#barbmagazine

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Another ode to Rocky, the little black nine year old pug I live with. He’s not feeling well today, on Day 2 of a three week treatment to help his skin heal from a run in with bacon grease. The medication seems to be playing havoc with his system; as I type, he is snoring on my lap, his fur undulating with each breath. He is finally recovered from his slipped disc situation, a result of his athleticism, despite his heritage; jumping off my bed apparently is not good for a 26-ish pound puddle of love. I am spending an inordinate amount of time with Rocky, due to my “in-between” occupational status. I am the primary dog walker in my family. Rocky is well aware of this. Our route to him is familiar as is my generous supply of dog treats. In the morning, we walk along a block that is filled with children and their adult companions walking them to school. For a short dog, he manages to maneuver his way through puffy jackets and shrill voices with aplomb. Every so often, a young child will ask to pet Rocky; when Rocky was younger he was not kid-friendly, but as he’s matured into his stout little body, he’s become quite the social butterfly across all demos. I always say yes, because Rocky appreciates affection, but I also, always crouch down to the child’s level, so that Rocky knows I’m with him too. It helps him, I think. There are, of course, some things that rile him up: a speeding-by-him skateboard, a garbage truck, sometimes even, a man running towards us. But in general, my little guy is sweet and friendly, and I just adore him. So there’s that plus so much more on today’s Barbmagazine, link in profile, please check it out. #barbmagazine #ladieslikeus #pugs #lovealldogs #feminism #parenting #dogs

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Hello! Happy Black Friday! I have so much to be grateful for. You are part of that, as you know. But also My daughter Ruby Karp. This year, Ruby is a senior in high school. She's gotten into her first college, Columbia College Chicago, and she's waiting to hear from the others, in particular, Emerson. She is the ever-enduring anchor, not just for me, but for her friends. The fighter of all-things female. And in general, the same sweet child you've known or heard me talk about for the last 17 years. This year, she published a book, Earth Hates Me. What I've learned about publishing is what I learned about shampoo in the 70s, from the Body On Tap commercial. If you tell two friends, they'll tell two friends and so on and so on. 11,000 copies of Ruby's book are available for holiday gift giving in Barnes and Noble. I'm not great at math, but I am thinking if we all tell two friends, we can get those copies sold out! So please join me as I try to spread the word of Earth Hates Me into the world. It's a survival guide for teenagers, it's a good handbook for parents, and for those of us who are child free, there are some excellent tips on getting over someone. Purchase at Barnes and Noble! There's a 20 percent discount today! Link in profile! Download the audiobook on Amazon, it's free! Post on Instagram and tag #EarthHatesMe Forward this post to five friends! Again, math! And so on, and so on! I'm so thankful. I'm so thankful. I'm so thankful! Have a happy rest of your holiday weekend! Love Marcelle #supportwomen #barbmagazine #ladieslikeus #earthhatesme #rubykarp #booknerd #bookstagram #feminism

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A tale of two meals. The first is today’s breakfast. Iced Hot Dark Chocolate with whipped cream topper. The Dark Chocolate cocoa powder is from @ghirardelli. I put 1/4 cup powder, 2 cups ice, one cup water and put into blender. Filled my glass and added whipped cream. Enough yumminess for three days. The second is last nights dinner, burnt onion rings. I like five onion rings with my dinner and last night I forgot about them in the toaster oven. It’s possible it’s time for a new toaster oven. And a timer. There is more ofc to this post on my blog barb magazine.com link in bio please check it #barbmagazine #ladieslikeus #supportwomen #stuytown #coronavirus #liveyourbestlife #gowithyes #pandemic #icedhotchocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/B_SQv46p3BG/?igshid=oqteizme9sgl

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I’m so happy to tell you that one of my favorite columns—Lady Parts—is back ! This edition features a wonderful set of keeping up with the greys from @chrisriosbeauty as well as Stacy Conde thoughtful tips on looking after yourself in the time of Coronavirus. Here is and excerpt and the whole post? Click on the link in my profile. So while we are sheltering in place, we also need to stay happy and healthy… and part of that is keeping ourselves together. Be kind to each other. Check in. Facetime. Take up watercolor (stay tuned for my octopus painting coming soon). Put together a playlist for your friends (here’s my most recent one). Support your local small businesses if you can. Buy gift cards. Order online. Order curbside take-out. Do all that and also soak up these home hair color tips from Chris Rios Riggio. There is more ofc to this post on my blog barb magazine.com link in bio please check it #barbmagazine #ladieslikeus #supportwomen #stuytown #coronavirus #liveyourbestlife #gowithyes #pandemic (at Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-XJx2bpcp-/?igshid=1rxzukj8q0pji

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In two weeks, possibly less if I am doing the actual math, The Teenager heads back to college, to her dorm, in a city that is not the one I live in with her. She is going into her sophomore year, a full-fledged member of the campus improv team, Swollen Monkey (Swomo for short), on the board of the standup collective, and with a tight knit group of friends, real friends. She has spent the summer interning during the day at a production company, working a job at a rooftop movie theatre, and doing stand up sets, including one at her own show, which she is now officially the producer and booker of. At about this time last summer, our living room was lined with piles of clothing, piles organized according to category (summer tops, winter tops, headbands), all in preparation for what I believed at the time was a year living in another city. I was melancholy about this moment, of us no longer being full-time roommates, I was nostalgic about the life we’d built as a family, I was excited for her to go to college and find her tribe. Now, with Freshman year under my belt, I know so much more. How much time, really, she will not be home, how much she will be coming home, how much I will see her. I know how missing her will feel. I have a glimpse too, into what living on my own will look like, part-time with her being in college, and full-time when college will be over. With almost two weeks left with her home, I’m doing a much smaller scale prep: stocking up on essential toiletries, and sheets, she does need a new set of Twin XL sheets. Everything else? Will get taken care of. Her fridge, her light system, her projector, her winter clothing, all of it is sitting in a storage space in her Other City, waiting for her to return. When she leaves for her sophomore year, she will have a realistic sense of what she needs, she won’t need to take volumes of things back to her dorm, just a suitcase filled with the Fall’s immediate fashion needs. And me? I just need to know she’s happy, and that, that I know the answer too. What a gift that is. There’s more ofc to this post on my blog barbmagazine.com link in bio please check it #barbmagazine #ladieslikeus #supportwomen #liveyourbe https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WRJ_3psaA/?igshid=38amu831kkdq

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Mantra. Go to barbmagazine.com for more (link in profile). Like the cool ass denim jumpsuit from @stoned_immaculate_ as well as all the bon mots I found. #barbmagazine #supportwomen #parenting #motherhood #ladieslikeus

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How To Raise A Feminist (Part Two) Let your babies be babies. Don’t impose your ideas of the world while they’re eating Gerbers. Coo and whisper The Future Is Female, sure. But just let your baby be a warm cuddly baby. Babies aren’t jaded yet, they’re not body-shaming other babies, they’re not flinging off their bras and burning them. They’re just babies. Use this very tiring albeit starry-eyed time in your life with your baby to find moments to nap, moments to cherish, moments to teach your baby to say “Mama” before she or he says anything else. Raising a feminist starts at an early age, in that, it’s a way of life. Maybe read aloud to her/him excerpts of Ruby Karp’s “Earth Hates Me” or Roxane Gay’s “Bad Feminist” or anything from Gloria Steinem. Let your baby watch with you your guilty pleasures. As you push your baby in her/his baby swing, or even the playground one, sing “I am woman, hear me roar,” or “All the single ladies.” All of that is acceptable. Still. Baby time is baby time. Give your baby cuddles. Know that you are raising a feminist, you’ll just get to that when she or he is able to walk, talk, engage beyond smiling when she/he has a little fart pooting out. There’s all this and more on barbmagazine.com please check it out! #galentinesday #barbmagazine #ladieslikeus ##parenting #howtoraiseafeminist link in profile!

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There’s no downtime for the solo parent, and when one is sick, like I am at the moment, that becomes apparent. I still need to do all the things, and when I say all, I mean everything: put out the garbage, feed the dog, make my own bed. The Teenager pitches in, of course; she’ll walk the dog, she’ll make the tea, she’ll sit next to me and hold my hand as I wheeze. When she was younger, however, she was too young to walk the Rocky on her own. I still did it. I still woke up, dragging my bronchial body to the kitchen, prepared the meals for both of them. I still walked her to school. I still walked home alone from school, crawling into bed, setting the alarm for when I’d need to pick her up. In the days when I was working and had a sitter, juggling being sick and being an employee and being a parent was easier. The women who cared for my daughter were generous, soulful, kind ladies who wanted to help, and on days like today, when my body is simply flailing, I really miss them. I had an extra set of hands. Now The Teenager can sometimes be that extra set of hands, except during the day she is in school, and also, hello, she is still more of a child than an adult. I still have to parent. And so I don’t really have downtime. I am on call. I am always on call. Even when my throat is on fire and I really, really, really would like to be in bed, eyes closed, resting.🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽 So there’s a this and more on today’s barbmagazine.com please check it out link in profile #parenting #beingsick #ladieslikeus #barbmagazine #tlc