Blogs

Do you have a handful of blogs that you follow purely for fun?

That’s right, I’m not talking about the blogs that you follow because you feel like you “should”, or because they relate to your career field, or because you know the blogger, or because omg-like-everyone-else-you-know is following them. Nope, I’m asking — what blogs do you follow just because you totally enjoy them??

Over the past few years, I’ve actually made the intentional move away from following primarily food blogs (which too often send me into that old comparison/jealousy/insecurity spiral, meh) and now find myself following bloggers in totally different niches — and it has been awesome. I have blog categories on Feedly for photographers I admire, cool people working for social justice, interesting perspectives on faith, DIY stuff I actually want to try, you name it! Mostly they’re just blogs that have nada to do with recipes, and I find that I look forward to reading them more than ever. But that said, the blogs in my reader that get the most clicks by a landslide are in my favorite category that I have oh-so-creatively named — get ready for it — “fun”.

And they are just that — blogs I find fun! Some I have followed for years and years, some are pretty new to me. Some deal with 100% light and fluffy stuff, some dig a little deeper into the meat of life. Some of them share the most beautiful prose, some are random and chatty and full of incomplete sentences. But I love ’em all, and can genuinely say that I look forward to reading them most mornings (after I read The Skimm, of course, which I’m still obsessed with), and also genuinely admire each of the bloggers behind them. ♥

So if any of you are on the prowl for some new non-recipe blogs, I thought I’d share 7 of my favorites with you today. I’m guessing you’ll be familiar with a few, but I’m hoping there might be a few new gems in there for you to discover. And hey — if you have some favorites of your own, pretty please share them in the comments below, because I totally want to check ’em out.

Have “fun”!

DESIGN FOR MANKIND
What It Is: A lifestyle blog by Erin Loechner, filled with beautifully-written essays on everything from design (she’s a pro) to parenting to marriage to work to travel and more.

Why I Love It: I’ve never met Erin before in person, but goodness, I feel like she is such a kindred spirit. And I have completely enjoyed tuning into her blog for years (like, so many years now!) for a dose of real-life inspiration and lovely prose. Her posts on navigating motherhood (with her sweet little toddler) and marriage have always been some of my favorites. But I have always especially connected with her posts on work, and creativity, and self-care, probably because they’re always words I need to take to heart myself. I also really admire how brave and open she has been to letting her career evolve/change in some big ways over the past decade, and I can’t wait to follow along wherever the next roads may lead.

Recommendations: Every single post in her Life archives. All of the links at the bottom of this post. The Live FashionABLE scarf that she designed.

A CUP OF JO
What It Is: A lifestyle blog by Joanna Goddard, full of random lists, questions, product recommendations, and regular posts on everything from style, to food, design, travel, relationships and motherhood.

Why I Love It: This is another long-time read for me, and one that I still completely look forward to tuning into daily. Her posts are always interesting and fun, and I look forward to her list of links every weekend. Also of note — she has really awesome readers, so the comment sections on her posts are usually just as fascinating to read as well.

Recommendations: Her regular “Have A Lovely Weekend” posts. Her “Motherhood Around The World” series (fascinating). All product recommendation lists (see her style and design categories, although heads up that you’ve gotta click fast on the links — her readers regularly buy out the items she loves). Everything on relationships and motherhood.

ENJOY IT
What It Is: A lifestyle and DIY blog by Elise Blaha Cripe, full of tons of great inspiration for all things DIY (memory-keeping, home decor, knitting, photography, recipes, gardening), great resources for blogging and entrepreneurship, and an honest peek into daily life with her husband and two cute kiddos.

Why I Love It: I have been following Elise’s blog since before I even knew what a blog was. (Yeah, way back before blog readers, she was a favorite “bookmark” in my browser!) And in that weird way that the internet brings people together, I kind of feel like we’ve “grown up together” over this past decade. It’s been fun to watch her transition from life as a single graphic designer to falling in love and getting married, having one daughter and then another, taking the leap from one creative endeavor to another to another — and sharing stories and reflections and photos of it all on her blog along the way. I just really dig the way she thinks about and appreciates life, and love her style. Now if only I could make myself finish a scrapbook…

Recommendations: Every single project in her archives. Her posts on small business (these resources are great) and blogging and goal-setting. And just generally, any posts where she chats about everyday life. :)

CUPCAKES & CASHMERE
What It Is: A lifestyle and fashion blog by Emily Schuman, full of all sorts of great posts on everything from fashion/beauty, to decor, to recipes, to work, to reflections on life with her husband and young daughter.

Why I Love It: I had always heard people talk about this blog, but didn’t start following regularly until a year or two ago. I’ll be the first to admit that fashion-ish blogs aren’t usually my thing, but I feel like Emily is really down-to-earth, and posts about trendy things in a fun and helpful and accessible way. Her beauty tutorials are also always fascinating and spot-on. More than anything though (I’m realizing a theme here…), I love the posts when she shares about her husband, and all of the honest ups and downs of navigating life as a new mom.

Recommendations: All of her beauty tutorials/recommendations. Her personal posts. Her DIY projects.

THE EVERYGIRL
What It Is: A lifestyle blog for “career-driven women”, with a team of authors posting multiple times daily about topics from career, to culture, fashion, beauty, travel, wellness, and more.

Why I Love It: I go back and forth between loving and liking this site, but lately I’m loving it, so it’s back on the list. ;) In a nutshell, the Everygirl site shares a wealth of content for women about what it looks like to live a meaningful, healthy and stylish life. They definitely know the sort of topics people are searching for, and keep a nice balance of everything personal and professional, and aspirational yet accessible.

Recommendations: Everything in the wellness archives. Their entertaining posts. “In The Know” news summaries each Friday. Home tours galore. This mug.

#fashion.
#beautiful.
#happy.
#tbt
#Blogs