Snow-Week Gems

As usual, LOTS of goodies on the world wide web this week.  Cozy up by the fire and give 'em a read!

"Dear New Girl at the Gym" by Erica Millard

This was actually posted a few weeks ago, but I just found it, so it counts.  (Thanks for linking Katie!)  I needed to read this.  Good stuff.


"Let's Get Together, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" by Elizabeth Robertson Williams.

I was recently introduced to Elizabeth's blog from a mutual real-life friend, and I feel like we might be soul sisters already.  I love what she has to say about hospitality and taking it seriously when we say "let's get together" to people. (Although, I have to admit, when I first read the title I thought she was going to invite me to her house... And, I was pretty excited about that!)

And this one - "Why You've Got to Have Guests When You're House Isn't Perfect" - from the Nester goes perfectly with Elizabeth's post above.

The Nester

"The Promise You Can't Keep in Marriage" by John Mark Comer for Relevant Magazine.

This is a great article about what marriage IS and what it is NOT.  The idea that it isn't supposed to make you "happy" can be hard to accept, but also so freeing! A great message - especially after this week of loooove. :)


"Living Small: Current Thoughts" on The Vanilla Tulip

The Vanilla Tulip shared master bedroom/nursery

I have so much respect for Ashley.  She and her husband are raising their four beautiful kids in an 1,100 square foot cottage with two bedrooms and - I'm not kidding - it is one of my FAVORITE houses in the blogosphere. (If you want, start by reading the Introduction to her Living Small series here.  I love her heart and am so inspired by the life she is intentionally living.)

"Why Sean Lowe's Story Matters" (with a link to his "I Am Second" video) on Annie Blogs

If you read my post about Sean & Catherine's wedding, you know how much I agree with what she is saying...  And, you totally need to watch the video.

Also loving...

This necklace.

The new-and-improved Room to Romp website - especially this cute spring outfit for Sam.

This amazing striped tunic (with pockets).

This perfect Valentine's gift from my main squeeze:

I have had my eye on these for a while now, and Jeff finally picked up on my - not so subtle - hints. #heisakeeper I just sent in our photos and CAN'T WAIT to see the finished product of our little family in a few weeks!


And, finally, congratulations to Veronica - the lucky winner of the Valentine's Group Give Away! Look for one of these cuties headed your way from me!

This Week's Gems

One of you mentioned that I shouldn't feel obligated to blog every day or apologize when I don't on my reader survey a while back, and it has stuck with me.  We're busy.  You guys know.  We get it.  Lately, I've been trying to be really intentional about my time and not posting just because I "should", but only when I have something to say and time to say it.  BUT, unfortunately, as you might imagine, meeting both of those criteria at once is... a challenge. There is a lot "on the tip of my finger tips" (you like that?) that I want to write, but I just haven't been able to get the time and words to coincide this week.  I'm rambling.  Sorry. (And sorry for apologizing too.)

Hopefully I'll be back on track next week.  Until then, here are a few of my favorites from people that are actually writing this week...

"The 3 Words That Can Revolutionize Motherhood" by Kristen Welch at We Are That Family

"Motherhood Refines": a letter from The Tiny Twig

Ahhh this one HIT ME HARD - "Don't Say You'll Pray for Me" from Lysa TerKeurst.  SO good.

Also...

This is a genius idea for entertaining toddlers on cold/snowy days.  (Maybe I'm not the only mama in favor of LONG bath play times on days like those.)

I'm kind-of loving graphic t-shirts lately - especially this one from Loft - so cute for Valentine's Day.  Do you have any you love?  Where do you get them?  #NeverthoughtIdseetheday

I think I'm going to start reading this book this weekend.  I just can't wait any longer.


And last...

The Allume Conference announced their speakers for 2014 this week, and I'm super excited about Shauna Niequist in particular.  It's back in Greenville again this coming October and - as of right now - I'm planning to go!

I've also been thinking a lot about attending the She Speaks Conference in Concord, NC this summer.  I REALLY want to go, but the ticket price is *high.*  Does anyone know anything about this one? Is it worth it?

Oh! And one more thing...

There is one week left in the awesome Valentine's giveaway I'm participating in this month.  Go here to check out all the goodies up for grabs, meet some lovely new bloggers, and enter to win.  Don't miss it! :)

Happy Weekend!

Another Week, Another Set of Gems

Hi friends!  Happy Fried Food and Fatty Dips Superbowl Sunday!  

First up, if you missed it yesterday, I'm participating in a really fun Valentine's Giveaway with nine other bloggers.  We each picked a product we "love to love" and one lucky winner will get it ALL.  Check it out and enter here.

I hope you all have had a great weekend. Jeff had a guy's trip planned this weekend, so Sam and I headed north to spend some time with Aunt KK (my sister), and it has been so wonderful.  Sam has been completely spoiled, and I got to eat Mexican food, shop at Ikea and World Market, and spend Saturday night in my PJs reading tabloid magazines with my bff. (Did you know Taylor Swift's cat's name is Meredith Grey? How great is that?) It's been pretty much the best weekend.

Speaking of the best, here are some of my favorite blog posts and articles from this past week:

"4 Habits of Punctual People" at FastCompany.com

Obviously, I needed to read this.  #Imightbeinthe20percent


"The New Church Lady" from Pearls and Grace

This is beautiful.  THIS is the woman I want to be.

"Creating a Family Culture" on Catholic All Year

 

Kendra is fast becoming one of my favorite bloggers because, y'all, she has SEVEN kids and still makes dinner every night and wears cute clothes to church on Sunday, so she's pretty much an expert in the parenting department as far as I'm concerned.  This post meant a lot to me as I think about decisions Jeff and I will make for Sam and our family as he grows and begins to ask more questions etc.  We are entering the "why" stage already, and I want to have a "plan."  I really love this approach of creating and owning your own family culture and then STICKING TO IT because you are a family, and that is enough.


"Where All New Year's Resolutions Go to Die" by Kat Lee at The Art of Simple

Kat calls February the month where "where all new year's resolutions go to die" and, based on my past experiences, I have to agree with her.  BUT, not this year folks.  This post is the perfect blend of motivation and practical tips to help you carry your goals well beyond January!


"How I Lost 100 Pounds in 11 Months" from Livy Loves to Run. 

I only just recently started following Diana's blog, but I had seen her name (and picture) in the blog world for a while because of her awesome Etsy print shop.  This week, she hit her goal of losing ONE HUNDRED POUNDS after beginning to live a healthier lifestyle less than a year ago, and she has been a big inspiration to me (especially on Instagram) in my own healthy-living journey this past month.  This post just answers some frequently asked questions about her loss and how her life has changed in eleven months.

For my teacher friends (and parents with kids in schools), you must read "Share This With All the Schools."  Glennon nailed it. (Again.) Kind-of made me tear up a little.

"Let Your Husband Love You" on When at Home

This is a quick and easy read (that apparently stirred up quite a bit of controversy that I really don't understand) with a good message.  Even though I don't stay home with Sam all day every day, I could still relate to a lot of this and definitely benefited from this reminder.

Also...

I love this idea for a hostess gift from Cupcakes & Cashmere.

I'm looking forward to this movie this summer.

A pretty new desktop wallpaper for February.

I really want this for my bedroom (... on a canvas...for Valentines Day... from Jeff)

This is funny and oh so true (for m


And... I'd really like to partner with your small business as a sidebar sponsor for this place.  Check out options and buy for February here or email me (e@emyselfandi.com) for details.

Gems

Happy Saturday friends!  Here are some gems for your weekend...

19 Scientific Reasons Why You Should Take More Naps
As if I needed any... ;)

"7 Crippling Parent Behaviors that Keep Children from Growing Into Leaders" posted on Forbes.com

"50 Tips for New Moms" from Lisa Jo Baker

"How I Learned God Cares about My Fear" by Donald Miller

"Say Anything" from Jamie as the Very Worst Missionary

"The Questions That Will Save Your Relationships" by Glennon Melton at Huff Post


That outta keep you busy for a while... Have a good weekend friends! :)

This Week's Gems

I'm not sure you can beat a Sunday afternoon when you have Monday off, you know? I'll be productive tomorrow; today, I will catch up on blog reading, watch movies, and snuggle with my boys.

What about you?  What's on your plate today?

LOTS to share from around the blogosphere this week; but, first, THANK YOU for taking the time to respond to my survey on Friday and leave such kind and thoughtful comments.  You guys gave me some good things to think about; and, even more so, some much-appreciated encouragement to keep this little place alive and well.  It is my HONOR to write here and share my life/stories with such a wonderful group of women! *So far, I've had about 150 people take the survey, but only 37 of you left comments to be entered to win a copy of Bread and Wine.  I will leave it open for a couple more days, so hurry on over if you haven't been yet! :)

For today, here are some of my favorite "gems" from this week...

It's been going on for several months now, but I'm still really enjoying the Simplicity Series at Emily Ley.

What would be on your "simplicity" list?


The College Prepster's tips on "How to Pull Off Lipstick"  

I still don't think I'm brave enough to actually do it (although Erika sure does make a compelling argument), but at least I know how now. ;)


Spoiler Alert: Sam's Valentine's will look like this this year.

They are perfect for my "wild man," and - with the free printable included - I think they will make even me look a little crafty. :)


One of my very favorite posts from this week was "On Pride and Perfection" from Erin at Blue-Eyed Bride.

Y'all, I don't really know how to describe it, but I have been following Erin's blog for a long time now (four years maybe?), and just in the last year I have seen her make this beautiful and seamless shift from being just another mommy-blogger to being a blogger that really makes a difference with her words.  Her quest for "white space" lately, her dependency on the Lord, and her courage to share them both with the world through her blog have, truly, been an inspiration to me.  Read this post.  It is so good.

I NEEDED to read "The #1 Organizing Trick that No One Tells You" from Ann Voskamp this week.

I feel like I am constantly looking for the next greatest thing or twelve step plan to get my life organized and "on track," but this is a great reminder that my days will never be "right" unless they are organized - first and foremost - around Jesus and time in His Word.  Yes.

A Cup of Jo posted about an article on The Psychology of The Bachelor this week, that was SO interesting.

(Read the original article posted in The New York Times in Nov. 2012 here.)


"8 More Winter Boredom Busters" from The Kavanaugh Report has some awesome ideas for entertaining toddlers during this long cold months.

It had never occurred to me to use our water table year round with something else inside it like rice or beans.  We might just have to try this this weekend!


These 19 Things People Swear They Will Never Do When They Have Kids is PERFECT.

I haven't put Sam on a leash (yet), but I'm pretty much guilty of saying I wouldn't do (and then doing) all of the other 18.  #neversaynever #oops

Blog Silence (and Gems)

Hey friends.  Sorry for the silence around here this week.  I don't really have a good excuse for not writing - just a myriad of little things that added up (sick boys, semester grades due, slow internet, this book, and maybe a little bit of Bachelor-induced writer's block) and kept me from visiting this place.

Anyway, despite the unspoken code of blogging that says "Thou shalt not publish a 'comeback' post on a Saturday night" (never mind "thou shalt not cheat and make said 'comeback' a simple compilation of other people's writing") I'm playing a fun little game with myself where I get to read one blog post inbetween each set of papers I grade tonight.  #yougottadowhatyougottado #motivationatitsfinest; so, with that said, here are some gems you may have missed from around the World Wide Web lately:

Busy Isn't Respectable Anymore 

I don't really think "taking naps every day and never folding laundry" is respectable either; but, it is really interesting how our culture is shifting away from the constant rat race, huh? I'm SO glad.

My Hope for You Today

Just a good, simple reminder for the start of another year. :)

16 Books to Read Before They Hit the Theaters This Year

If you haven't already seen this floating around Facebook, check it out - especially if you are in the market for a new book to read.  I'm on a big reading kick lately, but I've only read three of these so far.  #gottagetbusy #mostexcitedaboutTheGiver


And, if you aren't already, you NEED to be following the Possessionista for Bachelor re-caps and details every week. Hil.ar.i.ous. 

Also, here are a couple of new blogs I've started following lately... 

Love, Laura Beth

I actually "met" Laura Beth three years ago when I was pregnant with Sam.  She's been a blog-reader for a while, but I just found her blog recently in my quest for some real-world healthy living inspiration, and I'm HOOKED.

Catholic All Year

Kendra is the cousin of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Pryor.  I don't know exactly what our age difference is, but I vividly remember looking up to her when we were awkward preteens and she and her sister were beautiful teenagers.  Now, she is the (still) beautiful momma to SEVEN (yes, you read that right) in southern California. As if having seven kids wasn't enough, she also home schools, wears adorable clothes, wrote a book, blogs regularly, AND makes driving a 12 passenger van look cool.  Obviously, she IS supermom; but, not in an annoying and intimidating way; more like - I-still-look-up-to-you-even-though-we-are-both-grownups-and-mamas-now.  You will like her (and her blog).
                
AND FINALLY...

A pretty new January Desktop Wallpaper

Unroll me.

Have you done this yet? If not, what in the world are you waiting for?  It (literally) takes two minutes and my inbox is like a DREAM now.  I was subscribed to so many things I didn't even know about!



Ok, I think that about catches us up.

Besides The Bachelor (obvi), what else do you want to hear about next week?  I gotta get my blogging mojo back. ;)

Happy Weekend + Gems

Hope your weekend is off to a good start already.  Jeff had a guys' night last night, so Sam and I had a little date.  We had planned to go downtown to see the Christmas lights show, but it started raining right when we got there.... Instead though, we drove around looking at lights, and Sam LOVED it.  He was so cute "hunting" for lights and got so excited when he spotted them.  I could have driven around all night just listening to his gasps and wonder.  Christmas with a toddler is the closest I've ever come to believing in magic. :)

Towards the end of the night, the rain had stopped, so we parked and walked down a street that is totally covered in lights.  Of course, it started pouring rain just when we got about three blocks away, so we ended the night soaking wet - but happy.  Thankfully, it is freakishly warm here right now (high 60s last night), so I think we were probably spared from pneumonia.

This morning, we are having our pictures taken for Christmas cards (#betterlatethannever) and then enjoying the rest of a relaxing weekend and - no doubt - tracking the big icestorm that is apparently headed our way. 

Anyway, here are some good reads for your Saturday morning:

Learning to Speak the Language of Boys

How (and Why) to Be the Meanest Mom in the World

I've Been Thinking about This (on what's real about blogging)

The Heart of Holiday Hospitality

What were your favorites from the week?


Have a great weekend! I'll be doing a lot of this....

Blog Gems 11/16

Source

Y'all, this week has really been a doozy.  Monday, Jeff was sick.  Tuesday, Sam was out for the count.  And (whatdoyouknow), by Wednesday it had hit me.  Then I pretty much just called the week a miss and gave up on Thursday and Friday being any sort of productive.   This weekend I have high hopes of getting myself organized and caught up in all areas of my life.  #yeahright

Anyway, one thing I did make time for this week was reading blogs. ;)  Here are a few of the gems I discovered around the www:

Made me nod

Made me think

Made me laugh

Made me inspired

Made me smile

Made me remember

Made me sigh

What made you ______________ this week?

P.S. What do you think of this new format for Blog Gems?  Be honest.

P.S.S. Don't forget this this weekend. 

Blog Gems etc. 9/22

So far, this has been a perfect fall weekend.  Yesterday, I spent the morning outside with friends, the afternoon pulling out all my fall decorations, and the evening sipping a pumpkin spice latte and wandering Target with my sister in law.  Loved it.  If you didn't get fall-fever this weekend, you might be a lost cause.  #justsaying

(A little sneak peak at my fall mantle.  Still in progress.)

I'm not sure what all is on the agenda for today; but, I'm hoping more of the same + some added qt with my little family.  Next weekend starts a very busy season for us (we are out of town four of the next five weekends), so I'm trying to soak up the peacefulness while I can.

Anyway, despite the fact that I was totally slack on the blog this past week (sorry about that) everyone else seemed to be killing it.   Here are a few of my favorites posts etc. from the week...

"Because I'm Twenty-Something" on Today Was Meaningful

 (I've got 6 more months - more on that tomorrow!)

"Things Boys Need from Their Moms" on Good Day, Regular People

 
"Just Wait: You'll Be a Crappy Mom One Day Too" by Intentional Mom on Blogher

"Decorating When You Have Small Kids" on Emily A. Clark

This from our local newspaper by my next door neighbor about our other neighbor.  So good

And, last but definitely not least.... Remember Erika's popular Letter to New Moms on Infertility?  Well, IT'S HER TURN!!! (I'm ridiculously excited about this! Like, I want to host a baby shower blog-style.  What do you think?!?)

What were your favorite reads?

Enjoy your Sunday!