Weekend Reading | A Month of Faves 2016

Day 5: #WeekendReading {Picking Favorites} – Let’s support each other by sharing our faves from other #AMonthofFaves participant blogs, eg. your favorite posts, a book added to your reading list, or a blogger you just discovered

This will be a mix of favorites and just plain must-reads!

Favorite Blogs
As I was going through my sorted blogs on Bloglovin’ I am realizing that so many of my ‘Must Reads’ never update any more. It’s terribly disappointing!

+6512 and Growing: I found this blog a few years ago while blog hopping and have loved it ever since. The writer is from Durango, Colorado and typically posts once a week with a wonderful story that somehow usually manages to involve parenting, gardening, and being outdoors. Rachel writes about peaceful parenting and empathy and always reminds you that there is a better way.
+Julie Zickefoose: A mix of natural history, art, and regular ol’ life, I love Julie’s blog because she can weave a story into just about anything—and she has a fantastic sense of humor!
+Growing with Plants: I came across this blog via another favorite, Gayla Trail’s You Grow Girl, a few years ago and love it for the fact that this guy is a hardcore plant enthusiast. I would love to have the collection he has! He’s a fairly regular updater and always has something interesting to say and shows tons of plants I’ve never even heard of.

Favorite Podcasts
Ok, so this is reading for your ears! Hi, I’m Misti and I’m a podcast addict!

+The Popcast with Knox and Jamie: This is a recent addition to my feed in the last few months and it is oh so delicious in the form of frivolous ear candy. These two have a great dynamic and discuss just about anything pop culture. If you need a break from any of the self development or political podcasts, take a deep dive into this one!
+Matrimoney: Chris and Kelsey podcast twice a month discussing their money from budgeting, purchases, planning for the future as well as little side notes from their life. They are pretty transparent about how much they make, spending, and pros and cons of various things they are doing with their money.
+The Girl Next Door: The same Kelsey in the podcast above hosts another podcast with her next door neighbor and friend Erica and discuss all sorts of friendship and neighborly items. They start the podcast off with a cocktail which is something fun to listen to as I’m not a cocktail drinker.
+One Bad Mother: If you ever need to commiserate with someone about the woes of parenting, Biz and Theresa are the two that will be your shoulder to lean on. Their Memorial and Labor Day Spectacular episodes are some of the bests because other moms are calling in to talk about their parenting geniuses and failures as well as rants and you can just about identify with all of them. I don’t listen to every episode but it is one of my favorites.
+Root Simple: This is the audio companion to the blog, as the host Eric likes to say. They are a simple living, gardening, DIY blog and podcast. Currently on hiatus due to Kelly’s recent and sudden heart surgery—details on their blog.
+Pantsuit Politics: I found this one a few weeks before the election and really love it as it showcases both a Republican and Democrat woman discussing their take on weekly politics. FTR the Republican, Beth, did not vote for Voldemort and was ready to vote for Hillary until Evan McMullin came into play. An overall balanced podcast!
+Slate’s Trumpcast: I avoided this one post election but now I kind of wish I hadn’t because it looks like they were pushing the red warning alarm that others weren’t picking up on. Dip into this one because I think we’re about to face some seriously troubling times.

Particular Episodes
+Outside’s interview with Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell: I have a very heavy heart about the upcoming landscape regarding the environment and the state of our public lands under a Voldemort administration and this interview almost brought me to tears. It was good to have someone with a diverse background (O&G and outdoor enthusiast knowledge with her leadership at REI) in this position.
+Rage Phase episode from Call Your Girlfriend: This was the post election episode and while I listen to this podcast here and there, this episode reminded me to come back and listen more often.
+Post Election Action Plan from the Edit Your Life Podcast. It also has a list of action items and newsletters to subscribe to keep you up to date with what’s going on with the new administration.
+Foodscaping and Community Building with Brie Arthur on the Native Plant Podcast
+Martha Stewart on Radio Cherry Bombe: Martha sounded so down to earth in this episode…loved it!

Favorite Newsletters
Newsletters are taking off this year it seems. Here are a few I’ve subscribed to and have loved!
+The Popcast Newsletter: Knox puts together the newsletter and he does a fabulous job of finding the best reads and interesting tidbits of news in popular culture for the week. Put this one on your list!
+The Girl Next Door Podcast Newsletter: They recently started their newsletter so I don’t have a ton to say about it yet but so far they’ve put together some interesting links and recipes to share!
+Hollywood Housewife/Laura Tremaine’s Secret Posts: I did not really follow Laura’s blog when she was writing it but did follow her on Twitter and only recently joined her newsletter, which she sends once a month. So far it has been interesting with the latest one being a holiday extravaganza of favorites.
+Paul Jarvis’ Sunday Dispatches: Paul usually provides a thoughtful post each week on the topics of creativity, simple living, and minimalism, among others.

Post-Election Must-Reads
A month out from the election and I’m definitely not into the acceptance stage of the grief cycle yet. I still bounce between anger, bargaining, and depression and the occasional denial where I zone out and think Is this real life? I might move to acceptance when I hear the word impeachment uttered by Congress. I’ve tried to write post-election posts a few times but have stopped. I think I will use this spot for some interesting things I’ve read over the last month.
+Autocracy: Rules for Surival by Masha Gessen on the New York Review of Books. I admit, the first few days after the election I was definitely thinking, nah, autocracy? Not gonna happen…but this last month, watching what comes out on Twitter and the media from him and his surrogates—not to mention his actions? Yep. I can buy it. Eyes open, people. This isn’t the only article or person discussing this, multiple journalists and historians familiar with autocracies worldwide are very uneasy.
+How to encrypt your entire life in less than an hour
+We Elected a Climate Denier. Now What? from Katie Boué
+After the Election: What you need to know about the public land heist
+Fannie Lou Hamer’s testimony at the 1964 DNC Conference

And a non-election kinda-sorta political read, Boomtown, Floodtown a joint investigation with Pro Publica and the Texas Tribune about the Greater Houston area and its increasing flood problems in conjunction with unrestricted growth and impending climate change. It absolutely hits home for me having experienced several flood events since moving into our house in 2012.

Whew, that was long…hope you didn’t get lost in links!