Me with vaccination record
Vaccine, Stop AAPI Hate, and more

1. My First COVID-19 Vaccine Dose! I became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on March 1, but expected it might take a few weeks to get an appointment. DC launched a new pre-registration system last Wednesday, and I was surprised to receive a vaccine appointment invitation the first day emails went out! I got my first dose of the Moderna vaccine earlier this week and have had no reaction to it. My arm has been sore and I’ve been a little tired. But I’m kind of always tired so that doesn’t really mean anything. I feel so grateful to be on my way to being fully vaccinated! Yay science!

Me with vaccination record

2. Stop AAPI Hate: I feel strange discussing this right after personal good news, but I don’t want to ignore the tragic murder of six Asian women at Atlanta spas this week. The mass shooting was a stark escalation of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. And it was yet another reminder of white privilege (the offender was arrested alive, the sheriff in a press conference said that the murderer had a “bad day”). Just this week, StopAAPIHate.org released a report on almost 3,800 hate crimes against people of the AAPI community over the past year. 503 hate incidents have already been reported to the organization this year. The former president consistently used (and continues to use) racist terminology for COVID that emboldens white supremacists to engage in hateful attacks on Asian people. These attacks are NOT OKAY. If you’re wondering how you can be an ally, @kimsaira has a good action resource plan on Instagram here, which includes mental health resources, places to donate, where to report incidents (stopaapi.org), Instagram accounts to follow, organizations to support, and more.

Stop Asian Hate

 

3. Anecdote Candles: I believe I discovered this candle brand via an Instagram ad for their I’m Speaking candle…which I promptly pre-ordered, along with a few other candles. If you’re not sure what the candle name refers to, it’s the iconic moment in which now-Madam Vice President Kamala Harris shut down then-VP Mike Pence when he interrupted her during their debate. My new candles arrived last week, and they’re so cute! Fifteen percent of proceeds from I’m Speaking (“Smells like male fragility and rude interruptions”) go to SheShouldRun.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to increase the number of women running for public office. I also got Rooftop Soirée, Astrological Storming, and 2021. The scents I ordered all smell slightly grandma-ish, but we’ll see how I end up liking them as I burn them.

Anecdote Candles

4. Jones Road Miracle Balm: I’ve been curious about this new Bobbi Brown-helmed makeup brand since it launched. So I recently decided to order a jar of the Miracle Balm (shade: Au Naturel) to try for myself. This is meant to be a skin-perfecting product that you can wear on top of foundation for a natural glow. It sounds a little like Glossier Futuredew Serum (which I love and am almost out of), only in solid form like the original Tatcha Silk Canvas. I don’t really wear foundation these days, but I would like to try this as the final step in my skin care routine (which is how I usually use Futuredew and Silk Canvas). Once I empty my Futuredew and Silk Canvas, I’ll try the Miracle Balm!

Jones Road Miracle Balm

5. Godiva Birthday Cake Truffles: I added this bag of goodies to a recent Target order…and they are delicious. I ate probably half the bag in the first 24 hours after they arrived. They’re apparently limited edition, so get some while you can!

Godiva Birthday Cake Truffles