My Latest Snag: The Best Laundry Detergent.
Magpies: what is your favorite laundry detergent? I used Mrs. Meyers for years, and then more recently tested Puracy (I love their other products) and I feel that neither leaves clothing clean enough, especially when it comes to stain-riddled toddler wear. The Laundress detergent is lovely (I adore and continue to buy their baby detergent for micro — it scents clothes beautifully, washes them thoroughly, but does not fade or in any way deteriorate the quality of the fabric) but a bit pricey for the vats of laundry we go through in a given week. The Wirecutter recommended Tide Ultra Stain Release FREE, so I’m giving that a whirl next.
Any other hidden favorites?
P.S. Dreft stain spray is the best and how beautiful is this laundry basket?!
You’re Sooooo Popular: The Long-Sleeved Knit Dress.
The most popular items on the blog this past week:
+This LS knit. Equally perfect with Supergas/GGs or pointed-toe flats!
+This ultra chic faux fur stole (such a cool gift).
+My leopard trousers, which many of you probably saw me wear on Instastories this week.
+This darling plaid dress (ordered this for mini! only $20!)
+Pretty Christmas wrapping paper.
P.S. More reader favorites here.
#Turbothot: Kacey Musgraves.
I tuned into Kacey Musgraves’ Christmas special on Amazon Prime earlier this week and found it delightfully kitschy, often overdone to the point of cloyingly cheesy, and determinedly escapist. My first reaction was that it felt out of sync with the times, devoted as our generation tends to be to authenticity and “realness.” In fact, I was just thinking the other day, as I started watching the wildly popular show Succession, how many modern narratives focus on the fact that no one is all the way good or all the way bad. How many contemporary films and novels have investigated the villain or constructed “anti-heroes” or unlikely heroes or heroes with backstories, flaws, addictions? And here we have Kacey parading around in elaborate, Barbie-like outfits, skin botoxed within an inch of her life and hair so straight and shiny it could be a wig, telling us “You shake me up and turn me upside down // Just like a snow globe.”
And yet.
There is something intriguingly, appealingly self-aware about her that does fit with the times. Her set, her instrumentation, her glitzy costumery, her loony skits, even her semi-wooden dancing all call attention to her performativity.
“Here I am, performing my gender! Performing my music genre! Performing my class! Performing, performing, performing!” It’s not ironic, but almost? Because though she seems to be enjoying herself, there is still a discernible distance she establishes between herself and the bubblegum lyrics she’s singing.
This is not a vibe I get watching other pop stars — for example, when I watch Katy Perry perform “Firework” or Selena Gomez perform “Look At Her Now,” I feel as though they believe the words they are singing and there is an earnestness to the presentation.
In short, you can’t watch Kacey without noting the manufacturing of the performance, and that self-awareness leaves space to contemplate the blurry line between artifice and reality.
Where does the performance end and Kacey begin?
Post-Scripts: Holiday Napkins and Discounted Flats.
+A fun add-on to a holiday bottle-of-wine when visiting with friends.
+Goop has a great sale running, and how incredible are these flats and this trench?!
+A chic flush mount for a powder room or children’s bathroom.
+Adore this fur-trim jacket!
+This dress is SO Audrey Hepburn!
+Love this $50 sequinned skirt for the holidays!
+We had snow earlier this week! I already had mini’s snowboots, but scrambled to buy her a new pair of snowpants and some thermal underwear.
I have used the Grab Green pods lately, and I like them (particularly the subtle Gardenia scent). I used them when my son was an infant, also, and find that when you have a baby in your arms it’s so easy to just throw a pod in, one-handed, rather than measuring. On stains, I spray Noodle & Boo stain remover which is plant-based/eco-friendly but actually works wonderfully!
Ooh, was not familiar with this label and I see they have a bunch of different compelling scents and claim to do three things at once. Going to check them out! Thanks! Just ordered a pack.
xx
We are big on The Laundress in our house. It feels so luxurious to do laundry with their products!
On another note, I found a amazing faux fur stole on Etsy that I wore for my winter wedding in the city and will keep for future events. Etsy can be such a treasure trove – love that wrapping!
Agreed, love so many of the Laundress products!!! And ETSY — yes! xxx
For laundry I love Smol – I used to use them in the UK but they’ve just launched in the US too. Smells great, eco-friendly and they’re much cheaper than any other I’ve tried (makes a difference with 2 kids under 3, haha!)
Not familiar with this brand! Thank you!!
I wash a lot of stinky athletic and dirty clothes thanks to having a horse and being a person who cannot keep herself clean and I’ve found Persil is by far and above the best out there. I use the liquid because I like being able to pick how much I use vs pods, but I’m guessing they’d work similarly!
Merci!! By the way, I love your avatar — the horse! xx
When we were doing laundry for “youngers,” grandparents, and assorted others living with us, we used the laundry detergent that was on sale. All told, if we separated the laundry into whites, lights, darks, and gentles, we were pretty satisfied (of course we used bleach with the whites). In the spectrum of living a complicated life, the laundry detergent was simply something there and didn’t require too much reflection.
Point taken! I have a tendency to overcomplicate…xx
Oh, and I’m a devoted Seventh Generation detergent user (what my mom always used and bought me when she dropped me off at college… and I’ve never deviated.) but I have heard people RAVE about this detergent. Cultish obsession. I’ve been very curious… https://www.amazon.com/Tyler-TYLERWASH32-DIVA-TYLER-Glamorous-Wash/dp/B001R95274
OH! You know what, I think a few Magpies recommended this a year or two ago, and I always meant to investigate — thanks for the reminder! xx
I loved Kacey’s Christmas Special because it was just such delicious, glitzy camp. I find I sometimes miss entertainment for entertainment’s sake…without all the analyzing and probing and questioning of authenticity or appropriateness or what have you. Kacey’s show was delightful, quirky, unexpected. The costumes!! The sets!!! Pure candy. It was nice to enjoy it with no further thought…which I think gets at your exact point! There isn’t much popular media that is purely performative anymore, which made it such a treat.
YES – I think that’s exactly right. The performance itself was just one enormous confection — not much else to contemplate. When you take a step back, it’s making a statement along the lines you’ve mentioned: performance for performance’s sake, escape for escape’s sake. (Also, how cool and weird and perfect was the duet with Leon Bridges?! His dance moves were so hilariously stiff.)
Love everything in your post today, especially the Audrey dress and black fur trimmed jacket! Swooning over them!
Don’t watch Kacey Musgraves, just listen to her. My favorite song of hers is Neon Moon. It is sooooo good! Listen to it for sure.
I love that song, Cynthia! So good.
Jen — let us know about the Tide Ultra Stain Release Free! I always use regular Tide (the original scented one) out of nostalgia, but it feels out of step with the strides I’ve made in switching over to other “clean” household products, toiletries, etc. xx
Will do — I’m with you, too. Tend to use cleaner products these days but need something tougher with two LOs and a big dog…xx
Ohh yes! I listen to all of Kacey’s music constantly and that it was one of my favorites, too. She is such a joy to listen to. Try her Christmas album!!
Neon Moon is a classic 90’s country song by Brooks & Dunn. I still prefer the original, but I think Kacey’s cover is really cool and moody and different.
I watched Kacey’s Christmas special the other day and thought it was a frothy, delicious (if a little cheesy) way to spend a December evening. But I do remember thinking, wow I am so NOT in the age demographic that this show is targeting. LOL.
The Cher inspiration is obvious. But does anyone else think Kacey resembles Paris Hilton?
Hi Joanna! Fellow Kacey lover I see 🙂 I also see a lot of inspo from Dolly Parton in terms of the glitz and drama and over-the-top-ness. xx