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Hi gorgeous friends.

Today can be weird. Let’s remember that it’s just a day. And it’s okay if you celebrate it with someone special, it’s okay if you are single and wish you had someone to celebrate with, and it’s okay if you are celebrating you all by yourself. It’s okay if you don’t celebrate and lay in bed all day.

A good tip for weird feelings for today is to stay off social media. Comparison can be the thief of joy, right?

Another good tip to ward off the Valentine’s Day blues is to think of someone else to be of service to. How could you show up for someone else who might need some lovin’ today?

That’s probably why women host Galentines Day events. So women don’t have to feel alone or unloved. Also platonic love and romancing friendships for the win.

We asked, and this is what you said

We send out newsletters on Wednesday and Friday and sometimes Sunday for book club members. We figure we just have so much to say and talk about. But we wanted to find out from you what you prefer.

We asked those of you who follow us on Instagram @pchyreviews if you wanted once-a-week emails from us or twice weekly and this is what you said.

As we grow up in front of you, and with you, and with you in mind every step of the way, this feedback is so key. We tend to agree that once a week is the best way for us to provide value and ensure that we give quality over quantity.

We hope you read each newsletter and walk away feeling smarter, more confident, more brave, and better prepared to take on life’s everyday adventures. 🙏💪🍑

What else is in the newsletter today

• Gossip saves lives

• Ripe Picks! Products and places we love

• Single women own more houses than single men

Gossip saves lives 🫦

In the very early days of building Pchy, we talked a lot about gossip. We wanted to make sure that a review site by women for women to share safety-specific information didn’t come off as, “Too gossipy.”

Then we asked ourselves, why? Why can’t it be gossip? Where did the negative association with gossip begin and why is it so heavily tied to women?

THEN we came across this post by Maryjane on her Instagram @itsthemayoforme.

In Old English times, "gossip" originated from "godsibb," meaning someone who formed a spiritual bond after sponsoring another's baptism. Yep, what we now call a godparent was once known as a gossip! Churches even used the term in sacred ceremonies. And guess what? Shakespeare himself dropped "gossip" in his writings, proving it's been around longer than we thought.

Back in Ancient Greece, gossip wasn't just “idle chitchat”—it was a survival tool. Imagine relying on whispers and rumors to figure out who you could trust! Even the law courts based their decisions on gossip, not hard evidence.

According to the American activist Silvia Federici: “Female friendships were one of the targets of the witch hunts. It was in this context that ‘gossip’ turned from a word of friendship and affection into a word of denigration and ridicule.”

At that time, gossip became punishable by law. In 1547, women were forbidden to meet with other women to “Babble and talk.”

Gossip quickly became a threat to a patriarchal society. Women were punished banned and excluded for gossip. They were demonized and outcasted for talking to one another.

(Ugh speaking of, have you seen the movie Women Talking!?)

And if that wasn't enough, there were contraptions designed to physically silence women.

Enter the infamous "scold’s bridle," also known as the witch’s bridle or the gossip’s bridle. This sinister device was like something out of a nightmare, equipped with a spike meant to hold down the tongue of any woman deemed too outspoken. It was a brutal form of punishment, a chilling reminder of the lengths society would go to keep women silent.

Wives especially were expected to be quiet, “Obey their husband without question” and “Stand in awe of them.” Eek. Above all, they were meant to make their homes and husbands the center of their attention. They were discouraged from visiting family after marriage and from spending any time with their female friends.

The misogynistic portrayal of gossip has deep roots in history, painting women's conversations as frivolous and insignificant. While men's gatherings were hailed as dignified and intellectually stimulating, women's chats were dismissed as idle chatter, devoid of any real substance.

So we are working to set the record straight: gossip isn't inherently harmful or meaningless. It's a powerful tool for building connections, sharing information, and fostering community. At Pchy, we're reclaiming gossip as a force for good, empowering women to share their stories, support each other, and create positive change.

Gossip is going to save lives here at Pchy.

It's time to rewrite the narrative and celebrate the power of women's voices

Ripe Pick of the week

This week we want to highlight a hot spring in Montana that we recently had the opportunity to visit. Of all the facility-type hot springs, this one was a nice treat.

Quinn’s Hot Springs is just a two-hour drive from Pchy headquarters in Spokane, WA. Over the panhandle of Idaho and right into Paradise, Montana.

Road conditions: There are two pretty major passes to cross coming from Spokane, the Fourth of July pass and Lookout pass, so weather is a key safety factor. We were lucky to hit it with zero snow and ice and hardly any traffic. We left for Paradise on Wednesday and came back the next day. We love a good 24-hour adventure!

There is so much we could discuss when it comes to road safety while traveling alone. What to pack. What to always keep in your car. Do you need an emergency blanket for example? (Our northwest dads would tell you yes.) Make sure to research the highways you are traveling on before taking a solo road trip and be prepared for the weather.

Access: Quinn’s Hot Springs does allow for day soak passes. Their calendar fills up fast and they only allow booking as far as one month ahead. A cool benefit of solo travel is only having to book for one! We prefer early morning soaks before a crowd of people has been in the springs all day. The earliest time block starts at 8am.

Accommodations: We found a great vacation rental in the area that was about $100 cheaper than staying at Quinns. Which ranges in price from $229 to $350 a night depending on when you book. But the benefits of staying at Quinn's are robes and use of the pools during your stay.

Kids are welcome in the pools that are not super hot.

Security: There are electronic wristbands that allow you access to the pools and the lockers in the locker room. There was complimentary water and coffee. 🙏 The locker rooms felt safe and clean. The grounds have cameras and really safe parking.

Staff and guests: The staff were super friendly and courteous. They even extended our soak time because we got in a little late. As a woman traveling alone to the springs, we would have felt good about the attitude towards women at Quinn’s. There were a lot of couples and parents, and people just trying to meditate and relax in the springs. It felt safe.

Cleanliness: The pools themselves were clean enough. One pool had a strange film that looked a little like dead skin cells floating. Maybe they have a great filtration system for that, or maybe it was a normal occurrence in the water. Either way, we avoided that pool.

Details: Pools range in temp from 90 degrees to 106.

There are two restaurants on the property and you can visit the breakfast spot while still in your swimsuit.

For us, the experience was pretty Pchy. 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑

Are we surprised that more women own homes than single men?

Single women own more homes than single men in the United States, despite women earning about 83 cents for every dollar that men earn. According to a recent study highlighted in The New York Times.

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