Three Things That Work (January 2021)
Sitting around a firepit last October, catching up with some friends and drinking wine, I brought up the madness of the publishing industry, and how important it is in the current environment for writers to bring a “platform” to the table. I was lamenting about how inauthentic this felt for me, trying to make myself into some sort of brand, believing that I have something important to say even though I haven’t actually said anything yet. I mentioned that many “experts” encourage you to send out a monthly/weekly/etc email to grow your audience, but I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to write about regularly. My friend said she’s always thought about sending out something monthly called, Three Things That Work, where she shares products that make her life easier. I loved the idea, so later I texted to ask if she cared if I borrowed it for awhile, and here we are. Of course, she is my first guest. Without further adieu, read on for Three Things That Work with Alexandra, a friend forged in the hallowed halls of all-girls Catholic high-school.
Name: Alexandra
Home/Family: I live in Washington, DC. Right in the city, in (depending on your perspective) a small-ish rowhouse, or a home with enviable space considering its proximity to all of the delights of the city. To us, some days it feels more like the former and some days more like the latter. Either way, it's home (and these days my office too!) to me, my husband, my nearly-two year old daughter Theodora, and our two recalcitrant cats Wilbur and Charlotte.
Current Job: Executive at a large, US-based, tech company.
Favorite Job: One of the things I love about my career is I've truly worked my way up: I started selling bagels, then being a waitress serving all-you-can-eat spaghetti, and I had a glorious summer serving pina coladas around a pool in Hilton Head. But my very favorite job was serving as senior staff in the White House for nearly two years starting in 2015.
Proudest Moment: Getting to bring my mom and husband into the Oval Office to meet President Obama is going to be hard to beat.
Pandemic Silver Lining: I got to be home when my daughter took her first steps. It's nice to be a working mom who didn't have to miss this moment.
Three Things That Work:
1. Peloton.
I get it, there's probably nothing more basic than being into Peloton right now, but it has been a transformational product for my family. I've always had a relatively regular exercise routine but my husband hasn't. Peloton has allowed for both of us to sweat regularly (so important to my mental health!), and from the comfort of home. But it has also given me so much fun: I've done cardio dance classes on the app with my 12-year-old nephew, laughed out loud to jokes from instructors while keeping up with the music all the kids are listening to, and I've worked out alongside my 70-year-old mom who hadn't been exercising before she got her Peloton. Having the bike is a luxury, for sure, but even just the app really delivers.
Lululemon products are generally very good, but these pants are next-level. They compress without too much compression, they can be used for working or working out, they don't roll down, and they don't pill. Over the course of the pandemic, I have acquired six pairs; this may make me sound like a very fancy lady but really I'm just trying to not do laundry more than once a week and I wear them every day.
I finally accepted in my 40th year, and after trying a variety of tech solutions, that both my big and small picture planning works better on paper. I'm now on my second of these (they last for a quarter) and is it hubris to think that I'll never do it another way? Some days are planned in detail, and some aren't; some days I use the full notes section and some days I don't; some days I use my perfect handwriting and some days I just slop my to-dos in there. But it has gotten some of the chaos that is inherent to being a working mom out of head and on to paper, which gives me a little piece of calm for which I am very grateful.