Skimm - How to Skimm Your Life

We started theSkimms adventure seven years ago. We had a lot of ambition, dwindling savings accounts, and two laptops that wouldnt hold a charge. As we grew the business through the years, we often found ourselves asking, Did everyone else take a class on how to do life? Did I miss that day?

This books journey really began four years ago. We didnt know what to read one Memorial Day weekend, and we decided that our Skimmrs could probably relate. So we started a section in the Daily Skimm email newsletter called Skimm Reads, where we recommended a book we thought our audience might want to have for the long weekend. Our audience liked it, so we recommended another one the next week. And it caught on.

For a few years now, weve been approached about creating a print version of what theSkimm does every day. But start-up rule number one is focus, so we never felt like the timing was quite right.

Now, were focusing on the next chapter of theSkimms story. See what we did there?

theSkimm is a membership for living smarter. Already a trusted resource for news, were ready to take on more. We want to help you navigate the noteworthy moments in your lives, not just in your days. We want to take all of the daunting, cumbersome, and, frankly, unsexy parts of being an adult, and break them down the same way we break down a complicated news story.

Meet How to Skimm Your Life.

This book is the embodiment of our mission, and covers it all: personal finance, career, stress management, global politics, civic engagement, and more.

We built How to Skimm Your Life for you. It is our sincere hope that when you close the back cover, you will feel empowered to make a decision or take an action you might not have before. That you feel like you dont need to second-guess yourself, call your parents, phone a friend, or put the decision off until tomorrow.

We hope that you use it as a reference tool, and turn to it time and time again as you navigate the big moments in your life.

We hope it becomes a fixture on your coffee table or on your desk (or even by your couch).

We hope that you share it with a friend. You never know when youll end up starting a business together

This book has been a dream of ours, and of our teams, for a long time. We cant thank you enough for your support, and were so excited to share this with you.

Happy Skimmng,

Carly & Danielle

A lot of people say having it all is a thing. Its not (except in relation to a buffet). But there are ways to make it easier to manage it all.

Skimm Life covers things that will help you stay on top of your life outside work. That includes sleeping, feeling balanced, drinking a glass of wine to unwind, getting OOO, and more.

Things That Make You Feel Fancy

theSkimm on Wine and Food

Wine is good.

Wine is grape. And de-stressing with a glass is a pastime we recommend. But you probably dont speak sommelier (unless you actually are one. Hi, somm). Its hard to go from Ill take the second least expensive bottle, thx to knowing WTF you actually like. Things get even more complicated when you try to play matchmaker. Which foods go well with this vino? Will I ruin my fish with a heavy red? Am I actually partial to the softer California grape? So many questions. So many answers to pour out.

How is wine made?

With a lot of TLC. Wine is basically fermented grape juice. Grapes are de-stemmed and crushed. Then yeast does its part. Yeast is a fungus (stick with us) that can convert sugar into alcohol. This is called fermentation . Yeast ferments the grapes; then this juice is aged to soften the taste and bring out more complex flavors.

How should I taste my wine?

With ros-colored glasses. And slowly. Here are a few steps you should take when sipping your vino.

For when youre figuring out where to start

Color yourself ready. First, check out the wines color. The color of a wine comes from contact with the grape skins after the grapes have been juiced. The longer the wines in contact with the skins, the richer the taste and the deeper the color. Brings new meaning to skin in the game. So its color will give you clues to its taste.

For when youre wondering which glass to use

If youre tasting red wine, youll have a glass with a wider mouth. Since the flavors are bolder it needs more space to let those aromas mingle and come out to play.

For when you want to look the part

You go swirl. Swirl the wine around in its glass. No, this isnt just to look pretentious, although thats a potential side effect. Its to get more oxygen into the wine. Oxygen is like wines therapistit helps it open up and show its true characteristics.

For when its time to taste