Link love (Powered by mini pies and full days)

Things that happen out of the blue, when you’ve had your Hotmail account for 10-odd years (Jesus, I’m getting old):

• Emails from Lycos. How is Lycos still even in business?

• Emails from the online songwriting group you used to belong to. Wow, that was a long time ago.

Talk about a blast from the past.

Speaking of which, it’s time for a wee review…

One year ago, I talked about how taking the first step toward anything is always the hardest; about knowing when to quit; about worthy friendships and personalising weddings.

Two years ago I wrote about being a one-car household and living a carless life; the cost of my hobbies; and foods I love but hate to cook.

Can’t wait to see where I’ll be next year.

To the links!

MONEY

Evolving PF on topdown vs bottom line budgeting and when they clash

Frugal Traveler lists 10 frugal travel sites you should bookmark

Graduated Learning on not sweating the small financial stuff

Little Miss Moneybags perfectly sums up the number one reason to be on top of your finances

FOOD

The Asian Pear shares some of her fave foodie blogs with us

Why cook at home? So you can better experience the seasons, says Cathy Erway

A bunch of awesome marinade ideas, from Dinner: A Love Story

These chocolate cookies from the Joy of Caking are on my to-try list this weekend

LIFE

Go Gillard! Australia should be proud. Here’s the New Yorker’s take on the Aussie PM’s take-no-prisoners speech hitting back at the sexism and misogyny she’s encountered of late.  Here’s the video in full

Bridget asks if you think you’re entitled to chasing your dream no matter what the cost

Congratulations, it’s a dud! There is SO much truth in this post by Jordann on the reality of 20-something milestones

Along similar lines, Mo Money Mo Houses on how the recession inspired her to get up and kick ass at life

And another Canadian, Cassie, is also talking economic transition and the changing landscape, from the perspective that things aren’t really all that bad

Andrea ponders whether freelancing and life balance can happily co-exist

Sweet Caroline shares the results of a photography project – finding all 26 letters of the alphabet out in the world. Amazing.

Molly Mahar pens an excellent post on not apologising for loving your life

Finally, my favourite quote this week comes from Ashley at Writing to Reach You in ‘Experiencing vs Writing’:

I hit the limits of my introversion all the time.  I think about how I want to be the kind of blogger and person who reaches out to everyone and makes people feel warm, but I can’t.  It’s a physical feeling that I can’t extend myself any further.  I have almost an endless capacity for introspection, but a limited ability to express that outwardly. I try to push myself, and I’m usually happy that I did, but there’s a point where I just can’t anymore.

I’m pretty sure we are two halves of the same person. Either that, or we share a brain.