The Cats & Coffee Curated Content Series
Welcome to the June 2023 edition of my weekly Cats & Coffee’s Curated Content Series! This series features weekly short-form content round-ups of articles, videos, podcasts, and Instagram accounts that inspire and entertain me or make me think. In short, I find content that is worth your time so you don’t have to! This month’s Curated Content Series highlights include six sunscreen mistakes you may be making, the Queens Charlotte discuss the Bridgerton spin-off, and a themed bookstagram I’m loving lately!
The latest addition to my patio garden:
a happy little nerve plant I recently purchased from Verdant Lyfe
Favorite Finds of the Month
Cats & Coffee’s Curated Content Series: June 21, 2023
Article: Authors and Students Sue Over Florida Law Driving Book Bans, Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter for The New York Times
Florida is often in the news for less-than-stellar reasons. Recently, there has been a lot of fervor about book bans in schools. Many of the books that have been removed from school libraries have dealt with issues of race or sexuality, including the book central to this article, And Tango Makes Three.
And Tango Makes Three is a children’s book by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell about a family of penguins in the Central Park Zoo. The protagonist penguin mates are male, and its touching on the topic of LGBTQ families has resulted in its removal from Florida schools. In short, Penguins Roy and Silo loved each other and wanted a family. With the help of a kindly zookeeper, the penguins are able to take in a baby penguin of their own.
In all, the banning of this book — and the practice of book banning in general — reminds me of this tweet from Stephen King:
Hey, kids! It’s your old buddy Steve King telling you that if they ban a book in your school, haul your ass to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don’t want you to read.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 18, 2023
It bodes well for the actual readership of this books that it is currently out of stock from Bookshop.org, and you can still get a copy of it from Amazon here (the audiobook is narrated by Neil Patrick Harris). So, check it out, maybe get a copy for any kids in your life. It looks really cute!
YouTube Video: ‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan’s Personal Guide To Scotland | Going Places | Condé Nast Traveler
As if I needed any other incentive to go back to Scotland, I just came across this Condé Nast video with Sam Heughan, where he details his favorite spots in his homeland. From useful Scottish slang to road trip snacks, from cultural events to check out to whiskey distilleries to visit, you’re be all set for your adventure into Scotland!
P.S. Are you looking to practice your Gaelic before visiting Alba?
Read about how you can learn Scottish Gaelic with Duolingo’s app here!
Instagram Account: @thefrenchiegardener
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you may have noticed I’m really into my gardening right now. Part of the process of embracing my green thumb has been to find helpful Instagram accounts to follow about gardening, and @thefrenchiegardener is certainly that!
Patrick Vernuccio, the gardener behind this account, shares helpful tips and insights into growing your own food in pots and patio containers. His personal garden is set up on a balcony, and really shows just how much you can do with a smaller space! Plus, he’ll make you feel better about all the supermarket basil plants you’ve bought and killed over the years (see the reel above!).
So, if you’re interested in learning more about planting and growing your own food, or just gardening in general, be sure to check out Patrick’s Instagram here for insightful tips and tricks!
Cats & Coffee’s Curated Content Series: June 14, 2023
Article: 5 small laundry room storage rules for a functional and curated space, Millie Hurst for Homes & Gardens
Laundry is probably my least favorite chore around the house, which makes it really easy to neglect the organization of the laundry room. I came across five tips from Homes & Gardens, though, that seem relatively easy to implement.
First and foremost — and feeling as if they’re speaking directly to me — is to be strict about what you store in the room. It’s easy to make small laundry rooms into storage closets, places to hide clutter that you then forget about.
The whole list is pretty handy, including little steps you can take to make the space look more organized and put together. Not sure it’d make me change my tune about loathing the chore, but it should help make laundry go more smoothly!
Looking for more organization tips like this?
Check out my guide to laundry room organization here!
YouTube Video: Good Omens Season 2 | Official Trailer
I’ll be honest, I was starting to get worried that there wouldn’t actually be a season two to Good Omens! I binged watched the show a while back and found the entire concept rather hilarious. The pairing of David Tenant and Michael Sheen as demon and angel duo Crowley and Aziraphale is television gold. To be fair, I’d watch David Tenant read the phone book, but still. Check out the trailer and get ready for season two to air on July 28 on Amazon Prime!
Instagram Account: @roswellandleela
Living her best Cat Mom Life, Lindsey Kuzmin shares her adventures with her hairless cats, Roswell and Leela. I can’t remember how exactly I came across the account, but I am loving seeing all of the adventures these sweet kitties and their humom get up to!
Besides sharing all the kitty cuteness, Lindsey also shares important tips and insights, like how she protects Roswell’s skin from the sun during their cat stroller rides. Even though my cats have fur, I do worry about their sun exposure on the catio sometimes.
Give Lindsey, Roswell, and Leela a follow on Instagram here for all the kitty cuteness!
Cats & Coffee’s Curated Content Series: June 7, 2023
Article: Picking the ‘right’ sunscreen isn’t as important as avoiding these 6 mistakes, Allison Aubrey for NPR Up First
Sunscreen is an integral part of my daily beauty routine, so when I saw this article talking about common mistakes we make when applying SPF, I knew I had to share it with you all. Some of the six mistakes listed might not be news to you, but I know I learned some things from the article. For example, to get adequate coverage and protection on your face, you need approximately a teaspoon of sunscreen. Further, higher sunscreen SPFs don’t equate to longer lasting sun protection; higher SPFs need reapplication just like lower levels.
Looking for sunscreen recommendations?
Check out my top picks for daily sunscreens here!
YouTube Video: Queen Charlotte’s Golda Rosheuvel and India Amarteifio discuss the Bridgerton spin-off | Bazaar UK
In this week’s must-watch video, Golda Rosheuvel and India Amarteifio, the actresses who play Queen Charlotte in the Bridgerton series and spin-off, discuss their now-iconic role. Golda Rosheuvel has played the character since Bridgerton’s first season came out in 2020, so India Amarteifio was coming into a well-formed character — no small feat! Queen Charlotte, as they point out, was not in the book series, but was used in the series to ground it in the Regency period. However, who can consider the world without Queen Charlotte now?! I hope you enjoy the actress’ discussion below:
Instagram Account: @bookobsessed_emily
While I have followed Emily of @bookobsessed_emily for some time now, I recently fell in love with her content while reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. My reading the ACOTAR series happened to coincide roughly with an Instagram series Emily posted of the protagonist sisters in the series as various Taylor Swift songs. Since I got so much joy from flipping through the carousels of the Archeron sisters she had made, I knew I had to share her work with you!
Emily is a Florida based book blogger who loves to share her passion for reading with her followers (along with Cuban coffee — love it!). She posts a variety of bookish content, from character posts like the one above to book reviews and her own photography. A huge Swiftie, many of Emily’s latest posts have paired characters to Taylor Swift songs, as I mentioned. Beyond the ACOTAR posts, her series on the Little Women characters are other favorites of mine — particularly Jo and Meg.
Give Emily a follow on Instagram here for some of the best bookish round ups and character posts you’ll find on the app! You can also check out her TikTok here for even more book loving content.
Want more great finds like these?
Explore the May 2023 edition of my Curated Content Series for more great reads, listens, and Instagram accounts to follow.
