in seconds. 

Live for presale by linking here, but available for purchase on Nov. 1. 

This is a meaningful top gift pick because it delivers on two fronts: the daily surprise-and-delight of a new, high-quality roast each day, and the gift of extra time during the holidays.

More fancy advent calendars, this link has them all—and if anyone is wondering what to get us :) the ones from Murray’s Cheese, Dandelion Chocolate and Vinebox are on our list.  

Beauty closet

Can liquid marine collagen turn you into a luscious mermaid?  

The Skinny: One of the perks of living in NYC and CO/Telluride is all the incredible people that you meet, and where better to feature them than in The Skinny. Today, we’re dipping our toes into the world of liquid marine collagen with Theresa Plavoukos of Fat Mermaid. 

So if you’re over 25, listen up—because collagen levels can decrease 1-2% a year after age 25. And if you’re over 50, listen extra carefully, because for you, collagen can drop up to 50%, says Theresa. 

Why does this matter? You’ve likely heard about collagen supplements in their various forms, that, if you’re listening to social media, are the literal fountain of youth. Naturally we aren’t trusting those sources at face value, but we do trust Theresa since she’s worked in the beauty industry her whole career and backs up her claims with reputable sources and clinical studies. 

Fat Mermaid is liquid marine collagen, which is said to be more advantageous due to its form (liquid vs. powder) and source (marine vs. bovine, for example). It’s complicated, so to learn more we will direct you to the science portion of her website. More on liquid collagen here, if you’re doing your research! 

PS: Why a Fat Mermaid? Theresa came up with the name after wondering what a mermaid would look like with an unlimited supply of marine collagen. She’d have “thick, flowing hair and luscious dramatic lashes. Skin so radiant, it practically shimmered underwater.” Who doesn’t want that? 

Add to cart! Fat Mermaid special promo offer for The Skinny: a fat 20% off first order using code SKINNY. 

Last Licks

This week’s newsfeed (haunted edition)

In the spirit of Halloween, these are worth taking a minute to actually read:

1. An Atlas Obscura history of Coney Island’s Last Surviving Classic Haunted Ride, Spook-a-Rama, which has a noteworthy, highbrow history. Side note, Nicole’s son is still too scared to enter. 

2. Next up, if you dare: the true story of the Amityville Horror House: Everything You Need to Know. 

3. For the very spiritual, a trip to LIly Dale, NY, the town that speaks to the dead. This video is 11 minutes long and includes the whole history, but what we appreciated most was the opening scene along a cold and lonely upstate road—aptly setting the tone for death and/or murder. 

On the subject of the dead, but still “living”: handmade “faux taxidermy” for kids’ rooms. 

Candy “scandal”: reddit threads are buzzing over a renewed controversy/rumor claiming that Costco’s bulk Halloween candy bags have old or lesser quality candy in them. Has anyone done a taste test?

Donating blood? There are some surprising benefits for donors, too. 

Honoring the dead with a trip to 7 of the World's Most Beautiful Cemeteries (but Greenwood Cemetery, here in Brooklyn, should have made the cut).

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