Sometimes it’s easy to categorize the good posts.
These made me laugh,
These made me cry.
These made me wish I was a better writer.
And then there’s the rest of the. Just as good as the other but posts that don’t neatly fit into one category. Some are crafty. Some are for foodies. Some just have really pretty pictures. So I save ‘em til the end and lump them in this group and try to organize them in some way that compels you to read them.
“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–
Of cabbages–and kings–
And why the sea is boiling hot–
And whether pigs have wings.”
- Lewis Carroll
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About Blogging Love
The Post That Best Explains Why I REALLY Attend Blog Conferences by Elaine at The Miss Elaine-ous Life
If you know anything about me, you’ve probably figured out I’m a bit of a conference junkie. Yes, there’s time away in hotel room without pets, kids, husbands (oops – sorry, honey!). Yes, there’s a ridiculous amount of swag. Yes, there are parties. But people like Elaine get why so many of us return year after year, probably spending money we don’t really have. It’s because blogging brings us peers, friends, and most of all, community.
BlogHer ’12, The Love Post
Getting Creative
The Post That Spawned Another Blog by Stella at Cooking with Stellaaa
This post is part of a classic internet love story. Stella and I started following each other on Twitter. We tweeted, often about food. Then I asked Stella for a recipe for this Filipino spaghetti she was talking about. And thus, a new blog was born that really just gave Stella a place to house her love of food. I personally have made this recipe twice and I’m preparing to make it a a third time for my new sister-in-law (who happens to be Filipino!)
Filipino Spaghetti Recipe Using Ingredients From American Supermarkets
The Post Just Because I Like How the Photos Turned Out by Shannon at Shannon Morgan Creative
I have a confession to make. I don’t like watermelon. If I had to describe it in a word, it would be “meh.” I wish I liked it. But what I do like is the way Shannon’s watermelon is doing the crabwalk across the table. Being a fellow Marylander, I have to give her special props for that.
How to Carve a Watermelon
The Post That Will Literally Make You Drool by Liza at (a)Musing Foodie
I have another confession to make. I don’t like apple pie. It’s weird because I like apples and apple fries and apple dumplings and apple fritters. And this cobbler? I think I could totally get on board with it. First of all, I LOVE caramel apples. And second, because it’s in Liza’s category of “Easy Desserts.”
Caramel Apple Cobbler
Best Way I Put Pinterest to Use When I Planned My One Year Old’s Birthday Party by Vi at Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
While I’m confessing, I might as well tell you I’m not a crafty person either. I don’t even get excited looking at crafts. So while Pinterest is fun for me, it’s not the immense time suck like it is for others. With that said, if I had to go all crafty, I’d love to have a party like Vi planned, especially since purple is my favorite color.
A Purplicious Birthday Party
Most Creative Theme for a Travel Post by Shannon at Shannon Morgan Creative
Shannon wrote a travel piece for MomItForward about her stay in Scottsdale, Arizona. She could have done your standard hotel review but instead, she say the mid-century chamr of the Hotel Valley Ho and reimagined her trip as a 1950s business getaway a la Don Draper.
Arizona: A Mad Men Guide to Scottsdale, Arizona
Embracing Ourselves
Best Meditation on Creative Bravery by Courtenay Bluebird at Bluebird Blvd.
This type of post is exactly why I have to have a day like this in Blogmas. I could have easily put this post as one of the top writing posts I read. But it was more than that. It was introspective and empowering. It was about sewing and design and yet it’s not. And it easily could have been a chapter in a book. Just read it and you’ll see what I mean.
Adulthood CONFIDENTIAL! Why I Didn’t, and Why I Did, and Why I’ll Do It Again [A Costume Design Story]
The Post That Made Me Want to Say Yes by Jen at Hip As I Wanna Be
I don’t know if it’s simply a by-product of being a parent but we do say no a lot. We say no to our kids, our spouses, and even to ourselves. So I can see why this post resonated with readers, especially when Jen talks about jumping into a waterfall fully clothed (and has the pictures to prove it).
Saying YES Instead of No #sayingyes
The Post That Proves That Exercise Really is Hazardous to Your Health by Shannon at Mamas Against Drama
I’m a big fan of yoga but there’s one area I’ve never ventured into: Bikram yoga, aka HOT yoga. I’ve heard it’s beneficial to you in so many ways but I’ve mainly stayed away because it’s HOT. Shannon doesn’t lie about that. She lays it all out there. And still, I’m thinking I might want to try…
Bikram Yoga: Zen or Zany?
The Best Post Representing Nice Guys and Their Scrappiness by Amiyrah at Four Hats and Frugal
My very favorite part of Amiyrah’s post is her quote: “Nice guys don’t finish last. Maybe you just weren’t nice in the first place.” She is a nice gal. So am I, if I do say so. But that doesn’t mean we’re pushovers. It means that we can get sh*t done while asking nicely and saying please and thank you. Amen.
Nice guys finish FIRST
The Best “Embrace the Divatude” Post by Michelle Garrett at Divas With A Purpose
You know the saying “Beauty is only skin deep”? Michelle would argue that beauty goes much deeper than that. Real beauty is inside and we need to not only find it within ourselves but ensure that we teach our children to find it in themselves as well.
Inside Out Beauty
Best Reason NOT to Take a Shower for a Whole Month by Vi at Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
This is another one of those posts that the typical American might find bizarre. But again, I heard about this ritual a few years ago when my Chinese sister-in-law had her first child. Of course, my brother chose to keep us informed that his wife simply didn’t bathe for the first month after the baby was born. We all thought it was kinda gross but at least now I know more behind the tradition. And I like the idea of a month of doing nothing!
It’s a Viet Thing – The One Month Cleanse for Moms
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Oh, I bet you’re sad. This was the last installment of Blogmas 2012. I know you want more fabulous posts. And you can have them. Just read my blog a couple of times a week (JOKING).
While it was more work than I remembered, it was totally worth it to read all of these amazing posts and hopefully shed some light on bloggers you may not have know.
I’ll soon be back to my regularly scheduled stuff because I have lots of cool products to talk about. In the meantime, feel free to catch up on any of the Blogmas posts you missed:
Blogmas 2012: The 10 Best Things I Read in 2012
Blogmas 2012: Laughter is the Best Medicine (now grab your spoon and take some)
Blogmas 2012: Motherhood is a Strong Emotion
Blogmas 2012: It’s About the Writing
