weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #17

demystifying influencer recs, professional development musts, and spring buys

Apr 29, 2025

Happy Tuesday! I’ve been working on something fun for Substack behind the scenes…

…a new logo!

Thank you to Franci (an incredible graphic designer) for nailing it. I wanted a green logo that was reminiscent of varsity sports and incorporated reading in some way.

Now that the weather has finally started to turn in NYC, the city is alive. I feel like there’s 4x the amount of people on the streets because we’re all hankering for Vitamin D. Good weather is always an excuse to take a long walk to a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try…but it seems like too much of a slog in colder months.

If you’ve never had katsu curry, add it to your list—it’s one of my favorite comfort eats. It’s a fried pork cutlet served with rice and curry (a not-too-spicy concoction of curry powder, turmeric, chicken stock, coconut milk, and soy sauce). This one is from Naruto Ramen on the Upper East Side.

Let’s dive in!

P.S. If you’re new around here—welcome to the weekly r.e.p.o.r.t c.a.r.d! It’s a weekly grab bag of the ideas, things, and people that I’m loving. Check out the last issue here. It’s a fun, light addition to the VARSITY READER fold.

Reading (article): Social media has brought so much health knowledge to the forefront. Some of it is valuable…some of it is pure quackery. This NYMag article about dangerous chiropractic moves is the latter. You can insert into 12ft.io if you aren’t able to bypass the paywall.

Eating: Deciding what to eat, preparing food, and staying healthy sucks up so much of our time and energy. On weeks when I’m particularly squeezed, Methodology is my go-to. It’s a gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free meal plan that delivers nationally…but certainly isn’t taste-free. The food is truly restaurant-quality and is full of inventive ingredients (no boring grilled chicken & broccoli to be found here).

An example of a Methodology meal I ate this week. It was grass-fed steak rubbed in matcha with a chimichurri sauce—and a side of roasted carrots & cauliflower topped with dukkah. So, so good and very reminiscent of something you’d find on the ABC Kitchen menu.

You can get 10% off your first Methodology order with the code JLYNCH. Expensive? Yes. Not something to splurge on every week. But the peace of mind (and healthy food!) it delivers during super busy weeks is worth it.

Playing: With the idea that when every single influencer talks about a product…it makes you doubt its efficacy. And that’s how I felt about this brand. It seemed like everyone on my feed raved about its dresses, sweaters, and tops. So I held off on buying for a bit. Though I thought the clothes were cute, were they really that good? Or did the brand just offer sky-high commission rates?

I finally went for it after seeing this adorable fisherman sweater. Definitely pricey, but I should have believed the cadre. It’s one of those pieces I find myself reaching for at least once per week—great for professional settings or throwing over dresses.

Obsessing: Nomi Goldman is one of my favorite fashion follows on Instagram. She always manages to find low-cost, luxe-looking finds. I was sold when she shared this striped pullover sweater from none other than Target. Looks like La Ligne…for a lot less. Sometimes, splurging on stuff is worth it (see above!)

But other times, a lookalike scratches the itch. (And I’m saying this as a big fan of La Ligne—I just snagged these silk pants in navy the other day and think they’re absolutely worth every penny).

Recommending: I host dinners at my apartment for women in my network every month. Connection is my lifeblood, and I love bringing people together (especially women!) One of the women recommended THE GO-GIVER, a book about approaching relationships from the place of what you can give vs. take. I’m completely aligned with that approach! A great self-development investment—or a smart gift for a new grad / friend starting a new job / mentor.

Treating: I’ve long been on the hunt for a pair of casual white sandals. Most of the ones I’ve found have been uber-pricey or just plain blah. Until I found these.

Well-priced at $110, real leather, and I love the geometric shape (makes it feel more elevated than your standard sandal). I’ve also purchased sandals from this brand before and find them very comfortable. A new summer favorite!

Cutting: The guilt of investing in yourself!

Devan Jesmer

shared a bit about this in her latest Substack. Something I personally invest in every week is a blowout subscription. Life is a series of events that reveal what you’re good at…and what you suck at. Like basketball, perfecting a blowout on my frizzy, curly hair has never come naturally to me—no matter how hard I try! I invest in a mega pack at my local blowout bar so that the price is low ($35 per blowout). It’s also a chunk of time for me to do heads-down work while getting coiffed—a true two-in-one. Do a time and effort audit on the things that are sucking up your energy. Does it make sense to outsource any of them?!

Admiring: I am always on the hunt for summer dresses that work for events—but also day-to-day life. this fun lime shift fits the bill.

A good deal at $189. Would be equally cute with a cardigan and flats for a casual meeting as with heels and a clutch for a wedding guest look. I just purchased!

Resolved: Something that always poses a challenge for my siblings and I every year is a stretch of days we call “The Mom Olympics.” My mom’s birthday is on May 8 and Mother’s Day this year is on May 11. I am in full project management mode during this time every year (and my siblings say I’m at my meanest—I would call it efficient). We want to make sure we deliver for our mom (who deserves the world!)

One item we will be gifting her this year is this retinol hand cream. My mom is fanatical about her skin, so a treatment she can use before bedtime that revamps her skin overnight is a perfect fit. Plus, the packaging is gorgeous and looks way better on a nightstand than a crusty tube of Cetaphil. More Mother’s Day gift recs coming later this week, but this is a good one!

Daring: This is something very personal to share, but my fiancé and I are in the process of going through the prenup process before marriage. I highly recommend that everyone get a prenup—people are getting married later and later and thus have more assets to protect. Also, everyone already has a prenup (whether they like it or not!) If you don’t create your own, your prenup is determined by your state’s laws. And with the state of the country, who really wants to leave that to chance?! I will share more once the process has wrapped, but if you’re in a similar life stage, this article is a great read.

weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #17

demystifying influencer recs, professional development musts, and spring buys

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