Oh my goodness people! I have had a week. Or rather, my family has. Apparently when we decide to come down with a nasty cold virus, we like to do it all at once! I've gone through two bottles of kid Tylenol this week, and downed a fair amount of the stuff myself. 

As a result, our collective productivity as a family unit has been severely compromised. I am banging out a few posts today to catch up on my personal challenge to publish once a day (during the week) for all of September. 

I won't bore you anymore with all of my woes, because there was so much great stuff on the internet this week, and you have some reading to do!

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1. I really love Shannon Barber. Everything she writes makes me THINK and QUESTION my life, my choices, and especially my privilege. Her Open letter to Readers about diversity, published on Medium this past week, is no different. And, I just realized I made an assumption recently about my own avid new reader, and assumed (incorrectly) he wouldn't want to read a book with a female protagonist. WHAT THE HELL NATASHA!? (I know right, I had to really shake my head at myself about that one.)

2. Look, I know we all love Barack Obama and will miss him and Michelle like no one's business, but he is still a dude, and has been surrounded by many more dudes during his time in the White House. The few women who did get into the inner circle had a pact, a system of being heard and I think it is brilliant. I also think it sucks that they had to have this system, but at least it kept them heard and recognized. Small things like this CAN lead to big changes. 

3. Oh Lordy! Donald Trump has unveiled his "Child Affordability Plan". GAWD! What a stupid name that is - oops, sorry, not the point. The point is that the GOP stupid-ass candidate is just as sexist as always, and has unveiled a plan to give MOTHERS paid leave. "Uh, cuz that's what the women folk do-take care of babies. I love women, and they love me. Really." (Okay, I made that quote up, but he totally could have said it.) Anywhooo... ARGGH, I get so mad whenever I talk about him! Which is why you should read what Avital Norman Nathman had to say in Rolling Stone about Trump's proposed policy and what it really means for parents in the US. 

4. THIS IS THE BEST THING ON THE INTERNET RIGHT NOW! Poor, poor Robert. 

5. On most Tuesday evenings, you can find me on Dinner Television as a member of the #ParentPanel. This past week we discussed the case of #TeacherBAE, aka, Patrice Brown and her so called "inappropriate" wardrobe. I made the point on air, that Miss Brown wasn't being policed because of her clothing, she was being policed because of her body. Her curvy, black body. Preston Mitchum at the Root.com delved into this in much more detail and it is well worth a read. 

5. I love Kristen Bell. Her silly obsession with sloths, my discovery of Veronica Mars after I turned 40, and her foul-mouthed character on House of Lies. She and I should hang. For realsies. (Hook a girl up if anyone knows her OKAY?)

And now she did this! MWAH! I love you KBELL!!

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Ok, my lovelies. 

Have a great weekend. 

(There may be a few surprise posts this weekend, so check back tomorrow and Sunday. I have to catch up now that the plague has {hopefully} vacated our bodies and our house!)

XO,

N~

BONUS READ:

I just found this one from Rebecca Woolf over at Mom.me and it is brilliant.