Thoughts
So this little blog thing here has done at lot for me over the past few years. It let me work through some stuff I otherwise would’ve complained a lot about to my family and friends {though don’t be mistaken, they got their fair earful}. It presented me with some really cool opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten to experience under other circumstances. And it got me {one of} the job{s} I have today, which allows me to spend a huge portion of my time with my rowdy two year old. {I can complain all I want about how hard that is, but I really wouldn’t want it any other way.}
This blog goes and gives me all this good mojo, and what do I in return? Turn my back on it. I’ve more than a little bit abandoned my original internet baby in favor of taking care of my actual baby {fair, right?} along with other people’s internet babies. And though I get paid to do things for the other people’s internets, it’s not fair that my own webchild doesn’t get a little love too.
The problem is this is a food and fitness blog. Only there isn’t a ton of fitness going on right now {I’m in PT for an old, stubborn knee injury and recovering from 3 fractured ribs} and the food part, although happening, isn’t what you’d call blog worthy. {Food blogging actually takes up an insanely ridiculous amount of time that you’d never imagine possible.}
I learned a long time ago that if you want your blog to be your business you have to treat it like one; you have to treat it like a brand.
Well right now I don’t want to have a brand. I don’t want to be cornered into a certain niche. I don’t need ONLY food and fitness things to fill this space. I don’t need ONLY baby, toddler, and mom things to fill that space. Well, I kind of do. But somewhere in between the two there has to be room for just me.
I don’t need rebranding, I just need room for a fresh perspective. So for awhile you might see things on here that you don’t really give two cents about. What I write may benefit you in no way at all. But it might benefit me and my blogbaby by just giving myself some {{{{{{{{{{ space }}}}}}}} to put stuff. Words, pictures, ideas, thoughts, moments, or nothing at all. Whatever.
So one day I might be able to tell you about the guy that’s been sticking needles in my leg for the past month, leaving me screaming in agony yet putting a smile on my face because for the first time in 4 years I can run almost 2 minutes pain-free, or I might decide to let you in on the secret that I might be the only person in the entire world to not think Breaking Bad is the bomb.com.
So yeah. End post of nothing.
But first links. There’s always reading to be done. 
Babbling.
Why I’m Changing My Tune on the Paleo Diet
Confession: My Toddler is Overweight
Why Wheat Is Killing Us and I’m Not Blaming Gluten
Valentine’s Day Workouts
Roundups
This should be a post about Christmas and how awesome it was. It was awesome, but this is not a post about Christmas because that would involve using my overtired, pneumonia-ridden brain to form coherent thoughts and the time to actually download my 394,594.4 Christmas photos. I’ll do that eventually. Hopefully while it’s still the year in which Christmas happened. Oops. That’s probably not going to happen, huh?
Instead here’s some easy reading for your holiday vacation pleasure. And because I’m supposed to share these posts here.
The Not-So-Affordable Care Act: So there was once a time when I was assigned to write an Op-Ed piece in opposition to a pro-Obamacare piece. I wrote it. Then I found out who the other one. Michelle Obama. Yikes.
Because better isn’t always better.
Do you have purple pee? I sure hope not. Or blue. Or green. Or orange. Ok, maybe orange is ok.
Still putting off that flu shot? You might be able to tell if the flu is on it’s way to you…
Go bloggers, go bloggers. Blogging may be a weird, odd world of random online words, but those words can actually make a difference in the real, off-screen world.
We’re becoming polar bears, not rabbits.
If it’s too good to be true, it’s not true. Sorry for bursting bubbles.
Your own personal support system. Literally.
I gots needles in my knees. Lots ‘o them. It hurt. Lots.
And know what’s pretty cool? I was on the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas Blog twice- sharing 2 of my fave-o-fave recipes. Check ‘em out!
Ok, ok. I have one dose of adorable for you. It’d be a crime not to share.
See ya in 2014. Perhaps with more coherent thoughts. Perhaps not.
Blogging
So way back when {aka a few months ago} when Google Reader became obsolete and the blog world was forced to choose between Feedly, BlogLovin’, or *gasp* nothing, I lost my favorite list of blogs. {And yes, I loaded reader into Feedly and it disappeared anyways.}
But never fear, I re-found my favorites and through a fun project with Babble, discovered a couple new ones. Over the past few months I’ve worked on a panel to come up with a comprehensive list of 100 of the top bloggers. Not just big-name bloggers or mom bloggers, all kinds. From style to food, big to small, there’s a little something for everyone. Check out the full 100 here.
And here’s a fun little infographic about the top 100.
Speaking of, from my absence over here you can guess I’ve been busy over at Babble.
Here’s some recent stuff you may or may not find interesting:
How to avoid the gym during the holidays {and not by hiding out}
How to use your smartphone to stay healthy
Blogger prompts CFA to ditch the dyes
We’re slowly becoming carnivores
Gifts to keep the family fit
What’s your favorite blog?
Roundups
Oh me oh my. I feel like my head is spinning! I’ve had lots of great projects to work on recently but that means no time to write. {Have I mentioned yet I’m glad preschool starts soon?}
I don’t even know what to say, my brain is mush. Let’s see. My son is 19 months old. NINETEEN. In case you aren’t fluent in month-ese, that means he’s officially closer to two than one. Sniff sniff. Besides the doomed “terrible twos”, I actually think it’ll be a lot of fun {mixed with a little crazy}.
We celebrated my husband’s 30th birthday last weekend. His birthday was a month ago if that’s any indication how busy this summer is. I cooked North Carolina barbecue. From scratch. I don’t know what made me do it. But it turned out good!
Planning for Touch a Truck is in full swing. It’s going to hit us before we know it. I’m the committee chair this year so I’m feeling the pressure. 
The K-man has turned into a mini-Junior Leaguer since I drag him to so many meetings.
Besides other super secret things {kidding}, I’ve been writing for Babble. Surprise surprise!
Some {fun} things from the past 2 weeks:
* 12 Kid-Inspired Workout Routines {they’re fun; trust me}
* 16 Must-follow Pinners for Healthy Eating Inspiration
* Why multitasking is bad for your brain {guilty!}
* Hating on fat people just makes them fatter. Don’t do it. You knew that though.
More adidas love coming up Monday!
Roundups
Well I guess judging from this, I shouldn’t be eating my breakfast while writing this post and simultaneously playing Candy Crush on my phone…
Perhaps I just need a lesson in not multitasking altogether.
Summer’s been fun, but I’m not going to say I’m not counting down the days til preschool starts again. Then perhaps I’ll have the luxury of not ubermultitasking every single moment of every single day.
Until then, I’m a multitasking master. I’ve gotten pretty stellar at it: I can alternate tossing a beach ball to a toddler and sneaking bites of lunch with one hand while typing a Babble post with the other. I’m doing a fun series on Babble where I get to peak into the refrigerators of health enthusiasts like myself: From fellow dietitians to personal trainers, group ex instructors to marathoners. Vegans to carnivores and everything in between. {If you have a fridge you want featured, send it my way!}
Speaking of vegans and carnivores, if animals ate healthier, would you eat more meat?
And have you every paid attention to whether something tastes better if you eat it with a plastic spoon or real silverware?
Now humans aren’t the only ones with a bad caffeine habit: bacteria are addicted to caffeine too.
So are you a summer person or a fall person? I would be perfectly happy if it was fall year round. Maybe with a month or two of spring in between.
