weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #21

no-cook dinner ideas, new snack favorites, and <$100 summer buys

Jun 24, 2025

Hi! Happy Tuesday. Whew…it’s a scorcher here in NYC (99 degrees as I write this from the comfort of AC). I typically try to get this Substack out on Sundays, but consistency > harsh deadlines, right?!

I had some friends over for dinner last night and it was way too hot to cook anything substantial. Crudité, takeout, and a 5-min dessert it was.

Ouri’s Market on the Upper East Side has become my go-to for prepared food. The hummus is excellent, but the spicy eggplant salad might be even better. One of my best friends generously gifted me this blue & white tray for my bridal shower. I use it all the time! This one is similar.

And for dessert—Cinnamon Toast Crunch “Rice Krispie treats.” My fiancé is a total cereal fiend, so we always have cereal on hand. I used this recipe, but have made these treats so many times now that I tend to put my own spin on them. If I have more time, I sometimes brown the butter and drizzle with white chocolate.

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: I’m typically reading two books at once…a smart book and a silly book. This is my smart book of the moment, which helps you unlock your individual leadership style and understand how to optimize it.

On the silly front, this is a delicious read. I’m all about “rich people drama” thrillers—high stakes drama that’s really as low stakes as it gets (especially with the state of the world). This book is very reminiscent of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, featuring a family empire, lots of tension, and a ton of designer name-drops. Fast-paced and the perfect beach read!

Eating: The bridal industrial complex is real! As my wedding approaches, I’m definitely doing my best to eat healthy (and take long walks in my weighted vest…when it’s not boiling hot). So I’m gravitating towards any kind of healthy snack swap.

While these spiced edamame beans, lightened-up fruity gummies, and mini rice cakes have been longtime favorites, a new contender has entered the villa. I love my mini rice cakes, but they have a small drizzle of chocolate vs. a thick chocolate coating.

That’s where these rice cakes shine! They have a generous coating of chocolate, so it doesn’t taste too much like a health food. It’s 80 calories per rice cake—not zero, but not insanely caloric.

Playing: With my handwriting! I’m in the process of writing thank-you notes for my wedding shower and early wedding gifts, and some notes take me two tries—it’s become immediately clear to me how little I handwrite these days!

This is my personal stationery (love anything green! 💚), and this is the monogrammed stationery my fiancé and I made together. Both are very budget-friendly!

To elevate our thank you notes, I purchased this wax seal. Super easy to use and takes less than a minute per envelope. And looks like it came straight from a calligrapher! I’m in the process of ordering one for my personal stationery as well, and it’s absolutely worth the $30 for a stamp and wax beads.

Obsessing: I’m perpetually on the hunt for heeled shoes I can walk in. These are my go-to walking flats, but sometimes, I want something a bit dressier.

These perfectly fit the bill. I walked 10K+ steps in them over the weekend, and they easily work for casual or dressy settings. A bit pricey, but good shoes are worth investing in!

Recommending: I’ve invested in a ton of great pieces this summer that don’t break the bank. Summer clothes are meant to be lived in! From sunscreen to sand, expect at least one of your summer go-tos to be stained at the end of the season. So it’s important not to spend too much!

My budget summer picks:

Treating: If you don’t already follow

Nan

, her content is a hotbed for curated, on-point product recommendations—especially in the home department!

I’m getting married in exactly 60 days (ah!) and was kindly given some Amazon gift cards for my bridal shower. When

Nan

posted about this gadget, I immediately added to cart. It’s a whipped cream gas canister—dump in heavy cream and it’s immediately transformed into whipped cream! No beating or mixing necessary. $35 and a fantastic hostess gift as well.

Admiring: “Personal brand” is the 2025 phrase of the year. Many founders believe that it is tablestakes to have a personal brand. And while I agree with that to some degree, it’s important to have authenticity behind your personal brand vs. dumping out content that’s very clearly ChatGPT-generated. It has no soul!

So Andrea Lisbona is an interesting case study. She’s the founder of Touchland, which just sold for $700M…and she has no personal brand.

Ali Kriegsman

has more in her latest Substack, which I highly recommend reading. My take? If you’re going to build a personal brand, make sure it has substance. Sometimes nothing at all is better than being subpar.

weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #21

no-cook dinner ideas, new snack favorites, and <$100 summer buys

Discussion about this post