JUNE 10, 2022

We talk about work—a lot. But in the spirit of sunnier days and summer long weekends, we're bringing that Summer Friday spirit to this newsletter. It’s all fun: from road-trip playlists to the best rosé bubbly (oh and SPF, so much SPF), amazing giveaways (who doesn't love free stuff?) and absolutely no work talk allowed! 🦩🏖️🍦🩴

Talking Points

When It Comes to Friends, Turns Out That Less Is More

As kids, everyone had to be your best friend—or, that’s at least what your mom told you as you wrote Valentine’s Day cards for the whole class. The more birthday parties you were invited to, the more our little 8-year-old selves were validated (which is problematic in its own right). But as we’ve gotten older, our friend group has significantly decreased and we’ve learned to embrace it. The desire to have a “squad” or “girl gang” started to lose its sheen—and it often felt exhausting to try and keep up with the non-stop messages, impromptu plans and inside jokes. Someone always felt excluded or out of the loop and it just stopped being fun.

Turns out, there’s a magic number of close friends you should have: three to five. “Having 200 people say happy birthday to you online, that can create goodwill and a sense of belonging,” psychologist Andrea Bonior, told Vox. “It doesn’t really match the sense of ‘Things have gone really bad right now and I need somebody to listen and I know that they truly care about me.’ That’s something that’s very profound.” 

Psychologist and friendship expert Marisa Franco also has some words of wisdom in the article: “The biggest return we get in friendship is going from zero to one friend in terms of its impact on our mental health and well-being. If you can get that deep with one person, it’s going to be powerful and it’s going to be impactful, and you don’t need to have a ton of friends.”

It sounds harsh, but doing a “friendship edit” every once in a while can be helpful. Look at the circle of people in your life. Before you hang out with them, do you secretly hope they’ll cancel? Do you feel more drained than exhilarated after spending time with them? Do you feel like your lives are leading down different paths and you’re no longer connected like you once were when you first met? These are all valid reasons to reconsider who you keep close.

After all, life is too short to not be surrounded by people who don’t celebrate, support, comfort and uplift you.

SPONSORED BY

Real

Taking Care of Your Mental Health Just Got a Whole Lot Easier

What if investing in your mental health was as easy as opening up an app (yes, really)? You do Wordle and scroll through TikTok before you get out of bed every morning, so why not squeeze in an extra 5 minutes to do something that your future self will thank you for again and again.

Meet Real: the app that is revolutionizing mental healthcare from the comfort of your couch. The 27-year old founder and CEO Ariela Safira wanted to make therapy accessible and low cost, so that’s why she created this platform that helps you understand yourself on a deeper level—on your own time and on your own terms. And get this: An annual membership of Real is the same price as an average one-on-one therapy session.

From the on-demand, interactive sessions—created by clinical therapists—on topics like career fulfillment, body image and anxiety (called “Pathways”) to the guided check-in tool for tracking areas of your mental health over time (“Real Pulse”), you’re bound to find something that speaks to you.

No wonder Gwyneth Paltrow and Megan Rapione are investors in the Real app. Get one month free of the monthly membership with our exclusive promo code: GIRLBOSS.

Snacks

🙌 No more (super annoying, super sexist) spaghetti strap bans (well, in one Canadian school board at least)!

💄 Run, don’t walk, people: Lady Gaga is coming to Sephora.

🍷 This circa-1890s dessert is making a comeback—and it sounds oddly good?

😌 What if investing in your mental health could be done while taking a walk or cooking dinner? This app is making therapy more affordable, accessible and effective. Get one month free of the monthly membership with our exclusive promo code: GIRLBOSS.*

🌈 The Bratz Pride collection is everything we could have ever wanted.

✈️ If you’re hopping on a plane anytime soon, let this be your refresher.

📚 Here’s to never saying “I don’t know what to read” for the rest of the summer.

*This link is sponsored

The Farmer’s Market Dinner Party

If your group chat is constantly panicking at the last minute, trying to figure out what to do on the weekend, we got you. Each Friday, we’ll bring you fun (and never basic) ways to fill your calendar this summer. Today? We’re teaching you how to channel your inner Ina Garten.

We can’t think of a more perfect Sunday than having a lazy, slow morning, then heading over to your local farmer’s market, crochet tote bag in hand, wandering and eating your way through the stalls of fresh produce, flowers and baked goods. You buy a few ingredients, text your friends to come over and throw together a spur-of-the-moment dinner party that’s worthy of a centerfold in Food & Wine magazine.

Sure, you could aimlessly scroll through Pinterest, or you could try one of these delectable recipes that have the official Girlboss stamp of approval. It’s true: We have a dedicated Slack channel where we just exchange recipes like a bunch of old ladies. It’s magical.

• Kathleen Ashmore’s Air Fried Artichoke Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing: the best summer salad doesn’t exist… oh wait

• The New York Times’ recipes are always *chefs kiss* but this Shrimp Linguine with Herbs, Corn and Arugula has our hearts

• Half Baked Harvest’s Lemon Key Lime Bars are sweet, tart, tangy perfection

• Smitten Kitchen’s Strawberry Brita Cake (our editorial director, Liz, even shared a pic of her own creation—and it’s a sight for hungry eyes)

• For a non-alcoholic aperitif, the Green Tea Arnold Palmer from Bon Appétit is our bevvy of choice

Oh, and one more thing. Can we please crash your dinner party?

🍽 Already planning your next dinner party? We've partnered with Year & Day to give away two lucky winners The Core Set, one Hauste It and a $50 gift card to Hauste! All of Year & Day's gorgeous products are designed in California, and forged, fired and hand-finished in Europe, while Hauste provides the secret sauce to your next dinner party hosting success. 

How to enter? Simply share your unique referral link and get your friends to subscribe to Girlboss Daily. Every two referrals count as an entry to this giveaway, which closes next Friday, June 17th. 

The best news? All of those referrals will not only enter you in the giveaway, they will still count towards our evergreen referral program prizes (see below for details)!

Your unique referral code is and you currently have referrals.

DINNER PARTY ESSENTIALS

Staff Picks

Share Girlboss Daily, Win Free Stuff

Love Girlboss Daily? We’re flattered-seriously. So why not refer a friend? There are some pretty great prizes in it for you if you do.

Your unique sharing link is  and you currently have  referrals. 

You can track where you’re at in your referral hub here: https://hub.sparklp.co/

*Prizes only available in the US and Canada.

Before You Go...

Remember: It’s ok to say “no” (and stay in bed instead).

While we’re on the topic of friendships and dinner parties, today’s reminder is all about setting boundaries in your social life. If you feel more dread than excitement when you see a “let’s go out” text pop up on your screen tonight, then you know exactly what you need to do. Reply back, “Ugh, I’d love to but I’ve already got plans: Stranger Things, my heating pad and all-you-can-eat Smart Sweets.”

Here's to a restful weekend!