Links I Love

Inspiration (Links I Love)

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This is where I will share my sources of inspiration from the past week: it could be from books, podcasts, blogs, films, artwork, food/recipes, etc. I hope you find some encouragement here as well!

Trees

Yes, you read that right! Trees. There is research to support what we know–that being outside does a body good. They help us de-stress, benefit our overall health, and even help us socially. Read this article!

Podcasts

This week I listened to some notable podcasts! How I Built This with Guy Raz is a podcast featuring owners/founders of successful companies like Burt’s Bees, Lyft, and Zappos. I am usually inspired by their stories of starting small and building something big and all the obstacles and struggles they had to overcome along the way.

My recent favorite is the episode with farm-to-table movement founder Alice Waters, who’s been cooking at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA since 1971. What a lovely woman with such a lovely vision for local, sustainable, ethical food. Listen here!

This What Should I Read Next episode featured Michele Cobb, publisher of AudioFile Magazine talking all things audiobooks with Anne. She gave some great recommendations and also talked about the free summer audiobook program for teens called SYNC. This is fourteen weeks of free audiobook downloads: two each week! If you have teens at home, see if they know about it.

Seth Godin’s podcast, Akimbo, had an episode that I wish every person would listen to, but especially entrepreneurs, small business owners, and thoughtful people everywhere. In the episode BREATHE, Seth talks about the status quo and the environmental crisis the world is facing as a result of marketing gone bad. Please listen to this one, think about it, and have conversations with friends and family. The planet’s future is up to us.

Books

I just finished On The Come Up by Angie Thomas. I listened to it on audio and the main character, Bri, a teen who has a gift for rapping, definitely grew on me as the book progressed. The narrator does a fantastic job of bringing all the characters’ personalities to life. The parts about her church experiences are very entertaining and I could definitely relate to some of it-especially the length of the services! Highly recommended–especially in audio. I listened to The Hate U Give also by Angie Thomas last summer and it opened my eyes to experiences that are part of everyday life for some people that are very different from mine. Also recommended on audio!

As far as poetry goes, I finished Otherwise by Jane Kenyon. I’ve been featuring plenty of her poems in Evening Poetry probably because the subjects she writes about: living in the country, her family, her religious upbringing, her mental illness, and her everyday experiences hit home. When poetry “gets you in the gut”, as my friend Britt wrote to me a few weeks ago, then you know it is speaking your language.

Music

English folk singer/songwriter/musician Kate Rusby’s album just came out!!! It’s called Philosphers, Poets and Kings and it is just the sort of beautiful, original music fans that like me love her for. This is a must listen!

Alright, that’s all for this week! I’d love to hear about what’s been inspiring you lately in the comments.

Links I Love

KimLeave a comment

This is where I will share my sources of inspiration from the past week: it could be from books, podcasts, blogs, films, artwork, food/recipes, etc. I hope you find some encouragement here as well!

How was your week? April merged into May, the Forsythia and the Daffodils continued to bloom, and the weather warmed up (slightly).

Podcasts:

Rachel Hollis had an episode that I listened to twice: How I Got My Apparel Line With QVC. I have no interest in an apparel line on QVC, but she has a section where she explains how to reverse engineer your goals . It is so practical with step by step instructions. She also shares a bit of her early years, the challenges and struggles, and how she never gave up!

Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger Podcast had a couple of episodes that inspired me. Her interview with Tony Robbins was the first time I’d ever heard him speak and his energy and positivity boosted my spirits. Episode 251 was 5 Things You Didn’t Know About My Early Entrepreneur Days reminded me that even the most successful people started small.

Poetry:

I happened to discover Jane Kenyon’s book of poems, Otherwise, just last week. It’s the first time I’ve read anything of hers and I am enchanted.

Food/Recipes

We made this Mahi-Mahi recipe from Delish this week. Garlicky-Lemon Mahi-Mahi with Asparagus (we subbed the butter for olive oil) was an easy weeknight meal that we will be making again.

Have a great weekend, friends! I’d love to hear what is inspiring you this week.

Links I Love

KimLeave a comment

Here is where I will share my sources of inspiration and food for thought from the past week.

Podcasts:

Roxanne Coady’s Just the Right Book had two fabulous episodes I listened to this week: Searching for America’s Moral Imagination & ” The Common Good” in which Roxanne interviews former Secretary of Commerce Robert Reich in a very interesting conversation that includes Capitalism, Progressivism, Trump, and more.

The second episode was her interview with author Dani Shapiro about the uncovering of a family secret that led to the writing her latest memoir The Inheritance.

And Dani Shapiro now has her own podcast, in its very first season! It is called, very appropriately, Family Secrets. Give it a listen!

I discovered another new podcast this week: Flowerlounge with Katie Hess. I listened to the latest episode about the dangers of the birth control pill. And as someone for whom the Pill was not an option, due to miserable side effects, I am glad there is information and discussion about alternatives, if you know where to look.

Blog posts:

Seth Godin’s post How big is your unfillable hole will take some time to think about. What are my weaknesses and how can I learn to dance with them?

Books:

How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein. I haven’t read this yet, but I have many questions. I have a small business and a big dream for serving people in our community and much to learn!

Building a Storybrand by Don Miller. I listened to him interviewed on Amy Porterfield’s podcast this week and immediately set to work clarifying my message. I need to get a copy of this book to work through the steps and make sure I’m doing the work to tell my brand’s story in a clear way that is easy for potential customers to engage with.

So what is inspiring you this week? I’d love to know!

Links I Love

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Here is where I will share a few links of podcast episodes, blog posts, websites, TED talks, new books, etc. that I favorite each week. Refresh your imagination and fill up your inspiration tank.

What can I say about these past two weeks except “I NEED A VACATION!!!” OK, deep breath and moving on…Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas! I plan to enjoy the day out away from kids and chores, and not being a taxi service. Alan and I are going to take a picnic lunch (he’s making me sushi!) with us and stop at a few wineries for tastings and to enjoy the views of whatever lakes we end up at.

So, what have I found interesting and inspiring this week? Several great podcast episodes, plus one new-to-me podcast.

First, here is a podcast that I love because it gives me ideas and inspiration for my self-care and home decor Etsy shop and local business, Delicata House. Etsy Success Podcast features a different successful Etsy shop owner each episode who presents solutions and ideas and shares her or his own story.

One of my favorite episodes from a few months back featured the owner of Betsy Farmer Designs, a jewelry shop, sharing her tips on excellent customer service. Check it out on SoundCloud or iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Second, Anne Bogel had a super fun episode of What Should I Read Next where she interviewed a young woman from New Zealand who now lives in Bath in the UK. Since I want to visit both New Zealand and the UK, I was thoroughly absorbed in their conversation. And the books they discussed had me breaking my “read ten, buy one” rule and adding to my TBR list.

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Third, also through Anne Bogel’s podcast, I was introduced to another podcast which I am thrilled to have connected to. It’s called Reading Women and the two young women who host it are committed to interviewing authors who are women and discussing books written by women. One of the latest episodes is an interview with Chibundu Onuzo, author of Welcome to Lagos: A Novel. This was a fascinating, intelligent, and upbeat conversation that left me wondering why I haven’t already read this novel and the others she’s written. (Sad fact: I hadn’t heard of her until now. Happy fact: the whole reason this podcast exists.) I’m now in the middle of the episode with Maggie O’ Farrell, author of I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death and This Must Be the Place: A novel which I’m loving as well.

And, finally, since my last post focused on inspiration, it’s a subject that is staying with me this week, so here is a post on living inspired on Medium. Look for the great Jack London quote about not waiting to be inspired.

OK, cheers to the weekend and to all the mothers in our world!

 

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Happy Saturday! This is the day when I share my sources of inspiration from the week.

In This is post 7,000, Seth Godin shared about blogging consistently, no matter what, day in and day out for decades! What can I say? This man kicks me in the pants nearly every day, pulls me out of my tailspin and generally helps me get my head back in the game with every single post. Because he has chosen to be faithful to write and I wake up to his words in my inbox each morning. He is a bit like an angel in the Bible, arriving with the greeting, “Fear not!” Don’t we need those words, people? No matter what we do for a living, we need to hear them. And if we are using our creativity to make a living, we can feel like we are drowning in fear. Then Seth comes along with his words and puts courage back into my quailing heart and mad mind. Oh, yeah, I can do this and I will.

On Being had this post about busyness being a thief of intimacy. It’ll stop you in your busy tracks, make you turn off your phone or close your laptop and look into the eyes of your loved one and really see them.

I felt validated about my own need to keep my surroundings neat and organized when I read this post.

Sarah Bakes Gluten Free has a gluten free vegan mocha cream pie that I am definitely making for dessert this Thanksgiving. Yum!!!

And, for the men in your life, Anne Bogel over at Modern Mrs Darcy has some great gift ideas.

Speaking of men, Michelle Obama says you need friends. We all do, of course. And it gets harder to make and keep good friends as we get older, but we need to invest in friendships. Don’t give up! You need others and they need you!

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My friend Laurie and I.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

Links I Love

KimLeave a comment

 

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Following in the footstep of other bloggers, I am sharing a collections of blog posts and articles from around the web that encouraged or inspired me this week.

Here is an article from Poets & Writers Magazine that lists fifty literary magazines and small presses that have no fee for submissions. This makes me happy! Here are fifty free chances to be published somewhere!

Seth Godin tells us to stop worrying so much about Google and SEO and do important, unpredictable work in his post Machine Unreadable.

Food and Wine have 20 Curry Recipes on their website. Some are pure meat and some contain meat, but some are vegetarian or pescatarian. And I certainly know how to adapt recipes.

Modern Mrs Darcy educates us on book awards we may not be aware of. She also talks about time management in this post and mentions using Eisenhower boxes which I first saw in Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, but never knew that’s what they were called.

The recipe for raspberry almond crumb bars on Sarah Bakes Gluten Free makes me want to try it!

My favorite podcast episodes: Just the Right Book podcast episode  about a heroic true story in Nazi-occupied Paris and Jen Hatmaker’s For the Love podcast episode with the author of the Against all Grain cookbook.

 

Happy weekend adventures to all!

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