🤔 Brainteaser of the day: A detective proves a confession is fake without leaving her office, touching a computer, or calling anyone. How?
Click here to see the answer.
Check out our September 2025 Weekender Brainteasers here.
✅ Today’s Checklist:
🗓️ Support your well-being with these cycle-aligned self-care tips.
📋 The best HR software to streamline hiring, payroll, and people ops.
💅 The fall nail trends making a statement this season.
📉 Productivity hacks just aren’t cutting it (why tech might be to blame).
There’s just something about fall. It’s sweater weather without the snow boots. Leaves start showing off, coffee orders get spicier, and suddenly even errands feel a little cinematic.
Here’s what’s putting our team in the seasonal spirit:
Joanna’s leaning into spooky season hard
I discovered the magic of fall in Boston during college, my first time ever apple picking (truly life-changing). New England fall just hits different: crisp air, leaves blanketing the streets, apples fresh off the tree. LA palm trees don’t quite compare.
It’s also spooky season, and I’m all in. Every year I marathon all 7 Scream movies without fail. On my current queue: Together and Weapons. Horror movies, haunted houses, witchy vibes…I love all that kinda stuff.
The cooler weather feels like a reset after summer. Give me PSLs, apple-cinnamon scents, cozy throws, layering with tights and sweaters, and lots of pup and cat snuggles. If you’re looking for an instant dessert hit, you’ve gotta try this apple crisp recipe.
Fall reinvigorates me for Q4, knowing holidays (and time with loved ones) are right around the corner.
Kristel’s all about the cinnamon and coziness
My ideal fall day smells like cinnamon sugar and brown butter while a loaf of banana bread rises in the oven. Rain on the windows, beeswax candles flickering, moody eucalyptus in a vase. I swap out my throw blankets and pillows for warmer tones—rust, chai, soft oat. The whole space feels cozy, calm, and a little enchanted.
Style-wise, it’s a sweater dress, chic boots, and a camel coat that makes errands feel cinematic. Scent-wise, I rotate between Narciso Rodriguez, Gucci Guilty, and Delina—always layered over vanilla musk oil for extra staying power.
Fall is when I soften up and romanticize everything. Cinnamon in the air, a candle glowing nearby—I’m home.
Thania’s a basic fall B
Call me a basic betch, that’s fine because I really do looooove fall. Like, actually love it. The coffee, the boots, the layers. I get EXCITED for PSLs and anything with cinnamon or nutmeg or brown sugar. I want to try every new fall drink on the menu and maybe convince myself I like chai again. (Hint: I never do.)
And then the fashion we get to wear? Yes please.
The bootsssss. Give me suede boots, leather boots, knee-highs, little booties—I want them all. And I love all the coats too. Doesn’t matter if it’s a raincoat, a peacoat, a furry one, or one of those long dramatic coats that kind of drag a little.
But nothing tops a long walk in a cute fall fit while the trees do their magic. The outfits, the coffee, the coziness…gimme all of it.
Cameron’s keeping score this fall
Fall has always been my favorite season—the heat finally breaks in the Bay Area, jeans and light sweaters make a comeback, and suddenly life feels a whole lot cozier. I’ve got a hot tea or matcha latte in hand, a blanket wrapped around me (which, let’s be real, I do even in 100+ degree weather), and soup simmering on the stove. Comfort mode: activated.
But fall isn’t just about cozy vibes…it’s football season. Friday nights are all about Friday Night Lights, where my boyfriend is coaching from the sidelines and I’m in the bleachers, Saturdays are all about college football (go Ducks!), and Sundays? That’s reserved for NFL RedZone and stressing over my fantasy team.
Add in nonstop fall candles, apple crumble, darker nail polish, and swapping perfumes for warmer scents like PHLUR Vanilla Skin, YSL Black Opium, or Jo Malone Scarlett Poppy.
The leaves turn, the games kick off, the house smells like soup and fresh baked goods, it’s everything I love rolled into one.
Monday can be more than a mess of meetings and unread emails—it can be a reset, if you let it.
Start your week with a few small shifts:
🧘♀️ Start with clarity – Use monday.com’s Dashboards to review last week’s wins, roadblocks, and progress at a glance.
🎯 Set your Big 3 – Create a custom board for weekly priorities so your goals aren’t buried in Slack threads.
📆 Time-block your energy – Schedule tasks based on when you do your best work using Calendar View.
💡 Leave room to breathe – Automate the busywork so your focus stays on the big stuff (hello, no-code automations).
Our monday.com Startup Guide walks you through this exact flow—designed to help you start each week with clarity, calm, and control.
👉 Download the monday.com Guide.
📚 Read: A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
First love, first heartbreak, all the feels. This one will wreck you in the best way. Have your tissues close.
📺 Watch: The Last Ship (Max)
When a global pandemic wipes out much of the world, the crew of a U.S. Navy destroyer becomes humanity’s last hope for survival. Packed with action, suspense, and moral dilemmas, it’s a gripping ride from start to finish.
🎧 Listen: The Little Mess You Made by The Favors
A moody, guitar-driven indie track that blends vulnerability with edge. Equal parts haunting and catchy, it’s vibey for those late-night listening sessions.
Most programs weren’t built for you. This one is.
If you’re over 40, your body isn’t asking for high-impact punishment. It’s asking for strength, support, and a smarter approach to movement.
The Reverse Health Wall Pilates Challenge is a 28-day plan designed specifically for women 40 and up. You’ll use just a wall and a few minutes a day to get stronger, more energized, and finally feel like your workouts are working with your body, not against it.
Why it works:
Joint-friendly and safe for sore knees or tight hips
Menopause-conscious and hormone-informed
Welcoming for beginners or anyone restarting after a break
If you’re navigating stiffness, joint pain, or stubborn weight, this program meets you where you are. The workouts are guided, gentle, and designed to deliver visible results in four weeks.
Thousands of women have already joined because they’re done forcing their bodies to keep up with fitness plans that ignore what midlife actually feels like.
Take the quiz, get your custom plan, and start your return to strength today.
Cava lives up to her name, as she’s a sweet and sparkly little ball of fun. She came to her family at six months old as a sick and scared foster pup, but she quickly stole their hearts. After getting her through several medical procedures and countless cleanups, she blossomed into the spunky, adorable girl she is today.
Cava is full of energy and loves her balls. She’s also a master snuggler and freely gives kisses to anyone who wants them. Despite her dainty size, she’s also a mischievous Frenchie who makes hilarious, gremlin-like snorts that crack her family up. Now almost two years old, Cava and her family look forward to a long and happy life together.
🐾 Got a cute fur baby? Submit them to be our pet of the week in an upcoming issue.
🗓 Mark Your Calendars: CREATE Conference 2025 is happening on Oct 11–14th (Salt Lake City). Women-led. AI packed. Grab your ticket here. (Joanna will be there, too—come say hi!)Have more feedback? 💌 Reply to this email and tell us.
✨ P.S. Want more inspiration and positivity to kick off your week? Sign up for our Motivational Monday texts (U.S. only).
👀 Want to see if your company is a good fit for our 250k+ ambitious readers? Join our Sponsor Waitlist here.
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