Other People's Blogs

Beautiful, practical and down to earth. Here are three useful blogs I love. They give me the advice I need in a lovely package. I couldn't ask for more.

Apartment Therapy

I'm raising a family in a small apartment.  This is the price we pay for living in NYC. I wouldn't trade my little dwelling for the world. I really like it here. That said, it can be trying.

God Bless Apartment Therapy. They've done a lot to singlehandedly make living is a teeny place seem cool - even desirable. There are absolutely brilliant ideas here for making the most of any space - big or small. Besides that, although the site is cleanly and beautifully designed, the photographs look like real places to live. The rooms featured are not over styled or inaccessible. They look like your cool friend's apartment.

We are planning an apartment renovation and this has been my bible. It would be a good fit for bigger project than ours (like a gut reno) or smaller (organizing your shoes).

Dinner: A Love Story 

The basic premise of this blog is to make eating dinner together as a family easy and enjoyable for busy parents. But that description is limiting, so I'll say a bit more.

This blog takes the everyday concept of kids, meals, parenting and running a household and elevates it. There's no sense of drudgery here. The photographs are homey and cozy while infused with sophistication. I would say the same things about the recipes. They really are easy, and they are easy to adapt to individual tastes. A lot of them take comfort food somewhere new, interesting and delicious.

And here's a little secret for people who don't have kids, people whose kids have flown the coop, or people who have one child who won't eat anything from this website either (ahem): check out this blog. The food is that good, the visuals are that lovely. This is not kiddie food. Make it for you and your adult friends.

They also have cookbooks that embody the same sensibilities.

Moomah: the Magazine

This blog is primarily focused on parents of young children. But I am here to say that as a mother of teens, I'm still finding it relevant and inspiring. Here's why.

To say this blog has an artistic sensibility is an understatement. You will find crafting projects, little kid fashion layouts, articles to read the little ones about animals - but it almost doesn't matter. The website is just incredibly beautiful. Check it out whether you have small kids or not. It's a visual feast.

The art projects, travel ideas and cooking inspiration are applicable to families with wee ones and teens, and dare I say some of it will draw in non-parents too.

This blog does not take itself too seriously. Nor is it overly precious. That said, I have been known to enjoy the extremely precious blogs too. They're a guilty pleasure.

The blog is constantly evolving. The focus is increasingly on a mission they call Make Nice. This is about helping your kids look beyond themselves in order to help others. As a mother, artist and volunteer for organizations very close to my heart, I can say that I love this new direction. I'm engaged in reaching out to my community to help kids with childhood cancer and their mission dovetails beautifully with that.

At the same time, their past issues are readily accessible if I'm looking for a mother/daughter holiday craft project. This blog is the best of many worlds.