There's a bug on the loose. Kitty and one of the girls that went on their getaway last weekend have been attacked, this is the second day Mancub has been home from school, and I spent yesterday on the couch sipping room temp water and trying not to move. When my stomach rejects coffee it's An Event of Import. Asleep by nine, it seems to have run its course as I slumbered, but I'm only just considering making myself some toast. Shoutout to the wonderful construction workers who were kind enough to spare my alarm and show up with their heavy equipment at six am. You'll hear more about them.
In nicer news, my prize from the giveaway hosted by Lilac at Pausitive Vibe arrived and I can't wait to start reading it! Kitty read the back and said, "Yep, not for me." Don't worry kid, you won't be getting it for Christmas. Daily entries in this giveaway evoked strong childhood memories forgotten in by the business of adulthood; years of countless hours spent reading under the willow tree in our backyard, surrounded by the feel of gentle summer breezes and the smell of freshly mown grass, a cat contentedly purring beside me. I've been an avid reader my whole life, but I'd lost touch with the complete sense of peace and joy found in escaping the world to be transported on adventures to magical places. For that alone, this book is a keeper and I'm sending a huge thank you again to Lilac!
Kitty's the only one of my kids who isn't a bookworm and I'm not sure why love of the written word doesn't grasp her the way it does the rest of us. Even though she was read to from day one like her siblings, it's just not her jam and by the time she was a teen, I stopped trying to force the issue. Her interests are different and unique to her personality and she's amazing just the way she is! I like to give books as gifts to all new parents, try to consistently add to Mancub's library to keep him engaged, and gift loved ones with books at Christmas and for birthdays. But a gift should be something the recipient enjoys, so instead of books I began giving her magazine subscriptions instead. I think her friends thought me paying for Cosmopolitan was thirsting for cool mom points, but you have to meet people where they are and she was exposed to the ideas and writings of authors in a way she wouldn't have if book snobbery won.
Dermatolgica Canada is having a giveaway on their Instagram page to celebrate the launch of a new product: Liquid Peel. The prize is a full Clear Start Routine includes Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash, Liquid Peel, Micro Pore Mist, Breakout Clearing Booster, Post-Breakout Fix, and Skin Soothing Hydrating Lotion.
One of the requirements to enter the giveaway is signing up to join their initiative to cancel acne censorship. For each entry, they will donate $1.00 to The Canadian Mental Health Association. This should be a thought-provoking yet no-brainer way to make your voice heard. Hopefully it's the start of changing the pervasive landscape that is damaging to all, but especially to those who feel they need to hide themselves if the expectation of perfection that we're all exposed to, in ways we don't think about, is not met and the effect it has on mental health. There's no other obligation to the initiative other than an easy sign up that includes answering why you want to. My answer:
"I was fortunate to never have bad acne, but all three of my children have suffered with it and no amount of mom's loving words can ease the pain and shame they felt. The women still do and it's had a negative impact on their mental health. Society must stand up to cancel acne censorship until acne is normalized for what it is: a common skin condition shared by most of us at one point or another in our lives. Blemishes don't detract from beauty."