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Hi Im here for your yoga wants and needs

Yoga Friends looking to start meditation suggestions

Meditation Cushion (I think I have the 13" one) - I specifically have this Reehut ($23) one and a Manduka one (I cant find it online! but it was about $50) and the manduka definitely has a better suede feel, the Reehut one feels just as nice to sit on).

Headspace account - you can get a year premium account on eBay just saying for a fraction of the price... (I'm talking like $5 versus $100).

Journal - I got the meditation cushion and added a journal for my friend (I ended up getting a 3pack from Costco for $11 and gifting to 3 people! 😁

Odds and Ends:

If you want to spend money on your yoga friend, a Liforme yoga mat that's $150-200 might be right up your alley.

I also want the NOW Tone Therapy speakers but cant talk myself into spending $150 for 3 minutes of sweet bells.

If you want to go super hippie, you can buy Sage to burn ($18 issa vibe)

.I think this is a super cute card set Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck (less than $25). The same artist also has a similar Tarot deck that's under $25

This is also a great visual/journaling book for yogis - a lot of pages, colorful, and places to write (so dont bother with the Kindle version!)(Wanderlust might have another book for cookers, if I'm not mistaken).Less than $20 right now.

Jessamyn Stanley also has Every Body Yoga for someone who practices yoga and is interested in hearing Jessamyn's journey to yoga. She's very inclusive and I really enjoyed reading her story. The yoga is very basic though.

Replying to myself and my list is all over the place but these all made me happier (and no affiliate links here people):

Devotions by Mary Oliver - this book of poems was the nicest thing I gave myself this year

My new favorite necklace stand

Bluetooth shower speaker - I start my day with a positive podcast each day now

Tea Tins - I drink an insane amount of teas and these keep the quality up

Wine opener - Do I really need this? Do I even drink enough wine to justify this? Questions I asked when I was younger and more naive because this was the best thing I ever asked for, especially ahead of hosting a bridal shower

Puzzles. Last Christmas I decided my husband and I would do puzzles and drink cocoa and eat Moose Munch while listening to happy music or watching classic movies, many of which were Christmas themed. Best idea ever. I plan to make kits of these for a few people I'll be seeing at the beginning of the month and therefore they can enjoy their Christmas gift all month long.

Microfiber washcloths. Such an upgrade.

Oh yeah no, please don’t buy the Dyson— it won’t be able to make a dent in hair that long.

I have a conair Revlon brush dryer, too, a giant “volumizing” one, and it’s the best I’ve tried. I also have to get my hair mostly dry with a regular dryer before I use it, but honestly the results with the Conair brush are as good or better than the results I got with the Dyson round brush attachment— in half the time or less.

And the Dyson curling attachments won’t even begin to work on your super long hair, no way. They’re too short to fit any hair on! Especially if it’s hard to curl? Forget it.

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LSUQSB0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hET9Bb6E6DK13

An alternate-universe Shauna:

Prompted by a couple of the comments below referring to Amazon reviews, I went there to take a look, and ended up coming across this other author, who also happens to be named Shauna. I think it's pretty funny how familiar these titles seem (even though I'd never heard of her before). One of these has a forward by Brene Brown. Check out these titles!

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life

Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are

Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes

The Amazon summary for Bread and Wine describes her as a mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa.

Sounds like the azelaic will definitely suit you then! I really like the squalane too, and if you plan to order from The Ordinary and you can swing it, you may as well grab both because their inventory can be a little touch and go.

The best thing for my redness and irritation has definitely been a heavy focus on moisturizing--I use a hyaluronic acid, the squalane oil, a lightish gel moisturizer and, often, aquaphor, and every time I add a moisturizing step my skin gets happier. (Obviously this is a lot! But none of these steps require any wait time so it's really only a ten-minute routine.) Azelaic and squalane will both contribute to that.

As far as the glycolic: I use [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Obsession-Glycolic-Acid-Chemical/dp/B0018ZMU04/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1524965896&sr=8-3&keywords=skin+obsessions+30%25+glycolic+acid&dpID=31BVLrMZF5L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch] once a week for six or so weeks at a time (though the paper that comes with it will suggest no more than every three weeks...that is very conservative, and I have very sensitive skin). It's done a lot for my sun damage--knocked out the recent stuff very quickly and refined a lot of my older texture issues. That same blog that I keep linking has a pretty in depth guide to chemical peels. Glycolic will brighten your complexion and refine skin texture from the first peel and improve scarring and that orange peel texture as you go through the series. 30% is a pretty mild concentration but you'll still want to start short--I started with two minutes with, again, very sensitive redness-prone skin. It's been great for me. I'm also very interested in this Fade Peel but I'm currently pregnant and breastfeeding so I can't use the BHAs in in. This appears to be a harsher peel though--probably not advisable during the summer.

I was going to post this yesterday but it was late and I wanted it to get at least a little notice: the 30% glycolic peel I (unintentionally) timed horribly with my poison ivy is a gosh darn miracle worker.
I never had terrible skin, but for the past year or two the area near my nose/eyebrows/chin were always so pink and I had to actively start using foundation/concealer on those areas for the first time in my life (I don't even know the difference between foundation and concealer, tbh, because I've only ever used whatever it is -- probably concealer -- to hide little bits of redness/etc.).

I thought it was maybe rosacea of a sort or something else and my skin was never fully soft, just kind of pebbled and unhappy, despite the fact that I was using moisturizer to try to help because it was also dry.

A week after using the peel, I can't stop touching my cheeks (I know I need to, but they're SO SOFT) and the redness is almost completely gone. There's a tiny bit of pink left but this weekend when I woke up at "Jim"'s place, I used a micellar face wipe and some 100% argan oil (both from TJ's) and could have left the house without any embarrassment whatsoever.
Word to the wise, definitely don't leave it on too long if your skin isn't used to it, as the first few days were rough (there was some poison ivy and also some marks from the peel itself) because I put it on for 4 minutes.

However, I really cannot say enough good things about what it's done for me a full week in (and after 3ish days I could tell it was doing a lot) and I intend to keep it up (though for a shorter time) as a regular thing.

It sounds so stupid but it has been a HUGE confidence booster. Nothing else I did was working, so I am very thankful.

I believe it was u/genreand (nope: u/HedgehogLeapfrog, but both have recommended it so thank you both!) that convinced me to get it, but if that's wrong I'll update.
Link to what I used is here

Product Reviews, Winter Edition:

• Phillips Wake-Up Light. Actual game-changer. I am a morning person, but when the dark-until-7:30am mornings drag on, I struggle. This has really changed how my wakeups feel.
  
  
• Uniqlo Jeans. Stretchy, supportive fabric. Normal human person washes. 33 inch inseam! $60 in Canada, which is about as much as I feel like spending on jeans that my beleaguered thighs will just burn through in a few months.
  
  
• Figuring out my skin routine which, for me, looks like this: CeraVe cleanser, Paula's Choice AHA/BHA exfoliant, The Ordinary HA+B5, Paula's Choice Ultralight SPF Hydrating fluid. My giant pores are less obvious and my skin looks radiant and healthy. I also drink a shit-ton of water which probably helps?

I did an at-home chemical peel on Friday (this one thanks to a rec from this sub!) and yesterday I kept catching myself checking out my skin in the bathroom mirror while washing my hands, which is out of character for me! I have acne scarring, both hyperpigmentation and uneven texture, and I thought I was stuck with this for life (too cheap/chicken to go to the dermatologist) and generally would avoid looking in the mirror the rest of the day after putting on make up. The treatment didn't work miracles yet (if I do it consistently, I should see real results in like 6 months) but I do think I notice some brightening and maybe a sliiightly smoother texture. I'm just so excited to have hope that my skin could look normal/nice one day!

In terms of Roe, remember that around 12-15 states will most likely continue to have legal abortion, and that women will need help getting to those states. Please follow https://twitter.com/NARAL to keep updated. If you are in a red state, and you want to have a line to resources, or if you are in a solid blue state and think you could help with room and board or transportation, you can send me your email, I will keep it secret, never use it unless needed, and will never ever consider doxing you, even in a court of law. I'll go down with a real tight lip, I don't crack. We are building our underground railroad, and it's go time.

​

Edited to add:
If you want to see how to go on when we don't have body autonomy, read this inspiring story. Regular women, helping regular women

https://www.amazon.com/Story-Jane-Legendary-Underground-Feminist/dp/0226424219

I swear by this alarm clock. It has made me actually get up right away, which I thought was impossible. The key for me was to set it far away, so I have to walk to it to turn it off. It gets so bright (you can adjust the settings on this) that distance does not matter. It also helps me wake up more gradually, so the sound of the alarm isn't so jarring. Another morning thing that has helped me is giving myself something to look forward to while I get ready -- like listening to my current audiobook. It is also nice to start the morning not feeling rushed or guilty about sleeping in. Remembering the positive feels it gives me has made a big difference!

The New Yorker reviewed Leah Plunkett's book Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online today:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/instagram-facebook-and-the-perils-of-sharenting

It sounds like a very interesting read. The cover art and the fact that it's published by MIT Press pretty much guarantees that those who should read it, won't.

I LOVE this book for older toddler to kindergarten age kids: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062455508/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Someone recommended this lash serum and it’s on lightening deal on amazon right now!

Eyelash Growth Serum for Lash and Brow Irritation Free Formula (3ML) (3 ml) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XDNLWZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-nQUAbVY83BCK

If you like Karen Armstrong, I highly recommend her memoir, ["The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness,”] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XU4TYK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) in which she talks about why she became a nun as a young woman and eventually left.

I'm going to try this one from Amazon that u/IPlanThings mentioned above and see how I like it when my sample runs out! https://www.amazon.com/Squalane-100-Pure-60-mL/dp/B003MJG19K?th=1

The venue search is kicking my ass. 100%. I ranted a couple weeks ago, but it's like they specifically try to hide the cost info as a way of reeling you in. I'm so sick of vendors playing these games, I'm a straightforward, direct, and honest person and I hate hate hate when people aren't the same with me.

As far as premarital counseling, we didn't/won't do it the conventional way, but we did painstakingly go through the "1001 Questions to Ask Before Getting Married" over the course of a few months (https://www.amazon.com/Questions-Before-Married-Family-Relationships/dp/0071438033). It was really good at making sure we were on the same page on both big and little issues, and raised lots of hypotheticals we never would have considered ourselves. I recommend it to everyone I know who gets engaged.

See if they have her first book....aside from the sexy parts, a lot of the same ground is covered... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470411643/ref=dbs_a_def_awm_bibl_vppi_i3

I keep seeing people sing the praises of these reusable water activity books. I'm planning on getting my niece and nephew them for Christmas.

Can you scrunch it and make it wavy/curly?? I do that when I air dry and it looks pretty decent. I use: https://www.amazon.com/TIGI-Catwalk-Curls-Rock-Amplifier/dp/B0007506U2/ref=zg_bs_11057901_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=WDK5ED4PSE13MM70MCT2&th=1 when it's wet, scrunch it up, twirl some of it together for bigger curls and let it go. I also have this for days I dry it and wear it straight: https://www.amazon.com/Revlon-Salon-One-Step-Dryer-Volumizer/dp/B01LSUQSB0 and it cuts the blow drying/straightening time in half cause it's doing both at the same time.
Sorry for the long links.

We just drove from SF to LA with our almost 2 year old, and it was way less awful than I was prepared for. We got several of these (which were the BIGGEST hit) : https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Water-Activity-3-Pack/dp/B00CPHX9JK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1506016783&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=water+wow+melissa+and+doug&psc=1

We also had several of the Melissa and Doug reusable sticker books and downloaded some sesame street on the tablet to use in a pinch. And lots of snacks.

Hope it's smooth travel for you!

I skimmed it years ago and don't remember specifics much at this point, but you can go to the Amazon "Look Inside" feature and do a search for "mother". Jackpot!

I learned to do this on GOMI actually! I usually forget about it until my peach fuzz is out of control. I like the Tinkle.

I prefer the Timeless squalane on Amazon to the ordinary's. It's probably not as nice as biossance's but it's also cheaper.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003MJG19K

I have a entry-level one. It's a Phillips. I think it cost around $50. This is the Amazon listing for it

Here is the mobile version of your link

It was published as Gluten-free Girl
https://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Girl-Found-Food-Loves/dp/0470411643

This one!

You panicked me for a minute! I just checked, and it's here .... the price just increased (stupid Amazon, it will probably go back down within a few days)

Michelle McNamara's book about The Golden State Killer is finally arriving today! She was married to Patton Oswald and died unexpectedly while she was in the middle of writing it. He brought in other writers to make sure that her work would be finished. I'm obsessed with the GSK and wish she could have lived to see her book published.

I got mine from Amazon. Had no problems. These exact ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DYFIPE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Have you considered getting a Phillip's sunrise simulator alarm? It gradually becomes brighter for 30 minutes before your alarm goes off so you wake up naturally. It also has a regular alarm that goes off too. I have the basic model but there are fancier ones you can get.

Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock with Sunrise Simulation, White (HF3500/60) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0W1RIW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zgk1Ab92QVKHR

Expecting Better by Emily Oster offers some good perspective on what “they” tell you to avoid vs. real risks to your pregnancy.

Personally, listeria is something I didn’t want to risk. Unlike run-of-the-mill food poisoning, listeria can pose a risk to the fetus. I chose to avoid raw milk products, cold smoked foods, and certain raw fruits and vegetables unless I knew they were washed.

Technically, it's not a straight copy/paste. (it's a slow day at work so, let's compare!)

From the IG post:

> I didn’t write this in the book because it happened while I wrote the book. The last six weeks of writing the first full draft of ENOUGH, I had hundreds of hives all over my chest and abdomen when I started to write for the day. Four times my lip swelled up, along with half my face, so I had to stop to go to the clinic, the emergency room, the fire station, to make sure I wasn’t in danger of losing my breath. It always calmed down after an hour or two away from the computer. I had allergy tests, specialists looking at me, and it all came up with no answer. It was terrifying, again.
❤️
At least 8 or 10 times I’ve had occasions like this, mostly focused on severe abdominal pain. And most of those times, there was nothing wrong, at least on tests. I never had anyone suggest it could have been the trauma in my body talking to me.

And, from the "Leaving LA" newsletter:



>I didn’t write this in ENOUGH because it happened while I wrote the book. The last six weeks of writing the first full draft, I had hundreds of hives all over my chest and abdomen when I started to write for the day. Four times my lip swelled up, along with half my face, so I had to stop to go to the clinic, the emergency room, the fire station, to make sure I wasn’t in danger of losing my breath. My body calmed down after an hour or two away from the computer. I had allergy tests, specialists looking at me, and it all came up with no answer.
>
>At least 8 or 10 times I’ve had medical mysterieslike this, mostly focused on severe abdominal pain. And most of those times, there was nothing wrong, at least on tests. I never had anyone suggest it could have been the trauma in my body talking to me.

I bolded the differences. (I love that one of the differences has a typo, too!)

The next paragraph IS 100% copy/paste.

IG:

> My doctor, a wonderful woman who trained under the doctor I mention in my book, sat me down about a month after my manuscript was in. And she told me that idiopathic uticaria (hives for no reason) is generally stress, deep body stress. My body, hardwired to protect my mom and keep the secrets, was trying to make me stop writing. I persisted.

Newsletter:

> My doctor, a wonderful woman who trained under the doctor I mention in my book, sat me down about a month after my manuscript was in. And she told me that idiopathic uticaria (hives for no reason) is generally stress, deep body stress. My body, hardwired to protect my mom and keep the secrets, was trying to make me stop writing. I persisted.

The last two paragraphs have only one slight difference:

IG:

> She diagnosed me with complex PTSD from my childhood. She put me on an SSRI for the first time in my life. And I started a deep dive into reading (please read @nadineburkeharris”s book and The Body Keeps the Score) and acting on what I know now. I’m still learning how to take care of myself. I will probably write about this journey too.
❤️
I know how to admit to myself when I have had enough now. When I found my jaw was clenched most of the time in LA, I knew it was time to come home.

Newsletter:

​

>She diagnosed me with complex PTSD from my childhood. She put me on an SSRI for the first time in my life. And I started a deep dive into reading — if this resonates with you, read The Deepest Well and The Body Keeps the Score — and acting on what I know now. I’m still learning how to take care of myself. I will probably write about this journey too.
>
>I know how to admit to myself when I have had enough now. When I found my jaw was clenched most of the time in LA, I knew it was time to come home.