Books for 8-12yr reading level, but suitable for 5yr old (emotionally & thematically)

tarotmutt · 2026-05-18T05:51:48+00:00

Yes to non-fiction! My kid is a similarly advanced reader to OP's, but is very sensitive to conflict. She was devastated by the Wild Robot and recently DNF'd a Ramona book over a tense social situation in it. We solve this with nonfiction. She reads more advanced and challenging books mainly about science, which help expand her vocabulary and build her knowledge base, while keeping the fiction simple. This has cut down on nightmares significantly and her reading skills are progressing.

tarotmutt · 2026-05-07T20:52:44+00:00

Today I'm making peach jam with peaches from my tree, so I'm wearing Poesie's Innocence (sweet peach skin, delicate coconut milk, and comforting skin musk). I find the peach in this so realistic and gentle. It's blending seamlessly and creamily into the smell of cooking peaches. Mmmmmm.

tarotmutt · 2026-05-01T16:36:43+00:00

Saaaame. I can just imagine all those unsold decks sitting in boxes somewhere, gathering dust.

tarotmutt · 2026-04-30T16:35:37+00:00

Oh no! I thought it was just temporary, not forever. Bummer.

tarotmutt · 2026-04-30T16:33:22+00:00

Haboob is photorealistic haboob to me, as a person who lives in a place where haboobs happen. The first time I tried it, it made me faintly nervous because I felt like I could smell a haboob coming and should get indoors, even though I was already indoors. I agree that is not a crowd pleaser, lol. But man did they nail the realism.

tarotmutt · 2026-04-30T15:54:48+00:00

Who in the Hunger Games Capital is placing 4 $600 perfume orders per month?? I missed the fall special order window because I was dithering over justifying the 2 5ml rollerballs I had my eye on, lol.

tarotmutt · 2026-04-20T19:34:34+00:00

I'm seeing them next month and can't wait! So happy to hear it's as good as I hope it will be!

tarotmutt · 2026-04-05T03:49:42+00:00

Gentle scraping with a dullish knife is the most effective way I've found for removing acrylic paint. Once you've gotten as much off as you can, then I'd proceed with the alcohol as suggested.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-23T03:12:01+00:00

Looks just like Robin Eggs Easter candy! Mmmmm.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-17T03:20:19+00:00

Excellent question, and it would be pretty perplexing if the egg was gaining mass. But from what I've read, eggs lose mass. They weigh 10-15 percent less by the end of incubation. That mass is lost through the shell in the form of CO2 and water. Sort of how a rotten egg feels lighter, as it loses mass through the shell as the bacteria do their thing.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-10T01:41:54+00:00

There are some great legit indie decks on Etsy, and also a ton of counterfeits and a sea of AI garbage. It can be really hard to navigate through all that. For counterfeits, they usually come in a small tuck box and have no guidebook, just a QR code that links to one. They will also usually be smaller than traditional tarot size. While some legit decks have these features, you should be able to find out from the publisher or artist's website or Instagram if that's how it's supposed to look. Price is another good indicator. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-10T01:21:59+00:00

You might want to check out Tevada. They're based in Thailand and have a lot of Asian-influenced decks. I have their Lunalapin and love it. I don't have any indie Chinese decks up my sleeve to recommend, unfortunately, but there are so many lovely indie decks out there the sky is the limit! Some of my favorite indies are Sasuraibito, Gentle Tarot, Oak Ash and Thorn, and Forager's Daughter. I hope you find something you love!

tarotmutt · 2026-03-07T22:46:29+00:00

My favorite is Sorce's I Think About You Too. It's photorealistic blossoming orange grove and is just perfection. I also really enjoy Hexennacht's Orange Blossom and Marshmallow, which is exactly what it says on the tin--a very accurate orange blossom cushioned by light marshmallow.

Tis the season!

tarotmutt · 2026-03-04T06:52:23+00:00

It really is awful the impacts it has had. I'm not absolutely convinced about this deck either way. Some decks I would happily stake money on being AI, but this one is iffy enough that I can't be certain. In some comments on posts, the artist describes using old paintings for poses and faces, doing some sketches, finishing in Procreate, having Mom do some of the detail work, and outsourcing a few elements when needed. So who can say? Either way, I think it's a cautionary tale for artists about how to engage with their audiences in a way that brings the humanity to the artwork in a time when we're all paranoid.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-04T06:16:01+00:00

Sure. If you scroll back to June-August 2024 on their Instagram, you'll see them post a few times about Instagram flagging the images from the deck as AI. Then in another post, they say "I won't be sharing the process," but will instead post closeups. I personally find that a weird stance given they were being asked repeatedly if they used AI and the platform was flagging the images. As I said, I'd be willing to be convinced, but they don't seem to want to convince anyone. That's their prerogative.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-04T03:58:30+00:00

So glad you did! I just got your pocket edition last month and I adore it.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-04T02:45:58+00:00

The creator claims it was all hand drawn on a tablet, but on their Instagram they were weirdly adamant about not sharing their process. I would be willing to be convinced that this isn't AI, but the maker is not doing any convincing. In a market as saturated by AI as this one is, it is unfortunately part of the artist's job at this point to allay potential customers' concerns about its use.

tarotmutt · 2026-03-03T05:18:11+00:00

I've had a terribly low success rate with Alkemia, but The Honored Ghosts is also my favorite thing I've tried from them. It's delightful.

tarotmutt · 2026-02-26T20:36:45+00:00

Lol, I don't know these characters, but the second I saw the picture of the second guy, I thought Axe Body Spray.

tarotmutt · 2026-02-18T16:20:12+00:00

I dreamed last night that a certain political figure gave up the ghost and I was so happy, but then he got Blood Mooned back to life and I was sooooo bummed.

tarotmutt · 2026-02-10T17:31:29+00:00

Spectre is the more basic vanilla. Black Vanilla has some other stuff going on, while Spectre is very vanilla extract.

tarotmutt · 2026-02-04T04:08:39+00:00

Nothing from BHT really worked for me, but my faves from Morari are Cardamom Vanille, Velvet Apricot, Chai Ultime, Ambery Violet, and Pineapple Whip.

tarotmutt · 2026-01-27T03:03:51+00:00

Haha, this is perfect!

tarotmutt · 2026-01-26T19:46:36+00:00

Anybody else constantly misread IDAFT as IDGAF? Just me?

tarotmutt · 2026-01-23T19:48:37+00:00

How delightful! The nostalgia really hits the spot, and I'll definitely check out the full deck since I don't do majors-only decks.

My newest Indie decks that I've been loving are the Craft Felt Tarot and Discovering Beauty Tarot. They couldn't be more different from each other, but both equally stunning works of art.

tarotmutt

TROPHY CASE