5SR - September 14, 2023

A native of Mumbai, India, Shibani has lived in Cleveland, Ohio for nearly 20 years. Shibani is an avid reader, and has read over 160 books this year - you can find her book reviews on Instagram and Goodreads!

Trust Me: Never Having Children Doesn’t Mean You’re Going To Be Lonely (Vogue)

I don’t have kids - a decision my husband and I made nearly 20 years ago that’s set in stone. When our friends have kids there are times where our friendships ebb and flow and that’s normal.

Sometimes these friendships come back around when our parent friends reach a different stage in their lives, and sometimes they don’t. That’s just how friendship goes.

That said, I’ve never felt lonely - if you surround yourself with a diverse group of people, you’re always going to have treasured relationships around you.

About Half Of U.S. Pet Owners Say Their Pets Are As Much A Part Of The Family As A Human Member (Pew Research Center)

This is not news to anyone who has a beloved pet: nearly all U.S. pet owners (97%) say their pets are part of their family, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

About half of pet owners (51%) not only consider their pets to be a part of their family but say they are as much a part of their family as a human member. But what is most interesting is how this sentiment, and pet ownership in general breaks out demographically.

The Summer We Used Our Power And Loved It (Ellevest Magazine)

This was the ultimate GIRL POWER summer - women literally drove the economy in significant ways! Between Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Greta Gerwig and the Barbie movie, there was a clear and direct link between women and economic growth.

Enjoy this column by Sallie Krawcheck for Ellevest, talking about it.

The Etsy Sellers Paying Rent With Taylor Swift Merch (The Hustle)

I’ve been to a lot of concerts this year, and what I’ve noticed is that with a few exceptions, most artist merch just isn’t that great.

Frequently, there are talented artists on Etsy selling more creative and interesting merch inspired by music. I love this story about these etsy creators finding success in creating unique merch for fans!

Whats Hot? Ice (Axios)

As always, I like to end these with something fun. Today, we're talking trends.

I have a full freezer so I don't have the room to follow this trends, with the exception of big ice cubes for negronis. That said, I’ve seen this all over Instagram.

If you want a truly funny take on this, go check out Shabaz Says: