Happy November, y’all! I feel like October lasted for approximately five seconds, which I’m strangely okay with. Fall isn’t really a thing here in Florida and we aren’t Halloween fanatics, so I’m ready for a cozy winter. The next two months are filled with travel and family gatherings — I can’t wait. Here are some things I loved this month.
Things I Bought
I bought this yellow dress for a Halloween costume and didn’t expect it to love it, but I’m already saving it for our next warm day. Huge bonus: It comes in a dozen colors. Amazon, $38.99
I discovered INA Botanicals after Bernadette, the company’s founder, reached out on Instagram. She graciously gifted me some tea with no-strings-attached, and the Eleanor Grey is part of my morning routine. INA Botanicals, $15
This probably makes me a weirdo, but I still prefer bar soap over liquid options — I don’t ever use *just* body wash. This Yardley soap has been my go-to for several years, but I just realized it’s available in bulk on Amazon! Amazon, $13.99
If you’ve watched my Instagram stories, you’ve seen my struggle to find the perfect pair of jeans. I haven’t succeeded yet, but I’m definitely getting closer. These Old Navy jeans aren’t quite what I wanted, but they look good enough on me that I’m keeping them anyway. Old Navy, on sale for $31.50
Things I Read
Full disclosure that I haven’t finished it yet, but I’m already enough of a fan to recommend it. If you have a damaged view of sex because of purity culture, this is an extremely healing read that explains why we feel so much shame. Amazon, $12.99
A Peer Reviewed Portrait of Suffering, The Atlantic: This story is about two parents who worked in the rehabilitation field and had to put all of their knowledge to the test when their daughter had a freak accident, and it’s deeply moving.
Selling Certainty, STAT News: Chronic pain sufferers are routinely not believed by doctors, so when there’s a medical professional who says he’ll help fibromyalgia patients, it’s not a surprise that people listen up. Is he telling the truth?
“The Liberty Way”: How Liberty University Discourages and Dismisses Students’ Reports of Sexual Assaults, ProPublica: I’m suspicious of a lot of Christian schools for reasons I won’t get into. I don’t think secular universities are perfect, but this jaw-dropping look at Liberty’s sexual assault policies confirms a lot of my own skepticism.
Indebted, Columbia Journalism Review: I tried following Dave Ramsey while newly married and strapped for cash, but his approach has always felt slightly condescending to me. This look at people taking his financial advice is interesting insight into how he became so popular.
See you in December! xx
