Ever pick up a fashion magazine and notice how there are often articles dedicated to luxury destinations and getaways? That’s because the Editors of fashion magazines know that people need to be able to dream of themselves WEARING the clothes in order to actually buy them!
Can you imagine how popular fashion magazines would be if they showed you pictures of your already cramped closet, or the dress you bought in 2013 with the tags STILL attached because you’ve never worn it?
This is the connection between fashion and travel and this is why LIFESTYLE BLOGS exist!
Fashion shoots are always in interesting and evocative locations to inspire their readers to want to live a certain lifestyle, a glamorous one, that is conjured up in the pages of Vogue. Along comes the internet and Lifestyle Blogs and you have a totally different perspective an alternative to the imaginary life….REAL ONES.
Lifestyle Blogs are about not presenting a made up life, created solely for the purpose of a magazine, but about sharing real inspiration, recipes, outfits and destinations. Of course not *all* lifestyle blogs include travel, or fashion, but they are two categories that will often go hand in hand.
Don’t get me wrong, as much as I’ve been “inspired” by Vogue’s incredibly perfect and stunning photography, models and clothes ….they always remain out of my reach and can get boring.
Bloggers. know them – trust them – follow them
I get a lot of different emails from my loyal readers asking very specific questions about my expat mom life in Modena! Questions like:
How do you find the courage to dress up and look pretty as a stay at home mom?
Can I travel alone in Italy with kids?
Do you regret moving so far from your family?
I need to go to 5 weddings and a baptism this summer and I’m on a budget, what should I wear?
Where should I go in Bologna for a nice evening?
Sometimes I’ve never heard from these readers before and their emails come out of left field, but they make me SO HAPPY! I guess you don’t really realize that people are reading until they start to ask questions! THANK YOU!
When I get emails that say “my husband and I were going to avoid Italy because he is Celiac, but thanks to your posts on gluten free eating we’re planning a trip!” , or “I usually live in my pjs but you’ve inspired me to make more effort with my style”, it is a reminder that blogging is useful! As useful as journalism, or fiction, or documentary film making or any other medium that shares, informs and inspires.
I bought a copy of Vogue the other day. I’ve been so used to the “amateur” photography of blogs that I had forgotten what a *real* photoshoot looked like. Each page was more beautiful than the next, perfection. But perfect is not what I’m into these days. I’m into real life, so I read blogs like Diary of an Urban Housewife who takes me through the stunning tulips of the Netherlands with her family and Pretty Thing and Co., another expat living in Rome and blogging about everyday life. Ever noticed wild poppies growing in Rome? She has and they are stunning.
I also love reading Ashley’s blog Como Perderse en Espagna. She’s a Canadian expat living in Spain and teaching English, who writes detailed articles to help anyone prepare for a move there. Malaysian Meanders has taken me all through Malaysia and back again, and I’ve been planning all the things I’ll do with my son in Penang thanks to her blog! Kelly from A Lovely Life Indeed kicks my butt into working out while also taking me through the beautiful streets of Galicia. Then there’s Angele from The European Malteser who shares her style but also wonderful evenings in Brussels and murder mystery dinners with friends (jealous!!)
I also love reading other moms who blog about life like Zaz from Mama and More. A while back she did a whole series on London and it was great to get an insider’s view of the city not from a guide book, but from another mom, who I’ve grown to trust and like because of her blog. When she reviews and suggests a restaurant or market I just know I’ll like it. Recently Hannah from Mums Days decided to take her son Reuben (who is around the same age as my son) to all of the castles in the Northumberland region. I didn’t even know there were that many castles out there and have loved following along, especially the Dally Castle!
One of the blogs I read almost daily is Becoming a Stay at Home Mom. I never find time to comment but she is my first read in the morning, usually at 4:30am as I’m getting out of bed. Her little Monkey is the same age as my son and she stays home with him and her new baby. We’ve never met, but we have so much in common! She takes him out on wonderful local adventures in Leeds and her son goes through ALL the same phases as mine! I also love Honest Mum and her luxury getaways even with young kids! As an expat I’m physically disconnected from Toronto, but through blogs I can stay up to date on what’s happening in the city like the new Aquarium, thanks to Toronto bloggers like Marta from Sweaters, Stripes and Sweets, Susan from Ava Grace’s Closet and Jane from Toronto Shopaholic.
This is what inspires me.
My two weeks in Copenhagen were planned almost entirely through blogs. I found this awesome indoor play space for in the area where we were renting our apartment through the blog Rookie Mom! She’s not a travel blogger but I’m so glad she blogged all about her trip to Copenhagen with her kids. She has SO MANY great tips to offer if you are visiting the city, and although her post is from 2010, ALL of it was still helpful and relevant. I’m grateful she took the time to blog so many great suggestions that no one EVER writes about because they may not seem important. Even though the REMISEN playspace isn’t a tourist destination, it helped me plan a fantastic day. We took our son there all morning, he got tired out and after lunch he slept while we enjoyed three (UNDISTURBED) HOURS of museum going as a couple with our friends! Best Vacation Day Ever!
Notice a theme? Writing about your travels, even if you don’t have a strict travel blog is a great way to help others plan their trip!
EXPO2015 in Milan – Come with me!
Tomorrow is May 1st and so begins the International EXPO 2015 held in Milan, Italy. I’m an EXPO OPTIMIST Blogger and will be sharing with you throughout the EXPO, follow the hashtag #expottimisti! I’m so excited about what I will do, eat and of course….wear!
In order to celebrate this I thought it was finally time I gave more space on my LIFESTYLE BLOG to my other passion….travel!
So beginning tomorrow you’ll have the chance to linkup any and all of your travel posts on the #REASONStoTRAVEL linkup, a new linkup dedicated to travel bloggers and non travel bloggers who want to share their local and international adventures.
This opens on the 1st of every month and is open for THE WHOLE MONTH. You will find a dedicated page on my blog with the most recent linkup and I would LOVE FOR YOU TO DISCOVER NEW BLOGS AND INSPIRATION through this linkup.
This linkup is being supported and co-hosted by 4 other incredible travel bloggers who will also have the linked up present on their blogs!! We will also be retweeting tweets with the #REASONStoTRAVEL hashtag, and I hope you will share our enthusiasm and share what you love!
These are the rules and I hope to see you tomorrow!
#REASONStoTRAVEL
A place for everyone to share their travels.
You don’t have to be a travel blogger to want to share your favorite local spots or tips on international travel.
#REASONStoTRAVEL is a new linkup, open for the whole month where you can share, discover and explore travel!
REASONS TO DRESS – An Italian Lifestyle Blog About Travel, Fashion and Life in Italy
TWITTER / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST / BLOGLOVIN’
CHASING THE DONKEY – Travel Croatia Like a Local, People, Places, Food and Culture
TWITTER / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST / BLOGLOVIN’
THE CROWDED PLANET – A Nature and Adventure Travel Blog
TWITTER / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST / BLOGLOVIN’
UNLOCKING KIKI - A Travel Blog From An American Expat in Iceland
TWITTER / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST / BLOGLOVIN’
IN SEARCH OF – A Travel Blog From An American Expat in Vilnius, Lithuania
TWITTER / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST / BLOGLOVIN’
Rules:
- Linkup your TRAVEL related posts, new and old!
- Add the badge or a link back to ANY of the co-hosts
- Follow each co-host on at least 1 social network , we’re friendly, social and generally over-sharers!
- Tweet your link with the hashtag #REASONStoTRAVEL for a retweet!
- Please be social and visit a post that interests you. Don’t forget to use the #REASONStoTRAVEL hashtag to let people know how you found them!