Blogs: A List of Those I Love

You may not be a regular reader of blogs. Maybe you only read blogs when you accidentally fall upon one while Googling something. Or perhaps you're like me, and not a day passes without you scanning your blog reader for exciting posts.

I love to read blogs regularly because, whatever the content, you really feel as though you get to know a person through his or her blog. It may be about books, it may be about cooking, it may simply be about life in general, but a blog is a true picture of personality. Like your favorite news anchor, or a radio voice you listen to on the drive to work each morning, the bloggers you regularly follow eventually gain your trust and offer something more than just a post every once in a while. They are individuals who, for whatever reason, you seek advice from -- advice on book suggestions, advice on no-fail recipes, or advice on what workouts will yield the best results.

I wanted to share with you a few of the blogs I visit almost daily, without fail, because they offer personality, stories, and advice that I can't get elsewhere. These are an eclectic mix of blogs that I read for various reasons, none of which are the same for any two blogs. So, here you go -- what I'm reading each day (besides books):

Heather Armstrong, photo from HGTV.com

Dooce: If you don't follow dooce.com, you must. Heather Armstrong is a former Mormon who writes about life, her kids, her husband, decorating, technology, food.... You get the picture. A little bit of everything. But she does this with humor and with a writing style that is unmatched. She is also an excellent photographer, and shares pictures of her dogs (Daily Chuck), her kids, and other random things -- including pictures from Utah, where she lives. She is also the author of the excellent book It Sucked and Then I Cried, a story of the postpartum depression she faced after the birth of her first child. She has shown Kourtney Kardashian how to change a diaper, been to a meeting at the White House, and partnered with HGTV.

Jessica, photo from HowSweetEats.com

How Sweet It Is: Jessica is fabulous at getting people to believe what she claims -- she hates veggies and adores chocolate and bacon. While it is true about the bacon and chocolate (she got me to eat cinnamon sugared bacon over the weekend), the truth is that a lot of her recipes include fabulous vegetables in them. She loves Trader Joe's -- and shares her buys with readers. She offers fun desserts as well as balanced meals, talks both love and trash about her hubby, and mentions her beloved late grandmother in post after post. Couple all of that with fabulous photography and humor, and you've got the best food blog around. My only gripe is that the blog is divided into multiple sections with posts in each. I find it hard to remember to click on both "Home" and "Fit Bites" sometimes, meaning I miss things -- which I hate. Because missing things on her blog is a shame. Love her, love the blog, and you will, too.

Mandi & Kids, photo from TrainerMomma.com

Trainer Momma: TM is a blog about healthy living in multiple ways -- working out, staying active, eating healthily, spending time with family. Mandi is a trainer, but she's so much more than that on her blog. There she offers support and advice for her readers, which can range from an Eat With Me post to a health-explanation post to a workout video. I believe reading her blog was a catalyst in my own life changing for the positive. You can read more about that here, but click on her blog for your own inspiration.

Holly & Jude in Tanzania, photo from McNealsinGeita.blogspot.com

McNeals in Geita: Some of you may already know (because you know me outside this blog, or because you've read it here before) that my brother Carson and his family live in Africa. In March 2009, my brother and his wife Holly moved to Tanzania, Africa, to do missionary work there. The next January, they returned for a brief visit and for my nephew to be born. They flew back to Africa in April 2010 and have been there ever since. Internet connections are precious because they are our family's primary method of communicating with them, and especially for seeing pictures of our little Jude. They began a blog before leaving, and frequently post there. Holly writes about day-to-day living in Africa, where life is so different it is difficult to imagine. She shows the differences in shopping, daily household chores, relationships, the health system, and so much more in her posts about their life there.

Joshilyn Jackson, photo from JoshilynJackson.com

Faster Than Kudzu: I love everything about southern author Joshilyn Jackson, from her books to her blog. FTK is a hilariously funny blog dedicated to.... Well, really I'm not sure. Jackson writes about her life as a writer, but she also writes about her family. She also features books and authors who she reads herself in an ongoing 3Q series of posts. (Three questions to an author, and usually a fabulous giveaway.) Oh yes, and there are possums. And internet cat pictures. Did I mention she's funny? Just head over there. You'll see.