​Things I’m Loving

This article on OCD. I’ve written about my own struggles with obsessive thinking, and I identified so much with the findings Gregoire shares. Guilt has been such a huge part of my obsessions, and for me, it’s been the most difficult part of postpartum anxiety to shake. Even if you don’t have obsessive thinking or OCD, read this article to understand more about the conditions.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. My sister-in-law, Carrie, and I have pretty similar taste in books, and so we frequently contact the other with book recommendations. It’s awesome. This happens to be one of the few books we’ve disagreed about. I loved it in a big, big way, and she has tried to read it multiple times and has not been successful in finishing it. At 865 pages, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a luscious fantasy feast. Clarke has created a beautifully inventive world that’s so detailed that she even made up footnotes. I read it several years ago and loved it. It’s currently available on Kindle for $1.99. Here’s some more good news: there’s also a miniseries available on Netflix.

These childproofing latches. My little guy is into everything these days. Just when I think he’s nearly all grown up, he reminds me that he’s actually quite young and still figuring a lot of things out. These latches—or others like them—are so completely necessary. We put one of these on our toilet and one on the bottom of a kitchen hutch and both have been spectacular.

Emily McDowell’s Cards. These are the perfect cards to give someone who needs a pick-me-up, a laugh, and some love. When I think back on the gloomier moments in my life, I wanted someone to acknowledge that my situation was shitty, that that person was there for me, and that we’d get through it. I think that McDowell’s cards frequently walk that line between encouragement but also honesty. Here are a couple of my favorites:
"Thoughts on Failure Encouragement Card"
"The Honor of Your Presence...Card"
 

These Kitchen Towels remind me of the greatest rapper I’ve ever known personally: Mary Catherine Starr. She created a rapping dynasty when she married her husband, Ben, known in some circles as Uncle V-Chip. These would be the perfect gift for the enthusiastic rapper in your life ;).
 
A heartfelt gift for the love in your life. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of heart jewelry but this bracelet is really sweet. Sometimes you just want to indulge the super sappy side of your love and wear it for the world to see (and your toddler to grab).

These images of Victorian women breastfeeding,found through the fantastic site www.messynessy.chic. Breastfeeding is such a touchy subject sometimes, which is interesting given that breastfeeding women are literally feeding their children. These are beautiful images and I love that the women commissioned them and saved them in order to preserve such a special time with their baby. (For the record, my son had breastmilk and formula from his first day until he was 6.5 months old, and then we switched him exclusively to formula. Also, I was pretty much an exclusive pumper and didn’t have a lot of moments like those preserved on the daguerreotypes.) Still, I love the serenity captured here.