“blove”: round-up edition!

If you are a regular reader of my “blove” series, you know the general format – every month or so I share a blog that I’ve been a long-time fan of. I talk a little bit about the blog – and the blogger – and then turn it over to that blogger to share her favorite posts.

But over the last few weeks several of my friends have launched brand new sites, and I thought I’d take the opportunity to share them with you in a first-time-ever “blove round up”!

Are you excited? Let’s go then!

First up: fabulous, witty and talented Brooke Lark.

Brooke and I met as fellow food bloggers on Babble (you can find her posts here). She has a must-read blog called Cheeky Kitchen (seriously, you will LOVE this blog) and – oh yeah – she’s also written two books.

And now she’s teamed up with Gwen Hutchings to give the world Unomum. Let’s start with the tagline:

“Where Single Moms Love to Spend Their 2-Seconds of Daily Free Time.”

I really couldn’t love this more.  At Unomum you’ll find simple, to-the-point articles covering money, work, dating, fitness, food, health, politics and home (or as Unomum puts it, “you know – just a regular Wednesday”). There’s also a podcast in the works (coming soon), but my  favorite feature is the daily inspiration e-mail.

From Brooke: “Since single moms have hella no time, each e-mail arrives with just five words. We cut straight to the point, dishing up real speak that Single Moms (and, let’s be honest, ANY moms) deserve to hear daily.

Like this:

unomum3

And this:

unomum2

And while the site is geared toward single and divorced moms, moms wrangling with the idea of divorce and moms disillusioned by gender equity issues will also find home here. Gwen and Brooke want every mom who loves a proper curse word to join (so, basically, everyone). More from Brooke: “If you’re wrangling with women’s issues, Unomum is the space to connect with some of the brightest thinkers on the planet, unraveling issues,  and finding applicable truths that help you navigate life’s wild paths with aplomb.”

You can find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too.

Next up is Smallful. Smallful is the creation of Mari Richards – who you may remember from a “blove” post a while back, when I wrote about her lovely blog Small For Big.

Smallful is “a new printable shop featuring playful, well-designed digital downloads. The site includes c­raft projects for kids, and quick décor updates for all ages.”

For the craft-challenged among us (ahem), this is a life saver – seriously, click and print? Yes, please. Mari is a super-talented designer and her creations are that perfect balance of charming and sophisticated. Just take a look at the printables she created for Halloween:

smallful haunted houses and frightful forest

How cute would these look nestled among mini pumpkins and gourds on a table or mantelpiece?

I love these masks too – perfect for pretend play any time of year (especially with the long winter months looming):

smallful masks

Each printable includes assembly instructions – and they are quick to purchase, download, and begin creating right away. And anyone who signs up for the Smallful newsletter – called The Small Set – gets a free printable – and more freebies and sneak peeks coming to their inboxes in the future.

Smallful is brand spanking new but Mari promises lots of new categories and projects in the coming months – especially for the Holidays!

Take a look at Smallful’s bright and happy site, and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Finally, I bring you Middlesexy – brainchild of Jennifer Cullen (my good friend and creator of the hilarious, brutally honest blog Life’s Dewlaps).

middlesexy

Middlesexy’s tagline is “Older. Better. Sexier.”, and targets a specific group of women: over 40, and whose kids are high school or college-age. Women who are entering the next phase of life, and dealing with empty nests, peri-menopauase and a changing relationship with their partners.

A big part of what the site will cover (and more importantly, open up) is conversations about sexuality: “Even after the success of ‘50 Shades of Gray’, there seems to be a reticence among women our age to be open about sex. But we believe that sex plays an important role in our aging process. Use it or lose it!”

I told you she was brutally honest.

Middlesexy was created to help women adjust to all of the changes they’re experiencing with humor, a sense of community and a large dose of realism.

New content will appear each weekday, on topics that include the science of getting older, changing relationships, empty nests and of course, sexuality (I’m told there will be “product reviews”…..).

I can speak from personal experience that there is a dearth of content out there that is geared toward “women of a certain age”, and I’m looking forward to the frank conversation I’ve come to expect from Jennifer.

In addition to these fabulous new sites, a few of my bloggy friends have new gigs at other sites that I’d like to give a shout out to:

Elizabeth (of the divine Brooklyn Supper, and fellow Babble foodie) is now contributing to one of my favorite must-read sites, Food52. Take a look at this gorgeous fall salad she recently posted.

Caroline (remember her from Mealtime Bootcamp?) – in addition to the fab crafts she whips up for her own blog, Salsa Pie, AND along with her work over at PBS Parents – is now contributing to Handmade Charlotte. Handmade Charlotte is  a place that celebrates super creative DIY projects, crafts and recipes for the whole family.  Check out the adorable “spooky  terrarium” Caroline recently posted, and follow along for more great ideas!

And PJ – of A Girl Named PJ (formerly Bunny and Dolly) – has started writing for Cool Mom Picks. I love-love-love this round up of architecture-inspired jewelry, and am obsessed with that Frank Lloyd Wright “Guggenheim Rotunda” cuff.

SO MUCH good stuff, right?

I am so blessed to receive a lot of internet love from both friends and fellow bloggers (many of whom are also good friends). “Blove” is one of my most favorite features as it allows me to take the spotlight off of what I’m doing and shine it on the many talented creators I have the pleasure of knowing.

Go take a look and tell me what you think!

4 Comments

  1. PJ on November 13, 2014 at 9:38 am

    Thanks for giving my new gig at Cool Mom Picks some blove! Such a great roundup here! And I had to chuckle at “Middlesexy” — what a perfect name and tagline for that type of blog.

    • sherisilver on November 13, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      My pleasure! And I can personally attest to the awesomeness that is Jennifer! 🙂

  2. Jennifer Cullen on November 13, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    Feeling the love today, and always, from you! Thanks for including MiddleSexy in your round-up. And I loved checking out the others included. What a talented and creative bunch. XO.

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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!