Instagram vs Reality: The Truth Behind Tranquil Photos of Hakone Shrine (PetePixel)
Stop Fetishizing Old Homes *my house is +100-years-young so I guess that makes me an old-home snob. (The Atlantic)
It’s a loop I and other parents have been stuck in for almost two years, willing ourselves to keep it together just a little bit longer, thinking this time will be the last time, that is, until the next time. – Omicron Means Parents Are Doing It All Again, Except This Time Dead Inside (Romper)
A note of reassurance from your school district regarding our updated omicron policies (McSweeney’s)
And I will leave you with this… Things that might not be obvious if you don’t have young kids in your life right now: when kids don’t go to school, they don’t sleep. They have too much energy that hasn’t been used, and a deep, under-the-surface sort of surly sadness that comes of being isolated. They act out, they become different people. The spark goes out of normally sunny kids, their eyes like windows with the shades drawn, or volcanoes of fiery frustration well up within them. This awfulness has gone on so long that when our kids have trouble, my friends and I can no longer tell what’s just them, what’s a normal developmental stage, what’s pandemic damage or what we might be able to blame ourselves for because of the kind of parents we have been forced to become. (MacLean’s via Jenna)
More and less in 2022
+ More dates (with David, Mike and friends) – Less Amazon + More yoga – Less scrolling + More fruit and veggies – Less spoonfuls of nutella + More self-confidence – Less comparison + More listening – Less assumptions + More cheering – Less buying + More swimming
Who’s doing the free 30 Day Yoga Journey With Adriene? Let’s MOVE! (YouTube)
Why You Should Slack Off to Get Some Work Done. One cautionary point: Pro-leisure science does not give permission to trance out on Twitter or graze Netflix endlessly. (Wired)
A killer house – check out the knitting room! (AD)
Kids were already drifting away from traditional sports before the pandemic, with ramifications for the entire sports industry. The trend has accelerated in the pandemic – THE E-SPORTS GENERATION (NYT)
The Definitive ‘Fast & Furious’ Movie Rankings – I will say for me, my interest faded big time after Paul Walker’s death (The Ringer)
What’s the Nicest Thing Anyone’s Ever Said to You? (A Cup Of Jo) *My high school Communication Technology teacher told me I have an excellent perception of measurement, which still means a lot.*
I am pretty pleased with my year in books! (Good Reads)
You’re not uncool. Making friends as an adult is just hard (wbur)
People Got Sick at a Conspiracy Conference. They’re Sure It’s Anthrax. (Vice)
Also, I think TV got it right in 2021. So many good shows! Top favourites for me are Only Murders In The Building, Station Eleven, Yellowjackets, Mare of Eastown, The White Lotus, Hacks, Love Life S2, Maid, Feel Good S2, Drive To Survive S3 and Sex Education S3! Here are NPR‘s picks.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Watch TV and go to bed responsibly, please.
How Would You Describe Yourself in Five Words? (A Cup Of Jo): mom + partner + mover + planner + dreamer
“It’s almost like cilantro: People either love them or hate them,” – Porcelain Christmas trees (Lindsay Jones, The Globe And Mail) *Mine is from my Grandmother, so the love for it is strong.
A good pitch for a year-long advent calendar: As we stare down the barrel of 2022 and the two-year anniversary of the pandemic, I think we can all agree that desperate times call for desperate measures. The Advent calendar being one of the few remaining sources of joy on this Earth, it’s time to unshackle ourselves from silly societal mores that dictate that we should only get these daily treats one measly month a year. (Slate)
Joan Didion Wrote About Grief Like No One Else Could (Time)
Critic’s Picks: The Best (and Worst) of the Major ‘Little Women’ Adaptations (THR)
“All the evolutionary psychologists talk about the need to affiliate with others, that we evolved with this need to be around others. And that’s 100% true. I also think there is a need for solitude, which has been less well defined and less well discussed.” – How solitude can help you regulate your mood (NPR)
I think I love museum gift shops more than museums (New Yorker)
And this: “The secret to a good parenting partnership is for parents to play to their strengths. For instance, my wife is organized, diligent, loving, and caring. She’s great at staying on top of all the responsibilities that come with raising children. She schedules their activities, orders their sports equipment, keeps in touch with their teachers, and makes sure they have clothes that fit. And while she’s doing those things, I keep our two sons entertained in the other room with a good, old-fashioned wrestling match.” (McSweeney’s)
The ‘Jennifer Lawrence Pipeline’ & The Impossible Standards For Women In Hollywood (Refinery29)
The magazine’s staff and many of our contributors in the Bloomberg newsroom have compiled our annual yearend Jealousy List. Congratulations to those on this year’s list, we hate/love you. —The Editors
I’m uneasy about how momfluencers’ content is structured by the logic of the marketplace, and about the influence this might have on regular peoples’ feelings about their own families. (Mothers Under The Influence)
White Christmas – HCMs (Hallmark Christmas Movies) not only indulge a willful ignorance of past injustice and political inequality, but actively cater to it, positioning themselves as “apolitical” to appease a dominant culture built on the suffering and oppression of other people. (Bitch Media)
And here’s a guide for female protagonists in a Hallmark movie (McSweeney’s)
Hey parents, no need to stress about the escalating days of missed schooling – YouTube is here to educate us! First up, How To Use A Comma (swissmiss)
And How to Use ‘Affect’ Versus ‘Effect’ (lifehacker)
Hello Sunshine 