Hard to believe it's been a solid month since my last round of links. And that we are smack in the middle of December. I am headed out of the country in less than twelve hours and had a busy day behind me filled with cleaning, packing, attending a friend's graduation and a Christmas party. So without further delay because I'm exhausted and still have to finish packing up, here are some of my most-enjoyed links as of late:

To start, a couple of posts from Cupcakes & Cashmere. One on easy ways to give back and share the love during the holidays. And the other on cultivating an intentional morning routine, which I have been struggling to find in my life right now. Emily's experiment to incorporate things like reading in bed, walking to a coffee shop or staying in a bed a little longer seems like an awesome idea.

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Another thing to ponder especially during this time of year. Me being my sentimental self has an extremely difficult time letting go of old journals, magazines, cards, clothes, among other things. Like Cora described last month, maybe I would be better at cleaning up my life if I approached it more from a mindset of gratitude as opposed to regret.

The Most Important 'Life-Hack' I Learned -- in short, ask yourself what's fuelling and what's draining your energy

Vangie has put my thoughts into her own lovely words in her post on letting go of fitness. Been struggling with this one a lot lately but I know the benefits outweigh the costs in the big picture for where I am at right now physically.

A better way to be there for others: Shift responses vs support responses 

Confused by coconut milk vs coconut cream too? Check this post out from Oh Ladycakes. Apparently helpful for making coconut whipped cream, something to tackle in the new year for sure!

Found this one about letting go of control c/o Naomi's Random Roots

As future employee for corporate America, this post on loneliness in the workplace, a place where it is often overlooked, got me thinking
In the age of smartphones, gifting presence means the most

Similarly, these simple tips for minimizing phone time. Particularly #3--keeping your phone across the room or out of sight--is something I've found that works for me!

If you're like me and have never had a real boyfriend, this one's for you. Hit me right in the heart. Also, shoutout to my friend sends me articles like this to read ❤️

Was intrigued by the title of this post on Free People called What Is... , which was just beautiful. This is my reminder to you that you are important and you are enough. Embrace your aliveness.

"Being alive is the only achievement that really matters."

Questions:
Do you have a morning ritual/routine? 
How do you practice the gift of presence? 
Do you connect with any of these posts too?