Blogging

Links I Love {v.4} - Five Things

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What a week! It’s amazing how long it takes you to bounce back after a holiday {I don’t even think I have fully bounced back to tell you the truth}. Paul has been sick all week, poor guy.

This weekend, we plan on getting some much needed R&R. I am going to do some baking and Christmas card writing. Maybe it’s also time to bust out the space heater - brrr it’s cold.

Any who, here are a few links I’ve found over the past couple of weeks that I hope you’ll enjoy. 

1 // Don’t these Lemon Pudding Cakes look to die for? The recipe looks simple enough {and utterly delicious} and I love what the author writes about her grandmother. 

2 // I’ve always loved what yoga does for my body and mind and these prenatal yoga tips will help me prepare for the marathon of labor. 

3 // Check out Apartment Therapy’s ideas for small space Christmas trees. So many ideas!

4 // Need any date night ideas? This list has 50 things to do besides watch a movie. Woah!

5 // For new and old bloggers alike, this list has 15 reasons to start blogging {or to remind us why we got into blogging in the first place}.

Happy Friday friends! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and stay warm.

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Oh! If you would like to advertise on Substance and Soul, email me here. I would love to feature your product or swap buttons with you.

Blog Makeover

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I had an insanely busy day today! I was running all around clinic for my patients today, but overall I feel like today was productive. I really need to remember to stop and take a water and snack break though. I need to remember that I’m carrying something really precious and I shouldn’t let myself get too hungry or thirsty. 

Any who… 

I changed a few things on my blog yesterday – well I basically went on an editing marathon. I am really enjoying the simplicity and color scheme. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

This weekend Paul is going on a man date to Tahoe with his best friend. They are going to golf and gamble. I will have the apartment to myself. What to do, what to do? {hehe} 

P.S. I want to do another Q&A post soon. I would appreciate if you would leave your questions in the comments section below or feel free to email me if you want to remain anonymous. Ask away!

The Case For Grace

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Posts that are more personal tend to be harder to write. I always need to do a little soul-searching while writing these posts. Although I am at an incredibly happy place in my life, I am struggling with a few personal issues.

So here it goes. I have been exceptionally unforgiving lately. I have been easily upset by others but mostly, I have been tremendously hard on myself.

I take a shuttle across the city to and from school every day. Mostly, I sit and read or catch up on email, but occasionally I spend the 25 minutes in quiet thought. It’s nice to have the white noise of the commute surrounding me while I sit and think. Today I got to thinking about how edgy I’ve been lately. It’s hard to describe but it’s a cross between anger, annoyance, frustration, defiance, and apathy {don’t ask me how I can feel all those things simultaneously}. 

This roller coaster of emotions usually results in me beating myself up about every little thing. 

Now, I could go on and on about what I’ve been doing wrong but instead of dwelling on my shortcomings, I’m going to focus on the case for grace. These are promises I’m going to make to myself and I invite you to make them for yourself too. 

I promise to be patient. I will go forth and focus on approaching situations calmly. I will be composed when I react.

I promise to be compassionate. I will appreciate the uniqueness of others and I will treat myself with respect and kindness.

I promise to be forgiving. I will not hold grudges against others. I will give myself a break and not be too hard on myself. I will accept myself for who I am.

God forgives us unconditionally. Why don’t we learn to forgive ourselves sometimes too?