Sweet Child of Mine (& Friday Links)

The junior high school around the corner from us is closed today after it received a notice of a gun threat. It’s put the entire community on alert as we hestitate to send our kids to the other schools in the district, and watch police cars patrol at drop-off. So I’m revisiting Everytown.org to make another donation and looking forward to pick-up time this afternoon and getting back into our regularly scheduled holiday fun!

This weekend is the annual Turkey Trot. For the first time, both of our kids are entered into races. Hudson is going to do a 2-mile race, and Skyler will join in the 1/4-mile fun run. After that, she’s requested to play at the park. No problem, kiddo. Later that evening, we’re going out to dinner with friends and then walking over to the Golden One Arena to see Guns n’ Roses! “Sweet Child of Mine” remains one of the best rock songs of all time, in my opinion. Can’t wait!

Finally, it’s the last weekend of basketball camp for Hudson on Sunday morning, but if the timing works out I’d like to head into SF to catch some of the West Coast Craft show. It’s always inspiring—if a bit more challenging to shop with kids. Anyone going?

Have a great weekend! So many links of note… 

I’ve been looking at holiday dresses. This one tempts me year after year and has 430 positive reviews. Hmmm…

Great paint-sticks for little ones.

An epic cheeseboard (all from Trader Joe’s).

This is the most beautiful kids’ kitchen I’ve ever seen! (Not cheap, but $150 off right now)

We’re going to see Pete Souza speak at the Mondavi in a couple of weeks. I found this really provocative.

I keep hearing how wonderful this Jeff Goldblum article is. “I like him even more.” But I found it disturbing at this moment. “He has a way of melting the panties off.”

The first hijab-wearing Barbie, modeled on Ibtihaj Muhammad!

Have you heard of Peaceable Kingdom board games? Right now my kids are loving Dinosaur Escape—just the two of them. And Count Your Chickens is easy enough for preschoolers.

Might there be more Gilmore Girls to come?

Speaking of old TV favorites, Coach and Landry are together again. This trailer is so good.

AND Big Little Lies is getting a second season.

Nutella quietly changed its recipe. [Record scratch]

Choosing a sperm donor. What factors would matter to you?

5 Beauty Companies Made By (And For) Women Of Color

A(nother) chilling story of sexual assault.  And the power of speaking out.

Street photographers

Gender Nation Glossary

Can’t wait to see this! A great Fresh Air interview with Greta Gerwig. (P.S. Set in Sacramento!)

The news bias chart, updated. And all the more reason to appreciate NPR.

Fake news, but sometimes you have to laugh instead of cry. [Insert dramatic sobs] Here’s a real take. Call those senators!

Finally, I’m working on gift guides for the week after Thanksgiving, but is that too late? Gift guides come out earlier and earlier! Here are all the past years’ guides for inspiration—I check all the links every year to make sure they’re still relevant.

[Photo credit: LOS ANGELES – JUNE 1985: (L-R) Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Axl Rose, Steven Adler and Slash of the rock group ‘Guns n’ Roses’ pose for a portrait in a booth at Canter’s Deli adjacent to the Kibitz Room bar in June 1985 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jack Lue/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)]

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