Happy Thursday! For anyone new here: this is The Skinny, where we serve up curated, need-to-know lifestyle news designed to entertain and save you time, which is everyone’s most valuable resource.

• Digesting the Skinny’s curated news = 5 minutes + more time spent on meaningful activities.

• Mindless social media scrolling = hours you’ll never get back. 

What we’re covering in this week’s snackable news: 

• The woman who created a $1B industry with Spanx disrupts high heels

• Don’t buy waffles when you can make them easier and better

• The planets made me do it: Breaking down Mercury in retrograde with an astrologer

• Plus, admiring “the sandwich guy,”  this airport is better than most, and dont’ buy a white t shirt without reading this

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Hit the sack

Bedtime recipes for fall

The Skinny: Better sleep should be a goal for fall now that the craziness of summer is winding down but what—if anything—should you be eating before going to sleep? 

According to Eat This, Not That! the answer, emphatically, is protein. That’s because, according to dieticians quoted in the story, the benefits of doing so include the ability to restore muscle mass, a temporary boost in metabolism, and better sleep “Arnold’s Pump Club,” a newsletter we love for its no-BS approach to health and nutrition news of the day, also agrees. In an edition this week, they quoted 35 studies that found eating protein + carbs (like in milk) is the recipe for sleep success.

Aside from that, we personally can attest that a glass of milk will put us into the deepest, weirdest dream sleep ever. Have you heard of golden milk, with turmeric? That, and other delicious-sounding bedtime milk recipes, are here. If milk isn’t your thing, Outside magazine has a great list of bedtime snack ideas.

As you make your bed, we want to get into it (yes, again!) about silk pillowcases. We have three, but would like them in all shapes, colors and sizes—and love them more than you can imagine. Apparently, Jackie Kennedy used them to extend the life of her blowout (and that was an A++ blowout), so if they’re good enough for her, that’s really all you need to know. Find out which ones are right for you, and don’t forget about satin pillowcases: and here’s a story where the author slept on one for a year and documented her experience.

Add to cart: 

• Silk or satin pillowcases are best hand washed, and the one you need is The Laundress Delicate Wash, which smells incredible.

• Our favorite silk pillowcases have zippers to close, have been tried and tested by us, and we would highly recommend them. 

• Finally, no sound sleep is complete without a sleep mask, and this one is a sleep keeper. 

Running wild

Spanx founder launches sneaker heels

The Skinny: Sneaker-high heel hybrids are not new, as luxury brands have trotted them out sporadically over the years (like this soccer (ahem, football)-inspired pair we like, from Miu Miu). But Sara Blakely, of the Spanx empire, has launched her own line of sneaker heels and so far, reviews are mixed ( one Vogue writer, while giving them a test run in Tribeca, was pointed at/laughed at by strangers). For the guys, you can run in your dress shoes, too, with these tested recos from Men’s Health

Crème de la Skinny  

One-and-done waffles with this tiny space saver

The Skinny: National Waffle Day is here, on Saturday, and when we say this adorable, one-waffle powerhouse from DASH is all you need, we mean it. We were gifted this many years ago, and it’s still going strong and never fails to make the perfect waffle. We make a bunch at a time and freeze them for breakfast all week. Oh, did we mention it comes in a bazillion colors and is only $9.99.

On to the waffles, though. Aside from being our dog’s all-time favorite meal (see him in action!), you should know your Belgians from your Lieges and, behold, even a Hot Dog waffle that is apparently popular in Thailand (as writer notes: “it takes a very particular iron with the right shape to make this beautiful thing happen”). 

One to try: Chocolate-dipped waffles with sea salt (though we’d make these the lazy way, with store-bought Liege batter, but would definitely use Spicewell Sea Salt). 

In the stars

Mercury in retrograde, explained

The Skinny: Excuses aren’t really our thing, but sometimes it is fun to blame our “problems” on the Cosmos. Meaning: when you wanted to get your [insert mundane task] done but just couldn’t, because “Mercury is in retrograde.” Why is it so ruinous? 

We are not astrologers, but we’d like to be – especially if that means having a name like Mystic Meg, Didi Daze or the Astro Twins. But, despite reading “Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs” front to back, several times, and doing an in-depth research report on the Zodiac we don’t have the cred. So that’s why we turned to Astrologer Jaclyn LaRosa forto help explainingexplain this cosmic rampage in easy to understand terms. 

“Mercury is the planet that rules communication, thought processes and technology, known for speed,” she says. “When in retrograde, Mercury slows down and is in editing mode. This feels uncomfortable as we live in a society that wants to go and do but we always need time for revision.” 

For the scientific among us, this Planetary Society story nicely illustrates the complexity of the phenomenon, and that it just appears to be from our earthly perspective. 

Jaclyn says that tech breakdowns are super common during Mercury retrograde.” A cell phone screen cracks, my router at home isn't working, or even on a larger scale we have seen Twitter go down during a mercury retro,” she says.

Bottom line: If the moon can control something as large as the ocean, the movement of the planets is probably something we should approach with an open mind. slow down, take a lot of deep breaths, and read the fine print. This is the home stretch! 

The most important point to remember, says Jaclyn, is that it’s a natural part of the process. “We absolutely need time for revision! So, take the time to slow down a bit and observe. Trust that the slower pace is working for you, and not against you.”

Ohm, there’s more

This week’s newsfeed

• The first-ever “certified organic non-alcoholic craft beer” is out. Kernza (a “perennial grain”) and the Non-Alcoholic Kernza Golden Brew are a collaboration between ​​Patagonia Provisions and Deschutes Brewery, and you can consult this cool illustrated map to find the new ales at taprooms across the U.S. 

• Before you invest in a new white t-shirt for fall, read this.

• It’s no surprise that this Pacific northwest city has unveiled the most incredible new airport design, modeled on biophilic principles and featuring a spectacular timber roof.

• From “cucumber guy” last week to the “sandwich guy” today: while these sandwiches look incredible, they’re way too complicated for us to make unless it was a special occasion (but we love watching him create them)

• Speaking of Cucumber Guy, safety first when cutting those cukes with your mandoline!

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