OK, actually I LOVE reading other people's blogs. It is encouraging, challenging, inspiring, motivating, and just fun.

I love to read blogs of my friends. It's a way that I can keep in touch without talking to them everyday. It helps me to get an understanding of what's going on in their lives and even though we are separated by miles, I feel somehow closer to them.

I enjoy reading blogs of people I don't know. It sounds weird (although if you're reading this, you enjoy reading blogs and so it probably doesn't sound weird to you). I know my husband thinks I'm absolutely crazy. Why would I want to read a bunch of stuff about people I dont' know. However, he is obsessed with looking at Craig's List for things that 1)we can't afford and 2)he wouldn't buy most of the time anyway. I digress...

Anyway, I find reading blogs incredibly enriching to my life. It gives me a glimpse into someone else's life and I don't have to be there. Not that I would mind being there, I just don't have to. The blogs I'm reading expect nothing from me (except an encouraging comment here and there is always appreciated). So, it's a no pressure "relationship." I can get behind a few days and still catch up. I always find little tid bits here and there that help me with schooling my girls or life in general.

One of the other things about blogs is once you've "met" someone you can "meet" another someone through their blog.  I was doing this today. I read on a blog that I found who knows where. And, she had some links to other blogs, so I started reading those links and even added a few to my favorites list.

It has helped me pick up ideas for things that I never thought I would try, and really didn't even know where to go to get started. One area that blogging has helped me is with cooking. For most of my cooking life my goal has been ease. However, about two and a half years ago, I lost a bunch of weight and really became conscious of trying to eat healthier, making more things, etc. I'm not always so good at it. But, recently I've been reinspired and realizing that I really do want to instill good habits in my children. So, I love to read blogs of moms who plan all their menus (I will be this mom SOMEDAY), make delicious meals from scratch, and always have a healthy snack on hand. It challenges me and inspires.

Yet, one other aspect of blogs that I like is that no one is looking over my shoulder to see if I'm doing all these things too . If I fail at my menu making attempts, I don't feel the condemnation. I read someone else's and am inspired to try again. I can pick one or two things from a blog here and there and work on that. I struggle with feeling like I'm NOT the supermom I want to be, but reading blogs challenges me to keep at it and to not give up.

These are all the thoughts I pondered this morning, as I was making homemade granola using a recipe from a blog I read. I felt so inspired, grateful, and excited about changes happening in my life.

THANKS! to all you blogging moms out there that really bring a bright spot to my day!!!

Jilann