My Favorite Blogs

I just wanted to say that I caught myself mentally blogging last night. I had to giggle and then I promised myself I would transfer the post from my mind to the web.

I wanted to dedicate this post to introducing my favorite blogs on the left side of this page and to provide some background as to why they are my favorites. This way if I've been bad blogger you can stay entertained with these lovely girls.

To start off with Amelia's blog . This blog is written by a friend that I've never met. I mentioned before meeting ~15 moms on baby center who met online when we were pregnant and all delivered our babies in July/August 07. I've never met Kelly in person but "talk" to her almost daily. Her daughter, Amelia, is a few weeks older than Harrison so we have a lot of 2 year old issues to share.

Awk is written by a friend from Colorado. Heather's husband, Matt, and my husband Randy went to graduate school together in Colorado. After meeting Heather in Colorado we discovered she grew up in a neighboring town and went to a neighboring high school. Small world, right? Heather and Matt have 2 cutie pie kiddos too.

Ben and Josephine is a blog written by another baby center mom, Josephine. Josephine took a blog vacation and hasn't posted in a while and is unsure about the blog future but I'm holding out hope. Unlike Kelly, I have met Josephine in person a few times. She lives in Colorado so we got together a few times before we vacated the state and try to get together when I visit Colorado on work trips. Last work trip we went to the Nuggets game and had a blast. Oh yeah...Josephine and Ben also visited us in Iowa last summer on a road trip. I prepared a pudding painting activity for the kids and not surprisingly, Harrison ended up covered in pudding and had a belly full of it too. I don't think Ben touched the pudding at all!

Campbell and Cassidy is written by Michelle, another baby center mom (and there will be more to come!). Cassidy is a few weeks older than Harrison too and Michelle also has Campbell who is ~5 yo. She's a busy mom and works too so she hasn't updated her blog for a while either. But she's got great pumpkin patch pictures to see. :)

Dawnieboo is written by Dawn, another baby center mom. Like Kelly and Josephine we all talk pretty much daily. Dawn is very good at updating her blog with cute pictures of Delaney, her 2 yo. Dawn also makes adorable hair bows and tutus if you're interested. I just ordered Lily one for Valentine's Day and one to show her Hawkeye spirit!

Derek and Candice is written by Candace a friend from college. Like most of college I can't remember exactly when we met but we met through her husband, Derek. Derek and Randy met their freshman year in college which means I met Derek around the same time. We have many tailgating memories with Derek and Candace and travelled to IL for their wedding 5(??) years ago. I've never met Colin, their 1.5 yo son, but Candace is great with updating her blog to show off her sweetheart. Derek visited us this year for a Hawkeye football game. It's been years since I drank alcohol in the morning but it was FUN! The Hawkeye quarterback got injured so that part was awful.

The next blog is very well known in the blogging community. Dooce is HILARIOUS, SHOCKING, LAUGH OUT LOUD, PEE YOUR PANTS FUNNY. The writer, Heather, got fired for her blog years ago and now it's her career. She went on to write books and does public speaking around the country. She talks about EVERYTHING, no holds barred. You'll think "Oh no she di-n't" and you swing your head back and forth because SHE JUST DID.

Goddess in Progress is written by a mom with twins (~2.5 yo). Her blog changed from the early days and I haven't been able to keep up with her as much but it's a great read. And I can count on her to have a new post every time. I admire that. And she's a full supporter of OBAMA. I admire that too.

I am what I am is written by Becky, another baby center mom. Her 2yo Kyan (born on the same day as Kelly's Amelia) is due to become a big brother ANY DAY now. Becky's blog is always fun to read because she's hilarious...she tells it like it is and it's honestly funny.

Jules 411 is written by Jules, another baby center mom. During our family vacation to San Diego last summer we met Jules and her son, Adler, at a park. Alder is very cute with big, brown eyes that he inherited from his mom. Jules brought a bubble launching rocket to the park. I don't think it produced a single bubble but the boys loved stepping on the peddle to launch the rocket.

Lily's pad is written by Amelia, another baby center mom. Lily is a 2 yo (like Harrison) but she just became a big sister to TWINS! Amelia had her twin girls, Eleanor and Violet, ~1 month ago. It's been fun to watch her family grow from her and her husband to welcoming 1 baby and now 3 babies! As you can see from her blog she continues to update it (again, let me remind you she has newborn twins AND a 2 yo). Amazing!

Noah's ark is written by a local! I met Katie (the author) through the kid's in home daycare. None of our kids go to that daycare anymore but we've kept in touch. Audrey is ~9 months younger than Lily and we just discovered the girls will be in the same school year. I've attempted once and will continue to attempt to get Katie to move the family closer to us since the girls are in different school districts. Katie also has a son, Luke, who is ~6 yo. He's the proud tiger cub with no teeth. :) I just accompanied Katie on a volunteering project (The Preemie Project) and we sewed out little hearts out making preemie blanket sleepers for our local hospital.

Randi and Kayden is written by Christy, who was a baby center mom. She delivered both her girls early (Kayden was supposed to be ~ Harrison's age, but was born ~12 weeks early) and even though we lost touch through baby center I like to see how the girls continue to grow bigger and bigger. Both girls were born very premature so there were times that were very rough but they are strong girls who are true miracles to their mom.

So glad I'm here is very well written by Renee. I met Renee through Staci, who I'll talk about next. Renee and Staci are married to brothers. Renee has a gorgeous family...3 adorable boys with cute little noses and rosy cheeks. I've meet Renee only once I think. But I read her blog almost daily. She's a very good writer and has a great sense of style. I love seeing her house pictures because her paint colors and decor is gorgeous, simple and classic. Her blog posts remind me to appreciate EVERYTHING about my kids and being a mom. Their newborn smells, their messes, everything. And she doesn't know this but she's my personal shopper. She researches and posts links to natural toys and fabulous ETSY findings.


My final blog to introduce is like saving the best for last. Little Tiny Hangers is written by Staci. If you like my blog you should thank Staci. She got me started with this whole blog world. Staci's husband, Nathaniel, and Randy went to graduate school together (with Heather's husband Matt too) in Colorado. We met in 2000-2001 so we have memories before kids (they DO exist, memories that is). Thursday nights at a bar/restaurant for super cheap drinks and multiple drunk camping expeditions. Yes, I really did say "drunk camping." I remember our first visit to their apartment (Remington??) when they made brunch (including monkey bread!!). Not only did the monkey bread seal the friendship deal but we followed it up with an entire night of Dr. Mario in that same apartment. We helped them move into their first house and I visited them in the hospital after their first daughter, Marianne, was born. We also visited them in the hospital after their 2nd daughter, Ruth, was born (and Randy brought them a Baby Ruth candy bar-silly boy). For a while Staci and I worked in downtown Denver and met frequently for lunch. Nathaniel and Staci saw us move into our first house and welcome Lily into our lives. We were not happy to see them move to NE a few years ago but with the journey life took them on we could only wish them the best. Without being able to have board game nights (Pit anyone?), meet for lunch or have play dates, we've stayed close through our blogs. We did host them last fall for Ted and Kristi's wedding and got to meet their 3rd daughter, Meg.