Reading The Oatmeal is like reading the comics in the newspaper, version 2.0--except The Oatmeal's much more useful. The site is a really fun mishmash of comics, quizzes, parodies, and advice, and everything is written and illustrated by web designer Matthew Inman. The Oatmeal is your new resource for discovering how many germs live on your cell phone, 10 things not to Tweet about, how to use an apostrophe or 17 facts about your cat. Take a quiz to see if you could still pass a driving test or determine whether your loved ones are plotting to eat you. And don't miss the explanation of why people go crazy for Twilight.
The Penny Pinching Diva is the mom to four boys, and she writes that she started her blog because she wants "to help others out there, who like myself, live on one income and want to stretch their dollars as far as they will go. I love catching sales, finding amazing steals at yardsales, couponing, CVS'ing, frugal cooking and anything else that will make my family look like they're 'living large' on less then $10." The site features extensive upcoming coupon insert previews, deals at chain stores like Target and K-Mart, and other coupons available to print online. While these money-saving tips make up the bulk of the content on the site, the Penny Pinching Diva reveals a more personal side in her weekly "5 Things I am Loving" posts.
Edutaining Kids is a fantastically useful database of reviews of kids' software, DVDs, video games, toys, and books. It's a great resource for anybody looking for holiday gift ideas or trying to decide which products to buy for their kids. This isn't one of those "banish the video games from your house" sites--it takes a tech-filled household for granted, reviewing favorite videos for babies and toddlers or collecting fun learning projects for getting creative with digital cameras. Don't miss the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, which is broken down by age (baby through 10+) and features both good old-fashioned and modern electronic toys, and books, arts and crafts, and other great presents for kids.
Money Changes Things is a blog about the good things you can do with your money, with a focus on "socially responsible investing, savvy consuming, [and] sustainable living." Much of the site's content focuses on changes you can easily make from your desk or within your home. Recent posts, for example, alerted readers to free-trade instant coffee and covered eco-friendly laundry strategies. The site also reviews philanthropic initiatives like micro-financing site Microplace and Join My Village and highlights readers' do-good efforts.
Clean Green Talk is a blog written by Leslie Reichert, who supervised a large cleaning service for years and turned to green cleaning after she saw the effects of chemicals in the home. Blog posts focus on how to keep your house spic-and-span without using those harsh products. This month, the blog features a countdown-to-Thanksgiving cleanup plan, which promises to have your house in great shape by the time guests arrive and even includes days to shop and a day to relax. Other useful tips include green alternatives to antibacterial soaps ("Fold some paper towels (recycled of course) neatly into a Ziploc bag and spritz with some water and lemon juice") and Teflon pans. Best of all, most of these tips require products you probably have around your house already, like baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice.
As book review sections vanish from newspapers, it can be tough to decide what to read next (especially if you don't feel like relying on Amazon customer recommendations). One-Minute Book Reviews, "for people who like to read but dislike hype and review inflation," is written by former Glamour book columnist and Cleveland Plain Dealer book critic Janice Harayda.
Written by Richard R. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, Nudge is a blog about "improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness" based on a popular book of the same name. Each post provides a great example of how little changes in perception can make a big difference. Plus, you'll feel smarter for reading. Recent posts cover ways to get people to take the stairs more often (think music and a view), a method for answering questions more accurately, and the benefits of using urinal flies when you have seven-year-old twins. The site's link roundups are especially interesting and will alert you to a scale that tells the world how much you weigh via Twitter and a recycling program that allows users to earn awards.
Casual Kitchen isn't one of those rapturous food blogs with misty photos of fancy desserts - it's a great day-to-day resource for practical home cooks. If focuses on "food philosophy, money-saving ideas and easy and inexpensive recipes," and many posts are broken down into useful tips. We love the "laughably cheap" recipe series, including dishes like Smoky Black Bean Brazilian Soup and Creole-Style Coffee; interesting food science articles (if you eat too many appetizers, you can blame evolution); and useful lists like "15 Creative Ways to Avoid Holiday Overeating," "How to Apply the 80/20 Rule to Cooking" (people do 80% of their cooking with only 20% of the kitchen gadgets they own), and "Ten Tips to Save Money on Spice and Seasonings" (start in the Latin American foods aisle). The blog's matter-of-fact nature makes it a great read for people who enjoy cooking but aren't necessarily into shopping for rare vinegars and exotic new types of salt.
Lifestyle optimization blog LifeSnips just launched, but it's already packed with great tips for busy families. A recent post on surviving Thanksgiving offers tips to make Turkey Day go more smoothly...
The blogosphere: Filled with information about great bands, movies, shows, and videos you've never heard of but would probably love? Yes. So crowded with said information that it's hard to know where to even start looking? Definitely. That's why Paste Magazine.com's List of the Day blog is so essential: It curates all those great bands and movies into easily digestible lists, one a day (hence the title). Lists range from the useful (16 Albums to Look Forward To This Fall, 25 Indie Films to Catch This Fall, The Decade's 25 Most-Essential Foreign Films) to the quirky (Songs for Sweater Weather) to the funny (Dead Celebrities Crazy People Insist Are Alive But Still in Hiding). Take just a few minutes to read the daily list, and you'll come away with a few great cocktail party conversation starters--and tons of albums to buy on iTunes and DVDs to add to your Netflix queue.
A blog about the intersection of design and family, Design Mom is written by a designer/art director and mother of five, so she knows what she's talking about. Not surprisingly, her kids' Halloween costumes were amazing. Her recent Ask-Design-Mom-Week series tackles stylish stroller recommendations and unique Christmas card sources. The "Pimp My Ride: Family Edition" post is a wishlist for a car that's every parent's dream ("nowhere for apple cores to hide and no hard-to-reach places to clean. Streamline"). And her teacher gifts on a budget are trendy and useful without breaking the bank.
A community-based wellness blog, SocialWorkout.com is based on the idea that "to get the best out of this world, we must stick together. Everyone can use a little help to fight the inertia, and to be our baddest ass selves, if you will. Hello 'social' workout. We can't actually wake you up at 6:30am (yet), but we can guide you to an emergency spinning class on Saturday afternoon, and pass along intel about life saving personal trainers and/or surf-yoga retreats in Costa Rica." The site regularly hosts "challenges" for members; the latest, Eat. Sweat. Blog., brought members together to blog about their experiences as they mastered "feats" of healthy eating like cutting out soda and being a locavore for a day. SocialWorkout.com is expanding its local sections; it currently has fitness resource guides for New York and Los Angeles, with more cities to come. And posts on topics like better workout buddies, the best fitness products on Etsy, and food/muscle pairings are useful and fun no matter where you live.
