Every month, I round up some great blog posts from around the web in a series I like to call What’s Up Wednesdays. Here is what’s up for June 2018.

When it comes to influential Canadian dads, it doesn’t get much more influential than Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad. On the occasion of Father’s Day earlier this month, he put himself out there and declared what Father’s Day is not; it’s not Mother’s Day II. How do you feel when people decide to celebrate single moms on Father’s Day? What about single dads on Mother’s Day? I know what it’s like to be the only dad at story time, so maybe we should have some time to shine too. Parenting is a team sport, after all.

One of my favorite ways to celebrate is to eat, but I don’t think I’m quite at the John Chow of extravagant dining just yet. He and his wife indulged in the Prestige tasting menu at Guy Savoy, the ultra high-end restaurant inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. At $385 (US) per person for the 14-course tasting menu, Guy Savoy is just a hair more expensive than what I had in Toronto. What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a meal?

In a short but remarkably honest and insightful post, Holly Riordan describes what it’s like living with anxiety. She explains why she thinks everyone hates her, as she tends to over-analyze everything. “If a friend takes a little too long to answer a text, I start making assumptions.” Far too often, we come to define ourselves by what other people think. We need to let go, which is far easier said than done.

Echoing a tangentially related sentiment, Merry Kuchle says that she is done trying to fit in. She grew up poor, so she was left out of a lot of things as a child and even into her university years. Pursuing her passion wasn’t even on the radar; it was much more about earning potential. And now as a blogger, she’s oftentimes told what she should or should not do. Enough. In her own words, “I have realized that I should not be trying to make myself smaller to make others happier.”

As much as traveling can be a source of anxiety, it is also a source of great joy, even if you’ve been there so many times before. Ava to Zoe’s Janette Shearer is planning a trip to Saskatchewan to celebrate her grandmother’s 99th birthday. She’s actually from Saskatoon originally and goes back to visit now and then. Every year, this trip becomes more important to her and her family.

Speaking of travel anxiety, here’s a worry that had never even crossed my mind. Little Miss Mama Tairalyn Ciulla recently put together a guide for how to prevent stroller theft at Disneyland. I didn’t even know this was a thing! I recognize that these strollers can be very expensive, but so can a visit to The Happiest Place on Earth; everyone else paid to be in there, so it’s not like you’re being robbed in the middle of the street.

For something a little more exotic and cultural, turn your attention over to Dadcation. He recently celebrated turning 43 with a trip to Tokyo. While there, he peered into the Arashiobeya gym to watch some sumo wrestlers training and visited the iconic Tsukiji market for the freshest fish in town. It’s hard to believe it’s been over 10 years since I last visited Japan. It’s about time I go back!

And finally, we finish this week’s speedlink with an entry from Heydy Lopez. Pregnancy, labour and childbirth can riddle even the calmest of people with crazy anxiety. You can (and should) go in with a birth plan, but life always finds a way to throw a wrench into the mix. In sharing her birth story with her son Isaiah, Heydy demonstrates “why going through labour the third time isn’t a charm.” Everything can happen so quickly!