Things I've been meaning to tell you 4.19.2024

1. Is the AI robot coming up with the names for my spotify daylists okay? Happy Tortured Poet's Department Day to all who celebrate. I'm not a Swiftie or a member of the Beyhive but I've enjoyed both recently released albums and have favorites from both. 

2. We are booked for the summer season at the shore but have a rare long weekend in early June open (possible dates are June 5-9). That's typically our weekend with MFD's fam and there's a family wedding so we moved the weekend up leaving that one free. I also have the first weekend in October open and some weekdays in Sept and Oct too if you know anyone interested. You can see the listing here. 

3. I'm open to renting a little extra than usual to cover some upcoming expenses and things I forgot needed to happen, like replacing stair carpet. Fall Us excel as a couple at saying, "we'll do that in the spring" then suddenly it's April and there's a looootttt of things to do. So far I've gotten the supplies we keep in our apartment and outside organized, bought the majority of household supplies that will hopefully get us through to August before I need to re-stock, and ordered 80 rolls of TP. I've been leaning into the Dollar General $5 off on Saturday coupon to pick some of the cleaning/household supplies up on the cheap. This week I also got the outdoor shower fixed and ordered the replacement carpet for the stairs from the main floor to the second floor.We last did that project in spring 2017 and that carpet was a dark blue and is riddled with bleach. I remove all bleach cleaners before the season starts but people bring their own and I can't control that. This time we're going with aloe and a different type of carpet so hoping for longer more than six years out of it but we'll see. It is a high traffic area with lots of barefoot people in a town with a lot of dark sand. Next weekend is touch up painting weekend and all Touch Up Painters are invited. I'm sure no hands are raised.

4. I've also been getting rid of things we no longer need at the shore on Freecycle and what kind of psycho says they want something for free then doesn't pick it up? I always check back in with people like hey are you coming? After that they're out, we do not play by the three strike rule here. When they claim an item and don't show I block them. Toodles, go waste someone else's time. 

5. Big fan of getting every last drop. I have stuck with this facial cleanser at night for years at this point (I use a milder one in the morning). I am less likely to upset the facial apple cart as I age. If it works it works. Also of course I don't just use a plastic shower curtain, I'm not a serial killer. Mr. Rooney peed on the fabric one so it had to come down.

6. Monthly massage at Blossom coming up on Wednesday and I am in extra need this month - have you considered doing a monthly massage for wellness? I highly recommend Sarah. 

7. I am enraged with Netflix. I had everyone on my account in the allotted slots and paid for it for years. They got kicked off one by one. Then I could not access Netflix IN MY OWN HOME because it said I was not in my household since one household is in NJ and one is in PA. I explained this - I am absolutely not the only one who operates out of two places - and they gave me a work around and it stopped working. I had to change the household every time, there was no more option for "I'm traveling." So I cancelled it outright have not re-upped it. I was a continual netflix customer since 2004 I think, when we got the DVDs in the mail. No, I do not want two fucking accounts for one service so I can use it in two places. That's how people get overcharged and miss it. 

8. Weekends gone by paragraph recaps because I seem to be unable to quit that habit. I do for a while, successfully, then feel driven to make a note. 

9. Big into this mixed with some Topo Chico and a lime. If you live in the land of legal weed in these parts (NJ), this is in the...liquor store. But it has no alcohol. 

10. Beach scenes of late

Happy birthday to Gail today! And happy Friday to all

SMD

Weekends gone by

Three times this week alone I've referenced this blog for information I've needed about my own life. When did we buy our car? What color spray paint did I use on the old wooden stools we had? What year did we go to New England with Dad and Carol? All of which make me wonder how the fuck will I know things if I can't search for them here LOL

A series of past weekends for the memory tax.

March 22-24

Friday I worked while bone broth (chicken wing and pork shoulder bone) percolated in the crockpot for 24 hours. Friday night I read. Saturday I worked on taxes while watching Priscilla - nothingburger of a movie - and Quiet on Set. I'm a little older than the Nick generation but whew. Saturday was rainy so those were good rainy day tasks before Ben & I shook the stink off with a beach walk, and closed out the night eating out of the freezer, watching NCAA basketball, and reading. We love to see an angry ocean. Sunday I got the house in order for the coming Easter weekend with the fam, including cleaning bathrooms, vac'ing and mopping floors, clearing out spices, putting shit away, clearing counters, moving furniture, etc etc. I also went to the grocery store and changed sheets in our apartment before I headed back to Philly where I painted my nails in shades of purple, made a comfort food meal of pastina, carrots, and some greens using the bone broth from Friday, and washed my hair. I detest hair washing day.

Easter weekend

Stephen and Aubrey and the kids and Mom and Rich arrived Thursday, Kate and Dan and the kids Friday, Sean and Nicole and MFD with Bruce and Rooney on Saturday. I did a library trip with the kids Thursday. Friday was a windy and cold beach walk, a short stroll down Asbury to the two local bookshops, egg dying, and an adults only trip across the bridge to Somers Point. We tried Gregory's which was like walking into a wet fart, and then next door to Josie Kelly's which was much more hospitable. Saturday was some beach time and games. Sunday was Easter Bunny, short beach stint, dinner, and boardwalking. A great long weekend with the fam.

April 4-6

I was supposed to be visiting Kim and fam in MA this weekend but we decided to reschedule for later in the year. Friday night after traffic died down a bit I made my way back down the shore, unpacked the car and made the bed and all that jazz. Saturday started with an early beach walk, some reading, my first OPA gyro of the season, and a stroll by OC ComicCon to check out a ghostbuster car which the owner insisted on being in every photo, a Delorean, and a batmobile. Those owners were much more chill and wanted the focus on the cars. 

A great feet in the water day, and impromptu parking lot visit with Michelle, a stock up the house trip to Dollar General, and peacing out. Sunday was nails and books and purging paint and under bed boxes, putting stuff up on Freecycle, a quick grocery store trip where I had to get the Dolly biscuits, tiring these dogs out, and chipwich for dinner. 

The gift of glorious sunsets both Saturday and Sunday nights - Saturday (top) at the end of my street and Sunday (bottom) a ride out to Corsons for a change of scenery.

April 12-14

Friday we gave it the old college try but the wind was absolutely inhospitable for our daily beach walk so we gave up and turned back about four blocks earlier than usual.

Saturday was time to pay the piper and run the errands over the bridge I had put off all week: a pickup order at the hardware store, Dollar General (but I used my Saturday coupon and saved a boatload so worth it to wait), Staples to print a return and drop it there, Target to return some shit and pick up a few groceries, then on to pick up my card for the Beach Cleanup which was completely miserable in the still audacious wind. My favorite thrift store was packed, but I did get another ceramic five gallon water dispenser for cheap as hell and a chuckle out of the pins. I picked up holds at the library and retreated inside where there was no goddamn wind.

I made cherry cheesecake dip, bread using a two hour rise which did not turn out as I hoped - I will stick with my standard recipe for no knead with a 20 hour rise time - painted my nails, watched the Phillies, and Mark and Sarah and Harry arrived. MFD followed a few hours later. 

Sunday was a nice driveway morning, an everyone in car ride to the South End and a beach walk there cut short by more fucking wind, Parks & Rec, the Masters, a corn and jalapeno side dish, and shrimp tacos. I carried a book around all day and never read it then read it in full from like 9-1. Nine ish, I was still moving around from 9-10. Why do I do these things.

Harry and Mr. Rooney are a match made in heaven. They love hanging out and barking together.

That'll do it. 

SMD

 

March 2024 Reads

I'll be going back to my regular long-format monthly reads post, but not this month. 

This is what I read in March. I also went to two author events put on by Newtown Bookshop. I saw Lisa Gardner on March 17 (check out the Frankie Elkin series, she's on tour for the third book in that) in Northampton and Lisa Scottoline with my mom on March 25 at Bucks. Lisa S was hilarious which I was not expecting. Her latest, The Truth About the Devlins, was a solid read. 

As always support your local bookstore - if you're buying books, please do not buy books from Amazon or Target! They do not need your book money and there is literally no reason to buy from them aside from convenience. If you are a reader, I hope you value the presence of people who place books visibly in communities over convenience. Local bookstores do need your money, you can order advanced copies from them, most ship. If you don't have one near you or are unable to get to one, you can shop on Bookshop.org and choose a bookstore to benefit from your purchases.

What have you read and liked lately?

Things I've been meaning to tell you 3.21.2024

1. Items of interest from last weekend: I turned 47 Friday and celebrated by doing exactly what I woke up and wanted to do that day which included: semi-annual library used book sale, lunch at Lobster House, trolling around ReStore and TJMaxx/HomeGoods, overspending at the bakery, getting groceries, walking on the beach, putting my feet in the ocean, a quick drive to the dispensary, MFD picking up takeout from my favorite Italian restaurant in town and eating it on the couch in pajamas, MFD putting together the new cabinet I wanted (to have a third shelf where there used to be two in a small efficiency apartment with no storage? a dream), and my favorite comfort watch The Office. Thanks for all the birthday wishes - I typically share thoughts on my actual birthday and you can find them here. Saturday we met our new attached neighbors at the shore, I got the new loveseat I wanted for our porch from Big Lots, and we headed back to Philly for an impromptu fire pit night with my brother and the kids, MFD's brother and SIL and Harry, and Jared and Amy complete with a funfetti birthday cake a la Jared that was delicious. Sunday started with coffee outside then a pedicure, Lisa Gardner in conversation with Liz Moore, and the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal. I had myself a Sunday, which is not always the case. The boundary between Sunday and Monday is a hard one for me to hold most weeks.

2. I never did the weekend before either it appears. I was still in the spin cycle with insane work hours and deadlines. I watched Major League for the first time in an eternity and damn this movie holds up. I spent many hours on a rainy Saturday doing some trip planning, had a nice impromptu birthday week dinner at Mom & Rich's, Sunday I went to my first ever professional lacrosse game and it was definitely more fun than I expected. Enjoyable Wings game thanks to Tiffany and Brandon, followed by dinner at Chickies with Stephen and Aubrey and the kids. MFD met us there. Solid weekend!

3. The first quarter of the year was an hours and deadline trial by fire at work. I actually spent part of three days in Philly a few weeks back, which is rare these days. I still can't believe how different work life is post-pandemic March 2020. It's literally transformed my life in ways I never imagined before March 2020.

4. Yesterday was a banner sun ray through the clouds day - I saw it in Philly and later at the beach. It was a great reflection day as well. Clear skies with no clouds are my least favorite. I prefer a blue sky but clouds for interest, always.

5. This beauty is from last week. Clouds make a sunrise and sunset.

6. I'm this person now with reading glasses. They're everywhere yet sometimes I can't find them so now they can always be with me. 

7. Recent pet photos I like.

8. My bedside table project turned out as I wanted at the shore. Both have shelves in the middle for books which I loaded up on at the library book sale so I'll be populating them this weekend.

9. Watching: Just finished True Detective Night Country. Reading: Sally Hepworth's Darling Girls, which publishes April 23. 

10. Happy spring, folks. If the spring temps could come back, that would be fantastic.

I'm out here trying to stay in the day, present every day. To feel and welcome joy in the small moments. Living in a world where no one agrees on a damn thing and you can see that every second online is not easy. 

I cannot wrap my head around how we cannot at the least agree that people who are hungry should have access to food. I hate knowing people are hungry in America because they can't afford food and people cannot distinguish between inflation and corporate greed; that people are being starved in Gaza, including hostages, because food is not allowed in by land; that people are starving in Sudan because of six years of violence coupled with flooding and population displacement; that 25 years of violence and displacement and climate change has made hunger an ongoing fact of life in the Congo; and I could go on. If we cannot agree to feed people as a basic human right and have countries and corporations conduct themselves in a way that allows the earth to remain habitable for all of us, we are not going to agree to jack shit. 

Off to take Bruce to the vet for a weird irritated drooping eyeball. Wish us luck.

SMD

Niche Strategies For Precise Audience Targeting In Business Marketing

Imagine this: You’re throwing a dart in the dark, hoping to hit the bullseye on a board you can’t see. That’s what it feels like trying to nail your marketing strategy without knowing who you’re aiming at. But there’s no need to be afraid because we’re about to turn on the lights and show you how to throw that dart with the precision of a seasoned pro. Here’s the lowdown on some smart, yet surprisingly overlooked tactics to ensure your marketing message hits home, every single time.

Via Pexels

Embrace The Power Of Niche Networking Events

Let’s kick things off with networking events, but not the usual ones where you’re stuck listening to someone drone on about their “revolutionary” app. Nope, we’re talking about niche events where you’re so in sync with the crowd, that you feel right at home and actually want to make small talk with everyone there. These are gold mines for businesses looking to connect on a deeper level with their audience. For instance, if you’re looking for a merchant account for credit repair businesses, then you should be looking for events specifically tailored to the financial industry or fintech gatherings that attract a crowd interested in innovative financial solutions, not just any random business expo. 

Curate Collaborative Content Initiatives

Next up, let’s talk about content. But not just any content - we mean the kind that’s so good, it gets shared faster than the latest celebrity gossip. The secret? Collaboration. When a small business reaches out to an influencer or another business that complements its offerings, magic happens. Picture a boutique clothing brand teaming up with a popular lifestyle blogger for a series on sustainable fashion. Or imagine a local bakery joining forces with a nearby coffee shop to showcase the ultimate breakfast combos on Instagram. This strategy is all about creating win-win situations where everyone involved gets to shine, reaching audiences in a way that feels organic and genuine. 

Leverage Advanced Data Analytics For Hyper-Targeting

Now, onto the high-tech stuff: data analytics. Now you may think you’ve heard it all before, but this isn’t about creeping on your audience; it’s about getting to know them like you know yourself. By digging into the data, businesses can pinpoint exactly who’s interested in their services, from the night owl browsing for tips on how to fall asleep at a decent hour to the early bird looking for productivity hacks before the crack of dawn. It’s about sifting through the mountains of online behavior to find the golden nuggets of insight that tell you not just who your audience is, but what they need, when they need it, and perhaps most importantly, why they need it. This level of detail transforms your marketing from a broad-spectrum broadcast into a precision-guided conversation. 

Foster A Community, Not Just A Customer Base

Finally, let’s talk about creating a community, because who needs customers when you can have a fan club? This is where your brand stops being just another company and starts feeling like a club for the elite, but without the snobbery. It’s about transforming your audience from mere purchasers into passionate advocates who’ll champion your brand at every turn. When you manage to turn your brand into a community hub, the magic really starts to happen. Your brand’s values and mission become the glue that binds everyone together, creating a vibrant ecosystem where engagement is natural and loyalty is a given.

In conclusion, remember, the aim is to connect with your audience on a level that feels genuine and engaging. By zeroing in on niche events, collaborating on killer content, mining data for insights, and building a community, your message won’t just be heard; it’ll resonate. So, let’s ditch the generic and embrace the strategies that speak directly to those who matter most to your business—your customers.

***

This post was written with Life According to Steph readers in mind

Things I've been meaning to tell you 3.6.2024

1. Items of interest from last weekend: My first do nothing weekend and non-working weekend of the year. It's been a battle out here, I am already 12 full days over for the year that I have to flex somewhere. My niece and nephew came over Friday night and MFD, Jared, and I took them to Nifty Fifty's. I was on the couch all day Saturday and it was fucking glorious. Sunday was a repeat with just some more laundry and organizing and blondies. I finally placed an order to update some wall photo canvases we have in Philly. 

2. A moment of appreciation for these fantastic athleisure shoes.

3. Flowers for all of us here in America on the heels of Super Tuesday. I don't think I've ever wished more for two alternative candidates for president. And yes, folks, there are only two candidates who have a chance to win in November. I found this on my phone and have no clue where to attribute. 

4. Things I miss the most overseas: iced coffee. American eggs. 

5. Spotted in transit. Flaubert for fun? Grow up. Also look, Air France, an airline I was never supposed to be on but ended up on thanks to Air Canada's shit assery stranding they still will not address with me.

6. Photos I take of my husband vs photos he takes of me. LOL Just kidding on the middle one but really. Redeemed by the end one. I almost returned that pink dress and it was my favorite. 

7. Many people asked and no, I did not plan this trip. We went on a tour with Exottica  so the route was set and it was fine - we did everything we wanted to do, in the amount of days we wanted to do it in. It would have been nice to have a full first day as planned but that's on Air Canada. I am happy with the decision to not go to Morocco on a DIY trip - there are a lot of customs and interactions/payments expected etc that we relied heavily on an english speaking guide to help us navigate. There are guides who do small group tours and individual tours if you want to go that way, but if you are going and traveling around the country I'd definitely lean on a local guide, or get a local guide in each city.

8. What I brought home:This fucking fantastic hand done copper and metal mirror with leather backings. A little art piece from a village. Pottery from the art school in Fes. Protective hamsas for all. A baller bracelet I haggled the shit out of. Beauty products including prickly pear cactus oil. Rocks from everywhere and sand from the Sahara. Not pictured: a super thin "rug" that I'm using as a topper for our bed. 

9. Since I just returned from a trip, it's about time to plan the next one - heading out west in the fall! It's been right about nine years since we've been out that way. 

10. I'm dying to get back to the shore, but I had to be in the city yesterday and back tomorrow and Friday and I have something here on Sunday so that'll be on hold until next week. Not that it would be enjoyable with this fucking hideous rain. Relentless out there today.

SMD

February 2024 Reads

I'll be going back to my regular long-format monthly reads post, but not this month. 

This is what I read in February - lots of advanced copies from Netgalley mixed with some library books. I've got two author events coming up in March and I'm pumped!

What have you read and liked lately?

Things I've been meaning to tell you 2.14.2024

Look who's back, back again...

1. Items of note from last weekend: It is amazing how much lighter and happier I feel after a few hours spent with a BFF. Thanks to Laura for driving down to visit for lunch...where I sat directly across a man I filed against in small claims court for fucking insane window shenanigans. A man who told me he was dying the last time I spoke to him. Surprise! He survived. LOL. And thanks to MFD for driving down to get the dogs and fill up my tires so I could run around doing some work shit Sunday. I finally went to a coffee shop I've been meaning to go to - Jessie's of Linwood - and got a smashing red velvet muffin. I saw Buddakan with her skirt on for the Lunar New Year. Your woman was invited to a lacrosse tailgate by literal children. Despite having a face that discourages interaction, I continue to be invited to interact. The tie dye flower my brother got me was still alive in the fridge in Philly weeks later. These buffalo chicken sliders from Bluff City Grub were super easy and delicious. Shittah finally made it onto the corner ladder shelf. 

2. Okay what the hell. Who has seen this? This is fucking insane.

3. Shore side tables I picked up at a thrift store in November are in progress. The middle shelf is for books, I swoon over these tables. I've found three over the past year. Both of these use All in One paint in Thistle as a base coat. The sherbert orange one is that mixed withModern Masters Metallic paint in burnt orange and the other is Modern Masters Metallic paint in teal.I leaned into mixing with the orange to soften the color up and not so much with the teal, because that metallic was the color I wanted. 

4. I do not like or celebrate Valentine's Day, but I love love in all of its forms. If you need to hear any of these from someone today and haven't: I love you. You being out here alive and kicking matters in this world. You complete you. You can buy yourself flowers. Along with picking up a divine dessert, giving someone who deserves it the middle finger is a cheap way to treat yo'self.

5. Related, from my soapbox: There is no reward in this life for putting every living thing before yourself or turning yourself inside out for someone else, whether that person is a love interest, child, friend, parent, sibling, whoever. Take care of you, then everyone else. Many women in particular need to read this to understand it, not read to gloss over the words. There is no award for putting yourself last. There is no award for depleting yourself to where you are a puddle on the couch. There is no award for setting yourself on fire to keep someone else warm. This applies to romantic love, children, family, friends, etc etc. Take care of you, then everyone else. 

6. Slowly but surely making changes in Philly. I have too many belongings for someone who is rarely there, so every time I go home, I pare down. I've gotten rid of a decent amount of stuff over the past few months but am literally just scratching the surface. We've got a new roomate in Philly - Jared, who is basically family to us, moved in last month, so I cleared out a bunch of shit in the bedroom he's in and while I was at it I went through the closet in my office where old luggage and Halloween costumes go to die. The shit pit room in the basement is allegedly being turned into usable space, cleared out by MFD. Step one of that was putting Shittah's bathroom behind closed doors. This room has always been the recipient of shit people unload from cars and forget about, or where we put things we need to figure out what to do with. For a minute it was a bedroom for my mother in law, then an office for me, and I want that office back but we're in negotiations over that right now.

7. A few weeks ago Laura called me the Menopause Captain and I humbly accept this title. We can speak about perimenopause and menopause openly and not sotto vocce like they're taboo topics. Periods too. Get comfortable being uncomfortable if you talk about these things in a whisper behind a hand because they impact the daily operating lives of over half of the global population and this shit is uncomfortable and maddening enough without having to put a cherry on the top of a shit sundae to ease others around you.

8. What I also struggle with every day and appreciate the words of Zoe Lister-Jones on: the idea that we cannot hold space for both peoples. We can. Actually, fuck can. We must. 

9. I don't want to hear about more mass shootings because I don't want there to be any more fucking mass shootings. Nothing more American than a mass shooting on the day of the Super Bowl parade, coinciding with the anniversary of two previous mass shootings that did not rock the country enough for any tangible action to be taken. It's a goddamn fucking disgrace. 

10. The beach recently. Lots of heavy skies, which I don't mind. Not a lot of sea glass, but I found four pieces yesterday. That's how it goes. Just me and Ben down here from Monday night to tomorrow night.

We leave for vacation Sunday. I am absolutely unprepared to do so, and am trying to get right with it. I'll probably do like I did when we were in Europe, and do an IG feed post a day and a reel. That was a good way for me to remember our trip myself. If you want to follow along, you can find me on Instagram here. MFD is here and hopefully he doesn't lose his phone like he did the second he stepped off the plane in Switzerland this summer.