50 States? 50 Blogs!: Idaho

 

Lindsay Is a Lifetime Member

First let me start by saying that it's been SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS (!) since I wrote the last "50 States? 50 Blogs! post." How is that even possible? I feel old yet I also feel somewhat proud that I've kept the blog alive for that long (even though it was definitely on life support at some points!)

Time to get back on the Blogwagon!

I've been reading Lindsay Is a Lifetime Member blog for a while now...at least a few years. I don't have a recollection as to how I came across it, but I have enjoyed the content.

Lindsay lives in Boise, Idaho and is an emergency dispatcher. She frequently mentions her husband Kenyon and their travel adventures (mostly cruises!)

The "Lifetime Member" part is related to Weight Watchers (WW). She has been a member for over 10 years and has lost over 100lbs. Once you reach your goal, you're considered a "lifetime member."

I've done WW before (and have blogged about it). It definitely works if you stick to it- I lost 20lbs at one point. This blog post is actually good timing, as I'm considering re-joining. I'd really like to lose 10 or so pounds and keep it off.

Lindsay details her ups and downs with the program (keeps it real!), which I really appreciate. As mentioned, she travels and goes out with friends, and shares how that fits with WW. 

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• I like the header at the top of the homepage that leads to different sections. (I think I've said I liked this about other blogs, as well.)

• The fun background.

• The photos on the right side.

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• See above

• POSTS! She's great at posting frequently.

• See above

Next Up- Illinois! (But don't hold your breath...since it took so long for me to write this one!)

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Hawaii

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(As you can imagine, there are no road signs that say "Welcome to Hawaii," so this is one from the Honolulu Airport.)

Hastings in Hawaii

First let me start by saying that it's been almost six months to the day since I wrote the last "50 States? 50 Blogs! post." (Never mind the fact that I haven't written a post in general in about two months. UGH!)

I've had a particularly hard time deciding on a blog to feature for Hawaii. There were a few that I liked OK...one stopped writing regularly (kind of like me!) and the other one just didn't wow me or feel worthy of me featuring (I take this VERY seriously!)

Since I joined Bloglovin', I've found that it's a good site to search for blogs/bloggers from specific states. I found Hastings In Hawaii via a search on Bloglovin' and knew that it was the one! I've had it in my back pocket for a while, but I had to hurry up and write about it, as it won't be "Hastings in Hawaii" much longer, but "Hastings in Nevada!" So, here we are.

The Hastings are Amelia (the blogger), Matt & furchildren, Bennett & Frankie. The Hawaii part is due to Matt being in the USMC and being stationed there. (Although, as I alluded to above, not for long! They'll be moving to Las Vegas in the near future.)

When I read Amelia's first post and saw "ate an entire bag of Fritos in one sitting," I knew it was Kismet. We'd get along just famously.

Amelia's blog is not your typical military family blog (in my opinion.) She certainly does talk about the challenges of military life, specifically deployments (Matt will be on deployment #3 in June), but she talks about "real life" stuff. (If you've been reading my "50 States? 50 Blogs? series, you'll know that these are the types of blogs I like to read and showcase.)

Here are some examples of "real life" for Hastings in Hawaii:

• Bennett (aforementioned furchild) had to have an emergency trip the vet due to urinary issues. (Turned out to be a UTI and Bennett was fixed up and returned to his normal self shortly thereafter.) In the post, Amelia shares Bennett's "rump shot" x-ray. TOO CUTE!

• Amelia shares her struggles with weight and going on and off Weight Watchers (which I can definitely relate to.) She not only shares her losses but also her gains. She's real about how tough it can be.

• Amelia also shares her struggle with social media, specifically Facebook and how it can "suck the life out of you" (my words...not hers, but I'm trying my hand at paraphrasing her feelings.) Not only do we have the fact that we could each eat a bag of Fritos in one sitting in common, but I believe our personalities are similar. In her post about quitting Facebook, she says this, "But the thing is, it can go from 0 to obsessive like THAT." Um yeah, that's me. I can sucked into the Facebook rabbit hole for hours and constantly checking, checking, checking. (I *might* also have an obsessive personality about stuff in general...)

• As I mentioned, Amelia does talk about military life and it's her posts about making friends and then losing them to new military assignments that are the most interesting to me. For those of us who are somewhat shy/introverted, the thought of making friends as an adult can be somewhat daunting, but then to know that you'll potentially have those friends taken away geographically? Tough.

• For me, one of the most "real"/moving posts is Amelia's letter to her dad near the anniversary of his death. It is the most eloquently written personal post I've ever read. I wonder how long it took Amelia to write it, because it's just so "right." I also love the fact that she ends the post/letter with this P.S.S.: 

"I'm glad you weren't around for The Talk. Seriously. Growing up in an all-female household definitely had a few perks."

:)

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• It's gorgeous! I love love love the header and the fonts that Amelia uses. The pink background with the flower bouquets is awesome, too. Very pretty and not over the top.
• Great professional photo of her and Matt.
• The fact that it's not busy with headers, columns, etc..

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• see above 
• see above (except the photo would be of John & me. :)
• see above

I hope that Amelia keeps blogging once the move to Nevada happens. "Hastings in Nevada" doesn't have quite the same ring as "Hastings in Hawaii," but I have no doubt the content will be just as great!

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Georgia

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A Boomer Girl's Guide

Georgia...on my mind.

I'm on a midnight train to Georgia.

It's a rule...you HAVE to say those two lines when talking about the state of Georgia.

This post has been in draft form for...well, let's not say how long, shall we? And because it's been so long, I honestly have no recollection how I stumbled across this blog. Now that we've established that I'm slow in writing/posting and have a bad memory, let's move along, shall we?

As the name of the blog indicates, Juhli (the blogger) is a baby boomer. (And yes, I had to go to Wikipedia to make sure I was clear on what ages that specifically covered.) Those born between 1946 & 1964 are considered to be baby boomers. While I'm not considered part of this generation, my parents are and I've recently begun thinking about the next phase of John's and my life -- retirement. (We haven't hit Powerball yet, so I don't think we'll be quitting our jobs tomorrow, but it's always good to think ahead.)

Speaking of thinking ahead, Juhli has written some posts that have helped me in this regard and gotten me thinking about and interested in planning for the retirement phase. (I've even added some retirement-like books to my "to read" list.) Eek.

Another interesting subject/subjects that Juhli writes about are decluttering and only buying things needed. She keeps detailed records about what she's shed from her house and in turn, what she's allowed to come into her house. Bless her heart, she's even done a no spend challenge. (I'm not from the South, but since this post is about a southern blog, I felt it necessary to throw out that a "bless her heart."

Even though we may not be in the same generation, Juhli and I have something in common -- volunteering! (Which I will eventually blog about.) We both are involved in the Friends' group for our local public library. As we're just getting underway at our library, I find Juhli's volunteer posts interesting, specifically ones about book sales.


Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Tabs at the top of the blog. I especially like the Helpful Reading tab, which gives recommended reading on a variety of subjects germane to retirement -- decluttering, aging, happiness, money, etc...
• Aesthetically pleasing background. The coral color with bird silhouettes is simple, yet beautiful.

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• The tabs at the top of the blog that I mention above.
• A "theme" for each year. Juhli's theme for her 65th year is PUSH. I think it's great to have a theme/goals in writing as a constant reminder.

While the subjects of retirement and aging aren't my usual blog fare, I enjoy being exposed to these topics and in some small way starting to prepare myself for these things. 

Oh, and did I mention she's a thrift store shopper? I think we'd get along famously "in real life." (Until I wanted to buy something and she'd kindly remind me to only buy what I need...lol.)

State of Affairs Here

We have a LOT of snow here in northeastern Massachusetts.

Like, 17-20".

I now know what it's like to live in the tundra.

This was from my Weather Channel app last night.

Brrrrrr.

Even the deer thought it was chilly and were hunkered down. (In my backyard.)

In other non-weather related news...

I have a blog to profile for my next installment of "50 States? 50 Blogs!" Georgia's up and I have a really unique blog to write about (at least I consider it unique). I'm  hoping to get that published tomorrow.

I've been a cooking maniac again!

I haven't been taking pics, but I can share the recipes with you.

For New Year's Eve, I made two new recipes:

Spicy Kielbasa Dip from the blog From Valerie's Kitchen. It was AWESOME! A hot dip (temperature and spice-wise) was perfect for a cold night.

PSA: I'm totally loving recipes From Valerie's Kitchen. Check it out. (I also made her Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs, which I'd made before. This time I just did them on the stovetop, though and they were just as good!)

The other recipe I made for New Year's Eve was not quite as good as the Spicy Kielbasa Dip.

Long story short -- I had a coupon for Stonewall Kitchen's Apple Cranberry Chutney, so I had to buy it (of course). I immediately set off on their website to find a recipe to go with it. I selected Cranberry Brie Bites, because who doesn't like brie and who doesn't like pastry? (I've also had good luck with other Stonewall recipes.)

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First let me say that I think I thought chutney was something altogether different. (I didn't realize it would have an Indian spice twist to it). 

Second, let me say that my bites didn't look quite as lovely/crispy as above photo.

They weren't bad, but they weren't superb, either. If you're into chutney you might like them. We didn't.

This is my next project:

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Chorizo-Queso Egg Rolls. Because again, who doesn't like cheese? I'll let you know how these work out.

After dining on our yummy apps on New Year's Eve, we watched this "interesting" movie:

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Jayne Mansfield's Car. Weird name for a weird movie. Admittedly it was the only non-kids/semi-interesting movie left at Redbox. It's a Billy Bob Thornton movie. Need I say more? (He's in it, too. What a weirdo.) To summarize it, I'd say Southern dysfunctional family meets British dysfunctional family. Ok then.

My Mom comes for a visit on Friday...I can't wait to see her! Hopefully it will have warmed up and maybe some cleaning fairies will have appeared and whipped this place into shape?

Oh, and yeah, about that last blog post? I lasted 48 hours and then reactivated Facebook.

Not bad.

It probably wasn't the best idea to quit cold turkey in the middle of a snowstorm during which it was too cold to go outside, my office was closed, etc..

It's all good, however. Social media relapse is a part of that personalized 12-step program I mentioned. It was fully expected. I can only hope to go twice as long next time I quit!

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Florida

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Fourth Grade Nothing

Florida -- now home state of my parents! 

WARNING: There may be a lot of ramblings in this post.

Anywho, I'm pretty sure that my finding this blog was kismet. Not only am I a child of the '70's, which is the premise of this blog (I guess if you weren't a kid in the '70's that gobbled up Judy Blume books then the  title of the blog would mean nothing to you), BUT the very first post ever on this blog spoke to me in a personal way that not many other blogs do. (A photo is required.)

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Know who that doll is modeled after?
Archie Bunker's grandson Joey.
Know who got that for Christmas one year?
ME.
I got a doll with a penis that peed water when you gave it a bottle.
The horrors!!!!
Yeah, so the author of the blog writes in her very first post about her Mom giving birth to a boy (she bawled her eyes out because she wanted a sister) and her Dad went out and got her the Joey Doll and all was well. Ally and I are forever tied together through the Joey Doll. ::sigh::

Further proof that perhaps we were separated at birth? We both LOVED Pippi Longstocking. (I remember that I had the Pippi Longstocking View Master reel.)

Oh, and even though Ally's a Yankees fan, I still love her blog.

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Ally is REAL. She tells stories about her childhood (and not some picture-perfect faux childhood). This post about being a not so-good student in phys ed classes keeps it real. (Oh, and I can relate.)
• Ally has taught me a thing or two. I thought I was up on all '70's & '80's toys. How come I don't remember a Holly Hobbie Bake Oven? (Admittedly I got some rockin' gifts as a kid [see above for Joey Doll], but this would have been THE best. [I had a Holly Hobbie themed bedroom.]) Oh, and that pink boom box in you just saw in the last post I linked? I rocked that. Literally & figuratively.
• She seriously has some of the best photos of  '70's/'80's 'stuff.' This post with early '80's accessories is one of my faves. Yup, I had all of these.

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• Giveaways! And I'm not just pointing that out because I happened to win this one on her blog.
• Ally has a "companion" Facebook page. I know that a lot of blogs do that and I think it's cool, just not sure that I have a large enough readership.

I admit that I haven't read every post on Ally's blog, but I'm dying to. It's like taking a walk down memory lane!

If you were born in the early '70's or are just a '70's/'80's pop culture lover, I highly recommend you check out Fourth Grade Nothing!

50 States? 50 Blogs! Delaware

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Hodge Podge

Delaware -- one of my favorite states! If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that John and I have been to Rehoboth Beach, DE for the past three summers. (You can check out my posts under the "Travel" tag.) I really feel "at home" in Delaware. It's somewhat hard to explain, but it's truly one of the few places I've been to on vacation that I could realistically see myself living in. Anywho, I was excited to find a Delawarean's blog. I found this one a while ago, so I haven't got a clue what led me to it! Brittany is the woman behind the blog and I love her "about me" description: "Delaware born and bred beach girl looking to use this blog as a sort of diary so I don't have to subject my friends to pictures of my endless crafting projects and other adventures." She's got a sense of humor and she's a beach girl! Not only do we both love the beach, but we both like to read (in fact, we'd both love to be doing this instead of working!), we both have tried dieting and we've both posted our recipes. Wanna hear the weirdest "potential" coincidence? (I say "potential" because I could be misinterpreting.) As I said in my last post, I met an amazing group of women on the The Nest. Imagine my surprise when I read this post by Brittany and found photos of her and her "Nestie" friends. YIPES! Is she a Nestie, too? Have we potentially already crossed paths?

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Brittany ROCKS at gardening. Eh, maybe I should take note? In her first post, "Flea Market Gardening", she perfectly mimics a Pinterest gardening find. Check it out. I'm jealous. (I actually had the same thing pinned, but figured I'd never be able to accomplish it. Maybe now, I'll try...)
• Not only does she rock at gardening, she ROCKS at crafting. ::sigh:: Another area I could take a lesson in. I LOVE this window pane she repurposed.
• She's normal just like you and me, though. (She eats Rice-a-Roni!)

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• Brittany occasionally devotes a post to what she read over the past week. I'd like to do that, as the books would be fresh in my mind. (Granted, I generally don't read more than one book in one week...)
• She's got a pic of her puppies! Once the next doggly woggly comes to our house, he'll be starring on the blog.
• She has a GoodReads feed on her blog. This might be a neat way to display what I'm reading vs. just putting in the side column.

Check out Brittany's blog. I feel "at home" when I read it, just like I do when visiting Delaware!

Only Two Posts in February? L-A-M-E!

I'm going to try to do MUCH better this month!

Topics to blog about:

• The "## Before 42" list. Since I've completed the "40 Before 41" list, it's time to move onwards and upwards! I will keep the things I didn't actually get to do from the" 40 Before 41" list (with perhaps a few minor adjustments) and add a few new things to take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me. I'm thinking up some good ones!

• What's on my nightstand? I've seen some people blog about "what's in my fridge" but if I did that, I'd probably lose the few readers that I DO have. I have lots of stuff on my nightstand that I can talk about (and all I have to do is Swiffer dust before taking the photo vs. putting on my HazMat suit to clean out my fridge. OK -- it's not THAT bad.)

• The next installment in the "50 States? 50 Blogs!" thing I've got going on. Delaware is up next and I've already got the blog picked out, so that one should pretty much write itself.

• March is Frozen Food Month! (I only know that because I saw it when I was cutting coupons today.) I'll take you through a tour of my fave frozen foods...and there are lots. In case you don't know me all that well, I subsisted pretty much completely on frozen foods before I met John. (Thank GOD he likes to cook.)

• My journey back to Weight Watchers & running. I've been a slacker for the last few months, but things are starting to take shape again. Makes me feel good!

Before I sign off from this brief post, I must leave you with an even BIGGER teaser than the ones above!

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Stay tuned because something BIG is coming to Stumbled onto the Blogwagon this month! (Even if you don't feel lucky, stay tuned.)

50 States? 50 Blogs! Connecticut

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(Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish

Another great name for a blog! (If you read the "About" page of the blog, you'll learn that it's a Henry David Thoreau quote.) Can't remember where I found this one (maybe BlogHer?) I was initially drawn to it because it's basically a whole blog dedicated to the idea behind my 40 Before 41 list. Try new things! Don't be so timid or squeamish! Even though I've been reading this blog for a while, I feel like I'm going to miss something when I describe it -- there's A LOT going on! Marcy shares her exploits -- her trials & tribulations of getting to be able to do 50 push-ups, making a pledge to eat "real" food for a week, traveling alone to Costa Rica, and that's just a few! (And if you're thinking, "Whoa -- this chick will put me to shame with all of her 'doing!' she does also have 'normal' posts, such as her 10 favorite Christmas ornaments.)

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Marcy's a "real" person. Yes, this blog is all about her not being so timid and squeamish and performing acts that will enable this. However, as I mention above, she has "normal" posts AND she "vlogs" or video-blogs. (Like how I throw around the social media lingo? Eh...there's probably some newer term that I'm not aware of.) Here she airs her pet peeves. I like that I can see her and hear her. She's super human for doing all these fabulous things, BUT she's just like you and me!

• Postcards! Yes, you must check out this awesome idea. She wants to know about the amazing non-timid and non-squeamish things YOU are doing! "Celebrate your courage" is one of her catchphrases (I like it!) Mail her a postcard -- share your story. She might feature it!

• OK, so let's recap. She's Wonder Woman, yet "normal." She's not all about herself-- she wants to hear others' acts. AND get this (my favorite): she's not embarrassed by stuff. Um, if I covered my garage door in graffiti, I'd be pretty mortified (well, OK, let's face it, I probably wouldn't do it in the first place -- too timid! :) Yes, you guessed it -- she tagged her garage door with graffiti.

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• The "Favorites" section (also in the border on the main page). I'd like the ability to highlight certain posts. Also, I think that this helps newbies to a blog to get a feel for it. (I know it helped me with this one!)

• A separate menu/page for Marcy's "101 things in 1001 days." I'd like to do this for my "40 Before 41 list."

• I like the cleanliness of the blog. I feel like mine is somewhat messy and all over the place. Perhaps because "Don't Be" is done on WordPress and I'm on Blogger. I'll have to check that out.

Want doable ideas to challenge yourself? Want to be encouraged for these triumphs? Check out this blog from the Nutmeg State!

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Colorado

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I think I could do that!

 

 

Great name, isn't it? Very "glass half full." Ever heard of BlogHer? That's how I came across this one.  BlogHer is basically a gigantic network for women bloggers. I think it does lots of other stuff (hosts an annual conference), but I haven't delved into that as of yet. Anywho, I searched in the BlogHer directory for Colorado and came up with a few that I found interesting, but none as cool, yummy, and funny as this one. "Cool" you say? Yes, the owner's name is Katira (or is it really?) and I must say that's a name I've never heard and it's a pretty cool one. "Yummy" you say? Yes, per the sub-title, this blog contains the "ramblings of a self-proclaimed baker." Lots of cakes, people. Diabetics may want to back away from the blog. "Funny" you say? Yes, the "ramblings" are pretty darn hilarious. Example: Katira is pretty serious about a boy named Harry Potter. Let's just say that if show up at Ollivander's and ask why it "is," you might get the stink-eye from Katira. (DISCLAIMER: I've never met Katira and don't want to purport that she's known to give the stink-eye. This is simply my own assumption based on her writings.)

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Katira is not some super-human baker. You know what I mean? Sometimes you read people's blogs and think, "Do they EVER make something that isn't just slightly "picture perfect?" This is not to say that Katira's creations aren't "picture perfect," but she freely admits when part of her creation may have gone wrong. (And living in a high-altitude location is no picnic when baking!)
• This isn't a "one-track mind" blog. (Did you notice I'm using a lot of quotes? What's up with that?) It's not ALL about baking. She shares her travels and on a more serious note, a post about the canyon fires that engulfed her hometown of Colorado Springs.
• How about "caught my stomach?" In addition to some gorgeous cakes, Katira makes a mean chicken salad, which I can't wait to try!

 

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• The FAQ portion of the blog. Answer the questions that you get asked the most and post them on the blog!
• Even though I have a "labels" section on the right, I like the font/spacing that I think I could do that! has. It doesn't seem as crowded as mine.
• I'd like more pictures of gorgeous cakes that I've baked. I wonder if Katira could teach me? (Let me check the FAQ section...)

 

Check this blog out if you want to drool over some gorgeous baked goods or to have a good laugh!



Latest & [Not So] Greatest (?)

1.  Today was trash day. We put a barrel out that one of the wheels was broken off of. We put a sign on it saying, "PLEASE TAKE BARREL -- BROKEN." The trash collectors took the barrel. They left the lid. WTF?


2. I made these Chewy Butterscotch Brownies the other night and they didn't come out nearly as good I'd hoped. I either did something wrong or chewy is a misnomer. It's a bummer, but even though they're not stellar, we're still eating them. Of course. One can't throw away perfectly "acceptable" baked goods, can one?

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3. It's supposed to be a rainy weekend here in New England. At first I was bummed to hear that, but *perhaps* it will be the kick in the pants I need to clean this place up. (I said *perhaps.*)

4. I need to do an update on my 40 Before 41 endeavor. There are actually a few more things that I can cross off my list (or at least partially cross off.)

5. I need to do my next "50 States? 50 Blogs!" entry. I've recently joined BlogHer and found a few good ones for Colorado -- now it's just a matter of choosing.

6. Speaking of Colorado, words can't describe how horrific the shootings at the Aurora movie theater were. I just can't even imagine what it must have been like to be in that theater. Those who survived are lucky, but won't be without some serious scars.

7. In my addicted to Essie post, I mentioned I'd bought Lilacism but hadn't yet tried it. I did and I think it's my favorite of the four colors I own! This picture doesn't really do it justice, but it's a very soft (yet not pale) lilac. (Oh, and there'll be a separate post coming about these misfit shoes.)

8. I haven't really updated on Weight Watchers, so I'll take the time to do it now. My first "official" weigh-in was on June 4th. Since then, I've officially lost 15.2 lbs, with only one week not having a loss (at the last weigh-in, I'd gained 1 lb.). (I say "officially" because not only am I weighing in at my weekly at work meeting, I weigh at home, too. Hey - clothes make a difference!) I'm pretty proud of my progress, although I'm in a slight rut already. I've become slightly lax about tracking my points and I've been OK with go over each day and getting a cookie at lunch time. But, if I've learned anything, it's just that I need to keep going.

9. Speaking of ruts, the Red Sox are in a big one. I say I won't watch, but I always do. If you were born in New England, it's a cross you have to bare. ::sigh::

10. I've leave you with this (words to live by):

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50 States? 50 Blogs!: California

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 going west

Let me first start by saying that you can't go wrong with a blog that has a symbol in its title. (Shows up a little crazy in the blog reader, but no biggie.) How did I come across this blog? Well, sit down my pretties and I'll tell you. When I first joined Twitter, I immediately "followed" the people I knew in real life and the celebrities I was interested in stalking, eh I mean "following." Then after that took all of 30 seconds, I wondered who else was out there in Twitterdom. I found that I could search profiles by keyword, so I searched things like "golden retriever," "hockey," "greyhound," "Boston Bruins," etc... One or more of these led me to the Twitter account of Lima Bean Greyhound (@LimaBeantheGrey). I "followed" Lima and saw that there was a blog address in the brief description/blip and VOILA. It's really magic, I tell you. However, that's not where it stops. So, if you've read my blog for any length of time, you may know that my parents have two rescued greyhounds (shout out to Arturo & Raymander) / the owner of this blog has a greyhound named Lima Bean. My parents used to live in Boston / the owner of this blog used to live in Boston. My Dad & husband drove across country with said greyhounds (my husband's blog, The Village Rant, chronicles this journey) / the owner of this blog drove across country with Lima and documented in his blog. Oh, and did I mention he's a hockey fan? (And so are we!)

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• This isn't your run-of-the-mill Blogger blog. It's hosted on Tumblr, which gives it a different look and feel. I honestly don't know much about Tumblr or the differences between it and Blogger, but going west looks more sophisticated to me.
• I love the daily breakdown in the column on the right of the drive cross country from Boston to San Francisco. It's neatly organized and the reader can follow the journey easily. There's even a map that visually shows all of the stops made.
• All the amazing photos of Lima and his greyhound friends. Greyhounds seem like one of the most photogenic dog breeds (if not THE most photogenic.) Lima Bean's owner has done a great job of capturing his many moods/faces.

 Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• The "Ask Me Anything" portion of the blog. A little frightened about what might be asked, but kind of fun.
• A cool tagline/subtitle. "be wary of that greyhound" is going west's and I think it's great.

Check this blog out if you appreciate great photography (not only of greyhounds, but of food and San Francisco, too), unique information about San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood, and a slightly offbeat sense of humor (I mean that in the best way possible!)

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Arkansas

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Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

I've been on a bit of a hiatus from the "50 States? 50 Blogs!" series. As Arizona was the last state I wrote about, naturally Arkansas comes next alphabetically (did I mention this blogger is a librarian with a slight case of OCD?). I searched long and hard for an Arkansas blog that I liked and wanted to write about, but never LOVED any that I found. Thanks to the best invention in most recent history (yes, Pinterest!), at long last I found one! Crazy, but it's ANOTHER cooking-related blog. This is crazy...this whole "relationship" that cooking and I are developing. First I subscribe to Cooking Light, then I actually start MAKING things from the magazine, then I buy an apron for assisting in holiday cooking, and now I'm profiling cooking blogs. Move over Julia Child (OK, well, don't move over in your grave, Julia.) Anywho, Kristan, the Cookbook Queen in the name of the aforementioned blog is HILARIOUS and has some great recipes!

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Hilarity. Seriously. In the About Me section, Kristan says, "I live in rural Arkansas. But I mostly stay home and pretend that I’m in an apartment smack dab in the middle of New York City. It gets me by." Kind of like Lisa Douglas from the TV classic, "Green Acres!" (That show is one of my faves.)
• She and I have a lot in common. Also from the About Me section, "I love watching questionable television, but I balance it out with lots and lots of books." Could be my twin! (I'll have to email her and get more details on said questionable tv shows."
• Love love love the header with its whimsical font and cute pictures of cookbooks and cupcakes. (How alliterative.) She also has icons for following her on Pinterest, Twitter, etc... that are cooking-related and tres cute.

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• The "Don't Miss a Post" feature. This probably is commonplace, but it's the first time I've noticed it on a blog and I like it! Readers can enter their email address and have the latest post emailed to them.
• A footer. Yes, something as simple as a footer. My blog just goes off like an infinity pool. I'd like a footer.

Oh, and did I mention that there are scrumptious recipes for baked goods AND tasty beverages? Check.it.out.

Hockey in Arizona?

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The Yotes Diva

 

As I mentioned in my last "50 States? 50 Blogs!" post for Alaska, I'm no Julia Child and it was somewhat curious that I was writing about a food-centric blog. Well, there's no question why I'm writing about this hockey-centric blog based in Arizona -- I LOVE HOCKEY!!! I feel lucky living in Massachusetts and being a fan of the Bruins, an Original Six team. While I might not be a fan of NHL expansion teams, I am a big fan of The Yotes Diva blog. The subtitle in the header is a good summary of this blog: "This is the story of a girl who moved to the desert, fell in love with an unappreciated hockey team & started a blog..."

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Multimedia!! Should you think you'll never make it to Phoenix Coyotes game, you can listen to the Goal Song. (Granted, it's no Hartford Whalers' Brass Bonanza...)
• Love the header -- especially the skates and the font.
• Not only does The Yotes Diva blog about the Coyotes, but about the NHL/hockey in general, and she seems to have good hockey knowledge.
• Her Blog Roll contains blogs written by other hockey devotees and even some hockey wives.
• Her four Chinese Shar-peis. Check out the "faces only a mother could love" under the About tab.

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• Sponsors? Can you imagine?? (I guess that would require more than 5 readers...)
• Search box. Not sure if this would require tagging/labeling, but something to consider. (Mostly for me...I often can't remember if I've written about something in the past and I'm too lazy to look through tons of old posts.)
• Advertisements. Jury's still out on this one for me, but I'm definitely considering.

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Alaska

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Arctic Garden Studio

Now let's face it, I'm no Julia Child. Heck, I'm not even a Suzy Homemaker. Cooking and gardening are NOT my forte. Therefore, I did not think I'd feature a lot of blogs on those subjects in this whole "50 States? 50 Blogs!" thing. I could not not feature this blog. Here's why:

• Things that caught my eye about this blog:
• The clarity/colorfulness/vividity (is that a word?) of the photos. The photos make the subjects (mostly food) come alive. In the Beet Hummus post (and I'm no fan of beets), it's like it's right in front of me on my table.
• Nicole (owner of Arctic Garden Studio) and her partner have two VERY cute dogs: Brody and Arrluk.
• Nicole's a woman after my own heart. As she mentions in the "Welcome" section of the blog, she loves living in Alaska, but in a cabin, but is all about the indoor plumbing and running water. While I think it might be fun to live in Alaska for oh, say 3 months, the place I'd live would HAVE to have indoor plumbing and running water.
• Like my "40 Before 41" list, Nicole has a "Bucket List" that she shares (which she had created before going off to college.)

• Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• My blog isn't a cooking blog (in any way, shape or form), but I love, love, love the Recipe Index. I do have a few recipes, so maybe as time goes by and more are added, I could do this.
• I like the fact that there's a "menu" on the main page with "Home," "Welcome," "Recipe Index," "Links," and "Bucket List." This helps to de-clutter the sides of the blog and let the posts stand out.

Whether you're looking for some scrumdelicious recipes or some beautiful photos (of a lingonberry, nonetheless), check out Nicole's Arctic Garden Studio!

Jumble o' Thoughts & Random Pic Thursday

• It's hard to believe that it's already September. This year seems to have flown by.
• School starts for me tomorrow. I'm not thrilled about going back, BUT it's my LAST class. For ever.and.ever. (OK -- maybe not EVER -- especially if I take a cooking class like I want to.) But, you catch my drift.
• I *just* figured out that there's a Hobby Lobby within an hour or so of my house. I'll be making a pilgrimage there shortly.
• Thanks to Tropical Storm Irene, a lot of my friends and family in western Massachusetts are under water, have lost power, etc... They're in my thoughts and here's hoping things get back to "normal" soon.
• Words with Friends is on the verge of taking over my life. Step.away.from.the.iPhone/computer.
• I'm looking forward to October 6th. Not only is it my mom's birthday, but she'll be here visiting me AND it's the first game of the season for the Bruins and the Championship banner will be hoisted to the rafters in the Garden.
• I'm really liking this whole "50 States? 50 Blogs" thing. I've had fun finding blogs for the next few states. Stay tuned -- I've got some cool ones!
• It's hard to believe that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up. Will you be doing anything to remember it? A neighboring town is having a gathering/remembrance ceremony in its downtown, which I'd consider attending, but I have class that day.


• Red Sox/Yankees games are exhausting but a MUST watch.

Random Photo Thursday

These two party animals? My great aunt T. and my great uncle A. (T. is my Dad's Mom's sister. Got that?) T. and A. are pretty much infamous in our family. If you look closely, you'll see a Winston in T.'s hand and a G and T (Gin and Tonic). These were here signature "accessories." A. is missing his pipe in this picture, but he's got the trademark bowtie and drink in his hand. (His drink of choice might have been G and T, also, but I'll have to consult with family on that one.) T. and A. owned a "camp" (basically a cabin on a river) in a nearby town and when my Dad and his siblings were little, they'd spend lots of time in the summer with them. When they reminisce, they have some funny stories to tell.

I was lucky enough to spend a week (or two?) with T. and A. when I was younger. They had sold the camp long ago, but their house had an inground pool, which was quite a treat. I learned how to play A LOT of card games, found out where to buy the cheapest booze and cartons of cigarettes in tax-free New Hampshire, was only allowed three minute showers, taught not to flush if it wasn't "necessary", and heard tales of their travels to Cuba, China, and other exotic places. Oh, and what 5th grader doesn't love Coquille St. Jacques (or has ever heard of it or can spell it???)

They were quite a pair. I miss them...and their kooky Christmas gifts. (Square egg maker anyone?)

50 States? 50 Blogs!

The title of a recent post A Trip Around the Blog World got me thinking. The blogs I wrote about in that post aren't truly from around the "world," let alone the entire country. So, what if I found/reviewed blogs from our 50 states? Hmmm...

To start my quest, I Googled [State] blogs. In true Google fashion, I got a lot of results. A lot of "stuff." I somehow found a needle in a haystack and found this site: http://www.alabamatopblogs.com/. Turns out there's one for every state. In addition to this, I found some websites of local/regional/state magazines that profiled blogs. These were very helpful.

So, let's start alphabetically, shall we?

Alabama

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{L.L.with.Cool.J}: a little blog about LauraLee and Josh

• Things that caught my eye about this blog:
• LauraLee and Josh recently traveled to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. Not only is this a beautiful place (see their photos), BUT my grandparents use to go to Abaco years ago. That struck a chord.
• LauraLee and Josh have two VERY cute dogs and they sleep on VERY cute beds courtesy of Molly Mutt. Thanks to LLwithCoolJ, my dog Max will be getting a stylish (yet affordable) bed in the near future.
• They enjoy tacos and sangria!
• They have GREAT taste in bedding!

• Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:
• I like the "Pick One" box on the bottom right that shows labels from each post. (The larger the word, the more posts it shows up in.) I can certainly do this, but I'll need to go back and label older posts. I'll add this to my list of "things to do once school ends!")
• There are "blogs within the blog" that house photos of travel and home projects. These photos may be repeated in posts, but I like the fact that they're easily accessible and clearly labeled.

Check out LauraLee and Josh's little piece of Alabama!