In Exchange
April 10, 2007
I have a problem.
And as far as problems go, I suppose it's a good problem to have, in that it's not necessarily bad.
You see, I've forgotten how to browse the Internet. I've gotten into a rut of visiting the same sites, over and over and over again. Everyday I read the same blogs, mostly via Bloglines, and I'm tired of it. I'm not tired of your blog, of course. Your blog is fabulous.
When I try to branch out, perhaps by Googling something of interest to me, perhaps by visiting your blogrolls, I am overwhelmed. There is so much out there. Which do I choose? So I close my Internet browser (Firefox, Firefox, please say you use Firefox, too), try to do something else for a few minutes, find that I can't, for the force is with me, and I float back to the shiny Internet like a moth to a flame.
I have a solution, though.
This is the part where I, once again, ask for the help of my ultra-savvy readers. You know things. And you're pretty. Help me?
I've decided to highlight three of my most favorite sites of late. I'm not sure how I happened upon each of them, but I've been reading them (or using them, whichever the case may be) for months, and you should be, too.
In return, you'll leave a comment telling me about at least ONE of your favorite sites and either (a) how it reached "favorite" status or (b) why I should visit it.
Ready for the fun to begin? (Me too!)
IKEA HACKER
I find it ironic that I love this site as much as I do, considering that (WARNING: sheepish confession ahead!) I've never set foot in an Ikea, which is particularly traumatic considering that I live less than 30 miles from such a haven. I do get the catalog, though, so I'm not completely inept. However, when it comes to decorating, I sort of AM incompetent. My office walls are bare, and if left to myself, my walls at home would be, too.
When I do decorate, the result is not a polished, livable space that makes you relax the moment you cross the threshold. Rather, the hairs on the back of your neck might stand at attention and you would probably find yourself wondering whether some evil soul blindfolded me and sent me to Pier 1 to go shopping. My style is more hodge-podge, which is really no style at all, and while I'm attempting to shop I am generally thinking, "Hey! These colors – they…match. Uhhhhh, maybe they'll go together? I bet they totally could. I could probably just hang this, uh, on a wall. And maybe put this on a coffee table? And that piece of art would probably just tie the whole thing together. Ummmm, yep. So I'll just get those."
That said, when you visit my apartment, be sure to compliment my husband on his impeccable style. I had very little to do with it, which is why our home is lovely and stylish. But none of this has anything to do with why I love Ikea Hacker. The site is dedicated to thinking outside the box. Consumers purchase products from Ikea and manipulate them into completely different objects. You need examples, you say? How about buying a cutlery caddy and turning it into a lamp? Or turning a daybed into booth-style seating in your kitchen? Who would have thought?
DAILY LIT
I used to love reading. I read books that interested me, books that taught me, books that increased my worldview. And then I went to college and became an English major. The end.
As an English major I was exposed to numerous authors and different writing styles and tons of famous literature, but I rarely had an opportunity to read a book because I wanted to read it. By the time I graduated, I was burned out. The last thing I wanted to do was pick up a book that made me think, so I stopped almost entirely.
I've recently discovered Daily Lit, a site that houses a large collection of books and authors. Daily Lit allows its users to register (free!) for its service (free!), which is a system that emails users (free!) small, manageable portions of any book you choose. (Free!) You can set it to deliver portions daily, on weekdays or Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As soon as you finish a portion you can immediately request another. You can keep a list of books read, there are forums to discuss books and authors and more, and there are over fifty categories from which you can select your next read.
Daily Lit is a really convenient way for me to read books on-the-go and on my lunch break without lugging around a novel. This site may be my greatest find of the year.
SIX IN THE WORLD
Long before Roger and I met each other, we each dreamed of traveling the world. We both love being on the go, rolling our luggage through an airport, trying new cuisines and immersing ourselves in other cultures. We're currently trying to figure out how to make globetrotting more than just our passion – we want it to be our career. (Got ideas? Want to hire us to travel the world? Email me! Leave a comment! Our passports are ready!)
So you can imagine my excitement (and intense jealousy) when I discovered Six In The World. The site follows a family of six, ranging in age from 38 to 4, who have chosen to take a year off of work and school to trek across the globe. Their site highlights their experiences and travels, and is updated every couple of days, which leaves me salivating and compulsively hitting "refresh." I've read and re-read their entries, the details and itinerary of their trip, how they chose what clothes to take, and how they're managing to make this trip happen on a shoestring budget. Unsurprisingly, this family has become my idol.
There you have it - three of my favorite sites. Now: it's your turn. Can you recommend* at least one site to me that I need to visit, like, five minutes ago?
*You may want to visit my BLOGROLL and DISTRACTIONS to see whether the site is already a named favorite.
Comments
Well, 3 is tough to name since I don't read a whole lot of blogs. But, I'm like you in that I am sortof in a rut. However, the first one that came to my mind that I check on a multiple daily basis is Nothing But Bonfires. (http://www.nothingbutbonfires.com/) This is about Holly Burns and her boyfriend Sean Slinsky. They live in San Francisco, after having been on a six month trip through southeast Asia and a time in Singapore. You have to read her archives of their trip! She is a great writer, very witty, and just makes me laugh or cry with whatever she writes.
I also read Chock Late (http://chocklate2.wordpress.com/) who just happens to be one of my real life best friends. Aside from keeping in touch with Maya, I also enjoy reading her life in Santa Barbara antics, since I used to live there.
And finally, I know this will sound like I'm trying to earn points, but I actually really enjoy your blog. You are on my top three and I check it everyday. You are a great writer, Jes, and you make me laugh or smile. Everything you write is funny or touching or warm hearted - nothing mean, evil, etc.
So, that's it.
Posted by: Chiada | April 10, 2007 11:24 AM
Chiada: Thanks for the suggestions! Nothing But Bonfires has been a long-time favorite of mine. She found me about a month after she started her site, and I've been reading NBB since then. And you're right - hoo boy, can she write.
Posted by: jes | April 10, 2007 11:41 AM
Oh, I know what you mean. Actually when I run out of sites to browse as a procrastination tool at work, my favourite strategy does not involve Google either. I usually start surfing the blogrolls from my favourite blogs.
Anyway. A few of my favourite sites:
Dooce. No contest. I cannot possibly explain why I love this site quite as much as I do, but when I got the chance to meet Heather at BlogHer last year, I got star struck and teared up, and I've met "real" stars before and never got star struck with them. Actually it's quite embarrassing. But the designs that she does, and her photos of Chuck and Leta, and her writing style and biting sense of humour - they all make me love her. I love following along the story of her life. She makes the most mundane things hilarious.
Weddingbee.com. Oh wait, this one's irrelevant. You're already married. But oh my, the fun things they post about wedding planning... I am severely crippled by my addiction to this site. When they don't post anything new for several hours I get anxious and have to start reading the archives for my fix.
SparkPeople. Yep, still addicted to that one as well, but this one is for my own good! It helps me lose weight, get healthy, stay motivated, find recipes, and connect with other people on a similar mission!
Posted by: Laura | April 10, 2007 11:43 AM
Well, there's this new blog called Writes of Spring that's apparently pretty good...
Just kidding. Well, not about the good part.
Ummmm have you ever visited www.poems.com? (NOT to be confused with poetry.com). They have a new poem a day, if you're into that thing. They're excellent poems by established, legitimate poets (which is where they differ from poetry.com), and they'll give you plenty to think about every day.
I began visiting my junior year of college when I was in a poetry workshop. For a while there, they were pretty obsessed with publishing only super boring poems with classical allusions, but lately the poems have been pretty good and down to earth.
Posted by: Spring | April 10, 2007 01:28 PM
SmittenKitchen.com is one of my all-time favorite sites. Not only is she an amusing writer, but she takes beautiful pictures and her recipes are almost always stellar. I haven't made one dud yet off there. Wow, check it out. SO good.
Posted by: Janssen | April 10, 2007 02:07 PM
Thanks for this. I am going to send my hacked pantry unit to ikeahacker
I can give you one blog I'm lovin lately. So much so I just made an post about how happy I get when I see that there are new posts on this blog. Indexed
It is all hand drawn on index cards.
Posted by: PocketCT | April 10, 2007 02:11 PM
I recently found a site to help me with my internet rut.
www.stumbleupon.com
Check it out. I have found AMAZING sites by "Stumbling" on it.
Make sure to put in your interests so that it will be more focused to what you would like to find.
Posted by: Plain Jane | April 10, 2007 02:11 PM
I'm not sure how I found this one but I absolutely adore her. She's extremely preppy and I have a feeling that she smells like flowers. Just sayin'.
www.melissacmorris.blogspot.com
If I lived in NYC, had lots of money, and was blonde and skinny I would totally be like her.
Posted by: Mo | April 10, 2007 04:58 PM
I swear I am the same way. I have all my sites that I visit frequently in my favorites and never venture past them.
Posted by: Heather | April 10, 2007 07:07 PM
I swear I am the same way. I have all my sites that I visit frequently in my favorites and never venture past them.
Posted by: Heather | April 10, 2007 07:07 PM
La Tartine Gourmande = Food porn. *drool* Actually made one of her recipes too. Most yummy.
Bientot Demain = It's in French, so I have no idea what it says, but there are some cool designy things on it.
The Wish Jar = She makes me wish I was more artistic. And paper journally.
Posted by: Bianca | April 10, 2007 08:27 PM
I think you already comment on all my favorites!
Posted by: -R- | April 10, 2007 09:28 PM
Okay, the problem with having external links from this site to another is that I left this site and never came back to comment... I love that ikea hacker site.
Posted by: eddo | April 11, 2007 10:40 AM
Here are a couple of sites I find handy.
http://www.apple.com/trailers
Gives you a look at up and coming movies before seeing the trailer in theaters
http://www.damninteresting.com/
These are really just interesting stories you don't hear about every day.
http://ghoststudy.com/
Site that tells you if your photo was a real ghost or just lense flair. Fascinating as I like ghost stories.
~Jef
Posted by: Edge | April 11, 2007 02:05 PM
I know you are a foodie too, so have you tried
Chowhound It is where food lovers gather. A message board where you can ask questions and get answers, especially restaurant recs.
Or Chocolate and Zucchini? Clothilde lives in Paris and lives a fabulous life and cooks gorgeous food that she describes with wit and love. Sigh.
Posted by: Suebob | April 13, 2007 04:11 PM
No suggestions, but I wanted to say thank you for introducing me to Ikea Hacker and Daily Lit!
Posted by: Jhianna | April 20, 2007 12:18 PM