5 On Friday

1. Guest posting

Have you read my guest post on That Southern Mama?

2. Top 15

My post, Are you wasting your life on being busy, was one of the most popular posts on Blogs by Christian Women in 2014. Yay!

3. Washable make-up remover pads

I ordered these wonderful eco-friendly cleansing pads from Etsy. I love how soft they are.

4. THIS is so cute!

5. Why you should follow my blog on FB?

Every now and then I'll post free in-post ad codes on my Facebook page. 

1. An Old-Fashioned Girl

I remember when my big sister read to me when I was little. One of the books she read was Louisa May Alcott's An Old-Fashioned Girl. I've heard people say that it's a boring book with a boring heroine. I completely disagree. Being an outsider, being kind though you are treated badly and standing behind your values are themes that spoke to me even as a little girl. And of course the romance was lovely!

2. Pride and Prejudice

I was 13 when I read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice for the first time. Before that, I'd seen the BBC mini series and fallen in love with it. 

What I love about this book is that every time I read it, I learn something new. I notice something new. But the lesson that made this book significant from the very first time I read it, is that people are not always what they seem to be. In both positive and negative way. And we ourselves are not always who and what we think we are.

3. Esther

Esther, from the Bible, has always been my hero. I've read her story many times and I'm always mesmerised by her. She chooses courage.


4. Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is another book that has been dear to me since I was a teenager. Jane Eyre has made me realise that we create and define ourselves. We should not blame our past and circumstances nor the people around us. Instead, we should decide who we want to be. There's also an interesting religious aspect that made me think about hypocrisy.


5. Matilda's Last Waltz

Unlike the 4 books above, Matilda's Last Waltz by Tamara McKinley, doesn't have a so-called virtuous teaching. I still had to include it into this list of mine. Why? It made me love stories even more. It made me want to write and create more than before.

  

Original photo by Kate Ter Haar. (CC BY 4.0)

I stole a blog

Last Saturday I "stole" a blog!  

Go HERE to find out what I mean.

5 On Friday

1. Lara Fabian

I just adore Lara Fabian. Her voice is wonderful. 

2. What's your love language?

Take the test HERE.

3. Old diaries

I found couple old diaries from my childhood. They are HILARIOUS.  This is me introducing my imaginary friend (It's in Finnish. Sorry!):

Do you still have your childhood drawings, stories, diaries, etc?


4. Do you need a card for a baby?

Order Cutie pie! cards form my Etsy shop. HERE.

5. The Hobbit

Have a great weekend, guys! I'll start mine by watching The Hobbit with my hubby.

How to be more ecofriendly - Part 2

Check out part 1 to find more eco-friendly ideas. Also, share your own tips below!

11. Learn to drive economically

If you have to use a car, make sure you know how to drive in a way that saves fuel as much as possible. 

12. Don't use disposable stuff 


13. Water your plants with rain water

If you have a garden, try to collect rain water in big buckets etc.

14. Short showers

I use to much water, because I love looong hot showers. But lately I've tried to change this, because it's ridiculous to waste that much water. I also read that it's better for your skin to take short showers. Tips for taking a shorter shower.

15. Find good companies 

Try to only buy products from responsible companies that care about the environmental issues.

16. Use eco-friendly cosmetics

Forget "cancer-on-skin" products: it's better for your own health and for the environment.

17. Make your own cosmetics

Get ideas and instructions from Pinterest. Making your own cosmetics is fun and eco-friendly.

18. Cloth diapers

It's shocking how much disposable diapers affect our environment. (Read more HERE) If possible, use cloth diapers. 

19. Stop using the dryer

It only takes couple minutes to hang your clothes on a clothesline or laundry rack. Why you should do this? Read HERE. 

20. Reduce your food waste

29 tips to reduce food waste




Want more ideas? Read Giustina's tips!



Original photo by THOR. License: CC BY 4.0

Five On Friday

1. Happy!

I don't know about you, but I find it really exciting when someone shares your posts on Pinterest. I noticed that a complete stranger had pinned my Enjoy Your Small Blog post. Thank you so much! You made me so happy.

2. Valentine's Day panic?

Did you forget to buy a card for your sweetie? Don't worry! HERE you can find free and funny printable cards. 

3. Guest posting

Next week (Saturday) I'll guest post HERE. I'm pretty excited!

4. Movie soundtracks

Couple movie soundtracks speak to my heart. If you need beautiful music that soothes you and helps to concentrate and be creative,  check out Forrest Gump and Blood Diamond. 

5. Delicious!

Want to try something easy and delicious? Try Feta cheese guacamole. Mix 1 avocado, some feta cheese and couple slices of jalapeños in a blender. 

A letter to my past self

Dear shy me

You have no idea how much you are going to change. I know that right now you are afraid of being in front of people. You hate how your hands start to shake, your heart starts to beat fast and your voice fades away. Presentations in school are nightmares. Conversations with strangers feel uncomfortable. It doesn't help when the teacher yells: "Louder!" or someone says "Being nervous is a good thing."

But let me tell you, you are going to change. I want to encourage you: 

You are as important as those people who make your hands shake. 

Your ideas are wonderful. 

Your thoughts are valuable.

You are not weird. Your are interesting.

Your life stories are unique and precious. They need to be told.

You are going to change. 

Know this, you're going to change people's lives when you speak. You are going to touch people's weary hearts when you sing. Your ideas will come to life. Your thoughts will change things.

Don't be afraid. You will see your value.

Want to have something pretty?

I just wanted to let you know that I'm having a sale on my online jewellery shop! Necklaces, earrings and bracelets are super cheap! 

-50%

Discount code: SALE50 valid until Feb 19.

So, come take a look, HERE!

Five On Friday

1. A negative review

I wrote my first negative book review. I was a bit nervous publishing it, because I don't know how the company that sent me the book is going to react. But I wanted to be honest and they encouraged me to write an honest opinion. Have you written a negative review?

2. What a cool guy!

A pro baseball player who lives in a van

3. Indiana Bible College

I love Indiana Bible College Choir! They are amazing. I was so pleased to find their newest album on Spotify.

4. How not to measure your self-worth

Check out: 5 Things You Shouldn't Use to Measure Your Self-Worth

5. Free in-post ad

Act fast! 2 codes available for 2 bloggers: Free1 and Free2

"Buy" your ad HERE.

Book Review - The Passion Translation

I received The Psalms: Poetry on Fire (The Passion Translation) and John: Eternal Love (The Passion Translation) to read and write about. This is the first time I don't strongly recommend the book I've received to review. 

The Passion Translation Bible is a bit different from other translations. 

1. Different Bible books are literally different books, as seen in the pic above. I think that's great! Also the covers look great and the material feels wonderful. 

2. It's done by one man only. I personally feel this is is not a good thing. 

3. The goal of the man who did it (Brian Simmons) was to create Bible that speaks to our heart. So the goal was not to make a good accurate translation. I feel sad about that. 

If you choose to buy Passion Translation Bible books, I'd recommend to have a "good" translation as well. Good translation: aim to translate the original text without adding something to make it better.