Weekend Reads #306

I don't know the specifics for every state, but if you ordered a mail-in ballot and didn't mail it in time, you can still drop it at a drop-box or bring it into a polling station during early voting or election day. If you ordered a mail-in ballot and lost it or destroyed it or whatever, you can still vote. Your polling place will have you vote provisionally, but your vote, especially with an election like this, will still be counted. And if you're not sure if you're registered to vote or moved recently, head to your polling station with proof of residency and for many states, you can register same day and vote.

There is a LOT on the line with this election. The future of the supreme court, the future of the middle class, the future of our children, of women and people with a uterus, public education, relations with other countries, the respect of our country's citizens. Please, take the time to do some homework on your state-specific elections and questions on your local ballot. And please please vote like your life depends on it. Because for the majority of us, even if we're in a safe little bubble now… our lives will be seriously affected by this election.

Some resources to help you prepare to vote:

• Local Election Office Contact Information from U.S. Vote Foundation: Here you can find the contact information for your local polling district. You can contact to ask any questions like if you are registered, what to do with an unused mail-in ballot, what you need for same-day registration.
• Am I Registered? Again the U.S. Vote Foundation has provided a tool to help you find out if you are registered to vote. For my state, a separate browser tab opened with the Maryland Voter Search where one can review their voter registration record, request a duplicate voter registration card, find out where to vote and one's voting districts, find out your local board of elections, see the status of one's mail-in or provisional ballot and more.
• What States Allow Same Day Voter Registration and When? Rock the Vote provides an easy-to-read chart showing the rules for each state and the District of Columbia.
• Know Your Voting Rights: The ACLU has a site providing information on how to exercise your voting rights, resist voter intimidation efforts, and access disability-related accommodations and language assistance at the polls.

If you have additional resources to help us all get out and vote, please share them in the comments below!

Weekend Reads #306

How to use micro-meditations to find a moment of calm wherever you are. (Well + Good)

Big tits, trim ankles, and a Peabody: Bridget Everett on the life and death of Somebody Somewhere: “I can’t imagine anything else being this good.” (Vulture)

Republicans and Democrats once found common ground on climate change. (The Baltimore Sun)

What’s happening in America today is something darker than a misinformation crisis. (The Atlantic – gift link)

‘I formally apologize’: Biden condemns U.S. Indian boarding schools. (Washington Post – gift link)

‘Stop the Insanity!’ ‘90s Fitness Guru Susan Powter Lost Empire Worth Millions and Survived by Delivering Grubhub: ‘Scary as S—‘ (People)

Vice President Kamala Harris on her race to the finish. (Vogue)

‘Washington Post' won't endorse in White House race for first time since 1980s. (NPR)

Why people think it's okay to steal. (The Atlantic – gift link)

Work wives are going extinct. (Marie Claire)

Ann Patchett: The decision I made 30 years ago that I still regret. (New York Times – gift link)

The surprising shape of my midlife crisis. (In Pursuit of Clean Countertops)

A young teen gives birth. Idaho’s parental consent law snags her care. (Washington Post – gift link)

The death of the public like. (Good Hang)

Trump: ‘I need the kind of generals that Hitler had' (The Atlantic – gift link)

And for the local yokels… &pizza removes controversial Marion Berry Knots dessert from menu. (NBC Washington)

Got Green Tomatoes?

It's not a typical Wardrobe Oxygen topic, but if you follow me on Instagram, you know my husband has a large plot at the community garden, and last weekend, we harvested everything that would be ruined by a frost. And the harvest included a TON of green tomatoes. Tomatoes will ripen just sitting on your dining table; you can speed it up by putting them in a paper bag or cardboard box, but when you have as many as we do you want some green tomato recipes to get through them all.

When you search green tomato recipes, it's fried green tomatoes, a variation of salsa verde, or pickled tomatoes. And all three are lovely but all three are things that you can tire of pretty quickly. I wanted to share the other green tomatoes recipes I found that have been a hit, especially for green cherry tomatoes:

• Lamb chops with green tomatoes (NYT Cooking, and you can switch out for a different type of meat – we did chicken thighs once)
• Fried green cherry tomatoes (Grits and Gouda; essentially like the large sliced version but a fun pop in your mouth)
• Green tomato jam (She Loves Biscotti; don't be afraid to add some hot peppers to the mix!)
• Green tomato cake (The Spruce Eats; it's kind of like zuchinni bread and easy to customize with different oils, half whole wheat flour, less sugar, additional items like chocolate chips or apple, and makes good muffins)
• Green tomato chutney (Cookpad)
• Creamy green tomato soup (Where is My Spoon; very good with coconut cream)

Sale Update

We're officially into holiday season, even though it's not even November. Even if you're not ready for buying gifts and outfits for events, you still have fantastic sales to enjoy with the season. I'll be sharing my favorites each Weekend Read through the remainder of the year, with individual picks I find most worth your time and money.

Athleta

Athleta, which rarely has sales, is offering 30% off Fall Favorites at this link. What I own and love or am considering buying in this sale:

• I'm a fan of the Rainier leggings; I do a lot of walking in the winter and early spring and these keep me comfortable and they hold up great too. The high rise legging is a classic, but I really dig the cargo legging and may order a pair of petite Rainier bootcuts.
• Last winter I got the Downtown Puffer Vest and I still love it. The fit is fantastic, it has a two-way zipper and zippered pockets, and it's pretty sleek and luxe.
• I also love these gloves. They fit well, they are water resistant, the touch screen capabilities really work, and they clip together so I don't lose them and I can also hang them up to dry.

J. Crew

J. Crew is 30% off this weekend plus an additional 15% off for Passport members. As seen in my post about why you need a cocktail pantsuit, J. Crew has come out with its first round of holiday fashion which includes lady tuxes, cocktail dresses, and fancy situation clothes. But J. Crew also has out new outerwear, workwear, casual pants and jeans, and lots of sweaters in lovely colors.

Also, check out the brand new collaboration with Christopher John Rogers. I wanted the whole collection but restrained myself to one piece – this dress. Okay, I also got this coat from the J. Crew New Arrivals; I couldn't resist though the reviews for the black version have me nervous. I was tempted but resisted buying this necklace and this necklace; if you get them, let me know so I can live vicariously through you!

Soma

Soma is having their Friends & Family event through the weekend; everything is 25% off in stores and online. I am a big Soma fan; my picks and favorites:

• The Soma Unlined Balconette Bra with Lace is a sexy yet supportive bra with matching undies. 32-42 band and A-H cup, I have it in black but now also want it in Pink Cosmo and Wild Lavender.
• The Embraceable Wireless Unlined Full Coverage Bra continues to be, as I wrote a couple of years ago, my favorite wireless comfort bra for large busts. I just bought one the last big sale so I don't need to replenish just yet, or I'd be buying another in black.
• The Stunning Starlet Strapless Bra is serious hardware, but it's also the strapless bra I rely on when I need to be lifted and nicely shaped and don't want to be yanking it up all night long.
• The Vanishing Edge Modern Brief is my jam. It is completely invisible under clothing, is silky so clothes glide over, they aren't too high for my short-waisted self but don't roll down ever. I always stock up with these sales; Hush and Adobe Rose on me are undectable even under white linen, black is always a safe bet, but I also like the Nightfall Navy, Lush Emerald, and Paint the Town Red.
• This is a good sale to get a pair of grown-ass woman pajamas. You deserve a comfortable yet comfy being seen getting your morning coffee set like these pants, this tunic, this camisole, and this cardigan so you can mix and match all four seasons. I also dig the Meadow Scene print of this pajama top and matching bottoms that come in short, regular, and tall.
• Speaking of grown-ass woman pajamas, you are again the age where you look awesome AF in some satin silky drapey loungey pinky up goodies. Pull-on pants that swish swish, robes that provide drama each time you wrap one around you, gowns and camisoles that remind you that curves can be sexy. This highly-rated satin gown (size up) and matching robe (I own last winter's version). This adjustable-strap satin cami and pants that I personally own and love (and often wear lounging around with a chunky sweater and wool slippers or a different cami and my long satin robe). I also love this set of robe and pants. Rawr! And this Cool Nights gown and robe would feel so lovely; I love Cool Nights sleepwear!
• I was gifted a Soma Cool Nights eyemask and DUDE this eyemask is luxe. The fabric feels cool to the touch, it's padded enough to block out light and feel relaxing, and the super wide band keeps the mask from sliding around or bothering you when you sleep.
• Soma's Essential Leggings are the BEST loungewear leggings. They feel nice, keep their shape yet are comfy, and launder well. I also dig the Seamfree Turnaround Tank; one side is scoop, one side is a V and it's a really good base layer.

Hear/See/Read

After Yellowface, I needed something relaxing, and Swang Song, the last novel by Elin Hilderbrand, became available on Libby, and I borrowed the audiobook. Wow, this was a salacious book! Orgies and illicit drugs and skinny-dipping and hot tubs and super fancy theme parties and scam artists and yachts… this reminded me of the awful couple in Bad Monkey with a touch of Real Housewives.

I am now listening to Hilderbrand's Winter in Paradise and it's not grabbing me. I may be Hilderbranded out for the time being, but am not yet ready for something heavy. With the election and my mom's burial at Arlington Cemetary coming up, I am open for some enjoyable fun books to get me through the next few weeks!

The family has caught up with Only Murders in the Building (Hulu); we sort of dropped last Season but caught up on a gloomy weekend and are glad we did. This continues to be a fun show for all of us!

My husband and I are also enjoying the newest season of Shrinking (Apple TV). It's a fantastic cast, Jimmy's daughter is very close in age to ours, and I truly care what happens to each and every character.

For Your Entertainment

My daughter loves Tyler the Creator, and I got serious Cool Mom points for seeing him live at the Firefly Festival in 2019. Each album, Tyler the Creator, has a different persona and concept/theme. For CHROMAKOPIA, his album dropping this coming week, it seems to be about celebrity and the pitfalls of it. His first single, “NOID,” is not about the character for Domino's Pizza but about paranoia. My daughter and I watched this video together and had a pretty interesting conversation afterward about it. I'd love to read your thoughts!