<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ice Cream Before Dinner]]></title><description><![CDATA[A weekly letter about building a life shaped by little pleasures and longevity. Having dessert first highly encouraged.]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L91p!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11839efa-dfa8-4248-a7fe-809a8f26ac5f_1080x1080.png</url><title>Ice Cream Before Dinner</title><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 21:14:15 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Ingrid]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[icecreambeforedinner@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[icecreambeforedinner@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[icecreambeforedinner@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[icecreambeforedinner@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[The Pieces I've Worn 100+ Times]]></title><description><![CDATA[plus a few things I'm loving this week]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-pieces-ive-worn-100-times</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-pieces-ive-worn-100-times</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 01:12:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7f677b99-b3a0-48e3-b734-d1b35aedac7f_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wearing something 100+ times doesn&#8217;t just mean I love it, it means it has the durability&#8212;both literally and creatively&#8212;to endure the ebb and flow of my life.</p><p>Clothing and accessories that have carried me through my twenties and now thirties, finding new contexts for wear and becoming imbued with memories from all the places I&#8217;ve traveled, the myriad of relationships, changes in my body and career.</p><p>I&#8217;ve lovingly dubbed these items part of the 100+ wears club, and they are some of my most beloved pieces. Some have been with me for over a decade, and some just a handful of years, but all of them feel like a familiar friend. The pieces I can count on to feel like myself, no matter what. My personal classics.</p><p>I thought I&#8217;d share a few of these with you&#8212;items that I especially love wearing in the spring. </p><p>Most of all, I hope this inspires you to reach for something in your wardrobe that maybe you&#8217;ve forgotten about, but makes you feel like a million bucks. </p><p>As always, thank you for reading.<br>Ingrid &lt;3</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">new here? subscribe for a little ice cream before dinner treat every sunday &#127846;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png" width="1456" height="326" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:326,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:80489,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/197111837?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3t59!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd21c5199-af52-4eee-9513-f3bf8bacca94_1456x326.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><ul><li><p>Eadem launched a <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-57552700">SUNSCREEN</a></strong>! <em>Code: INGRID for 15% off their site</em></p><p>The brand&#8217;s first foray into spf is in stick form and it&#8217;s <em>good</em>. I&#8217;ve been keeping it in my bag everywhere I go for sunscreen touch ups&#8212;the formula is perfect for this because it isn&#8217;t greasy or messy. I especially love using this on my lips, since that&#8217;s the first place spf wears off. </p></li><li><p>I got these <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4d1kfZY">cooling eye patches</a> </strong>on a whim and my god, I&#8217;ve seen the light! These are incredible. They kinda feel like Icy Hot minus the hot part and I simply can&#8217;t be without them now. They&#8217;re described as &#8220;a cool shot of espresso for your eyes&#8221; and that is completely accurate. I&#8217;m ordering more tonight so I can take them with me when I travel.</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:802628,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/197111837?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_V_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcadf8feb-7444-4d02-962b-c35cdd825b92_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">LEFT: the new spf // RIGHT: eye patches in action</figcaption></figure></div><ul><li><p>I finally bought a new phone and laptop (which I&#8217;ve had since 2019 and 2017, respectively) and thus, have been reborn. I&#8217;m especially excited about my new <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-57552807">phone case</a></strong>. It&#8217;s blue, sparkly, and reminds me to keep my head in the clouds like the Aquarius I am.</p></li></ul><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">up next: the first installment of the 100+ wears club, for paid subscribers only. upgrade today and unlock these secondhand gems &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png" width="1456" height="264" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:264,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:69974,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/197111837?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yJpX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9f52cc8-27fe-4f3b-94f6-36fe7d75873c_1456x264.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>My favorite denim jacket</h4><p>I searched for years trying to find the perfect oversized denim jacket, which is a tricky endeavor considering I&#8217;m 5&#8217;3&#8221; and a lot of things I found&#8212;both vintage and</p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Art of Navigating Low Energy Days]]></title><description><![CDATA[making the case for going with the flow... literally]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-art-of-navigating-low-energy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-art-of-navigating-low-energy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:47:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ffe954b3-571f-429a-a4a0-236bbbc4b3a7_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The sun is out, Brooklyn feels alive, I&#8217;m in a good mood and yet&#8230; my body hasn&#8217;t received the memo. Rude!</p><p>My periods have never been my favorite thing in the world, but for the most part, they&#8217;ve been pretty inconsequential. As I get closer to 40, though, they&#8217;ve become a little more unpredictable. Sometimes I feel totally fine and other times I feel like I do today. It&#8217;s like I&#8217;m me, but with the volume turned down slightly. There&#8217;s nothing wrong, but my body isn&#8217;t aligned with my joie de vivre, ya know?</p><p>So I thought I&#8217;d share what I do on days like this one. For me, it&#8217;s a balance between resting and doing just enough to feel like myself instead of a blob. There are no revelations or hacks here, just how I move through the day so I don&#8217;t spiral into a mental funk.</p><p>If you&#8217;re also having a low volume day, you&#8217;re in good company. </p><p>As always, thank you for reading.<br>Ingrid &lt;3</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png" width="1456" height="291" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:291,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:78834,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/195561172?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JdMM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e92d057-2aa0-47dc-921b-ea1a7233387c_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>FYI: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you shop through them. Thank you in advance if you choose to do so!</em></p><h4>Movement &#129336;</h4><p>Look, the last thing I want to do when my body is cranky is do my regular workout. No thank you. So I&#8217;ll either opt for a long walk like I did today or take the stretching class at the Pilates studio I go to. It honestly feels like a treat to do something slow and juicy for my body, knowing there will be zero hard work in the process. </p><h4>Shower &#128703;</h4><p>I also try to luxuriate in the shower on these days. I&#8217;ll keep the overhead lights off, turn on my shower lamp and take my time. I love using <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4cyBxNV">this deep conditioner</a> </strong>in moments like this. I&#8217;m on my second tub and it makes my hair so soft. I&#8217;ve also added another hanni product to my routine, their new <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54935546">Rich Rinse</a></strong>. It&#8217;s. SO. GOOD. The lather is thick and luscious and I love the ambery scent it leaves behind. (<em>INGRID15 for 15% off at hanni<strong>)</strong></em></p><h4>Maybe Makeup &#128132;</h4><p>If I decide to wear a little makeup, I&#8217;ll keep it simple with a few products. <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54935693">Glossier&#8217;s skin tint</a> </strong>all over my face, a little <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54935882">Tower28 concealer</a> (</strong><em>INGRID15 for 15% off at T28</em><strong>) </strong>for spot concealing and a swipe of <strong>Refy&#8217;s brow gel</strong> to bring it all together. For lips, I&#8217;m obviously an Eadem girl through and through. My favorite lip balm shade right now is their new <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54935995">Sakura Shaved Ice</a></strong>, which is the perfect cherry blossom pink. (<em>INGRID for 15% off at Eadem</em>) </p><h4>Stretchy Pants Only &#128086;</h4><p>I absolutely have to wear something with an elastic waistband when I&#8217;m on my period. It&#8217;s a non-negotiable. Mayfair is my go-to for loungewear and their waffle sets <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54936170">like this one</a></strong> are great for the warmer months when it&#8217;s too hot to wear full sweats but I still want to be cozy. I just looked and they&#8217;re currently having a big spring sale, with <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54936267">waffle sets</a></strong> included! (<em>INGRID15 for 15% off at Mayfair Group</em>)</p><p>For non-loungewear stretchy pants, <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54936416">LESET makes a great pair</a></strong> and so does <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-54936528">AYR</a> (I take the short inseam with AYR)</strong>. I own and love both for period days.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png" width="1456" height="47" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:47,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:13373,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/195561172?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5X-r!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F152c6920-7c20-445b-b3a5-45ec15e2df47_1456x47.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">up next: the best period underwear you&#8217;ve never heard of, my unlikely Netflix alternative, and my honest thoughts on popular meal delivery services. become a paid subscriber to keep reading &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Books That Pulled Me Out of My Reading Slump]]></title><description><![CDATA[making the case for talking to strangers]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/books-that-pulled-me-out-of-my-reading</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/books-that-pulled-me-out-of-my-reading</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:07:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f26e1c9a-b43a-4a4c-98a9-d1998cc8e4b0_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Reading was sluggish for me at the start of the year. I wasn&#8217;t getting that &#8220;<em>I can&#8217;t wait to see what [insert character] and [insert other character] are up to today!&#8221; </em>feeling. I was DNFing like nobody&#8217;s business. I know this is just a normal part of being a reader, but still, it feels deflating. Like, what am I doing wrong here? </p><div class="poll-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:497943}" data-component-name="PollToDOM"></div><p>But recently, I&#8217;ve read some absolute bangers that have pulled me out of my slump. One was so good, I even had an impromptu conversation with a stranger about it. </p><p>Since I&#8217;ve talked all my friends&#8217; heads off (and a stranger apparently) about some of these books, a dedicated Sundae Best list felt warranted, perhaps even needed for my soul.</p><p>So here they are, four books that have surprised me in mostly good ways.</p><p><strong>As always, thanks for being here.<br>Ingrid &lt;3</strong></p><p>P.S. make sure to read &#8216;til the end to vote on what I should read next!</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png" width="1456" height="291" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:291,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:78834,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/194721396?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BVIJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe15abaa0-e2d4-4994-9edc-9c3ee495473c_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>Strangers by Belle Burden</h4><p>I went into this book thinking I would hate it. It has all the things that annoy me: rich straight white woman goes through a divorce and then I&#8217;m supposed to learn something profound from her struggle. *<em>eye roll</em>*</p><p>LET IT BE KNOWN I WAS WRONG! OH SO VERY WRONG! Not about the synopsis because she is a rich white woman who goes through a divorce, but because she was so forthcoming.</p><p>I usually don&#8217;t like reading memoirs by wealthy white people in general because there tends to be a vagueness about their familial lineage, generational wealth, or financial story. Burden lays it all on the table and my god, I wanted to scream THANK YOU as she did. Plus, it didn&#8217;t hurt that her family history is filled with old Hollywood royalty &#8211; it makes the side quests on Google so fun!</p><p>Anyway, her husband abruptly leaves her at the beginning of the pandemic, which catches her off guard because she thinks she has been happy for their 20ish years together. But truly, I think what&#8217;s so gripping about this is that it&#8217;s a portrait of what happens when you center your life around a man&#8230; even when you come from wealth. </p><p>It&#8217;s a story of finances. A story of heartbreak. A story that made me gasp out loud (it was the sandwich moment for me). A reckoning for all women about the perils of the patriarchy. And ultimately, one of the best stories of karma I&#8217;ve read in a long time. Knowing this book is a #1 bestseller will absolutely tickle you with glee by the end.</p><p>And yes, this is the book I found myself effusively gabbing about with a complete stranger. We were both equally obsessed. Strangers bringing strangers together!</p><p><strong>&#11088; Would I recommend this to a friend?</strong> <strong>YES</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">I&#8217;ve got 3 more books for you below, including my favorite thriller of the year so far. Become a paid subscriber to keep reading. &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I've Never Done A Sephora Sale Haul and I Never Will]]></title><description><![CDATA[making the case for a mostly boring shopping list]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/ive-never-done-a-sephora-sale-haul</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/ive-never-done-a-sephora-sale-haul</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:11:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4ed4174a-16ca-4b3b-afe1-fd42d6eb0693_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The other day on IG, I asked what Sephora Sale recs you wanted to see the most, and the answer was loud and clear: show us what you&#8217;re <em>actually </em>buying.</p><p>Ask and you shall receive!</p><p>I won&#8217;t mince words: t&#8230;</p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/ive-never-done-a-sephora-sale-haul">
              Read more
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Few Things That Filled My Cup Recently]]></title><description><![CDATA[give me a sunny day and my cup runneth over]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-few-things-that-filled-my-cup-recently</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-few-things-that-filled-my-cup-recently</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:36:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/305a3c40-d242-43b2-9079-b9c94b3068e5_6214x3423.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s 60 degrees outside, the windows are open, my curtains are billowing in the gentle breeze and just for a moment, it feels like spring in the city. I think this might be one of the best feelings i&#8230;</p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-few-things-that-filled-my-cup-recently">
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unpopular Decisions I've Made as a Founder]]></title><description><![CDATA[and why I'd make them again in a heartbeat]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/unpopular-decisions-ive-made-as-a</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/unpopular-decisions-ive-made-as-a</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:47:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ba831179-c7f3-43d0-9887-7e55018bd474_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5 style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Welcome back to Sundae Best! Quick disclaimer: some of the links I use here are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them. Thank you in advance if you choose to do so. &lt;3</strong></em></h5><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png" width="1456" height="47" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:47,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:13373,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/191047582?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXkn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85583fa8-794e-46ce-b703-f8d672798fd4_1456x47.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Happy Sunday everyone! &#127846;</p><p>This week has been so much brighter in comparison to the last few. We officially lowered prices at <a href="https://thenewsavant.com/">The New Savant</a> and the response has been unbelievable. Here&#8217;s just one of the many messages we received:</p><blockquote><p><em>&#8220;This is exactly why I spend a not insignificant amount of my fun money on your candles. You guys are the best. I know this was probably NOT an easy process, but it means so much that you are running the business aligned with your ethics. Hats off to the whole team.&#8221;</em> <em>- Donna</em></p></blockquote><p>This note in particular reminded me that doing things the &#8220;right&#8221; way on paper, doesn&#8217;t always translate in real life. So today&#8217;s Sundae Best will be a mix of my usual favorites <strong>plus</strong> founder decisions we&#8217;ve made that went against traditional advice and ended up making our business <strong>stronger</strong>.</p><p>As always, thanks for spending a piece of your Sunday with me.<br>Ingrid &lt;3</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png" width="1456" height="47" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:47,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:13373,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/191047582?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MS6A!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7e7031ac-c18b-4000-b787-4557e47a3981_1456x47.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">New here? Welcome! &#128153; Sundae Best is my weekly Sunday roundup of everything I&#8217;m loving in real time. And this week, paid subscribers are getting a bonus: all the unpopular decisions I&#8217;ve made as a founder&#127846;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png" width="1456" height="291" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:291,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:78834,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/191047582?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zkv7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c0dc16f-2e46-4c3f-bbf0-166817dfc127_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>&#129514; WORTH REPURCHASING&#8230; TWICE!</h4><p>I just ran out of <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-47591562">Experiment&#8217;s Buffer Jelly</a></strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-47591562"> </a><em>[Code INGRID15 for 15% off their site] </em>this week and immediately repurchased my <em>third</em> bottle. If you&#8217;re new here you should know two things: I&#8217;m obsessed with this chemist-led brand and Buffer Jelly is savingggg my skin this winter. It&#8217;s a semi-occlusive oil-gel hybrid that seals in moisture without feeling gloopy and is perfect for both day and night use. Literally one drop is enough to get the job done.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png" width="1456" height="1004" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1004,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1446986,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/191047582?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!44Yq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8133d30-307a-4695-9314-1ab66e752415_1456x1004.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>&#128218; FOR THE BOOK LOVERS</h4><p><strong>What I finished: Dear Debbie by Frieda McFadden</strong> <br>I flew through this and it was honestly the perfect escape for me. The story follows a suburban housewife and advice columnist who starts seeking revenge when things don&#8217;t go her way. </p><p><strong>What I started:</strong> <strong>This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum<br></strong>This book was not on my radar at all, but once I read the synopsis I had to read it. It&#8217;s about two best friends and podcast hosts, Joy and Benny. When Joy suddenly goes missing, Benny finds a draft of her memoir and starts putting clues together prove his innocence and find his BFF. I&#8217;m only a few chapters in and it&#8217;s really surprising me in the best way!</p><p>That&#8217;s it for faves, so now it&#8217;s time for&#8230;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png" width="1456" height="176" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:176,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:58589,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/191047582?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!miGw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04194c2c-bf54-42a3-ab9b-9148ce62fe48_1456x176.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4 style="text-align: center;">3 Unpopular Decisions I&#8217;ve Made as a Founder</h4><h5>1. Producing products in-house longer than we &#8220;should&#8221; have</h5><ul><li><p><strong>What it looked like: </strong>slower growth, &#8220;too crafty&#8221; / unprofessional</p></li><li><p><strong>What was actually happening: </strong>having full control and learning before outsourcing</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jjsP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb35f0e5f-5c67-488a-a3f8-6c0978e978c9_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jjsP!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb35f0e5f-5c67-488a-a3f8-6c0978e978c9_1456x1048.png 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jjsP!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb35f0e5f-5c67-488a-a3f8-6c0978e978c9_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jjsP!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb35f0e5f-5c67-488a-a3f8-6c0978e978c9_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jjsP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb35f0e5f-5c67-488a-a3f8-6c0978e978c9_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jjsP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb35f0e5f-5c67-488a-a3f8-6c0978e978c9_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">it started with a dream&#8230; and a lot of back pain from standing all day lol</figcaption></figure></div><p>In the early days, it would&#8217;ve been easier to outsource production and focus on growth, but that didn&#8217;t feel right. After buying a lot of meh candles over the years, I was obsessed with creating my dream scented candle &#8211; something that actually filled a room with a unique fragrance profile that went beyond smelling good, it made people feel seen. </p><p>I knew I needed to understand how to do that myself, so I developed our recipe and made the first 10,000+ candles with my own two hands. I designed every scent from the ground up, in addition to designing and printing all of our initial packaging during our first year. We figured out how we wanted things to be done from the product itself to order fulfillment and customer service. By the time we brought on our manufacturing partner, we deeply understood how our product should be made. It also highlighted the areas where we needed help, which made it easier for our manufacturer to provide us with clear solutions. </p><p>Taking this route took more time and physical energy upfront, but allowed us to keep our quality and standards consistent from the days of making 120 candles in a run to now making 1,000. </p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Paid subscribers get even more unpopular decisions below, including why we turned down a seven-figure investment + a simple test that helps me make the right decision in big moments &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Calmest I've Felt in 72 Hours]]></title><description><![CDATA[a personal check-in, what I'm loving, and some honest thoughts on some new book releases]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/when-it-rains-it-pours</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/when-it-rains-it-pours</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:54:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8a3aecb8-8216-4991-9e1d-55b66c5aa265_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5><em><strong>Welcome back to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share what I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links I use here are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through &#8230;</strong></em></h5>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Snow Day Expectations vs. Reality]]></title><description><![CDATA[no heat, no hot water, and an impromptu sleepover]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/snow-day-expectations-vs-reality</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/snow-day-expectations-vs-reality</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 21:19:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5><em><strong>Welcome back to Sundae Best (one day early)! This is a weekly letter where I share what I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links I use here are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them. Thank you in advance if you choose to do so. &lt;3</strong></em></h5><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Welp. The last time I wrote to you I was ~<em>so excited~</em> about the pending blizzard. Fast forward to the time of writing this: we have spent the majority of the week without heat or hot water. A 50 degree indoor temp and ice cold showers didn&#8217;t seem sustainable, so Meg and I made the decision to pack our bags, grab the dogs and stay with friends who have graciously offered us their spare room. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:622083,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QBDx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2a07134-4b5f-4263-9524-9de6ac94faf2_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">LEFT: all packed up // RIGHT: casual indoor temp during the warmest part of the day</figcaption></figure></div><p>Packing in a hurry has really highlighted my essentials and things I lean on for comfort. And since I could use the distraction, I thought I&#8217;d share what made it into my suitcase for our impromptu sleepover.</p><div class="poll-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:462083}" data-component-name="PollToDOM"></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png" width="1456" height="39" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:39,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:9161,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y12o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe176f033-6809-4182-bd97-2b48d07ceb14_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>GETTING REGULATED</h4><p>We take our vitamins seriously in this household! Both of us take them daily and Meghan is <em>strict</em> about only having third party tested brands, while I have a sensitive stomach, so here&#8217;s a breakdown of what works for both of us. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:649247,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_rwo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec0cc3f3-099c-4486-8c3e-98e9b09896ec_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">our traveling pharmacy</figcaption></figure></div><ul><li><p>I just got the <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45153693">Ritual Women&#8217;s Multivitamin 18+</a></strong> and opted to break into these early because it was easier to take 1 of these daily vs. bringing two gummy vitamins for each of us. The more I use Ritual, the more I just love their products. I can&#8217;t wait to finish up our gummies and fully switch over to these.</p></li><li><p>Both of us have also been LOVING the <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45153619">Synbiotic+ from Ritual</a>.</strong> This is Meghan&#8217;s second bottle and my first. The pre, pro and postbiotic formula has led to us both noticing a difference in terms of gas and bloating. For me, they&#8217;re worth it just for the fact that they significantly reduced painful bloating during my last period. Everything else is just a plus.</p></li><li><p>We also take <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45154428">extra vitamin D</a></strong> for healthy bones, muscles and SAD in the winter. Since the daily multivitamin already has vitamin D, we only take these every 3 day. Thorne is our preferred brand for any extra vitamins or minerals &#8211; <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45154475">their iron supplement</a></strong> is the only thing that doesn&#8217;t irritate my stomach.</p></li><li><p>It can be difficult to find plant based option for Omega-3s that&#8217;s also third party tested. We are big fans of <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45154625">Nordic Naturals algae based soft gels</a></strong> and take 2 daily.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;ve tried various ashwagandha KSM-66 gummies, but <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45154751">Lemme Chill</a></strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45154751"> </a>has been my favorite for the last 3 years. They simply taste the best and that&#8217;s a huge factor for me with something like this that&#8217;s a &#8220;nice to have&#8221; in my routine. It takes about 2 weeks of daily use to feel the effects of ashwagandha and it also doesn&#8217;t work for everyone. I&#8217;ve noticed that it significantly helps manage stress, so instead of experiencing these huge spikes, I feel much more balanced. Now, these aren&#8217;t a miracle, they&#8217;re just a bonus for me. I take these alongside 25mg of sertraline, which does most of the heavy lifting.</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png" width="1456" height="80" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:80,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:14804,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bzYv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc66d0cf8-3a45-4566-af5f-e0e6fea1235f_1456x80.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>GETTING BACK TO BASICS</h4><ul><li><p>I brought my usual skincare products since my regular routine isn&#8217;t extensive or complicated. But I do want to give a shout out to <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45154829">Eadem&#8217;s Cashmere Peel</a> </strong><em>[INGRID15 for 15% off at Eadem]</em><strong> </strong>for keeping my skin soft and <strong>Experiment&#8217;s <a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155077">Buffer Jelly</a></strong> + <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155139">Super Saturated Serum</a> </strong><em>[INGRID15 for 15% off at Experiment]</em><strong>.</strong> These three have been my winter heroes.</p></li><li><p>I didn&#8217;t really pack makeup, but I <em>did </em>bring my beloved <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155175">Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Powder</a></strong>. I love this as a primer, but also when I&#8217;m not wearing makeup because it just blurs and smooths my complexion to the point where I just feel more put together. I&#8217;ve repurchased this at least 5 times for a reason!</p></li><li><p>I also packed my favorite <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155231">Refy Brow Gel</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155322">NYX Brow Pen</a></strong> since having my brows done also just makes me feel a little more human. When I say this brow gel has made my routine so much faster and easier, I&#8217;m not kidding. I never thought I could love a brow gel this much.</p></li><li><p>Oh! And I just got <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45158101">Eadem&#8217;s two new lip balm shades</a></strong>. THEY ARE PERFECT! I go through these like nobody&#8217;s business.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:710248,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ESzm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F67ad3ad4-4812-4eef-9f6e-9da768d8749f_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">LEFT SWATCH: Chateau Rose, a shimmery cool pink // RIGHT SWATCH: Sakura Shaved Ice, a milky neutral pink</figcaption></figure></div></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png" width="1456" height="80" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jwZZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa8a8798-0e02-4b3e-939c-e519729803e7_1456x80.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>GETTING DRESSED</h4><ul><li><p>I&#8217;m a stripes girl through and through and my AYR tees are a longtime wardrobe staple. The <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155426">Early Mornings tee</a></strong> is my current favorite, and clearly I&#8217;m not alone because this style sells out all the time. I just bought <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-45155479">this short sleeve tee</a></strong> in the same thick cotton material to try. I can&#8217;t wait!</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:406326,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jy6s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F22c40797-27b1-46d8-ae7c-ef7b490e2a6f_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">LEFT: what I have and love // RIGHT: what I just bought</figcaption></figure></div><ul><li><p>I couldn&#8217;t do hard pants this week, so the only other thing I packed were my Mayfair sweats. The matching <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-44823822">empathy top</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-44823883">bottoms</a></strong> to be precise. These sweats are SO soft and SO warm. They also hold up well in the wash without shrinking while being perfectly oversized. Wearing them just feels like a hug, which is what I absolutely needed this week. </p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png" width="1456" height="39" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:39,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:9161,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/189193964?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2i29!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4c95173-31e4-4642-bd70-e2df16350b45_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">since we&#8217;re getting into the more personal parts of this story, the rest is for paid subscribers. upgrade to unlock the rest &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><h4>SO WTF HAPPENED?</h4><p>Now THIS is a story that I didn&#8217;t see coming. </p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Art of a Snow Day]]></title><description><![CDATA[Welcome back to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share what I&#8217;m loving in real time.]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/snow</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/snow</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 20:20:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8ef84b2f-3038-4f1a-ac92-ce3316350945_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5><em>Welcome back to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share what I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links I use here are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through &#8230;</em></h5>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Unintentionally Went Offline]]></title><description><![CDATA[turns out life is full when you turn away from your phone... even if it's not intentional]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/i-unintentionally-went-offline</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/i-unintentionally-went-offline</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:36:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b7061443-a06e-495a-b41c-4adb030f0939_3024x4032.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Happy Sunday all &#127848;</p><p>I&#8217;ve spent the last couple weeks mostly offline and it has been very needed. This happened unintentionally, with traveling to SF for TNS, managing different projects and getting so&#8230;</p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sundae Best #05: Aquarius Energy + Birthday Week Plans]]></title><description><![CDATA[a notebook for lefties, results of the book vote, and some advice from my mom]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/sundae-best-05-air-sign-energy-mozzarella</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/sundae-best-05-air-sign-energy-mozzarella</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 19:49:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/951d6ec5-551d-4909-80e2-09f56b1ea66d_4032x3024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Welcome to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share all the things I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you shop through them. Thank you in advance if you choose to do this!</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Happy first day of February!</p><p>I&#8217;m back in (freezing) NYC and ready for a busy birthday/work week ahead. There&#8217;s a lot happening with TNS (product dev, travel, meetings, etc.) but I&#8217;m committed to finding some slower moments so I can enjoy turning the big 3-7. </p><p>Plans include: homemade spaghetti dinner, Westminster Dog Show, and hopefully something spontaneous while I&#8217;m traveling. I love indulging a random whim.</p><p>In true Aquarian spirit, today&#8217;s letter is very much air sign coded &#8211; oddly specific and yet a little all over the place. I&#8217;m embracing it!</p><p>As always, thanks for spending a piece of your Sunday with me.<br>Ingrid &lt;3</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png" width="1456" height="291" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:291,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:78834,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/184883817?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:692938,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/186514706?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oh5P!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa951572d-701d-480f-9157-0d955a52ec33_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>&#128302; On Deck</h4><p>I just switched over my oracle deck to <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-41065671">this one for Winter Solstice</a></strong> and I&#8217;m already feeling a rush of new energy. I like to journal and pull cards daily as a meditation practice/check-in with myself, and I&#8217;ve been collecting this specific series of decks for the last couple years. I had forgotten how much I love this one in particular. Maybe it&#8217;s because I have a February birthday, but the messages in this deck just resonate with me on a different level. The illustrations are beautiful and it&#8217;s filled with the perfect balance of optimism and solid, practical advice. If you&#8217;re looking for a new way to connect with yourself, I can&#8217;t recommend these decks enough. They&#8217;re so user friendly and a genuine pleasure to use. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:694960,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/186514706?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6MoD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbae7e038-68de-4f38-8aa0-2f652cfcaba9_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">truly a miracle</figcaption></figure></div><h4>&#9997;&#65039; Take Note, Lefties!</h4><p>If you&#8217;re left handed, you <em>know</em> how frustrating it can be to find a notebook that&#8217;s comfortable to write in. I just bought a fresh notebook, so I figured it would be the perfect time to share my absolute fave for the past few years. Meet the <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-41065526">Uma by Danish brand, Notem</a></strong>. She&#8217;s simple and perfect in every way. The notebook has a mix of lined and blank pages, which gives me the freedom to use it as I please. Plus, the it lays completely flat no matter where you open it to write. This means I can comfortably rest my left hand while writing and not have to fight against a spiral or the book closing on me. Lefties, this was made for us!</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:429875,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/186514706?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!65Rd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69ca526c-2c60-4c6b-b60a-afc48dabdf7e_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>&#128218; You Voted, I&#8217;m Reading</h4><p>With 60% of the votes last week, <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-41065745">Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston</a></strong> won, so that&#8217;s what I started reading this week. The story revolves around a husband&#8217;s secrets, murder and two women who switch places.  I&#8217;m on Chapter 7, and I have to say I was a little confused within the first two chapters, but by Chapter 3, I became invested in the ride. I can&#8217;t wait to see where it goes because I already have so many questions!</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png" width="1456" height="145" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/df9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:145,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:53886,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/184883817?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>&#128717;&#65039; Experiment skincare gave me a code! You can now use <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-41056525">INGRID15 for 15% off their site</a></strong>. My faves are Super Saturated and Buffer Jelly, which are truly saving my skin this winter.</p><p>&#128173; This recent post on <strong><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/yourbrainonmoney/p/everything-is-private-equity-3?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=post%20viewer">everything being owned by private equity</a></strong> is a smart, insightful piece on why many of our favorite brands have tanked in quality. By <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Hanna Horvath&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:2306923,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tNaf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F402cf2ee-42d2-4ea7-8d88-4dcb8ab9c9ed_4000x4000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;10015ca2-efb6-4c45-9c44-1b880efc7f0e&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> </p><p>&#128173; <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/ZbvZt_Hi6lc?si=0aS4qTF0MZetct8M">Kelly Gooch made a video</a></strong> about 5 beauty trends she no longer participates in and it was refreshing to see someone really dig into the <em>why. </em>This wasn&#8217;t about making fun of her past self, it was an examination of consumerism and when our beauty practices no longer serve us. The comments are also incredibly thoughtful and worth reading. I&#8217;m inspired to do the same here! Is this a post you&#8217;d be interested in?</p><div class="poll-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:442747}" data-component-name="PollToDOM"></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png" width="1456" height="39" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/fe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:39,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:9161,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/185753569?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>&#128064; Before you go&#8230; </h4><p>Did you know paid subscribers get a bonus <strong>Scoop of Insight</strong> each week?</p><p><strong>Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s below:</strong></p><ul><li><p>The Weekly Big 3: embrace / continue / release</p></li><li><p>One life lesson from my mom with a side of mozz sticks</p></li><li><p>A journal prompt for the week ahead</p></li></ul><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sundae Best #04: Desk Essentials + Dry Skin Drama]]></title><description><![CDATA[the timer I can't shut up about + you pick my next read]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/sundae-best-04-winter-in-california</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/sundae-best-04-winter-in-california</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 04:00:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4e1a5d86-9b97-42aa-86d0-e7fb5735e933_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Welcome to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share all the things I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you shop through them. Thank you in advance if you choose to do this!</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>I&#8217;m in California visiting my mom and (sadly) missing all the snow in NYC. Yes, I&#8217;m one of <em>those</em> people who loves winter. I am who I am!</p><p>This week&#8217;s letter is packed with recs and a fun lil poll moment where you get to vote for the book I read next. Can&#8217;t wait to see what you choose.</p><p>As always, thanks for spending a piece of your Sunday with me.<br>Ingrid &lt;3</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tLex!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d387ca1-1b07-4f70-8352-96fbb75b96bc_1456x291.png" width="1456" height="291" 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fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png 848w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:855,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1593791,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/185753569?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IkDn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F716dcc68-4cec-4eda-b643-743acab52b34_1456x855.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">my current desk essentials</figcaption></figure></div><h3>&#9200; This Time is Different</h3><p>I have not been able to shut up about <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4a46siK">my new timer</a></strong>. I&#8217;m someone who absolutely needs focused work time, but digital timers make me feel like I&#8217;m floating untethered in space. Even if there&#8217;s a countdown, I still can&#8217;t contextualize how much time is left and how much has passed. Enter: <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4a46siK">this visual timer</a></strong>. I can clearly see how much time is left at a glance and it has made these focused work blocks so much more productive. I didn&#8217;t even realize how much I was stressing over digital timers until I started using this one. I feel way more at ease and in the flow now. I&#8217;m so happy I found it!</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png" width="1456" height="986" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:986,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1888712,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/185753569?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!s-yO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f9065c6-74ce-45bb-a644-5cc099cd91ee_1456x986.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h3>&#9728;&#65039; Dew Point</h3><p>I&#8217;m always shocked at how different California dry air feels different from the east coast. It&#8217;s like the kind of dryness that goes straight to my eyes and make my skin feel like a desert. I was desperate for something a little more occlusive to use at night and bought <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40135296">this ointment</a></strong> the other day. It&#8217;s 45% petrolatum so it&#8217;s really locking in the <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40135395">Super Saturated Serum</a></strong> I&#8217;m obsessed with, but doesn&#8217;t feel as intense as pure Vaseline. I use a pea size amount at night and my skin has already felt so much better.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png" width="1456" height="844" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:844,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1618577,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/185753569?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lcfs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5d1309fb-546a-432c-8f36-d45f9b085441_1456x844.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h3>&#128250; As Seen from My Couch</h3><p>There really haven&#8217;t been a ton of scripted shows I&#8217;ve been into over the last year and a half, but His &amp; Hers on Netflix has absolutely captured me. The story follows an estranged couple brought back together by a murder in their sleepy hometown. There are lots of secrets and twists that unfold in each of the 6 episodes. It&#8217;s the perfect weekend watch.</p><h3>&#128218; Book Me!</h3><p>I&#8217;m so excited about all the new book releases this year, but I can&#8217;t decide what to choose from this month, so I&#8217;m leaving it in your hands. Help me decide below&#8230;</p><div class="poll-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:439039}" data-component-name="PollToDOM"></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png" width="1456" height="145" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/df9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:145,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:53886,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/184883817?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZF3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9a958f-0713-4805-a890-a4bc3be99c11_1456x145.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>&#128717;&#65039; <a href="https://thenewsavant.com/">The New Savant</a> </strong>winter sale is in full swing and you can get 25% off select candles, including bestsellers. Also: every order placed during the sale gets a FREE sample of our new spring candle coming in March!</p><p><strong>&#128717;&#65039; <a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40117705">LESET</a></strong> has some really great pieces on sale for up to 60% off. There are so many under $150 items, including <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40118009">a striped long sleeve</a></strong> version of our fave Margo tee.</p><p><strong>&#128717;&#65039; <a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40080871">Larroude</a></strong> is having a 50% off sitewide sale right now. My #1 rec would be their <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40080789">Anne boots</a></strong> &#8211; I wear mine a ton in fall/winter.</p><p><strong>&#128717;&#65039; </strong>I&#8217;ve officially used up (yet another) tub of <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40080048">hanni&#8217;s Splash Salve</a></strong>. This stuff is amazing year round, but really puts in the overtime hours in winter. Repurchasing is a no-brainer. <em>Code INGRID20 for 20% off at hanni</em></p><p><strong>&#128717;&#65039; <a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40080718">Sephora is doing an extra 20%</a></strong> off sale items<strong>. </strong>I think this <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-40080491">Westman Atelier mini blush trio</a></strong> is one of the best products included. <em>Use code: SALE20</em></p><p>&#128221; ICYMI: on Friday, I sent out <strong><a href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-miracle-isnt-the-milestone?r=iwa0o">a special letter</a></strong> about clearing mental clutter and the ordinary good things that hold us together.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png" width="1456" height="39" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/fe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:39,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:9161,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/185753569?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!izuy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe0a0079-c6b3-45ea-b492-a372d0e5ae91_1456x39.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>&#128064; Before you go&#8230; </h4><p>Did you know paid subscribers get a bonus <strong>Scoop of Insight</strong> each week?</p><p><strong>Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s below:</strong></p><ul><li><p>The Weekly Big 3: embrace / continue / release</p></li><li><p>One career lesson</p></li><li><p>A journal prompt for the week ahead</p></li></ul><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Miracle Isn't the Milestone]]></title><description><![CDATA[a note on winter re-centering, clearing out mental clutter, and the ordinary good things that hold us together]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-miracle-isnt-the-milestone</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-miracle-isnt-the-milestone</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:16:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GpKu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F53f4d63b-9a20-4677-9de6-a0b0f3ccd12d_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Welcome to Cherry on Top, a series just for paid subscribers. This is where we get into the <strong>really</strong> good stuff: personal essays, candid career convos, and reflections on more nuanced topics like consumption, money, and creativity. We contain multitudes here and have fun while we&#8217;re at it. </em>&#127826;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png" width="1456" height="94" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:94,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:43825,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/184899882?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GxOQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01b5a42c-b4ca-4ec7-8c81-8fdb272b943d_1456x94.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Happy Friday!</p><p>I&#8217;m writing to you from sunny California, my home state. I&#8217;m out west visiting my mom and I can&#8217;t even begin to convey how glorious it is to be outside in 70 degree weather with blue skies accompanied by a gentle clinking of wind chimes. </p><p>I wanted to share something a little more personal this week, as I was reminded that January is all about venturing into the dark, dusty corners of life and clearing them out &#8211; both literally and emotionally. </p><p><strong>Here&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll find in today&#8217;s post:<br>&#129517; </strong>why re-centering makes more sense than reinvention right now<br>&#10024; a small shift that helped me through a funk<br>&#128279; a few fun links to send you into the weekend</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>if you&#8217;re feeling like you&#8217;re &#8220;behind&#8221; on becoming a better version of yourself, this post is for you. upgrade to paid to unlock the rest</strong> &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sundae Best #03: Good for The Nervous System]]></title><description><![CDATA[juicy skincare, bricking my phone, and being unrelatable]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/sundae-best-03-debatable-relatable</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/sundae-best-03-debatable-relatable</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:24:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a3d0ab18-9738-4944-8ea8-a7d1f2a7b362_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Welcome to Sundae Best, a free weekly letter where I share all the things I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you sh&#8230;</em></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sundae Best #02: What We Buy When No One's Watching]]></title><description><![CDATA[what we do in private says A LOT about who we are in public]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/what-our-purchases-reveal-about-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/what-our-purchases-reveal-about-us</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:59:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6256adcf-a908-4ce7-b9b8-89ea5d7a14b3_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Welcome to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share the things, places and activities I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commiss&#8230;</em></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sundae Best #01: Beauty Products I *Didn't* Regret Buying in 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[what actually held up after the initial excitement wore off]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/beauty-products-i-didnt-regret-buying</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/beauty-products-i-didnt-regret-buying</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 19:36:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1be20980-8b07-40f6-8309-ec9435d7f4e7_4032x3024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Welcome to Sundae Best, a weekly letter where I share the things, places and activities I&#8217;m loving in real time. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commiss&#8230;</em></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Skincare That Never Left My Routine in 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[10 categories. 1 winner each. NO exceptions.]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-absolute-best-skincare-products</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/the-absolute-best-skincare-products</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2025 21:55:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1d50b437-717c-4d36-a8ac-a3941b4ac052_3697x2475.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>*waves to you from the post holiday haze</em>*</p><p>How are we all doing? I&#8217;ve gotta say, I love the week between Christmas and New Year&#8217;s because I don&#8217;t know what day it is, what time it is, and it&#8217;s the one &#8230;</p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I'm Spending the Holidays Alone]]></title><description><![CDATA[maybe Kevin McCallister was on to something...]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/home-alone-for-the-holidays</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/home-alone-for-the-holidays</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 23:44:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/35df89be-d9d9-48f6-b1b3-2a8dfd1deb21_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve grown to love the holiday season, but not for the reasons you might expect. </p><p>The holidays have been complicated for me since my early teens. When I was 14, my mom was diagnosed with advanced stage 3 cancer and when I was 17, my dad unexpectedly died in the midst of my mom&#8217;s second round of treatment. Life was heavy and the holidays made me feel even more distant from my peers who <em>loved</em> everything about the season.</p><p>Over the years, I&#8217;ve done various things to try and reclaim the holidays. I started Vlogmas on my YouTube channel in my early 20s, traveled while most people went back to their hometowns, and slowly built my own personal collection of ornaments.</p><p>But last year, I discovered my perfect formula: spending the holidays at home with my dogs, doing absolutely nothing and going nowhere. It&#8217;s the one time of year when I get to truly disconnect and I decided to make the most of it.</p><p>It&#8217;s interesting to see people react to my choice to spend the holidays alone. Some people get it immediately and dream about this for themselves. Some are curious and want to know more. Others look shocked and perplexed, like it&#8217;s unfathomable to not be with family during this time. I can see the flashes of pity in their eyes.</p><p>I get it. The big, jubilant celebrations a la Home Alone are the blueprint for the perfect holiday season (minus the burglars). But like many people, my family of origin is complicated. I&#8217;ve made the decision not to have a relationship with a few. Many are dead, on the other side of the planet, and/or don&#8217;t celebrate Christmas (they&#8217;re Buddhist). </p><p>I&#8217;ve had to figure out what <em>I</em> want the holidays to be, and I think I finally have some answers.  </p><p>May I present to you, my dream solo holiday checklist.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">this is where things get a bit more personal, so the rest of this post is for paid subscribers. &#128153;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Realistic Guide to Winter Skincare]]></title><description><![CDATA[occlusives and humectants, oh my!]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-realistic-guide-to-winter-skincare</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-realistic-guide-to-winter-skincare</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 20:41:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6b1c0467-c21e-403f-acfe-b5892e01512c_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I know skincare routines feel overwhelming for a lot of people, especially when winter hits, but as I said in <strong><a href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/skincare-in-your-30s-creams-conundrums?r=iwa0o">my last skincare guide</a>, </strong>it doesn&#8217;t have to be this way.</p><p>Taking care of your skin doesn&#8217;t require a million steps or a lineup of expensive products, it&#8217;s about finding the <em>right</em> products, using them appropriately and using them consistently over the course of many years.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:503305,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S18W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ad311a0-f035-4ad8-ae0d-59d749493920_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">my skin, sans makeup in 30 degree weather AND BAD SUBWAY LIGHTING! proof that a routine you can stick to over time <em>works</em>.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Recently, I asked the group chat to share winter skincare dilemmas and this was the overwhelming sentiment&#8230;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png" width="1456" height="258" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:258,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:51202,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!W36l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F843e16cd-d90f-456f-8460-800bd48df034_1456x258.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Before we dive in, let&#8217;s cover some skincare vocabulary basics, since you&#8217;ll see these terms throughout this post.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Humectants</strong> - like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, help attract and hold moisture</p></li><li><p><strong>Occlusives</strong> - like petrolatum, create a physical barrier to prevent water loss</p></li><li><p><strong>Emollients</strong> - like ceramides, fill in gaps between skin cells and help soften and smooth </p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png" width="1456" height="229" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:229,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:65567,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Asyd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f03ad72-d422-4550-bb5d-361b8c57f55d_1456x229.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>THE BASICS &#128204;</h4><ul><li><p><strong>Humidify your home.</strong> We&#8217;re all spending more time indoors when it&#8217;s cold, but heating systems can have a drying effect on the air. Here are some ways to remedy that:</p><ul><li><p>I&#8217;m a fan of bowls of water on top of my radiators. I just keep them filled every day and when the radiators turn on, the water evaporates and adds moisture to the air. If you don&#8217;t have radiant heat, placing bowls of water in areas where they won&#8217;t get knocked over will still work, it&#8217;ll just be a bit slower.</p></li><li><p>For some, a humidifier might be the best option, especially if you have a larger space and central heat. I&#8217;ve heard such great things about <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35307212">the Canopy humidifier that you can clean in the dishwasher</a></strong>.</p></li></ul></li><li><p><strong>Use a gentle cleanser. </strong>I use this <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35531216">humectant rich cleanser from Prequel</a></strong> every morning. It cleanses while attracting and retaining moisture, so it won&#8217;t leave your skin feeling tight or dry. It&#8217;s perfect for anyone experiencing dryness or irritation and safe for both eczema and rosacea. The one downside is that it&#8217;s not great at removing makeup or sunscreen, so I only use it in the morning. In the evening, I use <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3KKEwYu">Bioderma&#8217;s gel cleanser</a></strong>, which is still gentle, but more effective at removing everything from my face.</p></li><li><p><strong>Drinking more water does not significantly impact your skin. </strong>As long as you&#8217;re drinking the amount your body needs to stay healthy (around 11-12 cups per day for women) you&#8217;re fine. Increasing this amount to hydrate your skin <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11148315/#S1">will not do much</a>, if anything at all. Applying topical products like moisturizers will yield much better results.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png" width="1456" height="245" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:245,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:76592,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mKoZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f2081db-0c1d-4a33-b9ad-bd122c6d7033_1456x245.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>FOR A DRY FACE &#127797;</h4><ul><li><p>Soothe dry, tight skin with a centella asiatica based serum <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4aLS4NN">like this one from SKIN1004 (that&#8217;s under $20)</a></strong>. I use this every day, year round to help maintain my skin barrier and prevent irritation from exfoliants and the retinal I use. This especially shines in the winter when skin can get chapped and irritated. It&#8217;ll help calm any existing sensitivity and promote healing. Apply generously right after cleansing on damp skin, morning and night. </p></li><li><p>Use an emollient moisturizer to protect your skin and keep it hydrated. I use<strong> <a href="https://amzn.to/3MXGBki">this one from Illiyoon</a></strong> year round and love it because it&#8217;s nourishing without being greasy. It&#8217;s packed with ceramide capsules that break upon application and a provide long lasting hydration. If my skin is feeling extra dry, I&#8217;ll mix in a small amount of <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35531835">The Outset Moisture Boosting Oil</a></strong> to add a lightweight but nourishing boost..</p></li><li><p>Sealing in everything with an occlusive is crucial in winter. This helps slow down transepidermal water loss, but it can be difficult to find one that&#8217;s comfortable to wear during the day. Enter: <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35531949">Buffer Jelly from Experiment</a></strong>. It&#8217;s a semi-occlusive, gel-oil hybrid that creates a protective barrier without feeling thick and gloopy. I use a drop or two after moisturizing and it has been a lifesaver with the cold, windy weather we&#8217;ve had in NYC. My skin hasn&#8217;t even been a <em>little</em> dry. This can also be used at night, but I like using <strong>t<a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35532030">he Le Prunier oil</a> </strong>since it has a touch more heft.</p></li><li><p>Yes, you still have to wear sunscreen in winter! Sunscreen obviously protects skin from UV rays, which in turn supports the skin barrier. <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/48XW4bG">The Isntree Watery Sun Gel</a></strong> is my go-to year round. </p></li></ul><h4>A NOTE ON EXFOLIATION &#128221;</h4><ul><li><p>Exfoliation is important in winter, but if your skin is feeling irritated, pause on actives until your barrier recovers. <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35532401">Eadem&#8217;s Cashmere Peel</a></strong> is great to use 2-3x a week and wonderful for sensitive skin. </p></li><li><p>I couldn&#8217;t mention exfoliation without my beloved <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35442804">Shani Darden Triple Acid Peel.</a></strong> I use this once a month as a skin reset. There&#8217;s truly no other at home product that will leave your skin as smooth and refreshed.</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png" width="1456" height="235" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:235,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:72168,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xhdT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11af693c-6e04-4cdb-ae98-c5af6841f979_1456x235.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>FOR THE EYE AREA &#128064;</h4><ul><li><p>My eye area is always dry, so I feel this one deeply. To prep, I dab a little of <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35532525">The Outset&#8217;s Collagen Serum </a></strong>under my eyes in the morning and put the <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35532571">Dieux Reusable Eye Mask</a></strong> on top for at least 30 minutes. The silicone mask helps keep moisture close to the skin, resulting in plump, hydrated under eyes. </p></li><li><p>I have to use something thick and balmy under my eyes when I&#8217;m wearing makeup, otherwise my eye area starts looking and feeling like a crackly desert. This may seem counterintuitive, since most eye creams tout being lightweight and fast absorbing, but you actually want something thicker in this area so it can combine with your makeup and create a smooth, hydrated finish. Makeup artist Erica Taylor demonstrates this perfectly <strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRDhdSPgXYv/?hl=en">in this video</a></strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRDhdSPgXYv/?hl=en">.</a></p><ul><li><p>The balm I&#8217;m currently using got discontinued recently, but I&#8217;ve used the <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4oT8Qhk">CeraVe Healing Ointment</a></strong> in the past for this and it&#8217;s great.</p></li><li><p>I&#8217;m curious to try the <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3XQfRER">RoC Eye Balm</a> </strong>when I finish my current balm. The stick format looks super convenient.</p></li><li><p>For setting, I usually skip powder in the winter and use the <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35533070">Milk Makeup Hydro Grip setting spray.</a> </strong>If I feel like I need powder, the only one I&#8217;d use is the one from <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35533164">Westman Atelier.</a></strong></p></li></ul></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png" width="1456" height="251" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:251,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:73597,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Gpo3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F554457ba-d641-4052-869f-4d2dd791ea0a_1456x251.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>FOR DRY LIPS  &#128068;</h4><ul><li><p>Start with a gentle exfoliation. Key word: <em>gentle</em>! You don&#8217;t need to go wild here or use anything fancy. A washcloth with warm water or even your toothbrush (again, be gentle!) will do. The best time to do this is right after a shower when any flakes will be easier to remove.</p></li><li><p>Apply your regular moisturizer on your lips while they&#8217;re still slightly damp. It seems weird, but your lips need moisture, too. A lot of lip products are mostly occlusives, which is great, but only as a last step. If there&#8217;s no initial moisture to lock in, your lip product can only do so much. </p></li><li><p>After you moisturize, then you can lock it all in with your favorite lip balm. <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35533342">Eadem is my personal favorite</a></strong> but Vaseline<strong> </strong>and the <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4oT8Qhk">CeraVe Ointment</a></strong> work great, too.</p></li><li><p>If your lips are cracked and feeling painful, use the <strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4afHuP5">La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5</a></strong> as your lip moisturizer, then follow up with a lip balm. The zinc and centella will help soothe and heal the cracks. Just be warned: since the product has zinc, it can leave a white cast behind. Use less during the day so you can blend it in and then really slather it on at night.</p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-realistic-guide-to-winter-skincare?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">share this post and rescue a friend from dry, cracked lips this winter &#10052;&#65039;</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-realistic-guide-to-winter-skincare?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-realistic-guide-to-winter-skincare?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div></li></ul><h4>FOR A FLAKY, ITCHY SCALP &#128703;</h4><ul><li><p>For all things hair and scalp related, I&#8217;m going to refer you to Abbey Yung, a trichologist that I&#8217;ve been following on YouTube for over 5 years. <a href="https://youtu.be/ylnu6lWdjBc?si=a-93_07uP-PYeHKX&amp;t=721">In this video</a>, she talks about the causes of a flaky, itchy scalp (spoiler: it may not be dryness!) and products that can help. TLDR; products like Head &amp; Shoulders are your friend!</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png" width="1456" height="192" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:192,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:42214,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N-LZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a259332-52de-4c77-a03d-4c2fb4f658c6_1456x192.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>FOR HARD TO REACH AREAS &#128072;</h4><ul><li><p>Getting moisturizer on your back without help can be a feat, but one way to make it easier is to use<a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35533498"> </a><strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35533498">a self tan back applicator</a></strong>. It&#8217;s essentially a long band of soft fabric you can apply product directly onto, then shimmy down your back to rub it all in. <strong><a href="https://go.shopmy.us/p-35533498">The one I have is</a></strong> easy to clean and can either be hand washed or thrown in the laundry.</p></li></ul><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">just a heads up: the rest of this post is for paid subs. i&#8217;m sharing the exact adjustments that let me keep using retinoids without damaging my skin. plus, my routine for dry hands when nothing else seems to work. &#9731;&#65039;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png" width="1456" height="214" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:214,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:59395,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/i/181052556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BK-m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d7b2ac1-dcaa-458a-b812-023b6a75762a_1456x214.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>
      <p>
          <a href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/a-realistic-guide-to-winter-skincare">
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[12 Things I Loved in November]]></title><description><![CDATA[including the best latte i've ever had in my life!!!]]></description><link>https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/12-things-i-loved-in-november</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/12-things-i-loved-in-november</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ingrid Nilsen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 20:43:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e481fe3b-9ee9-4ca5-a93e-ef581e3bdde0_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How is it already December?! This year has flown by and has felt incredibly full all at once.</p><p>This week, we celebrated our 5 year business anniversary at <strong><a href="https://thenewsavant.com/">The New Savant</a></strong> and the celebratory spirit has &#8230;</p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://icecreambeforedinner.substack.com/p/12-things-i-loved-in-november">
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