Does anyone still read blogs these days? Let me tell you why I do: it’s to find real information for the real things that I need to know! Like… what the best gifts are for, say, my best friend’s daughter’s pet iguana. Trust me, there’s a blog that’ll tell you that!
I’m telling you right now, I LOVE to be nosy — especially on the internet — and so I’ve spent quite some time just browsing around and finding these things. Some are fairly new to me and are recent loves, and a couple of these are more long-term relationships and have proven their worth time and time again!
The Strategist by New Yorker Magazine
I think it was three Christmases ago when I stumbled upon the best blog/website on the whole internet because I was in need of Christmas gifts. I can’t remember who it was, maybe my new mother in law at the time, but whoever it was I’m sure I got them a super cool gift because of this discovery. The whole thing is nothing but lists…. Which at first does sound boring, but there is literally a list for any and everything that you can imagine. Need new rain boots? They’ve got a list for that. What about charcoal toothpaste? A list for that! What about gift ideas for a 2-year-old? Or an 18-year-old? Yup… lists for that. Or a dad? Or an Uncle? Yup…
Today may win the prize for the most unusual list I’ve seen though: “The Best Butt-Inspired Home Décor.” Whatttt??? Those New Yorkerssss….
One of the best parts of The Strategist is their “Celebrity Shopping” sections where they find a celebrity and who will list ten or so of their can’t-live-without daily products. Sometimes they are super fancy and over the top, but sometimes they are just everyday items that are just really great products.
Each item on each list has at least one or two links to either find it on Amazon or the product website. You also should sign up for their email newsletter because they are always sending whats on sale and where, etc. Just good stuff to know for shoppers who don’t like to get out of their chairs. Like me.
Next:
Young House Love
https://www.younghouselove.com/
Now this blog, I could be in a marriage with. I first discovered John and Sherry in 2010, about three years after they began their blog. We are all the same age and they were getting ready to be first time parents, just as I was getting ready to be a first-time parent.
Their blog is all about home DIY projects, and even though I have never really completed a home DIY project, I have LOVED watching THEM do it. They have bought several different homes in different areas of the country and have completely gutted them. Her style is so pretty, simple, modern, and white… which is exactly the opposite of what my home happens to look like, but that’s not the point at all!
These days I enjoy looking at their previous home they had in Richmond because somehow it reminds me of the 1960s ranch that I currently reside in. I just love homes that were built in the 50s and 60s, so you can only imagine my pure excitement when, in 2018, I got the rare opportunity to purchase one of my very own. There is a gigantic amount of living space in it, not enough bedrooms, and the plumbing absolutely drives us nuts 365 days out of the year. (Why do little boys constantly put things in the toilet that they shouldn’t?) But to me, it’s nothing short of a dream home. My grand piano, Carol, has her own living room, Jack has his own living room with his toys everywhere and with a dog bed in the middle for him to take spontaneous naps on, my husband has his own personal den with all his sports things in there complete with his own beer fridge, (I always chuckle at the fact that there’s a dang “beer fridge” in my home,) it has a huge kitchen, dining room, and a sunroom where my band has had its rehearsal space for the last 3 years! If we ever decide to leave this wonderful home, however, I will most definitely choose a home that is closer to being brand new!
Anyway, YoungHouseLove is definitely the place to go if you have a home to renovate or just wanna be nosy and watch others do it!
Next:
Dominique Sachse
https://www.youtube.com/c/dominiquesachsetv
I discovered Dominique about a year and a half ago on YouTube whilst searching for outfit ideas. (I’m constantly on the search for outfit ideas because my own outfit ideas are just a little too much for everyday living.) I included her website address above, but really, I’ve only seen her content on Instagram and on her YouTube channel. To me, she’s like the Queen of YouTube!
She tells you everything you need to know from different products you need to try, to modeling outfits she puts together, to makeup tips, to just living life. She even gets pretty personal at times and really lets you know she’s just a girl in the world, just like we all are.
I love trying to make some of her outfits work for me, although it is quite a challenge at times. She is an amazon at 6 foot 2 inches tall and has the body of a supermodel, so making her outfits work on this big ol’ thick chick sometimes is just down-right a comedy act. (But then again, most things I do always turn out to be a comedy act.)
She looks so cute with her little tee shirts on and her Chanel belt around her waist…I would literally look like Mrs. Humpty Dumpty trying to walk about with a belt on and my shirt tucked in. Now here’s an opportunity for a teachable moment: ladies, if you have curvy hips and are over size 12, put a dadgum duster on! Geez. You can still most certainly tuck ya shirt in and put that Chanel belt on, but if you don’t add some vertical lines to that mess, you’ll look like Mother Earth whose equator just happens to be by Chanel.
Dominique has encouraged me to try charcoal toothpaste, black jeans, magnetic eyelashes, and taught me ways to look younger! You never know what the topic of her weekly videos will be, so every Thursday when she posts, it’s kind of like opening a present!!
Cheers!
Miss Rachel's Keys 