introducing: what kaly found

I remember the first time that I tried to surf the internet. I was in a computer lab at Mount Holyoke College in the basement of the foreign language building. I’m not sure why I was down there because it was my first year (at an all women’s college you don’t use the term freshman year) and I dropped Spanish after the first class. But there I was in the basement of the foreign language building even though I wasn’t taking a foreign language, and I decided to check out the world wide web.

The concept of all that information immediately available and free was so different than sitting by the mailbox waiting for Sassy and Seventeen to arrive. It was overwhelming. I didn’t even know where to start. So I stuck to what I knew and went to vogue.com. I’m pretty sure Netscape was involved. It was 1995. Which I have to remind myself wasn’t eight years ago. It was 18 years ago.

And here we are 18 years later and I am still overwhelmed by the internet even though there are more tools than ever to help me try and wrangle it. I want, I crave, the good information that I know must be out there. It’s like the clearance rack at TJMaxx. You know that if you just keep digging, you’ll find that Vince t-shirt in your size for $10. (Yes, yes I did.)

This is the idea behind what kaly found. I scour the internet and find those little gems so that you don’t have to. I’m doing it anyway, so why not share what I’m finding.  Sure, there are aggregate sites already out there, but I’ve found that even they are overwhelming. And tend to feel kind of cheesy.  This weekly feature will be short. Just a couple of things that you might be interested in checking out online – web sites, articles, blogs, books or newsletters.

If you want details on where I’m looking, I’d be happy to share the process that I’ve used to curate the big ol’ internet into a manageable list of sources that I check every day and the tools I’ve used to organize them.

I’ll also offer some context to why I’m liking what I’m sharing. In my little corner of the internet I’m looking for content geared toward women, parents, seekers of truth and inspiration and lovers of design – all with a less is more angle. If you are interested in those things too, I hope you’ll enjoy…

WHAT KALY FOUND:

The Skimm: I’ve had several conversations recently with women who want to keep up with the news, but are uninspired by most news sources. I’ve been feeling the same way so I recently started subscribing to the Skimm. It’s a daily breakdown of the headlines and gives a little context. It’s in my inbox when I wake up, and I read over it while I’m taking my first sips of coffee. I love that I don’t have to link to anything. It’s all contained in one, tidy, easy to read, just the facts email.

Notes from the Universe: The other thing that I subscribe to and read every morning first thing is my Note from the Universe. Some days, I’m like what the heck is the universe talking about? But most days, I’m like yes, yes, that is so right on.

What’s Keeping You: This article adapted from Steven Pressfield’s The War Of Art hit home for me big time. A really interesting take on Resistance and the role it plays in our lives. I’m sold – I’m ordering the book and will let you know if it’s worth checking out.

If you only read one thing this week, make it this article at Salon.com about Generation X. I’m on the cusp of Generation Y but still really enjoyed this. #4 is my favorite.

Hope you have a few minutes to check these out. Let me know what you think.