Well, since slowing down blogging a while back, I haven't done a Show & Tell, and I know there are some of you out there who love these things. Lemme tell ya, this one's a doozie. So let's get right to it:A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT:
- Are you a new Christian? Take 3 minutes to listen to the wisdom of J. I. Packer, a jolly old saint.
- What's the value of a life?
- What it's like to grow old
- Voddie Baucham considers the oft-offered commentary on one biblical example: Was the Proverbs 31 Woman a "Career" Gal?
- How to be a reader when you can't afford books
- 101 tips for improving your photography skills
- Even Slate.com (a very liberal online newssource) sees that prenatal medical diagnoses are ethical quicksand.
- Spend your time cultivating a beautiful spirit-- because even beautiful models aren't externally "perfect" enough for magazines.
- Whatcha watchin? Oh be careful, little eyes, what you see!
- Should Christians care about the environment? Randy Alcorn weighs in.
- The top TEN science hoaxes of all time-- interesting that the first two have to do with evolution, a foregone but unproven conclusion in our day and age
- In church, in life, in relationship with Christ, are you LEANING IN like the example of this precious older Christian woman?
- A great article from my precious friend (and new mom, for the 13th time) Renee... how the growth of a child's affections and relationships can affect their physical growth-- very interesting & with visual proof in her own family!
- The debauchery of American womanhood... an excellent read... sorry in advance to those who may be offended by the picture at the top.
- Comedian Steve Harvey recognizes the hazards of reckless dating.
- Interesting: Traditional engagement process in India (with pictures!)
- Janel shares from experience some practical wisdom about dealing with difficult people! (more specifically, dealing with difficult Christians.)
- Got an hour & 15 minutes? Packed with expert testimony & information, this video is worth watching: "The Great Global Warming Swindle"
GROWING THINGS?- Great tips all in one place about preparing your garden/pots for planting. (And hey, the Obamas are doing it too!)
- How to make compost. (Yes, I'm growing things on my new balcony... and yes, I'm trying composting out this year, for the first time in about 5 years.)
- ALL About Compost
AROUND THE HOUSE:
- Christian hospitality is different from being a friendly Martha Stewart
- Facing laundry problems
- Simple way to save some serious $$$- Use less of everything!
- Something to consider: Are You Worldly?
- Using Cloth Diapers, One Year Later-- Mary Grace shares many of my same observations, although I'm probably less cheerful in my pro-cloth-ness than she. I still haven't found the motivation to jump back in after taking a few months' break, but maybe soon... I sure did enjoy them when he was itty bitty.
COOK UP SOMETHING TASTY:- 100 Meals for less than $10
- Bethany's Dulce de Leche Cheesecake sounds amazing!!!
- Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake doesn't sound too shabby either.
THOUGHTS ON CHILD REARING:
- What's the "Best Start" for any baby? (Hint: this has absolutely nothing to do with breastfeeding/bottlefeeding!)
- Just because kids are obedient does not mean they're "easy".
- One approach to family devotionals
- Is college a waste of money for most people? Maybe... consider it for yourself.
- Another thing to potentially prepare your kids for: Gender-Neutral College Housing (i.e., assigned co-ed rooms)
- Dealing with/parenting a rowdy boy? Be encouraged!
HOMESCHOOLING
- My friend Carletta has put together a free e-book: 101 Ways to Save Money Homeschooling
- Know your state's homeschool laws.
- 10 famous people who were homeschooled
- Grandparents can play a part in homeschooling!
- One family's "Why We Homeschool"-- worth the read!
- Praise God the for freedoms we enjoy in America... and pray that nothing will trespass on these rights.
CONCERNING MARITAL INTIMACY:
- Love your man: INITIATE!!! (sorry, this link no longer works... but nonetheless-- Initiate with your husband. Write a text, grab him from behind and give him a hug and mention something about "later tonight," LET HIM KNOW that you love him and desire him!)
- While enjoying time with him, FOCUS!
- TAKE BABY STEPS towards more free & fun intimacy with your husband!
- Kelly reviewed Dr. Leman's chapter in "Sheet Music" about oral sex in the Christian marriage
- AND she has another great post that brings out some interesting highlights about the differences between men & women and how they affect marital intimacy.
- Christian Sexuality series from Capitol Hill BC... awesome stuff!
FOR WOMEN ONLY (REALLY!!!)-- WHAT I'D LOVE TO TELL YOU BUT HAVEN"T HAD THE GUTS TO DO A SEPARATE POST ABOUT:- Natural Feminine Products ROCK! Really.
- Don't just take my word for it. Read this quite detailed review of The Diva Cup from another blogger: Frugal Menstruation. Read more reviews. And one more honest review.
- Are you serious, Jess? What are some reasons why anyone would use natural feminine products? Glad you asked. Click on that link and quit balking. Less money, no odor, no spills, more discretion, no trash, no bulky supplies to tote around... really, the better question is why aren't YOU using them???? :)
- Click here to read more answers to commonly asked questions about the DivaCup.
- I'll help you out: here's where you can buy a DivaCup for even less.
ABOUT BLOGGING:
- Concerning negative blog comments, I can't tell you how many times I've thought similar things to the things Elizabeth expresses here.
- If you were one of those interested in reading about the book reviews as I finish my 2009 reading list, don't forget to check out my ever-updating book review post.
THE SHOW & TELL WRAP-UP: Good for a laugh!
- Are you a Chick-Fil-A junkie? You need to hear this song if you haven't yet.
- Even in politics, amidst real & undeniable political changes, some things don't change. (A great, and amazingly similar, comparison of new & old presidents.)
- Judging people who use the Table of Contents in their Bible - hysterical! It IS tough to find Nahum. :)
Look forward to reading. Thanks for putting it together.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed reading your homeschool post. Sonlight so appeals to me.....but not to my budget :o)
Always love your show and tells - I put a few of them on my blog to share the good stuff!
ReplyDeleteJess, I just switched to non-disposable feminine products and I L.O.V.E. it!! I should have done it ages ago. Now that I've made the switch I don't know what I've been thinking this whole time. Duh!
ReplyDeleteoh yay, i've been missing for awhile and how fun to come back and have all this great stuff to look at. and the Diva Cup rocks! I jumped on that wagon thru the Sonlight forum and have been doing my best to convert my friends to it ever since. :) have a great day. darci
ReplyDeleteThat cheesecake *is* amazing! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jess!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading your blog for some time and am de-lurking to say thanks for taking the time to talk about the Diva Cup. Love mine. Highly recommend it.
Thanks for writing - I love reading your stuff!
Thank you! I especially enjoyed Leaning In. I'm sorry your friend Elizabeth had to deal with unpleasant comments on her blog, especially on her child's birthday post. That was way out of line!
ReplyDeleteI have used the Keeper (similar to the Diva Cup) for at least 15 years and highly recommend it. I switched after learning about the dioxins in tampons because of the bleaching process, but I've also saved a lot of money and reduced waste.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of dioxins, most disposable diapers contain them. Also, many brands of super-absorbent disposables contain sodium polyacrylate, which was removed from tampons during the 1980s because of a link to toxic shock syndrome. I figure any chemical that shouldn't be in contact with my privates probably shouldn't be in contact with my baby's diaper area either.
I have read about concerns that disposable diapers can cause overheating in that area, which isn't good for babies.
Regarding blog comments, Jess knows that I take a very different view. To me a blog without comments is boring. If you care enough to tell the whole world what you think, expect some people to care enough to argue with you. I'm used to political blogs where people mix it up quite a bit and find many "mommy bloggers" to be too thin-skinned. The world won't end because someone posts a comment on your blog saying you're an idiot.
I never delete comments on my blog solely because they disagree with my views, and I do have a few commenters whose politics are very different from mine. I only delete comments that violate site guidelines (publishing real names, home addresses or other identifying information about people who post using a screen name).
In more than two years of blogging I have had only one or two really troublesome commenters--one seemed unstable enough for me to consult a mental health professional to see if I should be concerned. But mostly I've had no problems with the give and take in the comment section. I've also had other bloggers link to my work in an unflattering way, but in the grand scheme of things, who cares?
Laurie B
Thanks for sharing these great links!
ReplyDeleteI love these posts!
-Ashley
Thank you for all the links! I can't wait to dive in and start reading!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the links... looking forward to getting through them :)
ReplyDeleteI like the new blog layout :)
ReplyDeleteLove the links :)
Wow, Jess! This IS a little bit of this and that.
ReplyDeleteI took the time to read the Steve Harvey article. I saw him do stand up back before he was well known (many moons ago- and yes, the act was edgy) That was an interesting article.
Ditto the Voddie Baucham piece. I think many Chrisitans have indeed stretched Proverbs 31 to a point it was never meant to go.
I also read the piece on the Debauchery of American Womanhood. Very interesting. I wonder what womanhood will look like as more of American culture is exported around the globe. Because unfortunately, it's about ALL we export these days.
Thanks for the interesting assortment of links.
I've only looked at a couple of those links so far (can't wait to read the rest)but wanted to comment on the menstrual cup. I am on my 3rd cycle with the DivaCup and LOVE IT! I'm only sorry I didn't find it sooner. I barely even notice my period anymore. I always hated tampons- they are so drying and irritating. I would recommend the cup to everyone!
ReplyDeleteI got a Diva Cup about a year ago and used it until I got pregnant - I love it! It's way more comfortable than tampons! I've also made and used some cloth pads, but I'll need to make some more before I can use them exclusively.
ReplyDeleteOh... regarding finding books of the Bible using the table of contents -- I've cracked down on that with my 3rd and 4th graders! They're never allowed to ask what page Nehemiah or whatever is on and they're never allowed to look in the table of contents! So I'm doing my part to make sure they DON'T get judged later in life! ;) lol
ReplyDeleteCute layout! Very feminine I must say. I like coral-ish pinks.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have only had time to read one link, the one about giving babies the best start (allowing them to be born). Wow, I have thought this so many times. These post-modern mom types, argh!!!
"How is it that so many of us can be passionately concerned with a baby's entitlement to be breastfed or to be nurtured in a loving, sensitive way, but completely disregard her entitlement to life?"
Bravo! And LOL about the organic food. It is so weird to me how obsessed pro-abortion moms usually are with their little snowflake's well-being. I have totally noticed that.
"Hypocritical" doesn't really say enough. Maybe it's a guilt thing. Hmmm.
I love your new layout & design! Very pretty & bright! Love, Mom
ReplyDeleteThis is so trivial compared to all of the big issues you mention- but DON'T paint your countertop. we lived in an apartment where they had done that and the paint was always peeling up. They used the right paint, too- it just doesn't work like it's supposed to. It was awful. They had also painted the sinks and the bathtub and bathtub tile. This kind of thing looks great for a few weeks, and then it is just a nightmare. Anyhow, completely trivial, but thought I should warn you.
ReplyDelete-TK
Thanks for speaking up with your experiences, TK. I'll pull that link!
ReplyDeleteGreat links! I just wanted to mention that there are several other brands of menstrual cups out there besides the 2 you mentioned...the forum/community over at menstrualcups.org has some really great info and size charts. Just thought I'd mention it - thanks for bringing this topic up!
ReplyDelete