In my ongoing quest to minimize, I was fed up with my bloated personal email inbox and spent some time (I think it took me a good two hours) purging — from over 2,000 unread messages (yup) down to 42. I thought that was pretty good progress.It's my personal inbox, but most of the email is, of course, not personal at all but various mailing lists I subscribe to. I figured if I hadn't responded to an email or offer from two years ago that I was unlikely ever to. Pretty perceptive, huh? The businessy ones were deleted; the personal ones archived in case I ever needed to refer to what I hadn't answered…
Another upside I hadn't counted on? My phone can now load my inbox reliably and doesn't crash the Gmail app as much. I had wondered if that was the problem.
Now — on to my Hobo Mama email account. I'm a little warier there, because I feel more obligations to respond, even if it's been awhile.
I'm really tempted to download this ebook: Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging from Rachel of Small Notebook, if only for the chapter on "how to deal with email guilt and make peace with your inbox." No — really, for all of the book. I'm feeling overwhelmed with bloggy commitments, especially given the baby on the way. Has anyone read the book who can give me a review? (It's $8. I should probably just buy it already and give you a review, huh?)Anyway, on with the links, which are very minimalist this week. Or not. Whatever.
- "Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism February 2011" from Verbosity: Great links & blogs here for parents raising kids bilingually/multilingually! My included post is "Bilingual boy: Update at 3.5 years old." I named my draft "Bilingual boy" while I was collecting stories and liked the alliteration so much I didn't bother to update it to "Trilingual Boy" or "Multilingual Boy" when I realized we were throwing Spanish and ASL into the German-English mix. It's amusing me probably beyond what is reasonable that the URL and CommentLuv rendition reads "Update at 35 years old." I'm really looking back!
- "Make Your Own Wool Dryer Balls" from Anktangle: I want to make some! (See picture at right.) I've been wanting to stop using dryer sheets, but I'm so, so addicted to soft, lint-free clothes after years of not having a machine dryer. If I make my own wool dryer balls, I can safely experiment with being a wee bit more green, yes?
- "the bored jar" from The Mahogany Way: Who couldn't use a Bored Jar!
- "How to Protect Your Time from Too Many Good Ideas" from Small Notebook: I need to prune my brain. I'm becoming ever more aware that I cannot do everything I have in mind to do.
- "Comment to 'Are Home Births Safe?'" from Navelgazing Midwife Blog: Exactly! Midwifery should be licensed & legalized to keep home births safe. This is what I meant in my carnival post on "Top 10 reasons to choose midwifery care" that women should have the choice of safe, competent, legal midwifery. The alternative is that some women who would not have otherwise will feel pressured into hospital birth, and some women who would rather have a midwife present will feel pressured into unassisted homebirth. Much better for everyone to have reasonable midwifery requirements (education, etc.) and licensing in place. (Note: Navelgazing Midwife's comment was on the original article when I looked, so perhaps there was a reinstatement.)
Further reading from the March Carnival of Natural Parenting:
- Speaking of which, the March Carnival of Natural Parenting is live with more than 70 Top 10 lists for you to choose from! It was a fabulously varied month and lots of fun. Check out all the links at the end and pick your favorite topics!
- From Natural Parents Network:
- Read our reader-contributed Carnival list of "Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent" for some laughs and to see where you fall on the scale.
Further reading from the Carnival of Natural Parenting for the flipside:
- "Easing the Ride on the NICU Roller Coaster" from Laura of Walden Mommy: No one wants a baby to end up in the NICU, but here are ways you can cope and continue to take care of yourself and your other children.
Further reading from the Carnival of Natural Parenting:
- "Five Easy Ways to Beat Stress AND Be a Natural Parent" from Delena Silverfox of The Modern Aboriginal Mama: The last principle of attachment parenting (all parenting!) is often the most neglected: Balance.
- Read our reader-contributed Carnival list of "Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent" for some laughs and to see where you fall on the scale.
- Our current giveaways! The top one ends today and two more end this week, so hurry.
- NPN: Respectful Parents Respectful Kids book $18 {3.13; US} — This is one of Dionna's favorite parenting books!
- Sacred Rose Organic Herbal Tea = 4 winners! $18 ARV {3.15; US/Can} — Yummy, yummy tea. I've been drinking my Matri blend to prepare for childbirth!
- HAVE KIDS, WILL TRAVEL: SafetyTat Temporary ID Tattoos for child safety = 2 winners! {3.16; US/Can} — Low entries & 2 winners, so you have a great chance to get some cool sticker tattoos to keep your little ones identified if they are (heaven forfend) separated from you.
- GREEN YOUR PERIOD: GladRags cloth menstrual pad 3-pack $44 {3.31; US/Can} — I love these comfy cotton pads, and you can get your own sampler pack.
You can find more shared items during the week at my public Google Reader recommendations feed.
Check out Authentic Parenting, Baby Dust Diaries, Navelgazing, Momma Jorje, Enjoy Birth, The New Mommy Files, A Domesticated Woman's Adventures (various), Kelly Hogaboom (Fridays), The Parent Vortex, Hippie Housewife (Saturdays), Multiple Musings, Motherhood Moments, Mama and Baby Love, and A Little Bit of All of It for more Sunday Surfing! (If you also participate in a regular link list, whether on Sunday or not, let me know and I'll add your link.)
Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments. Happy reading!
I'm Lauren Wayne, writer and natural parent. I embrace attached parenting with an emphasis toward green living. 
10 comments:
I'll probably also have a go at that Simple Blogging book. I'll let you know.
I have the Simple Blogging book. I found it helpful. It's been months since I've read it, though, so I can't say anything more detailed, alas. However, I've been thinking I should give it a re-read to get more tips, in part because you've been sharing some posts from Small Notebook via Google Reader, Lauren. I had unsubscribed to that blog and started subscribing to it again because of you! Actually, the book is much like Rachel's blog: thoughtful, well written, and full of useful insights.
I have the book, too. It didn't teach me anything I didn't know, but it organised it for me, reminded me of what was important and validated some of the choices I'd made myself (like minimum time on social media). Well worth the $8.
I don't have the book, but I completely relate with the inbox problem. I recently had to purge thousands of emails from several email accounts. Not a pretty sight.
And though it made me infinitely sad, I unsubscribed from a LOT of lists, too. Sometimes you just have to admit when the clutter is n't really all that useful, and you're not using a few of the tools you thought you'd use way back when, anyway.
I didn't know about this ebook. I'll have to check it out.
Delena
You definitely seem like you have too many irons in the fire, to this bystander anyway. (re: ideas)
Thanks for the links! At least one of these will be appearing in my own SS next week. heh
I've looked at the book and thought about getting it so would love your review! My inbox is also a mess!
I did my first Sunday Surf post today although I probably too late to link up in your lists now, it's here: http://tiny.cc/sundaysurf1
Thanks for the shout out!
OMG, I would be a wreck if I ever had that many emails! I'm a serial deleter though, and sometimes I over do and and delete things I need later on.
I have 600 some emails! Maybe I should delete some of those! You seem to be very busy, especially for a pregnant mom of a toddler. I don't know how you do it!
Wow, you're a fountain of link knowledge! Some great stuff there. I can relate to the inbox problem too... only one solution to that one - DELETE!
Olivia
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