tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16035861389180320002024-03-12T19:48:40.582-05:00Anna Be.Living, Learning, and Writing It DownAnna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-56696483612557659112020-10-13T13:52:00.000-05:002020-10-13T13:52:03.884-05:00I spend 24 hours alone and this is what happened<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGgoLesSty6NKjlDIEDKPfR2XZVd-XofGvLHo1kh3vMqTlc8WGFq_4VyTDifj473I4vxq4QveTsSdoUXVZyoLQgZVrMrFVwei7EJcyiFhiFE3l2lZGo0KP2rS6TvIXcxS5ak19IKQhGbC/s2048/It%2527s+a+sign+of+the+times+We+gotta+get+away+from+here+We+gotta+get+away+from+here.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGgoLesSty6NKjlDIEDKPfR2XZVd-XofGvLHo1kh3vMqTlc8WGFq_4VyTDifj473I4vxq4QveTsSdoUXVZyoLQgZVrMrFVwei7EJcyiFhiFE3l2lZGo0KP2rS6TvIXcxS5ak19IKQhGbC/w640-h360/It%2527s+a+sign+of+the+times+We+gotta+get+away+from+here+We+gotta+get+away+from+here.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I just booked a hotel room for two nights in November. The hotel is about 5 minutes from my house. I will go for one night of utter solitude and then hand it off to Nick to take a night away from home.</p><p>If it is in your means and you have also not been alone in 7 months, I recommend a 24 hour retreat. I can make this recommendation from my vast experience having done it for the first time 4 days ago.</p><p>Here's a sampling of what I did during my 24-hour retreat:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Wrote uninterrupted for several hours.</li><li>Watched a documentary about Abraham Lincoln.</li><li>Watched MTV's Ghosted, because I'm both high brow and low brow.</li><li>Watched CNN because I am pretty middle brow too, if we're honest.</li><li>Ordered a steak dinner and ate it in courses over the entire evening.</li><li>Ate 6 Reese's cups (which are banned in our house due to allergy).</li><li>Set an alarm for 10 a.m., the latest I could possibly sleep. (Woke up at 8 a.m. anyway.)</li><li>Made every decision considering only what I wanted and not the wants and needs of anyone else.</li><li>Brushed my teeth without toothpaste because Nick is the one who always remembers the toothpaste.</li></ul><div>All that stuff is pretty boring compared to what happened <i>after</i> I got home:</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">No one got on my nerves, and I wanted to be around them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div>Want to know what's an even bigger deal than that? For the first time in months my depression, anxiety, and stress were at "normal" levels. Not "severe". Not "OMFG we are all going to die." <b>Normal.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>How long will it last? I don't know, and I don't f-ing care. The relief has lasted three days so far, and I'll take that conversion rate. </div><div><br /></div><div>Right now I'm typing this blog post while the kids play upstairs. I'm not itching to run up there and make sure they are breathing or trying to goad them into some kind of enriching experience to make up for their months of isolation. I take the lack of tears and screams (from them or from me) as sufficient evidence we are all fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>Y'all, it's a revelation. </div><p></p>Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-44684872482636360512020-07-27T13:01:00.001-05:002020-07-27T13:01:56.985-05:00What ifWhat if I turned this site in to a daily personal journal that no one reads instead of trying to keep it as a professional base that I never update? I mean, I can do what I want.<br />
<br />
Remember when blogging was different?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqJtObAKiCp46AJ5E30o499os53Kxq_-SpwNCzQswLwxKiJ1hpJLS1gYIHJZaxt6LWBzZt2On4Mo5jP8byypoF_d9AiAdeevnQPbMVTJ81-IjjfXc0v-35xwfELhfrKqWZI7vXFfspDLz/s1600/9EAB652C-EB8D-478B-AD12-660AA62C1C9B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqJtObAKiCp46AJ5E30o499os53Kxq_-SpwNCzQswLwxKiJ1hpJLS1gYIHJZaxt6LWBzZt2On4Mo5jP8byypoF_d9AiAdeevnQPbMVTJ81-IjjfXc0v-35xwfELhfrKqWZI7vXFfspDLz/s400/9EAB652C-EB8D-478B-AD12-660AA62C1C9B.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-26958297836943740632020-03-20T13:44:00.002-05:002020-03-20T13:44:58.889-05:00Day 5 of social isolation; Day 3 of no contact outside of householdWhich day am I counting from? Day 5 since the world changed (for us) or Day 3 since our last possible exposure to the virus? Once we get into double-digit days it won't make much difference, will it.<br />
<br />
I thought I would use this blog for something, just a quick list of what's going on with us.<br />
<br />
1. I'm ordering a dough hook so we can make bread. We have a subscription to <a href="https://www.americastestkitchen.com/kids/grownups" target="_blank">ATK's Young Chef's Club</a> (not sponsored). When I signed up a few months ago, I thought it would be a good way to extend Lizzie's feeding and sensory therapy. Now...<br />
<br />
2. Lizzie's therapy is suspended until this virus passes. She has come so far in the last 6 months with preschool and extra therapy. She will keep growing. I just wish...<br />
<br />
3. She could be with her friends, teachers, and therapists. She asks about them every day. At least...<br />
<br />
4. Mamie was able to Zoom with her teacher and class yesterday. I know her school is going to develop the best remote learning set up we could ask for. And Mamie will be ready for anything, even if that means starting fresh with first grade in the fall. A friend reminded me this is just like an early summer for the kids...<br />
<br />
5. But by actual summer? What will that be like? Best case scenario, we will be able to road trip again, from here to Alabama to Massachusetts and back again. Best case scenario, by the end of June this will have passed.<br />
<br />
6. By next week, I hope I can work again. I have three assignments right now, but I've been unable to concentrate this week. Generous editors understand, but I miss my work. I hope next week I can figure out what I have to contribute in this very weird time.<br />
<br />
7. Nick is great. We are very lucky his employer is stable and supportive of remote work. We are very lucky our home set-up gives him what he needs to get work done and still have meals and daily activities with us.<br />
<br />
8. I know some parents are cleaving to a schedule and some are letting things go. Any response to suddenly being stuck at home with your kids is a valid one. I had a few days of panic and paralysis, and then I created a schedule. This is loosely what we are doing with our days:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
7 am -- breakfast and whatever<br />8 am -- art<br />9 am -- go outside for a walk<br />10 am -- project (from a subscription box or our stockpile of activities)<br />11 am -- lunch and whatever<br />12 pm -- Lesson 1 (right now we are using Scholastic's Learning at Home some such)<br />1 pm -- go outside<br />2 pm -- yoga (Cosmic Kids on Amazon Prime)<br />3 pm -- Lesson 2<br />4 pm -- cook<br />5 pm -- chores<br />6 pm -- dinner<br />7 pm -- bath and bedtime</blockquote>
<br />
9. There is a lot of "whatever" in this plan, plenty of screen time, and...<br />
<br />
10. I forgot to add that at 1:42 pm every day, Lizzie has a very contrary reaction to everything I do. She wants a ponytail, but doesn't want me to touch her hair. She wants the Kindle, but no she wants the iPad. She wants to no no no no no, so I usually take 5 minutes to myself. That's what I'm going to do now.Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-38689389326564963732019-09-19T11:02:00.000-05:002019-09-19T11:02:22.004-05:00Happy Birthday Jelly HeadThis weekend we celebrate Mamie's 6th birthday... how did that happen? It just happens. We cry and fight and make up songs. We learn to be brave together. And then you wake up on a Sunday morning and you have a 6-year-old in Hogwarts pajamas.<br />
<br />
A few years ago, I got to share how we decided to name/nickname Mamie.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a45827/i-love-my-kids-unusual-name/" style="color: #2196f3; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">I Love My Kid's Unusual Name</a><br />
<br />
When she started kindergarten this year, her nickname was all but slayed by bureaucratic forms. Despite me only ever referring to her as Mamie, her school adults only ever call her Mary. I wanted to defend her at first, speak up for using her preferred name!<br />
<br />
Then she said, "No, I like Mary."<br />
<br />
And I thought, W<i>ell why shouldn't she? It's the name we gave her. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
So I guess we've adopted the compromise that many families of nicknamed kids have -- she is Mary at school and Mamie everywhere else. And I'm leaving it entirely up to her what she is called. She prefers not to be called Jelly Head, and I'm trying to respect that.Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-13907819699678230392019-09-13T12:36:00.000-05:002019-09-13T12:36:07.096-05:00It's still hard to live far away from family, but here's what's differentFour years ago, I wrote about parenting without family nearby for Good Housekeeping:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a34721/i-wish-we-lived-closer-to-our-families/" style="color: #2196f3; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">I Wish We Were Raising Our Daughter Closer to Family</a><br />
<br />
Now we have a second daughter, and we are still many many miles from their grandparents. It doesn't seem as hard now, and here's why:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Grandparents and other family take the time and energy to visit us several times a year. Not more than a few months go by without someone bunking in our guest room, and the girls know and love all of their family.</li>
<li>We make those trips too. When we haul these kids 12+ hours in the car, we like to stay a few weeks and make ourselves at home. Thankfully, we are always welcome.</li>
<li>The girls' aunt is now only a few hours away. It makes such a difference to know someone is "close".</li>
<li>For the kids, long distance relationships are the norm. They know how to FaceTime, and take full advantage of their grandparents' attention. </li>
<li>We've made "family" here. Friends turn into confidants, sitters turn into pseudo big sisters, teachers turn into community. </li>
</ol>
I used to stress so much about being isolated out here in the Wild West, but our community has grown up around us.Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-2417203280192966242019-09-04T11:51:00.001-05:002019-09-04T12:08:04.797-05:00What I'm Reading: A Book That Takes Its Time and everything FLOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAlQwgd5n_RV4kpmVT2v2hbSlXqyIdDRoqMQXL5ck39kk6vb4OVcjaRRwYsdYnGXeOnkfnVveTcxs1eK7M_7rNCkXB4Jbjt0bdj4wOnU3HQ5qaYb61x5pO7TKcUmYF2R-GlsktlU-R0Bc/s1600/fullsizeoutput_8cd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="880" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAlQwgd5n_RV4kpmVT2v2hbSlXqyIdDRoqMQXL5ck39kk6vb4OVcjaRRwYsdYnGXeOnkfnVveTcxs1eK7M_7rNCkXB4Jbjt0bdj4wOnU3HQ5qaYb61x5pO7TKcUmYF2R-GlsktlU-R0Bc/s200/fullsizeoutput_8cd.jpeg" width="190" /></a></div>
<h2>
<a href="https://www.flowmagazine.com/shop/a-book-that-takes-time" target="_blank">A Book That Takes Its Time</a> from the editors of Flow Magazine</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
...and I am very much taking my time to read it. "Read" is not even the right word. I'm consuming it? Completing it? Frankly, I'm reading a few pages every few weeks and snipping, noting, and pondering as I go.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm obsessed with everything from Flow -- the magazine itself, the annual Book for Paper Lovers, all the special editions and doodads.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It is for people who love paper, graphic design, journaling, slowing down, planning, and quirky Euro vibes.</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-48312045000404498722019-05-10T21:09:00.001-05:002019-05-10T21:09:55.989-05:00What I'm reading today<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348181154l/9932114.jpg" width="125" /></div>
<br />
<h1 class="gr-h1 gr-h1--serif" id="bookTitle" itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; width: 455px;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9932114-fifteen-minutes-outside?from_search=true" target="_blank">Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids</a></h1>
<h2 id="bookSeries" style="color: #382110; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.25; margin: 4px 0px;">
</h2>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span class="by" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">by</span> <span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a class="authorName" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5335152.Rebecca_P_Cohen" itemprop="url" style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">Rebecca P. Cohen</a></div>
</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">My kids don't need much excuse to get outside, but this helps me do it.</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1546015233l/40046084.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard;" width="132" /></span><h1 class="gr-h1 gr-h1--serif" id="bookTitle" itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; width: 455px;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40046084-long-live-the-tribe-of-fatherless-girls?from_search=true" target="_blank">Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls</a></h1>
<h2 id="bookSeries" style="color: #382110; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.25; margin: 4px 0px;">
</h2>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span class="by" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">by</span> <span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a class="authorName" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16661915.T_Kira_Madden" itemprop="url" style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">T Kira Madden</a></div>
</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">This makes me want to be a better writer.</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Mood Guide to Fabric and Fashion: The Essential Guide from the World's Most Famous Fabric Store" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435790788l/24795902.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard;" width="168" /></span><h1 class="gr-h1 gr-h1--serif" id="bookTitle" itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; width: 455px;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24795902-the-mood-guide-to-fabric-and-fashion?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Mood Guide to Fabric and Fashion: The Essential Guide from the World's Most Famous Fabric Store</a></h1>
<h2 id="bookSeries" style="color: #382110; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.25; margin: 4px 0px;">
</h2>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span class="by" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">by</span> <span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a class="authorName" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18062750.Johnny_Miller" itemprop="url" style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;"><span itemprop="name">Johnny Miller</span></a> <span class="authorName greyText smallText role" style="line-height: 24px;">(Photographer)</span>, </div>
<div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a class="authorName" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93162.Tim_Gunn" itemprop="url" style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;"><span itemprop="name">Tim Gunn</span></a> <span class="authorName greyText smallText role" style="line-height: 24px;">(Foreword)</span></div>
</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span class="authorName greyText smallText role" style="line-height: 24px;">I bought this at Mood on a girls' trip to NYC a few years ago. It makes me want to be creative.</span></span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="authorName greyText smallText role" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span class="authorName greyText smallText role" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span class="authorName greyText smallText role" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Inspection" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534202983l/41058632.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard;" width="131" /></span><h1 class="gr-h1 gr-h1--serif" id="bookTitle" itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; width: 455px;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41058632-inspection?from_search=true" target="_blank">Inspection</a></h1>
<h2 id="bookSeries" style="color: #382110; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.25; margin: 4px 0px;">
</h2>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span class="by" style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">by</span> <span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<a class="authorName" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7271073.Josh_Malerman" itemprop="url" style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;">Josh Malerman</a></div>
</span></div>
<div class="" id="bookAuthors" style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">From the author of Bird Box; I'm listening to this one while I fold laundry this weekend.</span></div>
<span itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><div class="authorName__container" style="color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">
</div>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-12009588796984151532019-05-10T11:35:00.001-05:002019-05-10T11:35:58.712-05:00Stuff I wrote lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ho0XUgCTfBtRDmNdgthuagnfToq4_WFcLDk_ND2YA09TOhn_W0jOvuAdtU1AD7wPtkRWKZ3Vk1cq9l5zLXtnucz9T6x9EYaYmR6hXJuYs0B8SmKETjqHI-MeeIkqAtscEquLUC7_BcfA/s1600/my+stories-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ho0XUgCTfBtRDmNdgthuagnfToq4_WFcLDk_ND2YA09TOhn_W0jOvuAdtU1AD7wPtkRWKZ3Vk1cq9l5zLXtnucz9T6x9EYaYmR6hXJuYs0B8SmKETjqHI-MeeIkqAtscEquLUC7_BcfA/s320/my+stories-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
I haven't done a great job of sharing my latest writing! So here we go, catching up on the last couple of months.</h2>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <i>Huffington Post</i></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/teaching-daughters-patriarchy-chicken_n_5cd2ea26e4b0e524a47e15d4" target="_blank">How I am teaching my small daughters to play Patriarchy Chicken</a></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <i>Bustle</i></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/looking-back-on-elizabeth-wurtzels-prozac-nation-25-years-after-its-release-17137818" target="_blank">Looking Back On Elizabeth Wurtzel's 'Prozac Nation,' 25 Years After Its Release</a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In <i>Folks</i></span></h3>
<a href="https://folks.pillpack.com/hands-as-big-as-pillows-and-other-weird-migraine-symptoms/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hands as big as pillows, and other weird migraine symptoms</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://folks.pillpack.com/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-accept-being-bald/" target="_blank">How I learned to stop worrying and accept being bald</a></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <i>Lifehacker</i></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://lifehacker.com/a-guide-to-feeding-your-picky-eater-1834125109" target="_blank">A guide to feeding your picky eater</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://offspring.lifehacker.com/keep-your-daredevil-toddler-safe-1834630071" target="_blank">How to keep your toddler safe and secure</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://offspring.lifehacker.com/a-guide-to-handling-your-toddlers-evening-meltdown-1833756746" target="_blank">A guide to handling your toddler's evening meltdown</a></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <i>Hello Giggles</i></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/how-i-stopped-comparing-yoga-body/" target="_blank">How I stopped comparing myself to the ideal "yoga body" that doesn't actually exist</a></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <i>Healthline</i></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/dementia-denial-dangerous#4" target="_blank">Why denying that your loved one has dementia can be dangerous</a></span></div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-24070270742074711202019-05-07T18:17:00.003-05:002019-05-07T18:17:39.295-05:00Happy Mother's Day from a place of insecurity!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwE40q0y6PCZLdloV9lCnKOFd5evdo43fT8y_lcRzDJaBkWXl8-sZYGnCe3HXwlPWBFueX8PJo7yHeyskIPoGHyNm8AeGBGAFLOsIKk_5QfiWa8c5b4cNfh95iTOEzex0KgMaBwQ3IQ9F/s1600/%25E2%2580%259CMotherhood+is+a+constant+struggle+to+trust+your+own+instincts+instead+of+looking+for+answers+outside+your+little+family+unit.+Motherhood+is+bushwhacking+a+new+path+while+hauling+your+kids%252C+house%252C+and+life+on+your+ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwE40q0y6PCZLdloV9lCnKOFd5evdo43fT8y_lcRzDJaBkWXl8-sZYGnCe3HXwlPWBFueX8PJo7yHeyskIPoGHyNm8AeGBGAFLOsIKk_5QfiWa8c5b4cNfh95iTOEzex0KgMaBwQ3IQ9F/s320/%25E2%2580%259CMotherhood+is+a+constant+struggle+to+trust+your+own+instincts+instead+of+looking+for+answers+outside+your+little+family+unit.+Motherhood+is+bushwhacking+a+new+path+while+hauling+your+kids%252C+house%252C+and+life+on+your+ba.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-49634767478983237632019-03-22T13:27:00.000-05:002019-03-22T13:27:40.136-05:00I wrote about panic attacks for Romper<div>
I was recently told by someone who knows me very well that I conceal my anxiety like a cool cucumber. Maybe that's true, and not everyone in the whole world knows I've been struggling with anxiety and panic since Lizzie was born. Well, first, it is getting better. :D I was able to write about it for Romper.com!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<a href="https://www.romper.com/p/my-babys-appointments-triggered-panic-attacks-but-i-learned-to-cope-15867007" target="_blank">My Baby's Appointments Triggered Panic Attacks, But I Learned To Cope</a></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9P1dczPepRNih8AFSYCC4dU6cetZfjm0JpzWnly12obvKQX8GcyhcCGDudyUtwInOTa8y1DlgUFHm2gyxeFQnr_r6GmRMnakmljiwOsDSnG0J5k9zzk-B6mopBnuHy6UataMLQGmwrm3/s1600/IMG_DB6F5311FB35-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9P1dczPepRNih8AFSYCC4dU6cetZfjm0JpzWnly12obvKQX8GcyhcCGDudyUtwInOTa8y1DlgUFHm2gyxeFQnr_r6GmRMnakmljiwOsDSnG0J5k9zzk-B6mopBnuHy6UataMLQGmwrm3/s320/IMG_DB6F5311FB35-1.jpeg" title="At one of a million appointments" width="244" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
"I found that staying aware of tangible things around me left less mental space for catastrophizing."Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-58662231686717583382019-01-06T16:29:00.000-06:002019-01-06T16:29:00.894-06:0010 books to add to your style inspiration library(I originally shared this list as a guest post on <a href="https://librarianforlifestyle.com/2015/07/27/be-my-guest-anna/" target="_blank">Librarian for Life and Style</a> a few years ago.)<br />
<br />
<div class="p1" style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is your personal style?</em> I am constantly exploring what that question means to me — how to find inspiration, be different, be myself, stay frugal, be age- and shape-appropriate, decide if I care about age- or shape-appropriateness. Beyond the question of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What do I wear today?</em> is the joy in an aimless exploration of my own style potential. Here are some of my favorite books for that kind of daydreaming.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1592404022" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own" class="aligncenter" height="314" src="https://i1.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5128isGjlzL._SX396_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1. The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Though <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style</em> is seven years old, I feel the styles are iconic enough to remain inspirational for many more years. When I first bought this, I labeled myself California Casual and Bohemian, but now I’m feeling a little Arty Slick and Posh Eclectic. Though it’s not important to find a mold and cram yourself into it, this guide is nice for identifying what style category you are drawn to and finding inspiration in its suggestions.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Clothes-Sheila-Heti/dp/0399166564/" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Women in Clothes" class="aligncenter" height="334" src="https://i2.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518YRTVa27L._SX371_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Women in Clothes" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
2. Women in Clothes</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
You might call <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Women in Clothes</em> the intellectual companion to <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Lucky Guide</em>. There are few styled photos, no shopping guides, and none of that slick magazine feel. Instead, this book gives you the stories of how all types of women feel about their clothes. It reminds us how meaningful clothes are — beyond trends and price points.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alabama-Studio-Sewing-Patterns-Hand-Stitched/dp/1617691364" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns: A Guide to Customizing a Hand-Stitched Alabama Chanin Wardrobe" class="aligncenter" height="250" src="https://i0.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415yNCSW4XL._SY394_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns: A Guide to Customizing a Hand-Stitched Alabama Chanin Wardrobe" width="316" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns: A Guide to Customizing a Hand-Stitched Alabama Chanin Wardrobe</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Hand sewing in the detail suggested by Alabama Studio is beyond the skill and interest of most people. Still, what I’ve found in Natalie Chanin’s techniques are an appreciation for quality and simplicity. Even if you have never sewn a stitch and have no plans to, you can browse this book and imagine a wardrobe full of interchangeable pieces in fine organic knits and soothing, natural colors. For me, these patterns are aspirational.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Parisian-Chic-Style-Guide-Fressange/dp/2080200739" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange" class="aligncenter" height="381" src="https://i0.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wHI7TgeGL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. Parisian Chic: A Style Guide</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
There is a whole genre of guides to teach Americans how to be more French. I don’t know if it’s healthy to fetishize a foreign culture, but this much is true: books like <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Parisian Chic</em> present a style with ease and a <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">je ne sais quoi</em> that is enviable.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lingerie-Handbook-Sarah-Stark/dp/0761143238" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Lingerie Handbook" class="aligncenter" height="312" src="https://i2.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wANC305bL._SX398_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The Lingerie Handbook" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. The Lingerie Handbook</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Want to build your wardrobe from the inside out? This is a great guide for finding the basics and the secret beauties that make you feel and look your best.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stylish-Dress-Book-Wear-Freedom/dp/0804843155" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Stylish Dress Book: Wear with Freedom" class="aligncenter" height="313" src="https://i0.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NeFyPyAJL._SX397_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Stylish Dress Book: Wear with Freedom" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
6. Stylish Dress Book: Wear with Freedom</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Here’s another sewing book for style inspiration, even if you don’t sew. There are plenty of these translated Japanese pattern books that present an aesthetic I haven’t seen anywhere else. From ditsy florals to edgy black layers, Japanese sewists give a great perspective on looks that are relaxed, feminine, and quirky.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-People-Wore-When-Illustrated/dp/0312383215" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society" class="aligncenter" height="319" src="https://i2.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FDeNBAmvL._SX388_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society" width="249" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
7. What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Lest you forget fashion didn’t begin and end with the September issue of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Vogue</em>, here is a glimpse into what clothing has looked like through the centuries. Books like this are not just inspiration for theatrical costume designers or Halloween partygoers; see how pieces from different eras can work for you today.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=13724171054" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Intelligent Layman's Book Jewellery" class="aligncenter" height="313" src="https://i2.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41h3zjEh%2BYL._SX200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The Intelligent Layman's Book Jewellery" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
8. The Intelligent Layman’s Book of Jewellery</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Though this particular book is not widely available, any book on the history of jewelry is a good accompaniment to a book on the history of costume. Or visit an art museum and browse the ancient jewelry as if you were shopping for yourself. If grandma’s jewelry box is your cup of (chamomile) tea, look for inspiration in guides like this.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Print-Pattern-Geometric-Bowie-Style/dp/1780674147" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Print & Pattern: Geometric" class="aligncenter" height="347" src="https://i0.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51m6vJ2Pu0L._SX358_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Print & Pattern: Geometric" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
9. Print & Pattern: Geometric</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
For the daring person who likes to wear bold graphics or (gasp!) mix patterns, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Print & Pattern</em> is full of inspiration. Even for the not-so-daring, see how graphic designers combine colors in unexpected ways, and experiment with your solid pieces.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1617691518" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="The New Bohemians: Cool and Collected Homes" class="aligncenter" height="309" src="https://i0.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61MljfrjRRL._SX403_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 1px 4px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857142857rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The New Bohemians: Cool and Collected Homes" width="250" /></a></div>
<h2 style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.285714286rem; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
10. The New Bohemians: Cool & Collected Homes</h2>
<div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Though not about fashion, this new home decor book will spark the Bohemian inside of you (if there is one). It explores the casual, eclectic, colorful style I’m drawn to in both clothes and spaces</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-66212472199145498482019-01-04T14:38:00.001-06:002019-01-04T14:38:41.444-06:00What I learned about self care from my husbandThis essay I wrote for Parents.com in December has been shared 1,800 times!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/my-husband-running-makes-me-rage-here-is-what-i-do-about-it/" target="_blank"><img alt="Dad Running" class=" lazyloaded" data-src="https://assets.parents.com/s3fs-public/styles/fp_1x1_1080/public/Running.jpg?8W1xAXqneR8gi3A6Pio8kZBHoF4oVWtF&h=57024e64" data-srcset="" height="200" src="https://assets.parents.com/s3fs-public/styles/fp_1x1_1080/public/Running.jpg?8W1xAXqneR8gi3A6Pio8kZBHoF4oVWtF&h=57024e64" srcset="" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px;" title="" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
<br /></h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/my-husband-running-makes-me-rage-here-is-what-i-do-about-it/" target="_blank">My Husband Running Makes Me Rage & Here is What I Do About It</a></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
I spent plenty of time feeling bitter about how easy it is for my husband to take time away from our kids to relax, and then I decided to borrow his secrets for self-care.</h3>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-75037248566126500312018-08-21T16:15:00.002-05:002018-08-21T16:15:47.670-05:00Ultimate plan for decluttering my house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdxZTx7_pXj1oBeDb_b-RzI3PfMpM7gRQUnRtr2oIg3uLgPIhZfkaHiGBs8DU_w3Ch6cuTGlxjKCFghtJB6yn5aFKlDbOpX-na8LlyPWnEkDPF5NKJXw1N_yCJLJPhh1iso7uuWDEMQF8/s1600/text-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="945" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdxZTx7_pXj1oBeDb_b-RzI3PfMpM7gRQUnRtr2oIg3uLgPIhZfkaHiGBs8DU_w3Ch6cuTGlxjKCFghtJB6yn5aFKlDbOpX-na8LlyPWnEkDPF5NKJXw1N_yCJLJPhh1iso7uuWDEMQF8/s400/text-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Rent medium-sized Dumpster.</li>
<li>Send husband and children to a hotel for a weekend. A three-day weekend.</li>
<li>Fly my mom and closest girl friends to San Antonio (like, only the people I would trust to bail me out of jail.) </li>
<li>Empty 90 percent of contents of closets, bags, and cabinets into Dumpster.</li>
<li>Take mom and friends to spa.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-90423671938496471212018-08-13T17:18:00.000-05:002018-08-13T17:18:24.853-05:00Flashback: Mamie taught me to love exercise, but now it's Lizzie's turn to be my coachI wrote this essay (originally published by Mom Babble) in 2015. I was just reading it today and reliving some of that enthusiasm for activity! And remember when I was running, pushing Mamie in that stroller every day? Well I figure I have one more year at home with Lizzie, and I'm ready to recapture some moments on the road and at the gym with her. <3 p=""><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O72ACaAYrcK9V4OW2hCEQRQH6niV6q45_t2fyLmawP-F5XRiqQX_SYE6MLFEj4NsM7pC5AFekmdDYx22tZ_ACwe2vjt3ACWWlkGH4WCmHttBnOYxAOMUyHzFx5XTdLoF_k7RNT1NjaOl/s1600/IMG_1047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O72ACaAYrcK9V4OW2hCEQRQH6niV6q45_t2fyLmawP-F5XRiqQX_SYE6MLFEj4NsM7pC5AFekmdDYx22tZ_ACwe2vjt3ACWWlkGH4WCmHttBnOYxAOMUyHzFx5XTdLoF_k7RNT1NjaOl/s320/IMG_1047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm Healthier Because of My Daughter(s)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Mamie laughs at the leaves falling on her stroller, complains when I tease them out of her mouth. This is our third walk around the neighborhood today, shooting for a goal of three miles. This toddler is my shield, a salve to soothe the awkwardness I would feel if I were out here alone.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I am no stranger to attempts at personal wellness. I have notebooks full of food logs, exercise logs, and blood sugar logs, stretching back a decade. I never imagined a baby’s motivating influence would trump every trick I had tried before. <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From the second she sparked into existence, my child has been pulling me into a healthier lifestyle in a way my own motivation never could. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I began pregnancy with several complicating medical labels already affixed to me — advanced age (37), obesity (250 pounds), and high blood pressure (controlled with medication). And firmly securing my place in the “high risk” category — Type 2 diabetes. As soon as pregnancy was confirmed, a team of doctors stood ready to congratulate, poke, and prescribe.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I have never felt healthier — or more closely monitored — than when I was pregnant, but once Mamie was born, everything turned inside-out and upside-down. I had to recover from her early arrival at 35 weeks, C-section, depression, low milk supply, and the general upheaval of adding a baby to our household. Mamie was about three months old when the fog started to lift. That’s when she pushed me out the front door and made me into an exerciser.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
She made it clear from the beginning that she was calmer and happier outside. Recovering from a C-section and a few months of inactivity, I was intimidated by walking even a few blocks, but Mamie had to have her fresh air. I remember the walk we took on her first Thanksgiving day, just down our own street. I see that walk now as the beginning of a change in my attitude toward exercise.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Until then, I held the common belief that exercise was something to dread, a thing you <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">have</span> to do. In Mamie’s first year, I began to understand how exercise could be a thing you <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">want</span> to do. </span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The change was abrupt. When I rolled the stroller down to the sidewalk in front of our house, Mamie’s mood changed from fussy to curious and content. As we worked up to one mile, and then two, my mood shifted from stressed to relieved and empowered. How could I not take advantage of this antidepressant every day?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
When Mamie was around four months old, she indirectly lead me to discover another new fitness passion — yoga. We were on the brink of just becoming comfortable with each other, but my nerves we still fairly frazzled from daily responsibilities. Up to that point, I had literally no time to myself. Signing up for a Sunday yoga class felt like a betrayal, but I had to have that hour. At the end of every class, I thanked Mamie for letting me go, and I thanked my instructor for teaching me each impossible pose.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As a gift to both of us on my 39th birthday and her first (our birthdays are only eight days apart), I started to run. Just 60 seconds at a time, then two minutes, then three. Running or walking — it’s all the same to Mamie from her vantage point in the stroller, but she still gets the credit for pushing me to seek greater challenges. And when my confidence is low, she and the stroller are my shield against any real or imagined judgment from onlookers.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Now I’m training to run a half-marathon this December. Mamie is with me every trip to the gym, every run around the neighborhood.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m motivated by the idea of setting an example for her. </span>I want to roll with her through 5k’s until she’s old enough to enter on her own. I want it to be a normal part of her childhood to witness Mommy and Daddy training for a half-marathon, riding 150 miles on a bike for charity, learning to paddle board, hiking the Appalachian Trail. And whatever her personal athletic interests are, I want her to have the opportunity and confidence to pursue them.</div>
<br /></3>Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-7477623026590117872018-07-25T14:11:00.001-05:002018-07-25T14:12:36.918-05:00No room for shape wear in my life<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">It was our first post-baby date night nearly five years ago. With time to spare before our dinner reservation, we were kicked back in the hip understuffed chairs of our favorite coffee shop -- a luxury I hadn't experienced since the little one started sucking all the chill out of my days.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Except that I wasn't... relaxed.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">I was taking shallow breaths and squirming to find any position that didn't make me wince. I excused myself to the restroom and came back a few sweaty minutes later with the flesh colored sausage-casing shapewear in my purse.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">In those few minutes I made the calculation: I could look lumpy or I could look miserable. Happy lumpiness won! And my husband said he couldn't tell the difference.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Let's be frank. I am a big, fat girl, and no article of shapewear is going to disguise that. I don't actually need a disguise -- my body is not an arch villain trying to infiltrate a world of tight, smooth midsections.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">The early-2000s brought a surge in the popularity of modern shapewear that happened to coincide with with aging and rounding of my midsection. The first time I ever heard a woman openly discuss her shapewear was at a friend's wedding. This gorgeous blonde in her early 20s responded to a compliment by lifting the hem of her dress and declaring, "Spanx!" Never mind that the Spanx were not actually responsible for her great looks or charisma -- she was just passing along a new discovery during powder room girl chat.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thanks to that exchange, I never associated any stigma or shame with wearing shapewear. We make a hundred wardrobe and grooming choices every day, and most of those choices pivot on what will make us feel good or feel like we look our best. It's cool to be confident, I'm a fan!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55xSITueMk3dJEvmAtbYVTPGbJFPbtsbdlIOvpnPSZbRwIMXVqK6ROm1c5ma05FfTrCoN6Dow8LuYA4AyFjGxXutQJa0_-B_SPRgWSsKTGwVXD_ugAy99zzF2X2KEjQoEW9E20T1ZUrTy/s1600/I+hope+when+my+kids+write+their+memoirsthey+find+an+elegant+way+to+say+i+read+books+while+they+wrecked+the+house-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55xSITueMk3dJEvmAtbYVTPGbJFPbtsbdlIOvpnPSZbRwIMXVqK6ROm1c5ma05FfTrCoN6Dow8LuYA4AyFjGxXutQJa0_-B_SPRgWSsKTGwVXD_ugAy99zzF2X2KEjQoEW9E20T1ZUrTy/s400/I+hope+when+my+kids+write+their+memoirsthey+find+an+elegant+way+to+say+i+read+books+while+they+wrecked+the+house-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">I started more than a decade ago collecting pieces that would smooth over my belly and shorts to wear under skirts. Chub rub is real in Texas, y'all.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Because I prefer to wear skirts and dresses, I settled into a uniform with a hidden underlayer of tight tubes from my knees to my bra. Sure, it took a little extra effort to get in and out of my clothes, but I felt naked without the sensation of that squeezing layer holding me together.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then pregnancy brought its shapewear analog -- the belly band. First I needed it to hold my unbuttoned pants up, and then I need it to relieve some of the pressure in my back. After my daughter was born, I still needed it to hold up the maternity pants I continued to wear for about six months. I'm not ashamed, comfort was a priority.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Then, date night came. I wanted to be pretty. I wanted to wear a dress and shoes that were entirely impractical for my new normal. I wanted to wear jewelry because in these few hours there was no danger of it being ripped off by tiny hands. But much, much more than that, I wanted to relax, eat something fancy, and hang out with my husband.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">That last bit, the important part? I couldn't do it with my tummy in a vice.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">When I walked back from the bathroom with my "underwear" in my purse, I felt like I was doing something subversive. I was stripped down, setting my jiggle free for any strange eyes I might pass. I am 100 percent sure no one noticed, and once I could breathe again, I didn't think about it for the rest of the night.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">A few times in the years since I have looked in the mirror and wondered if some piece of clothing might look better with a "shaping" layer underneath. But the bottom line is my life requires too much deep breathing at this point.</span></div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-34920224504096075102018-06-06T12:38:00.000-05:002018-06-06T12:38:02.921-05:00Summer smells like pool waterEarly 1980s, summer smells like pool water and cheese crackers from the vending machine at the city pool. And 7-Up in a can because at least one summer, it seemed like we had endless cases of 7-Up in the porch fridge. (I assume you are familiar with the porch fridge.)<br />
<br />
I don't know who took me to the pool (Mom? Grammaw?); I don't know if I wore a seatbelt in the backseat; I don't know if anyone ever put sunscreen on me.<br />
<br />
But I <i>know </i>what the combination of pool water, cheese crackers, and 7-Up smells like -- a sense memory 35 years old.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5DVijO1tVRqrVjsnBB8kWrJxQsuXVmcUe1J748-a-S_jX5Qob5QudwYahu31KvD8eSwbppDgoOCHNEHZbBiFezqKekJuvryQLcL3CUPKKjYhZmmFYChB1qLeympsex4hX6t1sV3UL1Tw/s1600/Summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5DVijO1tVRqrVjsnBB8kWrJxQsuXVmcUe1J748-a-S_jX5Qob5QudwYahu31KvD8eSwbppDgoOCHNEHZbBiFezqKekJuvryQLcL3CUPKKjYhZmmFYChB1qLeympsex4hX6t1sV3UL1Tw/s320/Summer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Early 1990s, summer smells like pool water, cigarette smoke, and NO-AD tanning lotion in Stacey's backyard. After the sun set, it smelled like plumeria lotion on hot tanned skin and B.C. Moore's parking lot. I never got close enough to a boy to smell Drakkar Noir.<br />
<br />
Stacey's mom is gone since last year, and no one smokes cigarettes anymore. I feel so deeply hurt for my oldest friend to have lost her mother and so disoriented to be in this stage of life.<br />
<br />
Early 2000s, summer smells like the rest of the year -- recycled office air and burned coffee. We are all trying to adjust to the loss. Casual Friday becomes a thing.<br />
<br />
Early 2018, summer smells like pool water and Badger Anti-Bug Spray (23% Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, 10% Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil and Essential Oils of 4% Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella), 2% Cedrus Deodara (Cedar), 2% Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass), 1.5% Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), 1% Pelagonium Graveolens (Geranium), 1% Mentha Piperita (Peppermint). Water, .5% Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Essential Oil.)<br />
<br />
The mosquitos swarm my sweet-blooded girls and leave them swollen with bites. They sleep in scant pajamas and wake up with their skin scratched raw. A coating of Aquaphor has become a bedtime ritual as sentimental and essential as two songs, two stories.<br />
<br />
The girls are creeping toward that age when my summer snack and fragrance choices will be imprinted on their brains as permanent sense memories. Summer smells like the lavender soap I use to rinse their swimsuits, and popcorn when we splurge on movie rentals because the afternoons are too hot for outside.<br />
<br />
Still to come this summer: the warm smell of pool water and cedar when we move into Southfleet Motor Inn, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, for a week. Then, in August, the smell of Alabama petrichor when evening dew sets around Gran and Pawpaw's house. And maybe even the smell of pool water and cheese crackers from the vending machine at the city pool.Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-14245179384100276332018-02-05T14:16:00.001-06:002018-02-05T14:16:35.385-06:00On the topic of stuff I don't want to do: Cook dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUdzU42Zzny7uHaDFWkrmZPNokJzwhl6TORiGstYMqIY6KPlaoEDspXsg4veBgeHvGG6JNiUGAOsweMVlmGV4XRmrgx8g7BOMvFp2yfPXmWb5Vn6vKND8XfQckVVBY65LqxKnXNXBpZWV/s1600/Affirmations-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUdzU42Zzny7uHaDFWkrmZPNokJzwhl6TORiGstYMqIY6KPlaoEDspXsg4veBgeHvGG6JNiUGAOsweMVlmGV4XRmrgx8g7BOMvFp2yfPXmWb5Vn6vKND8XfQckVVBY65LqxKnXNXBpZWV/s320/Affirmations-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Saturday night I tried really hard to get out of cooking dinner. No, I'm not perpetually steam-drenched, hunched over the stove every night, just looking for one night off. I have just about every night off because Nick cooks most of the time, and when it's my turn, I tap into my arsenal of delivery services.<br />
<br />
<b>This is not how my mama raised me.</b><br />
<br />
Saturday night, I did, very begrudgingly, grate carrots and sauté bokchoy and glaze chicken. Nick said, "You don't seem to like cooking." <i>But... but... but</i>, I wanted to defend myself, I <i>know how</i> to cook; I <i>used to</i> cook; I <i>used to like</i> cooking.<br />
<br />
<b>Things change.</b><br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
For example, kids. Feeding kids for the last 4.5 years has consumed me, no apology for the pun. My obsession with managing their growth and nutrition is totally separate from cooking. It's a mental tally of macronutrients and micronutrients; it's creating the perfect veggie snack plate with every cucumber slice salted; it's composing and blending superfood smoothies every day, remembering which ingredients are rejected; it's pushing fluids for congestion, constipation, that extra hour playing outside. <i>Drink your milk, drink your water, drink your juice, eat your popsicle, as many popsicles as you want.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, feeding kids drains a great deal of mental energy from my brain bucket. Also, it's hard to care about cooking when I don't care much about eating, thanks to new prescription medications meant to make me indifferent to eating. Add OCD to that, which makes the messiness of cooking just a little uncomfortable even on the best days, and you get a good recipe for No Thanks.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I really can't believe I have only just realized and accepted this truth -- I don't want to cook dinner. Everyone says that, right? We are weary, in a rut, uninspired, overtired? But now I am admitting this is a fundamental thing about myself: I do not want to cook dinner, as a rule.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I do, however, recognize my responsibility to share the task with my very patient and saintly husband. Now that I can admit I don't want to do it, I can employ some easy dinner solutions instead of (a) making and abandoning ambitious cooking plans; or (b) looking for excuses to order delivery instead of cooking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Easy stuff to make for dinner</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Recipes that involve dumping 3-5 things in a Crock Pot, baking dish, or salad bowl</li>
<li>A salad mix + protein + bread</li>
<li>Sandwiches</li>
<li>Breakfast for dinner</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
As you can see, my cooking interests are about equivalent to a college student ready to mature beyond Taco Bell and Papa John's.</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-63368136920269697292018-01-26T18:11:00.002-06:002018-01-26T19:09:55.089-06:00Milestones, I curse you with the foulest language!I just created a document to list the words I've heard Lizzie say. I count 14, but I haven't consulted with Nick or her grandparents to see if I've missed any. I'm doing this homework so when people question me about her development, I can say assuredly whether or not she is meeting her milestones. This week I was ashamed to not know whether she typically leads with her right or left foot, or if she often kneels while playing, and if so, are her hips bent or straight? What direction does the third finger on her left hand point while she lays in bed on the night of a full moon? There are so many things I didn't realize I should be noticing.<br />
<br />
I hate all those stupid f**king lists of milestones. I can't articulate it any better than that.<br />
<br />
So many nagging lists of things a child "should" be doing. I think "should" implies some moral imperative or an obligation to meet external expectations, and I swear the word doesn't apply to a baby.<br />
<br />
That said, Lizzie is going through physical therapy for delayed gross motor skills, and going to be evaluated by OT and speech pathology for "issues" related to her eating preferences. We are doing this stuff because it's fun for her and it can't hurt and it might help and what kid of parent would I be if I didn't dig for miles to uncover any and every pathology that might impact her today or next month or ever?<br />
<br />
To drown out the guilt and worry, I've made a list of milestones she is totally kicking butt at.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vp3KoQGZfsmWI49JFDZ4kcvbyWGtfwRYDUrdMOv4I5t6aIJB3GILogpiCRYEDtVCTdQLa9yTn4oWXFCTmtOWnbps2E7USDTbek5Y6-C-0Ui8uRKeBipuLjKcwoLOV0WBnJZvyUKdhCMy/s1600/2018+tip+%25231.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vp3KoQGZfsmWI49JFDZ4kcvbyWGtfwRYDUrdMOv4I5t6aIJB3GILogpiCRYEDtVCTdQLa9yTn4oWXFCTmtOWnbps2E7USDTbek5Y6-C-0Ui8uRKeBipuLjKcwoLOV0WBnJZvyUKdhCMy/s400/2018+tip+%25231.png" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-68313760949213210712018-01-07T16:56:00.000-06:002018-01-07T16:56:38.092-06:002018 So Far: Killing itI was prepared to ask for a do-over on Week 1 of 2018. I have legit excuses, right? Husband rang in the new year in a hospital bed far away from home? We barely got back home by midnight on Wednesday -- half the week was gone before it even started!<br />
<br />
Last night (Saturday), I was about 50 percent done with my ambitious plans for the week.<br />
<br />
<h3>
But it turns out that Sunday can be a powerful day for productivity.</h3>
<div>
Today, a miracle happened: <b>I unpacked my suitcase less than a week after returning from a trip.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Then another miracle happened: <b>I organized my sock drawer.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
And another: <b>I convinced Nick to run an errand and bring me coffee while I took a bath in the middle of the afternoon.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmTS7eZOn3y8rSi_VkWhJmuySJcT0x_iB32zJg9_W3cYOwpEmFsvDmOk_KRW_pg9EBcrKX_hHbjgOfoo0NC1lkx0aL7v-AKCkz5BXH3iw6_RwwMlaxLI8AeNoQld-RNNEd2c8sOQdNZzi/s1600/2018+tip+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmTS7eZOn3y8rSi_VkWhJmuySJcT0x_iB32zJg9_W3cYOwpEmFsvDmOk_KRW_pg9EBcrKX_hHbjgOfoo0NC1lkx0aL7v-AKCkz5BXH3iw6_RwwMlaxLI8AeNoQld-RNNEd2c8sOQdNZzi/s400/2018+tip+%25231.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div>
As it turns out, this whole week telescoped to pack in so many things a normal, less magical week would not have accommodated:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>We spent three extra days in Atmore with family, and got to see a full supermoon in the country -- it would not have been possible from our house in San Antonio.</li>
<li>Lizzie used that bonus grandparent time to ALMOST learn to walk before she turns 18 months tomorrow. <i>(Don't get me started on the parental torture of milestones and averages and charts when your kids is on her own schedule.)</i></li>
<li>I think I took a nap every day this week, except the day I drove us all home, and we experienced the magic of amenable kids and no traffic!</li>
<li>Nick has felt well enough to cook and clean almost as much as he normally does, which is way more than 50 percent.</li>
<li>Next week is all booked up with fun and practical things.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-66070752800630640932017-10-18T11:55:00.000-05:002017-10-18T11:55:13.898-05:00On not waiting for the perfect time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAZdm5vNbip9hb1pAeoha_RejUH8nvK8MAoJWvZGN6ZFHiWeT9lb0qPOAu5td-EciXf3vls96VqItqzSc9AYW-dTdvmhmANdCydEpEPWwPBnAT4y0Jjhm7QrllsxJNz0tszLsHNqoa_ai/s1600/info-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAZdm5vNbip9hb1pAeoha_RejUH8nvK8MAoJWvZGN6ZFHiWeT9lb0qPOAu5td-EciXf3vls96VqItqzSc9AYW-dTdvmhmANdCydEpEPWwPBnAT4y0Jjhm7QrllsxJNz0tszLsHNqoa_ai/s320/info-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
When I got pregnant the second time, I was waiting for that stage to end before I would live my life. Exercise, activities with kids, travel, writing, house projects... Then after the Lizzie came and things were so complicated, I still found myself waiting until she was older, waiting to get out of tangle of doctor appointments. </div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
Then I was planning to start life after both kids were in school, at least three years away! Enough! </div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
Anything I want to do can be adapted to start now, incorporating the kids and whatever challenges we face in our plans. </div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
Some dreams may be better suited for the future, but there will be no more blanket attitude of putting things off for later when it would presumably be easier or less busy. </div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">There is no perfect time, but the best time could be now.</span></div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-49055323288215446962017-09-01T09:10:00.002-05:002017-09-01T09:10:14.345-05:00And I just picked one up with my toes and ate it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkHxCfwDzC7tFWkv5NpJk1c55JiJltjdlWWtR9kmNOJNzqeKqJauJJObWkMwlIArvFx-YEdfnIve8SDiug7nblWK9qRy1Amdylqrm3bR2jcylyQQ1dzHXzmt15M_VItqk4lTfedvR8-U_/s1600/text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="945" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkHxCfwDzC7tFWkv5NpJk1c55JiJltjdlWWtR9kmNOJNzqeKqJauJJObWkMwlIArvFx-YEdfnIve8SDiug7nblWK9qRy1Amdylqrm3bR2jcylyQQ1dzHXzmt15M_VItqk4lTfedvR8-U_/s400/text.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-72803913482874456942017-06-03T22:35:00.001-05:002017-06-03T22:35:58.764-05:00Proud to share this essay about weirdness in marriage and Marfa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OiTgMa9HfqZGtj64uOQ6fn1aAArqpb7XnEfRPI8yTqXO-_eD5jF0aCB7XPJDopQBeGrUWql-hczUu_34Fr8B5TWu5vywE8u6CeyNBtxuUCpgYOcD80o8LpmQpw8l8-k9QVaZA-Jmy2K-/s1600/my+stories-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OiTgMa9HfqZGtj64uOQ6fn1aAArqpb7XnEfRPI8yTqXO-_eD5jF0aCB7XPJDopQBeGrUWql-hczUu_34Fr8B5TWu5vywE8u6CeyNBtxuUCpgYOcD80o8LpmQpw8l8-k9QVaZA-Jmy2K-/s320/my+stories-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="510" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHelloParentCo%2Fposts%2F1888172898116740&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe>Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-54943980761131862352017-05-31T12:54:00.000-05:002017-05-31T12:54:35.547-05:00Who needs a better body (image)?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WU0VPtGBcND65T019nEuUoJ33CKD_gCBhyphenhyphenXOCFGKmoM_LMu9qCGJYVr0c0kdkJplV1qwE9wClMzCur1S2OA1Hyiv5T1gWdUIzujoszPIpSED32u-9CZ9IAqeY6GRgoPkoxL_72MeE7fb/s1600/What+I%2527m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WU0VPtGBcND65T019nEuUoJ33CKD_gCBhyphenhyphenXOCFGKmoM_LMu9qCGJYVr0c0kdkJplV1qwE9wClMzCur1S2OA1Hyiv5T1gWdUIzujoszPIpSED32u-9CZ9IAqeY6GRgoPkoxL_72MeE7fb/s320/What+I%2527m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: 'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1Q2mayFiEFb_AVw3FHaxk0YOdO9FyHQqfjWGfCVFbXeaO8g3O1d828nXLgJ88_LODQSh-XYITUjdHweGQSTtQU_ZklsQqxJd-GB9EbpY-2WEcRROuueuW6m_2YeWKP_bU91GfLcbHdYg/s1600/1476375207261.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1Q2mayFiEFb_AVw3FHaxk0YOdO9FyHQqfjWGfCVFbXeaO8g3O1d828nXLgJ88_LODQSh-XYITUjdHweGQSTtQU_ZklsQqxJd-GB9EbpY-2WEcRROuueuW6m_2YeWKP_bU91GfLcbHdYg/s320/1476375207261.png" width="246" /></a><span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-You-Daily-Radical-Self-Acceptance/dp/1580056555/ref=pd_lutyp_wish_4_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1580056555&pd_rd_r=Z7JCMSTZ5XZZP86T2FAY&pd_rd_w=IhDYk&pd_rd_wg=KUxYX&psc=1&refRID=Z7JCMSTZ5XZZP86T2FAY" target="_blank">Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance</a></span></h1>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">By Rosie Molinary</span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Someone might have alleged that I have body image issues. So I did what I do -- checked out a half-dozen books about body image from the library.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">This one I even own! But I checked it out anyway because my library is still not catalogued, and I couldn't find it. Our library is great now, so cozy since we redecorated. That's another subject. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">So allegedly I have these body image/self-esteem issues which are hard to challenge because maybe I have evidence that I'm a grotesque beast, and you present little evidence to the contrary, other than your "opinion". </span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">I admit, it wouldn't hurt anyone for me to read about radical self-acceptance and maybe do some journaling exercises. So I did the first exercise in this book:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="a-size-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.3 !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
<b>1. What do you want for yourself and the world in terms of beauty perception and body image? How can you act on that today?</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px; text-indent: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
<i>I want to feel beautiful every day and love my body no matter it’s shape. I want everyone to recognize their beauty and the beauty in others. I want media to stop judging us and offering to change us. I want appearance to no longer be a punchline or an excuse for derision. I want an enlightenment about the lack of causation between weight and poor health. On that note, poor health should not be an excuse for derision either. Or blame.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; min-height: 17px; text-indent: 18px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-indent: 18px;">
<i>What can I do today? I could post this on my blog. </i></div>
</span></blockquote>
<br />
I know it's taboo to talk about low self-esteem because it makes other people sad. (I made my first therapist cry.) Unless you are a modern master of the self-denigration that's considered holy in our world -- it's totally acceptable to find fault with yourself if the message is draped by a heavy blanket of good intentions for self improvement.<br />
<br />
I'm writing this as my perfect child watches cartoons on the floor. I don't want to teach her any of my fucked up self-loathing concepts. I don't know if that earns me self-improvement cred, and I don't care.<br />
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-69203943321746413162017-05-25T15:50:00.000-05:002017-05-25T15:50:00.742-05:00I'm about to disassemble an appliance up in here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOaFzX3DuKVhs3fxEYOYa8G40jaoP4pEiX72So4fJ3ZyJICFsEtfZfThSGc_cRJwX93t7cdptYJ7m5HxNFbFvfzq-RBquuQhhx3UgtPGQ0eApMpzfiKlEr9xxrMZkHKuKK_A2lSgFB2Hw/s1600/House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOaFzX3DuKVhs3fxEYOYa8G40jaoP4pEiX72So4fJ3ZyJICFsEtfZfThSGc_cRJwX93t7cdptYJ7m5HxNFbFvfzq-RBquuQhhx3UgtPGQ0eApMpzfiKlEr9xxrMZkHKuKK_A2lSgFB2Hw/s320/House.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
... because my husband said it's something I'm "interested in." Taking apart the dishwasher. Is this a latent interest of mine? More interesting than calling a repairman and having a day ruined by the intrusion?<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Oh yeah, it sure is.</div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1603586138918032000.post-11762521205859117222017-01-08T09:56:00.000-06:002017-01-08T09:56:00.775-06:00An insomniac who just can't be satisfied<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfGzF3BClsP89Lax-a4W2oerOkixQ5iycManBYsMpq6wUldlY2ZSLw8J56Kx78euYtIeC7J7rPgBgSAgNla0m5ctq6pNm2sNwXKfBdrGlzST2MrXny9K_YKuBrcpgP4zkBR4u1U1aNOeJ/s1600/my+stories-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfGzF3BClsP89Lax-a4W2oerOkixQ5iycManBYsMpq6wUldlY2ZSLw8J56Kx78euYtIeC7J7rPgBgSAgNla0m5ctq6pNm2sNwXKfBdrGlzST2MrXny9K_YKuBrcpgP4zkBR4u1U1aNOeJ/s200/my+stories-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I had an essay published on Parent.co over the holidays.... read here:<br />
<br />
<h1 class="postTitle entry-title" itemprop="headline" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 1.4px; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 15px; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 0.24s ease-in-out; visibility: visible; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.parent.co/the-value-of-late-night-solitude-a-former-insomniacs-lament/" target="_blank">The Value of Late-Night Solitude: A Former Insomniac’s Lament</a></span></h1>
<div class="p3" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.05000000074505806px; margin-bottom: 26px; text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My insomnia is cured. I take my medication, turn off the lights, and fall straight to sleep. Waking up rested, having energy all day, productivity, and better moods – I am not ungrateful for these benefits.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="p5" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.05000000074505806px; margin-bottom: 26px; text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But a little part of me misses those wakeful late nights.</span></i></span></div>
Anna Lee Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16797267975931567461noreply@blogger.com0