Entry #1: Blog Appreciation Hours! Even the Not-So-Great Ones

I'll be the first one to say it (I'm most likely not the first one to say it, but we'll pretend that I am for the time being, okay?): Blogs are seriously underrated. Social media is so filtered that it's actually rare to come across one at all. We live in a generation where people thrive more on social media platforms and treat it as a blog of their own, rather than actually sitting down and creating one themselves with long-lasting information that's worthwhile; information that allows other to connect in a more meaningful way. But that's not to say that they're nonexistent, because there's a lot of them out there that are actually well established and entertaining, and some...well, not so much.

First, we're going to talk about the good stuff! One blog that I came across is from a website called "Borderline in the Act". They have an entire section of users that dedicate their blogs to their experiences and journey with Borderline Personality Disorder in order to break the stigma surrounding it, one of the users I liked named Aimee Wilson, the writer behind "I'm NOT Disordered". 

The format is pretty basic, and there's little to no imagery throughout the posts she makes, but the message she delivers is absolutely moving. The purpose of her blog is to inform her audience about mental health, specifically BPD, and adds an intimate touch with how she implements bits and pieces of her everyday life. And in all honesty, I genuinely enjoy how simple this actually is, because I believe it helps get her point across much more than one might think. Her personality roams freely through her words and doesn't need many visuals to engage her audience either, even coming from me it's huge!

Now, this next one is definitely a personal favorite. As some of my lovely readers know, I'm a licensed esthetician, and there are certain blogs that I'd be on the hunt for, and one that I found by the grace of the skincare gods is "The Oily Esthetician" by Kimberly Esposito. 

Not only is the overall format of this blog aesthetically pleasing, but there's plenty of information on how to get that beautiful glow from within (minus the highlighter, sorry gals!) with a solid skincare routine! This blog also has lots of variety, including DIY recipes, consulting advice, and more! Not to mention that it's super easy on the eyes and visually appealing; a stellar choice in my book! The blogger also informs her audience while also persuading them to listen to the professionals of the skincare industry, trying to break the stigma of cosmetic retail. My only criticism for this blog is that there are only a few posts here and there! I wish she'd update her blog a bit more, but outside of that, the content she puts out there on top of that still makes it enjoyable.

And with the appreciation hours coming to a close, we, unfortunately, come to the not so great ones, and the only one I didn't enjoy as much in my journey of the blog search is The Shooting Allens. Now while I can totally understand that this isn't exactly meant for any other audience other than close family and friends and a way to document memories she's had with her family, it didn't exactly grab my attention other than for an English assignment I had. The author had little to no grammar, and while I can appreciate the use of images, it seems a bit over the top for me, and it doesn't contain any organization whatsoever (I'm sure it isn't intended for any organization because it's strictly for personal use).

Final thoughts? If you know what your niche is, and you know what you're interested in, it's not hard to do a quick google search to find the blogs you wanna discover! It's all about what you're into and how willing you are to find it. Until next time, Sunflower Socialites!