2020 has been a year with a lot of loss. Lost family members, lost friends, lost relationships, lost jobs. Celebrations have been missed, babies are growing up without meeting their extended family, businesses are closing, parents are beyond stressed, people are lonely and isolated. It’s not a normal year.

For me, I started this year so excited about beginnings. There was going to be a new place to call home, a new job, new neighbors. We thought that it would be a year to rival 2019 with adventures, beautiful scenery and incredible memories.

This hasn’t been the year anyone imagined. The pain and heartache have never felt this close, the anxiety has never felt this strong. But at the same time, the good news feels bigger and I find myself celebrating the tiniest victories. Spending an hour on FaceTime with friends has never been this rewarding. Getting a card in the mail has never felt this heartwarming. Watching a hummingbird for 20 minutes out my window has never been so entertaining. Hugging my husband has never felt so comforting. It’s as if I’m one puppy photo away from crying at all times.

I’ve spent a lot of time in the past few months being really sad about the things that didn’t happen, but just like a good sunset – my thought process is shifting. As the year comes to an end, the light is changing and I’m seeing things differently.

I’m so hopeful that it’s a sign of different times ahead. I hope the new family traditions we’ve created stick, even when things get busy again. I mean, we had a zoom call on Thanksgiving with four different timezones. We laughed and saw faces that we usually never get in the same place at the same time. I hope we make time to check in with our friends, go out of our way to support small businesses, volunteer for campaigns and causes we believe in and I definitely support continued wear of comfortable clothes all day, every day.

The United States has seen one of the most tumultuous years in history. With a contentious presidential election, a pandemic and some horrific events that led to nationwide protests for racial justice, the history books won’t glaze over the events of this year. Each one of us is responsible for the actions we’ve taken (or not taken).

But now that we are in the final month of 2020, the sunset, it’s becoming a little easier to look at the last year in a new light. We have a change in government coming in just a few weeks, generations are shifting in power, new voices are rising up and a vaccine is starting to roll out to those on the front lines. In this year where we’ve yelled, marched, voted, cried, and wondered what the fuck was going on more than ever before, there are bright spots. The twinkling lights are starting to appear and it’s easier to focus on the things I’m grateful for instead of those things I’m mourning.

If December is like the sunset, the winter months of January and February are a good night’s sleep. Enjoy the sunset, tell people how much you love them, laugh at the craziness of having Christmas via Zoom, drive around and look at Christmas lights. Then, prepare yourselves for a few months of rest, reflection and reset. It will be dark and cold and quiet, but that can be beautiful too. Stay safe, stay home. Happy almost new year.

The post Sunsets appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

I am not a political analyst or reporter. I’m just a voter. These are just my observations after watching it.

This DNC 2020 recap is for people looking for some highlights from a non-pundit who is currently unemployed and definitely cried while drinking a glass of wine during some of the speeches. I will also warn you that I did not take notes so this is all from memory. Enjoy.

My DNC 2020 Recap

The Issues:

ALL OF THESE ISSUES are obviously important to the Democratic party and we’ve heard about them during every debate. Some were mentioned more than others during the convention, but I do believe that they are all part of the party platform.

Climate Change

This issue was brought up by all the major speakers so there is definitely acknowledgement. It would have been good to hear more about the plans. Governor Gavin Newsom made this his only real topic because he is currently dealing with CA wildfires.

Gun Violence

Gabrielle Giffords spoke and it was very powerful. I also saw some faces I recognized from the many protests and marches that have happened to advocate for stricter gun laws.

Military Families

Tammy Duckworth and Pete Buttigieg both gave short speeches as well as a few interviews with military families. They covered the importance of protecting and supporting not only the soldiers, but their families back home as well. Pete talked about how much the country has changed in the last 10 years with the reversal of don’t ask, don’t tell and the fight for marriage equality. With Biden’s son serving in Middle East, their family has first hand experience with the struggles and realities those Americans face.

Education

This topic was best covered by Elizabeth Warren and Jill Biden. Obviously, having teachers discuss the importance of funding for schools, protection for the children and focus on reducing the debt for college graduates was powerful. Teachers are saints and I’m so grateful for them all.

Immigration

This video stood out to me. Too many families have been torn apart. We have friends who have lived in fear the last four years that they may be sent to a country that they haven’t seen since they were infants. There needs to be an end to family separation and children locked up in cages. We need to fix our immigration system.

Racial & Social Injustice

Many speakers talked about Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many others lost to police brutality. Biden talked about the readiness of the American people to make necessary changes and do the work to end racial injustice in this country. There is still so much work to do, but we need leaders that acknowledge that and surround themselves with people who are making changes happen.

Voting Rights & Importance

Hillary talked about the importance of voting. She reminded the American people that you can get 3 million more votes and still lose. Also, Keisha Lance Bottoms had a great speech about voting rights and how Atlanta is preparing for election day. She touched on the incredible work done by John Lewis and how we need to pick up where he left off.

The Economy

Obviously, we are in the middle of a pandemic and it is taking a huge toll on the economy. Biden talked about jobs in his speech and touched on his plans to focus on creating tech jobs and helping middle class families. The stock market may look good, but that is huge corporations that are taking market share from small businesses that are having to close their doors. Remember to support your local businesses.

COVID-19 & Healthcare

Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy was on Thursday night. He was clear that his job is not political, but he felt compelled to talk about the response to COVID and how dangerous it was to ignore science. He also shared a great story about Biden meeting his family. There were also stories of people who have lost family members to COVID as well as a tribute to the 170,000 lives lost.

5 Speeches to Watch:

Michelle was the best for me. If you have the time, I think watching all five main speeches would be good. Joe and Kamala are the nominees, so learning more about them should be your top priority. Michelle and Barack are inspiring as always. And I loved hearing from Jill Biden and learning more about her as well.

Michelle Obama

It was emotional and moving. I love the lack of crowd because you feel like she is talking directly to you. Putting a huge emphasis on the importance of voting this year, she reminds us all to have comfortable shoes, a brown bag lunch and our masks if we are voting in person. She makes great use of the “it is what is is” line that Trump used poorly in an interview about COVID deaths. This was hands down my favorite 20 minutes.

Jill Biden

I didn’t know much about Jill other than following her on Twitter. Hearing about her teaching career and how she became part of the Biden family was heartwarming. I didn’t know that she continued teaching during her 8 years as second lady. Having educators in powerful positions can only help our children and seeing her walk through empty hallways in a school was a reminder of what schoolchildren and teachers are facing.

Barack Obama

He is a fantastic speaker and rarely disappoints. He touched on the plans that Joe and Kamala have for the country while also addressing the failures of the current administration. Just an amazing speech as expected.

Kamala Harris

Her speech had everything. She introduced herself to Americans with some background on her family, her immigrant parents, her law career and the things that matter most to her. Beau Biden was her friend. She used that as a segway into her relationship with Joe. She finished with an overview of the future and what their plans are. It was well written and well delivered. I absolutely love hearing her speak and I’m so excited that she is the vice presidential nominee.

Joe Biden

Joe’s speech was impressive and captivating. He took time to grieve with the American people about the lives lost during this pandemic. I felt reassured in him as a candidate. He talked about listening to the young people of America and being inspired and motivated by them. Also, he talked about the importance of protecting all of the people of America, not just his base or his party.

Things I learned about Joe Biden:

He decided to run for president the night of the demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA. Listening to Donald Trump say that there were very fine people on both sides was disgusting and he immediately knew he needed to act. I think that says a lot about his motivations.

There were COUNTLESS stories from speakers about moments in their life where they were in pain and Joe reached out to them personally. People who received cancer diagnoses, parents who lost children, kids who reached important milestones. He celebrates and grieves with people all over the country in their important life moments. It was moving and comforting for me to hear the stories.

I learned more about his struggles with grief. I knew about his wife and children, but hearing those stories more in depth and watching the clips of his late son talk about his dad brought tears to my eyes. The video that explained the nickname “Amtrak Joe” was very memorable. It showcased his relationship with those that worked on the trains that delivered him home to Delaware every day from DC to put his children to bed.

His ability to listen seems to be second to none. He doesn’t interrupt or talk about himself. Watching him interact with people is refreshing. A leader who listens is something we don’t currently have.

Other highlights:

All the shoutouts to John Lewis. Why isn’t the bridge in Selma renamed yet?

Bernie’s speech. He reminded progressive voters where he aligns with Joe and what they’ve worked on together. He points out how far things have come in the last few years as far as policy discussions. By showing his confidence and support of Biden, I think he pushed to make a case to the progressives that didn’t vote in 2016 – this election is imperative to protecting our democracy.

The roll call where all 57 states and territories of the US announced their delegate counts. Seeing all the different backdrops and people was a great reminder of how big, diverse and wonderful this country is.

A young New Hampshire boy, Brayden Harrington, talking about his stutter and how Joe helped him. My mind immediately went to the moment in the 2016 campaign where Trump mocked someone with disabilities on stage. That stark difference is important to share because we all forget some of the crazy shit he’s done in the last few years.

The Survivor cast off’s coming together to support Joe. I kid about the Survivor part, but there was a kind of cheesy moment where 7 of the primary contenders came together to publicly offer support to Joe and share some of their favorite moments with him.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her hilarious commentary while moderating as well as Sarah Cooper’s call to action on early voting. In between the tears on night four, we received a few moments of comedic relief and I loved it.

Seeing all the republicans speak out against Donald Trump and endorse Joe. Colin Powell and John Kasich had the most talking time, but there were plenty others featured throughout the event.

Elizabeth Warren signing off on Joe’s plans. She has probably read every single page of everything he’s published. She’s incredibly thorough and pays attention to details. Just look in the background of her speech where she made sure to spell out BLM with blocks in the classroom. Love her.

Final Thoughts

The idea of a convention that happens from guest bedrooms and living rooms across the country seemed like a tech or logistical nightmare from the get-go. But they nailed it. I loved the four moderators and how things flowed.

I wish there would have been a little more AOC or some other younger members of the party in some of the longer speaking slots. There were some awesome videos showcasing some new members of the party, but there wasn’t enough time to get to know them.

I’m all about the montages and variety of mediums during the convention. Hope this DNC 2020 recap helped at least one person.

Are you registered to vote?

The post My DNC 2020 Recap appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

Usually a list of summer reads would include beach and pool books, but there hasn’t been much of that this year with COVID. So this list may look a little different than my post from last year – although, maybe not.

Fiction

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

This book had been on my list for a while and I got it with my new San Diego library card. It’s described as “Bridget Jones meets Americanah”, but I think it’s better described as a well written real story that is relatable at parts. I loved Queenie even when I wanted to shake her. I would definitely recommend this one.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

This was the book that ended my weird reading slump. It was in a little free library in the neighborhood and I had heard lots of good things about it. It’s always a little concerning when you hear a million great things about a book – is it too much hype? I could not put it down. I read the entire book in a day. The story consumed me and I loved it.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

It’s hard to explain this book. The storytelling is great, but it’s more than that. Some of the characters are progressive individuals who lack good self awareness. It was a book I thought about a lot because it has a lot of layers. On the surface, it’s a story about an event and people’s reactions to it, but as I got through it, I found myself thinking more and more about the characters and their small interactions. I think it’s just one that you have to read yourself.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

This was also a quick one day read. It’s a YA book and I can’t remember who recommended it to me, but I got it at the library. The main character is essentially a bubble girl who falls in love with the boy next door. It’s a lovely story that gave me a whole range of emotions in the few hours that I had my face in it.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

I gave this book only three stars on Goodreads, but I would still recommend it to others. Why? It’s such an interesting story and different from any of the other books I’ve read this year. It tells a story about death, superstitions, siblings, love and mystery. While it wasn’t my absolute favorite, it’s something a little different than what I normally read and I liked that.

Non-Fiction

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

This collection of essays was hilarious. I am a fan of SNL and love hearing more about the people that devote their lives to the crazy schedule. Colin Jost might be most well known for being engaged to Scarlett Johansen, but he has some incredible stories about growing up on Staten Island. There is a chapter about his bad-ass mom who worked for the NYC fire department during 9/11/2001 (and many other years) – it had me in tears. It is full of funny stories and it was definitely the content I needed in this crazy summer.

Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever by Gavin Edwards

Just a book filled with remarkable warmth and kindness. Mr. Rogers is famous for his gentle demeanor. There have been a few movies and books about him recently and this just happened to be the one I picked up. It was heartwarming and inspirational. It had me thinking a lot about my grandpa who reminded me of Mr Rogers. The Tom Hanks movie is next on my list because it left me wanting more.

“You can’t satisfy all the desires of those who ask, but you can translate some of the care you have inside of yourselves to action on the outside,” he told everyone one last time. “And that’s what really matters.”

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

I might have been the only person in the world that had no idea who Glennon Doyle was before reading this book. Anytime I see more than three of my friends reading something, I’m going to put it on my list. This book felt like I was looking in on someone’s therapy session, but in a way that was helpful to myself too. She is honest and open about the things she struggles with in life and unapologetic about making changes. It wasn’t the kind of book I picked up and read in a day, but it was a good slow savor.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

This is a book I think every person should read. Chanel Miller is an incredible writer. This is her story and it is something everyone should read about. You probably remember seeing Brock Turner’s smug face on the news a few years ago as the white kid from Stanford who only spent 3 months in jail for rape. This is the other side of that story – the important one. If you haven’t read it yet, do it. Also, follow her on Instagram.

So what have your favorite summer reads been so far in this strange weird summer?

If you are looking for more summer reads inspiration, go check out the many book recommendations on this post from my friend, Steph. Happy reading.

The post My Summer Reads – The Bookshelf Vol 25 appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

20% Discount for New Customers

If you’ve been wanting to try out Beautycounter at any point, they are offering something pretty wonderful for the month of July. The code below is good for any new customers (or email addresses) and is good for almost everything on the website. I’m ordering this new face sunscreen, the magical Vitamin C Serum and this cleanser to use to protect my face from my mask usage.

Dolly Parton’s America

This podcast is my new favorite. I’ve always known who Dolly Parton is and knew a couple of her most popular songs, but I didn’t know much about her. The host of the show has a personal connection with her and does some deep diving into her music and life. It’s filled with happy stories, background on different songs and lots of Dolly laughter (which is something special itself).

All the episodes have been released, so you can binge the entire thing. It’s incredible.

An Article Worth Reading

Here is the link to the article.

It’s a long article, but it’s worth sitting down with your coffee this week and reading it.

“You get it only when the shit happens to you, too; we all know that. And now the effects of our segregated democracy are happening to you. And now you can see or understand that, all along, I’ve been trying to get along, just like you. The way Ma taught me. To be independent and help my chosen family.”

Bota Box RedVolution

This has been the favorite wine in our household during quarantine. It has seen me through multiple episodes of Real Housewives, the crying I did while watching Hamilton and lots of evenings of games or puzzles. We have taste tested a few and this is the only one I keep going back to. Boxed wine is really the only option right now because it’s extra affordable and tastes great and you don’t have to restock every few days. We found it at Target and I’m considering asking our local liquor store to add it to their shelves.

Padma Lakshmi’s Taste the Nation

Available on Hulu, this show dives into communities in the US and the food magic that they create. She travels all around country and learns about all kinds of different flavors. We’ve watched the first four and we’re trying to savor the rest. I already made a list of all the Persian places I want to check out when visiting LA will be an option again.

What have you discovered this week that is worth sharing?

The post Things Worth Sharing appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

I’m not referring to the magical school bus driver, although I saw that Elizabeth Banks is set to play her in a movie and that is awesome. I’m talking about my hair. It is frizzier than ever and even if I try and pull myself together – my hair is out of control. I can’t blame it on humidity since San Diego has wonderful dry air, so I think it’s time to find help. I’m looking at purchasing this product if I can find a good deal, but I’m curious if anyone has any favorites.

Imperfect Foods

I have done two weeks of the Imperfect Produce box now and I’m hooked. I did a price comparison at Trader Joe’s with all the fruits & veggies and found it comparable. The only difference is the delivery fee, but that can be waived if you add on any dairy, meat or pantry items you need. Having meat sent via mail seems wrong to me, but I also don’t eat meat, so I’m probably not the best person to listen to.

The amount of produce we got was awesome and I like that I can select things that I don’t want in the box so nothing gets wasted. I can get groceries at tons of different places, but I love that this company has a mission to save food from being wasted. It’s incredible work since Americans waste up to 40% of food. Any way I can help, I’m here for it.

If you want to try Imperfect Foods, you can get $10 off using this link (and you save me some money on my next box too).

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark

HBO never really fails me with things that are interesting or funny or captivating. This is no different. As the Golden State Killer is negotiating at plea deal in the court system this week, HBO releases the first of six episodes that dive into his capture. This special has interviews with some of the survivors and the people who knew the author the best. It’s really well done and I would recommend to anyone that is into True Crime.

If you haven’t read the book, it’s out on paperback now and worth the read. You can find it at the link below.

A Very Happy Cry

Facebook is a time suck and I don’t use it often, BUT I found something today that made my day and I wanted to share it.

Backstory: A few weeks ago, a Senior Care Center posted on Facebook that their residents were looking for penpals. They posted pictures where the residents would introduce themselves and share something they loved. Well, people really took this and ran with it. Now, you can see their daily mail call with all the cookies, flowers, balloons and letters these people are getting from all over the world. It’s worth just reading through the comments and seeing all the smiles.

Here is the link to their Facebook page so you can see it all.

It has inspired me to send some snail mail this week and I hope you do the same. Handwritten letters are extra special.

An Incredible Artist

Thanks to Instagram, I was introduced to Adrian Brandon’s work. He is currently working on a series called Stolen. Each year that the subject was alive, he colors for a minute on their portrait. It is powerful and worth checking out. I also LOVE his series of Brooklyn windows. Here is his account:

View this post on Instagram

Twitter asked me to create a piece celebrating #blackjoy for Juneteenth. It's featured on their official Twitter account Blackbirds. With all the scenes of violence against Black bodies circulating the media dehumanizing us, it is so important to celebrate Black culture, love and joy. Happy Juneteenth y'all (and happy birthday Mama )

A post shared by Adrian Brandon (@ayy.bee) on Jun 19, 2020 at 8:21am PDT

And that’s a few things I wanted to pass along.

Hope you are staying home, staying healthy and wearing your mask whenever you leave your home.

The post Some Things Worth Sharing appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

My friend, Steph, wrote this post about the things she wanted to remember about these strange times in quarantine. I realized that life has done some strange shifts in the last 100 days and there are some details I want to hang on to.

Thoughts about 100 days in quarantine I want to remember:

The marketing work that has gone into reminding people of the CDC guidelines is impressive. I have laughed at so many different posters, floor stickers, memes and t-shirts that take on the important message of wearing masks and social distancing. The posters pictured above are on the windows near the Target we go to in South Park.

I became even more grateful for the choices I’ve made regarding personal care. I stopped coloring my hair almost a decade ago and have never been someone that enjoys manicures or pedicures. This transition into everything being closed was much easier for me thanks to these choices.

Siri and I have finally reached a relationship that works for both of us. While she/he doesn’t ever answer my questions correctly, things like this are helpful. My phone no longer pops up breaking news alerts with Trump’s name in them.

I have reconnected with friends I haven’t talked to in years. Some of it was thanks to the additional conversations about racism in this country, some of it was before that when we had time to devote to two hour zoom calls.

Restaurants and bars will not be on my list of places to visit for a while. I don’t really care if we can. It’s seems stupid to go inside and share space with lots of people while the number of COVID cases continues to climb. We learned that it is just wonderful to either order takeout or pack a picnic and park our car somewhere beautiful and have a picnic. We went to Morley Field last weekend when it was reopened and sat outside for hours. This is our new “out to eat” and I love it.

My mind has spent a lot of time just floating. It’s been harder than ever to read, watch TV or process information. The last month has seemed to get a little better, but for a while, I would just refresh Twitter nonstop and my mind would drift off to an unknown location. I didn’t think I was capable of just sitting, but these last 100 days have told me that when it’s necessary – I can stay still and just try to process.

Celebrations are weird AF. We both celebrated our birthdays at the end of May. It was so great to be with our little quarantine family because they do birthdays with balloons dumped over your head in the morning, lots of baking and we were even surprised with some gifts. Watching people do drive by birthdays, graduations, showing new babies through windows and zoom weddings. Technology has made it possible to still “gather” but it makes me wonder if we will appreciate those hugs and small moments together more in the future. I’m hopeful.

It isn’t just celebrations done differently. We watched a Black Lives Matter protest that was done all in cars. They drove by 10 different places in San Diego with signs, music blasting and lots of cheering supporters along the route. It was hours long. We stood next to a grandmother and her two grandchildren and listened to them discuss what the future of the country looks like.

The news is also on more than ever before. With so much going on, it is easy to just get sucked in for hours. I used to insist on some phone free days, but we are watching the country fall apart. It’s so important to stay engaged, to participate, to learn and help in anyway possible. I think I’m going to get back into a Sunday newspaper subscription to have a way to slowly sort through everything and hear from new voices. It’s more important than ever to stay engaged and know what’s happening, I just have to keep working on different ways to do that aside from the constant Twitter refresh.

I notice the little details much more now. I know which birds are outside by the sounds they make. We did a deep dive into Mourning Doves after a pair of them made a nest in our backyard. The mom and dad switch off in 12 hour shifts sitting on the nest and we know what time they change each day. That’s the mom sitting on our roof in the picture above.

It’s not just birds. I have also identified the optimal route through the neighborhood to see all my favorite front yard dogs. Watching all the colorful flowers bloom was a happy welcome to Southern California as well. I hope I keep the attention to details because I have enjoyed our daily walks so much with all the extra things to see.

This tiny moment is one I want to lock away. Our godchild lives just a few blocks away from my mom with his parents and baby sister. My mom also takes daily walks and noticed the hearts they had put in their window at the beginning of quarantine. She made sure to send me a picture to pass along. The next week, she walked on the side of the street closer to them and saw this little message to her written in chalk. It reminded me how often people do little acts of kindness that make big differences. It’s rare that you get to be an outsider looking in on this, so I felt so lucky.

I definitely hate doing dishes. They never end when all your meals are made at home. It was a blessing that we didn’t have jobs at the beginning of this because I would have ordered take out every day.

What is something you want to remember from this strange slow time?

Also, please wear your mask, stay home as much as you can and sign this petition because there still hasn’t been justice for Breonna Taylor.

The post 100 Days appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

There are a few books that I’ve read in the last year or so that I haven’t seen listed. They are books I think about often, highlighted many things in and helped me spend a little time in someone else’s story. One is fiction and three are non-fiction – more memoirs. I would encourage anyone wanting to read more Black authors and hear more Black stories to check these out.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This beautiful story follows two half-sisters in 18th century Ghana. Their lives take very different directions and the book follows their descendants through hundreds of years to present day. It is a bit of a slow start. Once I got into the flow of the book, I couldn’t put it down. The story tells history by weaving through the family and its different generations. I have thought about this book many times since reading it. It would make a great book club selection as well.

From the book:

We believe the one who has power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history, you must ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there you get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture.

Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist by Franchesca Ramsey

From the day her YouTube video “Shit White Girls Say…to Black Girls” went viral, Ramsey was shoved into the spotlight. She shares her story including the struggles to figure out how to navigate the crazy internet world in this book. I loved reading this because it felt like I was reading emails from my smartest friends. She gives ideas about how to move dialogue forward and how to deal with trolls. What I like about her the most is that she is completely open about being in the middle of this process as well and doesn’t come off as someone who is an expert on the situation.

From the book:

“All lives matter” is an empty retort designed to shut down conversations about black people and the issues they face. I think the “all lives matter” folks know that—they just refuse to admit it. Comeback: “It’s okay for a movement to be focused on a specific group or cause. ‘Save the rainforest’ doesn’t mean ‘Fuck all the other trees.“

When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele

This is a memoir about what is means to be a Black woman in America. Patrisse Khan-Cullors grew up in LA and tells many stories from her childhood in an impoverished neighborhood with a single mother. The events in her life led to her co-founding the Black Lives Matter movement. She is a champion of human rights and this book is a call to action.

From the book:

Later, when I hear others dismissing our voices, our protest for equity, by saying All Lives Matter or Blue Lives Matter, I will wonder how many white Americans are dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night because they might fit a vague description offered up by God knows who. How many skinny, short, blond men were rounded up when Dylann Roof massacred people in prayer? How many brown-haired white men were snatched out of bed when Bundy was killing women for sport?

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

I have recommended this book to almost every person that I talk to. Bryan Stevenson is incredible and does so much insanely hard work. If you’ve watched the documentary on Netflix called 13th, you’ve seen him speak in some of the interviews. We even drove to see his office in Montgomery when we took our Civil Rights Road Trip.

This book does a deep dive into one case that he worked on in Alabama and describes an overview of some of the issues with our criminal justice system. Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative to help defend the most desperate and in need. I learned so much from reading this book. If you don’t have time, you can always stream the movie (they have made it free on all platforms for the month of June).

From the book:

The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It’s when mercy is least expected that it’s most potent—strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration.

So what have you been recommending to people lately?

Do you have any books that you have learned a lot from and want to share? The next up on my list is How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X Kendi.

As always, I’m linking up with Steph & Jana for their monthly book round up.

The post 4 Books You Might Not Have on Your List Yet appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

I have been writing in a journal every day for the last 72 days. It’s the first thing I do in the morning and I make sure to document five things that I’m grateful for in the moment. Some days have been a real struggle. I’ve written down Pringles and being able to watch the tortoise next door get his daily exercise. This morning, I just had too many things swirling around in the brain after I made my list, so I figured that typing out some additional thoughts would be therapeutic and save my hand from cramping.

Some Random Thoughts

I am so sick of people’s stupid arguments on Facebook. I have seen some of the dumbest reasons for why restaurants should be allowed to reopen and so much blatant disrespect of science and facts. These people are debating the death toll and citing all kinds of conspiracies without acknowledging that testing was a giant failure and it’s hard to know many of the important data points right now because of that failure. I am not a scientist, a doctor or an expert in public health. I will continue to do what those people recommend to protect as many people as possible. It’s uncomfortable to wear a mask in the heat, my hands look like they’ve aged 100 years and I’m lucky if I even get in 3,000 steps each day – but those are just tiny annoyances. People are struggling with food, how to pay rent, losing their health insurance. Don’t be an asshole and complain about your freedom to eat in a restaurant.

To expand a little further on the above point, I’d like to remind everyone that this is impacting every single person in this country in one way or another. Sure, Jeff Bezos is a quintrillionaire now so maybe he’s doing fine. But most humans are feeling some burden from this. I find myself annoyed at the people arguing over the numbers and government reaction on Facebook. But I also have to keep reminding myself that everyone is trying to weather this storm and we are all stuck at sea with different boats and different life savers. There are those that are home alone and just wish they could have some social contact with loved ones. There are those stuck at home with lots of family members and are trying to find some peace and quiet. There are those that are scared to return to work and nervous about the dangers out there. There are those who can’t find any work and are terrified about what impact this will have on the economy long term. It’s important to have grace for others in this time.

Mail in voting is the easiest decision to make. There shouldn’t even be a debate about this. Make it happen.

The politicizing of this pandemic is also repulsive. We should be unified in this disaster and worked to help one another. Instead, there are elected officials claiming that the liberals are at fault. How does that even make sense? Your governors do not want to keep you home. This isn’t a funny game they are playing for their own amusement. If I see one more tweet about Gavin Newsom traveling to Montana, I’m going to explode.

In non COVID news, I would also like to ramble on about a few other things:

As much as I love bread, I have absolutely no desire to bake my own. That doesn’t stop me from following along on Instagram stories. My favorites are the starters that suffer horrible misfortunes. I don’t know why this is so entertaining for me. I can’t read for more than 15 minutes at a time right now, but I can watch 45 stories about sourdough.

I hate the avatars on Facebook. Sorry, but not really.

I am currently job hunting. It’s exhausting and really makes me feel like shit some days, but it has made me appreciate one weird thing. I love junk email now. I refresh so many times a day to see if I hear anything back that I’m happy to see new junk email so I know it’s at least working. I have started taking note of marketing strategies and making future purchasing decisions on whether or not brands seem woke to the current situation for many. It’s strange, but it’s a strange world out there right now.

Reading and writing have seemed hard this month. I did post a couple things on The Tumbling Nomads if you want to see some ideas for eating less meat or see pictures from my 2nd favorite European city. I would love it if you checked them out here.

Beautycounter is running an awesome Memorial Day promotion. Plus, if you’ve never ordered Beautycounter before, you can sign up your email address for a 20% off code. Go buy some sunscreen for your backyard and some hand cream for your dry hands. Find it all here.

Have a great long weekend. I’ll be celebrating my birthday in a way that is yet to be determined but probably involves wine, donuts and a puzzle. Thrilling.

The post Some Friday Thoughts appeared first on Insert Classy Here.

Making meals all day, every day. I love that part. But the dishes. It feels like all we do is cook and then clean up. I shared our five favorite recipes on our Nomads website here. We’ve been making those a lot. Today, I made our new favorite cold meal, the radish salad sandwich from A Beautiful Mess. Who knew that radishes would be so good in a sandwich?

Missing so many things. I think the main thing on my mind right now is income. It is extremely hard to look for jobs in this current state. Our original plan for our travels was to find a new place to call home in the months of April and May and then start looking for jobs. We never imagined that this would be the economic environment we would be job searching in. I’m trying to stay positive as many days as possible and I’m just hopeful that we get lucky at some point.

Learning a few new things on skillshare. I took advantage of the two months for free – which you can get here. I’m working on mostly adobe creative suite stuff to help my resume, but I’m having fun while doing it. Flexing the creative muscles and using my brain is helpful and it’s a stress reliever many days.

Loving California. This weather is a highlight. I’ve noticed that my daily gratitude list in my journal includes something weather related at least twice a week. The sunshine and warm weather is amazing. We have a little backyard area that we can enjoy the evening breeze. I hope that the next two months provide some opportunities so we can call this lovely place home for a while.

I also loved the Parks & Rec reunion. I know it wasn’t the greatest of all time, but it made me happy to see all their faces together for a good cause. I want all the shows I miss in my life to do that.

Reading a few different books, but the one that is currently grabbing my attention is about Mr. Rogers. It’s called Kindness and Wonder. I just love reading a story about someone so kind and with such a huge heart. I need more of that content right now.

Here is the link for Indiebound to grab the book from a local bookstore.

Is it weird that I’m happy we are halfway through the week? Is time even a real thing right now? It’s so strange. I want time to go fast and slow down at the same time. I’m hoping that things normalize a little for me soon.

Have you read the Mr. Rogers book or seen the Parks & Rec reunion? What does time feel like for you in this madness?

The post Currently appeared first on Insert Classy Here.