16 Unmissable Reads, The Best of the Blogosphere (August 2020)

The Best of the Blogosphere (August 2020) - Not Dressed As Lamb

In my Best of the Blogosphere this month I have an inspiring gym instructor with cerebral palsy, ‘five quacking zephyrs’, big-nose girls and more…!

[Reading time: less than 3 mins – excluding time reading links]

Two-thirds of the way through the sh*tstorm that is 2020 and yet the internet goes on, producing amazing content that inspires, entertains and amazes us. I know the interwebs gets a lot of grief in terms of the negative that’s out there, but really – where would we be without it? Especially in these crazy times where we need to stay in touch AND stay sane…

Here I’ll always cherish the positive rather than dwell on the negative, and there’s plenty of positive out there to choose from. Hope you love the positivity here too.

Do have a read of these great links – you never know who or what you might discover that makes your day/week/month!

What links did you like – and have you found any fabulous new blogs to follow? Comment below…!

(Photo credits: Top left – link/image | Top middle | Top right | Middle left | Middle | Middle right | Bottom left | Bottom middle | Bottom right)

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So many creative – and new-to-me – ways to tie a scarf by the amazing scarf designer Karen Mabon.

Here are 30 mind-blowing but simple facts suitable for a 3 year old at bedtime. They appealed to my 48-year-old self too (most elephants weigh less than a blue whale’s tongue, for example).

Despite her distinctive colourful style, Samantha has pondered why her style is changing to an elegant, edgy, almost masculine aesthetic.

“Billionaires bask in obscene luxury while their workers suffer incomprehensible hardship” – 3 rules for a sustainable closet by Michelle is everything you need to know about how to (and why we should) give up fast fashion for good.

As a big-nose girl myself, I found Holly saying it’s okay if your nose looks like all the “before” pictures – even if it doesn’t look like the “ideal” beauty standard – very refreshing.

Is James Maina Mwangi, the most stylish man in Africa – if not The World?!

If you’ve ever wondered about switching to menstrual cups, Fatima’s got the low-down for you.

You HAVE to check out the very inspirational Jay Moir – a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy who has qualified as a gym instructor.

These two young girls really know how to dance (puts my school Bananarama dance routines to shame).

I know it’s more of the same sort of thing as earlier, but here are 30 mind-blowing facts for 5 year olds… did you know a group of zebras is called a dazzle?!

This older man has Parkinson’s but got himself a personal trainer in the hope that it’ll help slow down the deterioration that comes with the disease. What an inspiration.

This is #iwillwearwhatilike at its very best: Anders Harder Bjerresgaard is a straight guy “with a passion for gender-fluid fashion and styling” – and I love that his wife loves how he dresses.

“The Black community has been hurt deeply… there is no word to describe the fights, stereotypes, down looks, sexism and mental exhaustion we experience every single day.” France Konin wrote about keeping her mental health in check.

If I had a spare $224 lying around I’d TOTALLY be treating myself to these black and white polka dot ‘party pyjamas’ – with MARABOU FEATHERS. Other colours also available.

Did you know that five quacking zephyrs jolt my wax bed? A sentence with all the letters of the alphabet is called a pangram (“the quick brown fox…”) and this definitive pangram list is a great tool. My favourite? Foxy diva Jennifer Lopez wasn’t baking my quiche. Damn that J-Lo and her lack of culinary prowess.

I’ve been blown away by some of the Black content creators I’ve found since publishing my Best of the Blogosphere BLM Special. Some of my new faves are @theresafractale, @40plusandfab, @olubukola_ogunniyi, @modelsensi, @leilaaigbedion, @normila17 and @ericafmstyle – you won’t find an Instagram clone or run-of-the-mill content in any of these accounts.

 

Stay safe XOXO

Catherine signature

10 Comments

  1. 5 September 2020 / 2:41 am

    Great recommendations! Thank you for sharing the positive! Visiting from the On the Edge link up today. Have a great weekend!

    • Catherine
      Author
      14 September 2020 / 2:10 pm

      Thanks Marielle – so glad you enjoyed the links! x

  2. 3 September 2020 / 8:08 am

    Thanks for the recommendations! I love discovering new reading. It was beyond fabulous to see you in #WowOnWednesday!

    • Catherine
      Author
      4 September 2020 / 12:55 pm

      Aww thanks Gail! Trying to get around the interwebs a bit more again…!

  3. 31 August 2020 / 1:56 pm

    Oh wow, Catherine, so many great finds on the interwebs! I just followed Anders on IG. What an inspiring guy! I have quite a few straight male friends (as well as gay male friends) who enjoy wearing women’s clothing. I love it! And those dancing girls just gave me the biggest smile! I am with you about the internet…even with the negative that comes with it, there is still so much positive. Blogging has definitely helped me get through some hard times over the past 5 years. Such a wonderfully supportive community! Keep shining bright, my friend.

    Shelbee

    • Catherine
      Author
      31 August 2020 / 9:27 pm

      He’s really inspiring, isn’t he Shelbee…? And yes, thanks be for blogging and providing me with something I love as well as it becoming my career! #woopwoop

  4. 30 August 2020 / 8:31 pm

    Some good reading to look forward to this morning. I like the different types of bloggers. It’s like, hey, it’s ok to not follow the norm.

    • Catherine
      Author
      30 August 2020 / 9:09 pm

      Glad you like the variety, Ratnamurti! I always try and mix it up for everyone, it makes it more interesting I think 😀

  5. 30 August 2020 / 9:51 am

    Ooooh so much to read!! Off to have a good look now. Thanks Catherine!
    Hugs
    Suzy xx

    • Catherine
      Author
      30 August 2020 / 6:01 pm

      Enjoy, Suzy! Happy Sunday to you xx

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