Thursday, October 11, 2012

Sharing a "Latte Love" for my Favorite Blogs {#LatteLove at Home Prize Package Giveaway}

Latte Love logo
I wish I was a morning person.

Someone who woke up rested and smiling, ready to greet the day by bounding out of bed because I'm so eager to start working, exercising, or simply living in the moment.

In reality, every member of my family knows that there are few circumstances in which they should wake up Mommy (it has also been pretty clearly determined that waking up Mommy by whining or fighting is especially not pleasant).

If I had my way, I'd not only wake up to blissful quiet or the sounds of children happily playing or eating breakfast, but I'd be allowed anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes of time to myself to fully be prepared to start the day. I'd leisurely stroll downstairs, grab a cup of coffee (or, even better, a tasty latte!) and catch up on what's been going on with my favorite bloggers.

latte love

As I shared recently, it is easier to make lattes at home than I had realized. Simply heat one cup of milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking quickly with a wire whisk to create foam. Meanwhile, brew your strong coffee (you'll need about 1/2 cup). Next, pour the heated milk into a tall mug, holding back the foam with a spoon, and then add strong brewed coffee and spoon a thin layer of foamed milk over the beverage.

So to combine this delicious drink with some great blog posts? Sounds like a perfect way to start my morning!

The fine folks over at TheBreakfastProject.com and MilkMustache.com wanted to know which blogs in particular I can't live without and, let me tell you, it is hard to narrow them down. In the past 3+ years that I've been blogging, I've come across so many women (and a few men as well) that give sound advice, bring a smile to my face or generally just make me want to read what they have to say.

In May 2011 I had the opportunity to list some of my favorites and, looking back at that post, I find that I still enjoy nearly every single one that I had mentioned (I say nearly, as Victoria from Mommy Is Green has since stopped blogging). But A Mom's Balancing Act, A Nut in a Nutshell, An Island Life, KiddiesCorner Deals, Sippy Cup Mom and The Life of Rylie... & Bryce, too! are still definite must-haves for me.

Delving further into my Google Reader, I never start the day off without a few more of my favorites (as with my previous list, these are in alphabetical order)...

Our Nifty Notebook: I admire Jenny's blog for a number of reasons, but mainly because it's so... her. Her personal posts range from family vacations to homeschooling her darling daughter to crafts or recipes that she likes and each one is easy to read and feels as though it is directed right to each reader.

There are always adorable photographs, great tips, inspiration to try something new... and don't even get me started on how much I love Jenny's themed mantels throughout the year. I get so excited when another holiday rolls around just so I can see how she is going to decorate for it!

Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures: Amber is a wife and mother and, when looking for a place to vent about some of the crazy experiences that parenthood provides, began to write them on her blog. And illustrate them. With crappy pictures.

The end result are some of the funniest, most random, most nod your head because it's totally happened to you as well situations that you can imagine and I feel a burst of excitement every time my Reader shows me that she has published another post.

Rave and Review: When I grow up, I hope to be like Leanne (I can say that because I'm pretty sure that I'm older than she is). She is eloquent, generous, thoughtful, talented, honest and freaking hilarious — whether in person or through written word — and I admire the hard work that she puts into all aspects of her life.

I'm always interested to see what high quality product she, her husband, and their two it can't be legal to have this much cuteness in one family kids have reviewed, because not only will the post be great, but it will have had to pass Leanne's high standards to have made it to them in the first place. What can I say? The woman's got good taste!

The Bloggess: If you spend much time at all online, you know that while Jenny is indeed a blogger, she's also a New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist, activist and much more.

A celebrity in her own right, Jenny's posts range from topics such as taxidermy, depression, conversations with her husband, Wil Wheaton collating paper, her crazy cats, a giant metal chicken named Beyonce (who, incidentally, has well over 50,000 Facebook fans. Can YOU say that?) and much, much more. A dozen more paragraphs still wouldn't sum up The Bloggess, which is how it should be, and I wish Jenny would post 10 times a day because it would make my day 10 times better.

There you have four more of the blogs that have a prominent place in my online reading library and that I would love to find have new posts published for me to read while sipping a morning latte. No matter if I've met, emailed or have never been in contact with these ladies, they have still left an impression on me with their individual qualities and stellar writing. Who knew that the internet could introduce me to such wonderful people?

For more information, recipes, tips and ideas for brewing your own perfect latte, cappuccino or coffee drink at home, be sure to visit The Breakfast Project and Milk Mustache. Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to fill their breakfast with a "latte love" soon as well, because...

One lucky person will win a Latte Love at Home Prize Package*!

Latte Love giveaway
*Care Package includes a Latte Love mug and a coupon for a free gallon of milk

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below. If you have any questions or problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received products and compensation from MilkMustache.com and The Motherhood as part of my participation in this campaign. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

160 comments:

Kathy Eyre said...

I love surfing on the Houss website to get decorating ideas.

Lynne said...

Little Brown Pen is a great blog with beautiful photos.

lynne at fairpoint dot net

Unknown said...

notes from an alien on writing and publishing

scottsgal said...

I enjoy A Nut in a Nutshell blog

Kimberly said...

Smiles and Trials
Kims2312@verizon.net

juliec said...

Besides yours, I enjoy little brown pen

JC said...

I like couponsdealsandmore

Nancy said...

I like Val's Kitchen.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Sarah Hall said...

I enjoy the Classy Mommy blog.

Jessyca said...

I read A Nut In a Nutshell daily. Thanks for the chance.

wigget said...

i also enjoy mom and more

K. Geller said...

I like ihearorganizing

Lisa R said...

2 wired 2 tired,

sibabe64 at ptd dot net

Ruth said...

I like Shady Lady

Laurel said...

I also like reading Momspotted.
alwaysneedhim4evr@yahoo.com

d schmidt said...

I really enjoy so many! I like Newly Crunchy Mama of 3 :)

mummytotwoboys@yahoo.com

john said...

Leites

Meghan said...

My favorite blog is The Foley Fam right now!

JLin said...

TheBabyGuyNYC

Kathy Davis said...

I like "The Second Time Around".
Kathy Davis
kdavis1@centurytel.net

Daphne Turner said...

the news website Armstrongmywire.com

Kathy Davis said...

FB fan of Thanks, Mail Carrier as Kathy Newsom Davis.
Kathy Davis
kdavis1@centurytel.net

debijackson said...

Blogfully and a Nut in a Nutshell
debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

I love peasandthankyou.com! Seriously adorable family
Ttrockwood@yahoo.com

kymom13 said...

My favorite blog is Sweeping Me...great giveaways and reviews!

captainliss40 said...

I like Chef in Training.

apple blossom said...

modest motherhood

Brittany said...

I like Pregnant Chicken!

Chelsea said...

I really enjoy reading Mamalaughlin :)

Anonymous said...

The Lucky Ladybug
Sukie (dot) meadows (at) aol (dot) com

Jenny Stanek said...

Fabulous Won!

orangestar17(at)hotmail(dot)com

Andrea said...

I subscribe to quite a few. I enjoy reading The Frugal Girl and the recipes from The Pioneer Woman.

jessica said...

i love reading peanut butter fingers

jek9880 at gmail dot com

Randi said...

I love reading howdoesshe.com. It has lots of good tips for saving money, crafting, and raising families.

SueZH said...

I like reading 3 green tomatoes

pinktaz60 said...

Betsy Rubendall Barnes
pinktaz60@hotmail.com

I enjoy reading Window on the World :)

Liz Mays said...

Love ya friend. That's all!

mverno said...

the lucky ladybug
mverno@roadrunner.com

Marti Tabora said...

I like Reading Leslie Loves Veggies.

ellen said...

contestgirl

Raye W said...

notmartha, storage geek, scattered musings of a creative mind, deliacreates, unclutterer, the alison show, frugal village.....gosh so many more.I just realized I'm a blog addict!

ohstac said...

For the Mommas.

Kylie Carlson said...

I love No Big Dill and Made by Rae!

Anonymous said...

Postmodern System Admin (xkyle.com)

EMMAHORTON said...

HORTON111@AOL.COM

I LIKE WEB MD

AmandaC said...

I enjoy Runners World and all the resources they have to offer runners

emeraldmaz said...

I like reading Libby's library news

jcwega27 said...

the divine secrets of a domestic diva
jessicawedwards@gmail.com

Seyma Bennett Shabbir said...

I love the blogs for the reviews, giveaways, and posting about family life. When I want celebrity gossip I go to thesuperficial.com Then I can relax and enjoy my coffee and try not to laugh or spit on my laptop. LOL
seyma_bennett@hotmail.com

susitravl said...

Food n Focus Blog.

Kayla said...

I like Curvy Girl Chic!

Heather said...

I am a reader, not a writer

cbowlingtn said...

A Nut in A Nutshell

Unknown said...

I like Simple Savings for ATL Moms. She has been so dear to me and my mother.

Dave said...

desert chica ramblings

entered as Davis

playswithclay said...

I like the Classy Mommy blog.

Wendy ArtsyChaos said...

I like the Bloggess too! http://abeautifulmess.com/ is a good one, lots and lots of inspiration.

Stephanie said...

I like the Classy Mommy Blog

Linda W. said...

I subscribe to a million blogs- my favorites are Money Saving Mom, The Simple Dollar, Len Penzo, Pink Dandy Chatter and Fake it Frugal

Kathy said...

Neatorama

Linda Y. said...

Rave & Review

Yona Williams said...

One of the blogs I read is Savings and Stewardship. Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

chantal cooper said...

one of my favorite blogs is time2saveworkshops.com

Sarah said...

I like reading Susan Heim on Parenting.

Anonymous said...

babysavers.com my address is Kbroderi@msn.com

Dee Wolters said...

I like to get ideas from Moneysavingmom.com

twolters@bellsouth.net

Terra Heck said...

There are several I like but a couple that stand out are Running Away? I'll Help You Pack and KiddiesCorner Deals. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

petchk79 said...

I really enjoy reading moneysavingmom.com, she has a lot of posts that are relevant to me!

Mirm said...

love following pyjammy's blog about her triplets

kyl neusch said...

Val's Kitchen.

Cori Westphal said...

I love reading My Life with Rats and More. She's a great reviewer, and always has personal posts that make me feel close to her, even though I don't know her! http://www.ratsandmore.com

coriwestphal at msn dot com

carrie machowski said...

I love little brown pen.

Theresa said...

I really love moneysavingmom.com

cc_girly(at)yahoo(dot)com

callbr549 said...

I love the Money Saving Mom. :)
vgsaxon(at)gmail(dot)com

Flowerg said...

I like reading Leslie Loves Veggies or A Mom's Take. Have so many favorites :). There are so many great bloggers out there.
romapup at gmail dot com

Heather! said...

My Organized Chaos and Blogging Dangerously are two of my favorite blogs.

Thanks!
h4schaffer at gmail dot com

puye said...

I enjoy A Nut in a Nutshell blog

agnesye@hotmail.com

Kelly Massman said...

Moxie Fab World for me (paper crafting)...

*Mirage* said...

Smockityfrocks.com because she's hilarious!

Allyson Bossie said...

well other than you of course, I religiously follow my fellow NC blogger A Nut in a Nut Shell.

polly said...

leslie loves veggies is awesome!

virgomomwriter said...

I like Makobi Scribe and Leslie Loves Veggies.

Anonymous said...

sweepsadvantage.com

Unknown said...

i love reading twobabiesdofashion.blogspot.com

Allison Downes said...

Besides yours :) I love A Nut in A Nutshell

Thanks for the great giveaway!

Kelly Blackwell @ Heres My Take On It said...

I love Artsy VaVa. There are always so many great idaes.
Thanks!

Kelly Blackwell @ Heres My Take On It said...

I love Artsy VaVa. There are always so many great idaes.
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

in a nut shell blog


thank you

star95011)(yahoo()com

kathy f said...

The frugal girls.

Unknown said...

Coupon with cents Lieutenantcrunch27 (at) gmail (dot) com

Nicole C. said...

I like Shop with Me Mama.

choateorama(at)gmail(dot)com

Kathy P said...

I love reading the http://www.diynetwork.com

MELINA said...

I like reading Hip 2 Save and wild for wags.

Marysa said...

Hip2Save and Kelle Hampton's blog (Enjoying the Small Things)
Marysa {at} marysa {dot} com

Karen F said...

Faith and Family Reviews

Unknown said...

Mommy Digger

Pricousins said...

I love reading ResourcefulMommy

Jennifer T. said...

I like to read Faithful Provisions.

Unknown said...

I like the blog im a reader not a writer

vera p. said...

I enjoy the Mommy Living the Life of Riley blog.

Unknown said...

Nuts in a Nutshell

Unknown said...

I love moneysavingmom and so many other ones.

Jessica said...

1+1+1=1

Ashley said...

I love Money Saving Mom!

Kayla said...

I read moneysavingmom.com every day :)

Teish said...

The Home Educating Family blog rocks!

Andria P. said...

http://moneysavingmom.com/

Katie said...

love following Money Saving Mom

Anonymous said...

I love this site. I'm a coffaholic I would love this latte love

Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and Garden said...

I like to read many- one hundred dollars a month is one of my favorites
vickie

Caryn said...

I love Annie's Eats for original recipes

caryn9802 at yahoo dot com

nicolesender said...

I like Busy-At-Home!
nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

Debra said...

i read this day in history

Unknown said...

I really like reading EPBOT. She's really funny!
magickalblessings26{at}gmail.com

Claire said...

I like reading Cracked. Their humor isn't for everyone (pretty vulgar) but it's good for a laugh to start the morning.

Anonymous said...

CrunchyBetty has a great site of natural ideas and recipes.

Nickolay said...

Capturing Minnesota is a good one

Erica C. said...

I like looking at postsecret.com
ericacarnes(at)gmail(dot)com

Justin said...

I'm a big fan of reddit.com

Marianna said...

I like reading Couponing to Disney

Unknown said...

Makobi Scribe

foodmom4life said...

I enjoy my daughter's blog
http://typicaltheatergeekproblems.tumblr.com/

♡♥♬ Louis ♬♥♡ said...

I like spicie.com

Thank you for hosting this giveaway

Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

Kaila said...

FrugalLivingNW

Anonymous said...

I enjoy shady lady

ellen said...

for the best baking inspirations I look at this blog, even tho I know mine will never look like hers:
Confections of a Master Baker

http://www.confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/

kafkaesk -at- verizon -dot- net

cman said...

Cookie Madness.

clynsg said...

Amberkatze Book Blog

cgclynsg0 @ gmail dot com

susansmoaks said...

i enjoy reading just a girl blog
susansmoaks at gmail dot com

Auri Lae said...

I'm a fan of Geekologie

ladyvon5845 said...

I like Steamy Kitchen. ladyvon at grm dot net

corey1971 said...

I like New Age Mamma (CoreyOlomon)

micheal dale grim said...

i enjoy the family focus blog!!

lightlovebeing said...

I like cuckoo4coupons

kat said...

WWW.goodread.com... keeps me updates of new books and giveaways.
kat_emerick@yahoo.com

Nikki Strong said...

I love moneysavingmom.com. It has LOTS of money saving ideas!

Gina F. said...

I love reading Leslie Loves Veggies blog.

ginaferrell3 at yahoo dot com

Mary said...

I like MommyRamblings and so many more!

Mandy said...

moneysavingmom.com - for deals and diy tips

Stephanie said...

For one I love your blog and read it at least twice a week but I also enjoy Airplanes and Dragonflies :)
dark_princess_ar(at)aol(dot)com

Trisha McKee said...

Not a blog, but I love cracked.com. So funny!

tridingermckee at gmail dot com

susan1215 said...

I like reading Leslie Loves Veggies blog

s2s2 at comcast dot net

Patrice said...

I enjoy reading JoyfulChristianhomemaking.blogspot.com

Teresa Thompson said...

Nut in a Nutshell

Anonymous said...

Datalounge!

theyyyguy@yahoo.com

Cris Henry said...

Slap Dash Mom

lilyk said...

I enjoy reading Erasureinfo.com.

Unknown said...

I enjoy reading Dear Baby.

blew415 said...

elleandblair!

Patricia Wojnar Crowley said...

Mojo Savings

Jim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Debbie said...

2 wired 2 tired their wired and she's tired:) great blog!

Mary Gardner said...

i love southern plate

jagar0047 at yahoo dot com

Kat said...

living rich with coupons

daveshir2005 said...

I like a nut in a nut shell

email/ daveshir2005@yahoo.com
fb/ shirley greenawalt zolenski

Anonymous said...

I like About a Mom.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy reading the blog momgenerations. It is always fun.

Amy Lee said...

I like Macobi Scribe :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a celebrity gossip junkie and I love reading people.com!

Tylerpants said...

I like looking at recipes on the Pioneer Woman's website. tylerpants(at)gmail.com