Whew! This is a big weekend, you guys. The women’s website I write for and work for, (in)courage, is hosting a women’s online conference – and it is awesome. Yesterday’s online webcast about staying in community, even when it’s hard, was fantastic. My reward for enduring seeing myself on video (a.w.k.w.a.r.d.) was the hilarious blooper reel at the end!

If you’d like to watch some moving, honest, challenging, encouraging videos about community – why it’s important, how hard it is, and how it can be so worth it – go to (in)RL. You can register for free and watch the videos until midnight on Sunday.

Now, for some posts!

Instagram’s Envy Effect | Shauna Niequiest at RELEVANT Magazine
This is a thing. This is coming up in conversation after conversation. The danger of the internet is that it’s very very easy to tell partial truths—to show the fabulous meal but not the mess to clean up afterward. To display the smiling couple-shot, but not the fight you had three days ago. To offer up the sparkly milestones but not the spiraling meltdowns.

Great Kids Have Parents Who Seem To Do This Well | Don Miller at Storyline Blog
I’ve noticed something. Kids with parents who are open and honest about their faults seem to do better in life.

5 Reasons eBooks Are My Friends. | OhAmanda
Anyway, a few of my friends (not naming any names, illJay…) don’t get the whole ebook thing. I’ve had people ask, “How do you read ebooks? I’m not technical. I don’t want to read a book on my computer. What if I don’t have an iPad? Why can’t I just read their blog?” And since I’m clearly like a happy puppy when it comes to bloggers’ ebooks, I thought I’d share my [vast] knowledge with you.

On Failure {And Motherhood} | The Cadence of a Conquering Housewife
It’s not that I should intentionally do a terrible job of parenting, it’s that my ideal version of motherhood doesn’t exist.

Excuses for Not Watching The Bible on the History Channel | Stuff Christians Like
“We spend too much time settling Catan and having family devotions to watch TV.”

As I mentioned yesterday (and will mention a few times over the next week), I think you’d love the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle that’s on sale next week. (You can see more about it here.) But I’d be remiss if I didn’t also tell you about my friend Tricia’s sale at Once a Month Mom. For one day only, you can purchase a year’s subscription to OAMM for just $5/month. Here are the details (and the cutest graphic. She’s right. Ain’t nobody got time for cooking every night!).

My most popular post from this past week by far was quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever lived or written. If you missed it: For When You Think It Would Take a Miracle.

And now we’ve come to the video portion of today’s program. And it is outstanding. Earlier this week I shared a video about the evolution of music with my brother. He countered with a video about songs with lyrics that aren’t words. Thus began my rabbit trail for the day into Every. A Capella. Video. I. Could. Find. (Plus this really interesting article about the state of today’s a capella.)

Here are the two videos!

What are the best posts you’ve read and written lately? Please share it with us in the comments!

This post will be linked to Linky Love at Vanderbilt Wife.

Like I mentioned yesterday, I’m at my fifth Blissdom Conference this weekend. Since I packed all winter-ish clothes, here’s hoping I’m spending my time inside the hotel and not in the warm weather of Dallas.

And while we’re at it, here’s hoping I’m having a blast hanging with some of my favorite bloggy friends like Jill, Jen, Dana and Annie. And Jon Acuff, though I suspect he doesn’t claim me as a friend, bloggy or otherwise (considering we don’t actually know each other….).

ANYWAY. Here are some of the best posts I’ve read in the past week or so:

• To The Mamas Who Clean Up Messes for a Living | 4tunate
• Is There Room for Hero Worship in the Church? | A Deeper Story
• Brave Girl | Sarah Markley
• There’s no such thing as perfect hospitality or perfect people – Lisa-Jo Baker
• In which God does not want to use me | Sarah Bessey
• Can We Bring the Holidays Down a Notch? | Kristen Howerton

And here are a few of my favorite posts from this here blog:

•  Keepin’ it Real – My kitchen is a disaster. Again. How ’bout yours?
• Sometimes Shorter is Sweeter – I’m not actually upset every time one of my favorite TV shows is cancelled. *GASP!*
• Monday Morning Mmmm: Pizza Poppers – Cheesy, spicy, DELICIOUS mini pizza muffins. You want these.

And, in case you haven’t heard, Google Reader will be phased out in a few months. So if you read your blogs that way, you’ll need to find an alternative. I’m looking into Feedly, but I’ve also got these two articles bookmarked so I can check out some other options, too.

• Google Reader Is Shutting Down; Here Are the Best Alternatives | Lifehacker
• Google Reader is dying, but we have five worthy alternatives | CNET Reviews

Finally, you need to know about this. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a web series and modern adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. I KNOW. I’ve confessed to NOT GETTING that book several times now. And I still don’t. The story is ridiculous and annoying and boring as all get-out. (Don’t hate me, Austen fans. It is a universal truth that some people don’t get your beloved books. I am one of them.)

ANYWAY. This web series? Is WAY entertaining. Plus, it’s a brilliant use of social media, completely fascinating, really. The characters have Twitter accounts, Tumblr pages and their own vlogs. And the main character is making these videos for a social media course she’s taking in graduate school BUT SHE’S REALLY AN ACTRESS. It’s NOT REAL. But it seems pretty real. And funny. And – I DON’T KNOW.

What I know is that I watched 70 episodes in about four days. So, take that for what it’s worth. And WATCH IT. If you want. (But do it.)

What are the best posts you’ve read and written lately? Please share it with us in the comments!

This post will be linked to Linky Love at Vanderbilt Wife.