Hunkydory Links

Intellectuals Read Vogue, Too

2009-01-25T19:28:00.003Z

Intellectuals Read Vogue, Too is an interesting and fun blog about fashion written by Hanna, a full time college student.

Problem Solvin' Mom

2009-01-24T21:08:00.005Z

Problem Solvin' Mom is a fun and useful blog for parents. Steph at Problem Solvin' Mom posts about a diverse list of subjects including, family, hobbies, health & fitness, and balancing work & home life. Her blog is just what every busy parent should read!

Daily Painting Practice

2009-01-23T22:04:00.002Z

Daily Painting Practice is an impressive blog by Peter Yesis. Peter explains about his blog thus:
I believe art is to be shared. I have gained so much from others sharing their art experiences and knowledge, I thought this blog would be a great way for me to give something back.

I think Peter Yesis is to be commended for offering to share his considerable artistic talents with others through his blog. If you are keen about learning more about painting, you will learn a lot from Peter's blog where he offers advice and useful tips about how he paints.

Peter Yesis Art

Heart Handmade, Heart Homecooked and Heart hi-tech

2009-01-20T22:41:00.005Z

Heart Handmade is an arts and crafts blog offering lots of inspiration and interviews plus craft ideas. The blog is written by Marichelle Burdman and Marichelle also has an Etsy shop - wunderlust - plus two more blogs, Heart Homecooked with lots of delicious recipes, and a useful gadget blog called Heart hi-tech, with news and reviews.

SockPixie

2009-01-19T19:00:00.002Z

SockPixie is a knitting blog written by Caroline from SockPixie shop. Caroline offers lots of free patterns on her lovely blog.

Find a Tearoom

2009-01-17T17:41:00.003Z

If you love tea as much as I do, you will know why I am so pleased to find a website called Find a Tearoom. Although it's always a joy to stumble upon a tearoom when out and about, Find a Tearoom will help you plan ahead by locating a tearoom using the search facility on the website. You can search by the name of the tearoom or by the the county or simply by the region (England, Scotland, Wales).

Find a Tearoom - A directory of the finest tearooms in Britain

It’s a Stitch Up

2009-01-16T19:53:00.002Z

Suzie, a clothes and accessories designer, produces a lovely blog called It’s a Stitch Up. If you enjoy knittig, you should check out Suzie's blog and bookmark it for future reference because she offers a variety of free knitting patterns.

Chez Pim

2009-01-15T19:00:00.007Z

Chez Pim is the name of a food blog written by Pim. Pim grew up in Bangkok, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. In addition to her very impressive blog, her recipes, writings, and photographs have appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, and Bon Appétit magazine.

The Pink Teapot

2009-01-14T22:19:00.002Z

The Pink Teapot is a lovely blog written by Janine, a wife and mother of four. Janine offers lots of practical information and advice about etiquette on her delightful blog.

Penguin Dating: "where book lovers meet"

2009-01-10T18:48:00.005Z

Penguin Books has joined up with Match.com to form Penguin Dating, a cool dating website aimed at book readers. I think that's a really great idea!

The Penguin Blog - the official blog of penguin books UK

Wordsmith - the Internet Anagram Server

2009-01-09T19:56:00.003Z

Wordsmith is a fun and useful site for people who love words and wordplay. If you like anagrams - a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase - you will want to check out the Internet Anagram Server.

Also, the site explains that anagrams aren't just for fun, there are practical uses of anagrams in your life.

FreelanceSwitch

2009-01-07T20:08:00.005Z

FreelanceSwitch is a site for freelancers. The site provides lots of useful features, in particular, a job listings board. There is also a forum for information, support and advice plus helpful podcasts.

If you are interested in contributing to FreelanceSwitch, you can submit an article about freelancing and earn a $60 writers fee, if your article is published.

English Pronunciation Pod

2009-01-06T22:56:00.002Z

English Pronunciation Pod is a free podcast aimed at people who want to improve their English pronunciation, with the focus on American pronunciation of English.

Cleaning Green

2009-01-05T19:09:00.002Z

Cleaning Green is the perfect name of a site that provides recipes to make your own natural household cleaners for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. There is also a section with recipes for floor cleaners and advice about decluttering the green house.

Rookie Moms

2009-01-04T19:06:00.004Z

Rookie Moms is a fun and informative blog aimed at new parents. As Heather and Whitney, the creators of the site explain:
This web site attempts to answer the question of what to do with a new baby (and what to do with your SELF) every day.

The site provides a new activity each day for baby's first year. A nice feature is that you can browse the activities by the age of the baby or by the type of activity.

Declutter It!

2009-01-03T19:55:00.003Z

Declutter It! is a blog written by Jennifer Chait, offering lots of practical ideas and advice about how to declutter and organize your life, home, and office.

Just Tweet It - THE directory for Twitter Users

2009-01-02T19:25:00.003Z

If you use Twitter, you will appreciate Just Tweet It, a new directory for Twitter users. In addition to using the directory to find other Twitter users, you can add your own name to the directory to let others find you. The site also provides lots of useful tools, and links to other useful twitter stuff.

There is a Just Tweet It blog too.

Authonomy

2009-01-01T19:06:00.005Z

Authonomy is a new social networking site for aspiring writers:

Authonomy is an online literary community service provided by HarperCollins Publishers that allows you to share, review and promote your writing.

You must register but it costs nothing to create a profile, to upload your book (at least 10,000 words) or to read and recommend the books on offer. You can also take part in forum discussions.

authonomy Blog

Love Food Hate Waste

2008-12-30T19:25:00.002Z

The Love Food Hate Waste campaign aims to raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste. The impressive site offers tips on how to save time and money by planning meals using the recipes provided on the two week menu planner. The website offers lots of different recipes to "cook once, eat twice" and plenty of ideas for ways to use up leftovers.

There is also a Love Food Hate Waste Blog.

The Crochet Dude

2008-12-29T19:56:00.002Z

Drew Emborsky is The Crochet Dude and his popular blog is also called The Crochet Dude. Drew studied fine art at Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is Professional member of the Crochet Guild of America where he received a master certificate in crochet. You can download a free pattern for a lacy shawl via his blog.

Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers

2008-12-28T20:24:00.002Z

If you like to write, you will want to check out the blog called Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers. The helpful blog is written by Martha Alderson, the author of Blockbuster Plots - Pure and Simple. In addition to the advice offered on her blog, you can sign up for "Plot Tips", a free monthly eZine.

Expert Village

2008-11-01T22:21:00.004Z

ExpertVillage is a very useful source of free how-to videos. There are over 120,000 videos and you can browse the videos by category.

There is something for everyone on the site. Cooking lessons, how to play the guitar, how to recover a chair - are just a few examples of the different things you can learn via the site.

Workout Mommy

2008-10-31T23:37:00.003Z

Workout Mommy is a blog about health and fitness for moms.

The blog offers lots of useful tips and advice to help busy moms to get motivated and inspired to get fit. The blog is written by Lisa who is very well qualified to provide expert advice. Lisa is a certified personal trainer with NASM and also holds Group Fitness certification with AFAA.

House on Hill Road

2008-10-27T23:22:00.003Z

House on Hill Road is a lovely crafty blog written by Erin Harris. Her blog offers lots of creative inspiration and also features some useful sewing tutorials.

One Painting a Day

2008-10-24T23:05:00.003+01:00

One Painting a Day is a blog that does exactly what it says - the blog showcases one painting a day.

The paintings are by Kellie Marian Hill, an artist living in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Peruse the paintings, read the artist's comments about each one and if you like any of them, they are available to purchase through her site.

Just Tutes

2008-10-22T23:24:00.003+01:00

Just Tutes is a fantastic crafty blog about how to make something new out of something old - that is how to make clothes by recycling old bits of fabric and used clothes to create a whole new outfit. The blog also features recipes and crafts to make with children.

I suggest you read the first post where Charity Beasley explains what her blog is all about in her friendly Welcome! post.

On the front page of her delightful blog, she admits that "I am not an expert! In fact, I've been sewing barely two years..." which is incredible when you read through her blog and see all the great ideas and projects/patterns she is sharing.

Print What You Like

2008-10-21T23:26:00.001+01:00

Print What You Like is a new, simple (and free) web tool that lets users control exactly what part of an article you want to print by picking and choosing the parts you want to print and editing out the bits you don't want (such as photos, ads, logos, etc.) It's easy peasy!

It's also very green since you won't be wasting paper by printing parts of articles you don't want and don't need.

I love it!

Pencil Portrait Lessons

2008-10-19T23:25:00.005+01:00

Pencil Portrait Lessons is an impressive blog that offers step by step tutorials for creating stunning pencil portraits.

If you've always wanted to learn how to draw pencil portraits, the very talented owner/creator of the blog, Michael, will help inspire you to start drawing, and demonstrate the important details you need to look at when you draw. He has also started a new feature on the site where he recommends other artists on the web with a link to their blog.

Art Projects for Kids

2008-10-17T23:36:00.001+01:00

Art Projects for Kids is an excellent crafty blog written by Kathy Barbro, an art teacher. On her blog, she shares lots of fun art projects and crafty ideas for children (and adults).

If you are looking for some creative inspiration and ideas for projects to create with children, Art Projects for Kids is the blog for you!

Prudence Pennywise

2008-10-15T22:01:00.001+01:00

Prudence Pennywise is an impressive food blog written by "Prudy" and her tagline tells you what her blog is about:
"Scandalously good food on a budget"

Prudy doesn't just offer delicious recipes, she also features additional information with each recipe such as a book review. an event in her life, interesting background to a recipe, money saving tips and sometimes a give-away.

Geninne's Art Blog

2008-10-12T19:30:00.000+01:00

Geninne's Art Blog shows beautiful illustrations created by Geninne, a very talented freelance illustrator/designer and a stay at home mom. Her artistic blog is a joy to behold and also an inspiration. There is a free Hand Carved Stamps Tutorial on the blog too.

You can purchase prints and original watercolors via Geninne's Art Store.

Gleeful

2008-10-10T23:36:00.003+01:00

Gleeful is a delightful new blog written by a "Kinda nerdy Melbourne girl dedicated to the pursuit of happiness through everyday simple pleasures."

'Glee Girl' writes a thought-provoking blog and her happy attitude is contagious.

The blog, Gleeful, is "An almost daily diary of simple joy" and well worth reading. Enjoy!

London Mummy

2008-10-09T22:39:00.003+01:00

London Mummy is the name of a delightful crafty blog, written by Esther Gibbs. If you are looking for crafty inspiration and some free sewing tutorials for some lovely crafts, this is the blog for you!

What’s Cooking Grandma?

2008-10-07T23:38:00.006+01:00

What’s Cooking Grandma? Celebrating Grandmothers Cooking is a foodie blog that started as a project in 2006 in Lancaster England. The idea was to build a video cookbook of grandmothers cooking their special recipes.

Since then we’ve been growing, collecting and sharing recipes from Grandmas across the world.

I think this idea is fantastic - it's a place for treasured family recipes to be proudly shared and demonstrated by the expert cook - the actual "grandma". How perfect is that? I love it!

The site welcomes contributions from Grandmas at work in their own kitchen. If you want to add your recipes to What’s Cooking Grandma: Everything you need to know about sending in a video, film or photos

Rochelle's Vintage and Frugal Recipes

2008-10-01T16:37:00.001+01:00

Rochelle's Vintage and Frugal Recipes is a fun blog where you can find a variety of recipes from old cookbooks and paper clippings.

Rochelle has a degree in Home Economics and admits that "Collecting cookbooks and recipes has been my hobby for over 35 years. I especially like vintage and advertising cookbooks and have over 1,000."

Whirligig - 1950s British TV Nostalgia

2008-09-30T19:18:00.003+01:00

Whirligig is a website devoted to 1950's British Television Nostalgia.

There is something for everyone here, with sections about '50s TV History, TV News, nostalgic memories of a television kid of the '50s, snippets of information about TV and Radio in the '50s, and the Whirligig Message Board which is a friendly forum to discuss 1950's television and radio in Britain.

Your Driving Licence

2008-09-11T23:09:00.004+01:00

YourDrivingLicence is a very useful site because it provides all the necessary information about how to get your driving licence (in the UK) and how to keep it!

The site features detailed information about about how to apply for your provisional licence, choosing an instuctor, learning to drive, and the driving tests.

Crafting a Green World

2008-09-04T19:03:00.004+01:00

Do you enjoy crafting? If you do and you also like being frugal and green by recycling items, the blog, Crafting a Green World, combines all these elements and "features do-it-yourself projects that incorporate reused, recycled, and natural materials."

The site provides plenty of craft projects with tutorials.

The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports

2008-09-02T23:50:00.006+01:00

Travel, especially flying, can be costly so for people trying to save money, the guide to Sleeping in Airports is a useful site:

Whether you sleep in an airport by choice or get stranded due to some airline mess-up, let sleepinginairports.com help you in your time of need.

The site provides a list of the Best and Worst Airports and handy tips for How to Sleep in an Airport.

Read more about sleepinginairports.com on the blog of the same name.

Tea and Cake

2008-08-28T12:00:00.005+01:00

Tea and Cake is a lovely site "dedicated to the little ritual that is tea and cake."

The comprehensive site really offers everything you need to know about this British tradition, including ideas for tea parties, a selection of recipes, a listing of tea and cake places (in England) and even a fun quiz to see which cake you are.

The friendly creators of the site, Janine and Sam, welcome ideas for the development and improvement of teaandcake.co.uk so if you have recipes, tea shop/tea-rooms recommendations, or a photo to add to the teapot or mug gallery, you are invited to send them in and they may add your submission to their site and they will credit you on the site to thank you.

Baking and Books

2008-08-27T16:07:00.002+01:00

Baking and Books is a delightful blog written by Ariela and where she shares some of her favourite recipes and reviews books.

I like the way Ariela writes her reviews - most of them are short and to the point. I perused her list and discovered a few books I will be adding to my (very long) reading list. I intend to try some of her delicious looking recipes too!

HerbExpert

2008-08-26T18:16:00.002+01:00

HerbExpert is a comprehensive site (with over 70 articles) which offers information on growing and cooking with herbs. The section about herb gardening features a handy Month By Month Herb Growing Calendar.

Fly Away Cafe "Where travel is a way of life"

2008-08-23T15:51:00.004+01:00

Fly Away Cafe is a fun and informative blog about air travel written by Mary Jo Manzanares a flight attendant for a major airline. As well as offering expert information about flying, she offers useful tips, and destination suggestions.

Craft Leftovers

2008-08-20T19:00:00.004+01:00

Craft Leftovers is a charming craft blog by Kristin Roach and the clever blog name and purpose is explained thus:

The Craft Leftovers project was my answer to the question, “What does one do with all the leftover bits after a project is finished?” I found that every time I made something, I was left with a half of a skein of this, a half of a yard of that. Although I am driven to create, I am not driven to create more waste. I am setting out to write patterns specifically for those leftovers and to encourage everyone I meet to use up their unwanted bits.

Kristin Roach does indeed share (free) patterns to use up 'leftovers' from crafts. She also interviews artists, crafters, and small business owners.

Small Bites: "Bite-size nutrition information"

2008-08-17T15:45:00.006+01:00

Small Bites is the name of an informative blog by Andy Bellatti, a Registered Dietitian.

In his blog, Mr. Bellatti presents interesting facts about nutrition and he shares quick & healthy recipes.

He also presents a series of Small Bites Nutrition videos (on YouTube).

I love the name of the blog - Small Bites - how clever is that?

Farmgirl Fare

2008-08-15T18:23:00.005+01:00

"Nearly everyone dreams of moving to the country, but few people are crazy enough to actually do it. I'm one of those few." This is what Farmgirl Susan says as her introduction on her blog, Farmgirl Fare.

First, she moved to a a 280-acre farm in 1994, then:

Seven years ago I moved to an even more remote 240-acre farm which I share with sheep, chickens, 2 dogs, 7 cats, 4 very entertaining donkeys & one really well fed farmguy. My life revolves around food. I write food & garden articles & have taught cooking classes & contributed to cookbooks. I'm a passionate bread baker, and we're slowly building a small wholesale artisan bread bakery here on the farm.

I think her introduction explains very well what her blog is about. She leads a very interesting life and shares stories and photos of her life on a Missouri farm. She also shares her delicious recipes!

In My Kitchen Garden is an an offshoot of FarmgirlFare.com and is about her garden, funnily enough.

Mental Floss: "Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix"

2008-08-14T17:39:00.005+01:00

Mental Floss is the name of a magazine and also a fun blog that presents fascinating facts and trivia. The site also features some fun quizzes.

Walking Places

2008-08-13T18:11:00.004+01:00

If you enjoy walking, and you want on a place on the web to record your walks, Walking Places is the site for you.

Walking Places provides a FREE hosting service on the web to store and publish your walking journals, diaries and guides. The site also provides detailed information about walks in the UK, a forum and a comprehensive list of useful walking related links.

Home Ec 101

2008-08-12T19:59:00.005+01:00

Home Ec 101 is a smart, sassy site with a retro style that is all about housekeeping with a catchy tagline: "What You Wish Your Mama Taught You".

The site offers loads of useful tips and practical information such as a Bread Making Tutorial: Basic White Bread or a Frugal tip: Cutting up a whole chicken, plus handy cleaning tips, a 'Ms. Fix-it' feature with useful advice, and a section about doing laundry with washing tips.

Lasting Post

2008-08-11T20:18:00.004+01:00

Lasting Post is a very useful site created by Chantal Richards. I read about the site in an article in 'You' magazine in The Mail on Sunday and I thought what a brilliant idea and a fantastic free service she has produced. Her site offers information and a guide for people planning their funeral and it also becomes a memorial site after you are gone. And it's free.

It may sound morbid, but sadly a lot of people don't plan their funeral so when they die, it is an added stress for the family and friends to deal with. This site provides an easy, straightforward way to avoid that stress and ease the time when you or someone you know dies.

bubbl.us - "brainstorming made simple"

2008-08-10T17:30:00.002+01:00

Bubbl.us is a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online.

It's an incredibly useful tool and comes with all these great features:

Create colorful mind maps online
Share and work with friends
Embed your mind map in your blog or website
Email and print your mind map
Save your mind map as an image

I just signed up for an account. It takes a bit of practice to figure out how to use all the features but it's a lot of fun and I can see that it will be very useful.

A Feathered Nest

2008-08-08T18:39:00.002+01:00

A Feathered Nest is the name of a lovely blog written by Abby, a stay at home mom in Michigan (USA). Abby writes that her "blog is a collection of basic, simple projects that anyone can do. My blog goal is to reach out and grab at least one person who will try something new and discover something great about themselves!"

Abby does indeed share lots of ideas and projects such as sewing and other fun crafts like crochet. For example, there is a tutorial for a Quick & Easy Apron and a Super Easy Reversible Farmer's Market Bag plus lots more sewing projects. Her posts labelled cooking 101 include lots of delicious looking recipes.

All About You

2008-08-07T15:30:00.005+01:00

All About You is a site featuring some of the best articles from six of the UK's magazines: She, Good Housekeeping, Coast, Country Living, Prima and House Beautiful. It also serves as a portal to each of those magazine sites.

The site offers all kinds of interesting articles about a variety of topics such as diet & health, interior decorating, travel, pets, fashion, shopping and crafts (you can access free patterns such as a knitting pattern to download for a summer cardigan or a Stripy Sensation tea cosy knitting pattern).

Confessions of an Apron Queen

2008-08-05T16:24:00.002+01:00

Confessions of an Apron Queen: Not Your Ordinary Mom Blog is a fun vintage-themed blog. The Apron Queen is a talented writer and photographer and she shares lots of fun stories and photos as well as delicious recipes.

Robin's Nesting Place

2008-07-31T17:12:00.003+01:00

Robin's Nesting Place is a lovely blog written by Robin accompanied by her stunning photos of her beautiful garden, and the birds, bees, butterflies, and other creatures that visit her wildlife-friendly garden. In addition to gardening, and photography, Robin also enjoys cooking and shares some of her recipes on her blog.

CraftSanity

2008-07-30T18:02:00.003+01:00

CraftSanity is a blog and podcast for those who love all things handmade.

Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood is the writer and CraftSanity Podcast producer. Her impressive podcast/blog is about her plans, "...to interview artists and crafters from around the globe, review the latest books and products and share fun project ideas..." which sounds like a tall order but she is succeeding!

If you enjoy crafting, you will certainly enjoy reading and listening to CraftSanity.

Instant Feelgood Fitness

2008-07-29T17:58:00.003+01:00

Instant Feelgood Fitness is a blog written by Jeff Archer. He has worked in the fitness industry for 10 years and runs a fitness and coaching business and he "...started the Instant Feelgood blog to help people achieve their fitness and health goals, whether it's weight loss, general fitness or de-stressing."

His informative blog offers lots of useful (and expert) advice with fitness tips, weight loss tips, relaxation tips and exercise tips as well as views about various health issues in the news.

The Derm Blog

2008-07-28T18:16:00.002+01:00

The Derm Blog is an informative blog written by Dr. Jeffrey Benabio, a dermatologist. In addition to writing about skin disorders, Dr. Benabio writes about skin care and dermatology news.

Anna Maria Horner

2008-07-27T17:48:00.004+01:00

Anna Maria Horner is a very talented fabric designer and her cheerful blog, Anna Maria, offers lots of creative inspiration with photos of her beautiful designs, and some free downloads such as her Garden Wall Quilt pattern.

Anna Maria Horner also has a shop and a book called, Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing due out soon (it will be available in October of 2008).

Shrink Rap Radio: The Premier Psychology Podcast

2008-07-26T18:06:00.003+01:00

If you are interested in psychology (the scientific study of mental processes and behavior) and keen to learn more about it, “Dr. Dave” (David Van Nuys, a psychology professor) has a fascinating website called, Shrink Rap Radio: The Premier Psychology Podcast with the tagline, "All the psychology you need to know and just enough to make you dangerous" with a weekly podcast of interviews with experts in the field of psychology.

Printable Paper

2008-07-24T18:06:00.002+01:00

Printable Paper provides hundreds of papers you can download and print for free.

The Crafty Crow: "a children's craft collective"

2008-07-22T18:43:00.003+01:00

The Crafty Crow is a blog that specializes in linking to other blogs that feature children's crafts plus The Crafty Crow also offers tips, tools, tutorials, resources, and other ideas from time to time. The blog author also has another blog called Bella Dia.

I Should Be Writing - a podcast for writers

2008-07-21T18:30:00.003+01:00

I Should Be Writing is "The podcast for wanna-be fiction writers, by a wanna-be fiction writer who’s still learning. Writer Mur Lafferty discusses rejection, cover letters and getting the oomph to keep going."

Mur speaks with a friendly, conversatinal manner on her podcast which offers advice, and encouragement for aspiring writers.

The Murverse is the clever name of Mur Lafferty's home page.

EmailFuture -send emails to yourself later

2008-07-20T19:44:00.002+01:00

EmailFuture is a FREE and easy way to send yourself emails in the future. If you wonder how you would use it, there are some suggestions of useful uses on the site.

Help a Reporter Out

2008-07-18T22:21:00.003+01:00

Peter Shankman (an entrepreneur and the CEO of The Geek Factory, a PR and Marketing boutique firm) has started a very neat service called, Help a Reporter Out, to help all his reporter friends.

The premise is simple. Peter Shankman maintains an email list which is free to join if you are interested in helping out a reporter. You'll get about three emails a day from Peter Shankman, all with reporters looking for sources. The emails will all be labeled with [shankman.com] in the subject line, for easy filtering. If you see a query you can answer, you simply reply. (If you are a journalist, you can submit your query via this form on the site.)

I joined ten days ago and even though I haven't seen a query that I can answer yet, I enjoy getting the emails and reading about the different topics that reporters are looking for further information about. I figure that eventually there will be something I can help with or I will know someone who can.

It really is a fantastic idea. I think everyone wants to be able to help if they can and this site provides an opportunity to do just that.

Organic Gardening and Homesteading

2008-07-16T19:30:00.004+01:00

Sue Merriam writes Organic Gardening and Homesteading, a site that offers lots of useful tips and advice for a self-reliant lifestyle.

There is a Homesteading Blog too, with recipes and frugal living tips.

Vickie Howell: craft.rock.blog

2008-07-15T18:26:00.005+01:00

The Vickie Howell blog is all about crafting, particularly knitting and crochet. Vicki also shares a variety of free patterns on her blog.

In addition to writing her blog, Vickie Howell, is also the host of the successful knitting series, Knitty Gritty, writes an Eco-Craft column for KIWI magazine and and is the Knitting Editor for CraftGossip. Vicki Howell is also the author of several books about crafting.

One Skein Knit-Along (& Crochet too),

2008-07-14T18:06:00.002+01:00

One Skein Knit-Along (& Crochet too), is the blog for you if you like to knit (or crochet), and you are looking for inspiration for projects requiring only one skein of yarn. Some of the entries on the blog provide links to free patterns.

MindMyHouse: Bringing home owners and house sitters together

2008-07-11T14:30:00.003+01:00

MindMyHouse is a FREE global house sitting matching service.

If you are worried about the legalities, MindMyHouse provides a house sitting agreement for you to refer to and sign prior to the beginning of the assignment.

Swurl: Bring your web life together

2008-07-06T17:01:00.004+01:00

Swurl is a place to bring all the things you do online together to share in a blog-like format.

Swurl is a free site and supports a variety of sources (and the list is always growing):
Amazon
Blockbuster
Blogger
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Flickr
FriendFeed
Last.fm
Netflix
Pandora
Picasa Web Albums
StumbleUpon
Tumblr
Twitter
Typepad
WordPress
Yelp
YouTube

Animal Corner

2008-07-05T18:15:00.002+01:00

Animal Corner is a useful educational site about all kinds of different animals. The site is constantly updating and adding new animals.

In addition to information about animals, the site also provides information about animal conservation with a list of endangered and threatened animals of the British Isles, and a list of endangered species worldwide.

Child Friendly

2008-07-04T17:32:00.003+01:00

Child Friendly is a useful site where parents can access information about their next family outing and "Search from 1000’s of the very best family friendly places in the UK and abroad."

The site offers details about family holidays, hotels, days out, British pubs, holiday parks and child friendly restaurants in the UK.

Posterous

2008-06-29T15:57:00.004+01:00

Posterous is a fantastic new FREE blogging tool that is easy-peasy to use. If you can use email, you can have your new posterous blog. in an instant!

Posterous really is very impressive with lots of useful features such as turning any URL into a link automatically. You also get a very easy-to-remember email address - just http://yourname (dot) posterous (dot) com and that's it.

Contactify: "It's email. Without the address."

2008-06-28T20:36:00.002+01:00

Contactify is a very cool FREE email tool:

People click on it, they can send you a message. And YOU, never reveal your email address. Reduces spam. Guards your privacy. Keeps you contactable.

Another nice feature is that you can make as many contactify links as you need.

GrowingKids: Information and Advice for Parents

2008-06-27T22:07:00.005+01:00

GrowingKids is a fantastic site for parents. It's packed with lots (over 250!) of informative articles about raising children. There is advice about school and learning (including a section about the pros and cons of home schooling), nutrition advice for baby/toddler and kids/teens, family & social life, activities, exercise for kids/teens, development & behavior, childcare and much more.

GrowingKids is a resource aimed at parents in the UK (particularly the childcare, schools, and finance sections) however a lot of the advice and tips are also useful for parents in other countries.

InventorSpot: Inventions, Innovations & Interesting Ideas for the Inventor in All of Us

2008-06-26T19:05:00.005+01:00

InventorSpot is a very interesting and fun blog about "the latest inventions, innovations and interesting ideas" and if you have your own inventive idea and looking for some advice or where to start, the site provides a page of links to resources and information.

In addition, the Invention Pages provides a directory of companies and individuals providing services to inventors. There is an InventorSpot forum too.

Artyfactory "offers Free Art Lessons For All"

2008-06-25T23:13:00.004+01:00

Artyfactory is a superb site for anyone interested in art, particularly for those interested in learning how to draw.

The site offers a useful feature using the mouse and moving it over an image to illustrate specific tips about drawing. For example, when learning about Drawing the Eye , you can move the mouse over the first image to see how the upper eyelid covers the top of the iris.

In addition to the various drawing tutorials, there is an Art Appreciation feature, a Color Theory section and a Portrait Painting in Acrylics section.

WriteToMyBlog

2008-06-21T20:23:00.005+01:00

WriteToMyBlog is a FREE web based word processor for your blog.

It's an impressive tool and works with all major blog programs (Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and Movable Type).

There is a WriteToMyBlog Blog too.

Parenting Squad

2008-06-19T19:23:00.004+01:00

Parenting Squad is a very useful blog offering "Tips, hacks and news for parents and their families."

The blog is packed with lots of useful and practical advice for just about every possible subject that a parent would be interested in learning more about. The Home Life section is about things such as chores and discipline, finances, shopping, entertanment, sitters & nannies, relocation, entertainment and saftey. The other sections are Family Planning (planning, conceiving, adoption, pregnancy, birth, new parents), Education, Health, Social Skills (etiquette, conflict resolution, culture, relationships, sex education), and even a No Children Zone (sex & relationships, time management, work balance, and wellness).

The blog is easy to navigate with all the different categories and also with a handy "Browse by Age" feature.

UK Moths: Your guide to the moths of Great Britain & Ireland

2008-06-18T23:39:00.005+01:00

If you have found an interesting looking moth (in the UK) that you would like to identify or you are just curious about moths, UKMoths is the site for you.

There is a lot of information on the site so if you don't know where to start, visitors to the blog are advised to start with the beginner's top 20 moths.

It's a fascinating (and educational site) with stunning photographs. I never knew moths could be so beautiful.

London Cycle Chic

2008-06-17T21:36:00.005+01:00

London Cycle Chic is a blog directed at women who cycle in London.

Caz is a London cyclist and through her blog, she "offers tips and advice on how to combine safety, practicality and style to achieve true urban cycle chic."

In addition to her fun, informative blog, Caz offers a selection of bicycle accessories through the Cyclechic shop.

So if you need cycling tips and advice, cycle safety tips, cycle fashion ideas, or information and suggestions about what bike to buy and where to buy it, then London Cycle Chic is for you!

LooseStitch: Free Online Outliner

2008-06-16T20:13:00.007+01:00

LooseStitch is a free collaboration tool for writers. It's fun to use - although I found that it takes a bit of practice to figure out how it works. You can create outlines for all sorts of things and invite as many friends as you want.

I think students may find LooseStitch particulary useful. However, it's worth noting that "Pages being shared may be promoted and linked by crossroad solutions as example uses of the Service."

Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation

2008-06-15T23:27:00.005+01:00

Cartoon Brew is a fun and informative blog written by Jerry Beck (an animation historian and cartoon producer) and Amid Amidi( an author, historian and entrepreneur). They discuss the latest entertainment news and tidbits about the world of animation, as well as share lots of interesting thoughts about animation history. If you love cartoons, you will love Cartoon Brew blog!

i love bacteria - Fun science for kids!

2008-06-14T18:39:00.006+01:00

ilovebacteria (previously known as ratlab.co.uk) is a fantastic site written by Kat, (her day job is in a microbiology lab) and she states that her site "was created to explain science to people who do not necessarily have a scientific background."

ilovebacteria.com is an outstanding educational site with lots of information about science but presented in a fun way that makes it exciting and easy to understand. In addition to explaining microbes and bacteria, there is a section offering advice about choosing a career in science.

The site offers a fun facts section too that answers all sorts of intriguing mysteries, like "How do they get the stripes in toothpaste?" For kids looking for experiments, there is a section with lots of ideas and information.

There is an ilovebacteria.com blog too.

The Succulent Wife's Favorite Things

2008-06-13T23:02:00.005+01:00

The Succulent Wife's Favorite Things is a fun blog about interesting new products, and cool lifestyle ideas. "The Succulent Wife" also posts about green issues, various charities, and useful travel tips and recommendations.

Omgili - Find out what people are saying

2008-06-12T23:49:00.004+01:00

Omgili is a specialized search engine that scans online discussions and finds out what people are saying on the web by focusing on forums, and discussion groups.

Best Widgets for Free

2008-06-11T23:36:00.003+01:00

Best Widgets for Free is a blog that offers exactly that - each post provides a different widget with the necessary code so you can add it to your blog or website.

The Awesome Highlighter

2008-06-10T23:39:00.005+01:00

The Awesome Highlighter is a very cool web tool.

It's just like the yellow highlighters people use to highlight bits of text in a book, but The Awesome Highlighter is a free tool for highlighting bits of text on webpages. It's super easy (and fun!) to use. After you've selected the text you want highlighted, the site provides a small link to the webpage with the highlighted bits. You can choose to send the link to yourself or share it with friends.

It really is awesome!

The Knitted Toy Box

2008-06-08T23:58:00.002+01:00

The Knitted Toy Box is a new crafty blog where you can find free knitting patterns (and some crochet patterns) to create toys.

Garden Rooms

2008-06-06T23:50:00.002+01:00

Garden Rooms is a lovely blog written by Robyn Pope, a west coast garden designer specializing in gardens for children. Robyn's blog provides lots of photos of beautiful gardens and offers plenty of creative ideas to inspire you.

Junkfood Science

2008-06-05T18:19:00.006+01:00

Sandy Szwarc writes Junkfood Science, a blog offering qualified analysis of health issues, and providing information about news on food, weight, health and healthcare.

Sandy is a registered nurse with impressive qualifications and experience , "...a biological science degree and 30 years in neonatal intensive care and emergency triage; medical outreach and health communications; and research.", so her informative blog is a welcome balance to the way health stories are usually presented (distorted) by the media.

It's refreshing to read an honest and educated view about news related to food, diets, and other health issues.

Living in France

2008-06-03T23:24:00.007+01:00

Living in France is a fascinating and informative blog written by a couple from Leeds, England about their new downshifted lifestyle in the countryside of the French Limousin.

If you are considering moving to France. Living in France, offers a lot of practical advice by sharing their personal experiences about buying a house in France , taking pets , filling in forms (French translation), internet, phone, utilities, taxes, DIY terms with French translation, buying and raising chickens and much more. They also provide a list of resources for living in France such as French emergency telephone numbers.

Breezy Break Blog is a source of more delightful stories about their experience in France.

Kincafe: Free Family Tree, Calendar & Albums

2008-05-31T19:25:00.005+01:00

Kincafe is a free tool to help you build a private social network with your family. It's easy to use and there is even an option to invite your family friends to join your private network and share all (or selective) parts of your family tree.

You can also share recipes and family news or events or any other topic of interest. Kincafe is also a very useful genealogy tool to help you do research and build your family tree.

10,000 Birds

2008-05-30T21:34:00.008+01:00

If you are a keen birder or you are interested in learning more about birds, the site 10,000 Birds is an excellent resource to read and bookmark for future reference. The name of the blog makes perfect sense since there are approximately 10,000 bird species on earth. It's a very comprehensive site, providing a "source for birding, blogging, conservation, commentary, and so much more."

There are lots of useful features including a glossary, an impressive collection of photos (constantly being added to), reviews of birding books and photography gear, and many articles and interesting blogs. There is even a section featuring nature themed poetry and prose to inspire you and if you still need convincing to join in this fun and educational hobby (and addicting) there is a page of Reasons To Become a Birdwatcher.

The three men - Mike Bergin, Charlie Moores and Corey Finger - who together are responsible for producing 10,000 Birds do a sterling job and their enthusiasm for birds is contagious if you spend even just a little time exploring their amazing site. I highly recommend it. (Mind you, I'm a keen birder already so I would say that!) Seriously, though this is one of the best birding sites on the web. Please go have a look at the site and see for yourself.

StartSewing

2008-05-28T20:29:00.004+01:00

Do you like to sew? Or perhaps you wish you had and you don't know where to start? I have just the site for you, it's called, StartSewing and it provides all the pertinent information (over 70 articles) and helpful advice that you need. There is a guide to buying a sewing machine, sewing terminology, tips regarding selecting the right fabric and pattern preparation, a guide to following patterns, and a how-to section for making various home furnishings. The site also provides two sections explaining how to make fancy dress (costumes) for kids and adults.

And if that's not enough, there is a series of videos to assist you in learning how to sew!

Laughing Hens

2008-05-27T23:05:00.005+01:00

If you enjoy knitting as much as I do, you will appreciate the delightfully named site, Laughing Hens where you can purchase yarns, kits and patterns plus a lot more, such as fabrics, books, a range of hand made items and even special occasion cakes.

There is also a Laughing Hens Knitting Forum where you can discuss knitting and seek advice if you need help with your knitting.

Laughing Hens also offers workshops (like a retreat for the day) which are held in Burwash in East Sussex in a rural setting. The workshops cost between £60-£75and include lunch and afternoon tea. Their beautiful rural cottage is also available for location hire.

Visuwords

2008-05-26T23:59:00.003+01:00

Visuwords is a very cool online graphical dictionary and thesaurus.

It's simple to use - just type a word into the search box at the top of the page and press 'enter' to see a network of words appear surrounding your chosen word in a fun visual presentation designed to look like a mind map.

The Art of Manliness

2008-05-25T21:38:00.005+01:00

The Art of Manliness is "a blog dedicated to uncovering the lost art of being a man."

The aptly named blog offers lots of interesting and educational posts about a variety of topics, including dress/grooming, health/sports, money/career, relationships/family and 'manly skills' such as 9 Ways To Start a Fire Without Matches.

WildlifeGardener - attracting wildlife to your garden

2008-05-23T21:42:00.005+01:00

WildlifeGardener offers information and ideas to help you encourage wildlife into your (UK) garden.

The site contains over 70 articles, with expert advice about creating a garden to attract birds, mammals, insects & amphibians, as well as advice about how to deal with pests in the garden such as foxes, moles and rabbits.

There's also a useful feature concerning educating kids about wildlife with some ideas for wildlife activities.

Wayfaring: follow you, follow me

2008-05-22T19:31:00.005+01:00

Wayfaring is a website that allows you to create personalized maps, share them with your friends, explore the maps that others have created, and connect with other members to build new maps.

It's easy and free to sign up to become a wayfarer.