Blogs that Help you Learn, Laugh and Relax

After a big election, my mind always feels a little overloaded. Yesterday, weeks of increasingly frantic ads, polls, political forecasts, and canvassers, culminated in an election day information overload. I love election day – I enjoy my trip to the polls and am dialed into every moment of election results. But, then there’s the day after.

Regardless of how you felt about the results yesterday, your brain probably feels a little mushy today and wants nothing to do with heavy news for a few moments. Mine certainly does. To appease it, I have skipped many of my daily headlines and papers and instead am exploring some of the amazing blogs that are out there. Here are a few that particularly like and that I think you’ll enjoy: 

A Cup of Jo

A Cup of Jo, by Joanna Goddard, is one of my favorite, go-to reads. The writing is entertaining, the topics are relevant, and the style is engaging. Plus, she covers a broad range of topics – style, design, culture, food, travel, relationships, parenting – so the content stays fresh and there’s always something that I want to read. And as a bonus, you can find some of the amazing photography of Lashley Rhodes featured throughout. 

Today, I really enjoyed reading This Treehouse Apartment is All Creaky Charm and 12 Beautiful Children’s Books. 

The Ugly Volvo

The Ugly Volvo is written by Raquel D’Apice, a writer, stand-up comic, and mom. She writes about her experiences as a new mom and it is hilarious. Important note: she is incredibly funny, and her writing style is great. Even if you’re not a parent and/or are turned off by parenting blogs, have a read. 

I literally spit out my coffee reading All of My Issues with the “Goodnight Moon” Bedroom (and am laughing right now just thinking about it). I also got a good laugh out of The Amazing Butternut Squash Soup Recipe that Everyone Should Make At Least Once (particularly as I, too, have an aspirational butternut squash sitting on the counter). 

Cookin’ With Mima

I am not a foodie or chef by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s nothing like a good food blog to clear your head a bit and infuse some joy into your day. Cookin with Mima is run by Miriam, a mom whose background is in criminal justice but who taught herself to cook in response to her unique cravings during pregnancy. I love the pictures on the site, the fact that the recipes are easily accessible and printable (so many food blogs give you great explanations, but it’s hard to actually find the ingredients and directions), and that the recipes are not overly complicated. 

Check out these Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins or these Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps and tell me that it doesn’t make your day just a little better. 

At Home

At Home is Joanna Gaines’s blog that covers design, DIY ideas, recipes, and a lifestyle section. It seems like Chip and Joanna Gaines have their hands in everything these days – a restaurant, a bakery, books, magazines, festivals, stores, and, yes, even a blog. I like Joanna’s style and her (seemingly) down to earth nature. Her ideas are simple (most of the time), and she inspires me be more intentional about my time, spaces, and projects. 

Check out My Thanksgiving Table and Indoor + Outdoor Smores

Design Mom

I was introduced to Design Mom because my amazing friend, Melissa Neff, is featured in its Home Tour section (more about that below), and I loved everything about it, from premise to execution. The goal of Design Mom is to help busy moms stay current and connected, while also giving them a sense of community and a space to learn. Author Gabrielle Blair achieves that goal and then some with her Home Tour, Food, Parenting, DIY, Style, and Travel posts. 

Wandering Earl

Wandering Earl is a travel blog written by Derek (Earl) Baron, who went on a 3-month backpacking trip in 1999 and has been traveling ever since. 104 countries and 6486 days of travel later, he has a lot of stories to tell and much knowledge to share. I like his authenticity, the unique places that he goes, and the pictures that he includes. Plus, I haven’t traveled much in the last few years, so I enjoy living vicariously through his nomadic adventures.