Weekly Roundup of Interesting Links #7

Hi there - I have a few links for you this week that I thought were interesting.  Maybe you'll like them too.

I don't have enough room in my closet to hang up my sweaters.  But this would work for those of you who can do it, and I love that it would keep the shoulders from looking weird.

Have you Kon Mari'd your closet?  I have gone through and purged my stuff based on her ideas, but haven't quite finished the process.   Anyway, here is the visual for her suggestions on how to fold clothes.

I will admit that more often than not, when I decide to treat myself, it involves food and/or buying something.  But this reminder that there are other ways to do that is worth remembering.

Likewise, sometimes I have an easier time living a healthy life than others.  But I think that even some little things can make a difference, and the easier, the better, right?

Yesterday was the Mutt Strut, and not only was it fun for both Dug and for me, but we actually went over our fundraising goal!  That is the best thing that has happened to me all week, I gotta say.  Anytime I can help animals, I'm happy.  Should you be thinking, "Darn, I meant to donate," you can still do so!  ;-)

On that happy note, I'll say that I hope you have had a good fall weekend as well, and that this coming week is one of the best.

Weekly Round Up of Interesting Links #6

Happy weekend to all!  I hope those of you in the direct track of Hurricane Joaquin are safe.  Here in Philadelphia, we are in between a heavy band of serious rain and the rain and wind effect of Joaquin.  It's pretty chilly too, which is fine with me.  Right now, I'm sitting here in my pjs with a cup of hot tea.  These times are some of the best.  :-)

I have a few things for you to check out this week, not really with any rhyme or reason, but hey that's what interesting links are for, right?

This first link is near something near and dear to my heart, not just because it takes place in the museum where I work, but in the very library in that museum where I work!  For those of you in the Philadelphia area, come and take a look - it's really a wonderful exhibit.

I don't know about you, but there are days when I am at work and I wish I could just come home and go right to bed.  Do you remember the episode of "Seinfeld" where George Costanza had a bed installed under his desk at work so he could take a nap?  His dream may have finally been realized.

Speaking of sleeping, waking up, etc., I think I may give these a try and see if a) I can do them, and b) if they make a difference.

Pretty Girls.  Enough said.

Have you heard about "Slow Fashion October"?  Here is my post on my other blog about it, and what I'm planning to do.  I hope you'll consider participating in some way as well.

And that's it for this week.  I hope all of you have a lovely weekend, filled with - or the equivalent of - a cozy morning in your pjs with a hot cup of tea ...

Weekly Roundup of Interesting Links #5

OK, I don't have a lot of links for you today, and at least one is from a week prior to this one, but such is life, you know?  Hopefully you will still find something interesting here.

Frankly, I've been so busy with the Pope being here (in Philadelphia, not at our house, though how amazing/weird would that be?), I've probably missed some things, but here you go.

I love this purse from the Kate Spade show at the recent New York Fashion Week.  I am sure that a) I could never afford it, and b) would never carry it because it's not practical, but that would not matter because it is a TEAPOT!

I am not a fan of Apple products (I know, it's me and Bill Gates as the only members of that club), and this annoyed me in particular.

If you are someone who is trying to lose some weight, here is a helpful hint.  I love water, but frankly I slosh around as it is ...

Did you ever eat a ton of hummus or something like that, and then realize, "Oh crap, I have to go to a meeting/interview/whatever?"  Try one of these suggestions, and give yourself a break.

This article was one of my favorites in forever.  Just yesterday, I had some broccoli that was getting a teeny bit yellow on the top, and put it into a crockpot recipe.  The dish was yummy and we are both still alive and well.  :-)

Related to the food link above, are you guilty of discrimination against ugly produce?   I can remember my mother saying "Oh for God's sake, it's fine, just eat it!"  Apparently she was on to something ...

Have a good week, and eat well!

Weekly Roundup of Interesting Links #4

Happy Labor Day weekend!  I'm having a good one so far - no specific plans, the weather has been nice, and I'm enjoying myself.  I hope you are as well.

This article made me laugh, but also made me think.  "Flattering" really is different things to different people, and this is a good example.

I also thought this article, with Andy Roddick's comments, was spot on.  Good for him.

Have some humanities inspiration.  :-)

According to this, your body wants you to listen to it.  (I think it might be time to pay attention.)

And, though I try not to be overly political here, these two articles are both amazing for the wrong reasons, and very dismaying.

So there you go, a few reasons for link lemming behavior.  On a holiday weekend, I think it's perfectly acceptable to just poke around, so enjoy!

Weekly Roundup of Interesting Things #3

Before I share anything else, I want to say thank you for your comments on my post about The Pretty Girls.  Once I hit "Publish" I was thinking that I would get a lot of criticism (though hardly anyone reads this blog!), so I was especially glad that anyone who commented understood what I was saying.  :-)

So here are some of the things  I found interesting over the past week, and thought you might enjoy.

A fifteen-minute workout that even I can probably do.

I am always saying that I would like to try running a 5K.  If I ever decide I mean it, here is some guidance ...

While we're on the topic of exercise, take a look at this blog post - it was one of the favorite things I saw all week.  I love the heels as appropriate exercise shoes, and the cigarette break!

How great was it that for a change, Americans did something that made a lot of people happy by subduing the guy on the French train?  The Tim and I had a discussion about what they wore when receiving the French Legion of Honor.  The Washington Post noticed, too.

A lovely blog post, whether or not you are religious.

I can't wait to knit this - and the pattern is free!

A few years ago, after I got my first cancer diagnosis, I was walking home, lost in my own thoughts.  A guy I walked past said, "C' mon, sweetie, give us a smile.  It's not like you have cancer or something."  I responded, "Actually, I just found out I had cancer, but thank you for your concern."  In reality, I hoped he would then jump in front of a bus, but I doubt that happened.  This article is about the "need for females to smile."

And finally - weird but interesting.  Who ever wondered about this?  Certainly not me!

And that's it for today. Hope you found something you enjoyed here.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Roundup of Interesting Things #2

I had hoped to have at least one or two posts in between these link posts, but this week turned out to be a ridiculous one at work (trust me, you don't want details), so let's just move on, shall we?

I was wondering if this was something that would ever be tried by stores like Sephora or Ulta.   Apparently they were thinking about it too!  My problem with random samples of products is that for every one I might actually want to try, there are a lot more I just don't care about.  So although I've been tempted to try one of the beauty box subscriptions, I know that I would probably only use/care/want to try one or two of the items.  However, I think this is truly brilliant for those who are maybe only not interested in one or two items.  This is where I get my hair cut and I've seen the swap baskets, so it appears to be a popular idea.  

Though I do like them on occasion, I'm not much of a soda drinker.  I probably drink too much iced tea in the summer, but I only add lemon or lime, or on rare occasions, do a half and half iced tea/lemon mix.  But I found it interesting to read that Americans are not the ones who consume the most sugary drinks.  Go figure.

This past Wednesday was the last session of my five-week class on learning to use Pilates equipment.  Sadly, I can't afford the next level class, but I do plan to continue with my mat Pilates exercises and DVDs at home.  I did gain some flexibility, and my posture definitely improved.  I'm going to try to also do some of these exercises regularly, because now that my posture is improved, I want to develop better habits to keep that.

I found this article in the New York Times fascinating.  How often does anyone ask you to really think about your life and why you make the decisions you do?  I think there are plenty of kids who start college without a specific plan (I was one of them), but who feel some pressure from families, friends, etc.  I have a co-worker who told her kids that unless they majored in one of the sciences or math, she and her husband would not contribute to their college education!  The reason: if they focus on those majors, they will be able to find jobs that pay well.  Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but I thought that was appalling.

And finally, I think that this blog post is brilliant.  Even though I am not a fan of the F word, I was able to appreciate and enjoy what this person was saying.  And frankly, I agree with a lot of what she is saying.  Plus I love the title of the blog!

And that, my dears, is it for the things I found interesting on the interwebs during the past week.  I hope you enjoyed at least one of them and/or maybe learned something.

Have wonderful weekend, and be sure to enjoy  at least one thing!

Weekly Roundup of Interesting Things #1

Because I didn't have anything specific to tell you, I didn't post anything this week.  And then I started to think, what is the point of having this blog if I hardly ever post?

So I have decided I will try to post some links each week to things I read or heard about that I liked and/or found interesting, so you can check them out if you are so inclined.  I always enjoy posts on other blogs where I can find new-to-me-things, so I hope you do too.

OK, this first thing is not from this week, because this is something I read every day, and have for years.  Have you met The Fug Girls?  OMG, they are so funny, and make me laugh at least once every day - never a bad thing, right?  And during March Madness, they have their own version with bracketing and voting, and it is just way more fun than it should be.  (Plus, for me, it's pretty much the only way I find out who the people everyone else is talking about, actually are.)  They are also on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, if you want to actually stalk them ... :-)

I'm pretty sure that you've heard of  Stephen Colbert, even if you never saw his previous show, "The Colbert Report."  I truly adore him, because he is smart, funny, completely ridiculous, and seems to be an overall good guy.  He wrote this article for Glamour, and it rocks.  Even Emma Watson agrees, and I also adore her.

Are you a sucker like I am for reading about beautiful people's beauty routines?  Here is what Lupita Nyongo does.  Granted, since she is a spokesperson for Lancome, most of the products are theirs, but it's still interesting to find out.

I found this article about whether or not to refrigerate tomatoes really interesting.  We don't have whole house air-conditioning, but then again, tomatoes don't last too long with us either ...

These will never qualify as healthy eating, but wow would they be a great treat!  Once we're into fall, I'm probably going to have to give this recipe a try (halved of course, which will still give us A LOT).

And finally, as you may or may not know, Pope Francis is visiting Philadelphia in late September as part of the World Meeting of Families.  Lots is going on with planning, security, and people are getting really antsy or worried about how it will all play out.  But I don't know if anyone is really prepared for this.

Hope your weekend is a good one!