Links to Love from Around the Web

We’ve all been caught in situations where we didn’t know the best thing to say. In this slideshow from Real Simple magazine, you’ll find ten scenarios that answer the question “What to Say In Awkward Social Situations.“

I haven’t kept a journal. I’ve always meant to. It’s just that I’ve always put it off for some other day. Christy Jordan, my dear friend and founder of the mega-delightful food blog SouthernPlate, does journal and has for longer than I’ve known her. (Christy wrote the introduction to my book in a rather journal-like fashion, now that I think about it.) In this short video, she shares five benefits and reasons for keeping a journal and why Facebook isn’t your diary. She’s right on every point. Because of her video, I bought a journal. Today, I’ll make my first entry. I want my children when they’re grown, and future generations of my family, to know me as even more than mom. I want them to know my inner thought processes, and reasonings, and heart — the things that make me uniquely me.

I LOVE this: a pop culture website for the 30-and-under bunch wrote a fantastic post about Why Manners Matter. If they understand and are trumpeting the case for good manners, there’s hope that words like please and thank you and the other niceties that keep the “civil” in civilization won’t die out in the next 15 years.

Relaxation. We all need it. And if the thought of a long soak in a deep tub or a steamy 30-minute shower makes you swoon, we have something in common! Our home was built in 1949, and because of it, the master bath doesn’t shout comfort or luxury. In fact, it measures a mere 5′ by 6′. (Yes, you read that correctly.) The shower door is so small I have to enter sideways. We are in desperate need of an update, and with some money saved, I think the time is finally nearing. That got me looking at these 20 Luxurious Bathrooms from Veranda Magazine. These are more dream baths than realistic ones. Our new bathroom won’t look anything like these, but a girl can dream! Number 13 is my favorite. Which one would you choose?

There’s an app that I’m finding works amazingly well! It’s called Brain.fm. At first, I doubted it, but I heard great things about its benefits, and there’s a free version, so I thought, “It won’t hurt to try.” They offer music for focus, meditation, sleep, napping, and relaxing. I’ve only used the focus feature. I can’t say that I’m a fan of the music; however, having used it for several weeks, I now know that it greatly helps me focus. It’s almost like it raises my IQ! I put on headphones and get to work. About 15 minutes in, I notice that I’m totally immersed in what I’m doing. My thoughts and ideas are coming more quickly and with less mental strain. Their website explains the science, and if you search Google for a discount code, you can buy a lifetime subscription for $39.99. I scooped mine up this weekend! (If you decide to upgrade to the paid version, don’t pay through the app. You can buy a lifetime membership for less than the cost of a year by searching Google for “Brain.fm Discount Code.”)

Favorite Instagram of the Week

“Why oh why did you have to bring a puppy home? My life was sweet! Now I have to spend my days staring at the pup in case it dares to come close to “my” spot on the sofa. I demand my squatter’s rights! I’ve been here five years longer than that big puppy standing just three feet from me.” As you can probably tell from her rant, Lola Cat McKee is disappointed we brought a puppy home. Yesterday, she let me pet her for the first time in two weeks. I think she might be starting to adjust — just as long as Milo the puppy doesn’t try to sit near her favorite cushion on the family-room sofa.