HAPPY EVERY HOUR
WildFolk: Artful Sips for the Sober Curious 

If you’re on the hunt for a nonalcoholic beverage that feels as intentional and celebratory as your favorite cocktail, let me introduce you to WildFolk — a Calgarian, female-founded brand that’s quickly become my new obsession. 

#QUITLIT
Book Review: Delete That by John Crist

So apparently everyone but me knew who John Crist was. Yeah, that guy from that viral video. I was over here sipping my LaCroix and minding my sober business in the Pacific Northwest while the rest of the world was LOLing at this ex-Chick-fil-A-working, homeschooled, ex-evangelical-turned-stand-up-legend.

RECOVERY PODCASTLAND
Tchotchkes, Sobriety, and Sparkle: Inside The Sober Curator’s Hilarious Tchotchke Showdown New Gameshow

If you imagined a mashup of “Antiques Roadshow,” “Comedy Central,” and a sober support group, you’d land squarely in the glitter-filled chaos that is The Sober Curator’s Tchotchke Showdown. Hosted by the ever-charismatic Tamar Routly (aka T. Bouge), the podcast’s first-ever showdown pulled together eclectic treasures, competitive storytelling, and a panel of lively sobriety experts.

LIFESTYLE
From the Runway to Recovery: Fashion, Sobriety and The Sober Curator 

In Episode 9 of You’ve Been Selected, I sit down with Alysse Bryson, founder of The Sober Curator, a BuzzFeed-style online magazine for the sober-curious and alcohol-free crowd. Spoiler alert: we talk fashion, recovery and the kind of friendship that starts with saying yes to something you have no clue how to do. 

#WEDORECOVER
Lexi Love Reminds Us That Recovery is Non-Linear

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 finalist Lexi Love continues to be a beacon of vulnerability, strength, and resilience as she navigates her sobriety journey in the public eye. After a recurrence—what many in recovery call a relapse—Lexi bravely entered rehab to confront her substance use disorder which escalated during the demands of her post-Drag Race touring schedule.

Though her initial rehab stay was cut short due to what she described as bias and a lack of professionalism at the facility, Lexi remained committed to her healing, publicly marking each day of sobriety on her social media accounts, and openly sharing her challenges and triumphs with fans.

As of today, Lexi is celebrating Day 54 of sobriety—a powerful milestone for anyone, but especially meaningful for someone maintaining recovery outside of a formal treatment center.

In a candid Instagram update on Day 19, she acknowledged the pain of being mistreated in care, but reaffirmed that staying sober from narcotics and liquor was her top priority. Lexi continues to engage with her community and fans, sharing her truth, preparing for Pride appearances, and embracing a new chapter in love following her engagement to Jay Groff.

Her honesty about addiction, identity, and the realities of reoccurrences is helping to destigmatize what it is like to live with a substance use disorder while reminding others in the queer community that recovery isn’t linear—but it is possible.

For anyone struggling, know that help is available: 📞 1-800-662-HELP (SAMHSA Helpline).

ENTERTAINMENT
The Mindful Binge: We Were Liars on Amazon Prime—A Review Through the Lens of Addiction

Welcome to Beechwood Island: pristine beaches, champagne brunches, coordinated family outfits, and a thick cloud of generational trauma disguised as New England perfection. Amazon Prime’s YA thriller We Were Liars serves up an intoxicating cocktail of memory, privilege, and the deep wounds we carry—some self-inflicted, others inherited.

HAPPY EVERY HOUR
The 2025 Sans Bar Academy Awards Finalists Are In — and The Sober Curator Is Front and Center

Lights. Camera. Sober Action! The Sans Bar Academy Awards are back, and the 2025 finalists have just been announced. As the alcohol-free movement continues to gain momentum, these awards celebrate the changemakers, creators, brands, and voices leading the charge toward a more inclusive, mindful, and booze-free future. And this year, The Sober Curator is taking center stage in one of the most influential categories of all: Culture Ambassador 2025.

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
Classy Problems: Purpose Beyond Survival

The human experience is rich with wisdom of ancestors who mastered survival, leaving a legacy we didn’t earn but fully inherited. This unearned wisdom, while a gift, often leaves us questioning our purpose.

It is a classy problem to be freed from the urgency of survival. Without intention, it evolves to the pattern of more. More success, more possessions, more accolades. This leads us to asking more questions: “How can I do this faster? How can I get more?” It focuses on getting instead of giving. It’s what we call survival thinking.

What if we change our focus from survival thinking to post-survival living? The transition from a survival moment to a living moment changes our purpose from survival to contribution. It transforms our questions to, “What is the indicated thing to do? What am I being called to do?”

RECOVERY PODCASTLAND
Sobriety, Self-Awareness, and Resilience in the Hospitality Industry with Cesar Villan

On the latest episode of The Sober Curator, host Alysse Bryson, co-host Kim Parsley, and guest Cesar Vallin dive headfirst into the complexities and revelations of sobriety, especially when it comes to working in environments where drinking is often considered the norm. Cesar, known for his entrepreneurial ventures like San Diego’s Cloak and Petal and for embracing cutting-edge wellness routines, shares a deeply personal story of his first New Year’s Eve after committing to sobriety.

LIFESTYLE

The Sober Guide to a Luxe Summer

Luxe Summer didn’t arrive with fanfare. It crept in on soft linen sheets and whispered through a breeze scented with lavender and cut limes. Fashion trendsetters dubbed it “quiet luxury” — minimalist, intentional, and rooted in quality over clout. Think Gwyneth Paltrow on trial in a $1,000 cashmere sweater, unbothered. Think silk sleepwear at 2 p.m. because you felt like it.