Happy Weekend.

Happy Weekend + Weekend Links – Delicious Father’s Day treats, resources for kids, a super-fun STEM account, gorgeous dresses, and more! 

Thank goodness for Friday. It kind of felt like a week of Mondays all strung together for me!

Like most of us (I hope!), the last few weeks have been filled with a lot of learning, listening, and self-reflection. I feel like Ali Martin said it really well this week. “…while…I’ve always felt incredibly strongly against racial injustice and have been trying to educate [myself] more about the deep roots of our various forms of white privilege these past few years, I feel like these past two weeks have been a massive wake-up call to how much we still have yet to learn.”

I’ve really appreciated how many creators, artists, and educators are taking the time to share resources, educate, and answer questions. Especially when this is the work we should all have been doing all along.

I’ve thought so much about this Instagram post, which shares the difference between being an inclusive parent and an anti-racist parent. As I look at the differences between the two, I can see where I still have (a lot) of active work to do to be the kind of activist and example I hope to be for my children.

This week’s weekend links are curated exclusively from Black businesses, causes, creators, and supporters. This isn’t a one-time catch-all and is by no means exhaustive. I’ll be mindfully including links each week from Black- and BIPoC- owned creators, artists, authors, and businesses from here on out.

Now, for some links for the weekend…

• Wander and Wonder Studio has put together this free interactive download titled “Raising Little Allies-to-Be.” In it are plenty of easy-to-understand, kid-friendly explanations of terms, explorations of the beauty of differences, and the importance of speaking out all woven into interactive activities, art projects, and ways to explore and learn. I really love the affirmations section, as well as a list of resources, books, youtube videos, and more to continue the work on your own. (Also: this post for grown-ups, as we get more clear on helpful vocabulary and mindset when considering the world “Ally.”)

• Did you see the Sesame Street town hall on racism? I felt like it was fantastic.

• Yummy Father’s Day Treats! If you’re looking for a good Father’s Day idea, why not order some gourmet treats!? This macaron company makes GORGEOUS confections (with special options like custom decorated, vegan, + GF!) They even offer subscriptions! Or, try this gourmet popcorn company + pair with a gift card for movie night! (The dark chocolate sea salt looks amaaaaazing.)

• Have you heard of The Fab Lab? This science kids show & Instagram account is run by Lindsey Murphy, who shares amazing STEM projects, learning activities, and a daily “Digital Daycare.“

The Digital Daycare episodes are loaded with science & craft projects (things like this, this, and this), a child-friendly workout, a lunch recipe, and community class on anything from ASL or Spanish to music, kitchen skills, and more. Lindsey writes, “The Mission of The Fab Lab is to bring accessibility, inclusivity, and representation to STEM. I do this by taking everyday science concepts and turn them into fabulous, Pinterest-worthy DIY projects that kids can do at home with their families. Quickly. Inexpensively. And Together.” Lindsey is AMAZING and also recently launched a Patreon account, with memberships starting as low as $1/month.

• We’re big fans of the Kids Book About series. A collective of authors creates kids’ books that tackle all kinds of tough topics, like money, cancer, disabilities, divorce, racism, failure, anxiety, body image, and more–all in a way that makes it easy to open conversations with your children and answer questions they may have.

Many of the books are sold out because they’re so popular but will have copies ready to ship between June and July. We just pre-ordered A Kids Book About Belonging to add to our collection. Order 3 books to get 25% off + free shipping, or sign up for a subscription to get discounted books each month!

• I want this dress in every single color. (Seriously, every color.) Handmade in the Bay Area with ethical, sustainable fabrics & dyes, too! Basically, the entire collection is sold out, but I can’t wait to see what the fall/winter lookbook looks like. (Following along on Instagram so I don’t miss the announcement!)

• Buying more books than usual lately? (Us, too!) Try supporting one of these Black-owned bookstores. Many offer in-store AND online purchases. I really appreciated this twitter thread from Bethany C. Morrow about the importance of shifting your reading from mostly white-centered stories. “It means that you have not only been inundated with white-centering narratives, storytelling methods, etc, BUT ALSO that you likely have a level of illiteracy involving inclusive work and writing.” Her whole thread is worth the read!

Thank you for spending part of your days and weeks here with me. I appreciate your patience as I learn and grow, and promise to continue striving to be better tomorrow than I am today.

Wishing you every good thing. xo, emily.