How to Skimm Your Life Read online

  Copyright © 2019 by The Skimm, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  BALLANTINE and the HOUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

  Names: Skimm, Inc., issuing body.

  Title: How to Skimm your life / The Skimm, Inc.

  Description: New York: Ballantine Books, [2019]

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019003777| ISBN 9781984820808 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781984820815 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Women—Life skills guides.

  Classification: LCC HQ1221 .H79 2019 | DDC 305.4—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/​2019003777

  Ebook ISBN 9781984820815

  randomhousebooks.com

  Designed by theSkimm, adapted for ebook

  Cover design: The SKIMM

  v5.4

  ep

  CONTENTS

  Intro

  Skimm Life

  Things That Make You Feel Fancy: theSkimm on Wine and Food

  Things That Need a Deep Breath: theSkimm on De-Stressing

  Things Ready for Takeoff: theSkimm on Travel

  Things Mother Nature Likes: theSkimm on Going Green

  Skimm MBA

  Things You Stalk: theSkimm on Networking

  Things You Brag About: theSkimm on Your Resume

  Things That Make You Sweat: theSkimm on Interviewing

  Things That Need Talking Out: theSkimm on Negotiating

  Things That Help You Own It: theSkimm on Career Pep Talks

  Things That Are Ticking: theSkimm on Time Management

  Skimm Money

  Things That Save Money: theSkimm onBudgeting and Savings

  Things That Make You Money: theSkimm on Investing

  Things That Are Tedious: theSkimm on Taxes

  Things No One Really Understands: theSkimm on Health Insurance

  Things with a Reputation: theSkimm on Credit

  Things That Are Yours: theSkimm on Leasing and Ownership

  Skimm The World

  Things That Make the World Go Round: theSkimm on Geopolitics

  Things with an Org Chart: theSkimm on US Government

  Things That Effect Change: theSkimm on Civic Engagement

  Skimm’tionary

  INTRO

  We started theSkimm’s adventure seven years ago. We had a lot of ambition, dwindling savings accounts, and two laptops that wouldn’t 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 book’s journey really began four years ago. We didn’t know what to read one Memorial Day weekend, and we decided that our Skimm’rs 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, we’ve 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, we’re focusing on the next chapter of theSkimm’s story. See what we did there?

  theSkimm is a membership for living smarter. Already a trusted resource for news, we’re 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 don’t 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 you’ll end up starting a business together…

  This book has been a dream of ours, and of our team’s, for a long time. We can’t thank you enough for your support, and we’re so excited to share this with you.

  Happy Skimm’ng,

  Carly & Danielle

  A lot of people say “having it all” is a thing. It’s 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 don’t speak sommelier (unless you actually are one. Hi, somm). It’s hard to go from “I’ll 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 rosé-colored glasses. And slowly. Here are a few steps you should take when sipping your vino.

  For when you’re figuring out where to start…

  Color yourself ready. First, check out the wine’s color. The color of a wine comes from contact with the grape skins after the grapes have been juiced. The longer the wine’s 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 you’re wondering which glass to use…

  If you’re tasting red wine, you’ll 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 isn’t just to look pretentious, although that’s a potential side effect. It’s to get more oxygen into the wine. Oxygen is like wine’s therapist—it helps it open up and show its true characteristics.

  For when it’s time to taste…

  Resist big gulps. The pinkies-out way to taste wine is to let it aspirate. Here’s how it works: Roll a sip of wine over your tongue and then suck on it as if you’re sucking through a straw. This lets oxygen into the w
ine and brings out its flavors more. Warning: It may make you look like a fish.

  For when you’re hot then you’re cold…

  The temp of your wine should depend on what’s in your glass.

  Thing to know

  Paper towel trick. If your wine’s too warm, wrap a wet paper towel around it and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Ready, set, instant crisp.

  Champagnes, sparkling wines, and dessert wines are best at 40 degrees*.

  Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio can get a bit more heated at 45 to 48 degrees.

  Chardonnay and Chablis should be poured out at 48 to 52 degrees. Then reds can get warmer.

  Pinot Noir is best at 60 to 64 degrees. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah: 64 to 66 degrees.

  So remember: Bubbly is the most chilled, and the darker the wine the warmer it can get. Red hot.

  How do I characterize my wine?

  There are a few different categories you should know when talking about the wine in your glass. These include body, tannins, acidity, oak, and variety.

  Talking body

  Body refers to the way a wine feels in your mouth. This is in direct relation to how much alcohol is in a wine. A light-bodied wine (think: Riesling) is less than 12.5 percent alcohol and will taste light and crisp. A medium-bodied wine (think: rosé) is between 12.5 and 13.5 percent and will have a liiittle more oomph. And a full-bodied or heavy wine (think: Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec) is over 13.5 percent alcohol and will feel more complex and full. It will also make you feel tipsy a little faster, but you’ll probably drink it more slowly. Because full-bodied.

  Are you tannin or are you out?

  You’ve heard the word tannin. You might know what it means, or you might pretend to know. No judgment. Tannins are compounds found inside grape skins, seeds, and stems. They’re released when the grape skins, seeds, and stems take a dip in the grape juice post-press. So a wine that’s soaked with those things longer will be more tannic. Red wines are higher in tannins than whites. They leave your mouth feeling dry and kinda like you just had dark chocolate or black tea. Many winemakers like tannins because they work as a natural antioxidant to protect the wine. This is a big reason why red wine ages better than white. And why highly tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon develop like Jane Fonda: Better. Every. Year.

  Kool-Aid acidity test

  Here we’re talking about a wine’s acidity, aka when life (wine) gives you lemons. Acidity is that citrusy taste that’s formal-speak for words like crisp, brisk, fresh, or bright. Even wines that you don’t think of as citrusy, like heavy reds, have some acidity. It’s what gives a wine its lift. A wine sans acidity tastes flat or flabby. Yes, flabby is a way you can describe wine.

  Sow your wild oak

  An oaky wine means a wine was aged in an oak barrel or became oaky through fermentation. Brand-new barrels give off the most oak flavors, while a used barrel lends texture and softens or rounds out the vino.

  The variety show

  Variety is a noun that refers to the grape used to make the wine (for example, Chardonnay, Syrah, etc.) while varietal is an adjective that describes the wine made using grape varieties. So a Merlot varietal wine could be made up of 75 percent Merlot grapes, meaning Merlot is the dominant grape variety.

  How do I know when my wine’s gone bad?

  First clue: You won’t want to keep drinking it. Here are a few things to know about wine that’s past its prime.

  For when your wine is corked…

  Psst…this doesn’t mean there are tiny cork pieces floating in it. It also doesn’t mean that your wine’s simply expired. It usually means your wine’s become contaminated with “cork taint.” Translation: Cork taint is when the natural fungi in a cork (sorry for using the word fungi) interacts with certain chlorides that are used to sanitize corks. So if a winery uses these types of corks, your wine may become corked. A corked wine smells like soggy cardboard. Pass.

  For when your wine smells like vinegar…

  This happens when a type of acid in red wine (acetic acid) interacts with oxygen for too long. Your red will look brownish and smell-slash-taste like vinegar. Pour it out, pour it out…into the sink.

  For when your wine smells burnt…

  Surprise, it’s oxidized. When a wine is exposed to oxygen, it’s a good thing at first. But too much of a good thing can make a wine go bad, like a piece of fruit sitting on the counter for too long.

  For when you want to know how long your wine keeps after opening it…

  Sparkling wine

  One to three days in the fridge.

  Once you pop, the fun does, eventually, stop.

  Light white and rosé

  Up to a week in the fridge.

  Full-bodied white: Three to five days in the fridge. Full-bodied whites like Chardonnay oxidize faster because they are exposed to more oxygen in the winemaking process before bottling.

  Red wine

  Three to five days in a cool, dark spot.

  The more tannins in a red (that is, the darker and heavier it is) the longer it will keep. So a Cab will keep for a few days longer than a Pinot Noir.

  Before opening wine, it’s best to keep it cool. If it’s white, store it in your fridge. If it’s a red, keep it in a cool area of your house or apartment. And if the wine has a cork, it’s best to store it on its side. It keeps the wine up against the cork so the cork doesn’t dry out.

  How should I shop for wine?

  First, read the label. This should include the varietal, region, producer, and alcohol percentage. Sometimes it will shout out the vineyard, estate, reserve, tasting notes, history, or quality level.

  For when you can’t pronounce anything on the label…

  That’s old news. As in, you’re probably dealing with an Old World wine. This may read something like “2009 Château Moulin de Grenet Lussac Saint-Émilion.” It’s harder to decipher what you’ll actually be drinking because the label doesn’t mention the wine variety. You have to infer which type of grape comes from the listed region. Enter: Google. In this case, the answer is Merlot.

  For when there’s a twist top and a colorful label…

  Got that new new. New World wine labels have both the region and grape variety listed. They might read something like “Cakebread Cellars 2006 Merlot, Napa Valley.” This is like the wine that texts you back immediately. You never have to wonder what it really meant.

  How should I order wine in a restaurant?

  Don’t panic if you get a huge list. Check to see if there’s a “sommelier’s list,” which is often made up of the expert’s faves, value wines, and unique picks. Also, be wary of ordering a glass vs. a bottle (unless you’re solo or really just want one glass). Glasses often have the highest markups, and restaurants don’t always store these wines as well. Also be wary of ordering the second cheapest bottle on the menu. A lot of people do this, so restaurants will sometimes put a bottle they’re looking to get rid of in that position. You’re often better off just going for the cheapest bottle.

  How should I pick wine? What should I pair it with?

  Spoiler: Some of the rules you think you know (fish needs white; meat needs red) aren’t always true. Here’s a rundown of how some of the most popular wines taste and what you should pair them with. These go from light to dark.

  Sauvignon Blanc

  The fruit salad of wines. It’s widely planted in France, especially in the Loire Valley. The taste is tart and kind of like an acid party (as in acidity).

  Drink it if you like…

  grapefruit, mint, passion fruit, lemon.

  Pair it with…

  tangy foods—like scallops with grapefruit. The secret’s in the sauce. If you have meat in a lemon beurre blanc sauce or light white wine sauce, it will go well with a Sauvignon Blanc. Nutty cheeses like Gruyère are also this wine’s PIC.

  If you like it, you’ll also li
ke…

  Vermentino (from Italy; more bitter) and Grüner Veltliner (from Austria, with more savory vegetable notes—arugula, turnip, white pepper).

  Pinot Grigio

  The lemonade stand of wines. This one’s the most citrusy of this group and very light. It’s planted a lot in Italy. Say ciao to a summer day’s heavy pour.