BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, that would be the lovely sound of my alarm going off at 9 a.m. every morning (and yes, I do have to use a special alarm clock that rolls around the floor of my room until I get out of bed to turn it off, what can I say I’m a heavy sleeper), and while I dread getting out of my extremely warm bed, I do love getting a jump-start on my day. I pretty much have the same routine every morning, after I finally crawl out from underneath my covers, get dressed for the day, make myself some breakfast (besides it being the most important meal of the day, I have this quirk where I can absolutely not eat anything else until I have breakfast food, weird right?!) and then sit down to my computer of course. After checking all of my different email accounts (yes, I do have 3 emails, it’s quite overwhelming) I then like to check in and see what some of my favorite people are up to. Nope! Not on my Facebook (fooled ya 😉 ), on my blogroll, and while I may not personally know the writers of all the blogs I follow, I love reading their daily posts and learn an awful lot about their lives, and now I am going to apologize for how creepy that sounded!

As much I love reading blogs about celebrities, sports, politics etc., my all time favorite blogs are what I would classify as “Daily Life” blogs, meaning they all add something that I love to incorporate into my daily life; whether it is recipes, a new DIY project or just getting my fashion fix these are blogs that I look at, at least once a day.

Although I have read various blogs since my senior year of high school, about 3 years ago, I did not really fall in love with the “blogosphere” until sometime last year, when my friend Sara and I found Peanut Butter Fingers, a healthy living blog. PB Fingers is written by Julie Fagan, a 20-something living in Florida with her husband and dog, she  originally began the blog while working as a writer, editor and manager, but due to her blog’s success she eventually left her job to pursue full-time freelance writing and blogging.

One of the main reasons I love PB Fingers so much is because Julie is extremely easy to relate to, as she writes about her love of food (yes, even the non-healthy kind), her crazy dog’s antics and her everyday experiences. This is definitely the kind of blog that can appeal to any age group, although it is definitely more women-centric. One of the main aspects of PB Fingers is Julie’s commitment to exercise of any kind, almost every day she posts a work out that she completes, oftentimes along with the music she listened to! I love finding new exercises to try so that my fitness routine doesn’t become boring, and although I am by no means a fitness-fanatic and I definitely do not go to the gym as often as Julie, her posts about working out are always more inspiring than intimidating.

The blog itself is visually appealing, with an adorable peanut butter theme and links to all the different parts of her site. The blog is very easy to navigate, with a header at the top listing all the main categories of her posts, and even a search bar. My favorite part of the blog is the recipe section where Julie organizes all the recipes that appear on her blog, from Greek yogurt pancakes to homemade granola, there are many delicious and simple recipe ideas, that are also very healthy, that appear on the blog. And as a big fan of smoothies (seriously, I drink one at least once every two days!), all of Julie’s quick and easy smoothie and shake ideas will definitely keep me coming back to Peanut Butter Fingers as an avid reader, well that and the fact that I when I read the blog I feel like I’m hanging out with my best friend (once again, sorry for being so creepy, he he)!

Another blog I greatly enjoy, was found through many a recipe reposted on Peanut Butter Fingers, called How Sweet It Is. Written by Jessica, an ex-certified personal trainer and now full-time blogger, How Sweet is all about the delicious creations that Jessica whips up in her kitchen. I’m not going to lie, I was definitely first attracted to the blog by the blue and pink coloring and the delicious frosted cupcake at the top of the site (and now my sweet tooth is kicking in…) but after reading a few posts I made sure to add How Sweet to the list of blogs I check daily. Although Jessica is not as engaging with her readers as my “BFF” Julie, her wit and hilarious comments about her hatred for all vegetables (you and me both sister) has definitely kept my attention.

How Sweet It Is, is more of a “foodie” blog than a healthy living blog, with some extremely outrageous recipes like this one, where bacon is covered in chocolate and then mixed with peanut butter cookies (go ahead and salivate) or this one, which mixes two of my favorite foods; crab and avocado, to make a quesadilla (hungry yet?). Let’s be real for a minute though, as much as I love drooling over the recipes Jessica posts, some are definitely more complicated than others and this site would not be the first place I would check for a simple meal. When Jessica often states though, that she herself is not naturally a chef, and with no formal training, all of her recipes are just her own “mess-ups” in the kitchen it makes me wish I was that talented when it comes to food (I only seem to be able make food disappear ;)), I still enjoy catching up on this blog daily and staring at the beautiful pictures she takes of some magnificent looking meals (and once again my overwhelming  sweet tooth sets in, I guess this blog is aptly named!).

The last blog I read every morning, right before I head off to class, is sure to always put me in a great mood, probably due to the fact that it is written by quite possibly one of the Top Ten funniest women in America, The Bloggess. Jenny Lawson is the creator behind the blog and as a writer for The Houston Chronicle and two other columns (one about sex and one about parenting…yes, I’m sure she sees the irony too), Jenny decided she “needed an uncensored space to say the f-word and talk about ninjas,” and those are her own words.

Self described as “Mother Teresa, only better” Jenny’s blog never fails to make me laugh as she recounts the latest antics she pulls on her husband Victor. From buying a 5-foot tall metal chicken she names Beyoncé (it now has its own Facebook page), to spending 120 pounds on set of stuffed mice, Jenny’s blog posts, though definitely NSFW, are sure to make anyone laugh out loud (I even got my dad to read it!).

As blogs go, The Bloggess is probably the most successful out of all the other blogs I read, she is featured on Oprah’s website many times a month (and as any self-respecting person knows, Oprah is the barometer for success), was recently on CNN and even has her own book coming out, which I am sure will be full of hilarious stories, and I will definitely be getting my hands on a copy of it, come April 17th!

If I were to continue in my blogging experience I could definitely see my blog taking shape in more of a Peanut Butter Fingers – type fashion, with my posts revolving around my daily exploits, but for now (until my life becomes interesting and hilarious at least!) I  am quite satisfied reading all the other great blogs floating around the Internet, and “musing about media.”

  • Are there any blogs you read religiously?
  • Who are you favorite bloggers?