Blogtober - Advice for New Bloggers

I'm super behind on my Blogtober posts...is anyone surprised?

So let's catch up by starting with the prompt for the 13th which was 5 Blogging Tips You Would Give a New Blogger. 

Here are mine:

1)  Don't take it all too seriously. It's just a blog after all. Just have fun with it. Don't enter into blogging wanting to become a big time blogger because that shows. Some newbies just reak of desperation, trying to become well-known and big. Just be yourself, be authentic, and have fun. If you become big time, that's great, but it shouldn't be your reason to blog.

2)  If you're a fashion blogger, don't do too many pictures of the same outfit. It's just tedious. I would say 5 max.

3)  Don't engage with GOMI. Just don't do it. Ignore ignore ignore.

4)  Don't talk about your employer by name. This makes me so super uncomfortable when people do this. I have actually had to talk to coworkers before at prior jobs and ask them to scrub the business' name from their tumblr. You don't want to be that guy, trust me.

5)  Don't act like an expert on random things. Not everyone is going to have a blog that is a specific niche, like beauty blog, fashion blog, cooking blog, etc. Us lifestyle bloggers don't have to try to become experts in things, that drives me nuts. It's okay to just be a general lifestyle blogger, you don't have to make a ton of lists trying to educate us on random things just to create content.

Did this post make me sound like a blogging bitch?

Too bad!

Blogtober - Fall Recipes

Today's blog prompt is an easy one, we need to share our favorite fall recipes.

Both of my favorites are Julia Child's recipes and they're both delicious soups. Honestly, one of the reasons I most look forward to the weather cooling down is so I have an excuse to eat more soups. They just make me so happy. The smells coming off of the stove top for hours, the warmth that spreads through your belly when you eat them. The excuse to eat carbs so you have something to dip in them. Love it.

The first of my favorites is Julia's French Onion Soup which I wrote about here.

It is not good for you at all, but it's delicious and smells amazing and just oh man. 

The second is Julia's Mediterranean Tomato and Rice Soup which, if all my cookbooks weren't packed up I would type up for you, but since they are, here is another blogger's post about it.

{image via}

This soup is super simple, but we just love it. It's homey and tasty and kind of thick depending on how much rice you put into it. So damn good.

What are your favorite Fall recipes?

Blogtober - Advice to Your Younger Self

Yesterday's blog prompt was, "What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self" and I put off writing it because honestly, I really hate talking about that. I actually wrote about it back in 2010 (have I seriously been blogging that long?!) here. 

I hate talking about it because I look back and think about that stuff far too often. I live my life with an extra shadow following me; that of my regrets. It's not that I've done THAT many bad or stupid things. I'm not living on the streets or broke or addicted to crack or anything, obviously I haven't effed my life up that badly. But I feel constantly followed around by my past actions and my regrets about them. I'm the type of person who just does not let things go and I wish I did. Specifically things that I've done; I don't even dwell that much on things that have been done to me, just things I did.

I can remember vividly something embarrassing I did back in 2008 which was not even a big deal at all. It was maybe a 10 second mistake on a flight I was working that none of the other flight attendants working with me would ever remember and it still bothers me to this day when I think about it. It's not healthy, I'm aware, but it's the way I've always been. The episode of Felicity where she ends up getting to go back in time and try to do things differently, oh man, that is my god damn dream.

So all that to say why I don't like writing posts talking about advising my younger self. But here goes anyways.

First, work out. As soon as it's healthy (like not when you're 7 years old or something) start running and taking care of yourself. It will make your future life so much easier.

Second, you're awesome. Stop beating yourself up all the damn time. Confidence is attractive and will make up for your lack of other crap. Just be funny, be you, and stop crying yourself to sleep all the damn time. (My advice is not sweet, apparently)

Don't sleep with that guy, or that other one, or especially not THAT one.

Finish college the first time around, you idiot.

Someone will fall in love with you and marry you, stop stressing about it and make out with more dudes before that happens.

Don't drink sugary drinks. You will barf a lot less if you don't.

Go ahead and date those emotionally unavailable guys if you want, just be a lot more honest with yourself and with them and you'll get hurt quite a bit less.

If you stopped wearing a mask and hiding your true self from people, you would have a lot deeper friendships.

And just, get over it already and be happy!

This blog post was depressing. Here is a photo of my dogs to cheer you up.