My dear friend Alicia has just launched a new project and let me tell you…you’re in for a treat! I’ve wished for years that she would write more, more, more! Her writings will make you laugh, cry, and nod in agreement. It’s incredibly inspiring and is just what I needed right now. I want to be like her when I grow up.

So head on over to Milagro Girl, sign up for her mailing list, “like” her on Facebook, and let your soul soak up the sunshine. It’s oh so good.

I love it when I come across a blog and a family that is so vibrant and delightful that you just can’t help but be sucked in! Lauren, the author of “Sparkling Adventures” posted on the Families on the Road Facebook page today about their travel digs and that’s how I found her. So excited to read more through her blog…she talks about unschooling, living for Jesus, eating well, birth, photography, travel, dreadlocks and more! Sound familiar?

Jump over there if you’re looking for an adventure…Happy Monday!

::: photo credit :::

I wanted to write about this fun milestone yesterday, but the flu came in and stole my motivation However, I just can’t let the weekend go by without celebrating a bit!

Walk Slowly, Live Wildly turned FIVE years old yesterday! I posted my very first blog on March 11, 2006. I still remember sitting on our red couch at the house in Des Moines…trying to decide what to name it. Back in those days, MySpace with the “cool place” to be and the blogosphere was still just a child. It’s crazy how much has changed in 5 years!

This blog has opened so many doors for friendship and new experiences. In fact, our initial tour around the country was originally a “let’s go meet blog readers” tour…and it’s such a blessing to know so many of you in person! I honestly can’t imagine my life without the friends I have met online. I would venture to say that the majority of the people I interact with on a day to day basis and those who inspire me the most were once “strangers” I met online.

This online space we have created…it’s quite an amazing web of interconnectedness.

As part of the celebration, I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment just to say hello and tell me a little about yourself! But beyond that, I would love to hear any stories you have about:

• Online friendships turned “real life” friendships
• Online communities that have changed you forever
• Any “remember when” moments or experiences you and I have had together in real life 

It’s one of my dreams to someday gather all of my friends for a big weekend retreat…wouldn’t that be amazing? But for now…we’ll just have a little party right here

Stay tuned for some really fantastic celebration giveaways in the next couple of weeks!

Passionate Homemaking
I’m sure some of you are already familiar with Lindsay’s blog, but I just recently came across it. Our interests intersect nicely, so I’ve had a great time peeking around her blog…especially in her recipe section. Good stuff there. Her site is super organized and easy to navigate…and although I’ve never corresponded with her, she just seems like a mama you would want to sit down with over a cup of tea! Currently, she is holding a book discussion and giveaway for a book that I would love to read, Practicing Hospitality. Be sure to check it out!

Ordinary Life Magic
As we delve deeper into our unschooling journey, I’ve been looking for inspiration…and this blog is full of it! It’s a display of one unschooling family’s adventures in their “ordinary”, but magical life. Whenever I look at her photos, I’m reminded to slow down and enjoy life’s ordinary moments and to see the world through the eyes of a child.

What blogs have you discovered (and loved) lately?

Mourning Into Dancing: Jess has a way with words. I love her strong spirit and her “real-ness”. She tells it like it is…and she will have you laughing out loud and shedding a tear in the same post. She talks openly about the struggles she has and yet walks with Jesus through it all.

 Big Sweet Tooth: Can anyone have such a charmed life as Misty? I think not. The girl travels the world, builds schools in 3rd world countries, helps children in need, meets the most interesting people, eats amazing food, and is passionate about her work. If you’ve ever wanted to travel the world (or anywhere!), you’ll love reading about her adventures.

Have you found any new blogs recently that you’re enjoying? Do share

Chinua is also a crazy amazing photographer. Check his photos out here.

“It is almost like if I have a problem my first thought is Google not God.”

And the part at the end about looking into your child’s eyes…that was convicting! Read it today! A big thanks to Amy at Lavender Sparkles for posting it first.

Food Lovers Unite! I have changed my food blog to WordPress now…you can find it here: Happy Foody.

I’ve added lots of YUMMY new recipes, including one of my all-time favorites, Peanut Love Sauce and a new one that I can’t get enough of, Avocado Feta Salsa. I added a “Most Requested” category as well so you can find the best recipes easily. None of the recipes are of my own creation…so I’ve given credit to the original chef if I knew who it was. I’ve also re-categorized everything for easier navigation. Some of the entries are from my old MySpace blog, so they aren’t all formatted the same, and not all will have photos…but it will still be fun

I will be updating this more often now…so check back for goodies. As always, I love to hear your feedback on the recipes! Cook Cook Cook!

• Love Notes to Yahweh
• A Path Made Straight
• Wide Open Spaces
• Fiddle Mama
• The Flourishing Mother

In a recent conversation with friends, I used the term “blogosphere”…and I got some strange looks. I quickly realized that not everyone knows about this “secret world” that many of us live in. I assured them, jokingly, that it was indeed a real word because Wikipedia says so. It’s pretty common for people to associate Internet friendships with creepy/stalker-type situations…and while that can happen, the opposite is true most of the time. And yes, you can get TOO wrapped up in the online “alternative reality” and forget that there is a real life to be lived. But as long as you have balance in your life, blogs are such a great way to meet new people.

As we have traveled across the U.S…every single family/person we have met/stayed with has been one we first met in the blogosphere. We may have known about them in print…or maybe even what they looked like by photo, but we had never met them face to face. It’s always an interesting first encounter. The wonderful thing is…we have been so delighted 100% of the time with these new friends. And that’s the magical thing about blogging and the Internet in general. It has the amazing power to cut through all barriers. Race, religion, income levels…all of those things fall away as you look through the screen. You can find people with similar interests with the click of a mouse. You don’t need to pretend to be anyone you’re not (although some people do)…and there is no need for small talk. You just cut to the good stuff. Our tour is living proof that Internet friendships are REAL friendships!

I have been deeply changed by my online experiences. I have been inspired. I have been brought to tears. I have grown closer to Jesus. I have made life changes. I have new friends for life. I get excited to see what is happening their lives…what types of things they are learning from the Lord, what they did for their birthday…what their kids are up to. Sometimes it’s much more sobering…like how their chemotherapy is going. But at all times, I know I can go to my “secret world” and find encouragement and laughter.

And now…I want to ask YOU:

“How have you been changed by your online friendships?”