Happy Friday! Usually I anticipate the weekend with bated breath, but this week my mom has been here taking care of Henry while our babysitter was on vacation, and I am in no rush for her to leave tomorrow morning. It has meant lots more flexibility for me to chip away at grading, lesson planning, and ye old dissertation, as well as delicious meals, folded laundry, fresh sheets, scrubbed bathroom, and one VERY well-tended baby boy.Henry’s just really living his best life now, you know?

There are lots of really important things happening in the world right now. None of those are reflected in this very random list of links, thoughts, recipes, and first- a totally unrelated picture of Henry looking frightened at the White House Easter Egg Roll, a DC rite of childhood passage, and a truly enjoyable event no matter what your politicial affiliations are. Now then. On to some more random for your Friday.

These cookies. They will blow your mind and make you deliciously ill.

I mean, I love Gwyneth, but sometimes she is just too far from reality. That rec room? Exactly how much recreation can happen in an entirely white room? Much less a white house? DO YOU EVER SPILL ANYTHING? HAVE YOU EVER IN YOUR LIFE EATEN CHEETOS? This is also something I scream at some Instgram feeds I encounter where everything is white. And the “kid space”? HAVE YOU MET CHILDREN? THEY WILL STEAL CHEETOS AND SMEAR THEM INTO YOUR CARPET. You will never get that orange out.

I do not have Twitter, but I am almost tempted to get Twitter so I can help Carter get his nuggs.

The perfect T-shirt constantly eludes me. It needs to be long, white but not transparent, and hold its shape after many washings. (And yes, I have tried Everlane and it was not the Perfect T of My Dreams.)  I am intrigued by this one with the fun knot detail, and I’ve been wearing this [slightly dressier] one on repeat, and in the first and last photos in this post.

Mary has a whole bunch of good links here, especially the ones about the importance of play, and about screen time lowering language acquisition. (Ok, so I guess this link is less fluffy and more important than the rest.)

I have been taking photos for my friend Christine’s blog lately, and she recently posted about these amazing masks. Beautycounter is a little beyond my standard cosmetic price point, but I love face masks and she loaded me up with samples, and that charcoal mask is total SKIN BLISS. Since Henry was born, I have gotten weirdly into masks, soaps, scrubs, and every manner of tiny luxury, and it is one of the best ones I have tried.

Sometimes it feels like internet is full of people like this.

You need these. I need these. The world needs to read more of these.

Thanks for all your shoe recs over here! I saw a student wearing these the other day and I am also totally in love with them – even with my usual veto on pink shoes. They are more ballet-nude pink in person.

Finally- a beach body I can aspire to.

So many people sent me this and I loved it every time. FRENCH HISTORY IN THE REAL WORLD Y’ALL. I finally saw the movie recently, and beyond sobbing at the end when Mrs. Potts was finally able to hug her son (because, mom hormones), I made my movie-going pals listen to me hold forth on wolf attacks in France until the end of the 19th century. Because, dissertation research in the real world.

Go forth and weekend.