Book and Media Recommendations: Organizer Shorts
Since 2022, Organization Pending has served Columbus, OH and the surrounding areas, creating functional spaces to serve you.
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Check out some of Tabi's recommendations for books, podcasts, YouTube™ channels, and more for all ages, or follow Organization Pending online for the ongoing Tabi's Top Three book recommendation social media posts.
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Stay up-to-date by following Organization Pending online, and subscribe to the Organization Pending Newsroom for free.
Books
Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar - Organizing Love, January 2023
Chemistry for Breakfast - Back to Books, August 2023
Consent and Kids - Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
Dana K. White - Springing Forward, February 2023
Dark Archives - Spooky Season Columbus, September 2023
Ghost Book - Spooky Season Columbus, September 2023
Good Inside - Getting Warmer, April 2023
Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds - Early Holiday Planning, October 2023
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen - Fall Around Columbus, October 2022
Money and Kids - Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
The Monopolists - Slowing Down for the Season, November 2023
The New Rules of Marketing & PR - New Year: Improved You, December 2022
The Night Before Christmas - Sliding Into Winter, November 2022
Portable Magic - Back to School, July 2023
Queer Liberation Library - Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Queer Science Memoirs - Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
Small Town Pride - Looking to Pride, May 2023
Youtuber™ Book Recommendation - Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
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Podcasts and Episodes
Buddy Shotz Podcast - Catching Rays, June 2023
Busy and Overscheduled?: Bring Subtraction to the Forefront - Summer Catch Up, August 2024
Creepy InQueeries - Spooky Season Columbus, September 2023
Dating While Gray - Organizing Love, January 2023
Declutter Before Organizing - Summer Catch Up, August 2024
Black Nature Writing with The History of Literature - Loving Columbus, January 2024
Dog Training with Struggle Care - Sciences: Portable Summer Learning Series, June 2024
Grief on Struggle Care - As Seasons Turn, September 2024
The History of Literature - Back to School, July 2023
Hoarding: Podcast Episodes - Get Organized 2024, April 2024
Impulse Buying - Get Organized 2024, April 2024
Intersex and Asexual Podcast Episodes - Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
Just Plain Wrong - Slowing Down for the Season, November 2023
Money and Kids - Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
Multigenerational Home Organizing with Organize 365® - Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Organizing for School with the Organize 365® Podcast - Back to Books, August 2023
Queer Movie Podcast - Catching Rays, June 2023
Queer TV Shows - Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
Raising Entitled Kids - Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
The Screen and Your Teen - Summer Catch Up, August 2024
Speaking Queerly - Going Green(er), March 2023
Struggle Care, featuring Mercury Stardust - Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Satisfaction and Unsatisfiability with We Can Do Hard Things - Spring Decluttering and Organizing, February 2024
We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle - Getting Warmer, April 2023
Your "Stuff" Personality Type - Get Organized 2024, April 2024
Upper Arlington Podcast - Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
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YouTube™ Channels and Videos
ASAP Science - Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Crash Course - Back to Books, August 2023
Great Art Explained - Slowing Down for the Season, November 2023
MinuteEarth - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Columbus, March 2024
PBS Voices - Loving Columbus, January 2024
Science YouTube™ Channels - Sciences: Portable Summer Learning Series, June 2024
Tip: Making Smart Decisions with TED-Ed - Spring Decluttering and Organizing, February 2024
Grief on Struggle Care
As Seasons Turn, September 2024
As someone who's grieved before, episodes 59 and 60 of the Struggle Care podcast caught my eye when host KC Davis took a deep dive into grief with multiple guests for A Grief Observed, and Grieving Someone Who Still Lives.
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Joined by three friends who have dealt with the death of a friend, husband, and child, host KC Davis strives to understand how the people close to grieving people can help in the aftermath of loss, including asking each friend how the questions "What do you need?" and "What can I do for you?" affected their grieving and healing processes. A Grief Observed helped highlight how different each person views death and grief, and how each person can find different actions and common turns of phrases useful...or not. One of my favorite tips was to specifically reach out with a task you're able to accomplish for the grieving person or family - here they used the example of picking up donations on your way there.
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"Make the messy, human effort." Grieving Someone Who Still Lives is a fourth interview in this Struggle Care mini-series, with a friend who is experiencing anticipatory grief after their mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Davis and her friend Meg discuss the same questions as episode 59, and also talk about "why the only thing that is NEVER helpful is to disappear, disengage, and not make any effort with a grieving person."
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Declutter Before Organizing
Summer Catch Up, August 2024
Decluttering is essential to the home organizing process. Decluttering allows you to assess each item in the home, considering the current and future use of the item - deciding what to let go of, and what should stay. The decluttering process also allows you to rehome items that have gone astray so you can organize all the items in that category together in the end.
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That Hoarder talks about the importance of finding focus while you're working on decluttering in her recent podcast episode - Don't know where to start? 31 things you can dehoard today, discussing "31 tasks to tackle hoarding, including specific items and areas, reevaluating hobbies, downsizing belongings for practicality", and more.
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Start in around minute five for 31 "nudges", or categories to consider for decluttering - including some of my favorites - empty boxes, shopping bags, receipts, and mail. That Hoarder also discusses the importance of digital peace and making sure to unsubscribe or turn off notifications to dehoard your digital space as well. As I tell Organization Pending clients, we're not just decluttering your home, we're also creating space for the people and the things you love most - we're creating the space for you to display items that spark joy.
Looking for decluttering resources? Bookmark Organization Pending's Community Recommendations page for local Decluttering and Donation resources, including recycling and disposal resources!
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The Screen and Your Teen
Summer Catch Up, August 2024
Thinking about tech, devices, watches and phones was a hot topic this summer for us and our friends, making this Good Inside with Dr. Becky podcast episode especially relevant. Losing my Teen to the Screen was a discussion and q&a between Dr. Becky and her producer, Jesse Baker, talking about how you can tell your kid is ready for a phone, transparency and communication between you and your children about their devices and your role between them and their tech, how you set boundaries with technology when you already feel it's too late - and providing tips for how parents can approach the topic with their kids, parenting partners, and kids' friends' parents when it's needed.
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"We're living in this world where a lot of us are giving our kids phones before they're really developmentally capable of using those phones well. [...] and they don't have the skills. If we're in this situation that's imperfect, part of my job is to teach my kid the skills."
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I also appreciated their discussion of considering why you want your kid to have a phone, considering how you and your child handle conflict already, and how to discuss the why behind why they might choose their phone over a priority like homework. This episode helped change the way I addressed the discussion of a device with my parenting partners, and helped inform how to go about my research on the technology itself. I know we will be addressing texting and phone call etiquette, and implementing a few more of their suggestions as well.
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Busy and Overscheduled?:
Bring Subtraction to the Forefront
Summer Catch Up, August 2024
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos teamed up with economist and host of the podcast Cautionary Tales, Tim Harford, to discuss The Happiness of Subtraction - "why we find subtraction so very hard, and tips for finding happiness by cutting down on our commitments. We often think adding more things to our lives will make us happier - more trips, more activities, more possessions. Sadly, our minds find it hard to comprehend that having less and doing less is usually a better option." Using stories of high-pressure cautionary situations to illustrate their points, Santos and Harford show that just like sometimes inaction is an appropriate course of action, subtraction from our overall lives can also serve to bring more happiness to our lives.
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"When we're faced with a problem, most of us instinctively want to take action - we feel the need to do something, even in cases when we kind of know our actions will be ineffective, or even make stuff worse. [...] In times like this, [...] we need to pause, take our hands off the controls, and just let things be. This pause gives us the possibility of a new choice."
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As a lover of stories, I especially appreciate the format of this episode and hearing the stories of innovation through subtraction - Santos and Harford take turns telling stories to show historical contexts of subtraction, and talk about studies showing our instinct to add things instead of subtracting.
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Tune in around minute 27 for a current look at overscheduling ourselves - and our kids - and how the culture's push to stay busy and be the best can be detrimental to our family's health. Santos recommends being mindful of the opportunity costs of adding things in, and subtracting them - and avoiding the experience of regretting saying "yes", including an interesting way to add in gratitude for when you say "no".
Don't miss Harford's discussion of his book Messy at minute 24, and how it relates to home organization!
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Consent and Kids: Book Recommendations
Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
Are the kids starting middle school, or have recently expressed an interest in dating? Welcome to Consent: How to Say No, When to Say Yes, and How to Be the Boss of Your Body is a 2021 publication for all genders, talking about consent in everyday situations, including a "For When You Are Ready" section towards the back for those who want to skip information on consent specifically within romantic contexts.
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Need a title for older teens? Try A Quick & Easy Guide to Consent, by Isabella Rotman - this graphic novel focuses on consent in romantic relationships, and is recommended for ages 16 and up. Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent & Respect, by Jayneen Sanders, is a great picture book for kids just learning about consent in everyday situations, or try Consent (for Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You, by Rachel Brian, for chapter book readers.
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"The best thing about making an effort to discuss consent with someone is that you both know what's going on! You leave the guesswork behind. If you are clear about what you're allowing someone to do - or what they're allowing you to do - then no one has to wonder anymore."
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Authored by Australian duo Yumi Stynes and Dr. Melissa Kang, this comprehensive guide talks to tweens and teens on their level, using quotes from a variety of ages to show real-life examples supporting the text. I personally loved that the first example of consent was the borrowing of a t-shirt - something we've all experienced. From discussing if someone wants to borrow it from you, or you from them, enthusiastic consent and withdrawing consent, to power imbalances and communication tips - this inclusive guide shows a variety of perspectives and experiences to help readers think about how the things they want and enjoy may be different than other people, and consent helps preserve bodily autonomy for everyone. UK illustrator Jenny Latham keeps the text engaging, and the layout of each page helps break up the longer themed text. Like all books I recommend for kids and teens, I encourage parents to read this beforehand, or get two copies to read together and discuss!
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Want to read more by Stynes and Kang? Check out their other titles, Welcome to Your Boobs, Welcome to Your Period, and Welcome to Sex.
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Upper Arlington Podcast
Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
Is your family new to the Upper Arlington school district, or did you miss meeting the new superintendent on his school and community tours? The City of Upper Arlington's Won't You Be Our Neighbor podcast sat down with Dr. Robert (Bob) Hunt last spring to learn more about Hunt and his educational goals for Upper Arlington schools. Hunt shares some of his personal struggles when he was in school, his passion and background as an educator, what he loves about UA, and his mission to maintain a continuous system of listening to students.
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"I've had some of my best dialogue in that environment - just being in the building. [...] When I walk out the back of my office in UA, there's students gathering in those collaborative spaces and I just walk up, ask about what they're doing. I think building those relationships and having that level of accessibility [...] - is really important. [...] You need that to feel inspired, and stay connected to we're really doing meaningful work here."
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Not familiar with the Won't You Be Our Neighbor podcast? Hosted by Upper Arlington City Manager Steve Schoeny and City Attorney Darren Shulman, the duo has been "discussing City happenings and introducing you to members of the community" since January 2022.
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Are you a fan of Cameron Mitchell restaurants? Check out all of the Won't You Be Our Neighbor for more interesting dives into our community!
"It was never about opening a restaurant, it was about birthing a company." Operating since 1983, Mitchell celebrated his 100th opening last July with Cento Italiano in German Village. Learn more about Mitchell's personal connections to Upper Arlington, potential plans for the future of his restaurants, who cooks in his home, a critique of Scoeny's cocktail, and a discussion on the importance of kitchens as gathering places for everyone.
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Raising Entitled Kids: Podcast Episode
Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
"There's one word that I truly feel is a dirty word in parenting, and I'm going to say it - entitled. How many times have I heard the same thing from parents? 'I don't want to raise an entitled kid, How do I not raise an entitled kid? [...] Anything but entitled!' And related to the word entitled is another question we say all the time - to our friends, or to ourselves - how do I make sure my kid isn't an @$$hole?"
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Good Inside with Dr. Becky invited her producer Jesse Baker on the podcast to talk about a worry that so many of us parents have - what can we do to make sure our kids don't end up as entitled adults, or as the podcast called it: How To Not Raise An @$$h0le.
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"When you're living in an area, where maybe you're thinking along with that candy metaphor - OK, maybe my kids are growing up in a candy store, but these kids are growing up in the candy store with king size candy all the time. So now, my kid doesn't even appreciate their fun size candy, because everyone around them has more."
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Dr. Becky discusses how in our society, it can be easy to give in to the pressures to "keep up with the Jones'" in real life or social media, making it difficult to teach children how to moderate their feelings and reactions when they can't get or do what they want.
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"I really think a big component of not raising an @$$hole is building up your own muscle, or building up tolerance, for wanting and not having. Period. I think there's wanting and not having, there's doing things that are boring, and there's doing things you don't want to do."
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Listen in for tips on teaching gratitude through connection, creating frustration tolerance, and other "insights that will reframe how you approach these conservations with your own kids".
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Looking for more parenting recommendations? Check out previous Newsroom articles for Good Inside, Multigenerational Home Organizing, Back to School Organizing, and Shopping with Kids.
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Money and Kids: Podcast and Book
Parenting: Portable Summer Learning Series, July 2024
"Who better to tell money's story than money itself? And there's so many books about money, but this is a book told by money. It actually allows a kid to build a relationship with money as a personified entity with feelings, and then all the sudden it becomes a part of who they are versus an object to learn about."
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The Bad With Money With Gabe Dunn podcast invited author Julia Cook to talk in the Explaining Money to Kids with Author Julia Cook episode. Author of 126 books for kids in 9 languages, Cook focuses on "giving our kids coping skills in a non-threatening way that makes them feel good about themselves," teaching people skills, behavior strategies, and relationship building.
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"All the books [that I write] are in first person, and they're all relationship-relatable. [...] You have so much to teach kids, and so little time to do it in. So they're like the vehicle of great people skills that goes into their brain. And then when you pull the book away, those skills stay in there. So they can solve problems from the inside out, versus the outside in."
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A chance meeting on a flight with entrepreneur and business coach Garrett Gunderson brought their talents together for I Am Money: and I Don't Grow on Trees, brightly illustrated by Josh Cleland.
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On the podcast, Cook explores how we can openly and honestly talk about money with our kids, discussing different ways we can think about money and then talk about money with kids, starting with the four basics found in the book - everyone needs to know how to earn, save, spend, and give away money.
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"It's not about having to, it's about getting to [give away money]. Because when you have to, you use one-eighth of your brain, and when you get to, you use seven-eighths of your brain. So it's an opportunity when you get to. [...] Also on savings, savings to me is kind of negative, because I have to put this away, instead of that - Garrett has this coinage, and it's just amazing. 'As soon as I get paid, the first thing I do is I pay myself fifteen percent. I'm paying myself, and that is my savings. I get to pay myself."
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Including discussions on the importance of taking care of your basic needs and saving first, Cook wants kids to know how to enjoy spending money with thoughtful intention, using money personified to tell the story of how money is used, and the different "outfits" money can wear, including money's "credit card coats" that "Once in a while, when I'm wearing them, they try to convince me to buy stuff that costs more money than I have!" Read the book yourself and tune in to the podcast episode for more tips on how to start (or continue) talking to your kids about money and the different ways it can be spent and saved in the current world.
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Science YouTube™ Channels
Sciences: Portable Summer Learning Series, June 2024
We know the kids love spending time on YouTube™ - introduce them to these engaging science-based educational channels this summer to help promote and encourage their natural curiosity for learning, and watch them as a family to talk about what you're learning!
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"What makes a weird animal weird?"
Every month, the Bizarre Beasts channel takes a closer look at animals that we think we know...and some we don't. Learn why Horses Are Weirder Than You Thought, about These Millipedes Stopping a Train, Glowworms (& Other Beasts That Glow), The Bird That Can Shapeshift Into A Tree, and more. Don't miss some of their most popular videos on the frog that's "bad at basically everything", the reason scientists built a robot to hunt a starfish, and the ocean bug that can't get wet! A bonus of this channel is the Bizarre Beasts Pin Club, where fans of the channel can subscribe to receive the monthly Bizarre Beast pin for as long as they want - proceeds benefit the creators' partnership with Partners in Health.
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Come along with PBS Eons "on a journey through the history of life on Earth. From the dawn of life in the Archaean Eon through the Mesozoic Era - the so-called 'Age of Dinosaurs' - right up to the end of the most recent Ice Age." Take a deep dive into their curated playlists, including a Human Evolution Learning Playlist, or browse their library for a variety of topics. Learn more about The Unsolved Case of a Fake Human Fossil, The Huge Extinctions We Are Just Now Discovering, The Earliest Surgery, how We Helped Make Mosquitoes A Problem, Why The Giraffe Got Its Neck, Why It's So Hard to Tell the Sex of a Dinosaur, and don't miss one of their most popular videos about How We Domesticated Cats (Twice).
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Reactions, produced by the American Chemical Society, "uncovers the hidden chemistry all around us," including playlists on The Periodic Table, Tech Topics, History, Nature Science, Animals, Beauty, Health, Death and Dying, and Food & Drinks. Learn more about textile recycling in Why You Can't Recycle Your Pants (Until Now), the EU's Ban On Tattoo Ink, Why Mosquitos are So Obsessed with You, and check out their popular videos: Can I still Eat This?, Is it OK to Pee in the Ocean?, and But Why Do Dogs Smell Each Other's Butts?
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Want to take a deeper dive? The American Chemical Society offers live webinars every Thursday at 2pm ET - registration is free!
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Our kids love exploring the animated TED-Ed YouTube™ videos in school - see what some of your kids' favorite videos are, and see what new topics you can explore together! Visit their playlists to learn more about bugs, philosophy, avoiding climate disaster, trees, U.S. elections, genetics, sports, coding, how to build character and more, including a Creative Writing Workshop playlist! Take a look at How to make smart decisions more easily, and don't miss Organization Pending's previous article on this video in relation to decluttering your home effectively. Start a discussion with the kids on The real reason dodo birds went extinct or Why you can't put metal in a microwave?, and see if you can solve any of their riddles. Long-time readers of the Newsroom might find this explanation of recycling symbols useful, and the dark history of werewolves interesting.
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Looking for another general learning channel to try? See our previous recommendation Crash Course.
Want more? Take a look at: ASAP Science and MinuteEarth.
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Want to get into a good book? Check out past recommendations: Chemistry for Breakfast, and Sabina Imbler's queer science memoirs, How Far the Light Reaches and Dyke (geology).
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Have you gone to COSI yet for Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition? "[The Titanic] is dying a second death on the seafloor as it erodes. It's disappearing so quickly, that experts predict that by 2050, there will be no sign of it." Dive into MinuteEarth's recent video, What's Eating the Titanic?, to further the experience and learning opportunities, and don't forget to explore your local library's catalog!
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Dog Training: Tip of the Month
Sciences: Portable Summer Learning Series, June 2024
KC Davis from the Struggle Care podcast has a four-legged friend like many of Organization Pending's clients - and maybe you've been struggling with your dog responding to training during high pressure situations, too. Davis sat down with the dog trainer she trusts for her pup, Andrew Gleason, for a discussion on current thoughts surrounding dog training in Emotionally Intelligent Dog Training with Andrew Gleason.
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Davis: "I feel like when you talk about the conventional way, command-based, you're also talking about a conventional way of teaching commands - 'Well yeah, all you have to do is reward them when they sit, and maybe punish them when they don't.' [...] There's such a difference, now that I have a dog, I'm realizing there's a difference between parlor tricks and functional commands in real life. It's nice and cute that I can make my dog sit, but if I can't make my dog sit when there's a cat running by, or when my daughter falls and I don't want the dog to go jump on her - what's the point of putting in the work to have the dog sit?"
Gleason: "Control-based training - generally when we're thinking about obedience, or when anybody is thinking about dog training, whether they know nothing, is our culture is so ingrained in: 'this is obedience, my dog won't listen, I need them to listen, they need to be more obedient.'"
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Davis uses her background in human psychology and child education to draw parallels between the "fallout of that conventional dog training and that fallout of conventional educational response, which is 'Yeah, dogs were learning, but what were they learning and what was happening to their emotional well-being, and then what was that dysregulation of the emotional well-being causing that was not great?'" Davis and Gleason deep dive into how to use your dog's observed behavior as emotional signals you can interpret, decoding your dog's thoughts, ambitions, and problems, they debunk the often repeated myth about the alpha male wolf study, and talk about the parallels between parenting and dog training, including the conflict between their reality and your experience of their behavior.
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Are you dealing with a reactive, or "problem" dog? When You Have the Problem Dog with Jacqui Zakar wrapped up Struggle Care's series on dog care with this Australian dog owner and now trainer who had once "realized people [were] talking about my dog, and me, and I'm that person at the park with the aggressive dog that's attacking other dogs, but I was also the owner that would yell 'Don't worry, he's friendly!' until the day he wasn't. I was the owner that would step out of my front door, afraid that somebody would be walking their dog past the house, because I knew that he was going to lunge, he was going to bark." Listen in to their whole conversation for their experiences with different dog temperaments, discussion on cute social media dog videos featuring children, the importance of considering your dog's individuality with your expectations of being a dog owner, and using small, single steps for training.
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YouTuber™ Book Recommendation
Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
Jamie Raines' book, The T in LGBT: Everything You Need to Know About Being Trans, is out for release in the United States! Raines, better known as Jammidodger, is a trans YouTuber™ from the UK, educating the public on the lived experiences of a trans person, often drawing on his background as a psychologist to disprove anti-trans rhetoric. I especially appreciate Raines citing his sources during videos and his use of humor, making sure there's a balance and spectrum of lighthearted to serious on the channel - but always educational.
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The Upper Arlington Public Library has this book available now - get in line with your library card today to read before deciding to add it permanently to your collection!
Want to meet Raines? Check out the U.S. dates for his book tour!
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Queer Science Memoirs
Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
Sabrina Imbler is a writer and science journalist, using their knowledge as a filter to view their life through as a queer mixed-race person.
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Examining sand strikers, cuttlefish, goldfish and more, Imbler's 2022 book, How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures, draws parallels between those stories and their own. As a queer reader, I especially enjoyed Imbler's 2020 publication, Dyke (geology), an intersection of geology and queer beginnings.
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"A dyke, according to geology, is a sheet of magma born in a fracture. Dykes are best understood as the veins of a volcano, coursing hot and varicose toward the surface to erupt. Because of this, dykes are always younger than the body of rock in which they've made their home. Born differently than the mother rock, they make their presence known in rebel coloration: black against white, striped against mottled, crystal against sand. Geologists consider dykes intrusive formations, in part because they were formed underground until exposed."
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Imbler's mix of memoir and science kept bringing this reader back to the lesson that we truly aren't that different from other animals, and our world is more connected than we can see - including our own human impact on individual animals, species, and environments. I loved how interwoven their personal story and the science were, and can't wait to see what I get to learn about next, connecting my own stories with Imbler's and the Earth's.
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Intersex and Asexual Podcast Episodes
Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
Maybe you're familiar with the LGBTQIA+ acronym, but how much do you know about the "I" and the "A"? Note: Organization Pending recognizes each letter in the LGBTQIA+ acronym may stand for more than one gender or sexual orientation label. Please visit PFLAG's National Glossary for more information and definitions on words used in the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Gabe Dunn interviewed intersex activist and author Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they) on The Knew Guys podcast, continuing the conversation on Dunn's and Allison Raskin's Just Between Us podcast.
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"Being intersex, to start off with, [...] it's kind of exactly what the word sounds like. I was born inter-sex, between the sexes. [...] What people are now starting to recognize is that sex is also a spectrum - so the physical sex traits that you're born with. So that would involve anything from chromosomes to hormones to genitalia to internal reproductive organs - and that also doesn't always fit a neat little binary of just the male and female that are usually the only two options available on a birth certificate. But what I like to also tell people is that the spectrum of sex is not only relevant to intersex people, it's relevant to everyone. [...] Facial hair, cup size - those are all sex traits, and that is also on a spectrum."
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Roth Weigel focuses their The New Guys Being Intersex with Alicia Roth Weigel discussion on experiences and life-long consequences of unnecessary childhood medical procedures, the history of overmedicalization of intersex children overall, their educational work as an intersex activist and advocate, and their view on the intersections between the transgender and intersex communities.
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Take a deeper dive with Just Between Us in Intersex Advocacy with Alicia Roth Weigel [start at time mark 9:05 for the interview], talking more specifically about their personal experiences as an intersex person, combatting misconceptions, why people might not want to visible in the larger community, identity choice in the queer community, and current issues still facing intersex youth today.
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"Just like [how] sexuality is not binary, you're not just gay or straight, there's a whole beautiful world in between. And just like gender isn't binary - you're not just a man or woman, there's a whole host of genders that fall somewhere in between on that spectrum - sex is also not binary, so the physical sex traits that we're born with are also not binary. It's an umbrella term, so there are a lot of different ways to be intersex. [...] What a lot of people don't know is that we actually, all humans, start off looking really, really similar anatomically until around seven weeks of development in the womb."
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For more information and support, please visit interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth.
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"When I was thinking about it, what I would want from [a crush], what's the type of relationship - sex wasn't a huge part of it. But because I was always talking about who I had a crush on and who was hot and so on, my inner experience was different, but the words were the same and the behavior kind of looked the same too. I think that's what took me such a long time to be like, 'Oh, something about how I experience the world is different.'"
The We Can Do Hard Things podcast invited journalist, editor and author of Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex, Angela Chen, to talk about Why Do We Have Sex?, starting with her own journey of exploration:
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"That conversation [with my friend] made me think why was it that I was having sex with my partners, and enjoying it, and what was actually driving me - was it sexual attraction? And that's when I started, you know, kind of diving into the ace world, and realizing that my understanding of what sexual attraction is got totally tangled up with all of these other things that come bundled up with it. And once I realized that I don't experience that much sexual attraction - I'm somewhere on the ace spectrum - other parts of my life started making sense to me."
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Chen, Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle discuss compulsory sexuality, reasons that people have sex, other forms of intimacy, "why your sexuality is a relationship between YOU and YOU," and a thought-provoking conversation on the use of the word asexual in relation to hermeneutical injustice - "exclusion from language creation", affecting many minority communities.
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For more information and support, please visit the Asexual Visibility and Education Network.
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Queer TV Shows: Podcast Episode
Pride: Portable Summer Learning Series, May 2024
"This might go off the rails, but we're just going to have fun."
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The Reel Gay Movie Show, a "podcast featuring honest and 'straight' forward reviews of the latest movies, from a queer point of view," departed from their usual discussions on current movies to review their Fierce Five Queer TV Shows (and honorable mentions), discussing the progression of LGBTQIA+ representation on television - even within the shows themselves.
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"It hasn't been that long that queer characters have been allowed to have their own stories on TV. [...] A lot of those early gay shows did, I mean, it was progressive to show a gay character so central to a story, but they had that thing where the gay character always had to experience violence - but that's because it was the reality of that time."
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Forgetting to discuss the parameters of the fierce five lists allowed Mike and Ryan to interpret the assignment as queer-centered shows, shows featuring regular queer characters, or shows that have a large queer following. It's always exciting to hear them talk about some of my favorites, and hear a few recommendations to put on my to-watch list, and I appreciate their nuanced conversation about older shows that have remained queer cannon, but do have their issues through our lens from the future.
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Want more? Check out Queer Movie Podcast!
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Impulse Buying
Get Organized 2024, April 2024
The Frugal Friends sat down to talk about the science, psychology, and marketing research behind in-store impulse buying, including tips to create more intentional shopping habits in their Impulse Buying: What it is & How to Stop podcast episode.
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Before diving into any of the below tips (check out the episode for their full list), the Frugal Friends recommend taking a deep dive at your last 90 days of spending, including how price conscious we are at the grocery store on the individual item level. Taking this deep dive lets us know our highest categories of spending, highlighting the number of unnecessary purchases we've been making.
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Consider how to satisfy the itch or break the habit - is it the walk around the shop that you enjoy? Take a look at your local nature trails or parks!
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Do you enjoy the "treat yourself" attitude more than once a year? Consider at-home or free ways to treat yourself, and examine emotions before stepping into the store - knowing you're vulnerable to a pick-me-up impulse purchase helps you make better informed decisions.
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Do you have a habit of going to a place because it's on the way home? Go a different route for a few weeks to break the habit!
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Cancel store cards that encourage higher spending, and unsubscribe to store emails - this will help you in your mission to buy when needed, lowering impulse shopping.
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Looking for tips on Shopping with Kids?
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Hoarding: Podcast Episodes
Get Organized 2024, April 2024
As a home organizer, I often have clients say their family calls them a hoarder, or clients themselves fear that they are hoarders. Many people are struggling with chronic disorganization, combined with stresses on their time and energy that don't allow them to maintain a decluttering and organizing schedule. Most people are not part of the 2-6% of the population affected by Hoarding Disorder, a "persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value, due to a perceived need to save the items and the distress associated with discarding them. This difficulty discarding possessions results in the accumulation of possessions that congest and clutter active living areas and substantially compromises their intended use, causing clinically significant distress or impairment." (National Center for Biotechnology Information)
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The Struggle Care podcast sat down with two hoarding experts, "That Hoarder", host of the Overcome Compulsive Hoarding podcast (episode 57), and Dr. Leslie Hatch Gail, professional organizer, presenter, and hoarding consultant (episode 58).
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A life-long struggle with disorganization snowballed into hoarding as an adult - now That Hoarder documents her journey with therapy and her real-life struggles with her "indoor landfill", sharing this sensitive journey that can come with social stigma. By staying anonymous, she's able to share openly about how it's not about the amount of stuff surrounding you -
"it's more about what your thoughts and feelings are doing. You're imbuing this stuff with almost magical powers - 'If I get rid of this, it means I didn't love my mom enough to keep it. Or if I get rid of this, I will never be able to get another one - my life will change and it will be awful. Or if I get rid of this, I might regret it for the rest of my life."
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Dr. Leslie Hatch Gail joins the podcast in the next episode to help take a closer look at Hoarding Disorder in society and popular culture, with some historical background of psychology's understanding of it, including children growing up in hoarding environments, and the intersections of trauma, grief, and Hoarding Disorder. Through her work, she discusses the current ideas of Hoarding Disorder as a symptom of root causes; the concept of churning - moving items without making decisions; and how to discuss belongings with children - teaching them how to feel about belongings. "Is it a friend? Is it an acquaintance, or is it family? - helping to teach how to feel about the stuff, and how to prioritize it."
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Your "Stuff" Personality Type
Get Organized 2024, April 2024
"The average American house has 300,000 items in it. [...] Do we have stuff, or does stuff have us?"
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The We Can Do Hard Things podcast got together for Your "Stuff" Personality Type: What Being a Keeper or Clearer Says About You, to talk about stuff and their relationship to it, and how that relationship echoes into other parts of their lives. Glennon shares her experience as a "Clearer" (except for books), while her sister Amanda talks about her home as a "Keeper", and Abby shares her experience with a storage unit that changed her thoughts on stuff entirely -
"Just get rid of it, you guys. It's the best thing that will ever happen to you."
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As many home organizers discuss with their clients, Glennon, Abby and Amanda talk about their stuff in the context of moving, as well as in the context of the next generation. The physical burden of stuff can mean needing a deep decluttering before moving, or leaving decisions ultimately to their children. If you're looking for a gentle way to start decluttering for the next generation's needs and wants, take a look at Margareta Magnusson's book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, or contact Organization Pending for compassionate one-on-one assistance and training for long-term results.
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MinuteEarth YouTube™ Channel
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Columbus, March 2024
Looking to learn more about the world surrounding us this Earth Day? Since 2013, the MinuteEarth YouTube™ channel has offered a family-friendly "series of short illustrated stories about science and our awesome planet!"
Their playlists feature MinuteEarth Explains videos, climate change, evolutionary biology, animals, humans, language & culture, agriculture & food science, astronomy, technology & engineering, public policy, history of science, atmospheric sciences and more.
Learn about tree fingerprints, the weird way monkeys got to America, why most fossils are incomplete, why heart attacks cause arm pain, the worst time to die in history, how caffeine accidentally took over the world, and more Earth discussions that affect us everyday.
MinuteEarth is part of Neptune Studios, "a group of scientists, writers, and illustrators with a passion for sharing our curiosity (and where it leads!) with the world," - check out their other channels, MinutePhysics and MinuteFood, for additional learning opportunities.
MinuteEarth is also available in Spanish at Minuto da Terra, or check out the Spanish language channel about gastrophysics, Gastrofísica, by one of the creators of MinuteEarth.
Looking to connect your kids or classroom with the material? Check out their lesson plans for teachers and educators, activity pages, resources, and their book, MinuteEarth Explains: How Did Whales Get So Big?
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Satisfaction and Unsatisfiability
Spring Decluttering and Organizing, February 2024
Glennon Doyle's We Can Do Hard Things podcast invited writer, musician, podcaster, and pleasure activist Adrienne Maree Brown to talk about Why Are We Never Satisfied? for episode 239. Starting around minute 26, Brown, Doyle, her wife Abby Wambach, and sister Amanda Doyle discuss the concept of being satisfiable in a consumer society that sells products based on the idea that we are not enough and that we don't have enough. As Doyle puts it, "You can't ever get enough of what you never really needed."
When a professor asked her, "Are you satisfiable?", Brown starting asking herself: "When do I feel satisfied? And if I'm not feeling satisfied, why not? What is the texture of my dissatisfaction? Is it from inside me, or is it from someone else's narrative of my life?"
"A lot of satisfiability is just even sitting and considering the question, 'Could you be enough? Could you consider that you're already enough and that there's nothing to fix about you? There might be places that want to grow, but that's different than there's something fundamentally wrong with you that you need to go purchase a way out of." - Adrienne Maree Brown
Drawing from their personal lives, the hosts and Brown discuss being satisfied, societal judgment, feeling "enough", and the messages they received to create an unsatisfiable hunger. Talking through some of the ways they're unlearning messages and relearning how to be satisfied in the present, Brown discusses how she realized feeling satisfied was in the small moments during the day, with or without others. At times she even makes future simple plans with her similarly introverted friends, knowing that the plan could turn into them texting each other to cancel the plan, but still having a moment of connection, satisfied with that moment.
As a home organizer, when decluttering with clients, I often tell them we're not making space in their homes only for the things they enjoy most, but also making space for the people they love most. Part of being satisfied in a home is the wanting to come home - is this a space you want to be in? Is this a space you want to invite people into? Are you able to find the things you want, when you want to find them? If you're unsure if you have an item, do you have one or two places it should be if you do have it? Creating decluttered and organized spaces not only lets you and your home breathe, it also allows you the space and time to do the things you want, and create the life you want.
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Tip: Making Smart Decisions with TED-Ed
Spring Decluttering and Organizing, February 2024
Decluttering is decision making. And decision making can be difficult and fatiguing. TED-Ed's video, How to make smart decisions more easily, explores decision fatigue: "This kind of cognitive exhaustion occurs after a period of extended decision making, and it can make people more impulsive and less confident while making choices."
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In a 2011 study, researchers looked at how parole decisions were made by judges - and found that the time of day had "a remarkably large impact." How much energy is required of us for decision making is based on the frequency, complexity, and novelty of the decisions we're making - choosing what to eat is an expected decision and limited by what's available, while your car unexpectedly breaking down includes a variety of replacement options in a variety of locations, with several features to choose. Avoiding decision fatigue can be difficult, but along with spreading out decision making over a week instead of a day, and trying to relax about smaller decisions that don't matter as much, TED-Ed also suggests pretending you're giving advice to someone about this decision, as this can be less draining.
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While it can be tempting to carve out a single day to tackle a decluttering project, the reality is that most people experience decluttering decision fatigue after two or three hours. While I'm working with clients, we get to a good pausing point and take a break. Stepping away from the area for 15 minutes to eat and drink water is essential for regaining the motivation to finish for the day. Working without support? Be kind to yourself, have water on hand, and focus on small sections at a time, decluttering trash and donations before starting to organize. Scheduling realistic, short amounts of time to tackle projects in steps will help ensure against burnout as well.
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Ready to get started but you're looking for a professional's guidance? Organization Pending offers two budget-friendly virtual options to help you meet your goals! Schedule three-hour Body Doubling sessions for one-on-one support throughout your decluttering and organizing journey, or schedule Structured Support services, meeting for two half-hour sessions before and during your project, with a free 10-minute follow-up.
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PBS Voices
Loving Columbus, January 2024
"Queer Liberation Library fights to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community."
In July, The Buckeye Flame reported on the Queer Liberation Library (QLL, pronounced "quill"), an "Ohio-based digital library focused solely on carrying queer-related eBooks and audiobooks." Available on Libby/OverDrive since launching on October 23, community members are able to browse the collection, or apply for a QLL Membership to borrow materials for free.
Check out their resource page for health and safety hotlines, physical queer information centers in the US, digital and online queer information resources, and other resources.
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Black Nature Writing
with The History of Literature
Loving Columbus, January 2024
"How do we humans experience nature? And how might we experience nature differently from one another?" In episode 558, Black Nature Writing (skip to time stamp 15:30 for the interview), The History of Literature podcast explores some of the answers with Erin Sharkey, writer, arts and abolition organizer, cultural worker, film producer, and editor of A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars.
"There are quiet essays, there are louder ones, there are ones that are really rooted in research, and other ones that are really about very intimate, personal experiences. There are ones that feel very national historic worthy, and other ones that feel very quiet, and very intimate, domestic." -Erin Sharkey.
Spending time in nature with her family during school vacations first fueled Sharkey's interest, seeing the diversity in nature and communities during their trips, realizing as she aged how few families she met in nature that looked like hers. Together, Sharkey and Jacke explore accessibility in nature, trade childhood stories of nature interaction expectations in their communities, and talk about Sharkey's time teaching writing classes, including a science and nature writing class, at a prison. It was this work that opened her eyes to the small ways imprisoned people connected with nature - "One of the men in the class wrote about the way he has to crane his neck and head to look out the window to see the tiny sliver of sky, and what does it mean to see the different kinds of sky from that vantage point." - inspiring her to see how she connects with nature in daily life, directing her editorial process for A Darker Wilderness. Check out Sharkey's book at the Upper Arlington Public Library for a diverse look at nature from many writers.
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Queer Liberation Library
Enhancing Your You, December 2023
"Queer Liberation Library fights to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community."
In July, The Buckeye Flame reported on the Queer Liberation Library (QLL, pronounced "quill"), an "Ohio-based digital library focused solely on carrying queer-related eBooks and audiobooks." Available on Libby/OverDrive since launching on October 23, community members are able to browse the collection, or apply for a QLL Membership to borrow materials for free.
Check out their resource page for health and safety hotlines, physical queer information centers in the US, digital and online queer information resources, and other resources.
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ASAP Science
Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Partners in business and life, "Greg and Mitch are queer educators who mash together science, art, and pop culture to impact people and the planet. ASAP Science is a colorful intersection of art, science, and pop culture where anyone can learn, participate, and grow." Meeting at the University of Guelph, studying Biological Science, Mitch and Greg use their background to "push the boundary and evolve the field of science communication to inspire and empower those who have otherwise been disenfranchised by it," "fighting for diverse voices in STEM and climate activism," keeping subscribers updated on the latest scientific research that affect our daily lives.
Using colorful illustrations and humor, ASAP Science talks about Why your phone is making you sad, The Biggest Lies about Veganism and Carbon Capture, what happens when you quit sugar or salt, and a tiny device that could reforest the entire planet. Check out their playlists on Optimizing Your Brain, What's Happening To Our Planet?, Sex, Drugs, & Body, and more to stay up to date on the scientific findings in the science community that impact you, and check out their New York Times bestseller, AsapSCIENCE: Answers to the World's Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Unexplained Phenomena.
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Multigenerational Home Organizing
Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Maybe you're temporarily living in a multigenerational home with family staying over the holidays. Maybe your home is always a multigenerational home, and you're looking for a few ideas on how to keep the peace. From caregiving in the "sandwich" generation, consciously merging households for support, or life circumstances - multigenerational living has more than doubled over the past five decades, according to a Pew Research Center study in 2022.
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Lisa Woodruff from the Organize 365® Podcast explored the tips and tricks she uses for her own multigenerational home in episode 530: How to Organize a Multigenerational Home. Starting with the tips she learned as a child, remembering her own grandparents, when her grandmother passed away and aunt and uncle moved in with her grandpa, surrounded by her cousins. And her grandmother on the other side of the family, after remarrying, had five adult children and everyone would stay over the holiday season. Watching these multigenerational relationships in her own life as a child made the transition to living with her own adult daughter and grandson in the present a bit easier, and Woodruff urges listeners to consider three points when organizing for their multigenerational homes.
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Create Zones: Everyone, no matter their age, need their own spaces for sleeping and for hobbies/working. Creating these zones ensures that everyone's spaces are able to be maintained by them, and keeps personal items out of communal items. Creating zones in communal areas for groceries, dishes, or kids' items could be a necessary step in this process.
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Create Personal Spaces: Woodruff and her husband created personal spaces with physical zones, but also with how the spaces are talked about. For them, downstairs is their daughter and grandson's home, and they invite their grandchild over to "Lovie and Pop-pop's" upstairs, with the first floor containing communal areas. Or when Woodruff's great-grandfather moved in with her grandmother, she established two rooms, "grandpa's sleeping room" and "grandpa's den."
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Establish Rules: Do you employ a cleaning service, or have an established cleaning day? Talk about it in a household meeting, making sure everyone knows when tidying needs to happen. Use household meetings to establish laundry schedules, cleanliness standards, and to keep the household calendar updated!
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Struggle Care, featuring Mercury Stardust
Enhancing Your You, December 2023
Are you interested in DIY home repair, but you find the language in them to be overwhelming? With over 15 years of experience as a maintenance technician and performer, Mercury Stardust, the Trans Handy Ma'am, has found a way to make home repair accessible for all through their videos and recent book, Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair. This common sense guide also includes Resource and Emotional Reset QR Codes, ensuring you have access to the information you need, and reminding us we all need mental health breaks while learning and working. As KC Davis put it during her recent Struggle Care interview with Stardust, "Who you are, and the fact that life can be hard - you don't have to check that at the door just to get access to some basic information."
Familiar with Stardust's work, I was happy to see this episode, talking about Stardust's "Gentle DIY" philosophy and how they got into the handyperson field, learning how to take care of their emotional and mental health as a prominent trans person on the internet, and why they show up authentically without pretense and perfectionism. "Their hope is to inspire a new generation of queer youth to live their truth boldly, for allies to protect the most vulnerable in the community, and to teach others life long skills for their homes in order to be able to provide themselves with a safe sanctuary in a tumultuous world."
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Just Plain Wrong
Slowing Down for the Season, November 2023
Brought to you by The MennoBrarians, Just Plain Wrong is "three Mennonite librarians, discussing depictions of Amish, Mennonites, and other plain groups in media and popular culture".
"I was interested in starting a podcast and brainstorming a number of ideas, and the one that stuck was doing something related to Amish romance. Seeds of the idea were planted at the break room table, where we would often chuckle at Amish romance titles, or other pop culture references related to Amish and Mennonites. I knew I needed co-hosts, and when Abby and Tillie said yes, we started planning!" Since January 2021, Erin, Abby, and Tillie have been deep diving into Amish romance novels, other Amish fiction, TV episodes, movies, and more, taking an educated lens to popular culture's versions of plain groups. Explore what's right and wrong in the For Richer or Poorer movie, Schitt's Creek and 3rd Rock from the Sun's Amish Episodes, Weird Al Yankovic's Amish Paradise, books by popular authors Beverly Lewis and Linda Castillo, Amish TikTok, and a Research Rabbit Hole into Amish romance self-publishing.
"Being librarians is especially helpful when we are fact checking content we find in the media we cover. We're familiar with both how to research and where to look for answers. In our episodes we frequently reference GAMEO, an online Mennonite encyclopedia, the [Goshen College] Mennonite Historical Library [MHL], and the 'Mennonite books' that we have in our personal collections. Tillie is a librarian (cataloger) at MHL, which provides us with access to a never ending list of titles to cover, as well as reference sources that would otherwise be difficult to access. It also gives us access to Joe Springer, the MHL curator, who is a fount of Mennonite historical knowledge - we interviewed him in season three for All the Maiden Ladies (of Lancaster County): A Discussion with Joe Springer of the Mennonite Historical Library." - Erin of the Mennobrarians
Just Plain Wrong's Favorite Episodes
Check out the MennoBrarians' favorite episodes to get started, or join them every other Wednesday for new episodes of Just Plain Wrong.
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Abby: Shiny Happy Martyrs: Discussing "Not Regina" by Christmas Carol Kauffman
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Tillie: A Non-Euphemistic Barn Raising: A Discussion on Forbidden Rumspringa
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The MennoBrarians: We've agreed, We don't like Ted: A Book Discussion on Narrow Path
Enjoying Just Plain Wrong? Make sure to follow them, tell your friends, and consider supporting them on Patreon, or check out their store for dark or light colored t-shirts, coffee mug, or phone cover.
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The Monopolists
Slowing Down for the Season, November 2023
Happy board game season! Monopoly® is one of my family's favorites, and I was intrigued picking up The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game by Mary Pilon. Digging into the history of the game, the book opens with Ralph Anspach and his Anti-Monopoly game in the 1970's. When Anspach receives a letter from the Parker Brothers, it leads to a decade-long legal battle, uncovering the shady truth behind the origins of Monopoly®, and its claimed inventor.
In 1935, Charles Darrow patented Monopoly® for sale through Parker Brothers, presenting the story that he had thought of the game while unemployed at the beginning of the Depression. Forty years later, Anspach discovered the truth and subsequent cover-up while researching for his trial. In 1904, Lizzie J. Magie patented her first version of The Landlord's Game, updating her patent with new features in 1924. Unlike the game we know today, The Landlord's Game focused on the dangers of monopolies, letting players choose their way of play: team up to break up monopolies, or a version where one person wins and everyone else loses, mimicking the real-life consequences of monopolies. Discover the Parker Brothers cover-up and journey around the country with Anspach as he learns more about The Landlord's Game and how it became Monopoly® with additions from multiple colleges and Atlantic City Quakers before Charles Darrow was introduced to the game.
Along with deep dives into the histories of board games, manufacturers, Magie, and Anspach's legal battle, The Monopolists also looks at the history of Monopoly® game play and facts!
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"From the beginning, much of the public disregarded Parker Brothers' written rules [...] when played according to its written rules, the typical Monopoly game lasts less than ninety minutes." Take a look at the rules in your box regarding property auctions and the Free Parking space for shorter game play.
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"Some of the early tokens - including the iron, the top hat, the thimble, the shoe, the cannon, and the battleship - were emblematic of their time. The electric iron was one of the first electronic appliances to make its way into homes, thereby liberating women from the dangerous and time-consuming chore of heating an iron in a stove fire. The top hat was a holdover symbol of Jazz Age elegance, the thimble was a vital tool for sewing, and the floppy and dilapidated shoe was a common sight during the Depression. The cannon and the battleship served as a reminder of World War I and the role that America had played in the conflict."
Make sure to borrow The Monopolists from your local library, and be ready to tell an interesting story around your next family game night!
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Great Art Explained
Slowing Down for the Season, November 2023
Visiting art museums is one of my favorite winter past times. With the YouTube™ channel Great Art Explained, I'm able to learn more about the history and technique behind specific art pieces, and about the different artists I might encounter on my visits. For the past three years, United Kingdom curator and gallerist James Payne has been sharing his insight, "on a mission to demystify the art world and discover the stories behind the world's greatest paintings and sculptures." Payne uses his love of art to "focus on one piece of art [each episode] and break it down, using clear and concise language free of 'art-speak'." Learn more about Frida Kahlo's 'The Two Fridas', the Mona Lisa, Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Georgia O'Keeffe, Salvador Dali, and more, including the Great Art Cities Explained playlist.
Are you a literature lover? Check out Payne's new channel, Great Books Explained!
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Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds
Spooky Season Columbus, September 2023
Are you looking for a way to give back to the community this holiday season? What about creating a Little Free Library? Started in 2009, Little Free Libraries can now be found on every continent except Antarctica!
I found the guidebook Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds: 12 Miniature Structures You Can Build by Philip Schmidt and Little Free Library on a recent display at Upper Arlington Public Library. From how to plan, build, and support your Little Free Library, to ideas on how to promote, care for, and register your library, this book is a thorough guide with step-by-step instructions and guidance for completing your structure and connecting with your neighbors.
Along with creating Little Free Libraries, Schmidt's advice and plans also covers building structures for tool trading and other community trading opportunities, similar to Columbus Blessing Boxes. Check with the Little Free Library World Map to see if a different kind of community lending library could benefit your area best.
Before drafting your first blueprint, Schmidt cautions readers to check with city zoning ordinances or your HOA for their rules about community sharing structures on your property, or check in with the right authorities if you want to add to a public space.
Don't have the tools for the job? June's "Catching Rays" edition of the Newsroom let readers know about Modcon Living's Tool Library on East 5th Avenue, letting Franklin County residents borrow tools for an annual or special project fee.
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Ghost Book and Dark Archives
Spooky Season Columbus, September 2023
Does your kid enjoy graphic novels? They may like Ghost Book, by Remy Lai! It's Hungry Ghost Month, when the Gates of the Underworld open and hungry ghosts roam the land of the living, searching for food and wandering souls to eat. "Twelve years ago, the girl lived. The boy lived. One should have died." When July Chen meets William Xiao, they discover the ties that have bound them since birth, twelve-year-old family secrets, and how closely linked the land of the living and the dead really are. I especially appreciated Wiliam's change of thinking about the forgetting soup - leaving the living with memories of the dead is painful, but can also bring joy and comfort to those left behind. With beautiful, fast-paced illustrations, action and humanity meet to bring readers a thrilling and touching adventure.
On a recent trip to Upper Arlington Public Library, this former library worker was happy to see a display focused on libraries and the Librarian experience! If you enjoy books about books, and the darker side of history, I recommend Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin, by Megan Rosenbloom.
If you're familiar with the death-positive organization, The Order of the Good Death, Rosenbloom is the cofounder and director of the events branch, Death Salon. Join her as she travels the world, searching for the history and scientific truths behind anthropodermic bibliopegy, the practice of binding books with human skin - "[...] anthropodermic bibliopegy: a combination of the Greek root words for human (anthropos), skin (derma), book (biblion), and fasten (pegia)." A former medical librarian, Rosenbloom is now a member of the Anthropodermic Book Project, focused on testing potential anthropodermic books with peptide mass fingerprinting, and discovering the histories and reasons behind these rare books. While most confirmed anthropodermic books were commissioned by doctors for their personal collections in the late 19th century, an invoice indicates that three poetry collections by Phillis Wheatley were bound in human skin in 1934, the latest known date (as of March 2020) for a verified anthropodermic book. With discussions on post-mortem tattoo preservation, after death options, and general morbid curiosity, this book gives a reader insight into some of the ethics and laws past and present surrounding bodies and death, letting us form our own opinions if these should be considered human remains, or historical artifacts.
Ghost Book and Dark Archives are available through Upper Arlington Public Library.
If you're looking to find new or classic horror and thriller movies, you don't have to spend money streaming titles! Using your Upper Arlington Public Library card, you can download the hoopla and Kanopy apps to access thousands of titles for free, or use the advanced search option in the UAPL catalog to browse Halloween and fall related media and books.
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Creepy InQueeries
Spooky Season Columbus, September 2023
Are you a true crime fan? Do supernatural, unexplained, and spooky stories send shivers down your spine? Join Miss (she/her), Kevin (he/him), and Edie (she/they) on the Creepy InQueeries Podcast! "Close friends and weird queers take deep dives into all things 'spoopy', unexplained, dastardly, murderous, and, well, creepy," each Wednesday with a new true crime and 'spoopy' story each episode. These well sourced stories inform listeners on hauntings, murders, and scandals with light-hearted banter from these three queer Baltimore natives. Tune in to hear about the Cursed Filming of 'The Exorcist', The Black Widow Murders, The Patty Hearst Saga, background of the Cabbage Patch Kids, The Chippendales Murders, Typhoid Mary, Lizzie Borden, and much more since the start of the podcast in November 2021.
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Crash Course
Back to Books, August 2023
Covering a variety of AP high school curriculum topics, the Crash Course YouTube™ channel is great for middle and high school-aged people, and life-long learners.
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Choose from over 45 humanities and sciences courses on business, entrepreneurship, geography, mythology, philosophy, navigating digital information, media literacy, theater, study skills, climate and energy, engineering, physics, and so much more.
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Or check out Crash Course Kids for younger viewers! This series started with 5th grade science, and playlists include Earth and physical science, biology, geography, engineering, and astronomy.
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Crash Course is also available in Spanish.
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Chemistry for Breakfast
Back to Books, August 2023
Are you a lifelong learner, curious about the world around you? Chemist and science journalist, Dr. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim, opens up our daily world in Chemistry for Breakfast: The Amazing Science of Everyday Life. Told with a story-like format, Nguyen-Kim goes about her day, telling us personal anecdotes while exploring the chemistry involved. From common expressions like "wasting energy" or "the cold's getting in," to explaining how fluoride works in your toothpaste, what allows your phone to have vibrate setting, the best practices for rechargeable batteries, and how caffeine works on the molecular level, this book lets us explore our everyday objects and actions in a new way.
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I personally enjoyed the "Culinary Therapy" chapter (complete with recipe), and accompanying line drawings for a deeper understanding of the text throughout the book. I would love to see this adapted to a graphic novel version for kids as well, exploring their everyday world.
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Organizing for School
Back to Books, August 2023
Are you or your kids already struggling with the workload this school year? Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365® started documenting her journey to a PhD this year on her podcast, detailing her own struggles and the ways she's using organization to maximize her time.
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"Organizing is an investment of time today for a future exponential return on time," she explained. Whatever level of schooling you or your kids are working on, Woodruff offers several tips that could be applied.
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Set up templates for your papers in the format you need to make citations easier in the future.
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Work ahead to fully utilize your school's resources, like the writing center.
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Color-code your classes to easily find folders and see assignments at a glance in a physical planner.
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Consider a spreadsheet of all the assignments in all the classes with due dates to keep yourself on track as you're working ahead.
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Working ahead gives you extra time in case you or a family member gets sick, or if an assignment takes longer than anticipated.
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Find all of Woodruff's "Pursuing a PhD" episodes to learn more tips on setting up systems for writing, organizing lecture notes and paper citations by color, organizing a Google calendar, and more. Don't forget to subscribe for new tips and discussions along her journey.
Does your family need access to local and national resources for school or personal research? Grab your Upper Arlington Public Library card and check out your free access to databases and newspapers under the "Research" tab on their website!
Interested in Upper Arlington history, or need information for a social studies research project? Check out the library's Upper Arlington History subject guide, including the UA Archives database and issues of local newspapers. Take a stroll around town on the Upper Arlington History Trail, detailing some of UA's historical landmarks, and visit the Upper Arlington Historical Society's website for more information on UA history.
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Portable Magic
and The History of Literature
Back to School, July 2023
Back to school season always puts me in the mood for an interesting non-fiction book, and my background in libraries made this book about books a perfect one for the season. Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers, dives into the misconceptions surrounding the Gutenberg Bible, censorship and book burning, anthropodermic bindings, the social meanings of books, the physical connection between a book and its reader, and a thoughtful chapter on what makes a book a book.
Join author Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford University, for a discussion of her book with The History of Literature podcast, episode 475.
Smith talks about the physical experience of books with host Jacke Wilson, including the history of paperbacks, book scented candles, and the feelings we have surrounding these inanimate objects. With a changing culture of how to hook people and keep them interested, Smith and Wilson talk about media, how movies have changed over the past decades, and how that relates to books and their writers - how books are being consumed, marketed and sold in this modern age. Taking a deeper look at some of the aspects Smith talks about in Portable Magic, including the sustainability of the book business, and a shift from state censorship to community battles in the West, this podcast is a great companion to the book, no matter if you read the book or listen to the podcast first.
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Queer Movie Podcast
and Buddy Shotz Podcast
Catching Rays, June 2023
Are you interested in movie recommendations and hearing other people's opinions and discussions? Beat the heat this summer with these two movie-focused podcasts!
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From British YouTuber and author Rowan Ellis, check out Queer Movie Podcast for dissections on the international queer film canon from every genre. Familiar with Ellis' critical look at LGBTQIA+ media and popular culture, when they teamed up with Jazza John in 2019 for this podcast, I was thrilled to dive in deeper!
These Ohio natives brought their long-time friendship and love of movies together to form the Buddy Shotz Podcast, reviewing and discussing movies of all genres and release dates. Each podcast includes a Feature Presentation and Weird Watch, premiering Tuesdays on YouTube - follow stakebelmont64 on Instagram for notifications on upcoming episodes, and for special guest appearances from character Vince Frost.
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For two years, Matt and Mike have co-hosted "the greatest Podcast in the Multiverse!", discussing actors, directors, movies with spin-off shows, news, and their thoughts on audience-suggested movies. I enjoy learning more about popular movies I haven't seen, discovering movies I definitely need to see, and watching how these two friends can differ in their opinions - as a personal friend of Mike's, I reached out to ask why 9.95% of Newsroom readers should subscribe to the Buddy Shotz Podcast. "Ready to explore the best and worst of cinema? Join Matt and Mike on the Buddy Shotz Podcast as we take you on a wild ride from the revered to the reviled, from Maltese Falcon to Manimal - become a Buddy and subscribe!"
Check out my special vocal guest appearance in Buddy Shotz Podcast 121 - Superman!
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Small Town Pride
Looking to Pride, May 2023
I was lucky enough to meet Phil Stamper during his book signing at Rainbow UA's Pride celebration in Upper Arlington last year. An Ohio native, many of Stamper's books reflect his upbringing in a small, rural community.
His first middle grade novel, Small Town Pride, is a refreshing departure from the traditional coming out storyline, exploring the nuances of coming out in society. When Jake's father hangs a pride flag to show his support, some community members are concerned this could lead to a Pride parade in their town. But Jake knows that would take approval from the town council, and the mayor doesn't like to be on the side of controversy. But is a parade even something Jake wants?
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I appreciated a new take on parents that could be a bit overly supportive, exploring a discussion on how to best support your child while they're coming out, and protecting their autonomy with this news. This book is a realistic look at how one person affects an entire community, and how anyone can create change where they live, given the right support systems.
Take a look at Upper Arlington Public Library's catalog for Stamper's books for teens: After Glow, As Far As You'll Take Me, Golden Boys, and The Gravity of Us, or add them to your collection by shopping local.
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We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle and Good Inside
Getting Warmer, April 2023
Summer can be a joyful, but stressful time with everyone at home, breaking the normal routine. We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle talked to clinical psychologist and mom of three, Dr. Becky Kennedy, named "The Millennial Parenting Whisperer" by TIME Magazine. Join Doyle, her wife Abby Wambach, and Dr. Becky for Breaking Cycles & Reparenting Yourself with Dr. Becky Kennedy, and How to Raise Untamed Kids with Dr. Becky Kennedy, for discussions on how to break familial cycles, resilience building, how and why our children can trigger us, why the traditional reward and punishment systems fail, how to build better connections with our kids, and how to reparent ourselves to become more like the parent we're trying to be. Take a deep dive into these parenting techniques with Doyle's podcast episodes, and Dr. Becky's weekly podcast, Good Inside with Dr. Becky, as well as her 2022 book release, Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. Or take a look at her workshop offerings for specific issues - visit goodinside.com for member and non-member offerings.
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"Understanding that we're all good inside is what allows you to distinguish a person (your child) from a behavior (rudeness, hitting, saying, 'I hate you'). [...] So many of us had parents who led with judgment rather than curiosity, criticism instead of understanding, punishment instead of discussion. [...] As a result, many parents see behavior as the measure of who our kids are, rather than using behavior as a clue to what our kids might need. What if we saw behavior as an expression of needs, not identity?" -Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
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Approaching behavior as a symptom, and not an indication of who a child is, leads the adults in that child's life to "sit on the bench" with them, reframing difficult moments as learning opportunities, helping build life-long skills. Showing curiosity about how they are feeling, and modeling curiosity about your own feelings in the moment helps children have the framework to know and trust themselves as they grow to adulthood. These key moments help us, and them, create realistic expectations of ourselves in the world, experiencing all of the emotions available to us, instead of focusing on happiness.
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Kennedy is open about the fact she started her practice by suggesting traditional reward and punishment systems, like sticker charts. She quickly realized that these types of methods might create behaviors that are easier to deal with in children, but as they aged, their parents were left wondering why their children were more susceptible to peer pressure, and not always able to establish boundaries with romantic partners.
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"When we sacrifice relationship building in favor of control tactics, our children may age, but in many ways, they developmentally remain toddlers, because they miss out on years of building the emotions regulation, coping skills, intrinsic motivation, and inhibition of desires that are necessary for life success. When we are busy exerting extrinsic control over our children's external behavior, we sacrifice teaching these critical internal skills." -Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
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"How our caregivers responded to us becomes how we in turn respond to ourselves, and this sets the stage for how we respond to our children." Kennedy assures us it's never too late to work on our relationship with ourselves or our children, no matter the age - neuroplasticity allows everyone a chance to rewire, rebuild and heal.
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Speaking Queerly
Going Green(er), March 2023
The Speaking Queerly podcast, hosted by Columbus's Kaleidoscope Youth Center, is back after their three episode introduction before the pandemic. Exploring current events, legislation, pop culture, intersectionality and more, the four hosts accept questions or suggestions on topics to discuss from young people and anyone listening at mallory@kycohio.org. Catch up with their previous episodes on being Black and Queer in Columbus, and discussion on LGBTQIA+ Health with a guest from Mozaic/Equitas Health, available on Apple™ or Spotify™.
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Dana K. White
Springing Foward, February 2023
Are you new to decluttering? Consider a deep dive into this practice with decluttering expert Dana K. White of A Slob Comes Clean.
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Unlike many people who talk about this topic, White is not a home organizer, and her frank honesty about how overwhelmed her home had made her feel combines well with her ability to see humor in the situation while discovering how to manage her home one step at a time.
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Join White with her books or videos for discussions on the clutter threshold, the container concept, and the importance of the five-minute pickup! This daily opportunity to replace items that went astray during the day helps keep the home maintained, and allows the family the learn where new homes for items are. "Once your family gets the concept and can help without your constant supervision, five minutes multiplies." When each person does five minutes, a family of four can complete 20 minutes of work in 5! This five minute approach can also be taken to decluttering itself: set the timer, and see how many items you can pull out for trash, recycling, or donation before it goes off, or see if the kids can fill a donation box with items from their room in five minutes!
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In How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, White focuses on the beginning of her journey to a decluttered life, including a 28 Days to Hope for Your Home step-by-step guide on how to tackle decluttering and cleaning in a home that feels insurmountable. One tip I found especially useful was to time myself doing a task--when you know how long a task actually takes, it's easier to schedule your day, and harder to make excuses of time when you know emptying the dishwasher only takes four minutes. One of the surprising discoveries White makes while implementing a routine is that when laundry is done weekly, the family tends to wear their favorite items every week. This discovery allowed White and her family to declutter those "just in case" clothes, making room to see more of their favorites every day.
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Need a quick-start guide? Consider Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control. White encourages readers to declutter the tangible to make room for the intangible, reminding us that having space doesn't mean it's space to fill. This short guide is great for any busy person looking to get fast ideas on ways to start their decluttering journey, and use Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff to deep-dive into specific spaces with accompanying tips. I especially appreciated the discussion on doing an identity reality check, using decluttering to honor who we are instead of an idealized version of ourselves, letting us know it's okay to let go of those items overrunning our lives.
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Dating While Gray
Organizing Love, January 2023
Are you dating online and want to know what the experts suggest for your profile? Want to know what people are really thinking on first dates? The podcast Dating While Gray™ invited dating and relationship coach Amy Schoen for a discussion on common profile mistakes, the basic do's and don'ts for putting your best face forward, and a critique of one listener's profile.
Discover real dater's reactions to some of the profiles they've seen in Dating 101: The Online Profile, and the real-life don'ts they've encountered in Dating 101: The First Date. Check out both episodes for commonsense advice, no matter your age.
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Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar
Organizing Love, January 2023
In their first book, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism, sisters Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar focus mostly on stories of microaggressions and blatant racism that have happened to Lacey between the years of 1980-2020 in Midwest America. I laughed, I swore, and I got a bit misty from these stories that were, at times, life-threatening. Published in 2021, the next installment of stories came out in November 2022, and this time, the whole family and a few friends were invited too.
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The World Record Book of Racist Stories brings intergenerational and intersectional voices to the storytelling, from their reverend sister Angie working throughout the Midwest, to their friend, former State Senator Tanya Cook, including all new stories of hair touching and hilarious mistaken identities.
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If you're familiar with Ruffin's work on Late Night with Seth Meyers or The Amber Ruffin Show, you'll be familiar with her witty commentary on current events and comedic timing to relieve the tension. One of my favorite things about T.V. personalities writing books is you're already familiar with their voice and tone and you can hear it while you're reading, increasing the humor of Ruffin's interjections. Take a deep dive into these books and see a glimpse of the daily issues and struggles of minority communities living in the United States, including a story about the "winner" of diversity training.
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Both of these books are available through Upper Arlington Public Library, or check your nearest Half Price Books or local bookstore to purchase your own copy!
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The New Rules of Marketing & PR
New Year: Improved You, December 2022
When I first started Organization Pending, I was recommended all of the classic standards in marketing books. While they had many ideas for on-the-ground and direct marketing through mailers and calling, I found even the latest updates of these books couldn't address the needs of a current business.
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The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Content Marketing, Podcasting, Social Media, AI, Live Video, and Newsjacking to Reach Buyers Directly, by David Meerman Scott, not only gave me the updated information I had been looking for, but also addressed the concerns of small businesses reaching markets in new ways after the 2020 pandemic.
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This completely revised and updated 8th edition published in 2022, ISBN 9781119854289, begins by diving in on how marketing has rapidly changed, comparing past to present, emphasizing the ways that new media has helped cut costs for marketing and public relations, while creating a noisy background for new entrepreneurs. Scott walks the reader through getting above the noise, covering various social media platforms and how to best utilize them for business, how to understand and harness the power of SEO, and creating content that matters, connecting with your community and creating fans of your business.
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Coming from a background of public libraries, I appreciated his thoughtful approach to the behind-the-scenes work of business, encouraging small business owners to offer free resources and information through their content, centering the customer at the core of their business model. This emphasis on customers and strength in community building hit the right cord with my brand, and I highly recommended this book to any business owner or entrepreneur who is looking for a resource on community connection and updated marketing information.
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The Night Before Christmas
Sliding Into Winter, November 2022
Based on the classic Clement C. Moore poem, this special cut-paper edition of the The Night Before Christmas, ISBN 9780763634698, gives a different life to this often recited holiday favorite. The pages use a select few vibrant colors to add rich detail to silhouettes, with a two page pop up spread at the end. Enjoy over cups of hot cocoa, or as a before bed Christmas Eve read. Pack away with the decorations at the end of the season to add a special detail to your yearly celebrations.
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Long Live the Pumpkin Queen
Fall Around Columbus, October 2022
Fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas who want more story will enjoy this imaginative tale of what happens after Jack and Sally's wedding. Told from Sally's perspective after she is crowned Sally Skellington, Pumpkin Queen, this loved character who doesn't get as much development or voice in the film is finally given a more fully formed backstory with some surprising twists.
Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, by Shea Ernshaw, does reveal itself to have the overarching coming of age theme that many young adult novels contain. Through exploring feelings of loneliness and isolation, and coming through as a person who can rely on themselves more after their trials, the spooky details of Sally's journey satisfied my seasonal wantings. I enjoyed the new characters and further exploration of other towns, as well as a terrifying new villain. I hope Ernshaw is able to continue writing books for old and new fans based on this Tim Burton classic.
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