March brought lots of reunions, sunshine, and new concepts. Here are my favorites of the month: My leather tote bag See this post on Instagram A post shared by Mehach (@mehachcom) After a year and a half of deliberation and procrastination, my tote bag has finally come to life. I was tired of shopping with fabric tote bags, so I set myself a deadline to make the tote bag of my dreams. Now my fingers are sore because I’ve never sewn so much by hand with so many layers, but the result is totally worth it. Not only does it have all the features I love, but it’s also super…

The title may make you smile (Rich Grandma Energy: And the Death of the Girl Boss, Amazon link) but the book is enjoyable, short and easy to read, even in English. The format is very American but I really like the mindset of this entrepreneur, founder of a PR agency. I found it while looking for a silk slip dress ahahha (she wears them all the time). Here’s the official book blurb, translated from English: Rich Grandma Energy is not about age or money. It’s about certainty. For decades, women have been sold the girl boss dream: work harder, perform competence, neutralize your femininity, and maybe they’ll finally take you…

The price of cruises you see in brochures or on websites is often surprisingly cheap. The advertised prices do not include: Cruise gratuities? A vast subject that I’ll try to untangle. The first thing to know is that most cruise ships use “flags of convenience,” meaning they are registered in countries like Liberia, Panama, the Bahamas, etc., which have a very favorable legal environment, especially regarding labor law. This allows cruise lines, let’s put it bluntly, to exploit many crew members (mostly Filipinos): long hours and meager salaries. On top of the initial cruise price, the companies automatically add a daily amount for gratuities, which supplements the crew’s low wages.…