Want to get rid of a toxic ex? Or curse someone? Hire an Etsy witch.
Recently, I've been feeling like there's something in my way. Maybe it's a symptom of trying to 'have it all.' I'm a 30-something mid-career journalist with two very small children, and lately it's seemed like I'm just on the edge of something — domestic bliss, perhaps, or a big career leap, or maybe just empty laundry baskets — but I can't quite get there.
So I paid a witch on Etsy to fix it with a spell. Obviously.
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
15 Products Our Editors Are Loving In June—All On Sale
Every month, Forbes Vetted assistant deals editor Jordan Thomas secures exclusive discounts on our staffers' current favorites. Read on for curated offers you won't find anywhere else. If you've ever wondered which products shopping editors actually buy and use outside of work, you're not alone. I was curious, so I polled Forbes Vetted writers and editors to find out what they're loving this month. And because there's nothing better than getting a deal on a top-performing product, I secured some exclusive discounts so that you can try their favorites out for less. With these codes, you can save up to 35% on picks from Dagne Dover, Brightland, Everlane and more. Shop our editor's favorite products this month for less with these exclusive discounts. Whether you're looking for a gift, like a Keap Candle Subscription, an enrichment toy for your furry friend, or the perfect summer short, these exclusive deals will come in handy. In fact, some of the promo codes extend to the brands' entire sites—not just our editors' favorite items. All of the discounts below will be live through June 23. Read on for the products we can't stop talking about this month, all on sale. Keap Candles I love candles, but I'm extremely particular about scents. Keap has a knack for creating rich, gorgeous scents that aren't overwhelming. This woodsy scent is an all-time favorite of mine. You can pick up an individual candle or treat yourself to a subscription for 15% off with code VETTEDFORSUMMER. Just note that the brand gave its team a summer holiday, so orders won't ship until June 23. Everlane Everlane is my one-stop shop for wardrobe staples, particularly pants and shorts. Anyone who's ever set off to find the perfect pair of pants only to return home demoralized and empty handed knows what a big deal it is to find your brand. Everlane meets all my requirements: Its pieces are simple, well-made and versatile. This classic short is made of a substantial material with deep pockets and a comfortable (but not overly roomy) fit. Try them out for 20% off with code FORBES20. Ere Perez Natural Cosmetics If sensitive skin makes it difficult for you to find the right makeup, updates writer Claire Epting recommends this foundation. 'This foundation is seriously the best—it has a dewy finish, it's easily buildable and looks so natural,' she says. 'I only use a little bit at a time for my everyday look, so I know the bottle will last a while.' And speaking of the bottle: It's made from recycled plastic, another plus. This 20% discount is also good for its Corn Setting Powder, the Lychee Crème Corrector and the Arnica All Cover Pot. Dange Dover Looking to swap your belt bag out for something that can also fit your water bottle? Code FORBES gets you 20% off this chic Dagne Dover design. 'With the weather finally getting nicer here in New York City, this Dagne Dover bag has become my go-to accessory,' says supervising deals and coupons editor Kara Cuzzone. 'It's perfect for dog park trips and long afternoon walks. I love that I can secure my water bottle (or my dog's) in the center and throw it over my should so that I'm hands-free.' It also allots plenty of space for other essentials, like your phone and keys, so you don't have to double up with a second bag. Brightland If you love cooking, kids and baby gear editor Esther Carlstone has a not-so-secret ingredient she loves adding to meals: Brightland's Pizza Oil. 'On top of pizza, on avocado toast or even eggs, I use this bright and zingy oil on so many things for extra oomph,' she says. Use code FORBES15 to save 15% on the oil as well as the Pizza Night Set, which includes the popular Alive Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Rapture Balsamic Vinegar. Cozy Earth I know it's getting hot outside, but a great blanket is never out of season. I drag this blanket everywhere I go in the house. It's perfect for a movie night or an afternoon curled up with a good book. The blanket is silky and soft, and it doesn't cling to pet hair as intensely as many other blanket in my linen closet. Plus, it has a satisfying, soothing weight to it. Cozy Earth often offers up to 30% off sitewide, but this 35% discount is a nice chance to save a little extra. Use code FORBESVETTED to save. MDSolarSciences™ I helped test products for our list of the best sunscreens and this mineral formula was my favorite. It's the first sunscreen I've ever owned that I don't dread putting on. It spread like wildfire through my friend group for multiple reasons: It goes on incredibly smooth, it doesn't smell, it's not sticky and it's great for sensitive skin. Use code FORBES to save 35% on this bottle. You can also use the code for 35% off the 1.7-ounce bottle of the Mineral Crème SPF 50. Pura Deals and coupons writer Bianca Alvarez loves all of Pura's diffusers, especially this portable design. 'It's perfectly compact and small enough to fit into my cup holder, plus it's easy to use,' she says. "When I tap it on, the scent fills up the car to just the perfect amount where people compliment [it] without getting overwhelmed." The discount also applies to all fragrances when you use code PURAVETTED. Woof 'The Woof Pupsicle is one of the best dog enrichment toys on the market in my opinion,' says managing editor Emmy Favilla. 'It keeps both my 5-year-old and 14-year-old large dogs busy (and it's also the first 'toy' that my aunt's senior dog has played with in years). It's basically a spherical, durable container they can chew that you pop one of their treat balls into—or you can make your own with Woof's mix—and it's a great way to keep them entertained without having to worry about squeakers or choking hazards." Use code FORBES15 to save 15% on orders of $25 or more. Youth To The People Deals editor Maya Gandara has been obsessed with this eye cream for years. 'It's one of the few formulas I've actually seen make a difference,' she says. 'I deal with puffiness (and more recently, dark circles) around my eye area, and this cream helps minimize both concerns effectively. I love that it sinks in quickly, feels lightweight on the skin and doesn't pill when makeup is applied over it.' The formula also has a slight shimmer that immediately brightens the skin and makes you look more awake. Take advantage of 15% off sitewide (minus new launches) with code FORBES15. Tippy Type Senior distribution strategist Kristina Bornholtz is our North Star to all things cool—from the practical to the esoteric. 'I'm obsessed with my Tippy Type. Everyone here knows that I love my press-on nails, but it can be hard to type on the Mac keyboard with them on. The Tippy Type is basically a silicone keyboard cover with 'lifts' that make it easier to type with long nails.' If you have a similar lament, use this link to grab a cover for yourself in a variety of colors at 20% off. Everlane This is easily my favorite and most convenient bag. I bought it as a daypack for a big trip abroad this year, and it was perfect. It's simple, durable and doesn't look goofy. It also holds a surprising amount for the size, including my phone, wallet, a portable charger and even a Sony handy-cam. Another bonus: The adjustable strap doesn't have a buckle, so you don't have to worry about it unclipping (or being unclipped) unexpectedly. Use code FORBES20 to take 20% off now. Naturium Another sensitive skin win, Alverez is a big fan of Naturium's effective and gentle formulas. 'I need a moisturizing body lotion, but in the summer I prefer something lightweight that layers under my sunscreen without feeling sticky, heavy and greasy. This is perfect," she says. 'It's fast absorbing, reduces any dullness and leaves a hydrating glow on my skin.' She's also uses its Phyto-Glow Lip Mask day and night and recommends its Calmer Ceremide Body Wash that she says is a 'godsend for my dry, exzcema-prone skin.' Use code FORBES15 to take 15% off all of the products above. Cozy Earth Much like sheets, towels are one of those daily luxuries that are worth the splurge. These plush bath sheets from Cozy Earth have been my favorite towels for a while now. They're soft and just push enough without sacrificing absorbency. If you prefer a waffle towel, I'm also a fan of its Waffle Bath Sheet. It's a little more structured and textured, but equally effective at getting you dry. You can grab both (and anything else on the site) for 35% off with code FORBESVETTED. Purple Carrot I've tried a handful of meal delivery services and, despite not being vegan, Purple Carrot is my favorite by far. Its recipes are interesting and always delicious, and I use some of the techniques and recipes I've learned from it in my own cooking adventures. If you're curious about implementing a few meatless days into your meal plan—or simply tired of the Sisyphean task of deciding what to eat every week—get your first order for 50% off right now with code FORBES.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Experts fear Americans aren't having enough babies to meet the ‘replacement rate' — but these women are bucking the trend
America's fertility rate is collapsing. But some young women are ready to do their part to avoid a baby bust. The average American woman currently in her peak fertility years (ages 15–49) will have 1.7 children in her lifetime, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. And more Zoomers and Millennials are choosing to forgo kids, citing the financial cost, climate change and career, among other reasons, according to polling. It's a trend that has demographers concerned about the economic and societal repercussions of a shrinking and aging population — a crisis currently crippling Japan and South Korea. For Ashley Hartig, the decision to be a young and prolific mom meant resisting 'girl boss' messaging. 'I didn't feel the need to focus on a career. I just had the babies and figured it all out as I went,' Hartig, 29, told The Post. She and her husband, Derek, an entrepreneur in the transportation industry, live in Sarasota, Florida, with their 8-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter and 15-month-old son — and they're planning a possible fourth in the next year to give their youngest a sibling near his age. 'I've found a lot more joy because of my children,' she said. 'I literally romanticize everything that happens every single day because everything feels so special when you're sharing it with your own kids.' But starting a family so early with her husband, Derek, wasn't easy. They struggled for a couple years with multiple career changes and lack of home ownership. She says a lot of other young women are attracted to the stay-at-home lifestyle — and often reach out to her on social media to say so — but it's so often out of reach in today's economy. 'I think the biggest barrier is definitely financial,' Hartig said. 'A lot of people want to be stay-at-home moms, and that's almost impossible if your husband doesn't have a super secure, high-paying job.' A 2024 Pew survey found that, among those under 50 who say they're unlikely to have kids, 36% cited the affordability of raising a child as the reason why. The number one reason, however, was 'they just don't want to' (57%), followed by wanting to focus on other things (44%), concerns about the state of the world (38%), concerns about the environment (26%), lack of the right partner (24%), and simply not liking children (20%). Lillian, a 21-year-old who wants 10 kids one day, admits her desire to be a mother is unusual in her generation, which has fallen victim to 'anti-natalist' messaging. 'Gen Z people don't even want to be alive,' said Lillian, who works for an education non-profit and splits her time between Boston. 'Everything feels really meaningless, the economic situation isn't super great, plus there's AI, life just doesn't have meaning, we don't know what the future looks like. People are very depressed, and they are just, like, anti-life.' Hartig even hears it from peers who are critical of her choices: 'People have a lot of opinions, saying you're overpopulating the Earth, or they would never want that life, but family is all that really matters in the end, and it's really too bad for them.' Lillian doesn't have a partner yet, but she knows she'd like to have a small army of children. Her main motivation is 'cultural replication.' 'There are things that I like in the world, that I want to see more of in the world, and raising kids who have those beliefs is like a vote for what kind of future you want,' explained the recent Harvard grad, who asked to withhold her last name for professional reasons. The virtues she wants to spread: openness, intellectual curiosity, sense of adventure, resilience and adaptivity. Lillian identifies with the pronatalist movement — a growing group, reportedly including father-of-13 Elon Musk, who believe plummeting birth rates threatens society both culturally and economically — but she says the movement doesn't dictate her life choices. 'I'm more motivated by the idea that the kids that I have will have a shot at helping the world than I am by the birth rate going down and feeling obligated to breed more,' she said. 'The pronatalist space broadly tends to frame the issue of having children as a response to larger problems from declining birth rates, like national security, economic health, demographic support, our ability to innovate, et cetera,' Emma Waters, a family policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation, told The Post. 'Then there's a very clear religious realm of Catholic and Protestant, Jewish and others, where there's a very clear, faith-based, motivation here.' Naomi Green grew up the seventh of nine children in an Orthodox Jewish family from Morristown, New Jersey — so she knows well the benefits of a big family. 'I didn't outright love it growing up, but now as an adult, I appreciate it so much more,' Green told The Post. 'I never feel alone in this world. I always have a team. I have someone that I could rely on at any moment.' The 28-year-old Connecticut resident just gave birth to a son a week and a half ago and is also the mom of a 2-year-old daughter. She and her husband Yona, a 30-year-old engineer, plan, 'God willing,' to add another three children to their family. 'I really would love to have my kids feel at school, at home, in life, wherever they are, that they're part of this team and unit, and they're not fighting their battles by themselves,' said Green, who is planning to return to school to become a physician's assistant. There is a growing difference between the number of kids that a woman wants, and the number she actually has, dubbed the 'fertility gap.' According to SMU's Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom, the average American woman says she would be happiest with 2.5 children — yet she will most likely only have 1.7. In her work at the Heritage Foundation, Waters, a 27-year-old mother of two looking to form a 'large family' herself, researches pro-family policies to help close this gap. She and her colleagues have honed in on reforming welfare to remove marriage penalties, changing state and federal tax codes to benefit parents and supporting couples struggling with infertility. It might be even harder to change perception. Madison Rae, a Manhattan mom of three who runs the clothing company Tribeca Mom's Club, said she's been the subject of judgement for having a larger family. 'Because I live in the city, people think having a lot of kids is crazy,' she said. 'It's mainly people who don't live in the city, who make comments about the space or the quality of life.' Meanwhile, she said, having big families has become a 'trend' in her posh Tribeca neighborhood. 'So many people I know personally are all of a sudden having a third kid,' the 35-year-old said. 'I just feel like it wasn't a thing a couple of years ago.' Rae, who is married to a finance professional, always wanted a big family because she grew up an only child. She now has a 7-year-old daughter, a 4-year-old son and a 5-month-old son. 'I don't see [having kids] as like a dying thing,' Rae told The Post. When she pushes her stroller downtown, she's regularly stopped by parents thinking of adding to their own families: 'People will literally ask me on the street, like, 'How's three? I feel like I want to do it.''
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Lululemon's We Made Too Much section has your yoga, pilates and running needs covered
Let Lululemon outfit all your summer fitness goals. Overflowing with tons of activewear essentials, the brand's We Made Too Much section has you covered for every type of workout, so you don't have to pay full price for your favorites. Hundreds of Lululemon scores are a lot to sift through, so as someone who covers fashion deals and sales, I rounded up the section's best workout clothes for women and men ahead. Lululemon FlexyFlex Strappy Yoga Bra Light Support, A-C Cups, in Chilled Grape Bring a stylish touch to yoga flows. This strappy sports bra features light support for when you hit the mat. No need to constantly readjust it either, because its thick band is designed not to ride up or bunch. Lululemon Align High-Rise Skirt Combining a built-in liner with a soft, smooth fabric, this Lululemon skirt is great for all your summer activities, whether you're running errands or relaxing in the park. Match it to the strappy yoga bra in Chilled Grape while it's down to $49, or opt for any of the six other finds. Lululemon Court Rival High-Rise Shorts These bright-colored exercise shorts for women give you ample breathing room. Their loose fit helps you move freely as you run around the tennis court, and its built-in liner ensures you have extra coverage. Lululemon Women's Cotton Twill Wide-Brim Hat Shade your face from the sun with this adorable bucket hat stamped all over with tiny embroidered flowers. It features a wide brim that's large enough to wear down or flip up. The cotton construction is designed not to stifle too. Lululemon 25-Inch Satin Shine High-Rise Tights Time to add these shiny tights to your rotation if your legging supply is looking a little lackluster. They feature a satiny sheen that brings a chic look to 'fits. Adjust it to that "just-right" fit with their inner waistband drawcord. Lululemon BeCalm Relaxed-Fit Short-Sleeve Shirt Whether you're practicing yoga or taking a walk around the block, this classic tee will suit you perfectly. It taps the brand's luxurious-feeling BeCalm fabric, which means a smooth exterior and a soft, brushed interior. Lululemon 7-Inch Pace Breaker Linerless Shorts Complete with an inner mesh waistband and elastane-polyester blend, these running shorts for men help keep your workouts light and breezy. Choose from an assortment of colors and short lengths. Lululemon 5-Inch Always In Motion Boxer, 3-Pack Pair your running shorts with a fresh pack of boxers. They're made to give you optimal movement during your sweat seshes and dry quickly after. Cycle through three different mint-colored pairs — all different in appearance but complementary in design. Lululemon Sport Polo Short Sleeve If you plan on spending Summer Fridays on the golf course, don't forget to pack this polo shirt into your gym bag. It's minimally seamed to prevent chafing, and it touts an anti-stink fabric that'll keep you smelling fresh well into happy hours. Lululemon 9-Inch Smooth Spacer Cargo Shorts Switch from your work clothes to these comfy plush lounge men's shorts. They offer a sleek-feeling modal fabric that's ideal for winding down in. For $69, the pair is available in six versatile hues. Lululemon typically has a plethora of workout apparel in the site's We Made Too Much section, which features overstocked styles at a reduced cost. It allows you to shop attire for every type of exercise, from Pilates to running, without breaking the bank. The deals editors at CNN Underscored look out for your wallet daily, scouring sales at the top of every morning. We determine if a deal is worthy of coverage by doing price history checks, searching for available coupon codes and comparing against competitor pricing. Our team, consisting of senior editor Rikka Altland, editor Jacqueline Saguin and associate editor Elena Matarazzo, is passionate about unearthing deals we would be tempted to shop. We enjoy finding a great deal on a coveted item, especially one that's a best-tested pick by our experts, because it means we're helping our readers make savvy buying decisions.
