A few super sweet gifts + the big fat list of November YES’s!
Good Morning!
There’s something aboout this time of year. As a person who notoriously hates *stuff*, I find myself mildly dismayed at how many things I just want now that December is here and everyone around me seems to be buy-buy-buying. Sometimes I think I want to fight the urge to get in the gift giving spirit, but this year I decided that instead of trying to convince my friends that seven pairs of underwear is the perfect amount to own (if you do laundry once a week) I will put a little energy into supporting businesses and artists that I think are cool. Is this me making lemonade out of my mental lemons? I think perhaps so!
Here are a few lovely things I’ve run across that I am certain at least one of your dear ones would adore.
- Any lingerie from Bluestockings Boutique. I am not a typically a lingerie type of femme (remember that whole seven pairs of underwear thing?) but I LOVED seeing all of these gorgeous things modeled by such an exciting gender spectrum of humans. A few of the bras are advertised as being specifically good choices for trans women (I believe because they are cut to fit broader shoulders) and I love that. The way the world is shifting to be more inclusive before my very eyes pleases me to no end. I might just buy my first fancy bra in celebration.
- This “no wrong way to have a body” tote by Rachele Cateyes makes me so SO happy. Rachele makes suuuuuper awesome work in general, and this is just one of many choices for body positive accessorizing!
- These Life Lessons Enamel Pins remind us of life’s little pleasures. I simply cannot resist.
- Um, a Thighs As Big as My Dreams Crewneck?! Yes fucking please and thankyouverymuch.
- Heidi Swanon’s cookbook, Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel is simply gorgeous. In it, Heidi shares 125 recipes along with photographs inspired by her life and travels both near (Northern California) and far (Italy, Morocco, France, India, and Japan). Each page tells a new adventure, and the resulting recipes never fail to please.
- As a person who lives in close quarters with her partner, I know this I Need to be Alone door hanger would come in super handy. No matter how in love, its always nice to have a polite way to tell folks to leave you the heck alone, am I right?
- How many times have you shared a brainstorm sesh with a friend over a meal and reached for a scrap of paper to jot their brilliance down only to find gum wrappers and soiled paper towels? These Good Idea Napkins are a perfect solution to that age old problem.
- Because I hate stuff, especially wasteful stuff, I freaking LOVE a Titanium Spork. Yeah, I take it camping, but I also take it whenever I eat food on the run, because the thought of a plastic utensil in a landfill fills me with unicorn tears and broken hearts.
- Lastly, I can’t wait to proudly brag about my gainz with this Vegan Pizza Strong Tank. I received this one as a gift myself, and I couldn’t be more pleased!
Now, in case you prefer some good old fashioned reading recommendations to material gifts, here is my crop of November links!
Rookie Magazine:
The Run Down: Sometimes quitting (running) is the best option
Food:
Body Image, Self-esteem, and ED recovery:
The Life Coach School, Episode 88: So What?
7 Ways to Host a Thanksgiving Dinner That Supports Eating Disorder Recovery
For when you’re not actually okay: a self-care printable
6 Things You Should Never Say To Someone Struggling With An Eating Disorder
Important Note on “Healthy is the New Skinny”
Holidays:
Physical and Mental Health:
Brawn and Brain (Sturdier Legs = Healthier Minds?)
Get Busy Dying: Reflections from a Hospice Buddhist Chaplin.
Just for Fun:
Tomboy Fashion According to Young Adult Novels I Read In The ’80s and ’90s
What’s on youuuuur Holiday wish list?
July’s list of big fat YES’s: what I read, what I loved.
Holy crap, is there a lot of shit to love in my world right now. I am 15 days from grabbing my dude’s hand and putting a fucking ring on it, packing up boxes to move to Portland, booking tents and air B n’ B’s on Kauai because HONEYMOOOOOON, and generally leading an all around stoked life. I have been reading with some serious velocity lately, and I wanted to share the things I’ve been loving with you guys, because as far as I can tell, my readers are totally 100% my people. We like all the right stuff!
First, the real-life paper books:
1. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
2.
3.
On the Internet, broken into categories for your enjoyment:
Rookie Magazine AKA the most relatable thing I read that also happens to be geared toward people half my age:
4. A Thousand Words: In Defense of Taking Pictures of Yourself by Minna
5. How to Get Out of Your Head by Dylan
6. On the Right Track – I can motivate myself to keep going by Isabel
7. How to Deal with Waiting by Stephanie
Body Politics and Body Image:
8. Be a Great Ally to Fat Folks by Getting Neutral about Food by Bevin Branlandingham
9. My Wedding was Perfect- and I was Fat as Hell the Whole Time by Lindy West
10. “I MUST Lose Weight to Feel Better about Myself” by Isabel Foxen Duke
11.
12.
Food, Exercise, and Mindfulness
13. Don’t leave your Macronutrients Behind by Gena Hamshaw
14. Mindfulness Monday: Five Breaths by Raechel
15. I Know it Sucks, Do it Anyway by Kelly Knight
16. Rethinking Exercise as a Source of Immediate Rewards By Jane E. Brody
Veganism:
17. A Vegan Diet for Speed and Endurance by Anna
Politics
18. What Do I Have to Say to a Cop? by Samantha Irby
And just for fun….
19. 14 Reactions Any Woman Who Lifts Weights Will Immediately Recognize by Sally Tamarkin
What have you been reading lately?
Weekend Reading: Taking Care Edition
This week has kind of kicked my ass, and there isn’t really an external rhyme or reason.
Basically, I am contending with that one week a month that many female bodied people have. I know my ladies know what I mean: it’s the one that just fucking sucks for energy. (for the record, this is the week before my period, and by the time my actual period arrives I feel much better.) For the past few days I’ve been lethargic, I’ve been hungry, I’ve had zero energy for exercise or super elaborate meals or even to have a whole lot of specificity around what I’m eating. I’ve been simplifying: meals are non-creative at this point (baked potato, broccoli, nutritional yeast, tempeh, ad infinitum) and I’ve skipped my fasted cardio all week in favor of more lifting sessions because fuck it, when the going gets sleepy, the sleepy lift weights. (that’s true for everyone, right? guys? anyone? Oh, just me? Hmmm.)
It has been good to go slower, eat chiller, and to rest more. here are a few articles I found while surfing the net as I relaxed!
How to Structure your Days if you’re Depressed by Ragini for Rookie Magazine
I totally struggle with healthy doses of depression and anxiety from time to time, because I am a human being in a terribly bizarre and heartbreaking world. This guide was written with teenage girls in mind, but because I think I’ll always be a bit of a sullen teen at heart, it spoke to me perfectly.
5 Foods You Should Never Eat by June Lupiani
You know what I fucking despise? Those weird pop-up internet ads (often on health and wellness blogs!) with a picture of a cartoon banana and the words “5 foods you should never eat!” emblazoned across it. WHAT IS UP WITH THE BANANA HATE, TURDZ OF THE NET? This list is a spoof on that whole thing, and actually includes some real talk about when it makes sense to avoid certain foods. Spoiler alert: no specific foods are mentioned and the whole thing has a spin of both food and body positivity. My kind of list!
That’s What Friends Are For by Rocco at RK Wellness
This article was an insightful and beautiful rumination on the difficulty and importance of friendship as we age. I just turned thirty-one, and I have to say: the list of people I am close with has gotten smaller, and I have a tough time getting out there to build new relationships. This article totally spoke to that conundrum directly, and inspired me to keep trying.
Muscles by Brussels is my favorite podcast and real talk about eating disorders is possibly my favorite subject. This episode gets kinda gritty! It talks about the relatively unspoken dangers of dieting within a vegan athlete competition context- a subject I have been dying to hear more about.
Ginger Sesame Tempeh Lettuce Wraps by Alissa Saenz
This dream boat of a wrap needs to get in my hands- STAT. I’m totally willing to break out of my lazy food rut for a taste!
Happy weekend <3
