Sunday Scroll #135

Happy, happy Easter... join me to scroll a few fantastic articles on faith, a crunchy rice salad recipe, and a really, really funny dad joke to share with your kids.

Happy Easter, friends. I hope you are all having a beautiful day full of family and community in whatever shape that takes. We came up to the lake, and without a church to attend today, it feels a little different. The kids reminded me of Easter in 2020, when we got dressed up, made a big breakfast, then sat in our living room to watch our church on TV. Father Michael Hoffman is our priest, and a dear friend of ours as well. He gave many sermons that year that got us through a tough time. It seemed like his words found us at exactly the right times.

I hope there are words spoken to you, whether in person or on the screen, today that make the world you’re living in make just a little more sense. Without further ado, happy scrolling.

• What are some small good things in your life right now? The comments on this article over on Cup of Jo are so beautiful. Sincerely, take a few minutes to scroll. They’ll give you hope again.

• The ache is not going away. A beautiful read for when it all feels kind of hard. I love Kate Bowler.

• Speaking of Kate Bowler… I sought her words out this week because I knew she’d be writing about faith from a perspective I can relate to well. I loved this essay. Read it on Thursday while on the car ride up to the lake and just thought it was wonderful.

• 12 Practical things that make your lives easier. God I love Joanna Goddard. Big Salad! A favorite Substack if you’re not already following. Gold in the comments again.

• My Unlikely Existence. Is AI able to help parents dealing with infertility. Trigger warning here, but I found this fascinating. From 1978 (and the first IVF birth to now… what an incredible few decades).

• Cookbook Club 101: What It Is and How to Start Your Own. This is a fascinating idea. I ALMOST did this last year when I was finishing up The Simplified Cookbook. Now I wish I had! Maybe it’s not too late…

• When I Cared Less, Things Just Sort of Worked Out. I feel this in my bones. Have you seen those memes about “how to be less challant.” That’s me. I am 100% challant. There is no non-challant in me. Whatsoever.

• What Are Your Kids Love Languages? I read once that it’s inaccurate to have your kids take the Enneagram quiz or the Love Languages quiz… but I did it with Brady a few months ago. And I knew that kid would be a 2. And sure enough. He’s a 2. Bless him.

• Filmmaker Leaves Hollywood Career to Open a Candy Shop in a Small Town. I mean. There are days when this seems entirely plausible. How fun must this be… Would you do it?

• A friend of mine told me about this guy on Instagram. He found a mentor while he was in high school (a 25 year old guy who was just out of his same season of life) and it changed his life. Fast forward to now, he’s crated a group of mentors for high school kids. So cool. I just started following and really like his advice.

• Caroline Chambers is best known for her recipes, but this week she wrote, “People joke about “Chreasters,” as in Christians who only show up to church at Christmas and Easter. I’m more of an “Anxietyer” — I come to God when I’m out of options, when the hopelessness or fear gets too big to hold, and I need somewhere to put it.” I feel that in my bones. This essay, I’ve been talking to God a lot, is a good read.

• 300 Best Dad Jokes to Tickle Your Funny Bone. Ok, ready for a good one? Bryan told me this:

  • ME: Two part joke. Why did the chicken cross the road?

  • YOU: Why?

  • ME: To get to the idiots house.

  • YOU: Uh… ok…

  • ME: Part two. Knock knock.

  • YOU: Who’s there?

  • ME: It’s the chicken, you idiot! 🐓 (you’re welcome)

I bought these AYR Secret Sauce jeans after hearing everyone rave about them and I can confirm: they are great. I already own these white jeans and these skinny-ish jeans also from AYR and had a hunch. If you hate lipstick, I found the lipstick for you (and me). I feel like all colors look weird on me and I don’t like the feeling of “stuff” on my lips. This lightweight, matte lip blush from Merit is so good. The color is Archival. It almost isn’t noticeable when you first blot it on, but you can build it out to a deep, cool pink tone. I LOVE. It’s like your lips but better.

If you’re Spring Cleaning, toss the old ratty bras that don’t fit. This one is so good. No underwire. No scratchy seams. Gets the job done and is ever so slightly padded for a smooth look.

I’m also thrilled to say that I think we can all stop searching for the perfect swimsuit. I shared a reel about this Friday but this brand is amazing. Three middle aged moms who worked in fashion created a swimsuit brand and the suits are as good as you’d hoped they’d be. Lightly padded top, great coverage in the back, compression around the middle. Buy this one. You won’t regret it. I ordered a second color right after I put it on for the first time. Save 15% w code EMILY15.

If you’re a paid subscriber, you can access all 23 of our exclusive discount codes here. Including Divi, Quay, Cadence and more. All the links I share on IG and here are organized in my little shop here.

Jonathan Edward Durham gives me LIFE on Instagram. On the days I just want to step off that platform entirely, I remember I cannot because he is there.

We are hard at work preparing for SPRING LAUNCH this Wednesday, April 8! If you’ve grown up with Simplified over the last 18 years, I bet your life looks different than it did. Different than it did five years ago, even. Mine sure does.

Maybe you got married. Kids joined the family. Responsibilities multiplied. Work evolved. And somewhere along the way, you traded your planner for iCal. And maybe — maybe — pulling out your phone to check your beautifully color-coded, expertly organized calendar is slowly making you lose your mind. Notifications. Social media. News. Texts. It gets the job done, but you’re still a pen-and-paper girl at heart, trying to manage a lot in a loud digital world.

We see you. (We are you).

People like us may use iCal for syncing family schedules and the after-school sports circus. But people like us also love the feel of crossing something off a list. The quiet confidence of knowing your day lives in one safe, unchanging place. The grounding that comes from holding it all in your hands. We’re not trying to compete with digital. (Hi, me.) We built something to come alongside it — and alongside you.

We built an analog sidekick for the digital life you can’t fully quit. And so much more.

Simplified 2.0 launches April 8 at 10am EST. 🤫❤️

Hope to see you there!!

PS: Join me tomorrow at 12pm EST for our full collection reveal at emilyley.com!