Happy Tuesday, aka Election Day! For anyone new here, welcome to The Skinny, a free weekly newsletter that will take you three minutes to read. We designed this to entertain and save you time—everyone’s most valuable resource—thanks to a curated selection of lifestyle news. As one of our subscribers told us: “You’re like my favorite magazine, without all the annoying pop-up ads.” 

First, a super quick poll. Because our purpose is to deliver news that you like to read—we would be so appreciative if you would answer the below.

What we’re covering today: 

• Sweet dreams playbook: how to get your best night’s sleep ever

• Snow may yet to fall but we have this year’s ski season preview including alpine liqueurs, the best après, pre-season workouts & a tip on free lift tickets for kids/teens

• Reasons why the gift of art is the best gift of all, plus 20% off limited edition NYC prints

• Plus: our most-clicked sandwich news, why under eye bags are a new style statement, the Taco Bell 50K, Anna Sui x Old Navy, the rise of at-home Pilates and a creamy chicken gnocchi soup recipe 

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

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

Tucked in

DST counterattack: sleep better with our nighttime playbook

The Skinny: Because of an action-packed Halloweekend, Nicole actually didn’t even have DST on her radar at all until Sunday mid-morning when she noticed something was awry. But if daylight savings time is f-ing your sleep up, here’s our crash course for better Zzzzs. 

Aside from the usual advice we have all heard—exposing yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning, not drinking too much right before bed (boring, but fine) and going to bed at the same time—we are taking your slumber next-level with additional, The Skinny-approved tips, tricks and news. 

Sleep Snacks + Midnight Science 

• Should you avoid eating before bed? Yes and no, say the experts. Say yes to simple nighttime snacks, just eat a couple hours before crashing

• The science behind the calming effects of lavender 

• Best and worst late night snacks, according to a dietician 

• Golden milk, matcha milk and other milky concoctions for deep sleep 

• Magnesium rich foods (including +70% dark chocolate and almonds) 

For your new bedtime action plan, pick your pleasure by choosing a 5-Step Sleep Toolkit from either Nicole or Jill (or for those who like to live on the edge, mix/match). 

Nicole’s Toolkit: 

1. Sleep mask and earplugs (rummage around for the business or first-class bedtime kits you’ve stashed). 

2. These silk pillowcases, which feature a hidden zipper closure (key to not have your ugly pillow poking out and ruining the luxe silk effect) 

3. Lavender-infused lotion or essential oil. And don’t skimp; opt for a brand like L’Occitane, with its Provençal roots. 

4. Strategic nighttime snack or glass of milk (see above and yep, cottage cheese is also involved). 

5. 4-7-8 breathing, works every time.

Jill’s Toolkit: 

1. Magnesium drops (in water or on feet before bed). 

2. The impulse buy that actually works: Get Dreamy Overnight Toning Whip (to tighten your skin and sleep, why not? And I didn’t want to love it, but it really works).

3. NO SCREENS one hour before bed. 

4. Caveat that No. 3 is broken because of me having to listen to this amazing meditation. 

5. A slightly different breathing technique than Nicole’s: 2 minutes of breathing in 4 counts and breathing out 6 counts, which also works every time (even if you’re one of the “I can’t meditate” types, 2 minutes is a small price to pay for a deep sleep).

Honorable mention: any supplement with L-Theanine and GABA is a winner for brain health. I stumbled across this one in a moment of desperation at Target and have to say, it works for me and I love waking up with a clear brain).

Ski bunny szn  

Hop to it! Ski & ride season approacheth

The Skinny:  As one of our favorite topics we will have more on this later, but it is officially ski planning season. That means, aside from your technical outerwear and après fits, there are itineraries, passes and chalets to book, shotskis to DIY, and an alpine bar to stock. 

Speaking of your alpine bar: one of the best parts of writing this newsletter is finding gems like this article on “Alpine Liqueurs” from the Gentleman’s Journal, which is aesthetically pleasing as it is informative and entertaining. Most of all, it makes us want to curl up next to a fire hugging a bottle of Fernet and a cheese plate. Plus, digestif and cheese pairings here, from the coolest—maybe, the only?—magazine dedicated to cheese (which of course we love). 

Après-planning: If you’re itching to plan your ski trip this season, be sure to consult this list of 9 classic ski town bars. Because let’s face it, what’s a great day of skiing without an equally epic après performer and/or DJ plus Fernet Branca stains on your new ski pants.

Mark your calendar: from Dec. 6-12, kids under 17 ski & ride free all week at Stratton. If skiing is a family sport (or you want to make it one), an especially good resource is the Ski Moms, with discounts, lodging hookups, and a gift guide.

Ski-specific workouts: Blah blah blah - we all know about “Ski Conditioning” but here is WHY YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO DO IT (less injuries, more fun on the slopes). Aside from getting your core and legs in shape, we are recommending Snowmass’ “The Procrastinators Guide to Getting in Ski Shape” (we approve this message). And, not to leave out our Nordic-minded friends, we were excited to see that Nrthrn Strong workouts have arrived in NYC. 

Last but definitely not least, a fast follow: straight from Telluride, you won’t want to miss the [sometimes viral] Telluride Lifestyle Expert’s “Chair 8 Weather Report.” (Weather reports not guaranteed for accuracy lol.)

Gift this

The beauty of art with limited edition giclées

The Skinny: Leading up into full-on holiday season, we are encouraging early shopping with smart, thoughtful gift ideas each week—so you can spend December in festive mode instead of stress-shopping.

Today, we have unique and thoughtful gift-giving made easy with our favorite prints of NYC and Brooklyn. Every New York block has a story, and these prints—which are of the original oil paintings by artist Richard Goehl—transform familiar cityscapes into emotional narratives. Perfect gifts for those on your list who:

• Want to commemorate a recent trip to NYC

• Have a new home/first apartment (or NYC college kids)

• Moved and are nostalgic for the city 

• Are artists or artistic-minded, but with a sad empty wall

Nothing transforms a space like new art, (not to mention the powerful effects that viewing art have on the brain). If you don’t know where to start, the how-to you need is this article with expert tips from The Spruce, but Rich will also send a free mock-up if you’re wondering how it will look in your space.

From the artist: “My work is grounded in photography, but filtered through memory, mood, and meticulous manipulation. A single painting begins with multiple photos rearranged into imagined, yet believable, urban spaces. These subtle interventions bend realism toward a quiet narrative ambiguity, evoking the city’s solitude, mystery, and fleeting intimacy.”

These prints are signed and numbered, and you can shop now with 20% off through December 20, 2026 using code SKINNY. Prints are on acid-free paper using archival inks.

Last licks

This week’s newsfeed

• Yesterday was National Sandwich Day and for those still celebrating, sharing our most-clicked sandwich stories:  the viral and mind-blowing “Duff Cut”; a “salad that is basically a sandwich,”; the chopped Italian sub sandwich recipe; and a tortilla fold trick to change your life.

• Following the popularity of the 28-day Wall Pilates Challenge (which Nicole is doing and on Day 13), you can now level up your at-home pilates with Tonal and “reformer-inspired” Pilates guided by Pilates instructor/inKristin McGee.

• For lovers of ’90s glam grunge, Anna Sui’s new collab with Old Navy. 

• Yes, soup for you: this creamy gnocchi soup from Love and Lemons looks like the perfect fall goodness to whip up mid-week. 

• Run, don’t walk to Taco Bell: the chain’s “Taco Bell 50K” is coming up Nov. 29 in DC, and as you guessed, involves endurance running paired with stops (and specific things to eat) at nine Taco Bell locations.

• Is perfection out of style? Whether your lower bleph is due to a night of crying, old age or “existential dread,” Marie Claire makes the case for keeping it. Oh, and related: “Blepharoplasty Buns.”

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