Playing favorites.

Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

***

Okay, so I get to list five brilliant bloggers? Instead of being intimidated by this challenged, I was actually a little worried. Only five? (I do love me some interwebz-readin'.) So, with apologies to the eleventy other close, personal pals with terrific bloggy stylings, here are some perk-up-your-day, never-fail-to-make-me-smile reads from gals that I adore. (Also, hyphens.)

Kate at Grant Wishes has, hands-down, the most charming blog in the cosmos. Here's why: her subject matter (her three little dudes) are positively edible, she takes great photos of their life outside of Boston, and she has various themes that I truly dig; a daily thankful thought (even on those days that can be less than stellar) and two new columns that never fail to make me wet my pants. (Did I really say that and Did you hear that are primo examples of how strange and rad parenting can be.) Her husband Tom- who travels a lot for business- has his own column featuring adventurous pix of Leo, the boys' finger puppet lion, who gets to go on all of Dad's business trips. (Leo lives well.) All of these features- plus the fact that Kate updates nearly every day- makes for a good daily check-in. Also, she knows more about trucks and machinery than she ever could have planned for back in college.

Brie writes Pat and Brie Plus Three, which- yes- is technically another blog I love written by a mother. However, I wouldn't exactly call her a Mommy Blogger. She's more the Post Your Bail After Buying The Last Round Of Shots Blogger. What's more, she makes me guffaw. Guffaw, I tell you. Her stories are dirty, inappropriate for work, and quite possibly some of the funniest stuff online. Her Christmas memories post makes me cry with laughter. And sure, I cry a lot, but you know how sometimes I cry until I wheeze and hyperventilate and shake with spasms of tears? Like that. Brie's kids are also ridiculously cute, so there's that, too.

They even made their own wedding cake.

Cindy and Julia are good friends of mine. My husband married them. (This is true. Well, actually, they married each other, but he facilitated and got to stand up there looking all cute and cheerful with the brides.) They write a blog entitled What's for Dinner...but that may change shortly, as they're gonna expand into all levels of craftiness and awesomesaucity. I look forward to this, because these ladies are seriously talented. Besides being gourmands (if you're really nice, they might just make you a tart. And this tart might just make you cry) and fashionistas (they started a business called Crafty Broads wherein they design and tailor your clothes), they are also stage managers. Which means they are in charge of everything.

Huckleberry Flynn is penned by a gal named Emily whom I've known for her entire life- even before she was big enough to steal all of my toys. Regardless, she writes some of the funniest lyrical dissection this side of the Mississippi (although, to be fair, I haven't checked in recently with the other side of the river lately). Even though she occasionally strays back into the world of Sustainability (where she gets paid, yo), and traveling (she once slept tied to a ship's crow's nest while spending a semester at sea- but having seen how deeply she can sleep, it's not really that impressive), she endeavors to post as often as her glamorous life allows. Every single time a new link appears, I know I will laugh until I pee. (This is clearly the highest compliment I know.) Check out her take on Bruno Mars' Marry You. Her Skymall recap is also hilarious- and disturbingly informative.

Bogglingly joyful.

Laura and I have been friends since grade school. Even though we haven't lived in the same state (or time zone) for many years, I adore keeping up with her travels on I'll Take You In My Backpack. Recently, she's lived in Alaska, Japan, and now Guam. (The other day I went to a city park on the northside of town and was exhausted by my jaunt. For an example of my own comparative non-traveliness.) She remains upbeat and incredibly cool, despite the recent natural disasters in Japan- and, more recently, a burst eardrum while in her new locale. In fact, her arrival to each location has been marked by a separate earthquake each and every time. Alaska. Japan. Guam. Yep. So, good God, don't just go give her a gander...give her some love. (Also ask her if she remembers my Jonathan Brandis Trapper Keeper from seventh grade [mandatory] shop class.)

So there you go. You have no more excuses for doing your job or going to bed on time.

Get readin'.

And then come back here. 'Cause I'll always love you best.

***

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.