40 New Travel, Wellness + Food Stories, Including the Fascinating Reason Why Your Wine Bottle is About to Get Lighter
And a brief Hawaii trip recap.
Welcome back to What’s Good!
I’m grateful for your patience as I skipped one regularly-scheduled send to continue making 2023 the year of travel. (I just counted and I’m up to 44 flights and counting over the last 12 months—and am grateful for each and every one, whether it was for business or vacation!)
Last we chatted, I had recently returned from a work trip to Argentina. One of my stories below was actually inspired by sustainability conversations we shared while in Mendoza, and I’m delighted to keep telling stories from that inspiring week.
Just one week prior to when this lands in your inbox, I was on a flight home from Maui, where I was researching a story I can’t wait to share with you very soon. It’s for a new-to me dream publication, and the topic—which felt important and rewarding before I departed—has grown to become something very close to my heart.
If you’d like a thorough recap until the feature comes out, check out my Maui 2023 Instagram Highlight. 💙
What to Read…
Whether you’re passionate about sustainability or preventing disease, you’ve never understood why hot dogs and their buns aren’t sold in the same-sized packages, you swear that stock and broth are the same thing (psst…they’re not!), or would love to learn how to sleep better for good this time, you’ll find one or more pieces to ponder below.
I know 40 features looks a bit daunting, so I wanted to call out a couple personal favorites in case you only have time to peruse a few. First up: My very first feature for Food & Wine! During one of our educational sessions in Mendoza, I learned about something called the Sustainable Wine Roundtable. The UK-based international organization is on a mission to make the wine world more eco-friendly, and chances are high that American wine drinkers will feel the difference within the next 3 years. Find out why in the first link below!
If you’re craving some travel but your next trip feels too far away, come along with me and Veranda to peek inside a soothing Milan retreat and a breathtaking museum-like hotel. We’re also taking a deep dive into the latest hot topic in hotel amenities: sleep.
It’s tough to believe, as it feels like we were just flipping the calendar and setting 2023 goals, but winter holiday season is on the horizon. Skip the mall and find a delicious gift for the food lover in your life in my Veranda gift guide. (Or shop local at your favorite businesses!) Then score some recipe ideas to start crafting your Thanksgiving and Christmas menus via my new Better Homes & Gardens round-ups.
Food & Wine: Your Favorite Bottle of Wine Is About to Get Lighter — Here's Why
Food & Wine: Love the Smell of Espresso Martinis? There's a New Fragrance for That
Food & Wine: Why People Ordering More French Fries Is Good for the Economy
Food & Wine: Stanley Tucci Will Send You All of the Ingredients You Need to Make 2 of His Favorite Italian Meals at Home
Food & Wine: Whole Foods Is Making Early Predictions for the Biggest Food Trends of 2024
Food & Wine: Tabasco and Banza Team Up for a Frozen Pizza That Gets Spicier as You Eat It
Food & Wine: McDonald's Is Giving the McFlurry a Tiny but Significant Upgrade
Food & Wine: Andrew Zimmern Shared His Secret to the Perfect Crispy Fried Egg
Food & Wine: John Legend's New Restaurant Review App Promises to Be Way More Positive Than Yelp
Food & Wine: Finally, Eminem Debuts Jarred 'Mom’s Spaghetti' Sauce
SHAPE: Why Are We Getting Less Healthy When Well-Being Culture is So Pervasive?
Peloton: Adding Glute Bridges Into Your Workout? Here's How to Do One with Top-Notch Form
Peloton: 6 Reasons Why You're so Sleepy After Eating—and How to Prevent It
Veranda: Nearly Half of Americans Are Sleep Deprived—Here's How Luxury Hotels Are Trying to Change That
Veranda: This Milan Hotel Has a Hidden Spa Underneath the Palazzo—Take a Peek Inside
Veranda: This is What to Bring When Your Host Says “Don’t Bring Anything”
Veranda: 15 Luxury Food Gifts That Will Make Anyone Feel Like a Celebrity Chef
Veranda: This Italian Hotel Is Like Sleeping Inside an Art Gallery and Wine Cellar All at Once
dsm Magazine: Following the Footsteps of Stanley Tucci
dsm Magazine: On Chilly Nights, Warm Up to South Asian Delights
dsm Magazine: 3 Tips for Making Pie (Plus a 4th: Outsource It)
dsm Magazine: Table 128 Will Open in March, Along With HUGO’s
Country Living: Miranda Lambert Just Partnered With Another Musician to Launch a New Music Label
Country Living: Wynonna Judd Responds to Concerned Fans After Her CMA Awards Performance
Southern Living: The Most Common Group Text Mistakes, According To Etiquette Experts
Southern Living: Katie Lee Biegel Just Shared The Secrets To Her Best Homemade Ranch Dressing
Southern Living: Waffle House Just Revealed A Major Secret About Their Grits
Southern Living: Sam's Club Is Selling A $25 Nordic Ware Bundt Pan And Keeper Set Just In Time For The Holidays
EatingWell: What Are Digestifs and Do They Really Work? A Gastroenterologist Weighs In
EatingWell: Why Are There 10 Hot Dogs but Only 8 Buns in Each Package?
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Smoke a Turkey For Your Most Flavorful Bird Yet
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Store Potatoes to Max Out Their Shelf Life, According to Our Test Kitchen
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Store Apples to Enjoy Them at Their Best For Longer
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Get the Smell of Garlic Off Hands, According to Chefs
Better Homes & Gardens: What Is the Difference Between an Onion and a Shallot, And Can You Substitute Them?
Better Homes & Gardens: 6 Crushed Tomatoes Substitutes We Swear By (Plus 1 to Never Use)
Better Homes & Gardens: How to Cut Butternut Squash (Without Injuring Yourself)
Better Homes & Gardens: This Pastry Chef's Brilliant Trick Makes Frosting Cakes and Tarts Easier
Better Homes & Gardens: Succulent-Shaped Ravioli Is the Ultimate Pasta Dinner Idea for Plant Lovers
Better Homes & Gardens: What's the Difference Between Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth?
Better Homes & Gardens: Put Stale Bread to Good Use in This Classic Italian Dish
Better Homes & Gardens: Midwestern Christmas Foods You Should Try This Year
P.S. You can also find two more of my features in these two print publications, which are on newsstands now!
What to Listen to…
How to Be Awesome at Your Job: Saying No Masterfully to Reclaim Your Life
“When someone asks us to do something, we are psychologically poised to say yes instead of no,” explains Vanessa Patrick, Ph.D., professor of marketing at the Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston.
Dr. Patrick dealt with this phenomenon on the day she turned 24. Not knowing it was her birthday and a party in her honor was taking place at her home that night, Vanessa’s boss had asked her to stay late to watch for a fax message to come into the office. She couldn’t muster up the courage to negotiate, so Vanessa proceeded to spend 4 1/2 hours staring at the fax machine until the much-anticipated (and very inconsequential) message arrived. By the time she arrived home, the party was over—and her birthday nearly was, too.
As frustrating as that scenario felt, it kicked off a journey that has grown into dozens of lessons Dr. Patrick shares in this episode and in her book, The Power of Saying No. As a recovering people pleaser, the three ways to master “empowered refusal” and the reminder of all you stand to gain when you say “no” was a beautiful reminder.
I’d love to hear: What is one thing you’ve said “no” to recently that felt really great?