Parents are crashing performance reviews, AI is playing scientist, and we're all going back to Stars Hollow

Helicopter parents are showing up at their kids’ offices, AI is being used to make viruses (hate it), and I found the perfect layering piece that makes any outfit chic.

Let's get into it.

Parents are now co-piloting their kids' careers, and HR is not okay

Turns out Gen Z isn't just bringing emotional support water bottles to the office, they're bringing their parents. A new Wall Street Journal report found parents are calling recruiters, sitting in on interviews, negotiating salaries, and even phoning in sick for their adult children. Yikes. And if you’re thinking this must be an isolated incident, just know that more than half the HR pros at a recent SHRM conference said they've dealt with it firsthand. I get wanting to protect your kid (let’s be honest, this job market is brutal), but if your mom is blowing up my inbox about your PTO balance, we have a big problem.

AI is out here designing brand-new viruses, and all I have to say is “why?”

So, this is unsettling: Scientists have used an AI program called Evo to invent 16 viruses that have never existed in nature. And the scientists behind it are already saying the quiet part out loud by pondering if this technology could be used to create a bioweapon, a truly terrifying thought. But before you go into full doomsday mode: these 16 can currently only infect E. coli, and researchers say the tech could genuinely help fight drug-resistant bacteria and genetic diseases someday. That said, "AI can now write new life forms from scratch" is exactly the kind of headline that makes me want to close my laptop and go touch grass.

Grab your coffee, we're headed back to Stars Hollow

If you’re still pondering the phrase “Oy with the poodles already,” I have good news for you: HBO Max just confirmed the first-ever authorized "Gilmore Girls" documentary. That means it will include interviews with creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino plus Lauren Graham, and promises never-before-seen outtakes and script pages. There’s still no set date for a release, so we’ll just have to do a full series rewatch while we wait. Coffee IV drip and flannel are optional, but encouraged.

Woke up Friday in Wisconsin for a wedding, my first one back since becoming a wife myself. It all felt very full circle (and also made me cry before the ceremony even started). The dress code was Colorful Black Tie and I am begging every couple getting married from now on to do this, because, I mean, how cute are we? Also snuck in a celebration for my husband's birthday by playing Monopoly Deal at 2am post-after party. We are so back, baby! But also I need a nap.

Is it a shirt? Is it a jacket? Whatever you want to call it, it’s incredibly chic. Technically, it’s called an “overshirt” (a shirt to cover my shirt? Very fancy, I know). My stylist put me onto it right before my honeymoon, and it is officially my most-worn piece of the entire summer. It's the lightest, breeziest layer that is somehow both structured and relaxed. It’s the kind of piece you can break out for pretty much any occasion to make you look put together and laid back all at once.

We're closing in on Labor Day, which means Q4 planning is about to sneak up on everyone whether we're ready or not. It might be tempting to let this be an October problem, but there are a few ways you can work within your current calendar to get ahead slowly but surely. Future you will appreciate the forward thinking, especially as holiday season and the new year start to loom.

Block off 20 minutes this week to skim your calendar from now through the end of the year and flag anything that needs prep work. I’m talking reviews, offsites, big meetings, time-sensitive initiatives, or that one project you’ve been pushing off all year.

Once you have your list, set a recurring 30-minute block once a week to chip away at the necessary prep work for each priority. This helps get you in the habit of making steady progress so you’re ahead by the time things get busy.

If you’re also worried about protecting your peace once the end-of-year madness hits, those recurring 30-minute blocks can become your built-in moment of zen (or scrolling on Instagram, no judgement) as you get into the thick of Q4 craziness.

Once your October through December schedule looks set, scroll back to August and September and see if there is any additional time off you can squeeze into the calendar. Summer has flown by, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break out the out-of-office message one last time.

Thanks for reading!