Blogging Crushes

If I were to ask my dad what a blog was he would probably respond with, “idk, what the hell is that!?”😂 How times have changed. No longer do we flip through the morning newspapers, now we scroll through our favorite sites.

A year before my mother passed she started a blog and that was the first time I had even heard of what one was. I spent much less of my time on the internet back then and far too much time chasing boys…well my husband.

Her blog was centered around her developed program of Child Operation ID. She was the lead investigator and chief of police for a few years in our home town and her passion was children. She would go to the various schools, take the children’s fingerprints, and advise them on how to act around dangerous situations that involved strangers. Her teaching assistant was a teddy bear strategically named,” NoRunYell” who still sits at our small country home to this day, wearing his badge of honor. Gosh, I miss her.

I loved what she was doing but I gravitated towards blogs that were more home decor, lifestyle, makeup, hair, celebrities….haha, and it wasn’t till later when I discovered the world of Pinterest around the time it first started growing, that I became completely interested in starting a blog myself.

So I wanted to share some of my go-to blogs for inspiration, home décor ideas, makeup/hair, health & food, and so forth. I’ll break them down by category:

1. Home Decor:

   • Chris Loves Julia – this blog I found on Instagram. It is filled with all things for the home…DIY, renovations, home decor deals, organization tips, and so forth. Julia really seems so down to earth and always seems eager to share their ideas. The blog is also updated a couple of times a week so you aren’t kept wondering when they will post next which is nice!
   • Copy Cat Chic – love that $500 piece of furniture you saw on Pinterest or in someone’s IG feed but the price tag makes you GULP?! Ya, me too…so the copycat chic is your go-to for finding the knockoff versions without doing all the research! Fair Warning: you could be lost in that blog for a few hours! It’s so good.
   • Apartment Therapy – I’d be a tad surprised if you’re a home decor lover and hadn’t heard of this blog. It has it all…design ideas, DIYs, organizational posts, and videos to keep you learning for days.
   • Room For Tuesday – came across this blog while searching for vintage rugs (my home decor obsession) and found Sarah’s post on Tips & Tricks For Scoring Vintage Rugs. After that, I was hooked on her home improvement projects, DIYs and interior ideas.

2. Lifestyle/Hair & Beauty:

   • A Cup of Joe – fashion, beauty, food, travel, relationships…Joanna Goddard shares it all.
   • Bethany Menzel – came across Bethany on IG originally for her beautifully pleasing IG feed and soon ventured into her blog which is about all things babies, fashion, beauty, and of course family. Her story isn’t one you’d expect and her courage and spirituality are enamoring.
   • Barefoot Blonde – you’ve probably seen Amber and her family all over IG, but all I have is one word…”BRAIDS.” <3
   • Caitlin’s Corner – I’m a sucker for journaling, specifically bullet journaling. The pretty lettering and self-organized journal entries speak to my soul! I probably spend more time on Caitlin’s YouTube channel than my blog only because she posts bullet journal handwriting tutorials and how-to’s that I watch and can sometimes hear my husband say, “What are you even watching!” “Um, honey this is serious here, we can talk after this tutorial”, lol.

3. Health/Food:

   • Food Babe – ever been curious about what’s actually in the foods you eat? Vani investigates it all for us, from what’s actually in your Starbucks coffee to what’s seeping into your tea bag! You will be absolutely mind-blown at some of the things we put into our bodies without knowing even until now! Be prepared to take notes and learn about the foods and products we should be using.
   • LL Balanced – do you kind of dread cooking like me? Find it challenging to come up with an actually healthy meal idea? Or even if you love to cook! Then roam through Holistic Chef, Laura Lee’s, website which is full of nutritious family-friendly recipes that will have you actually excited to bake and cook up your next meal with all the nutritious goodness your body desires. Also, there are plenty of recipes on her blog but if you ever wanted/needed a cookbook her The Laura Lee Balanced Cookbook is a must! It’s amazing!!

4. Babies:

   • Gimme The Good Stuff – cautious about the products you buy and use for you and your family? Even if you’re not too concerned, you should do yourself a favor and read why some of the baby bottles, lotions, shampoos, and face products you’re using could actually be more detrimental to your health than you think. Then, learn about the safest products out there at the moment. This is the site that led me to determine which baby formula was the best for us (which I talked about in my Top 10 Baby Products post) and why! You’ll be shocked to learn what’s in yours.

5. Bargains:

   • The Krazy Coupon Lady – OK I just had to put this here because “it’s not about how much money you make but how much you save” or so Pinterest says…and my wallet :-D…. But do you coupons? Whether it’s yes or no if you are a sucker for a good deal or bargain on anything you buy I always try to take a peek at this site before running to Target or shopping for Black Fridays OR holidays to see just how much I can save with a coupon or app.

Lastly, what kind of cousin would I be if I didn’t give a shout-out to a fellow family member of mine who recently started her own blog? My cousin Jenna authors, Rolling Onward, where she chronicles her journey with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Her endeavor not only makes you rethink your “bad day,” but her positive attitude and sense of humor shine through her writing. So proud of you cousin.

There you have em’. I obviously look through many more but these are the ones I come back to time and time again. What are your favorite blogs or inspirational sites?