Rat's Nest Week 46

Hey Rats!!

It's Monday and we're in the throes of spring!! My eyes are itchy, I'm sneezing every 30 minutes, but BOY does that sunlight make it a great time to be alive. Currently alternating between Allegra and Flonase like a pharmacological game of hopscotch.

ANYWAYS- Paige Bueckers went #1 in the WNBA draft last week, which means you'll now find me inexplicably decked out in Dallas Wings gear despite living nowhere near Texas. I loved this summary of the WNBA Draft because it actually explains wtf is going on and gives context for all the chaos (trades! coaches leaving! Sedona Prince drama!). Finally, a women's sports explainer that doesn't treat me like I just emerged from a cryogenic chamber.

• Wild One Harness + Leash set- Miesha’s been rocking this since 2022 and it still looks brand new. Doesn’t twist, dig in her skin, or make her hate me. Big upgrade from the cheap ones.

• Tony’s Chocolonely Toffee Pretzel Bar- Elite texture trifecta: dark chocolate, salty pretzel, and those little chewy bits of toffee that get stuck in your teeth in the most satisfying way. Bonus: they're one of the few chocolate brands committed to a fully child labor-free supply chain (because apparently "no child labor" is still a differentiator in 2025, cool cool cool).

• Clorox Bleach Tabs- I started using these in the toilet tank and haven’t seen the pink ring of death since. I used to scrub weekly, now I basically forget it exists. Two tabs, $6, lasts two months. Domestic bliss.

• Jam of the week- I Punched Through The Wall by quickly, quickly

  • soundcloud | apple music | spotify

• If you've ever held your breath at the pharmacy counter, congrats!! It's not just you. This chart is infuriating enough to make me consider a career in pharmaceutical lobbying.

• 🪵Are Influencer Brands the New Beauty Frontier? From Kendall's tequila to Selena's Rare Beauty to The Rock's... shampoo (?!), celeb brands have been flooding the market for years. Now influencers want in. It's not enough to shill the serum- they want to own the serum (fair enough).

  • Influencing is estimated to be a $32 BILLION annual industry worldwide. How many influencer product lines can actually be done right and stand the test of time? My guess: approximately 1.7% of them. Turning a personal brand into a consumer brand is a lot harder than it seems.

• 📖 While billionaires are launching car-shaped rockets into space, a town in Michigan just formed a human chain to help a bookstore move 9,100 books by hand. Choose your heroes accordingly.

• 🎬 While economists are watching interest rates, I’m watching salon chairs. Turns out “recession blonde” is a thing- women are stretching their highlights longer, opting for low-maintenance color, or ditching the blonde entirely when money’s tight. Hair is expensive!!

Signing off with a box of tissues,

Kate

P.S. If you enjoyed this, send it to your best friend (you send to friend→they sign up→ i send you Rat Girl sticker). If you didn’t, send it to Sedona Prince.

*This newsletter contains a couple affiliate links. That means I might get a tiny kickback if you buy- but I’d recommend these even if I got nothing. These are all things I use and love (or want!!). I’m not selling my soul for $3.