SEP 3, 2026

INSIDE: Lip Stains, Thoughtful Budgeting, and Healthy Relationships.

TODAY I WILL:

Take steps to make my future easier.

New eras are loading—some with less filler, some with more sharks.

• The Cape’s newest celebrity sighting? A great white.

• Miley’s next era is loading…

• The two-year wait between TV seasons might finally be ending.

• Maybe the princess treatment is just… effort.

• The “less is more” era has reached injectables.

Can you pay my bills? Can you pay my telephone bills? Can you pay my automo' bills?

Budgeting for yourself is hard. Building in line items to help out your family can definitely make it harder. Since so many people find themselves helping parents or younger siblings financially, we tapped Bryan Perez, Financial Wellness Program Manager at Vantage West Credit Union, to give us some advice on best practices. 

Bryan’s first piece of advice? Make sure your cup is full enough before you pour out some for others. “Before we can consistently help others, we need to make sure our own financial foundation is secure,” he said. “If helping family means you can't pay your own bills, build an emergency fund, or save for retirement, then the support may not be sustainable in the long run.” With that in mind, a practical approach is to decide ahead of time what you can realistically contribute and build that into your budget. Rather than promising any amount into perpetuity, you could say that you can give $200 a month through the end of summer. Bryan stresses that “clear boundaries help everyone understand what's realistic and can reduce stress and misunderstandings.” Even with a strict budget, giving yourself grace is a must. If you give more than planned one month, don’t let it derail you. 

If you have family that tends to take advantage of your generosity, boundaries are key. “Even though setting these boundaries may feel like an uncomfortable conversation at first, it’s better to do it upfront,” said Bryan. “Resentment is what actually damages relationships, and ever-expanding financial obligations can put you on that fast track.” You can suggest helping in other ways, too. Consider helping them build a better budget or applying to financial assistance programs. Make sure that the help you offer is well thought out as well; something like taking out a loan or co-signing on a car rental can have far-reaching repercussions. 

At the end of the day, consistency really matters in budgeting and that applies to helping family out and working toward your own financial goals. So, help where you can, set those boundaries, and don’t forget to work toward your savings, too. As Bryan reminds us, “The stronger your own financial foundation becomes, the more sustainable your support for others will be. Helping family doesn't require sacrificing your future. It means planning intentionally so you can be there for the people you care about both today and in the years ahead.”

Stain Power

Some lipsticks are quick to fade, and the TikTokers are not having it (currently one of the top beauty searches on the app). And with that in mind, lip stains are officially back in our beauty rotation, with creators testing which formulas can make it through coffee, cocktails, dinner, and whatever else the group chat talked us into that night. 

The appeal? At The Newsette, we’re no strangers to lip stains, having tested dozens ourselves. They’re basically the low-maintenance hero of lip products. Go barely-there for that “my lips are naturally this perfect” illusion, layer on a berry or red for more drama, or top your stain with gloss when you want the shine without constantly checking your reflection. 

There is, however, one tiny catch…Lip stains have a tendency to locate dry patches you didn’t even know were there. Our tip? A little exfoliation and hydration beforehand can save you from a very different kind of lip look.

TLDR: Are we breaking up with lipstick? Absolutely not. But if our lip color can survive an iced coffee and lunch without requiring a bathroom touch-up? Yeah, we’re emotionally invested.

Have We Lost the Plot on Healthy Eating? 

Protein goals. Seed oils. Blood sugar spikes. The latest ingredient we’re apparently supposed to be terrified of. If your social feeds are anything like ours, eating “healthy” has started to feel less like nourishing yourself and more like studying for an exam you didn’t sign up for. To see if it’s actually that complicated, we tapped registered dietitian Jennifer Anderson, founder of Kids Eat in Color. 

“Eating healthfully isn’t just about eating a list of ‘healthy’ foods,” Anderson told The Newsette. Instead, she said it’s about “having an overall dietary pattern, the habits of daily eating, that meets your body’s needs, and brings you enjoyment and connection with others.” And yes, that means treats are still invited: “It’s healthy to be able to enjoy all foods.” 

Here’s where she says to start: 

1. Taking a closer look at the food rules we’ve accumulated over the years—particularly the ones connected to weight. “The thin ideal—the idea that thinness itself is the ultimate goal—is pervasive in our culture, and most food rules have roots in it,” she said. One clue a rule might be worth reevaluating? How you feel when you break it. “Guilt, shame, or fear often accompany food rules that have a root in diet culture.” 

2. She also suggests that “rather than saying foods are ‘junk food,’ ‘toxic,’ or ‘superfoods,’ just call them ‘cookies,’ ‘chocolate,’ or ‘broccoli,’” she says. “Doing this helps you look at each food as it is, without adding guilt, shame, or morality to the foods.”

3. Try tuning back into something that can easily get drowned out by all those rules: your body. “Ask yourself if you’re hot or cold, thirsty, full, content, or hungry,” Anderson said. “You learn which foods make you feel good and which ones don’t.” Over time, she says, that information can help you “leave behind the ‘food rules’” and meet your needs in a way that is “satisfying, enjoyable, and flexible.”

4. Rather than constantly thinking about which foods need to go, Anderson recommends asking what you can add. “If you want more fiber in your diet, instead of vowing to stop eating a particular food, learn which high-fiber foods would pair nicely with them,” she says. “Rather than cutting foods out, focus on adding in colors, variety, spices, and flavors.”