Browsing tag: blogging

* I would quite like a life fairy to take me in hand. Take over my life. Take charge of everything, make it over, figure out how I can achieve all my goals this lifetime, set me a game plan and hand back the reins in a few months. That being said, listening to this podcast – an interview with full-time nomad, professional writer/traveler Nora Dunn has helped reassure me that I will get to see at least some of the places I want to visit this lifetime.

* I recently removed my 20SB badge from my sidebar (although I highly doubt anyone noticed). It was messing with my template, and while I love the idea of the whole 20SB community, I wasn’t really getting anything out of it. I can only think of one blog offhand I discovered through it, and their forums are clogged with newbies whining about how after a whole month of blogging, nobody reads them, and what can they do to get more followers? NEWSFLASH: It takes work. And just who are you writing for anyway? Might pay to check those priorities.

* October challenge fail so far. Slept till usual on Wed after staying up til 1pm doing banking and blogging. Got up early Thursday, did laundry, dishes and fitted in a run, but couldn’t drag myself away from my warm bed yesterday.

Now, to the biz…

FOOD

Milk Miracle on how to get the most out of an Indian buffet (If anyone knows of any such places in Auckland, I beg of you: Holler!)

Living Well on Less asks for ideas on good meals to freeze for later.

At Eating Rules, a bunch of bloggers are taking part in October Unprocessed, a month of eating more naturally.

Lacey of Perks of Being a Jap tests out a fingerlickingood Rachael Ray cupcake recipe.

At Dinner: A Love Story, Jenny presents a week of super simple meals derived from just a handful of pantry staples.

And I’m dying to try this easy-peasy mushroom lasagne from Smitten Kitchen.

MONEY

Lindy at Minting Nickels blogs about number crunching and motivation.

Leslie at 27 and Frugal writes about balancing frugality and consumerism.

Fabulously Broke asks: What do you consider rich?

Financial Samurai reckons anyone can make six figures at any age.

Little House asks if art can be a good investment.

Frugal Confessions interviews a gardening pro and shares some tips on getting the most of growing your own.

WORK / CAREER

Living Shallow, Living Well on why she’ll never be CEO.

Fabulously Broke argues that being your own boss is not automatically the right solution for everyone.

Jane recounts her experiences with unemployment in the unstable creative industries.

Finding Serenity explains the case for reconsidering a teaching career.

Ms Career Girl suggests some ideas for stay-home mothers to earn income.

Working Girl gets some fresh blood, including….an Editing WG!!

LIFE

At Writing to Reach You, Ashley blogs about the introverts’ dilemma.

Jess of Accidentally Graceful rethinks her stance on love, logic and marriage.

Emily Jane explains why she’ll never go niche on her personal blog.

Dana at Pushing Thirtyy on that that most sacred female domain: the purse.

Little House on the Prairie asks: Whatever happened to hobbies?

Neurotic Workaholic blogs about anonymity and putting your name to your writing.

Sunshine on My Shoulder voices some thoughts on appreciating her LDR.

Ironic Mom blogs on children, swearing and rude gestures. I curse a lot, so a whole other reason to delay childbearing.

At So Caroline Says, some poignant thoughts on the end of a relationship.

The pregnant and fabulous Penny Frugalista has baby names on the brain.

Marian has always considered herself adventurous, but she’s starting to reconsider just what that means.

And finally, a wedding planner offers a little insight into her job and the whole wedding industry. Whaddya reckon – is it worth using a planner? Why or why not?

Last weekend was, to say the least, ridiculously relaxing. Well, except for when I had a mid-afternoon meltdown because I realised I’d left my toiletry bag at home – on the stove, it turned out later, of all places. But was it the lack of skincare for my poor dehydrated, eczemaed skin, or the lack of toothbrush that bothered me the most? No, it was the lack of contact lenses that I’d paid a premium for in order to be shipped to me IN TIME FOR THE WEEKEND.

That aside, being blind at the pools wasn’t too bad, all things considered.

A few pictures…

Outside the public toilets, at the main Matakana roundabout.

Scallops (From a roadside vendor. Super fresh and juicy. Cheaper and better than the supermarket, but still, that is $15 worth!!!) and watercress/radish salad (from the Matakana farmers’ market).

And now, the biz.

MONEY

Money Crush reminds us that rules-of-thumb are not hard and fast.

Nicole and Maggie speak out in defence of impulse spending on small pleasures, and not being willing to sacrifice the future for the present.

And Donna Freedman voices similar sentiments in this post. “To do so would mean giving up things like charitable donations, trips to the used bookstore, the option of having a second child, or even simply trying a new variety of cheese now and then.”

Finding Serenity’s attempt to line-dry laundry to save money backfires. Catowners, got any tips?

Saving Her Life shares ways to save on transport.

Airam has some ideas for passing the time with fun free pastimes.

Sunflowers on income-based student loan repayment plans (for those in the US).

WellHeeled wonders if using coupons on a first date is acceptable.

FruGal asks if you’d let a family member repay your debt on your behalf.

Lady in the Red contemplates turning vegetarian to save cash.

J Money gives his take on housebuying to a reader who’s rearing to buy his first home.

A Master of Nothing Employable explains how to go to concerts on the cheap.

WORK/CAREER

Is becoming an educator right for you? TeacHer Finance gives us a peek into her chosen profession.

A Cat of Impossible Colour on what makes a “real writer” and having the courage to own the title.

Healthcare Working Girl blogs about her dreams for her child and why she doesn’t want her to follow her path.

Shiftless and Lazy on just wanting to live the dream.

FruGal defends the humble Arts degree.

Ms Career Girl offers some advice to a reader who took his first job and ended up hating it.

Financial Samurai has some practical tips for entrepreneurs starting their own business in the US.

FOOD

A Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing on why the raw food diet sucks.

Plum and apple pie, via Smitten Kitchen (I had to look up what single crust meant). “Oh, and the lid crumbles. As in, it’s supposed to. There’s no way to get a clean slice and you shouldn’t even try. This pie is meant to be scooped indelicately with a large spoon, slopped unceremoniously on a plate, dolloped haphazardly with softly whipped cream and eaten shortly after it comes out of the oven.” MY KINDA PIE!

Little Space presents her scrumptious looking
taco soup.

Iowa Girl Eats recreates the fresh seafood pasta she recently enjoyed in Italy.

And StoneSoup sings the praises of soy sauce and suggests some new ways to make use of it.

LIFE

Dezolutions guestposts on Pushing Thirtyy, pondering the implication of a GenX-GenY relationship.

Neurotic Workaholic on all the reasons her life is not a romantic comedy.

Stephany gets fitted for running shoes and feels the difference.

Girl and City struggles to adjust to life as a consultant in Singapore.

Penelope Trunk blogs about how to take intelligent risks.

Finally, random, but seriously awesome: The paint-by-numbers wedding guest book via Michelle Woo. I will be having one of those one day, thanks.

Just a quick note to say that I’m jumping on the Yakezie bandwagon!

Like with most other things, I’m late to the party. When I first started hearing about the challenge, I didn’t really understand what it was all about.

Okay, so I’m still not quite positive, but I’ll make it up as I go along. I mean, how hard can it be? I waste far too much time blogging already, so why not add a bit of focus?

From what I understand, it’s about community. Not unlike, say, participating in carnivals. Some retweet love, some more material in my weekly link roundups, some more great posts for me to comment on.

I’m starting with an Alexa ranking of  742,699, so I’m ripe for climbing the ladder.

Hopefully nobody minds that I’m kind of PF-lite, life-heavy. Take me as I am. Love me and accept me. Or else I’ll..er…slink back to my far corner of the world and sulk.

WORK

Rachel at ExPRessions ruminates on meeting deadlines and doing the job right.

Copy editor Melissa’s tips on finding work and freelance writer Amber’s tips for getting into the industry.

News editor Crystal waves goodbye to her real-name blog (which kinda reinforces my decision to stay relatively-anon).

A Master of Nothing Employable on the things she hates most about job applications.

Ashley wonders how she can personalise her cubicle. (I don’t. I just have lists of important phone numbers on the wall, and sometimes deal vouchers pinned up so I remember to use them.

A great post – honest and entertaining – from World as a Muse: Confessions of a female sports writer.

Ms Career Girl has some great tips on acing your first annual review (suppose mine will be early next year – how time flies).

MONEY

Airam gives herself a money checkup with a 10point guide for 20-somethings (I’ll have to do that when I get a chance!).

Amber gets the ball rolling with Operation Buy A House. (While that’s not even a speck on my horizon, here are my recent posts on my real estate dream.)

J Money takes a big hit as his work benefits get slashed.

Rainy Day Saver asks if tattoos are worth the cost.

Financial Samurai argues that renters should pay rent tax…because owners pay rates.

FOOD

From Smitten Kitchen: Monkey cake! What more can I say?

The minimalist’s guide to creating a spice collection, via Stonesoup (I don’t have any of the last three, and I think we’re also out of paprika).

I’m not a fan of fudge – but perhaps you are? Courtesy of Aliens in the Apple.

But Closet Cooking’s hot cheesy mushroom dip? Hell to the yes.

LIFE

Amanda Lee presents her ridiculously comprehensive guide to making heels bearable (wearable?)

On Bundle, Matt McCue shares his guide to self-publishing a book. A great, inspiring read.

At Blog Her, Ashley explains why her mother and not her father will be walking her down the aisle. Indeed. Why do you need anyone to walk you down the aisle at all? My dad and I aren’t especially close; I might just walk myself down.

At Stratejoy, Marian waxes lyrical about the meaning of success.

A Cat of Impossible Colour mulls over some unsolicited (and unwarranted feedback), and finds it a good way to resolve her own insecurities.

Michelle Woo rounds up some of the best movie prom scenes ever.

Hannah Katy gets inspired at the 2010 Millennium Campus Conference.

But first, a few random thoughts:

* Do you ever adjust your walking style depending on the shoes you’re wearing? For example, I walk differently – shuffle, stomp, point my toes – in my (rather unsupportive and flat) canvas sneakers than in ballet flats. Or skate shoes. Or wedges. Or heels. Or jandals.

* Totally random conversation with a friend: I would be an East Coast girl, despite aspiring to the West Coast (mainly for the weather). Apparently I seem very “Boston”. He based this on those two great dramas bearing the city’s name, namely, Boston Legal and Boston Public. We hadn’t even had any alcohol at this stage.

* I had a glass of wine on Friday. And I almost enjoyed it.

* The Library Bar was not quite as awesome as I imagined it to be. Mainly due to the selection of books. Still, it’s a wicked concept.

* And finally, rosehip oil has got to be the single most amazing liquid ever found. It’s been two? three? weeks since my skin went absolutely haywire – quite possibly due to a supposedly gentle Lush mask – and rosehip applied day and night seems to be slowly nursing my face back to a semblance of normality. Sure it makes me look greasy, but it beats the alternative.

Okay, now down to business:

WORK / CAREER

Monevator sets out to get to the bottom of why more and more people seem to be finding modern work intellectually intolerable.

Catherine shares her tips for becoming a superstar jobseeker.

From Grow, some food for thought about social media ghost towns, and how to bow out.

Controversial blogger Penelope Trunk wonders when it’s okay to use the F word.

Living Well on Less shares her experience of transitioning to an at-home career.

Finally, Amber at Blonde and Balanced has tips for freelancers on getting and rocking jobs.

MONEY

Living Almost Large asks when you know it’s the right time to make a major purchase.

Thinking about taking up the small-town life? Read this post on the hidden costs of being far away from, well, almost everything, by Living Well on Less.

FOOD

Check out this skirt steak and blue cheese salad at Smitten Kitchen.

Poor Girl Eats Well shares an uber-simple but tasty looking Mexican-style pasta bake.

Asian Pear has been getting some intense cravings – and just felt the need to share them pictorially.

And from Stone Soup, this, apparently, is tofu even carnivores will love. Hmm…

LIFE (and everything else)

Neurotic Workaholic voices some thoughts about plagiarism.

Spilling Buckets blogs about maintaining friendships, despite major ideological differences.

Jenn in Japan blogs about what happens when a former literary queen goes to live in Japan.

The Minimal Student writes about how to create good lasting memories.

Pear again! This time on hilarious Chinese-English mistranslations.

And at Stratejoy, Alisha shares the reason behind her drastic haircut and some observations on culture, prejudice and self love.

MONEY

My Open Wallet shares an interesting graph showing how the percentages we spend on various things has changed over the years (VERY American-centric. By that, I’m pointing the finger at healthcare.)

Her Every Cent Counts blogs about clashing fiscal values in a young relationship, something a lot of us will have experienced at one point or another.

Blonde and Balanced explains why she always pays back her friends promptly. I don’t think I’ve ever borrowed money from anyone in my life, but I have been on the other end. I hate it!

Homeowner Little House on the Southern Prairie offers her take on ye olde renting vs buying debate.

Lastly….have you got a debt story to tell? Ashley is calling on readers to share their tales.

WORK/CAREER

Deadlines. Love em or hate em, most of us have to deal with them at some point. Riverboxx compiles a list of the nine worst deadline personalities – hopefully you’re not one of them!

At Stratejoy, Alisha ignores her gut to take on a project, to her detriment, and realises money is not everything.

FOOD

This was too easy. SassyGirl is in Singapore and posted this delightful medley of food pictures, among other things. I am of the opinion that Malaysian and Singaporean food is THE BEST in the entire world, so click through!

Melissa makes a pact to give up sugar, for health reasons. (Does that include home baking made from scratch?)

And at Stone Soup, a recipe for the ultimate comfort food.

LIFE

We all have a story to tell. Usually, when you’re thrust into new situations and meeting new people, you have to boil it down. So you condense your entire essence into a few lines – “I’m from/I do/I live” – but as Chelsea asks, are you happy with your elevator pitch?

With age comes change. Physical change. The Asian Pear asks what parts of your body you miss. (Answer: my pre-eczema skin, my knees – not that they’ve ever been all that great, I think they’ve always creaked – and my prepubescent vision.)

Dana gives props to the single ladies (and men) out there. Which reminded me of that Boston Legal episode where they try to introduce a “love contract”, and Brad – the rather hot conservative, ex-military lawyer goes on a diatribe about how lonely he is and how it’s impossible to meet anyone working 60-hour weeks…

Amanda wonders if living life without a set plan results in less stress…or perhaps less satisfaction?

Aaaaand to wrap it up: Jenny at Dinner: A Love Story draws up an agreement with her husband. That’s all I’m telling you here, but I promise, it’s worth it.

MONEY

After a big leap in income, Her Every Cent Counts questions what it means to be rich.

Well Heeled asks if debt is a dealbreaker in a relationship – and if so, at what point? (I would’ve balked at $170k, too.)

Financial Samurai suggests that we all have a natural spending limit, an amount we don’t feel comfortable about going over.

My Pretty Pennies shares all the dirty details of her wedding budget.

Meanwhile, Amber at Blonde and Balanced (ex-Carrie on the Cheap) chokes on the price of honeymoons.

Newlywed Punch Debt hypothetises that we all make the average of our closest five friends’ salaries. Hmm. He’s also wondering exactly how best to handle moving towards fully merging finances.

And lastly, Nikki at Stratejoy blogs about the artist’s conflicting attitudes towards money.

WORK/CAREER

Are you billing your time correctly? Email may be an even bigger timesuck than you think, writes Finance for a Freelance Life.

In a similar vein, PR Working Girl says enough is enough and cuts loose a pro bono project that was sapping her strength without yielding any benefits.

Crystal at Brunette on a Budget shares a glimpse into the mind of an editor.

Print journo Mindy at Behind the Byline takes the plunge into PR and grad school at the same time.

FOOD

Corporette has the busy woman’s guide to saving money on lunch. (I often wonder if men bring lunch less often because they don’t bring big handbags to work. Not everyone carries a gym bag or suitcase. And wielding a plastic lunchbox only diminishes your street cred. Thoughts?)

Young and Thrifty has some neat tips for buying organic food on the cheap.

Despite good intentions, like me, Greer often tends to forget to look at – or even bring- her shopping list, defeating the purpose. Ah well, nobody’s perfect.

Stone Soup has a super simple and hopefully super tasty chocolate peanut butter brownie recipe I’m itching to try.

Ellen at Fired and Fabulous comes to some important conclusions about food.

And finally, the truth about Italian food, with delectable pics…

LIFE

You’ve probably heard about the massive Christchurch earthquake (and no, it is a city, not a village. We don’t do villages here, dudes. We have towns, though. Actually, what’s the difference? Let me know.) Coincidentally, this week Nicole at Rainy Day Saver shared her tips on preparing for a natural disaster as Hurricane Earl swirls closer to the US.

Emily Jane blogs about the emotional spectrum and the ups and downs of life.

Amanda Lee shares her tips for successful thrifting (She puts time at the top of the list; I couldn’t agree more!)

On a practical level, Being Ruth presents the two most common fixes for WordPress issues.

Hyperbole and a Half returns with a bang-on commentary on the four levels of social entrapment.

And Financial Samurai offers his take on how to get girls, even if you live at home with the parentals.

It’s another bumper one this week, kids!

MONEY
Newlyweds Little Miss Moneybags and her man are going to live off one salary.  Woohoo! I think that’s what I’d like to aim for eventually, too.

Krystal can’t wait to become a DINK household again – trust me, I know what it’s like. Every word in that post could have come from me!

At Stratejoy, Marian explains why, despite the money worries, she’s glad she stuck it to the 9-5 routine.

And Red negotiates a 65/35 electricity bill split with her husband. Although I can’t ever imagine doing such a thing, they have reasons for keeping their money separate. And it reminds me that I need to have a look at our contributions to the bills account – after all now that T is working again, he should be putting money towards the Sky bill as he’s the one that watches it!

WORK/CAREER
Kelly compares journalism to slavery and discovers that in London there are internships for just about every imaginable job.

At Ms Career Girl, Rachel asks when it’s a good idea to take an unpaid internship.

And Carlee urges “unemployed whiners” to create their own jobs. Perhaps easier said than done sometimes (especially if you’re not trade-qualified and aren’t part of the knowledge economy), but there’s plenty of healthy debate going on in the comments.

FOOD/COOKING

Nicole and Maggie ask what your “cooking system” is and how to manage feeding multiple people.

The Everyday Minimalist has 10 time saving tips for cooking for the week.

Amber confesses to her binge eating tendencies and what she’s doing about it.

Girl and City is in Hong Kong and has boatloads of amazing food photos to show for it.

LIFE
At Living Well on Less, Karen looks at the results of a study on what Americans consider necessities. (I’m going to disagree that a cellphone is a luxury, though, in today’s world. How do you call in late to work/appointments when stuck in traffic? If you’re job hunting, I’ve seen job ads require that you have a cell phone (well, at least in NZ). Doyou freelance? You’ll need one. Emergencies: what do you do when you break down on the motorway? And if you have any degree of responsibility at work, odds are you will need to be available for people to get in touch with you for work related matters. Even if you’re not important enough for a company phone.)

What’s your ugly shame? If it’s eating food that falls on your boob, Jessica B does it too.

Being Ruth explains why sci-fi is so appealing in hard times.

Average Girl accidentally gives the rubbish truck guy a bit of a peepshow (seriously hilarious, go read it now).

Suburban Sweetheart decides to start all over again (in a sense) and move back to her hometown, and wonders how to stop dwelling on the past.

Is asking for donations from readers good business sense? Some of Marian’s readers (or more accurately, haters) didn’t think so. (Incidentally, I’m on her side.)

Speaking of boundaries, Stephany and Dana blogged about the areas they won’t go, or if you like, the unbloggables. Some things you just need to keep for yourself.

Unlike some, Girl Normal isn’t too concerned about her personal privacy online. Here’s her tongue in cheek take on the situation.

Mo at World as a Muse tries to downsize her closet but gets turned down by a consignment store. Ouch.

Little House on the Southern Prairie speaks the truth when she writes that life would be easier if she cut out about 15 per cent of the people she knows.

Finally, Stacking Pennies reflects on married life and what’s changed as a result.

LIFE

If you’re a die-hard introvert like me, The Introvert’s Guide to Friendship is a good read.

Red is trying to be a more conscientious shopper, but balancing ethics and convenience is no mean feat.

J. Money lists the five things you should always keep in your car.

Carrie Actually shows us how to make the most of StumbleUpon.

Ashley has some words of advice for her younger sister on her 21st birthday.

Haunted by a bad breakup, NTKOG hires someone to reenact the whole scene and finds it amazingly cathartic.

And on that note, Kara wonders if she could hack dating in the digital age (I know I wouldn’t. I’d probably try to wheedle my way into an arranged marriage, somehow. Joking. Really.)

FOOD (because I keep coming across so many scrummy recipes that it would be criminal not to share)

Iowa Girl Eats whips up what is possibly the best-looking stirfry I’ve ever seen. Oh, and her stuffed pizza burgers also look incredible.

And for people who hate grilled chicken, there’s this amazing lemon yoghurt recipe at Dinner: a Love Story which I plan to try this week. NOM.

Jessica B’s couscous chicken salad also looks amazing!

MONEY
It’s a topic that’s already been covered in the bloggysphere, but I enjoyed Well Heeled’s post on the definition of “afford”, as well as the comments.

Are you one of the herd who recently got engaged? There are tips for planning a wedding without breaking the bank at Punch Debt, via Every Little Kiss

They say you should never mix money and family matters, but Jessie’s thinking of buying her aunt’s house.

Stacking Pennies pays an $80 premium for a jacket (Why? Click through to find out) and wonders if it was worth it.

Dog Ate My Finances writes about prenups and why she changed her mind on the subject.

Airam asks if you would splurge on a destination wedding for a good friend? Go see family overseas? Or both?

WORK/CAREER

Aspiring Minimalist aspires to work-life balance but finds that achieving it is harder than it sounds…

Yes and Yes talks to four freelancers and gets their best advice for rocking freelance writing.

A fundraiser shows us just how much information can be gleaned about a person from Facebook and other public information sites – even if your profile is set to private.

PR Working Girl offers some useful tips on networking.

Rainy Day Saver wonders if social media use can actually boost your productivity.

And to wrap things up, Redhead Writing calls on freelancers to start calling themselves business owners and lift their game. Biting and acerbic, it’s a hilarious call to action.

LIFE

At Yes and Yes, one girl shares her story of going through the foster care system.

Just a Titch defends Eat Pray Love (a book I haven’t read yet and a movie I probably won’t see) against its recent backlash.

Hate jeans shopping? Apparently Levi’s has a new fitting system that makes the whole thing a little less painful.

Surely you’ve heard about Jenny, who supposedly stuck it to her boss by quitting via a series of photos and a dry erase board. Lacey asks if we can still draw inspiration from her, hoax or not.

And As hard as it was not to pick, say, all of her posts this week, I managed to narrow it down to this one, where NTKOG gets friendly with her neighbours.

Since taking friendships offline is all the rage, Ashley as Aurora offers 10 tips for meeting up with a bloggy friend.

Fired and Fabulous muses on southern guys and just how gentlemanly they are (or aren’t).

Madame X wonders when the time is right to move in with a significant other.

And finally, Me in Millions struggles to find the balance between materialism and minimalism.

FOOD / TRAVEL

French food. In pictures. Via Fabulously Broke.

Why it’s not worth cooking with expensive olive oil (I thought even cheap EVOO was pricey, but nearly choked on the apparent cost of the “quality” stuff)

The best damn looking corn fritters I’ve ever seen, courtesy of Closet Cooking.

Kelly blogs about the things they don’t tell you about travel.

WORK / CAREER

Are you young, qualified and looking for a ‘professional’ job? You might be part of the Unserviced Workforce.

Ninja – who’s currently off honeymooning and whatnot – has a guest post on why gift cards suck.

One of Stratejoy’s new bloggers, Doniree, shares what life as a media buyer was like.

Mrs Micah may be gone, but her site lives on. Here’s how your online identity may be costing you (and no, it’s not about posting drunk/naked photos or slagging off the boss on Facebook.)

Lastly, Amanda Lee explains how to balance having two jobs and no life.