Happy Thursday to you! 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.” 

What we’re covering today: 

• In a pickle: celebrating our love for all things briny, along with why (and how) to choose your pickles wisely

• Is being unreachable the “ultimate power move”? Why everyone’s going analog and checking into digital detox

• Gift idea of the week: a business card holder that doubles as an artfully-designed notebook designed for you to fully appreciate life’s encounters

• Plus: our most-clicked sleep news, a genius one-ingredient appetizer (which could also help reduce your hangover, Hailey Bieber loves cottage cheese (and capri pants), an idea for a delicious sleeper hit side salad to consider for Thanksgiving & how to prevent skin pilling 

💡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.

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Pickled

Say yes to good bacteria (and microbiome science)

The Skinny: Pickles, which are just cucumbers with a personality, continue their reign as one of the internet’s most celebrated snacks. And why not?  Matthew McConaughey cites them as his favorite late-night munchie. Certain types of pickles are reportedly beneficial for your gut health (more on that, below). And because GenZ supposedly loves them the most, social media is full of the usual [unverified] news like an upcoming PBR x  Grillo’s collab, as well as cool s**t that we love like this pickle fountain for your next ultra zesty brunch. 

Some media outlets are also claiming that pickle-populated relish trays—which are rooted in the Midwest’s supper club culture—are the “new charcuterie board.” But for Midwesterners, they never went away. And while relish trays are “like snowflakes, in that no two are alike” (noted in as this entertaining relish tray explainer), there is one common denominator: a fancy tray itself, and here’s one each for four decorating personalities:

• Coastal chic 

• Boho vibe 

• Contemporary foodie 

• Architectural aficionado 

Tomorrow, for some reason, is also National Pickle Day and for those who celebrate we are starting early with this wildly simple pickle martini recipe. Note: the author says any pickle brine will work, but if you want to play around with flavors, he includes a helpful explainer of the different brine profiles. And if you happen to live in Atlanta, Nashville, LA, Jersey City, Charleston or Folly Beach, here are 6 Delightfully Briny Ways To Celebrate National Pickle Day. 

However, when it comes to dropping pickle knowledge, this is going to be the most beneficial: when it comes to pickles and gut health benefits, choose your pickle wisely. Not all pickles are created equal when it comes to helping to reduce inflammation and support immunity and healthy digestion—so here’s your scientific how-to on which pickles to look for in the grocery store (or make it easy by buying these that we found online, which also includes a cute illustrated explainer on the fermentation process).

Luddites, we hear ye

To best reconnect, go analog

The Skinny: First, we started seeing GenZ with digital cameras (like this one from Olympus Stylus which, fun fact, used to be a client of Nicole’s). Then, flip phones or “dumbphones” with limited capabilities. Now, we are packing analog bags, embracing “dumb houses” and welcoming the return of direct mail and fliers.  

The reason is obvious; no need to bore you with links or data to know that phone addiction is a problem, the average hours spent on screens is insane, and that none of this is good for our brains, personal development or social life. There’s also fatigue from constant online ad targeting—and who wouldn’t agree that perusing fliers taped to mailboxes and street posts as you’re enjoying a city walk is definitely more pleasurable. This NYT story takes a deep dive into flier culture, but also has several pages of photographs of recent paste-ups (and we’ve seen some of the more hysterical and/or outrageous ones). It also provided some excellent ideas of how to promote The Skinny. 

Life with 50% less screen time is in fact possible; our brains need a break, and unplugging is the new luxury. Digital detox retreats, from Postcard Cabins simplicity to luxury resorts, offer a chance to disconnect from screens and reconnect with reality, and yourself. Alternatively, hit up your local bar that features an OG jukebox as entertainment. Net: all the perfect excuse to ignore your emails and chalk it up to a mental health day/week/weekend. 

As this Vogue story on the Best Digital Detox Resorts in the World suggests, perhaps “being unreachable is the ultimate power move.” And unreachable you shall be at any of the tony retreats on that list, which is worth scrolling though and fantasizing about—especially the floating sauna in Western Canada or (to a much more retro extent), the cassette player and tapes you are bequeathed at the Catskills’ Urban Cowboy Lodge and Resort. 

Add to cart: some of our favorite products to support unplugged life: a Digital Detox Deck with 56 cards (under $9) to help you unplug; timed lockbox for your phone (we love this because it has three levels based on your willpower); and there’s no time better than bathtime, especially with this Lemon Peppermint Detox Foot/Bath Soak

Also we really do recommend a non-digital timer that is not part of your phone! This mushroom-shaped version (among MANY that we found) is 10 bucks and will satisfy all your analog cabincore and/or cottagecore desires.

Gift this

The ‘Pleats Please’ of notebooks

The Skinny: While we’re on analog, this weekly gift idea is for the creatives and scribes on your list who appreciate first time encounters—be they experiences, ideas or people.

Behold, Moleskine’s limited edition business card holder in collaboration with MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO. With its accordion-style pages, designed for notes and sketches of the stories behind your daily encounters, this gem is much more than a practical holder for cards (which can go in its two expandable pockets). It allows you to capture something deeper “that a business card cannot seize” because life, of course, “is made of encounters.”

This lovely video brings it all to life, in eight glorious colors (and it  better not have been created with AI because if so, we’re retracting this recommendation).

Last licks

This week’s newsfeed

• If you’re looking to perfect a “sleeper hit” side before the holidays, we recommend this Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad. (Also because it reminds us of the Brussels Sprouts salad from Frankie’s Spuntino in Nicole’s neighborhood.) 

• Colder weather skincare often means heavier creams, so here is a quick primer on how to avoid skincare “pilling.” 

• Entertaining season has begun, and we love this idea from Ina Garten for a one-ingredient appetizer. That’s not a typo. Bonus: it can also help prevent hangovers. 

• Hailey Bieber—from her cottage cheese obsession to her penchant for capris—she’s just like us! (PS: Nicole has been styling her Frame capris in various ways since 2021, when she bought them after obsessing over these Khaite pedal pushers called “The Nicole.”) 

• For our most clicked report from last week: it turns out that getting better sleep is what’s on our readers’ minds the most. So, with “sleep tourism” on the rise, how about considering a sleep-focused escape this winter? 

  • In the No. 1 spot last week was this “working-its-magic-overnight” toning whip that Jill is currently using (and likes), and which promises results by day 56. But because we must always consult our friends at reddit, and they are divided on the topic, we looked for more reviews. Behold, InStyle tried and tested and awarded it the top spot for “Best Body Lotions for Aging Skin.

  • No 2: the 4-7-8 breathing method that Nicole uses nightly.

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