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The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning may be up your alley. There is also a TV show produced by Amy Poehler of the same name - there's one episode where a woman cleans out her stuff because she is dying of cancer, another family that clears out all the grown kid's stuff because they want to enjoy their retirement, etc. It is a very gentle, sweet show and you may find it helpful to watch it after reading about it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:03 AM on December 26, 2023 marked best answer

Honestly I've been pretty happy with the Target Threshold ones; they get great reviews from Wirecutter too. You don't need to break the bank on them!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 7:25 PM on December 5, 2023

I can recommend the following authors who’ve written a lot of kid’s books: Ursula Vernon, Janet Yolen, Tara Lazar and seconding Beverly Cleary.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 7:28 AM on August 25, 2023 marked best answer

Hi to clarify, I meant stuff that's directly translated from the original work. I'm probably going to get the manga as well.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:59 PM on April 27, 2023

Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I will start looking into them. :)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 3:37 PM on April 28, 2023

Maxine Hong Kingston - Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts
Laurence Yep - Thief of Hearts

BookRiot always has multiple very specific suggestions.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:34 AM on March 24, 2023

Levar Burton Reads' podcast has a wide variety of short stories from acclaimed, diverse authors, including Ken Liu, Tobias Buckell, Louise Erdrich. He is also an excellent reader, and it's basically "Reading Rainbow for grownups".
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 3:44 PM on February 15, 2023

Sorry to answer your question with a question, but what does she currently read and like?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:18 AM on February 7, 2023

Also: BookRiot has extremely specific recommendations for whatever her tastes may be, and they are often diverse, modern, and very appealing on many levels. I've read and ordered quite a few books based on their recommendations.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:30 AM on February 7, 2023

We've been using this mounting putty for the kids' posters. It works really well, doesn't damage the wall, and everything stays up. It's also very easy to take down.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 4:38 PM on January 26, 2023

Ok, thank you, soelo, that appeared to work. I don't know why my eyes kept gliding off of that.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:41 AM on January 25, 2023

I'm Chinese American here, and I often gift people not of my culture treats/food at Lunar New Year's. We make food to share! I never expect anything in return; it's mostly for the joy of celebrating the new year. Just enjoy!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 5:03 PM on January 18, 2023

I think Saveur would probably fit the bill. They have gorgeous pics, great articles, and an international focus.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 7:03 AM on December 25, 2022 marked best answer

Rest of World for global tech stories. Seconding Global Voices.

HK Free Press for independent news about Hong Kong.

Lausan Collective for leftist HK stuff - it's infrequently published, though.

I follow Rui Zhong on Twitter; she writes some great articles at World Politics Review regarding China/US relations, and it looks like they have decent coverage of the rest of the world.

Jewish Currents… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 7:52 PM on November 17, 2022 marked best answer

Forgot to mention The Blue Roof for English language coverage of South Korean politics and news.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:40 PM on November 19, 2022

I use the BuyItForLife subreddit if I want to find out if a particular product holds up.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 5:44 AM on November 8, 2022

For podcasts, has she tried Welcome to Night Vale? Definitely other-worldly, but I'm not sure about the characters.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 6:37 AM on November 6, 2022

I buy my stationery supplies from this Etsy shop; shipping is free.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:56 AM on November 4, 2022

Would the Questioneer Series (start off with Iggy Peck, Architect, work your way up) satisfy that?

My daughter loved the Hamster Princess series. It's a chapter book series; she also really adored the Phoebe and her Unicorn series.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:48 AM on November 3, 2022

Thanks everyone for your answers. We've got a lot to think about.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:15 PM on October 23, 2022

Just an update: my friend has a meeting with the Assemblymember (or her handler, forgot which) tomorrow. Wish us luck! :)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:10 AM on October 31, 2022

I like the Target Oxo ones. It has withstood my 7 year old son's antics, but he is not neurodivergent.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:48 AM on October 28, 2022 marked best answer

I order our Middle Eastern food stuffs from Green Land Food if I can't find it locally. They have good spice mixes, olive oils, etc and dried molokhia leaves aka jute leaves (sometimes you can find this in Asian stores in the freezer aisle).

I will second the Reem Kassis cookbooks, she also has one called Palestinian Table that I often use.

Reem Kassis also has a spice blend collection at Burlap & Barrel. I have been using it for chicken and other things; it's delicious.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 1:42 PM on September 9, 2022

Not Palestinian specifically, but covering a lot of the Middle East is the YouTube channel MiddleEats.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 1:54 PM on September 9, 2022

Watching this thread! My suggestions so far: Alicia Kennedy (food), Rachel Cohen (school politics), Lyz Lenz (politics in general), Jen Gunter (Canadian ob-gyn, famous for debunking Gwyneth Paltrow's goop-y stuff), Reappropriate (Asian American feminism, politics, and pop culture, run by Jenn (not sure of her last name) and Frankie Huang), and I really enjoy the By the Book podcast (half-reality show, half self-help) with Jolenta Greenberg and Kristin Meinzer.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:14 AM on July 22, 2022

I don't know if these are too contemporary:

Linda Lindas - Racist, Sexist Boy

The Claudia Kishi Club - the girls at least probably have read some version of the Baby-sitters Club, so this would be a nice documentary to place everything in context. Also the Linda Lindas make an appearance.

G**k - 2 Korean American brothers own a shoe store and strike up an unlikely friendship with an 11 year old African American girl.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 6:01 PM on May 18, 2022 marked best answer

Also: Passing.

Anything with Chadwick Boseman in it: Marshall, 42.

Hidden Figures
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:57 PM on May 18, 2022 marked best answer

any portmanteau in a storm - actually all gloves are too big for my hands. I'm in the US, and have pretty small hands by US standards.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 3:20 PM on May 11, 2022

I love LM Montgomery, and I re-read her often, but there are a lot of racist asides in her books and she wrote at least one completely terrible and very racist short story.

Non-racist reads: anything by Laurence Yep. I just made a post about Lois Lowry, and remember her books being quite good.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:45 AM on December 29, 2021 marked best answer

Thank you everyone for responding. I'm still digesting a lot of it, and it's interesting to see where my perceptions and what is actually being proposed is off. I think atrazine hit the nail on the head with my major concern, which is that I want to know that with these proposals, everyone will benefit, including the more "gifted" kids. I felt like what I was reading was basically that they are going to dumb down the curriculum for everyone instead of bringing everyone up. But I also… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:31 AM on December 10, 2021

I totally feel you...I am doing a Secret Santa with friends and I am blanking out on what I should add. Anyway...some ideas for you that you might like:

1. Food52's shop is full of gorgeous kitchenware and some fun, innovative products at several price points. I added this cookie dough maker and freezer tray to my wishlist because I'm pretty sure I'll use it.
2. I've been eying Uncommon Goods 100 books/movies scratch off posters because it looks like it'd… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:49 AM on December 5, 2021

My friend sells vintage barware and glassware on Etsy. I've purchased some of the space-themed ones for my husband.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:34 PM on December 5, 2021

I am a Taishanese American living in the Bay Area. Most Taishan/Cantonese people already know a little Mandarin because if they grew up in China, most of their education was in Mandarin and they were expected to know at least basic PuTongHua. You're fine. If they don't know Mandarin they will tell you.

Cantonese/Taishanese people (at least, my area and people) are very friendly and love making connections. You're good.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:43 PM on November 2, 2021

Oh sorry...I think I read too fast: whether you use English or Mandarin will just depend on who you're talking to, and people will tell you if they do know English or not. We're very direct.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:46 PM on November 2, 2021

Kinetic sand
Magna-Tiles/Picasso Tiles - for a more expensive one - my kids love the marble run one
PopIts (silicone bubble wrap) are apparently the current trendy toy for kids right now
Recently gave my 5 year old an outdoor explorer kit that my 10 year old keeps stealing from, especially for the binoculars.
If she likes dressing up and doing pretend there is a Disney Princess Trunk.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:18 AM on October 25, 2021

One of my friends swears by Preply.com, which can be pretty affordable depending on the tutor you pick.

For self-study...honestly I haven't made the effort yet, but in the past when I've tried to re-learn more of my language (Cantonese), I immerse myself in the media - songs, TV shows, movies, etc. For reading, I've found reading manga/manwha translated into Chinese very helpful.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:41 PM on October 15, 2021

Thanks for that tip DoubleLune...is there a good explanation for why it doesn't show up in the regular search results?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:34 AM on September 24, 2021

Thanks everyone for all the tips. I found them very useful. I think I'm just dissatisfied overall with Google in general and that may be impacting my annoyance.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:49 AM on September 28, 2021

For the 11 year old, I am loving Target's Mondo Llama craft line of art sets and stuff - they're all reasonably priced, too. I bought several of them for my kids to play with over the summer.

For the older ones, maybe stuff to decorate their rooms if they have the space? I also got my niece and nephew some personalized journals off Etsy and they seemed to really appreciate those.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 4:08 PM on August 3, 2021 marked best answer

HumbleBundle is currently doing an Office Suite Alternatives bundle that includes access to Ashampoo PDF Pro 2 if you pay more than $12.67. I have no idea if it's any good but it seems to get decent reviews. There also appears to be a free to try version on Cnet.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:08 AM on April 16, 2021

I don't believe Emily Oster to be a reliable source. She was excoriated by epidemiologists and healthcare professionals when she asserted that "kids are the same as your vaccinated grandma". In fact, the Atlantic (same publisher) just published an article refuting that point. I asked how the myth that unvaccinated children are like vaccinated adults could be combatted. She said: “Talk to any pediatrician.”

Tara Haelle, a science journalist,… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 8:46 AM on April 9, 2021

The one for my local group recently "sprouted" and I have appreciated the following rules that they have instituted:

1. Everything is labelled a "Gift", "Ask" or "Thanks". Encouraging the "Thank You" posts are really fun because you get to see what other people use your items for.
2. Encourage people to post their item to let it sit for more than a day before choosing, because a lot of people just cannot be on… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:27 PM on March 17, 2021 marked best answer

Also, sometimes there are themed posts...like, for example, if it's close to Halloween, you would start a post saying something along the lines of "Since Halloween is coming up, this is the post to ask for/gift costumes you no longer want or need." And then people work it out in the comments.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 12:51 PM on March 17, 2021

Don't Go Breaking My Heart, romantic comedy featuring Daniel Wu and Louis Koo, available on Netflix.

If you will make a wuxia exception for Michelle Yeoh, I really like Reign of Assassins (free on YouTube and Amazon Prime)

Vice made a list of recommended Lunar New Year movies. So did SCMP.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 2:43 PM on February 12, 2021 marked best answer

I think probably any fairy tale would fit what you are looking for? You can look at Disney stories, or if you don't want to be limited by that, check out Andrew Lang's Fairy Books series for ideas.

Example: East of the Sun, West of the Moon: White Bear, candle, castle, golden apple, golden carding comb, golden spinning wheel, sleeping potion, prince's shirt.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 2:33 PM on February 6, 2021

Thanks for the info so far. Not going to keep commenting, but, I keep seeing KN95s being advertised...those are NOT the same as regular N95s, correct?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:17 AM on January 14, 2021

As someone who grew up with this kind of thinking, since I was poor, it took a long time, and enough disposable income to feel safe enough to reframe things.

You're saving both time and money by hiring someone else with the expertise to do the jobs you don't have expertise for. Are you going to know what to do if you do install the baseboards and then accidentally break it? Then you'll have to call in an expert anyway. You can also bounce ideas off the expert (who you… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 1:42 PM on November 12, 2020

Nthing Magna-Tiles & Snap Circuits. Picasso Tiles has a marble run version and race track version that often goes on sale at Zulily.

If you have a yard, maybe a sandbox filled with trucks and sand toys?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:06 AM on October 23, 2020 marked best answer

ok, found it, hingston and olsen does the short story advent calendar.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 10:44 AM on October 5, 2020

In case anyone needs more ideas for advent calendar, we just got this very nerdy one where you build your own retro electronic game every day. Also, build your own retro radio, retro film camera, Volkswagon VW Bull T1.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by toastyk at 9:24 PM on October 21, 2020