Will You Please Help Me Waste More Time?

The other day Kristin, at Better Now, called for the Internet to answer a question: If you could only read one blog, which one would you choose? I'm going to ask the same thing--sort of. (I try to mask my compulsive need to copy by slightly altering things! Look how original I am!)

I'm asking you to expand your answer to a few different categories:

1) Your favorite regular slash general blog
2) Your favorite cooking blog
3) Your favorite entertaining (as in hosting gatherings not trying to hold an audience's attention) blog
4) Your favorite shopping blog
5) And your favorite photography slash craft slash hobby slash where can I go to spend more money and feel badly about my (lack of) talents blog

To entice you to answer and, really, just to guarantee you'll help me pad my Google Reader account, there's a $10 Amazon gift card up for grabs for a randomly selected commenter. And I promise it'll be quite random--I'll even document the selecting!--and I won't resort to choosing the person who says I'm the blog they could never give up. I'm pretty sure I won't, at least. I've been known to lose my scruples over far lesser things.

(Kidding! Will be totally random!)

I'll even start, if you're having a bit of brain freeze or stage fright or just utter confusion over how I have any time on my hands to read MORE blogs what with all the getting naked and stepping over used condoms I fill my time with:

General: Nothing But Bonfires and Princess Nebraska

Cooking: Smitten Kitchen

Entertaining: Hostess with the Mostess

Shopping: Oh Happy Day

Hobby/Craft: It's The Little Things

I thank you! My husband--who sometimes has to pry my laptop out of my hands so I'll rub his back or, I don't know, talk to him--thanks you considerably less fervently!

::

Also, what is a show I should definitely be watching? It's summer and all of my favorite shows are in their sad, lonely hiatus phase--except for Top Chef--and it's time for me to download new things to become obsessed with.

::

Updated to add: You don't HAVE to offer up blogs for all categories. Offer one or all. Either (or in between) is totally fine with me.

Comments

[Jess]

I don't read blogs in all of those categories, so I can't be incredibly helpful here. But three of the blogs that I click on the second I see them show up in my Google Reader are Swistle, www.fullyoperationalbattlestation.com, and www.redredwhine.com. Plus yours, obvi.

[rebecca]

General: Yours! and ihearthayden@blogspot.com. she doesn't post very often, but when she does, they are well thought out.

Cooking: cupcake bakeshop (cupcakeblog.com)

Entertaining: hmmm...i haven't ventured this far, yet.

Shopping: prettypear.com

Hobby/Craft: i stay away from these cause they make me spend money and then my husband has to explain the budget to me AGAIN...and no one needs that.

[Janssen]

Let us hope that 4th time is a charm:

General: Amalah is my all time favorite, but as far as lesser known blogs go, I totally love missnemesis.blogspot.com

Cooking: pickypalate.blogspot.com (love!)

Hobby/craft: balancingeverything.blogspot.com (homeschooling is a hobby, right?)

I have nothing for those other two categories. Shame on me.

[ali]

hrm..i don't really read any cooking/entertaining/shopping/craft blogs...

but only ONE general blog???? only one? really?
Moosh in Indy. Redneck Mommy. The Blogess.

(i may have to steal this idea...)

[Kristabella]

Just one? For general I'd have to go with Amalah, Jennsylvania, MamaPop or I Can Has Cheezburger. And a whole host of others!

As for shows, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List starts the 12th. Also, My Boys on TBS, which is one of my favorite shows.

[jonniker]

I can't pick one of any of those. Picking one always makes me feel bad, because I love them all for DIFFERENT REASONS, and it would be massively unfair to choose just one.

[Camels & Chocolate]

Hey, what about travel? KIDDING =)

OK, here goes:

General: Nothing But Bonfires

Cooking: Um, I don't really cook, but do Jemima and Moose in the Kitchen count?

Entertaining: again, um???

Shopping: Well, I used to work at Lucky mag, and I do love the Shop Girl and eBay blogs (partly because they were the one thing I edited that didn't bore me to death!)

Hobby/Craft: Hmm, it's not a craft blog per se, but she is always doing something crafty -- Secret Agent Josephine. Or wait, maybe Whoorl kind of counts, too, hmm? It's a tie.

Can I just name a whole lot of general blogs instead? In which case it would be NBB, Moose, Jemima, No Pasa Nada, SAJ, Whoorl, Redacted blog, Jonniker, Cheaper than Therapy, Dooce, Chelsea Talks Smack, Exposed NYC, Splendid Really...and OF COURSE, She Likes Purple (that was a no brainer!).
____________________

Shows you should definitely be watching: LOST, 30 Rock, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, Friday freakin' Night Lights (you're from Texas, I'm guessing this is a given), Brother and Sisters, The Office, then all the cliche ones that I still think are good despite - Desperate, Grey's, etc.

Others that are cute, but not necessarily necessary: Samantha Who?, Greek, Ugly Betty

Summertime Shows: Bachelorette (duh, you knew that), Bachelor reruns on VH1

Speaking of TV, guess what I got on DVD, seasons 1-3? ONE TREE HILL. I knew you'd be proud!

[slynnro]

General: Messing with Texas

Cooking: Smitten Kitchen

Entertaining: I have no selection here. Smitten Kitchen??

Shopping: Shockingly, I do not read any shopping blogs! I know!

Hobby/Craft: UH...don't read those either.

So, that was helpful.

[Kristie]

General - It's probably Dooce. I've been reading her blog since before I knew blogging was a sport and I've read every single post she's ever posted.

Cooking - The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Smitten Kitchen

Entertaining - I don't read any specific entertaining blogs.

Shopping - Same as above.

Hobby/Craft - I'd have to say Apartment Therapy, Chez Larsson and Creative Organizing. These are all about design and organization and a few crafts thrown in.

As for shows...I'm seriously into the reality show Work Out...it's so drama filled and I love it.

[Rhi]

I really did comment earlier - and came back to see what everyone else posted. But, my comment is all gone!

So, general: Hola, Isabel

Cooking: The Pioneer Woman (her name is Ree, need I say more :)?)

Entertaining: LOVE Hostess with the Mostess

Shopping: We Covet

Hobby/Craft: CRAFT Magazine, and Anna Maria Horner (she did my chairs)

Shows: I don't have cable, but the second I am in front of a TV that does? Weeds, Kathy Griffin, or really an infomercial. That is how addicted I am.

[moo]

General: amalah, http://thenewgirl.typepad.com,

The rest of them I can't help you with. Oh! wait ... hobby/craft: http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/

As for TV shows ... you MUST watch So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) *especially* after these audition rounds are over. The dancing in INCREDIBLE and the hostess, Cat Deely, is adorable.

[Stephanie]

wow.

am i ever a nerd.

your 5 questions have made me realize the ONLY non-news, non-political blog i read is... you guessed it! YOURS! every single day, without fail.

[Sharon]

All of the blogs I read would fall under the "general" category, but I'd have to say my favourite is Angella's (Dutch Blitz). All of the blogs I read are fantastic, but hers is my favourite.

My favourite shows are all off for the season too, but I agree with moo - SYTYCD is by far the best summer show out there. SO awesome!

Amazing Race is coming back in September though, and that's definitely a must-see simply for the travel alone. The drama and Phil and everything else is just icing on the cake. :)

[She Likes Purple]

Sharon: You just made my WEEK! The Amazing Race is one of my absolute favorites!

[K]

General: She Likes Purple, SAJ, Hola, Isabel
Cooking: cookiemadness.net, http://recipeforsuccess.wordpress.com/ (Angella's cooking blog)
Photography/General: Dutch Blitz

[K]

Oh geez. I forgot to mention tv shows.

The Next Food Network Star (it just started this past Sunday)is on Sunday nights (right after new episodes of Iron Chef).

[Shelly]

General: Pioneer Woman, You! I laugh everyday.
Better Now, Dutchblitz, Bethany Actually, Dooce, Filtering Life, Secret Agent Josephine...sorry too many!
As for the other topics...don't really read any others in those genres.

As for T.V shows....Big Brother 10 in July!!! Woohoo!!! Sorry...I am only slightly obsessed. :)

[Amanda]

general blog: She Likes Purple-funniest and true to my life.
others I read: dutchblitz, secret agent josephine, dooce, Bethany Actually.

I never keep my site updated...not cute or fun like these...plus I need a better name.

[water sign]

General: Everyday Stranger (everydaystranger.net)

Cooking: I love Smitten Kitchen and also Gluten Free Girl (glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com)

Shopping: We Covet (www.wecovet.com)

Crafts and jewelry: Etsy (www.etsy.com), hands down. You could spend days browsing there.

Two shows I'd highly recommend - Veronica Mars and Coupling (the original).

[Jen]

Here's what I've got (from your links, I think we read a lot of the same people):
I'm a dasbecca.com fan - I think a few people recommended her to Kristin too.
soulemama.com - crafty, cute kids

As for TV:
Jon and Kate Plus 8 (I think you already watch this) and I second the "Work Out" suggestion.

[Nothing But Bonfires]

Ooh, thank you for picking me as general! That was very exciting! As for MY general, I would probably say Mimi Smartypants (www.smartypants.diaryland.com) or Que Sera Sera. For cooking, Smitten Kitchen. For shopping, I like Oh My That's Awesome.

As for shows: Flight of the Conchords (if you have HBO, it's on On Demand), Freaks and Geeks (Netflix), and I also INSIST that you watch the entire season of My So Called Life if you somehow missed it the first time around in 1995. Also, a BBC show called Peep Show (also Netflix) -- hilariously funny if you like dry British humor. Which I am sure you do.

[Elizabeth]

Hey, thanks for the blog love! You are too awesome.
I can;t puck just one, I just can't. But I would say you and Not That You Asked if I had to pick two.
I know I already tried to make you watch Friday Night Lights and I don't know if I get a Battlestar Galactica vibe from you, but those are my two faves right now.
And I second My So Called Life. That's one of my top choices of ALL TIME.
Or you could always just watch Veronica Mars on DVD again, which I am thinking of doing. For the fourth time. Logan and that stupid yellow Xterra just get me every time. And the prom episode. Sigh.

[katie]

General: Girl from Florida...she's pretty rad

Cooking: Cafe Johnsonia...great pictures

Entertaining: Hostess with the Mostess is the only one I read like this.

Shopping: Oh happy day...Jordan is a peach

Crafts/hobbies/DESIGN: Design sponge

[Nic]

General: All & Sundry, Flotsam and Her Bad Mother

Cooking: Simply Recipes, Wednesday Chef, The Passionate Cook, FXCuisine (I like food blogs)

Entertaining: Hostess with the Mostess

Shopping: Rare Bird Finds

Hobby/Craft: NotMartha, Angry Chicken, Yarnstorm

[Ashley]

TV show: anything HGTV

Blogs...

General: EmilyPie and Mom's are for Everyone

Cooking PW Cooks for sure!

Entertaining: can I change that to entertainment? If so Perez Hilton

Shopping: yours

Hobby: Cameron Ingalls Photography Blog

[Cheri DeLurker]

General: www.sundrymourning.com

Cooking: www.thepioneerwomancooks.com

Entertaining: www.perezhilton.com

Shopping: None

Hobby/Craft: None

Not a BLOG but I love www.etsy.com which combines shopping AND hobbies & crafts! :)