Lots of fun stuff this week, so let’s get to it, shall we? Be sure to make it all the way to the bottom to find out how you can be entered to win a fun giveaway!
Read
Make It Happen by Lara Casey – this one is messing with my head in all the best possible ways. I had to walk away from it in the INTRODUCTION because it felt like she was in my head. I really feel like this book will play a major role in helping me overcome some obstacles that keep me from being fully invested where God is taking me. If you want to grab a copy & read with some friends, the amazing ladies over at The Influence Network are reading Lara’s book together in their next book club, and you can sign up here (and if you do that today you could get a copy free if you are one of the first 500 and an Influence Network member, which I highly recommend anyway!).
The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner – this one comes out February 17th, but if you want a sneak peek of some unreleased material and tools to help you find guilt-free time for yourself in the new year, head here to sign up and receive three days of incredible encouragement in your inbox. It’s free, it’s amazing (because that Jessica Turner is a rock star), and there will be super fun bonuses just for this group of email subscribers. I’m signed up – come join me!
2015 Lent Devotional by Naptime Diaries – I’ve done different things for Lent over the years, and this year I feel like God is nudging me to savor this particular season with Him. I couldn’t be more excited to dig into that with this gorgeous devo from Naptime Diaries!
How to Leave Normal by Jennie Allen – this is so in line with where I feel God leading me this year. Good, encouraging, motivating words. A must read this week!
Watch
Face Off – I have no idea why I started watching this show several years ago, but the creative part of me is fascinated to watch talented artists take a lump of clay and turn it into a work of wearable art. Not always a fan of the gross or the creepy, but I love watching an idea to come life!
The. Best. Ever. – Don’t watch this show if you’re hungry. I caught an episode on the the best breakfast ever the other night and I wanted to go immediately to Austin to order a breakfast banh mi sandwich. Which is ridiculous because I’m in PA and I don’t even like fried eggs but I would eat them in a MINUTE on this sandwich.
Wear
Zumba shoes – From the outside, my current Zumba shoes look great. Barely worn, in fact. But on the inside? Oh y’all. They are BEAT UP. I’ve been noticing more pain in my feet and knees the last few weeks and after a two hour Zumbathon last weekend, I knew it was time to shop for a new pair. I hate to spend so much money on sneakers, but they’re cheaper than the knee replacements I would need if I wore cheap shoes and ruined my joints!
I love shopping Zappos because of the free shipping and free returns, but I like to compare prices and reviews over at Amazon. In the end, I couldn’t decide which ones to try, so I ordered three different ones with the intention of returning two of them.
- ASICS Gel-Craze – probably my favorite look of the three, and my current Zumba shoes are ASICS, so I think I’ll like these a lot. Downside – no pivot point on the bottom makes me a little worried they won’t slide well on the floors.
- Zumba Fly Fade – super cute, great reviews on Zappos and the Zumba site, and hey – if I’m going to buy shoes for Zumba, I figured I might as well try their brand!
- Zumba Energy Fuze – my least favorite look of the three but the ones with the best reviews. They look chunky and wide to me, but that apparently helps with stability and comfort.
C9 Microfleece from Target – I can’t stop wearing this shirt. It’s the most comfortable thing I’ve owned in a long time, and on these crazy snowy PA days, I love nothing more than curling up in a fuzzy sweatshirt. This one isn’t big and bulky either, and the length is just right to wear with leggings. Not that I wear leggings as pants in public. Unless I’m on my way to Zumba. Ahem.
Essential Oils – Wearing, diffusing, adding to bath water. With the plague that has been going around our town (and the rest of the country) lately, I’m doing everything I can to avoid more germs. Lately I’ve been diffusing a combination of palmerosa, Purification, birch, and Thieves and adding lemon and lavender to Madi’s bath water and we used tea tree oil on the outsides of her ears with her last ear infection.
I’m pretty new still to this whole EO thing, so let me know if there are others I should try (and please, tell me how and when and where to use them!).
Listen
To YOU – I’d love to invite you to take a little blog survey this week. I’m pondering and praying about what this space should look like this year, and I want it to be a place that feels like home to you. Plus, everyone who takes the time to respond will be entered to win that gorgeous Fair Trade Friday bracelet I wrote about last week – yay!
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Next week will be a “Friday Favorites” link up, so be sure to come back and join us! In the meantime, what favorites of yours do I need to know about?
I have LOVED your blog and have it bookmarked on all my devices! I especially am enjoying your favorites. I am unfamiliar with so many of the great causes, books, blogs, etc, that you post, and I find myself clicking from one to the next to the next! Lol! You are such an encouragement and given the other responses to your posts, you are using your God-given gift for great things! Go girl!
I really love these Friday Favorites posts. It’s fun to see what other people are loving. I went to check out the C9 fleece, and they were out of my size….oh, well! 🙂 Guess everyone agrees with you!
Some of my current faves: “The Art of Celebration” album by Rend Collective …. it’s pretty much on repeat here. And the Royal Wedding book series by Rachel Hauck. (I just re-read the first 2 books, in anticipation of the third book, which will be released next month.)
Oh man – keep an eye on them, they might be back in stock. They just had a 40% off deal in stores with the Cartwheel app and then a BOGO 50% off deal on the site, so they probably go wiped out!
I too just bought new shoes for zumba because my feet were hurting. But was afraid to buy shoes online, so got Nike. I’ll keep this for next time.
Can’t go wrong with Nike! Zappos is the best for buying online, with the free shipping & free returns. Loved getting to try on 3 pairs and kept the best – which were actually the ones up there I said I liked least 😉 The ASICS were crazy comfortable though, just not slidey (not a word, I know) enough for Zumba!