This + That: Distracting Myself From My Hurricane Anxiety

We Floridians cope with the daunting threat of an oncoming hurricane by sharing memes on Facebook and stress-eating all our snacks and booze days before the storm hits. This Dorian guy is huge and truly terrifying; as I type this post late Sunday night, he’s battering the Bahamas with 185mph winds and heading our way at a walking pace. We’re prepared and will miss the worst of it if the tracking models are correct, but hurricanes are completely unpredictable so my anxiety level is at a 6/10 and rising as it approaches our state.

I’m trying [and failing] to resist the urge to refresh my ‘hurricane dorian noaa’ google search every 20 minutes and looking for any calming distraction I can get while we wait out the next few days: binging Gilmore Girls and Ugly Betty, playing board games with C, stress-cleaning everything (the dog is next), eating all the chocolate in the house, filling online shopping carts with fall stuff I’m not going to buy, and watching this viral cat “Mr. Sandman” TikTok a dozen times a day.

• I feel like this little girl after her first day of kindergarten.

• Jimmy Fallon, Aerosmith and The Roots playing ‘Walk This Way’ on classroom instruments is a good distraction.

• Matilda’s YouTube videos put me in a zen-like trance. She shares makeup and skin care products in a unique flat-lay format with voiceover that’s so relaxing to watch.

• The Cut shared a helpful article about how to trick yourself into shopping less. (Those Instagram ad algorithms really get me; just yesterday I impulse-bought this hyped sandalwood body wash.)

• Bobbi Brown is having an end-of-summer sale with 25% off any order + pick a full-size product with a $75+ purchase. It’s a great time to pick up two of my current makeup staples on a discount: the Skin Long Wear Weightless Foundation and the Crushed Liquid Lip (which may be my favorite lipstick formula of all time).

• I wish I had a carport to turn into a beautiful outdoor lounge space, à la A Beautiful Mess!

• Harpers Bazaar has a video series I love called ‘Go To Bed With Me’ — which sounds naughty but is really just celebrities and influencers sharing their evening skin care routines — and after watching Ashley Graham’s episode, I’m totally charmed. Ashley, be my friiiiend.

• I bookmarked The Stripe‘s list of 10 of the best books by women of color for my reading list.