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Default House-Mom Duties? Hard Pass 🧹

But first: the SUV made for family adventures — Check out what we Skimm’d for you today

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August 15, 2026 9:01am EDT

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. The best week of the year is here: my family’s annual Outer Banks vacation — seven days of uninterrupted time with my nieces, infinite beach naps, and all the peel-and-eat spiced shrimp you could want. Also on the agenda?

Following Jennifer Garner’s orders and prepping one of her favorite treats: this brain-freezy Ina Garten drink, which takes minutes to make and can be “dialed from mocktail to packs-a-punch.”
Pondering this absurd sleep accessory, described as a glorified “Grim Reaper’s hood” by an editor who uses it almost every night and swears by its light-pollution-blocking powers. Given the sheer curtains at our rental, it’s growing more appealing by the minute.
Shopping Paris Hilton’s new collab with the designer behind all my kitschy, poofy, Y2K-era party dresses. I owe it to my 17-year-old self to find an occasion for that white bow number.
Contemplating whether this deeply questionable Diet Coke beauty product (hint: not lip balm) is a step too far, even for a Diet Coke Expert™ like me. Friends, I fear the answer is a resounding yes.
Stirring up some good family chaos — courtesy of this Instagram post debating what the perfect dinner order looks like. I’m a B4J and you can’t convince me otherwise.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

Cheesecake Is Good — No-Bake, Scoopable Cheesecake Is Better

theSkimm

Cheesecake is, objectively, the best dessert in existence. It’s also, objectively, one of the most annoying to make. But thanks to the latest in cheesecake technology, it doesn’t have to be. Case in point: Scoopable Cheesecake from Jenna Barnard, author of the upcoming cookbook Simple Sugar. Perfect for days when you wouldn’t dare turn on an oven, this fridge-baked recipe requires zero water baths, zero fussy crust, and zero actual baking. Instead, layers of dense, creamy cheesecake, fresh strawberry sauce, and buttery graham cracker crumbs coalesce into one cool, crowd-pleasing, dangerously easy masterpiece that, as the name implies, is best served by the (ice cream) scoop. No wonder one fan said, “I made it last week and I’m making it again tonight.”

The Time Commitment: About 40 minutes to prepare, plus eight hours (or more) to chill in the fridge.

Key Tips: To shave off roughly 20 minutes of prep, Barnard says you can use canned strawberry pie filling instead. And for the smoothest, silkiest cheesecake base, bring your cream cheese to room temp before mixing.

Other Takes: For other no-bake treats that won’t leave you planted in front of the AC, try…

Key Lime Freeze Bars. These tangy squares are essentially the classic pie’s less needy but equally irresistible cousin — and they taste “like sunshine in a bar.”
Banana Pudding Fluff. Never had the all-American delicacy known as dessert fluff? Imagine the love child of pudding and whipped mousse — loaded with Nilla Wafers and sliced bananas — that requires just five minutes of work.
No-Bake S’mores Icebox Cake. This seven-ingredient showstopper “looks way fancier than it actually is, and it tastes like childhood,” according to one commenter. Sold.

What’s new in food & home:

🍪 You may think you’ve had the best chocolate chip cookies ever. But unless you’ve tried this unexpectedly brilliant ingredient swap, we’d beg to differ.

🫧 Sure, you might have to explain it to your guests, but keeping this small kitchen appliance in your bathroom is the secret to a daily spa experience.

🧑‍🍳 On a kitchen decluttering kick? Admirable. Just don’t toss these items, which are probably more useful or valuable than you think (looking at you, No. 6).

The Seekers of Deer Creek by Thao Thai

theSkimm

Forget a picture being worth a thousand words. What if a painting could unlock decades of family secrets? In Thao Thai’s The Seekers of Deer Creek, straitlaced art conservator Vivi Nguyễn and her sister, Calla, a free-spirited artist, haven’t spoken since their father’s funeral. That all changes a few months later, when Calla shows up at Vivi’s work with two items she found among his belongings: a sketch of Blue Mirror, a piece by a renowned Vietnamese painter, and a mysterious letter written by the artist himself. What follows is a whirlwind journey that takes the sisters across the globe — from eerie Wisconsin woods to a French countryside estate to their ancestral home in Vietnam — in search of the truth about the painting and what it means for their family. We asked Thai a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s your favorite unapologetic indulgence?

Thai: I love a catnap. Give me a breezy afternoon, windows open, not a soul who needs me. That’s my nirvana.

Q: What’s a corner of the internet you recently discovered?

Thai: Nostalgic home videos from the 1990s. Shaky camera angles, saturated color, boxy television sets, printed sofas — the way those scenes make me feel safe and held. I’m teary just thinking about it.

Q: What’s one thing that’s made you 10% happier?

Thai: Saturday Sourdough. I make myself a loaf each week and I look forward to it every morning. (Technically, my family is allowed to partake, but let’s face it: The bread consumption is unilateral.)

PS: The cult-favorite ’90s novel Thai called “very thought-provoking”? Find out here.

Meanwhile, on the internet…

A bad date is rough. What some people are doing about it afterward is rougher. Single ladies, we stand with you.
Pour one out for the Disney Adults, who are mourning what’s been called parks fans’ “weirdest obsession yet.” So much for the happiest place on Earth.
Not everyone was made to be an influencer. See: this Main Pop Girl’s not-exactly-believable skincare routine, which has inspired some even more ridiculous parodies. Oh, golly gee, indeed.

Get them prepped for the new school year with Aeropostale's buy-one-get-one-free denim sale. We'd grab a pair of these cherry-embroidered baggy jeans for ourselves.

We're also ringing in the new school year with fresh new bedding. Brooklinen is taking 20% off select bestsellers and up to 40% off bundles — including the softest-ever sateen sheets.

Keep scrolling...more recs below

Summer doesn’t have to end with a bang — sometimes, it’s the everyday adventures that create the core memories. That’s where the 2026 Jeep_®Grand Wagoneer comes in. It has best-in-class rear cargo volume^† and second-row legroom^‡ so the whole crew (and all their stuff) fits comfortably. The 10.1-inch rear seat entertainment screens keep everyone happy on the road, and the class-exclusive FamCAM™^§ means you never miss a backseat moment. Oh, and 4x4 capability means wherever adventure takes you, the Grand Wagoneer can handle it. So go ahead, make the most of it.*

Jeep and the Jeep grille are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC.

We're finding a lot of nice fall pieces at the Reformation sale, including our all-time favorite cashmere sweater and the cutest plaid top.

Ever seen a vibrator that looks like a piece of home decor? Satisfy your curiosity here.

PS: Want more product recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram.

We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:

Every summer, my friends and I rent a house together — and every year, I become the default cook and housekeeper. How do I set that straight at the start of the trip without killing the vibe?

“Even if your friends are used to the status quo, they’ll likely be glad you spoke up in advance — which gives everyone time to make a new plan. If you’re nervous about raising it, try the ‘sandwich rule’: [lead with something positive], address the issue, [and close on a high note]. You might say: ‘I’m so excited for our trip. I’ve been happy to clean and cook in the past, but I’d love more downtime this year, so let’s figure out how to divide things before we get there. We’re going to have so much fun.’ By addressing the issue in advance, you won’t have to worry about killing the vibe. And friends who really care about you will be happy to share the load.”