Blog Lovin'

It's that time again. Time for another update to my Blog Lovin' series and share with y'all some of my favorite Writers and their fabulous sites. So get ready to do some serious bookmarking & subscribing!

1. Sarah Sprague - So it's pretty obvious by now how much I love football & tailgating, right? To say I'm a fan is quite the understatement. It's no surprise then that I love to follow Bloggers with similar obsessions. Enter Sarah Sprague, formerly & famously known on the internet as The Starter Wife. I first stumbled onto her blog & then twitter last Fall when I discovered her recipe for Homemade Bacon Bourbon Popcorn. I've been a devout follower ever since. Men will describe her as the perfect girl. She's gorgeous, a brilliant Foodie, wicked smart, with a witty sense of humor, and can school any guy about sports. A couple of her latest triumphs in the kitchen (as seen above) are her Seared Queso Blanco and Shredded Buffalo Chicken Wraps. Omaword! Peruse her Football Foodie recipes and then follow her. You'll thank me later.

2. Simple Mom - You don't have to be a Mom to love this blog. Tsh's space is all about living simply, with purpose & productivity. She blogs a variety of topics including budgeting, recipes, crafting, organization, pop culture, and family living. And she does it so well! Every Holiday season she starts a series on Planning A Peaceful Christmas with great tips on how to get the most joy out of Christmas and avoid the traps of rushing through the most wonderful time of the year. Seriously, check out her blog and enjoy more of the merry and less of the misery this Christmas!

3. Daily Vitamin F - Speaking of getting the most out of your Holiday season... One of my favorite fitness blogs is authored by the fabulous Kiley of Daily Vitamin F. She's so full of life it's contagious! Her love of good food, running, the outdoors, her precious family (with a baby on the way!), keeps me captivated. Kiley also writes great reviews on fitness products and collaborates giveaways from all over the web. In short, I really LOVE her space! Now she's offering up a pretty tempting challenge for Thanksgiving: a virtual 5K. Check her space out for all the deets, but simply it's a do-it-yourself challenge to workout Thanksgiving to motivate us to stay in shape through the holidays. Just print out your bib here, take a pic of yourself completing your workout & you're entered to win a ton of prizes. Oh and because Kiley oozes awesome, it's not just limited to runners - you can bike, swim, hike, snowboard, etc. Do what you like but above all, "Just do it." Jeff & I will be running my hometown's Turkey Day 8K, so if you're anywhere near Upstate SC, sign up & join us!

4. The Blender - Did y'all know Williams Sonoma had a blog? Well they do and it's just as wonderful as you'd expect. The Chefs & creative kitchen gurus at WS blog about recipes, products, entertaining, tips & tricks, and stylish living. It's a lovely space that's right up your alley, Ladies. It's a no-brainer that the Holidays are their bread & butter, so their series on Thanksgiving has not disappointed. In fact, they're connecting with their readers this season to answer all of your Turkey Day questions to avoid those kitchen disasters we've all experienced. Just leave a comment or shoot them an email & they'll either blog your question or contact you. Pretty awesome attention, no? Oh and check out their new recipe for Deep-Dish Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie. Oh my...

5. Shaun Groves - You might know Shaun Groves as a highly successful Christian Recording Artist. But I'm here to tell you he's sooooo much more than that. he's a man after God's heart. In addition to his duties as Christ-follower, Husband, & Dad, he's an exceptional communicator. His blog is a fantastic read and an insight to his life's calling & passion: serving others. To me, Shaun is an ambassador for Compassion International, one of my very favorite NGOs. As their website states: "Compassion focuses on the spiritual, physical, economic and social needs of children in poverty." When I was working in Int'l Aid Ministry in Nigeria I was privileged to work alongside the folks at Compassion at several of our projects in Tanzania & Ethiopia. And I can tell you first-hand there are very few charities that do so much with so little. During this last week, Shaun was among a group of Compassion International supporters who traveled to Ecuador to meet their sponsored children & serve families. His blog entries from the trip are, in a word, humbling. If you & your family are thinking of helping a child in need this Christmas, please consider Compassion International.

6. Chinoiserie Chic - I've always been a big design fan of toile, especially chinoiserie, even more especially chippendale chairs. No surprise then that one of my very fave design blogs is Beth Connolly's Chinoiserie Chic. You may already know Beth from her other extraordinarily fun blog, Style Redux. But it's her creative focus on elegant interior design that has me charmed. Her current series on setting the chinoiserie table is utterly fantastic. If you're passionate about interior design, put Beth's blog in your Reader!

7. Piece Of Cake - Another mention of food, you say? Sorry, but I can't help it. This site, authored by Foodie Shauna Sever, is spectacular because it's filled with scrumptious recipes. Simple as that. Her Apple Cheddar Scones just screams Fall, wool pajamas, lazy Saturday mornings, autumn leaves, and hot coffee. Yum! Bookmark this recipe and check out her site for many more just like it!

8. Southern Femme - The lovely Megan of Southern Femme is forever penning terrific posts about chic style with a touch of Dixie. Just my kind of girl! She currently hails from my hubby's hometown of Birmingham and is widely known as a fashionista extraordinaire. Her latest free offering is a vlog titled The 10 Must Haves You Need Right Now. It's all about how to be effortlessly chic this season by focusing on 10 essential wardrobe items that can help you to create multi-dimensional outfits. Hooray for the girl! Check out her video above, then go organize your closet & do some shopping!


So those are my favorites, how about yours? What marvelous blogs are you reading? Let me know in the comments & tell me what you think of these great writers. Above all, have a wonderful Sunday y'all!