Jody Allard

Jody Allard

Bio

Jody Allard is a former techie turned freelance writer living in Seattle. Her online work has appeared on Time, xoJane, and Offbeat Home, among others. She writes primarily about food, family, mothering, and life with a chronic illness. 

Jody Allard Articles

Holidays without your mother are hard.

Surviving The Holidays When You’re Estranged From Your Mother

It’s been three years since I divorced my mother. The reasons are long and complicated, yet also short and simple. My mother is not capable of mothering anyone, and I am healthier and happier without her.

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Twitter Turns Oregon Militia Into Brokeback Mountain Inspired Erotica

If imagining the Oregon militia huddled together for warmth now that the Feds have cut off their power fills you with Brokeback Mountain inspired nostalgia, you aren't alone.

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Who in the actual fuck has a whole raw bell pepper at Thanksgiving dinner?

5 Awful Family Members You're Sure To See On Thanksgiving –– And How To Survive

It's time to gather around the table with the family members you see only once or twice a year (for good reason) and try to avoid stabbing each other with your forks. #Blessed.

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Brace Yourselves, Grammar Sticklers: Singular "They" Is The Word Of The Year 

As a former English lit major and long-time editor, I've met my share of linguistics pedants. Today is not their day. But for everyone else who appreciates the natural evolution of language, rejoice! Singular "they" was just named 2015's Word of the Year.

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SOS Found In Socks May Be A Hoax, But The Plight Of Chinese Workers Isn't

Shakhiel Akbar was shocked to find a letter describing the torture inflicted on Chinese factory workers tucked into the socks he bought at a British Primark store. He used his phone to translate the letter, which chronicled the plight of a 39-year-old factory worker.

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Bernie being Bernie.

Bernie Sanders Thinks Women Should Stay Home With Their Babies

Let me repeat that, just in case you missed it. Bernie Sanders said that a mother "should stay home" with her baby. When I first heard that sentence, I looked at my teenagers, and began yelling, "Mothers?! Should?!" My oldest son, who is 17 now, shrugged and replied, "Well, they should stay home with their babies, right? I mean, isn't that a good thing?"

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The author meets Macklemore.

What Macklemore's Relapse Reminded Me About Loving An Addict

What I do know is what it is like to be the wife of an addict, and those years taught me to claim responsibility for addictions that aren't my own. Thankfully, while that is still my first instinct, I have come far enough now to pause and remind myself that I am no one's caretaker. I am not responsible for my ex-husband's addiction, and I am certainly not responsible for Macklemore's.

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37 Things I've Learned In My 37 Years

"23. Coffee is full of antioxidants and is therefore a healthy and necessary part of each day."

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