Massive Blog Round-up (Part 1)

It's been a while since I've posted here. I'm not going to lie, I miss it a lot. Job commitments were the primary reason that I've stayed away as long as I have. Now that I have more time and freedom on my hands, I figured I'd ease in slowly by going through our mailbag which has been neglected for a while. I'm going to do this in two parts because there are a ton of unanswered emails to contend with. If you have emailed us, fear not! The email is still sitting (likely unanswered) in our inbox. I will be getting to it shortly! Without further ado....part 1 of my inbox clean-up.


Chris Bohinski's NYC Smile 4 Me
https://www.nycsmile4me.com
NYC Smile 4 Me's mission is to spread happiness, positivity, and joy by chronicling Boh the Smile Guy asking the same 4-word question to everyone he meets,“What makes you smile?” Chris (AKA "Boh the Smile Guy") currently lives in Wilkes-Barre Township (despite the NYC title of the blog) and has been featured on PA Live! and also in the Healthbeat segment with Mark Hiller.
Submitted on 3/8/18

Anthracite Unite
https://anthraciteunite.com
Anthracite Unite is a collective of working class scholars, artists, and activists from Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region. We’re focused on mending divisions within the working class and reimagining what is possible.

Henning's Local
www.henningslocal.com
This isn't really a blog, it's more of a website and it's TECHNICALLY in New York, but they have some cool stuff going on that they wanted to inform you about through us. So if you are vacationing or looking for something different to do that's within a short drive of Northeast PA, be sure to check them out. From the email: "Each week Henning’s Local will be screening favorite films about mothers, from the unforgettable evil villains to classic characters who stole our hearts. In addition to our regular menu, we will be offering a prix fixe meatloaf dinner, and blue-plate specials at the bar. Bring mom, and her dinner is on Henning. #eatlocal #momsmeatloaf"

No Time For Wine
https://notimeforwine.com
Brenda writes "I am originally from Susquehanna County and have been working on my blog www.notimeforwine.com  It documents my move from Single Mommy working a full time job, to now Married Stay at Home Mommy adjusting to my new life." 

NACL Theater
https://www.nacl.org/
Tannis Kowalchuk painstakingly includes NEPA Blogs on all of her press releases for the NACL Theater productions, some of which look very interesting. This is another one of those "not blog" submissions, but I feel guilty for not having given her a mention before. NACL (National Americal Cultural Laboratory) is a non-profit theater company in the southwestern Catskill region. If you are in the area or passing through, it's worth checking out.

Here's to Happy Endings
http://www.herestohappyendings.com
Kelly writes "I'm from northeast PA and have a book focused blog that I thought might be neat to have listed on your site! I've had the blog going since June of 2015, and it's updated pretty much daily and has a decent following. It features book reviews, discussions, giveaways, and other book and reading related things."

570 Menu Blog
https://570menu.com/blog/
Explore blog posts about local restaurants and nightlife. 

The Green Dish
http://www.thegreendishblog.com
Welcome! I'm Caroline, the blog's author and I've been struggling for the past few months with the decision of becoming vegan after watching a few documentaries (Food Inc, Forks Over Knives and Vegucated), and the more I think about it, I know the best decision for me is to become vegan. Changes are not easy and that's why I decided to create this blog as a way to encourage not only myself but also others, to share my journey throughout this new year and new lifestyle. I'll be sharing many vegan recipes and I hope you'll join me here at The Green Dish - One Healthy Dish at a Time!

I Heart Direct Sales
http://iheartdirectsales.blogspot.com/
Rebecca wrote me and asked if I would include her blog in our blogroll last March (as in 2017). Eeek! Sorry, Rebecca, I'm bad at emails. After revisiting this blog, it appears to have been abandoned. Who knows, maybe she'll pick it back up after seeing this post.

Lovely In Gold
https://lovelyingold.com
Kelli writes "I am a NEPA fashion and lifestyle blogger and would love to submit my blog to your site. My blog is called Lovely in Gold."

Mark's Bike Tock
http://marksbiketock.blogspot.com/
We know Mark from his work over on Mark's Tech Tock blog. He started a new blog last year about biking. To refresh your memory, Mark is a professor of engineering technology at a community college. "In my spare time I enjoy riding my bike on car free trails. I am especially happy riding a trail I have never been on before. I ride 3000+ miles per year and so far have been on over 70 trails across 9 states. I ride in temperatures from 10 degrees F to 105 degrees F."



That is the inbox from March 2018 back through January 2017. Tomorrow, we'll dig even further back in time!  
 

From the Mailbag: Mommy & Me: Finding and Losing Myself in Motherhood

TIPSTER:  Our Pal, Your Pal, APal


I received an email at work from Andy that pointed me to a new "Mommy Blogger".  From the original email:

My reticent wife joined Facebook and started blogging on WordPress a mere 3 weeks ago, and she's already friends with FB's COO Sheryl Sandberg and had a blog post on her "Lean In"  book go viral and get on CNN's homepage because Sandberg posted it on her FB page with this ringing endorsement:

"Of all of the things that have been written about Lean In, this post is one of my favorites. Thank you, Jennifer, for understanding that the point of Lean In is for each of us to make deliberate choices about what is right for us, and then go after our goals ambitiously and unapologetically. Your example is a great example for women of going through that process and making the best choice for them. Thank you for leaning in to your goals - and sharing your thoughts with all of us."
Cool story, no?  

More info can be found here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-entertainment/201304/why-my-wife-is-bloggings-rookie-the-year

-Barry Kuhle

Personally, I've always had a pet peeve with the term "Mommy Blogger".  Just because you are a Mom who blogs, doesn't necessarily mean you are a "Mommy Blogger".  There are a bunch of Moms out there that blog about things other than Mommyhood.  Jenny's blog delves into this theory more deeply, as discussed in her about section:

I love, love, love being a mother and all that it entails. I love it so much that it oozes out the tips of my fingers and the ends of my hair. Aside from marrying my wonderful husband, I have experienced no greater joy in life than becoming a mommy to my baby girl in 2009 and my baby boy in 2012. But I am coming to realize that there is danger in defining ourselves primarily through and by our children. Do I really want motherhood to encapsulate all that I am? Does that mean that I have lost part of myself? What about that person I used to be before I was a mother? I truly have found myself in motherhood, but I am also losing myself in it, and this blog is my attempt to find myself again.

You can follow along with Jenny's journey through her blog located at:

http://jennykuhle.wordpress.com

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Three Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: http://pahomepage.com/palive-details?nxd_id=279362

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Shannon Mizikoski's Three Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea (http://3littlefishies.blogspot.com/).

Shannon Mizikoski is a first-time stay-at-home mom from Carbondale who blogs about the experience of motherhood. Three Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea is an example of a "mommy blog": blogs by mothers about the experience of motherhood and raising children. Mommy bloggers have some universal experiences, and these blogs allow mothers to share hints and tips with each other. But at the same time, each individual's experience is unique and highly personal, and it is through these experiences that mommy bloggers can relate to a broader audience.

Shannon doesn't just write about her experiences as a mother. Wondering what the deal is with that popular book series that everyone is talking about? Not to worry: Shannon summarizes Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels in just five sentences! (Six if you count "The end.") Have you ever wondered what it's like to have your gallbladder taken out? Shannon explains it all!

If you're a mom, a blog is a great way to share your experiences with the world, and mommy blogs are wonderful ways to learn from the experiences of other mothers. Shannon Mizikoski's Three Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea is the perfect place to see a mommy blog by a mom from Northeastern Pennsylvania!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Three Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea

Mommy blogs! Really, what more is there to say? Amiright, or what?

...what, I need to say more? OK, here goes...

Here's a blog by a new mother that was recommended to me by another (relatively) new mother. Shannon Mizikoki is based out of Carbondale, and writes about her experiences as a first-time mother. She describes herself thusly: "A 29 year old new stay at home mom.  Doesn't have a clue what she is doing. Tries anyway."

Three Little Fishies Swimming in the Sea
http://3littlefishies.blogspot.com/

Follow along with Shannon's adventures as a first-time mom! And keep in mind - this blog is mommy approved!

...now, are there any other mommy bloggers out there in NEPA who would like to network? If you're a mommy blogger in Northeastern Pennsylvania, let us know!

Mommy Knows Best

http://MommyKnowsWhatsBest.blogspot.com

http://ThePracticalMommy.hubpages.com

Here's another blogger that I've located from Twitter. I have to be honest and say that I've been sitting on this blog for a while now because I wasn't sure if the author was truly from NEPA or not. The blog does not have a very decisive profile or about me section. Today I received a response to a direct message I sent to the blogger awhile ago:

Sorry I'm just responding now! Yes, I'm from NEPA and I do have a blog: MommyKnowsWhatsBest.blogspot.com & ThePracticalMommy.hubpages.com . Thanks for asking!

Here's the tag line from Marissa's profile on Blogger: "A mommy, a wife, a daughter, a sister...so many life experiences, so little time. On HubPages.com, I am ThePracticalMommy, writing articles about practical parenting and other ideas of mine. "

You can also follow her on Twitter @PracticalMommy2.

~Michelle

Crafternoon Tea

As always, Michelle has been hard at work tracking down blogs by any means necessary! Here's one she found a while ago:

Crafternoon Tea
http://varouna.wordpress.com/

Her subtitle puts it nicely: MOSTLY ABOUT CRAFTING, BUT SOMETIMES ABOUT OTHER THINGS

From blogger Chantal's profile:
I'm a New England native living in lovely Scranton, PA. I have two mischievous toddlers (a girl and a boy, 4 months apart). I'm obsessed with crafting, art and my dogs.

...and especially of late with her sweet little adopted toddlers! Check out all the adorableness at Crafternoon Tea!

Mama's Cool Things

Here's a local blogger I found out about through her appearance on PA Live!: Karon Rehrig of Mama's Cool Things (http://mamascoolthings.com/). She's a single mom in Northeastern Pennsylvania whose blog is targeted at moms and specializes in product reviews. From her "About Me" page:

Karon graduated from Penn State and into the world of single mommyhood. After her second child and second career, she discovered the world of blogging. She shares her adventures of trend-hunting for herself and her daughters and their love of traveling. She has worked with many brands and serves as an ambassador for Chevy Girls, TrashCanKidz, Mom Pact, Claritin Mom Crew, Saline Soothers/Boogie Wipes, UbiSoft, Juno Baby and many others.

Check out the cool products Karon is reviewing, and see how you could get in on the act as well, by visiting Mama's Cool Things!

Vote for NEPA Mom!

One NEPA's famous Mommy bloggers has been nominated for Parents Magazine 2011 Best Blog Awards. More specifically, for the "Gear and Toys" blog category.

NEPA Blogs would like to congratulate fellow blogger Megan Galko for receiving a nod from the magazine. In order for her to win this award, she needs votes! If you'd like to help her out, please click on the picture to the left to vote for her or click right here. You will need to create a Parents login if you don't have one already in order to vote. I was unable to tell how many times you can vote for the blog, but the button was grayed out after I clicked it.

Good luck, Megan!

~M