FROM: STELLA
TO: LAURA
- A few of my friends have given birth recently and I was excited to ship off my go-to new baby gift — the book On The Day You Were Born to the new littles.
2. I am completely obsessed with TOMS shoes and wear through a few pairs a year. I am in search of an upgrade/alternative that might last a little while longer. I want something that I can comfortably wear without socks that will slip on without ties. I’m also considering just buying no-tie laces but not sure if I am cool enough (dorky enough?) to pull it off ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
3. I’ve used ThredUp quite a bit in the last year as I’ve been moving so much and it’s such an easy way to get rid of clothing. You just send a box of stuff to them and they list it all for you. You get a (very) small cut if something sells and they donate everything that doesn’t sell. I’ve ended up racking up a bit of a credit balance over the last few months and was able to cash it in for a Gap gift card and took advantage of a 15% bonus for taking my credit that way.
4. This week I read (listened to) Broken Horses: A Memoir by Brandi Carlile and loved it. I wasn’t super familiar with her or her work before reading the book but found it on a list of recommended memoirs to listen to and gave it a try. I am so so glad I did. She is inspiring and tells her story beautifully. She reads it herself and sings at the end of each chapter so I highly recommend the audio version.
FROM: LAURA
TO: STELLA
1. This felt like a very important read this week. And also one I don’t have the words to acutely comment on and think it speaks loud enough on its own.
2. Really loving the No One is Coming to Save Us podcast with Gloria Riviera and Kristen Bell so far. It’s definitely an of-the-moment conversation (America’s childcare crisis) that the pandemic is throwing into stark relief. I’m already lamenting that the show is only slated for a four-part series, but am hopeful it will have a great reception and pump out some additional episodes.
3. This whole Twitter thread about the recent Texas legislature. I’m trying to stay positive in mindset about this, among other “heartbeat” bills, but the upcoming Supreme Court ruling in June of next year that could (will?) have potential ramifications on Roe is… keeping me up at night already. (This week the It’s Been a Minute and Hysteria podcasts both had some good content around these decisions.)
4. “Do we have a second kid?” has been a near-constant question on my mind lately. I think because we’ve just hit the 2-year mark where a lot of parents decide another baby is in the cards, but also because I have a hard time not having a plan, I’m hungry for information on how other parents make this decision. Lucky for me I’m apparently not the only one with this on their mind! Enter the comment section on Janae’s blog post this week and this “more babies?” highlight on the @notsafeformomgroup Instagram (which then led me to borrowing this book, subscribing to this podcast, and following this Instagram account).