My Favorite Blogs Right Now

You guys, I'm heading to Nashville today!! As you read this, I am traveling with 4 other girls and ZERO children in a car (ok a minivan) that is bound for Nashville and the (I hope) fabulousness of the Q Women conference. While we're off getting inspired I thought I'd share my current favorite blogs for your weekend reading pleasure and hope you'll share some of yours with me.

For Fashion: The Mom Edit

I love Shauna's off-beat style and the way she makes fashion completely un-intimdating. This blog has taken the mystery out of getting dressed for me and helps me wade through all the trends out there to find things that feel like me. Love her recent take on the new "it" jean - black high rise flares. 

For Books: Modern Mrs. Darcy

I got hooked on Anne's blog after finding her Summer Reading Guide a few years ago. This girl reads A TON. Each year she puts out a well-organized summer reading guide broken into genres, with reviews/summaries for each book she recommends. It's basically a year-long reading guide for me. She also has a great little page called Daily Kindle Deals which is updated daily (duh) with Kindle books she likes/recommends that are generally on sale for a few dollars. I actually need nothing more from the internet than that right there. 

For Mom Advice: Monica Swanson

Do not go read this blog/check out this lady's life unless you are very secure in who you are and the life you're living. She lives in Hawaii, she's married to a doctor, she has four cute sons that are surfers and she homeschools. Just a few days ago she was on Jamie Ivey's Happy Hour podcast, so you know she's good.  Recently she wrote a series on Parenting Teen and Pre-Teen Boys that is pure GOLD.  

For the Home: Nesting Place

Myquillyn started her blog out of a desire to show other renters that they could love the home they lived in and not be wishing for a different one. Her projects were laid-back DIYs that I loved. A few years ago she finally bought a house (an old farmhouse of course) and now her projects range from small and doable, to total kitchen gut-jobs. This one on painting the floor of her laundry room is a great example of what I love about her approach to her home.  I get to see her speak at Q Women and I cannot wait! 

For Food: Smitten Kitchen

Check it out for the pictures alone. I started following Deb's blog for some new cake recipes and have stuck around because this girl just LOVES food. She will test and tweak a dozen recipes in order to get granola bars just right. Last week she created a Twinkie bundt cake. Also, she's a Jewish New Yorker, and I love how outside of my norm her daily life is. 

For a Laugh: Jen Hatmaker 

If you don't read Jen's blog or know who this lady is, you're missing out. Get to it my friend. She cares about orphans and social justice and race-relations but also talks about Spanx and Gilmore Girls on the reg. Which makes me feel like we're actually friends and causes me to refer to her simply as "Jen" in actual conversations with actual people whom I actually know. #stalker


Play along in the comments - what are you currently reading in the blogosphere that I need to know about? 

Current Obsessions 8.14.15

This article: 8 Tips for Kissing Towards a More Passionate Marriage
Y'all. 20 seconds is a LONG time.

This recipe: My Go-To Green Protein Smoothie

Blend together: 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 2 giant handfuls spinach. Add a frozen banana and one scoop of vanilla protein powder.  Calories: 292 Carbs: 34 Protein: 31 Fat: 6

This custom chalk art above my blogging desk (aka the kitchen table) by @flowersarelovely. Follow her on Instagram for more lovely in your day to day. 

This book: Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery I'm just finishing it up. It is hard to fathom the way this man changed the world by championing the abolishment of the slave trade in England. America looks different because of him. The WORLD is a different place because of the passion of his life. It's a fascinating read. 

The Class of 2015. Specifically Brantley, Christina, Corinne, Hanna B., Hanna W., Katie and Mary-Mac. I am texting these girls obsessively this week because they have moved off to college and left a very fashionable, very funny and very energetic hole in my heart. Athens, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia Tech and North Carolina are going to be changed places because of y'all.  

This movie: Interstellar. No I haven't actually seen it. Probably why I'm obsessed. All the people I normally watch movies with have seen it and apparently it's forever long. I'm not great at math, but given my habit of falling asleep on the couch at 11pm, I think I'd have to start watching around breakfast time. Which means with my kids, which means pausing for question answering every 1.24 seconds. Thinking I'll probably just wait and watch when Jude leaves home. Pretty pumped to see this in 2032.

This idea: Autumn. Jeans and a t-shirt weather. Football season. So close and yet so very far away. 

This podcast: Start-Up. Another interesting podcast recommended by one of you!  Now that Serial is over this is keeping me going during my Kayla work-outs. Keep the recommendations coming!

This program: School of The World. B Daddy and I are planning to celebrate 10 years of passionate kissing at this place in Costa Rica over New Year's! Whoop whoop! ...we are still accepting applications for childcare...

What are your current obsessions!? 

Current Obsessions

Georgia peaches. They are here and they are perfection. Go to the farmer's market and getcha some.

This movie - SO good! 

This book. It's the author's first and I can't put it down. Also, all things WWII apparently.

This podcast. It's the story of a reporter investigating a murder from 1999. Each episode gives you a little more detail from the case and you get to hear actual courtroom testimony, police interrogations and phone calls between the reporter and the man convicted of the crime. Fascinating!! Thanks for the recommendation Bonnie. 

These sunglasses. For my birthday my folks gave me my first pair of big-girl sunglasses. I'm trying my very best to put them back in the case every time I take them off. Unfortunately I am very good at dropping and scratching lenses. Yikes. 

These white belts. Did you see my post on Instagram? Brit and E started karate last week and I LOVE it. The coaches teach focus, discipline and respect in addition to all the kicks and jabs. Um yes please.

This ice cream. Try it, you'll thank me. 

This work out plan. Currently on Week 9 of 12, it is keeping me on my toes and helping shake the last of the baby weight. It is not a coincidence that ice cream and a work-out plan are both on this list. 

This recipe. YUM. Probably making it onto my master meal rotation because - easy & delicious.

What are you obsessed with currently? Any podcasts, make-up items, songs, recipes, TV shows I need to know about??