From The Forgotten Photos of Mothers – Mashable
I loved this collection of photos of mothers around the world. Taken over 50 years ago, they show a piece of shared human experience that can be so easy to forget. Motherhood can feel like an island at times, but then images like this remind me that there are so many others, both now and who have gone before, that actually know just what I’m going through. It also reminds me that what I’m going through is mostly snuggles.
The last days of pregnancy — sometimes stretching to agonizing weeks — are a distinct place, time, event, stage. It is a time of in between. Neither here nor there. Your old self and your new self, balanced on the edge of a pregnancy. One foot in your old world, one foot in a new world.
From The Last Days of Pregnancy: a place of in-between
This is a lovely article describing the last days of pregnancy, and really, I think a good descriptor for the whole experience of waiting on your baby to arrive. A state of not-yet-a-mother but not not-a-mother. It’s a life changing event on a personal and emotional level even more so than a physical one, even though the physical is what our culture seems to be most preoccupied with. It’s nice to see such understanding and patient words put to the experience.
Even though I don’t really feel like a grown up most of the time, when I look at my life objectively it is decidedly grown up. I’m 30. I have two kids. We own a home and a “family car.” And the majority of the blogs I read reflect the fact that much of my life revolves around my identity as wife and mom. I read about quiet time activities for toddlers and healthy dinners in 20 minutes and organizing cleaning supplies.
I’m also a big sister. And my two little sisters are decidedly hipper and cooler and, well, less mom-like than me. So while many of the blogs I follow would not interest them, there are a couple of blogs I read on a regular basis that I routinely think, “I should share this with my younger, cooler sisters!” But then I never do. So this post is essentially a round up of the things I think my sisters would like to read. (Here you go, sisters!)
This blog has tons of great posts for women who are just starting out on the whole grown-up thing. From tips on how to make your rental cute on the cheap, to guides on traveling the world, to how to dress cute in the freezing cold winter (especially helpful for my Chicago sister), this blog talks about all kinds of things that my sisters would be able to relate to. The blog also has a fascinating series called “True Story” in which she interviews people who have experienced interesting or amazing things. It’s answers to all the questions you would like to ask, but feel like would be rude to bring up. It’s a great way to gain a better understanding of the variety of people out there in the world.
Some posts to get you started:
I am woefully out of touch when it comes to movies and TV and the people who are on those screens. Ask me who my favorite actor and actresses are and I’ll say Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. or Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Because I like Mary Poppins and You’ve Got Mail. Never mind that those movies are 50 and 15 years old.
However, my sisters are much more on top of these things. They actually watch movies every once in a while. And I think they would really enjoy all the fun fangirl posts over at the Sugar Box. This blogger has managed to meld her love of cooking desserts and watching TV into a business, and even with my limited knowledge of which handsome-faced actor is who, I find her posts to be really entertaining, and they’ve given me some good recommendations on what to watch next if I should ever find the time.
Some favorites:
There are probably a few more blogs that would appeal to a younger, hipper woman, but these are my current favs. I hope you like them too!
What about you? Do you have any favorite blogs that you would recommend to your younger sisters? Share in the comments!
It’s been a while since I’ve shared some links from the internet. I haven’t decided how much of a link sharing blog I want to be or how to best fit it in with everything else I write. But I have several good ones that I’ve been sitting on for a while now and I want to share them with you. So here it goes:
I have no ambitions to write a novel, but I do have lots of other creative goals. I think the point about deadlines is so true. I made a lot stuff for work – because I had to get things done for certain events by a certain time. At home, things just languish. How can I give myself more deadlines, without feeling artificial or stressing myself out?
This is a really cute collection of journaling cards for your Project Life album. Just download and print out!
This is such a good idea for taking painting on the go. I’d really love to try it out someday. I didn’t even know water color pencils were a thing!
What?!?!
Oh, man. I can already feel this as I’m just beginning my 30s. How in the world did I ever reach such a grown-up sounding age?
And just for fun…
My final four? Liz Lemon, Leslie Knope, Dwight Shrute, and Kenneth Parcel. From there I really can’t choose.
I love it when an educational activity is also gorgeous. This fall color sorting activity from The Imagination Tree is such a good idea!
It’s a new feature on the blog! On occasionally Fridays I will share my Friday Finds with you. These are things around the web that have caught my eye or made me think. Enjoy!
I recently found the blog of illustrator Oana Befort, and immediately fell in love with her work. Her illustrations feature a lot of colorful flowers and friendly woodland animals – so what’s not to love, really?
She has an Etsy shop and a Society 6 shop where you can buy prints and various items with her illustrations on them. I kind of want a new house with a bathroom just for Charlie so I can have a place to put the friendly whale shower curtain.
Many people have already read The Overprotected Kid from the Atlantic, but I still wanted to share it. It brings out such interesting issues about how children learn and grow and play these days. There’s a huge part of me that wants Charlie to have the wild and free childhood described in this article. But at the same time, I totally feel the instinct to keep him safe by my side where nothing bad can happen to him. Finding a good balance of those two extremes will be a challenge for sure.
Here’s a Christian take on the ideas explored in the Atlantic article from The Gospel Coalition. It mentions how even church – a place that used to be radical in its ideas – has become a “safe” place. It doesn’t often stretch or challenge people, preferring instead to provide peace and comfort. Church isn’t often a very exciting place to be.
Maybe [God] wants for us to pause the Serenity Prayer, lift our gaze to the nations, and get active in the role he’s given us, whether the sending church or the sent one. You have to wonder if Jesus is eager for his people to rise up, risk everything we have, and watch as his Spirit re-enchants our lives.
I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been enjoying on the internet lately.
#What I’m reading
[Keeping Kids From Toy Guns: How One Mother Changed Her Mind – Atlantic Mobile](http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/08/keeping-kids-from-toy-guns-how-one-mother-changed-her-mind/278518/) – This is an interesting article discussing the zero-tolerance stance many schools take these days on guns and whether it is actually beneficial. The most thought provoking line:
“There is no easy answer when my Japanese friends wonder at the paradox of our banning gun play when we do not ban the guns that kill thousands of children and teens in the U.S. each year.”
[A place you can always return to | Simple Mom](http://simplemom.net/a-place-you-can-always-return-to/) – This is a sweet story about a couple’s favorite place. My favorite line:
[My husband](http://chrsdavs.com) comes across all kinds of random things on the internet. If he thinks it’s interesting, he passes it on to me. If I think it’s *really* interesting then I’ll pass it on to you. This is a game that made the cut.
[GeoGuesser – Let’s explore the world!](http://geoguessr.com)
This game give you a random picture from Google’s street view. It could be of anywhere in the world. Using clues from the picture such as the geography, plant life, the language on streets signs, or the style of architecture, you try to guess where the place is on a map. You get points based on how close your guess is. It’s a fun way to test your knowledge of geography and culture, or just discover different parts of the world. So far from this game I’ve learned how to recognize the fjords of Norway and Japanese road signs. Two essential life skills.
I personally find it to be rather addicting, so be warned. Don’t start it if you don’t have some free time.
I spend a lot of my down time surfing the interwebs (question: how did the web/net metaphor get mixed with surfing? And why is this the first time I’ve noticed how that doesn’t make sense?) So each week I’m going to bring you some of my favorite parts of it.