Favorite Friday Finds 34.0
Happy first Friday of November!
The leaves are FINALLY turning goldens and reds in Washington Square Park (see on my Insta Stories), and it makes me so happy. The little things will affect you as much or as little as you let them, so let the good little things fill you up and let the bad little things flow away!
Things are looking crazy until straight through the end of the year, and I'm going on half a dozen flights and hitting nearly ten cities by the end of November- whew! As I talked about in my post earlier this week on some autumn reflections, I've been focusing on counting my blessings and also immersing myself in the present.
I've been slipping back into looking at my social media too much and absentmindedly scrolling through feeds, so I've been making an effort to read more real content, less clickbait, and put my phone away altogether to be 100% present when spending time with friends and company. So there are some links below that relate to both of these themes that I think you'll like if you've been feeling similarly!
My computer has died on my a total of 6 times since yesterday (FINALLY ordered a new computer, but not shipping 'til December!), so these Favorite Friday Finds are coming to you a few hours late, but I have some great finds I've been saving up for you guys.
Let's get to it!
Here are 7 things that I was inspired by, learned from, and laughed/smiled at.
INSPIRED BY:
1. #FlashesofGratitude: 15 Ways to Show Gratitude This Month
My friend Annie of Annie Reeves has been writing for Glitter Guide, and I loved this list of 15 specific actions you can take to show your gratitude this month. I've definitely been incorporating #2, 4, and 15 most often, and I think it makes a big difference in someone's day!
2. #RelationshipGoals, 57 Years Later
I mean, come on. I am already a total sucker for when I see older couples walking around holding hands, looking all romantical, so this little Notebook-themed photoshoot this couple did for their 57th anniversary- are they trying to kill me?! The way they look at each other is filled with history, love, and admiration. I can only imagine the triumphs, struggles, and lessons learned in those 57 years together- that is an incredible accomplishment!
3. The Happiness of Boredom
Boredom is often seen as a negative thing, and we do anything to distract ourselves. (Un)luckily, we now all have iPhones at our disposal so we never have to wait in a line, dine solo, or be on the subway without something to do. The average American spent 5.6 hours PER DAY on internet apps in 2015! That sounds horrifying to me, and hits too close to home.
Boredom is a huge foundation for imagination and creative thinking-- and childhood psychologists and teachers are starting to see the detrimental effect on creativity that "pacifying" kids with screentime rather than letting them learn how to be bored.
But before we teach the kids, we ourselves have to relearn this art. Super interesting read!
LEARNED FROM
4. Screentime:Damages to Interpersonal Relationships + Emotional Bonds
This resonates so much, and I'm sure it's not the first piece you've read about it.
Screentime and technology has provided us with a plethora of benefits and a new world of possibility, but just with anything else, it comes at a cost. I think it's up to us to manage that cost, and pay attention to its ripple effects. My favorite reality checking quote from this piece:
If you wonder whether you’re getting addicted to your smartphone, the basic litmus test is if you try to stop, but you can’t. Even if you’re not a full-fledged addict, it’s telling that you should consider scaling back if you feel empty after binges. If you feel a craving for it when you’re away. If it hurts your relationships.
5. 9 Ways to Start Saving for Your Retirement in your 20's
This has definitely been on my mind recently, and this was a great little starter roundup.
6. "I'm 29 and I never learned how money works- Time to fix that"
According to this article, only 24% of millenials have basic financial knowledge. This isn't the first time I've seen this statistic, and I also see it happening in real life- I myself don't consider myself an expert on 401ks, Roth IRAs, and the like. But I'm working on it, and I found this Q&A with a money columnist for the NYT a helpful starting point.
LAUGHED AND SMILED AT
7. Cat Thinks It is a Show Horse
You can't help but laugh at this. This cat was raised in a barn with show horses, and now it walks like this. Nature vs Nurture at it's finest!