Daily Skimm Weekend

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. I’m headed to the Azores, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t wait until the night before to pack. Here’s what’s making the cut:

• If you also look horrific in drop-waist dresses, good news: Cool Girls have crowned this understated, universally flattering ’60s style the unofficial uniform for summer. My short torso has never been so happy.

• I have a red-eye flight in economy, which is the perfect opportunity to try this absurd travel accessory. Yes, it looks like a “glorified tube top,” but a Washington Post reporter promised it’s the secret to actually getting sleep. Even while pregnant. 

• My white sneakers deserve a break. Thankfully, this unexpected color is taking over — and it’s somehow more versatile and more forgiving.

• Refuse to spend another summer smelling like Off!? Let me fill you in on a secret: Bug spray has gone bougie. Like, so bougie I’m genuinely excited to apply it. 

• The second I discovered the statement-making power of this underrated beach bag staple, I ditched my ratty camp one and bought the last on this list. Already feeling 10 times closer to faking European chic.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

This Easy Blueberry Fritter Bread Had One Fan Ready to “Jump Thru My Phone”

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In theory, blueberry recipes are best saved for peak blueberry season. In reality? One pint of plump, farm-fresh bloobs, and our inner Violet Beauregarde is unleashed. That’s why, starting this weekend, we’ll have Broma Bakery’s Blueberry Fritter Bread on repeat. Basically a blueberry fritter in the form of a low-effort loaf cake, this recipe combines bursts of juicy blueberries, a buttery vanilla crumb, cinnamon brown sugar swirls, and a crackly top that’s drizzled with a sweet glaze while it’s still warm (a bonus if you don’t have the patience to let things cool completely). Call it breakfast. Call it dessert. Either way, it tastes even better the next day. That is, if it lasts that long.

The Time Commitment: An hour and a half — but it bakes in the oven for about two-thirds of that.

Key Tips: While Sarah Fennel (aka Broma Bakery) recommends using fresh berries, frozen will work too — just don’t thaw them first. And to avoid overmixing the batter, she says to stop “as soon as there are no large streaks of flour left.”

Other Takes: Went too hard on blueberries? It happens. In that case, try…

• Blueberry Spoon Cake. The love child of a cornmeal cake and blueberry cobbler, this seriously simple dessert has a jammy, pudding-like center — which is why it’s best to eat the whole thing with a spoon.

• Cinnamon Sugar Blueberry Crumb Bars. Everything you love about blueberry pie — the gloriously gooey filling, the shortbread-esque crust — with significantly less fuss. Serve with vanilla ice cream, by law. 

• Blueberry Muffin Cookies. Is it a muffin? Is it a cookie? Honestly, who cares. As the creator puts it, “you’ve landed in blueberry paradise and you’re going to love every single bite.”

The Revelation of Dionne Daphne by Mara Brock Akil

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For everyone who believes Girlfriends > Sex and the City: Mara Brock Akil is back — but this time, with a novel. Set in ’90s NYC, The Revelation of Dionne Daphne follows a magazine editor who seems to have everything going for her — the glamorous job, the handsome boyfriend, the promise of a future together — until her hopes for a proposal end with a breakup. Six months later, Dionne’s now ex-boyfriend shows up on her doorstep with a life-threatening revelation that blows what’s left of her world apart. Cue an impromptu road trip with a stranger to dig into the darkest parts of her past and find a way forward — in what Lena Waithe called “a propulsive, poignant, and emotionally enthralling novel.”

This Is the Happiest Beach In America — And It's Easy to See Why

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Plot twist: The happiest beach in America doesn’t have endless rows of cabanas, crystal-clear water, or year-round temps in the 80s. Instead, it’s in the misty, magical Pacific Northwest — Oregon’s Cannon Beach, to be exact. Roughly 90 minutes from Portland, the stunning stretch of coastline is known for spectacularly rocky coves and shores, lush forests, an abundance of wildlife (hello, puffins), and a quaint downtown that punches above its weight. Think: vibrant boutiques and art galleries, quintessential PNW coffee shops, oceanfront hotels with postcard-worthy views (stay at Surfsand Resort), and seafood that actually tastes like the ocean. So, yeah, if you hit snooze on Cannon Beach, that’s on you.

🌊 We’re not usually sticklers for rules, but you can’t go to Cannon Beach without seeing its claim to fame — specifically, Haystack Rock. The towering monolith (you might recognize it from The Goonies) is best visited at low tide, when you can walk right up and check out the colorful tidepools teeming with sea life. And that’s just the start: Nearby Oswald West State Park boasts a dense rainforest and two dramatic headlands, while Ecola State Park offers miles of hiking trails, surfer-friendly waves at Indian Beach, and picture-perfect views of the “Terrible Tilly” lighthouse.

👟 Cannon Beach may be tiny, but it’s big on charm. Experience the city’s creative side with a 1.5-mile public-art walking tour (don’t miss the Lewis and Clark-inspired bronze whale), followed by some gallery hopping. Standouts include: Northwest by Northwest Gallery, popular for its collection of pieces from — you guessed it — Northwest artists; White Bird Gallery, a cornerstone of Cannon Beach’s art scene for over 50 years; and Icefire Glassworks for sculptures, plates, and handblown vases. As you wander, pop into some of the city’s cute shops, like Antler + Alder (expect coastal-chic pottery, candles, and home decor) and Bruce’s Candy Kitchen (the saltwater taffy is made on-site and is ridiculously good). 

🍴 The Oregon Coast is famous for its freshly caught oysters, razor clams, and Dungeness crabs — so consider a stop at Ecola Seafoods to be basically mandatory (order the crab dinner). For something more upscale, make a reservation at Anna’s Table, a buzzy sea-to-plate spot serving halibut cheeks, hearty seafood stew, and Manila clam linguine. Finally, if you want to sample the coast’s best brews while snacking on life-changing fried soft pretzels, Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House has you covered. Yes, it’s also a hardware store. No, we’re not kidding.

Good news for your weekend (and everyone’s sanity): Bluey's limited-time takeover of Apple Arcade is still going strong — and there's plenty of playtime left. The Emmy award-winning series is living inside five fan-favorite games right now: dodge gnomes and yoga balls in Crossy Road Castle, match fruits in Suika Game+, color Bluey pages in Disney Coloring World+, and solve puzzles in puffies. Play solo or team up — no ads or in-app purchases. That’s what we call a cheeky win, Mum.*

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

I hosted friends, and one brought her young daughter, who was incredibly rude when her mom wasn’t around. I didn’t feel right stepping in, but I also didn’t want to say something to her mom and have it taken the wrong way. How should I have handled it?

“Many people will say you should never reprimand someone else’s child, and I mostly agree — I wouldn’t ‘discipline’ or give a big lecture to a friend’s kid. But there’s a difference between reprimanding and redirecting. As a mom of four, I’d have no problem with a friend saying something brief to one of my kids, like: ‘We use kinder words here’ — especially in her own home. Of course, you want to be careful not to misread the situation or redirect the wrong way, which your friend might resent. But saying something brief in the moment will probably do less damage to your friendship than stewing silently. Bottom line: your house, your rules.”

Skimm’d by: Julia Reinstein and Melissa Goldberg. Fact-checked by Jordan Mamone.