The Girl's Guide
Issue 81: Survey Says
Welcome back to The Girl’s Guide! If you missed the most recent issue, find it here.
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Survey Says
Successful blind dates — they only exist in romantic comedies, not real life, right? It seems like no matter how well you think your friends and family know you, when they say they have the “perfect” person to set you up with, that person is anything but.
I’m interested to hear from you readers (both guys and girls) about your experiences being set up on dates. Was it good? Was it boring? Was it absolutely horrid? And most importantly, what makes a good blind date?
Please help me with future issues of The Girl’s Guide and take the anonymous survey here: TAKE THE SURVEY.
Interview with Katelyn Walls Shelton
I know all of you aspiring writers out there will especially enjoy my interview with Katelyn Walls Shelton! Find Katelyn on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to check out her Substack The Mommy Blog as well as her latest articles for WORLD Magazine.
What do you love about your neighborhood?
My husband, John, and I decided to plant roots in the city, so in 2020 we bought a house! We live in Greenway, a small neighborhood just east of the river from RFK Stadium. We love its proximity to the Hill, where most of our professional lives exist. We chose the location specifically so John could get home from work quickly in the evenings to help me rein in our twin boys during their most rowdy time of day: dinner and bedtime.
What does your life look like right now?
Most days you'll find me wearing my mom uniform, complete with dirt on the knees, spit-up on the shoulder, and an unidentified substance or two smeared on my shirt (or in my hair). Other days, you’ll find me in my latest Calvin Klein dress from Marshall’s, hitting up meetings on the Hill, or writing from my favorite remote-work spot, The Roost. Advising on women’s health policy and writing about theology, ethics, or politics are the mental work I do to balance the (very) physical labor that is mothering twin toddlers and a newborn.
What is something you wish you had known before moving to DC?
There are so many great churches here! I think I believed the media that DC was a godless swamp of a place, but — despite the ungodly amount of mosquitos — it's a beautiful place where individuals and families can build beautiful communities. Shameless plug for my church right on Capitol Hill, Church of the Resurrection. Come visit! We'll be the ones in the back with the rowdy twins and crying newborn.
What's a book you think every woman should read?
Just one?! I suppose in keeping with my line of work, I’d recommend Mary Eberstadt’s Adam and Eve After the Pill: Paradoxes of the Sexual Revolution. More women are becoming educated about their bodies and what they put into them. The status quo for women's healthcare in America is no longer enough. I'm hopeful that our generation will witness a sea change in the way doctors and drug manufacturers treat women — not simply prescribing pills to mask symptoms, but identifying and treating the underlying problems those symptoms signify.
What advice do you have for young women who enjoy writing but aren't sure where to start?
Just do it! Set a goal to publish one piece this year. Somewhere. Anywhere. I made a goal in 2019 to publish one article online, and I'm pretty sure it was that one article that helped me land my current gig as an Opinion Contributor at WORLD Magazine. I never dreamed I'd get paid to write (let's face it, I internalized the message that English degrees are worthless), but here I am, momming it up while also writing for fun and for pay! And evangelical about the fact that English degrees are not, in fact, worthless!
What's your beauty routine like?
I can’t talk about my beauty routine without talking about the long line of beautiful women in my family who took pride in “putting their faces on.” My mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother all sold or wore Mary Kay Cosmetics, and my mom began selling it so she could be a stay-at-home Boss Mom when I was born (she went on to win numerous awards and two cars). Needless to say, I wear all Mary Kay, as I have for my entire life (and shhhh… don't tell my mom, but she still gives me my makeup for free, despite the fact that I'm supposedly an adult now). My favorite Mary Kay product? Mascara. I actually use a combination of two to achieve the most luscious lashes — Ultimate Mascara and Lash Love Fanorama. I swear by them. If you need a girl, I know a girl!
The Haps
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Returns
Say it ain’t so — the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is upon us. The popular show set in the 1960s returns April 14, according to Deadline. Now, I’ve been vocal in my disappointment in Season 4 (the plot went in circles!). I’m hoping Season 5 will feature the successful Midge we’ve all been waiting for, but if not, then I’ll just settle for the fabulous costumes. It sounds like star Rachel Brosnahan is a big fan of the costumes too — Page Six reported she plans to keep all of her characters’ coats but may have to employ several storage units to do it.
Even Tigers Wind Up in the Friendzone
Even Siberian tigers can wind up in the friendzone… and it has consequences for the entire species. The National Zoo in DC is home to two endangered Siberian tigers, one male and one female, but due to the platonic nature of their relationship, zookeepers recently artificially inseminated the female tiger in hopes of creating little tiger babies. Read more about the crazy process in DCist.
Here are more links to what I’ve been reading (and writing!) lately:
17 Practical Gifts For New Moms They’ll Actually Appreciate: Any new mom you know would definitely appreciate these thoughtful gifts!
How To ‘Drop The Hanky’ To Get Him To Make A Move: Evie Magazine with some timeless dating advice.
Narnia on Stage: Madeline Fry Schultz writes about an unexpectedly poignant play at Museum of the Bible.
Don't sell women short: Emilia Clarke’s recent selfie launched a thousand thinkpieces. This is the only good one.
Meet The Four Southerners Looking For Love On Fox’s “Farmer Wants A Wife”: Farmers Only just got an upgrade, y’all.
Ask Evie
Have a question you want me to answer in the newsletter? Click this link to send your question anonymously! You can read my most recent Ask Evie column about dating here.
