Week #3: My List of Fabulous Finds

It is rare that I publish twice in one day. Today is one of those exceptions! 

This morning I published the third segment of my fictional short story about Mindy, the delightfully quirky compulsive shopper with hoarding tendencies. And now, as promised for every Friday, here is the latest “My List of Fabulous Finds” post. My sincere apologies if you were expecting to find this list here earlier today! 

There is a LOT of really helpful, captivating, and entertaining information available on the Internet!  It can take a lot of time however, to sift through and find the articles that interest you. In this series, I share the links to some of the “fabulous finds" I have discovered on the Internet throughout the week. 

If you read this blog, I suspect we have similar passions. If I find something to be fascinating or useful, I think you might as well. 

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Here is some of what I came across this week.

This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Editorial Calendars are Important

A photo of my calendar - completely blank for this month!

There is a very personal reason I am including this post of well-spoken advice in my list of fabulous finds. If I had not gotten lazy about using my editorial calendar, I would not be publishing a blog post for a second time today! 

I confess: Before hitting publish on my story this morning, I had not realized that it was already time again to publish a My List of Fabulous Finds post! (Friday came quickly this week!) Pre-planning posts on a calendar really does helps with organization - and I will be doing so again from now on!

• Why You Need An Editorial Calendar by Sophie of The Private Life of a Girl.

~ ~ Paper Plant Wrappers

The pot my mint plant is in outside is not pretty. If I bring it indoors temporarily this fall, it would be nice to dress it up a bit!

While this linked article was written as a tutorial for creating a patriotic gift, I plan to make a few of these just for myself!  What a cute way to disguise the ugly pots my herbs are in when I bring them inside at the end of summer for a bit ... and much less expensive than buying a decorative container. 

• Paper Plant Wrapper: A Patriotic Simple Gift by Donna W. of Two Chicks and a Mom

~ ~ The Dietary Restrictions of Guests

It is becoming increasingly common that dinner guests may have dietary restrictions. While I have always tried to remember to ask if my guests have an allergy to nuts or shellfish, it is now entirely possible that they may be vegetarian or shun dairy, gluten, or a variety of other food groups.  There are some really helpful tips in the article I have linked here, and I have a few tricks of my own: In addition to whatever appetizer I have made, I like to serve raw veggie sticks for anyone counting calories. Having some gluten-free crackers on hand can be very thoughtful also.  

• 9 Easy Ways to Be Inclusive for Everyone's Food Restrictions by Holly from The  Coconut Heads Survival Guide

~ ~ Blog Promotion is Time Consuming. Is it Worth It?

This post practically wrote word-for-word the thoughts that have been swirling around in my head. I have no intention of immediately giving up the link parties I participate in or canceling my social media accounts, and I will never stop reading the blogs I love; however, I desperately need to find a way to better budget my time.  It is good for bloggers to set priorities, and evaluate which efforts are the ones where they should spend the most time.

• Why I Stopped Promoting My Blog (ok Not Totally) by Lou of Mommy Sanest

~ ~ A Message That Should Be Spread Like Wildfire!

This is a post that I hope everyone reads - and please don't miss watching the video! You cannot measure a person's worth on a scale!! Being healthy is important, but nobody is a number on a scale. I hope you read the post, watch the video, then spread the message with the hashtag #WeighThis .

• You Can't Weigh Your Worth On a Scale #WeighThis  by Susan at 5 Minutes for Mom. 

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This list of links is shorter than previous weeks - but it was quite a week of finds, don't you think! 

Be sure to check out all of the blogs where they were published - just click on the links and they will take you to each site. 

Do you use an editorial calendar, have a dietary restriction, or feel like your self-esteem is tied to a number on the scale?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!