Summer is officially here, and this issue has everything you need: a TikTok food trend find out if it’s worth trying, sandal-ready foot care, two no-fuss recipes (one of them never touches your oven), travel apps that actually earn a spot on your phone, and a full nostalgia trip back to the summer of 1982 — books, music, and movies. Let's get into it.

You've probably noticed it. Your niece is bugging you to go to the store and buy some sardines. She’s now posting TikToks of herself eating sardines straight from a tin. Your gym friend won't stop talking about omega-3s. And suddenly the canned fish aisle at Whole Foods looks like a boutique. There are sardine tins that look like a work of art.

Welcome to Sardine Girl Summer — yes, that's the actual name.

The trend started on TikTok and has snowballed from a niche health-food moment into a full-blown wellness movement, with Gen Z claiming that sardines are basically “eating your skincare.” Clearer skin. More protein. Weight loss. Better heart health. They're not entirely wrong. Nutrition and skin care go hand in hand.

My husband and I decided to give the sardine trend a try. We always have sardines on hand at home and eat them periodically. With the trend you consume only sardines for 5 days. Now that is a little extreme for us, but we were down to have them for lunch everyday for 5 days. Our personal goal was to help the body to reduce inflammation and increase energy. We ate them right out of the can, he had the whole sardines, and for me I had the boneless and skinless. Not because I minded eating the bones, which are brimming with calcium, but he really wanted the whole fish, whereas the the other cans only had the fillets, and this is what we had on hand. I think we had the large packs from Costco and Sam’s Club. I have to be honest, it was one of the easiest lunches ever! Just pop open the can and drain the oil into the trash can. I thought that they would get a little heavy after a couple of days of eating them for lunch. But they were actually not oily. We accompanied the sardines with a vegetable assortment of cucumbers, carrots, celery and grape tomatoes. We also had saltines and delicious almond flour crackers.

The end result of our experiment was that it helped improve our energy levels, reduce joint achiness and help to reduce some allergy symptoms. So it was a win-win for both of us.

Here's what the science actually says:

Sardines are genuinely impressive. A 3-ounce serving delivers about 2,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) — more than most fish oil supplements. They're loaded with protein to support muscle mass, Vitamin B12 for brain health and energy, and calcium (because you eat the soft bones). They're also low in mercury compared to larger fish, since they're small and low on the food chain. Research published in 2023 found that eating whole sardines was more beneficial for heart health than taking fish oil supplements — the combination of nutrients in the whole fish fights inflammation better together.

But here's the GenX reality check:

Nobody is telling you to eat only sardines or go on a sardine fast (yes, that's a thing some TikTokers are doing, and no, doctors don't recommend it). A restrictive sardine-only diet can lead to nutritional imbalances. The smarter play? Add them to your rotation. Toss them on a salad, mash them with avocado on toast, stir them into pasta, or eat them straight from the tin if you're feeling bold.

And yes, they can be an acquired taste. High sodium is a real concern for some, and they can trigger reflux in others. If you've got a sensitive stomach, start slow.

The bottom line: Sardines are a cheap, nutrient-dense, and legitimately good for you food source. You can post about it if you want. But just eat them.

DISCLAIMER: HSL is not a medical journal, and we are not giving medical guidance. Don't replace actual medical advice with something see on TikTok. Always talk to your doctor before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, or kidney issues.

Let's talk about something nobody wants to admit: our feet took a beating over winter. Dry heels. Stubborn calluses. That rough patch on the ball of your foot that's been there since 2020. Sandal season is here, and it's time to deal with it.

The good news: You don't need a $90 salon pedicure every two weeks to keep your feet looking their best. With a few of the right products and a consistent routine, you can maintain gorgeous feet at home.

The 3-step approach dermatologists recommend:

Step 1 — Physical Exfoliation (Remove the Dry Skin and Calluses)

Start with a small rectangle tube (you can get one from Amazon or Dollar Tree), fill with warm water and put a little epsom salts into the water, I use a small handful, sprinkle a few drops of essential oils, whatever you have on hand or prefer. Get a few towels to dry your feet and put down on the floor so you can clean up easily. Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes.

Then with a foot file or pumice stone to physically buff away hardened skin. Dermatologists suggest using a stainless steel foot file rather than keeping a pumice stone in the shower — pumice is porous and can harbor bacteria and fungus over time.

Recommended products:

Use these on dry feet or slightly damp feet — not soaking wet, which can cause you to over-file.

Step 2 — Chemical Exfoliation (The Game-Changer)

This is where things get interesting. Baby Foot Exfoliant Peel is the cult product that's been around for years for good reason. You put on the little plastic booties filled with fruit acid gel, wait an hour, and then spend the next week peeling like a lizard shedding its skin. Sounds alarming. Works brilliantly.

Recommended products:

Step 3 — Hydration (Lock It In)

Dry feet crack. Cracked feet can actually get infected, especially around the heel and big toe joint. Daily moisturizing is non-negotiable, just do it daily.

Recommended products:

The podiatrist's reminder:

If your callus keeps coming back in the same spot, address why, it's almost always friction from footwear. A gel cushion insert or a different shoe fit makes a bigger difference than any product.

DISCLAIMER: We love a good foot care recommendation, but for more information talk to your podiatrist for medical advice. If you have diabetes, circulatory issues, or an infection on your foot, please see a medical professional rather than raiding the foot care aisle at CVS.

Summer cooking should be simple. No heating up the kitchen, no fuss, no fifteen ingredients you have to track down at three different stores.

Here are two recipes, one lunch, one dinner, that deliver real flavor without any real effort.

Serves 2 | ~380 calories per serving | Ready in 10 minutes

This is your new summer lunch. It's filling, protein-packed, tastes like something from a café in Santorini, and requires zero cooking.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Serve over a handful of arugula for extra volume and a slight peppery bite.

Serves 4 | ~420 calories per serving | Prep 10 min, cook 4-5 hours on low

No oven. No standing over a hot stove. No heating up the entire house in the summer heat. This one is truely a dump-and-go recipe: just toss everything in the slow cooker in the morning, leave it alone, and come back to dinner that tastes like you put in real effort.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Note: If your slow cooker runs hot, check at the 4-hour mark. If you're not home to add the green beans at the 30-minute mark, you can also just steam them separately on the stovetop for 5 minutes right before serving — still zero oven required.

Produce:

Cherry tomatoes (2 pints), English cucumber (1), red onion (1), fresh lemon (5), small yellow or red potatoes (1.5 lbs), fresh green beans (12 oz), fresh herbs (parsley/basil), garlic (1 head), arugula (1 bag, optional)

Protein:

Solid white albacore tuna in water (2 cans, 5 oz each), boneless skinless chicken thighs (4, about 6 oz each)

Pantry:

Cannellini beans (1 can, 15 oz), kalamata olives (small jar), capers (small jar), good olive oil, low-sodium chicken broth (1 cup), dried oregano, dried dill (optional), red pepper flakes, feta cheese (optional, for topping)

DISCLAIMER: Calorie counts are estimates based on standard ingredient measurements and are provided for general reference only. If you have specific dietary needs or health conditions, please consult a health care professional.

Summer travel is back in full swing, and the good news is that your phone is now basically a full-service travel agency, minus the hold music. Whether you're doing a road trip, a beach week, or finally taking that international trip you've been talking about since 2019, these are the apps worth having.

TripIt — The gold standard for organizing bookings. Forward your confirmation emails and TripIt auto-builds a master itinerary: flights, hotels, car rentals, restaurants. Especially handy when you're managing multiple legs of a trip. Free tier works well; Pro version adds real-time flight alerts.

Wanderlog — If you're a visual planner, this one's for you. It maps out your route day by day, lets you drag and drop stops between days, tracks your budget, and you can share the plan with everyone traveling with you. Works offline once downloaded, which is crucial.

Stippl — The newer AI-powered contender. Describe your trip and it builds a day-by-day itinerary in minutes, with a built-in packing list, budget tracker, and expense splitter. The free tier covers everything most people need.

PackPoint — Never forget your travel adapter again. Input your destination, dates, activities planned, and it generates a custom packing list based on weather and what you're doing. Connects with TripIt to pull from your existing itinerary.

For Getting Around

Google Maps — Still the king. Download your destination's maps offline before you leave so you're not dependent on signal. The “Explore” tab for finding restaurants and things to do has gotten genuinely useful.

Rome2rio — Underrated. Shows you every possible way to get between two points — plane, train, bus, ferry, car — with estimated costs. Invaluable for international travel or anywhere you're not sure of your transport options.

Hopper — Predicts whether flight prices are likely to go up or down and recommends when to buy. Works for hotels too. Set a price watch and let it do the stalking for you.

Google Flights — The most transparent flight search tool. Shows you a price calendar so you can instantly see if flying Thursday instead of Friday saves you $180. It often does.

Wise — If you're traveling internationally, this is essential. Transfer money, hold multiple currencies, and pay with the card at the real exchange rate with minimal fees. Far better than airport exchange kiosks or your bank's foreign transaction fees.

The honest truth: You don't need all of these. For most trips, TripIt + Google Maps + Hopper is a complete stack. Add Wise if you're leaving the country. Add Wanderlog if you're a planner who likes to visualize the route.

What were you reading that summer? Be honest.

Let's be real. In the summer of 1982, most of us were NOT curled up with a spy thriller by Robert Ludlum. We were teenagers. We were reading things our mothers would have confiscated if they'd known what was actually in them.

Here's what was actually in our beach bags:

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews — If you were a teenage girl in the early '80s, you read this. You probably read it twice. You hid it under your mattress. Published in 1979 but still passing from hand to hand in 1982, this gothic tale of children locked in an attic by their scheming mother was twisted, addictive, and absolutely not appropriate for us. We didn't care. By 1982, V.C. Andrews had also released My Sweet Audrina, which was somehow even darker. We read that too.

Forever by Judy Blume — The book that every girl whispered about and every school tried to ban. The one with the actual sex scene. If you read it, you know exactly which page. Don't pretend you don't.

Mistral's Daughter by Judith Krantz — Okay, so maybe we had graduated slightly from pure teen fare by then, but Judith Krantz was THE author for women who wanted glamour, drama, fashion, and men behaving badly across multiple continents. Mistral's Daughter came out in 1982 and it was a phenomenon — a sweeping saga of a Paris artist's model and three generations of beautiful, complicated women. Krantz had already given us Scruples and Princess Daisy, and we trusted her completely. It later became a CBS miniseries with Timothy Dalton.

Sweet Dreams Romance Series — Before Sweet Valley High launched in 1983, the Sweet Dreams paperbacks were the gateway drug. P.S. I Love You, The Popularity Plan, Laurie's Song — each one a slim, pastel-covered promise of first kisses and heartbreak. We read them in an afternoon and immediately started the next one.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton — She wrote it at 16. We read it at 15. The film version came out in 1983 with half of young Hollywood in it, but in 1982 the book was the thing — dog-eared copies circulating through every middle and high school in America.

What were YOU reading that summer? Reply to this email and tell us. No judgment.

The Playlist: Summer of '82 — 18 Songs for Your Spotify

The summer of 1982 was a remarkable musical moment. Joan Jett was the queen. The Human League was everywhere. Survivor had everyone pumping their fists. And somehow Steve Miller Band's “Abracadabra” was on every radio in the country.

Here are 18 songs that define that summer. Add them to a Spotify playlist and thank us later.

The Summer of '82 — Your Spotify Playlist

To build this playlist on Spotify: Open Spotify → Your Library → + New Playlist → name it “Summer of '82” → search each song and add. Takes about 5 minutes. Worth every second.

DISCLAIMER: HSL is not responsible for any sudden urge to put on leg warmers, tease your hair, after listening to “Open Arms” four times in a row. We warned you.

THROWBACK — MOVIES

Here's something wild: the summer of 1982 is widely considered one of the greatest movie seasons in Hollywood history. Nearly every film that came out became a classic. We all still go back and watch these films now. Not only for nostalgia, but they were truly some of the best films.

The biggest box office hits of the year, ranked:

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — $359 million. Released June 11, 1982, and it crushed everything. The highest-grossing film of the 1980s. If you haven't watched this with your kids or grandkids, it's overdue. Bring tissues.

2. Tootsie — Dustin Hoffman pretending to be a woman to get an acting job. It's funnier and smarter than it sounds, and it holds up better than you'd expect for a 1982 comedy. Meryl Streep is in it, obviously.

3. An Officer and a Gentleman — Richard Gere. Debra Winger. That ending. If you haven't seen this in 20 years, go back. The soundtrack alone earns it a rewatch.

4. Rocky III — Mr. T. Hulk Hogan. Survivor's “Eye of the Tiger” written specifically for this film. Absolutely unhinged in the best way.

5. Poltergeist — “They're heeere.” Steven Spielberg produced it, Tobe Hooper directed it. Still creepy.

6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan — The Trekkies will tell you this is the best Star Trek film ever made. They're not wrong.

7. 48 Hrs. — Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. The first real buddy-cop action-comedy. Eddie Murphy made this film.

8. Blade Runner — Underperformed at the box office in 1982, partially because E.T. was eating everything. Now considered one of the greatest films ever made. Harrison Ford in a dark, rainy future. Watch the “Final Cut” version.

The one that didn't make the top 10 but should be on your list:

Diner (1982) — Barry Levinson's ensemble drama about a group of guys in 1959 Baltimore. Quiet, funny, completely real. Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke before he was Mickey Rourke.

DISCLAIMER: HSL recommends all of the above films but cannot be held responsible if you spend an entire weekend on the couch in a bathrobe rewatching “An Officer and a Gentleman” three times. This is a judgment-free zone. Carry on.

Her Side of Life | A Newsletter for GenX Women