newslettering.

October 21, 2014

mugI’m a creature of habit. But more than that, I’m a lover of habit. I get a kind of silly thrill from returning to the same things day in and day out. And lately one habit that I’m really loving is my morning newsletter read. Just me, my coffee, a recently nursed bug next to me, and my morning newsletters.

It’s a funny habit, because I’ve spent so much time agressively unsubscribing from newsletters. I never thought I’d write a post advocating that anyone sign up for them, and certainly never that I’d be writing one of my own. But I’m feeling this. And I hope you will too.

Here’s a first trick for hopping on the newsletter bandwagon: start by unsubscribing. The multiple-times-per-week newsletter from the store where you bought something from someone’s wedding registry five years ago? The newsletter from the yoga studio in the city you used to live in? The unrelenting notes from the preachy politician you didn’t vote for? These are things you don’t need cluttering your inbox. Approach your email the way you do your underwear drawer: get rid of the stuff you don’t want so you can fill it with the stuff you do.

And then sign up for the newsletters that you actually want to read.

Here’s what I’m reading lately:

A chatty verging on glib take on the day’s news that’s utterly addictive. I read this every single morning. 

Ann Friedman Weekly
What she’s been writing and reading with a well-placed gif or two for good measure.

I’ve said it before, this is one of my favorites emails every week. Short, sweet, and full of awesome finds.

Kaufmann Mercantile – Field Notes.
Updates on new products + thoughtful, well-written in-house articles on things you didn’t know could be so interesting. Socks, etc.

Of A Kind.
Updates on new editions + punchy tidbits from founders Erica and Claire.


As for me, I’m going to start off slowly, sending a letter just twice a month. Mine is going to be a catalog of the stuff I’d talk your ear off about if we were sharing a cup of tea together: a little bit about what I’m reading (on and offline), a little bit of what I’m writing, what I’m listening to, what I’m watching, and what I’ve got my eyes on. I’m still honing the exact format. It won’t be a replacement for this space, it’ll be an accompaniment to this space. A little letter, from me to you.

Would you want that in your inbox? If yes, you can sign up right HERE. I’ll be sending out my first letter in November.

And now the most important question: what have you been reading lately?

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39 Comments

  • Reply Maja October 21, 2014 at 1:16 pm

    The Skim does sound great, signed up and am curious for the first newsletter. Thanks for suggesting it. I did a major newsletter clean up a few months ago and it's been such a relief… It's not a newsletter, but I really enjoy the sanseuticals blog. Great content and beautifully written. And I have this thing about reading my Horoscope by Tracy Allen ( via the free people blog) every Monday morning for the week ahead. Not that I live by it, but it is surprising to see how often it is actually accurate to whats going on at that moment in time.
    xx

    1
  • Reply Whitney Torres October 21, 2014 at 1:44 pm

    This sounds lovely! And thanks for the links…I'm always looking for interesting new reads.

    1
  • Reply Rona Mitchell October 21, 2014 at 2:10 pm

    Reading, reading. In an attempt to do more of it, I have started buying more books. Am currently working my way through "The Diary of a Provincial Lady" by E.M. Delafield. I would definitely recommend this book!

    1
  • Reply Sweet Love and Ginger October 21, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    I love the skim. I also follow a few other, but that one most religiously. I also just started one for my blog last month. Here's to new adventures.

    1
  • Reply Arielle Findley October 21, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    Would this be monthly? Sounds like a splendid way to start my morning.

    1
    • Reply Erin October 21, 2014 at 3:01 pm

      Twice a month to start!

      1
  • Reply Anonymous October 21, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    Is the newsletter different from the blog?

    1
    • Reply Erin October 21, 2014 at 3:01 pm

      Yup! Not planning to repost content!

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    • Reply Anonymous October 21, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      Great! I'll sign up!

      1
  • Reply Suzy October 21, 2014 at 3:11 pm

    I love the skimm: though the somewhat glib tone does cause me to occasionally skip out in favor of the times' daily briefing, it keeps me in the loop for the most part. looking very forward to your newsletter! As someone who has maybe four-ish years to go until motherhood, I find myself bookmarking so many of your individual posts. The newsletter will hopefully be a great resource to have right in my inbox (yep, I'm a big-time planner).

    1
  • Reply Norma October 21, 2014 at 3:18 pm

    Just signed up. Going to give it a try. Newsletters are new to me although I get emails from Kaufmann but I mostly view them as advertisements.

    1
    • Reply Erin October 21, 2014 at 4:30 pm

      If you scroll to the bottom, they usually link to really nice editorial pieces! Worth checking out!

      1
  • Reply Allison October 21, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Done. Though I'd like to think I would have been an automatic add.

    1
    • Reply Erin October 21, 2014 at 4:31 pm

      Haven't resorted to strong arming…yet.

      1
  • Reply Anonymous October 21, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    Hi Erin!
    I'm about to embark on an apartment search in Brooklyn, and there's a particular popular neighborhood I want to keep to, but a limited budget. Anyway you can write about your apartment search, and your favorite resources? I know the same problem exists in Brooklyn Heights, so I would love to hear your input.

    Thanks!

    1
  • Reply Cindy K October 21, 2014 at 4:04 pm

    love the skimm and margaret roach's a way to garden newsletter. looking forward to yours!

    1
  • Reply Vanessa October 21, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    Tradlands also does a really good newsletter. Similar to Kaufmann Mercantile (ie their products always at the top followed by articles below) and really interesting.

    1
  • Reply Sophia moreno-bunge October 21, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    woohoo!! Orangette blog. (from the cook & writer Molly Wizenberg.) It's my go to– I love her writing and LOVE the articles she links to- I think you'd like it!

    1
  • Reply Diana October 21, 2014 at 4:58 pm

    Just signed up for your newsletter! And I love TheSkimm. It's been my fave read for awhile especially when I haven't gotten up to date with the goings on of the world.

    1
  • Reply Carrie October 21, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    I was thinking this morning of doing a post on The Skim too. I look forward to your newsletter!

    1
  • Reply Lauren MIrow Blankenship October 21, 2014 at 5:36 pm

    I read "Tiny Beautiful Thing" by Cheryl Strayed this summer and quickly bought another to send to my little sister. I wish I could have read it when I was her age.

  • Reply Alexa October 21, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    Ah this is wonderful news! I love to begin my days with a cup of coffee and interesting/inspiring/uplifting reads, and I know your newsletter will make a lovely addition 🙂

  • Reply rebekka October 21, 2014 at 6:20 pm

    Glad to know I'm not the only one who actually enjoys some of my newsletters! Love morning rituals in general 🙂

  • Reply Erma October 21, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Wow, you just described what I did to my inbox recently. I unsubscribed to a ton of newsletters (still do it at least once a day – I must have been insane at one point) but I read The Skimm and Today in Tabs by Rusty Foster everyday.

  • Reply Margaret October 21, 2014 at 8:17 pm

    Great idea for a newsletter! I love that it will be accompanying your blog, not just reposting. I'm excited to see what you share! And I've been reading the Skimm on your recommendation — love it. It feels like a productive start to mornings.

  • Reply Anna | Gone Banannas October 21, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    Yay! I am glad you are doing this because I love to read what you write! When it comes to the things I do on the 'ol laptop, I mostly subscribe to blogs via Bloglovin' and read through those.

  • Reply Melanie McSwain October 21, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    I am actually in the process of unsubscribing from all the crap that fills up my inbox. Once I'm done I'll put a lot more thought into what I type my email into!

  • Reply Jill October 21, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    I signed up! I need to go through an do some unsubscribing myself. Even though I just hit delete, having them pile up in my inbox does kinda stress me out!

  • Reply Cindy K October 22, 2014 at 12:07 am

    love the skimm and margaret roach's a way to garden newsletter. looking forward to yours!

  • Reply thesobrietydiaries October 22, 2014 at 1:22 am

    "The newsletter from the yoga studio in the city you used to live in?" I laughed at this, because this very newsletter appeared in my inbox this morning and I thought, for the umpteenth time, that I should be unsubscribing from these things. Signed up and look forward to reading yours.

  • Reply Anna - Sweet Peas October 22, 2014 at 11:01 am

    Looking forward to reading this! It sounds great – there's nothing better than getting to peek into other people's favourites. I love the NY Times, Orangette and Remedial Eating. I just finished Persuasion again (my very favourite Jane Austen book) and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves which is the best fiction I've read in ages.

  • Reply Rachel Elaine Redmond October 22, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    Thank you for the unsubscribe link. Turns out I had almost 170 subscriptions! Phew, one source of unnecessary stress tackled by 9am. Thanks!

  • Reply Jessica Kleoppel October 22, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    Although I felt iffy at first, I've really enjoyed this whole newsletter things ever since you brought up The Skimm a few weeks ago. Like, I actually feel joy in a letter-via-post sort of way—woah.

  • Reply Baltina Hong October 22, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Thank you for sharing theSkimm, love it. Congrats on your newsletter, looking forward to the first one!

  • Reply Despina October 23, 2014 at 5:20 am

    Done and done! Greetings from across the ocean 🙂

  • Reply Aimee October 23, 2014 at 8:03 pm

    My favorites newsletters are What We're Reading from the NYTimes (nytimes.com/wwr) and Today in Tabs (http://tinyletter.com/todayintabs).

  • Reply Momofthree October 29, 2014 at 2:59 am

    I read The Skimm and liked it a lot, then subscribed to all of your suggestions! I did it freely because I have recently been unsubscribing to all the junk that was coming my way each day. This morning I triumphantly had 2 emails on my personal email…and I think one of them was a link for this blog. So now I am ready for stuff I want in my inbox. It seems like these days that texts are from/for friends and emails are for info. Thanks for this post, I read it at the perfect time.

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