A Little Weekend Reading

The only thing I love more than working on my own blog is reading other blogs. As a relative newbie I draw much inspiration from the bloggers I follow each week, who inspire me to keep plugging away. Sunday afternoon is my time to check out what’s  new on my Google Reader. I subscribe to a bunch of blogs these days but here are a few I keep coming back to:

Fashion and Life Style

Possess Your Style – Kalyn Johnson is not only a friend but she happens to be one of the most stylish people I know. She’s a corporate attorney turned stylist (love that!) and is also now CEO of her own stationery company, Effie’s Paper. I rely upon her advice for great accessory finds, chic places to shop and the latest fashion trends.

LUXE Tips – I am beauty product junkie so imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Luxe Tips. Beauty blogger, Chamele has her finger on the pulse of the latest beauty products both high and low. I was never much of a drugstore beauty product buyer until I tried some of her spot-on recommendations. A real find.

The Imperfect Home – I don’t know how Kristin Lindstrom does it but she comes up with the most clever uses for every day items in your home. She is a professional organizer by trade and her practical tips will help you keep your home tidy.

Cooking

Mom’s Kitchen Handbook – The tagline for this site caught my eye right away – “Raising Fresh-food kids in a french-fried world”. What’s not to love about that?  Katie Sullivan Morford is a registered dietitian and food writer and her deep knowledge and respect for food shows. Her site is gorgeous and while the recipes she recommends are sometimes unconventional, they are always delicious, nutritious and written with fussy palates in mind.

Dinner a Love Story – Another wonderful site for meal ideas. The photos and recipes are delectable but what I especially love are all the anecdotes author Jenny shares. I really like her philosophy about the communal nature of food and its importance beyond just sustenance but a tool for bringing families together.

Parenting

The Happiest Mom – I found author Meagan Francis’ blog through a blogger friend of mine. Meagan is a mother to five children and I find her take on motherhood, relationships and childrearing to be utterly refreshing and pragmatic.

Blogging

Mom Blog Magazine – This blog is largely geared towards the mom blogger community but I think anyone can find a lot of useful information here, especially on the business of blogging. Editor and founder Jennifer James also gives weekly bits of inspiration and advice for bloggers.

Problogger – This blog gave me the courage to try blogging in the first place and it’s been a steady source of great advice and community on all things blogging – from monetizing your blog to writing great copy. Lots of good guest bloggers and plenty of practical, easy-to-apply advice.

Career/Work

Everyday Bright -hands down one of my favorite blogs these days. If you don’t feel like getting up and doing something, anything to change your life after reading her posts, there is something wrong. Jennifer Gresham is a PhD scientist and consultant turned career coach and entrepreneur. Her advice is counter-intuitive and thought-provoking. She’s gathered legions of followers in a relatively short time and you’ll understand why after reading her blog.

So that’s my short list of faves these days.  What are your must reads?