In 2024, @jo-scho.bsky.social thought about her first love: Oasis. Tonight, she's off to see 'em.

Autocratic weeknotes.

Breaking Bluesky silence to ask for reading recs on Kendrick Lamar. Mostly commentary on his cultural commentary but also Super Bowl subtleties I definitely missed (US flag >> swastikas?!)

Not a particularly useful button then. Help? Help.

Thanks for including this @amymcnichol.bsky.social @allconsuming.bsky.social ❤️ My first love was Oasis. If you didn't like Oasis, this essay is also about nostalgia and optimism, and hopefully you can substitute [oasis] with [your first band]. If you did like Oasis, press play on 'Whatever'.

By my husband who bench presses 80kg, has had watery eyes over his Grandad this morning, and is now smoking half a side of salmon on the terrace. Masculinity isn't toxic by default.

Every year, @madebysheppard.bsky.social says there's one essay that just gets him. This is that one: honest. Heartbreaking. Funny.

Challenging to edit when the essay is about indifference and apathy around the subject. How might we encourage people to engage?

🌝Today's essay is by 2024's oldest contributor. It's got a touch of the Mighty Boosh and a whiff of the wacky backy about it but it's just lovely. Gentle. In awe of the universe. Incredulous at their insignificance in the vastness of the universe ☄️🌟 and thrilled to pieces with how lucky they are 💛

"Ghosting needs a rebrand. The term feels too cute – a bit silly. Stick your tongue out and wink ghost emoji. But it is serious, it takes a real mental toll." www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/2024/ghosting

🌟 Here is your last-post-before-Christmas warning!🌟 We have a few copies of the I Thought About That A Lot book left (like, I can count them on my fingers). If you'd like one in time for Christmas, order your copy before 2pm tomorrow (Friday 20 December). www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/shop

⚠️ WARNING❗❗❗ This essay may compel you to bin your desk job, chuck your laptop in the pond, take a sabbatical and live your best creative, arty-farty, explore-all-the-galleries, do-some-journaling, free-your-mind life. Inspired by The Artist's Way (fondly referred to as 'The Dickhead's Way').

Loved working with this contributor. She's 66 and hadn't worked with an editor before but had a lovely balance of strong narrative voice and openness to trying new stuff. I'm glad she's found some peace this year.

Fun to edit and lots of amusing quips but these days we would call this child abuse tbh.

"While the decision to be child-free was always pretty clear for both of us, its ripple effects through our social lives have been more surprising than we anticipated. Here's how things have changed for us as the dominant draw in our clique has transferred from friends to family." So well-written 👏

🤩 @mollywj.bsky.social, in her 'middle-age mum era', has written about fandom as grown up. "It feels special to be on the inside of something as remarkable as what she’s created, but also objective enough not to buy into every last element of it." Publishing today, on Taylor Swift's 35th birthday

🤯 Professional experience being dismissed by young prat 🤯 Pandering to fragile ego cos: = easier life 🤯 Lack of research and awareness around menopause 🤯 Catholic guru creating balkanisation between women Too fucking right we still need feminism 👏 💯

In April, I saw ex Match of the Day mag writer @christowers.bsky.social post about his painful loss on his Insta and asked him to turn his post into an essay. Oh man, he didn't disappoint. You don't have to like football, #Arsenal or even scarves to appreciate this – it's just lovely.

To be kept in mind for your next jaunt: "If we engage more meaningfully with the culture and residents of a place when we travel, we will become more empathetic to the impact that us being there has on both." Thank you to Rosemary Evans for the edits.

Friends! We only have a handful of books left. They include good words, 162 pages of munken pure rough 120gsm paper, lots of white space and cute illos. TL;DR: they look and feel nice, and therefore make gorgey Christmas presents. www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/shop

Do you know what a pouch of Douglas is? If you don't, find out in my short advent blog. It could come in useful one day... www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/2024/my-pouch-of-douglas #endometriosis

It’s the second most common gynae condition in the UK but takes ~9yrs to get a diagnosis of #endometriosis. 🤯 Somehow, @kerry1yons.bsky.social has written with humour on this – despite experiencing years of medical gaslighting. She's thought a lot about others who are un/misdiagnosed this year.

Yep I know it is ironic staking claim to an anonymous essay I wrote about shutting up but I've wanted to write for @allconsuming.bsky.social since @amymcnichol.bsky.social started it and after @jo-scho.bsky.social managed to make this readable I am quite proud of it!

Soz, off to join this contributor in the Eastern Sierra Mountains, USA. Brb... (or will I?)

Another Christmas cracker from fashion darrrling @hardyps.bsky.social 💅

Both me and Rosemary Evans found this a fascinating one to edit... Thank you to the anonymous contributor who trusted us with this one.

This one is written by my GCSE English teacher. A self-proclaimed feminist, he pushed us to challenge patriarchal values and gender binaries in class discussions in the early 00s. He and his classes have had a profound influence on the values I hold today. His essay is terrifying.

With Gladiator Fire* Montell Douglas being voted off Strictly Come Dancing last night, it seemed only right to publish this essay today. *and also, former Team GB sprinter and Olympic bobsledder 🤩🏅👏

My favourite thing about December is this collection of anonymous essays. ♥️

It’s the 1st of December. @amymcnichol.bsky.social is kicking off her annual advent of essays. Every year I wondered what I might write about. This year I figured it out. This one’s from me.

1 December! We've kicked off I Thought About That A Lot, 2024: an advent calendar for your brain not your belly. First up, it's @helenlawsonuk.bsky.social who has written candidly on a subject that's completely relatable to many, and utterly alien to others. Either way, a head fuck of a situation.

And what a magnificent job you did, Ralph 💛

Lovely to be at the launch of @allconsuming.bsky.social and hear some of the writers share their essays – which were moving, kind, thoughtful and all things in between. #writers @amymcnichol.bsky.social

📣 Book launch party is on Wednesday and there are a handful of tickets left. You can and you should get one here: www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/event

Spend the remaining 5 mins before the weekend giving heart eyes to Noelle and their brain farts, and buying the I Thought About That A Lot book. www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/shop

We went to print this morning! Buy the book here: ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/shop

Pre-order the I Thought About That A Lot book www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/product/book @allconsuming.bsky.social

What a lovely project by @amymcnichol.bsky.social and team. If you’re looking for an alternative approach to advent then look no further. They also have an event and you can buy the book! 💛 ithoughtaboutthatalot.com

To celebrate 5 years of "I thought about that a lot" we've gone and done a book and to celebrate THAT we're doing an event and to celebrate THAT we've launched a new website! You can find out more about all of it on said website: ithoughtaboutthatalot.com Give eye.

I'm in awe of the amount of care, thought and love that goes into curating these virtual advent calendars every year. Now a beautifully designed book for our real-life Christmas stockings.

Pre-orders for the "I thought about that a lot" book are now open oh yes they are: www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/shop And look there are *stickers*

You can now pre-order the I Thought About That A Lot book! ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/shop It includes 23 essays that we’ve published on ithoughtaboutthatalot.com between 2020 and 2023. As well as 3 that will be part of this year's advent calendar.

From today in England and Wales, safe access buffer zones make it illegal to obstruct, intimidate or do anything that intentionally or recklessly influences someone’s decision to use abortion services. Made me think of this contributor's experience. www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/2022/my-abor...

We’ve created a book! It includes 24 essays that we’ve published between 2020 and 2024 as part of the 'I Thought About That A Lot' essay advent calendars. You’ll be able to pre-order it next week for a December delivery 🎄 🎁

I love working with clients who use Microsoft. The ease of moving between the 3 accounts I currently have is such a lux experience.

Big announcement folks. I've been diligently writing a book after years of research and practice. Today I'm pleased to announce its title. 🥁 Charcuterie driven development: how to stay lean and agile on the cheese and fatty meats Chapter 1. Choosing your board and cheese lanes 🧀 ...

Can confirm: Sonia is very good at print.

💟 Loved working on this talk and post about the dangers of falling into a Team 🍩 rather than arranging ourselves like an 🧅 ✅ Click-baity title did its job to the point where folk were turned away from Cassie and Simon's #SDinGov talk. 👀 Read a shorter version in Steve's post in this thread.

📣 Help us compile a physical book to celebrate 5 years of @allconsuming.bsky.social – the 'I thought about that a lot' essay advent calendar. ithoughtaboutthatalot.com