After far too long without exercise, I’m starting from zero miles and training to run an 8K race in March with two friends!https://jaybirdblog.com/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-fitness/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-fitness/There’s a thrill that comes from making a new resolution. You identify a goal, decide to make a change and then start to dream. This is very much on of those twinkle-in-your-eye moments.Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-love-your-body-resolution/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-love-your-body-resolution/Welcome to the first Love Your Body Link-Up! I’m so thrilled to kick this off with Rachel and all of you, but before we jump in, I just want to say THANK YOU!Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-8-hours-else/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-8-hours-else/I went through a long period in college when it was cool not to sleep. Staying up til 3:00am to work on a paper was a badge of honor worn as I poured my fifth cup of coffee in the dining hall.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-different-type-cleanse/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-different-type-cleanse/The Love Your Body Resolution is a biweekly series dedicated to loving + respecting your body. For more LYB Resolution posts, visit the archive.Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-dressing/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-dressing/Three beautiful dresses for three lucky readers! This post’s giveaway is sponsored by Karina Dresses.Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-make-proud/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-make-proud/There’s this quote that’s been going around the web, popping up on motivational blog posts and Pinterest boards, and getting quite a few virtual “mm-hmm”’s.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-ran-8k/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-body-resolution-ran-8k/The Love Your Body Resolution is a biweekly series dedicated to loving + respecting your body. For more LYB Resolution posts, visit the archive.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-your-body-link-up-1/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-your-body-link-up-1/Welcome to the first Love Your Body Link-Up! I’m so thrilled to kick this off with Rachel and all of you, but before we jump in, I just want to say THANK YOU!Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-your-body-resolution/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/love-your-body-resolution/Oh, resolutions. Health. Wellness. Lose that 5 pounds.Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lyb-resolution-no-more-desperate-dinners/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lyb-resolution-no-more-desperate-dinners/lamb stew / 5-spice porkchops / curried carrot soup / omelette jambon et fromage / butterflied roast chicken / chicken frito pie / spicy green skillet / gf chicken tenders / potluck lunchWed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lyb-resolution-powerlifting-new-conversation/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lyb-resolution-powerlifting-new-conversation/When I think back on past workouts, lifting weights is something that always leaves me feeling completely wiped out—and stronger than anything else.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/running-zero-8k-11-weeks-week-1/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/running-zero-8k-11-weeks-week-1/A week ago today, I got a text from Eileen: “Lady! Any interest in running the Shamrock Shuffle 8K? 5 miles through downtown and a beer party at the end.” Of course I signed up.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/running-fail/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/running-fail/After far too long without exercise, I’m starting from zero miles and training to run an 8K race in March with two friends! Why? Check out my first post on my goal of running an 8K.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lessons-pursuit-of-health/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lessons-pursuit-of-health/My definition of health has changed drastically since graduating from college. Honestly, when I was in school, I thought health just meant “not being sick.” If I changed my diet, it was about looking…Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/everyone-ok-5-things-learned-car-accident/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/everyone-ok-5-things-learned-car-accident/Let’s start with the most important thing: no one was injured. The second item of note: I was in a car accident on the highway on Wednesday night where a young woman rear-ended me, pushing my car…Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/focus-mindful-consumption/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/focus-mindful-consumption/Wow. This week flew by and was a bit of a mixed bag. I was able to mostly work from home, which was glorious and technically afforded me 10+ extra hours for doing-doing-doing…which for the most part…Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/banish-overwhelm-just-get/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/banish-overwhelm-just-get/Over-, under- or just plain whelmed, I’ve been all three this week. Take a normally busy schedule and throw in a totaled car, and you’ve got a recipe for nonstop phone calls, very little sleep and…Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-food/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-food/When food-loving friends get together, delicious things happen. Namely major waffle breakfasts.Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/perfect-mornings-paleo-frittata/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/perfect-mornings-paleo-frittata/This is a picture of my perfect morning: uncluttered table, colorful homemade breakfast, strong French press coffee, writing tools.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-diy/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-diy/Do you think creativity is a given personality trait, or do you think it is a quality that can be nurtured and developed over time?Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-home/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-home/When I was a kid, my parents would joke that they were lucky to see a clear path from the bedroom door to the bed…unfortunately, though, it wasn’t a joke, and more often than not there was no path to…Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-garden/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-garden/Back when I lived in the suburbs, I built a cute little 4 x 4′ raised bed garden and put it in my yard. The first summer, I harvested crisp, curly spinach and endless armfuls of Swiss chard.Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-blogging/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-blogging/I am such a sucker for the little things: a sweet note, a cappuccino made by a real barista, a cluster of tart cherries sharing a stem.Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-career/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-career/It’s Monday, the start of a brand new week. Depending on your circumstances, this might be a day you look forward to or one that makes you panic.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-guest/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-guest/You’ve heard it a million times: dress for the job you want, not the job you have.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/so-you-want-to-be-a-blogger/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/so-you-want-to-be-a-blogger/So you want to be a blogger, huh? A capital-B Blogger with the domain name + online presence to prove it.Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/rethinking-sponsors-on-advertising-blogging-questions-to-ask-yourself/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/rethinking-sponsors-on-advertising-blogging-questions-to-ask-yourself/Before we get started, I know that while “sponsorship” is a huge thing in the blogging world, not everyone is a blogger. Let’s define sponsorship before getting started:Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/blog/blog-love-questions-about-sponsorship/https://jaybirdblog.com/blog/blog-love-questions-about-sponsorship/The absolute best thing about blogging is the sense of community. I started blogging to have a creative outlet and a place to share thoughts and recipes, but I found that blogs often have their own…Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/sponsor/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/sponsor/You’ve made something incredible, and you want to share it with the world.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/5-old-school-productivity-tips/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/5-old-school-productivity-tips/There’s a reason productivity hacks are so popular. Search “how to be more productive” and you’ll find page after page of recommendations for apps, methods, tips and guaranteed-to-work secrets…Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-style-2/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-style-2/If I were a high school guy in the 1950s, I’d say that Jaybird is my best gal: I write here on the regular, and recently I’ve enjoyed sharing more personal essays.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-reviews/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-reviews/Last Saturday I met Christine at Bar Pastoral, a cozy wine bar in Chicago’s East Lakeview neighborhood, and I really had no desire to ever leave.Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/midwifery-cocktails-vintage-swag-major-blog-crush/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/midwifery-cocktails-vintage-swag-major-blog-crush/Do you ever get friend-crushes on celebrities? Like “Amy Poehler, please be my best friend and let’s eat waffles together all the time”-type crushes.Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-thoughts/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-thoughts/This hefty pile is why I’m not allowed to go to book sales. It’s not about the cost–each of the books here cost 10¢ during the “stuff a bag” part of a library used book sale–but simply about the…Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-daytoday/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-daytoday/Over-, under- or just plain whelmed, I’ve been all three this week. Take a normally busy schedule and throw in a totaled car, and you’ve got a recipe for nonstop phone calls, very little sleep and…Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/guide-to-being-alone/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/guide-to-being-alone/Have you ever heard someone say that, to foreigners, Americans seem like golden retrievers?Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/dreams-possibilities-finding-way-love-body-right-now/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/dreams-possibilities-finding-way-love-body-right-now/One of the best parts of writing the Love Your Body Resolution series is hearing from you all about your experiences.Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/what-could-you-do-with-one-extra-hour/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/what-could-you-do-with-one-extra-hour/If you read using a feed or via email, come over to the blog today! I installed a new theme over the weekend and it’s looking all kinds of spiffy.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-travel/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-travel/Even with a dream destination, traveling can be rough. Throw in a high volume of travelers on a tight schedule, overbooked airplanes and looots of little kids, and an otherwise average trip home…Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-links/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/category-links/I’ve got something brand new to introduce today: Smart Cookies! (and a picture flashback to one of my go-to recipes: paleo + vegan chocolate chip cookies)Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lovely-links/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/lovely-links/There are approximately a zillion blogs out there, and I’d guess that a million are pretty darn great.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/about/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/about/Home in motion: the idea that you can make a place for yourself no matter where you are–and no matter where you’re going.Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://jaybirdblog.com/projects/author-brooke5/https://jaybirdblog.com/projects/author-brooke5/Happy weekend, everyone! I hope you’re taking 15 minutes to relaaax and breathe and remember that you do not have to do everything to enjoy perfectly lovely holidays.Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT