Friday Five #125
On flip flops, podcasts, motherhood, and new picture books!
Hi Friends! I hope you’re having a good week, despite our skies being full of wildfire smoke, a Cyclosporiasis outbreak that makes it difficult to eat our greens, and insane heat waves. (But hey, who needs the EPA and the CDC to be fully staffed anyway? Are we feeling healthy yet?!)
Le sigh.
But, sarcasm aside, I hope these words find you as happy and healthy as one can be on this Friday morning. I hope you’re letting yourself live in the white space of your calendar. I hope you’re letting the laundry wait because you’re going to have ice cream outside on your stoop. I hope you’re catching the fireworks when they happen, and going to the beach if you’re able, and finding comfort in the small magic of summer — like fireflies, and picnics outside, and Friday night movies over a pizza dinner with your kids.
And, of course, I hope you’re staying outside when you can, and coming indoors when it’s not safe, and that, if you do buy your lettuce from the grocery store, you stay away from the bags, and get yourself a big ol’ head of romaine.
Now let’s get into this week’s Friday Five:
I am OBSESSED with these flip-flops from FitFlop. I’ve been battling with plantar fasciitis; these beauties are truly a godsend. And they work with both jeans, shorts, and sundresses, too!
If you’ve been around here long enough, you know that I’m an OG fangirl of Reshma Saujani, founder of GIRLS WHO CODE and Moms First, and just an all-around amazing human being. I’m a newer fangirl of Emma Grede, co-founder of SKIMS and Good American, author of Start With Yourself, and host of the Aspire podcast. So, when Reshma was this week’s guest on Aspire, I knew I had to listen. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. They discuss what it’s like to be a mother in this country, why we’re so horrible at supporting mothers in the US, how we can be better, how women should stop competing and judging one another, and try supporting each other instead. It’s a delightful and sobering listen, too, as Reshma very plainly states that she realizes that she might die with fewer rights than she was born with, which should horrify everyone. I mean, how can we boast about being the land of the free if half of the population has restrictions on how they live their lives? Why should living in one state give you more freedom than living in another? When are we, as women (especially mothers), going to come together as a collective, to use our power for a force of overwhelming good? I could wax poetic about the brilliance of Reshma and Emma for essays upon essays, but for now, I’ll just remind you that this episode of Aspire with Emma Grede is a must-listen. Stream it on your favorite platform today.
We’ve started announcing casting for DUETS: The Concert Series, wherein future Broadway stars sing with their Broadway idols, people who have inspired them to join, and/or stay, in this crazy world fo show business. The concert is set for October 24th at 54 Below, and you can get $5 off your main dining room or bar rail sets with the code DUETS5 -Tickets and more info are available here, don’t miss out! It’s truly a night you will never forget.
My son and I have recently discovered “The Food Group” book series by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald. We read “The Bad Seed” a year or so ago, but have since rediscovered the series and are slowly making our way through all of the books. We picked up a copy of The Sour Grape from our local bookstore this week, and have already read it three times. 10/10 would recommend!
This essay by Vaughn Bagley (aka Vaughan | Becoming Mom) took my breath away. Lately, time feels as if it’s slipping through my fingers, and I think it’s all heightened when you have to do IVF. But then, when you couple it with the doom clocks, and well-meaning platitudes and warnings about how fast time goes (I wrote an entire essay about how much I hate the phrase, “You only have 18 summers with your kids), it compounds. It strangles. It suffocates. And it’s easy to forget about the joy that’s in front of your face — like fireflies. Like popsicles on a particularly hot day. Like the moon. I’d highly, highly encourage you to read this essay by Vaughn. And then go outside and stare at that moon.
Till next week!
xo, Megan
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Thank you so much, Megan. Means a lot to me!