The blogging world went a little quiet in December, but now the spaces have come back to life and are bringing us fun and informative content for the new year! This batch of links features some good insights, a dose of useful information, a touch of whimsy, and a New Year’s blessing that still works well a few weeks into January.
A Blessing for the New Year, by Emily P. Freeman
“In the turning of the year, no one is immune, no one is over-looked or left out. We are in this together. And so we begin another year-long journey, bags packed whether we realize it or not. If we don’t pay attention, those self-packing bags tend to fill up heavy with burdens we don’t need.”
Radical Revelation: I Am Not Responsible For How Others See Me, by Jenna Birch
“I’ve always had this sense that great things are lost in our gaps in understanding. Maybe that’s why I chose to become a writer, or why I take every opportunity to catch up with someone one-on-one. Understanding others, and being understood, feels like I’m preserving something — a sense of self, a relationship, a memory, an idea. But perhaps I try too hard. Or perhaps I overshoot my target in trying to land on a firm answer.”
How American Girl Dolls Would Decorate If They Lived in Studio Apartments, by Jessica Isaac
“Broaching serious subject matter, these fictional historical characters were given rich back stories that placed them in the midst of war, racism, poverty, and an array of very real situations. Oh yeah, and they had really cute outfits, super shiny hair, and adorable bedroom sets. Given their rich history and distinct style, we here at Apartment Therapy can’t stop daydreaming about what our favorite characters’ modern studio apartments would look like. (This is how we “play” American Girl Dolls as adults).”
10 Ways to Flight the Flu with Nutrition, by Maryann Jacobsen
“Have an orange a day. During infections and stress, vitamin C levels decline. Because vitamin C helps maintain the integrity of disease-fighting cells, low levels can compromise the body’s ability to fight back. Other vitamin C-rich fruits include strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, and mango.”
Read To Me, Mama: A Collection Of The Best Family Books, by Erin Manness
“Great books not only make us feel, whether it’s humor, sadness, or anger, they also allow us to work through how we feel. Books are also safe places to explore controversial topics, lessons with morals, or important themes. Throughout the upcoming years, reading to and/or with your child for at least 15 minutes a day is one of greatest gifts you can give him or her.”
I Have Forgotten How to Read, by Michael Harris
“To read was to shutter myself and, in so doing, discover a larger experience. I do think old, book-oriented styles of reading opened the world to me – by closing it. And new, screen-oriented styles of reading seem to have the opposite effect: They close the world to me, by opening it. In a very real way, to lose old styles of reading is to lose a part of ourselves.”
What was the best thing you have read or written lately? Drop a link in the comments, I’d love to check it out!