Tackling Life and Culture in Your Grit and Grace Life

6 Job Interview Tips to Help You Get the Offer

By Meaghan Dawson / Work & Money, Life & Culture

No matter where you are in your career or how long you’ve been in the business world, interviewing for a new job is intimidating. Just the word alone is enough to strike anxiety right into the hearts of job seekers. And the actual act of interviewing, forget about it. It is a palm-sweating, heart palpitation-inducing nightmare for most of us. And that’s even when it goes well. Everyone needs job interview tips to keep that heart rate down. But here’s the deal: interviews are a part of life. You won’t land the job of your dreams without going through an interview process of some type. (Unless your life is like a romantic comedy where dream jobs fall into your lap. In which […]

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50 Weird Things That Make All Women Happy

By The Grit and Grace Team / Life & Culture

Many moments in life are great—like finding out you got a hefty pay raise or embarking on your much-anticipated summer vacation. But have you ever bought a dress and discovered it has pockets? Hardly anything else compares to that kind of joy! We have found there are few things that make all women happy. So, to offer a few, many of our writers chimed in on some of their favorite weird things that make them happy. We thought we’d compile them and share the fun with you. Here are the things for us that are totally worth celebrating and never fail to put a smile on our faces. 50 Weird things that make all women happy. 1. Pockets…pockets, pockets everywhere. 2. When

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5 Simple Ways to Keep Dr. King’s Dream Alive

By Sharita Hanley / Life & Culture

If you’re anything like me, Dr. King’s legacy leaves you very much empowered and yet, feeling a little awkward. As much as his words and actions have been cherished and praised throughout the years, I’m always left wondering, but what can I do to keep Dr. King’s Dream alive? As inspired as I am, protesting isn’t really my thing. I’m too quiet, too shy, and sad to say, much too worried about my own self-preservation. But injustice of any kind bothers me, hate makes my blood boil, and despite my quiet nature, I’m an activist at heart. But after 27 years of wrestling with society’s expectations, I’ve come to realize the many ways I can keep Dr. King’s legacy alive in my

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3 Healthy Hand Sanitizer Options You Need to Try

By Laura Hurd / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

It’s flu season, and you know what that means? Germs—everywhere! So, what is the best way to keep those flu and cold viruses at bay? As we become more aware of what we are putting into our bodies, we must also consider what we put on our skin. It’s always a good idea to try healthier, effective alternatives. Hand sanitizer is a quick and easy way to get instant germ protection in the absence of water. The popularity of this convenient method has made its way into hospital rooms, clinics, and emergency waiting areas across the nation. Even though I fully support anti-germ awareness in this form, I have found that there are other, non-toxic ways to get the same protection while saving

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Growing Plants Taught Me 4 Lessons for a Satisfying Life

By Meaghan Dawson / Life & Culture

During the height of Covid quarantine, I, like many people, developed some new obsessions. Partly as a way to pass the time and partly as a way to distract myself from the horrors of a pandemic, I took up some very strange hobbies. I dabbled in sourdough. But, as one can only have so many carbs, I let that starter go after a while. I remodeled a few rooms and was happy doing it until my killjoy husband put a kibosh on the spending. And I even went through an unfortunate period of time where I wanted to learn an instrument despite being, for lack of a better word, completely talentless. Luckily for all of us, that was short. The one hobby,

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29 Life-Changing Books for Your Reading List

By Twyla Franz / Life & Culture

January waltzes in, dreamy and ambitious. Whispers permission to shred your list of what you haven’t finished, haven’t even started, from last year. She’s a bright new start and welcome friend. Me? Just a girl who loves books, like you. I’ve handpicked my favorites from my bookshelf and I offer to you 29 of the most wonderful books sure to change your life. Let’s meander through my color-organized stacks and stop at these: 29 Life-Changing Books to Add to Your Reading List This Year 1. For the one holding her breath, walking faster, feeling the pressure to do more, balance it all, let no one down: Permission to slow and savor and grow. Growing Slow: Lessons on Un-Hurrying Your Heart from an

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How to Eat Vegetarian Without Making it Weird

By Caroline Beidler / Life & Culture

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Venison steak, and fried chicken—as a Midwest gal, I grew up with these hearty dishes. Savory emanating from the floor boards like the smell of beef chili on game day. Baskets of carbs and real, salted butter. Tall, frothy glasses of milk. Fireworks of bouillon. Moats of gravy. We never thought to eat vegetarian. Don’t even get me started on dessert. I love food and it’s always loved me. My closet proves this. I have pants that range a handful of sizes. Depending on the season and the frequency of my workout routines, what needs covering melts away like an ice cream cone in summer or swirls into a nice peak and expands like homemade whipping cream. Thankfully,

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If You Want To Get Healthy Do These 5 Things

By Rachel Hagstrom / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

For a girl whose dietary and lifestyle choices once included generous amounts of Cheez-Its, menthol cigarettes, and energy drinks mixed with vodka, doing a massive overhaul on my (not-so-healthy) habits was overwhelming at first. I’m not going to lie… it was downright hard. I wasn’t sure what foods my body would benefit from, so I tested popular diets and eliminated trigger foods. I wanted to find cost-effective ways to incorporate more organic produce to get healthy. So I found good deals and discounted products I could add to my recipe rotation. I began exercising on a consistent basis, and instead of automatically reaching for my former go-to substances during times of stress, I explored spiritual practices that seemed to calm my mental

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Instagram Envy During the Holidays: Beware of the Pitfall

By Carolyn Gordon / Life & Culture

Sometimes pictures are worth a thousand words; other times, they are total liars. So before we fall victim to Instagram envy during the holidays, let’s look at things a little more realistically. Yes, photos can capture the most beautiful moments in one’s life. Sometimes they are spontaneous, and sometimes they are planned with color-coordinated outfits and contoured faces. I’m reminded of how wildly popular the mall-based Glamor Shots used to be before selfies and filters made that business obsolete. One year I was gifted this experience and now have too many photos of myself in a Blossom-style denim vest and floral floppy hat. (For those of you who weren’t stylistically influenced by this 90s sitcom character, you dodged a bullet.) My point

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There’s Hope for the Holidays After Divorce

By Cherie Shaw / Life & Culture

That Christmas, the first one without my kids, the first one that I had to pack them up after opening gifts and send them off to visit their father, is one I will always remember. Especially the moment I sat on a wooden chair in a dimly lit hallway with the phone to my ear. Handly holidays after divorce wasn’t something I had ever expected. I was perched between a family gathering in the next room and my kid’s laughter funneling through the receiver. I couldn’t understand how I ended up here, the place of shattered dreams, of holiday disillusionment. It was as if I held the blueprint for a magical, memorable Christmas, but was unable to build anything tangible from it.

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How to Pick the Perfect Shade of Red for Every Skin Tone

By Chelsea Stamer / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

I work part-time at a clothing store, and when I use the word “red” with “shirt” or “dress” in the same sentence while suggesting a stylish article of clothing to try on, some women’s eyes bug out, and they start to frown. They don’t believe there’s a perfect shade of red, even for them. I don’t even think they realize it! In short, they have an internal freakout. When I mention the color red, many women instantly picture a bright, candy red, as you can see in the pictured color palette below (courtesy of Digital Synopsis). However, as a color fanatic, I love any shade of red. So my two-part goal in this article is: 1. to expand your shades of red

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10 Women Share Christmas Memories That Will Warm Your Heart

By The Grit and Grace Team / Life & Culture

Each Christmas usually arrives with the same lineup of gifts: the big-ticket item you really wanted, some poorly constructed but heartfelt crafts made by your children (macaroni ornaments, anyone?) and the random pairs of socks that someone decided you needed. But occasionally, there’s that one gift you never forget. It might have made you laugh or even cry, but whether you still physically have it or not, it’s never left your mind. Some of Grit and Grace Life‘s staff and writers share their favorite Christmas memories and gifts: When I was 18, I had my first “real” boyfriend. I worked at the mall at the time, and I remember he came in to say hi and then went off to shop. A

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Stuck in a Toxic Work Culture? 6 Ways to Make it Better

By Jenni Catron / Work & Money, Life & Culture

Several years ago I left a job I loved with a team of people that I adored to pursue an opportunity that looked like an amazing next step for me. The new role would stretch me and I was certain I would grow from the challenge. While I learned a lot, it was not the exciting endeavor that I had dreamed of. It turned out to be one of the most difficult seasons of my career. The work itself wasn’t the issue. The fact that my husband and I had relocated and were adjusting to a new community, while challenging, wasn’t the worst. The agony was that I had catapulted myself into a toxic work culture that was draining the life out

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man pouring wine into a glass on a holiday dinner table, a potential dilemma for those needing a sober holiday survival guide

Your Sober Holiday Survival Guide

By Caroline Beidler / Life & Culture

The holidays can be stressful, especially for those of us in recovery. Whether that is recovery from substance use, food addiction, co-dependent relationships, or pretty much anything at all (I believe that we are all in recovery from something), the holidays can put a stress on our recovery journeys. Even good stress can be challenging. Because of this, I wanted to create a resource that can help guide your journey in recovery through the holiday season—or any season—you might find yourself in. In these pages, you will find a quick sober holiday survival guide that will walk with you through the challenges of the season. In this guide, you will learn to: Understand your holiday triggers Respond in 4 healthy ways Support

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7 Unique Holiday Traditions to Share With Your Family

By Darlene Brock / Life & Culture

One of the very best things about the holidays is not the calorie-heavy, “guilt-free” food intake, the gifts, the family gatherings, or even the “you have outdone yourself” decorating. It’s the holiday traditions you create for your family and then repeat each year, ensuring lasting memories in the hearts of all you love. Looking to start some family traditions? Here are a few to get you started: 1. Fill a jar from Thanksgiving to January 1 with special notes for each family member. Write one note a week to tell them something about them you treasure. On January 1, each member takes the notes written to them to begin the new year knowing their worth. 2. Decorate your tree with ornaments purchased from

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This Is My Favorite Family Tradition: Celebrating Advent

By Amy Saxby / Life & Culture

For children and adults, the anticipation of the holidays is always exciting. Much of the joy the season brings is in the waiting and anticipation of Christmas morning. Advent is the season leading up to Christmas morning. “Advent” is defined as “the arrival of a notable thing, person, or event” or “the coming or second coming of Christ.” It’s in the waiting that we can find hope and joy. This is metaphorical for any time or circumstance in our life, but a tangible example is the way that we wait and prepare for Christmas. I want to create a great sense of anticipation for something beautiful in our home. With so much pain in the world, it fills me with hope to

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10 Life Lessons From Christmas Classics That Will Make You Think

By Carey Melton / Life & Culture

Being an English teacher, I always look for the meaning behind the words. A song is not just a song, and a movie isn’t just a movie; it’s a script dripping with images and symbols to represent something deeper and is written to reveal something tender to the heart of the author. It drives my husband and students crazy! “Why can’t the wall just be yellow,” they might ask about a story. Nope. For me, there is always a reason. Even the authors of the most anticipated Christmas classics had a goal, a purpose. We can learn a thing or two from these 10 Christmas classics! The Santa Claus: A story of forgiveness and second chances. Divorced dad, Scott, has custody of

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