Are We Having Fun Yet?

We 💔 L.A.

It’s surreal watching L.A. engulfed in fire right now and we cannot begin to process the loss that is being experienced all around this great city. Please take care of each other and check in on your friends, even the really strong, organized, type-A ones that always say they’re fine. This is really hard and we need each other.

Are Sober Bars the New Vegan Restaurants?

Are sober bars just an inverted speakeasy? One is indulgence in secret, the other is abstinence out loud, and both are sanctuaries from the dominant culture. While Lizzie isn’t a fan of either, Kristina enthusiastically supports both and reminds us that Eleven Madison Park is all vegan and has—count ‘em—THREE Michelin stars. If you drop into one of these NA bars around the country, please report back!

Free Spirited Lounge (Alhambra, CA.)

Hekate Cafe (NYC)

Listen Bar (NY pop-up)

The Lucky Saint (London))

Mockingbird - (Opening Friday Jan. 10th in Brooklyn)

Bar Palmina (Philly)

Sans Bar (Austin)

Brick & Mortar NA spirit shops are also proliferating at a rapid clip.

Burden of Proof (South Pasadena)

Dray Drinks (Boston)

Minus Moonshine (Brooklyn)

The New Bar (Los Angeles and San Francisco)

Soft Spirits (Los Angeles)

Tonic (Easton, PA)

The Dopamine Detox Enters the Chat

It’s giving….dopamine—that neurotransmitter and hormone friend that messages you to t(s)ext about craving and reward. It can get out of balance when you’re scrolling FYP, playing slots, binging RHOSLC, vaping, spooning Milk Jawn, shopping TRR, doing anything that’s immediately gratifying. We want to stop, we can’t stop, we love it, we hate it. 🎢

When we have too much dopamine, we might feel euphoria, impulsive, anxious, a high sex drive, trouble sleeping…sound familiar? A little like that 2-3 drinks in feeling at 10pm?

And low dopamine can make you feel tired, moody, unfocused and foggy. Kinda’ like the morning after a night out with booze.

Let’s disrupt the dopamine feedback loop and go off on: green tea, vitamins (magnesium, vitamin D, B6 all level off dopamine levels), mindfulness, and completing small tasks. Try plugging in your phone at night far far away. Try watching a movie made in the 20th century from start to finish. Try…walking in a park, a cold plunge, a normal bath? Dopamine imbalances are related to addiction and ADHD so intercept yourself and check in…and then check out.

Bookmarking: Dopamine Nation, Dopamine Detox, The Molecule of More

“We’re a Fun Brand”: A Striped Shirt Tablecloth

This shirt tablecloth ($280) would be the perfect way to show how fun you are while hosting a dinner party even if you don’t drink after Dry January.

Pour Decisions: Aplós Chili Margarita

When I opened this, the smell of a Tip Top marg came flooding back into the ole olfactory system, and, wow, some memories too. The vitamin-packed Aplós Chili Margarita is one I’ve been wanting to try because it’s the flavor profile I lean toward, but the chili element is just not there—it’s literally not in the ingredient list either, so if you’re looking for some heat you’ll have to add it in yourself. I doctored mine with some homemade serrano bitters and it was…drinkable, like if a canned margarita and a glass of Emergen-C had a love child. Not a re-order.

Magnesium Menagerie

I was influenced by the Put Together Adult Women of Los Angeles™ in my workout class to purchase some Magnesi-Om by Moon Juice ($49 for 24 packets) because I am always striving and also because I am the last person not aboard the magnesium train. It’s a nice at-home bev to sip while doing some emails in sweatpants and I have to admit, I felt pretty mellow last night as I refreshed LAFD evacuation zones every 4 minutes. There are many magnesium supplements to try but make sure you stay under 350 mg per day so your tummy doesn’t get mad. When Kristina read this she told me this whole newsletter item is “too duh.” We have a healthy relationship.

Sober song of the week:

Coast is a surf-rock track from Kim Deal’s new solo album, inspired by a trip she took to Nantucket in 1999 to dry out.

Last thought: Reality (Doesn’t) Bite

This meme made us LOL and then nod our heads very earnestly.