If you follow me on social media, you might have noticed I LOVE Pinterest. It is definitely my biggest guilty pleasure. I still remember when Brenda Blake introduced me to it while I was giving her a pedicure a few years back. It’s been a passionate love affair with pinning ever since…
I’ve pinned thousands of amazing ideas but just recently decided I was going to start investigating the “Pinner behind the Pin” and thank goodness I did because I’ve found the most amazing blogs written by the most incredible people. It’s weird, I’ve had my blog up for over five years now, but I’ve never been an active part of the blogging community. Which I’m beginning to realize is a MASSIVE community that’s extremely tight knit. It’s like the largest small town in the world. I feel a little bit like an outsider right now, but I get the sense that newcomers are always welcome with open arms. 🙂
So I wanted to share three really cool blogs I’ve spent countless hours on this past week. And they involve three of my favorite past times: Crossfit, Kids, and Cottages.
1. Tatertots and Jello
www.tatertotsandjello.com
I knew before I even read Jen’s blog that she was from Utah. We have a reputation for liking our tatertots and jello (what’s not to love right?). Jen blogs about DIY and Decorating, but the story that’s truly captivated me is how she fell in love with an old 1905 cottage down the street from her house, bought it when it finally came up for sale, and restored it herself to THE CUTEST COTTAGE YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE. It’s located somewhere in the Salt Lake City vicinity area (not entirely sure where.) Jen has stripped it down to the studs and almost rebuilt it from the foundation up to the roof. Along the way she’s given great tutorials on projects such as this adorable subway tile table. I love this story because it reminds me so much of our cottage here in St. George. The way she describes how she fell in love with the cottage on her daily walks are some of the emotions I felt when I found our cottage over six years ago. Here’s a little bit of info on my cottage…
You might already follow Jen…she’s quite popular to say the least. If you don’t be sure to check her out! Her ideas are amazing and will get your creative wheels spinning! 🙂
2. Simply Sadie Jane
I found Sadie through her 6 Week At-Home Crossfit Inspired Workout Pin, which I am excited to utilize once I deliver my baby, which is why I love Sadie’s article because the inspiration for the article was partly due to her baby weight loss journey. Check out the Pin and workouts below…
Sadie’s a SUPER cute girl from Utah, living in Idaho, blogging about a variety of topics such as hair, fitness, DIY, etc. I especially loved her post about quitting her job to be a stay at home mom..you can read it HERE.
I could totally relate. I left a comment on her post but I feel like it bears repeating here, a little bit of advice one of my clients gave me when I decided to quit working full time. I really looked up to this client because she and her husband were very successful business people and amazing parents and you could tell they had an amazing relationship. She told me that she felt like if she had worked outside the home while her husband was creating his business, they would never have seen the kind of success they’ve been blessed with. And I’m talking worldwide, mega success. I think it’s great if women want to work outside the home and I think it’s great if women want to be stay at home moms. I DO NOT want to start a “mommy war”, which I think is a horrible term. I just think whatever works for you do it. And encourage other moms along the way, no matter their choice. 🙂
Anywhooooo, go check out cute Sadie Jane if you haven’t already! Tell her I said hi! 🙂
3. Pregnant Chicken
This is how I found Amy on Pinterest…
To describe Amy, I’m just going to let you read about her in her own words…
“Well, here are a couple random details about me:
*I can guarantee everything I post on this site will have an error in it even though I read it 50 times.
*I think David Sedaris is the funniest person on the planet. I don’t ever want to meet him because I’d just start crying like a Justin Bieber fan and pass out in a puddle of my own urine – I can’t imagine that would make a very good impression.
*I have very eclectic taste in music. I listen to ABBA, Frank Zappa, The Mills Brothers, Tom Jones, AC/DC, The Housemartins, opera, crunk and everything in between.
*I’m not a big fan of chocolate. I know that makes me dead to some people.
*I’m painfully shy but compensate for it by acting like an asshat.
*Behind every picture in my house there are about four holes where I have previously hung it only to decide it was too high/low/dumb.
*I have trouble understanding accents which makes me feel both racists and ignorant. I find Scottish accents particularly difficult.
*I have a number of outfits in my summer wardrobe that are technically bathing suit cover-ups but I wear them as clothes.
*I have a crush on the Blue Wiggle. I’ve even Googled him.
*I really like bird watching and gardening so I should ease into old age quite seamlessly – coffee with dinner is only a matter of time.
*I don’t get poetry that doesn’t rhyme, jazz or long distance running no matter how hard I try or how many people tell me how wonderful it is.
*I have an irrational fear (yes, I’d say phobia) of heights and mascots. I would be screwed if my only escape from the A&W Bear was up a ladder.
*I have an uncanny ability to identify dog breeds and I’m not sure where that came from.
*My most favourite sound in the world is the sound of my kids chewing.
*I have never dated a man that needed corrective eye wear. I must sense something is off like in Species. I just wish I could fire my tongue through the back of someone’s head. For the record, I wear contact lenses AND I have allergies.
*I address my children as Bug, Bear, Bobby Buttons, Mr Bojanggles, Buddy, Baboo and Snicky Snake and rarely by their names.
*I wish I could speak chinese and play banjo. Nothing would be cooler than to scream “ni hao” then launch into a blue grass lick.
*I am flabbergasted when I don’t win the lottery. I’m not sure if that’s optimism or stupidity, or both.
*If I’m going to be eating dinner alone I can almost guarantee I’ll have spaghetti.
*I keep the pictures people send me in Christmas cards.
*My eldest was diagnosed with moderate autism when he was three.
*I’ve never left fries on my plate.
*I wish I could get a tan.
*I swear a lot.
*I used to model professionally in the Ukraine but gave it up to pursue my love of civil war reenactment (I also lie when I’ve run out of things to tell you).
That’s how I roll, son.”
The last line about modeling is my favorite 🙂
Amy has an amazing, witty, sense of humor and offers some really great advice on having kids and raising them without screwing them up too much. She does cuss a lot, but not in a b!%chy, negative Krissy Mae Cagney kind of way. If you follow Krissy on Facebook or Instagram I’m pretty sure you will know what I’m talking about. I follow her–I can’t quit for some reason–and know if she saw this she would probably have A LOT to say about it. People love her though. And I’m afraid she will see this if she ever Googles herself, which I know she does on occasion because she’s posted about it. But this isn’t about Krissy, this is about awesome Amy and her views on pregnancy, kids, life, and many other interesting topics!
Please check out Amy’s blog–I promise you will be highly entertained! And if you speak Chinese and play banjo tell her I sent you!
Okey Dokey I better sign off! I gotta go pick up Westy from school and finish cleaning my house and get dinner ready and put a little makeup on if I have time (I did do my hair today for the first time all week!).
Thank you so much for reading! Leave me some of your favorite bloggers below if you don’t mind!
Tootles–Anna
