Top Ten West Michigan Blogs You Should be Reading

   Just got back from our monthly meet up of West Michigan Bloggers. There is always eating, sometimes drinking, and most of the time some blog talk. Well in between talk of husbands, kids, fashion, food and miscellaneous other things having nothing whatsoever to do with blogging. So I thought I would introduce you to some of my local buddies so you can check them out for yourself. Inevitably I will leave people out because, hello, I can only put ten in here (so please, don’t hate me, pretty, pretty please). But these are some fun gals I have gotten to know over the past several months.

1. Dutch Being Me: If you are going to have a West Michigan Blog there is good chance someone is going to have Dutch in the title. p.s. She has an amazing and inspiring weight loss journey.
2. Simple Organized Living: I met Andrea for the first time tonight and one of the first things she said to me was, “You look so much younger in real life than in your Twitter picture.” So I immediately decided that a) she is clearly brilliant and b) I need a new Twitter picture. In all honesty she has a great blog about simplifying and organizing your life. And my goodness, she has only been at it a few months and has done some amazing things. I am telling you about her in part of my effort not to hate her for the fact that she is only 25.
3. Jodi Michelle and Stacey Says: See how I fit two in there just now. I am tricky like that. They get lumped together, well because they complete each other’s sentences. But more than that because they threw and awesome bloggy conference last year, Gleek Retreat that I couldn’t go to because it was my niece’s first birthday. But I heard such great things about it that I am going to try my darnest to make it next year.
4. Autumn at Oak Hollow: I actually met Heather quite randomly at BlogHer a year ago and then promptly lost touch. Until our little group started meeting and I remember that we both lived in the same town. She has a delightful blog about her life and I just love her tagline, “Overreacting to life since birth, writing about it since 2005.”
5. Kitchen Stewardship: One of the first local bloggers I met in real life and one of the main reasons for all the food changes we have made around here. This lady knows her stuff when it comes to eating “real food” and is ridiculously sweet on top of that. I also recently found out that despite her passion about real food she has been known to down ice cream bars with wild abandon. My kind of gal.
6. Naturally Knocked Up: Another “real food” blogger who eats things like liver and kefir and fermented something or other. And even likes it. All kidding aside, I have learned a ton from her even if I am not quite as hard core. I wish I would have known about her blog when I was having trouble getting pregnant because her blog has a wealth of information about the relationship between what we put in our body and it how it affects fertility. A must read if you are in the baby making years.
7. The Local Cook: I talk about this blog so much I should be getting kick backs. But I love it because she tells me how to use all my delicious CSA produce and cooks all the recipes from my absolute favorite cookbook, Simply in Season. She is like my food guinea pig.
8. What Megan’s Making: Yep, more food. She tries out new (always delicious looking, I might add) recipes and gives her feedback. Then her hubby gives his stamp of approval. Or not. But usually he does. And tonight I just found out our husbands work at the same company. I am most dying to make her version of a Hostess Cupcake.
9. Sarah’s Deals and Savvy Chic Savings: See…how I did that again. I am a crafty one my friends. These are my two go to bloggers for local deals. But if you aren’t local they are still worth a follow as I often find them highlighting national deals I don’t find on other “deal blogs”. Well and because they are both so generous with their blogging information. Love that!!
10. Big Binder: No list would be complete without mentioning my real life friend Jen. You see, we met before either of us knew what a blog was and then we waded in these crazy waters together. She is passionate about West Michigan, but even more passionate about helping people be the best mom and all around citizen and steward of the world we can be. I want to be her when I grow up.

I know I have left people out and I am excited to continue to get to know everyone better. I am really grateful for such a great community of women who will talk blogging with me without their eyes glazing over. Or looking at me like I’m crazy. Ok, so maybe that still happens a bit, but a little less than usual. And that is priceless.

This post is linked up to Top Ten Tuesday at one of my absolute favorite non- Michigan blogger (although she really should move here so we can be real life besties) Oh Amanda.