My Favorites...Online and Off

Now that a new year has begun and we've settled into the winter slump, I thought I'd share some of my favorite on-line hangouts, as well as a book or two.

I love listening to podcasts when I'm walking, driving, or any number of daily activities. Podcasts can be educational, enlightening, and most of all entertaining. The hosts become your virtual friends in this crazy, noisy world we live in today. Most of the ones I listen to have been recommended from bloggers I trust. Clicking on the titles will take you directly to the shows.

~My Favorite Podcasts~

Sorta Awesome with Megan Tietz 

This show has three co-hosts who rotate with Megan. They cover every topic under the sun from books, parenting, cooking, self-care, pop culture, and my favorite topic, personality types. They are fun, positive women in this R-Rated world we find ourselves in. You would not have to worry about young ears if they happened to be in the car with you or come into the room while you're folding laundry.

What Should I Read Next?

The newest podcast on my playlist has jumped to the #2 spot. The author of the popular blog, Anne Bogel, who writes at Modern Mrs. Darcy, just launched her own podcast on January 10th. If you love books and reading you'll want to subscribe. Her voice alone is worth the listen. It has a soothing quality that has me checking my downloads for new episodes. Her blog, as well as the podcast have the ability to entice a non-reader to make a trip to their local library. 

Personality Hacker

If you're interested in learning about personality types via Myers-Briggs, you'll love this podcast. It has taught me invaluable lessons about the wiring of my brain. I've been able to use the information in everyday living.

The Simple Show with Tsh Oxenreider

The Simple Show is another voice that speaks on many topics such as parenting, books, writing, and traveling, while striving to live a simpler, uncluttered lifestyle. She has excellent guests that help make this one of the top podcasts on the web. This is another kid friendly podcast.

~My Favorite Books of 2015~

2015 was a great year for books...but is there ever a bad year? Not for me. I could bore you with my endless list, but these are the ones that stood out and beg to be read again and again.

My number one book would have to be Wild in the Hollow by Amber C. Haines. Her writing is like medicine for my soul. She has a way of communicating through the written word that helped the broken places in my life find healing. She writes with authenticity and from the raw pain of God's redemption and restoration of her broken life. Her life is a testimony of God's faithfulness and love when we least expect or deserve it.

Simply Tuesday was released in August of 2015. I began reading it right away, but it's a book that needs to be read slowly and thoughtfully because of the nuggets of truth in every single page. The author, Emily P. Freeman, is one of the deepest thinking people I've ever encountered. In this, her fourth book, she writes on finding space for your soul to breathe. She calls us to a life of deep devotion to Christ, of sitting in His Presence, of being present in the ordinary days of life. I can't recommend this book with enough stars. But don't hurry through it, you don't want to miss a single word.

Another book on my favorites list that had me gushing about its content is Emily Whaley and her Charleston Garden. Emily and co-writer William Baldwin penned a lovely book about gardening, life in the south, and all things Emily Whaley. I loved this little book so much I drove myself to Charleston for the day to see the 30 x 100 foot patch of ground they wrote about. The private garden was alive and well many years after her death in 1988. She described life in the low country of South Carolina before it became a vacation destination. Her depiction of those years left me wanting to read more of this fascinating woman and her life in Charleston. 

I'll stop for now. You're either on overload from too much information, or you can't wait to check out these great books and podcasts.  

Until next time...

Cindy