#5SmartReads - February 6, 2023

Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and twin mom. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism, where she studied long-form reporting and magazine writing/editing. Now, she works in the digital world and primarily covers reproductive issues, parenting, women's health, and culture. Her writing has been published for digital publications like Parents, Elle, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Shape, and many more. She's a fierce advocate for fellow mothers and is passionate about facilitating conversations on the state of motherhood today.

Swifties With Disabilities Were Competing For 0.005% Of Eras Tour Seats. Somehow Ticketmaster Made It Worse (Cosmopolitan)

If you're a passionate 'Swiftie' (it's me, hi), you know the frustrating reality of attempting to snag tickets to her upcoming tour. But while the Ticketmaster snafu failed the majority of Swifties, it hit the disability community especially hard.

This article breaks down the barriers its members face when seeking live entertainment — and how the Taylor Swift ticket debacle brought them to a head.

I Do Half The Chores And Bring Home More Than Half The Pay Check. Isn’t That Enough? (Fatherly)

We are FINALLY having conversations about the mental load of motherhood, but it's still something most people don't fully understand. Even the people who carry that load are still trying to make sense of what the mental load really entails. This Q&A does a fantastic job of pointing out some of the invisible labor moms take on.

Equality in the home is never going to happen unless we're willing to take a good, hard look at how most homes truly function.

COVID-19 Vaccines And Sudden Deaths: Separating Fact From Fiction (Your Local Epidemiologist)

Another day, another vaccine conspiracy theory.

This article tackles viral theories about sudden deaths happening in the aftermath of vaccination. Your Local Epidemiologist breaks it down in a way that's both data-driven and digestible.

Is It Lucky Girl Syndrome Or Is IT Just Privilege (Refinery 29)

You may have heard of "Lucky Girl Syndrome", which has become a popular TikTok topic.

It isn't just about manifestation and self-perception, though. This article unpacks the role privilege plays in this phenomenon.

“That’s So Raven” Costume Designer On The Show’s Sartorial Significance 20 Years Later (Teen Vogue)

I LOVED watching "That's So Raven" as a tween. I don't think I realized at the time how much it meant to me to see a girl of color take the lead role on a hit show.

Raven's style was bold and trendy — and this article's reflection on how it just the plus-size fashion game is so worth a read.