I wrote a few months ago about my search last summer to find old-fashioned blogs. Cozy blogs that were full of heart and personality. Blogs that were real and not driven primarily by the latest marketing tricks and blogger guru advice. Blogs that had an element of warmth to them.
I have to be completely honest. I was looking for blogs that were not primarily about homeschooling and gifted/2e kids. I was completely burned out on all that. I needed to think of something other than homeschooling, gifted/2e, and chronic illness. I love what I do and I love my child, but my life needed some rounding out with some positive cozy propaganda.
It really didn’t matter to me where the blogger lived or what stage of life she (or he) was at. I didn’t care if she was married, single, divorced, or widowed. I didn’t care if she had kids in the home, no children, or grown children. I didn’t care what kind of schooling they did. I didn’t care if she monetized her site or not. All that mattered to me is that it felt real. And cozy.
Finding Cozy Blogs
So I started somewhere I don’t remember and just started clicking. For many evenings, I just wandered the blog world and started reading. Looking for something different.
I followed link-ups. I looked at blogrolls in sidebars. I followed links to websites from people who left interesting comments. I didn’t use Pinterest. I didn’t use Facebook. I didn’t use Instagram. I basically did what we used to do in the world of blogging. I took a link to a link to a link and kept going.
I discovered many new to me blogs. Some I’ve been following for months and (to my shame) have not even left a comment so the blogger may be surprised to find herself on this list.
There are so many reasons why each one grabbed my attention and made me bookmark it. In each case there is simply something about the blog I like. It might be the entire experience. It might be the chattiness. It might be the fact that she’s been blogging forever and I can keep reading for a long time and barely scratch the surface. It might be the topics. It might be the writing style.
In all cases, there has to be something compelling about the content because I am, above all else, a content person.
Some are hit and miss with their posting or taking a break, but they have such rich archives I included them.
I think some of the bloggers would be kindred spirits in just about every way. With others we would probably disagree about some things, but still find much more to enjoy together. Yes, several are homeschoolers, but for the vast majority of them their blog is about more than just that so it still feels like something different to me than a homeschooling blog that is so niched down that that is all there is to read on there.
Making A List Of Cozy Blogs
I debated how to present these and decided I am going to list them in alphabetical order with no explanation. There are blogs on here I’ve been reading for thirteen years and blogs I’ve just started reading. There are blogs on here of people I consider dear friends even though we’ve never met in real life and there are people on here who have no idea I even exist and read what they write. I would rather just share the list with you and let you visit each one without preconceived notions of what to expect based on what I have to say.
I hope you find some new-to-you treasures to read in the days ahead. If you find some you really love, let me know in the comments. I admit I’m curious as to which ones people are especially drawn to and why. Feel free to also leave suggestions for me and other readers here. I’m sure I’m missing out on some good ones.
As always, a link is not an endorsement of all the content. Blogs also change over time so be aware if you are reading this after the fact that some of these might have changed in ways I am not currently aware.
Cozy Blogs To Check Out
- A Tray of Bliss
- Afternoon Coffee and Evening Tea
- Bacon from Acorns
- Brocante Home
- By Sun and Candlelight
- Charming the Birds from the Trees
- Coffee, Tea, Books and Me
- Country Charm
- Down to Earth
- Frugal in Norfolk
- Harvest Lane Cottage
- Homeschool on the Croft
- Homespun Cottage
- Lanier Ivester
- Life After Money
- One Hundred Dollars a Month
- Our New Life in the Country
- Pleasant View Schoolhouse
- Posie Gets Cozy
- Remembering the Old Ways
- Richly Rooted
- Rural Revolution
- Something from Almost Nothing
- Stories of an Unschooling Family
- Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth
- The 1940’s Experiment
- The Bluebirds are Nesting
- The Hall in the Grove
- The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen
- The Legacy of Home
- This Victorian Life
- Trish Wish Living Well in Retirement
- Wonderful Life Farm
Here are a two follow-up posts of mine with a additional lists:
Judy
Thank you for sharing your list – I have just spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon wandering through a number of these blogs.
Sallie
Hi Judy!
You’re welcome! I wanted to get it up over the holiday weekend when I thought people might enjoy some leisurely reading. 🙂
Sallie
Teri
Dear Sallie … You have a lovely website. I love cosy blogs. As I was going over your list, it warmed my heart to see my blog ‘Homespun Cottage’ on your list. Thank you so much for sharing it with others. I see many on your list that I love to read during my quiet time. There are others that are new to me and I look forward to reading them as well. Such a sweet posting. Homespun Hugs ♥ Teri
Sallie
Hi Teri,
Thank you for your kind words. I was happy to introduce my readers to your blog! I hope you find some other new favorites on the list. ♥
Sallie
karen jones
Made it as far as “Charming the Birds” Blog , and got hit with a virus …just letting you know , I just backed out of everything and sure didn’t call the number …..I was having such fun right up till 2 minutes ago….darn it !
Sallie
Hi Karen,
Wow. That’s really weird. That’s a blogspot blog which makes it even weirder. I’ve been reading her blog for years and never had a problem. I just went there and didn’t get a virus, but it did say “connecting” for a long time. I’ll put a warning on that one for now.
Thank you!
Sallie
Ashley @ twentysixcats
I got hit with the virus message too. I wonder if her blog’s been hacked?
Sallie
I clicked over just now and it looks like she hasn’t updated since May 22. That’s quite a long time for her. She’s a very regular blogger. I hope she can get it sorted out. She has a lovely blog.
Sallie
Peggy
Sallie — thank you for including my blog! Most of the other blogs are new to me, too; thank you for doing all the work of finding them! I know it is not nearly as easy as it used to be.
Sallie
Hi Peggy!
You’re very welcome! You are one of the most resourceful and clever people I’ve ever met. I always enjoy reading what you are tinkering with.
It was actually very enjoyable poking around and looking for blogs to read. It was like it opened up a whole world to me again. It’s true that blogging has changed in many ways, but there are still a lot of interesting bloggers out there if you take the time to find them. 🙂
Sallie
Elsie
I had only read Lanier Ivester; the rest I’ve learned from you, either here or in your archives where you’ve linked to them! I’m enjoying some new treasures now. So it looks like you love England and the UK? Same here. Both in books and in real life!
Thank you so much for including Richly Rooted!
Kate
Thank you so much for including my blog in this list! I am surprised and honored!
Sallie
Hi Kate!
You’re very welcome! I enjoy seeing the projects you are working on and your family activities. Congratulations on the wedding!
Sallie
Michelle
I just found your blog and am enjoying it immensely! You might like gracefullittlehoneybee.com. She has a very sweet blog. Also, have you watched Great Depression Cooking with Clara on YouTube? She passed away a few years ago but it’s a lovely tribute to a young man’s grandmothet. You can’t help but smile.
Gloria
I am delighted to have found this post as I was searching for cozy living blogs. I have read Posie Gets Cozy and The Legacy of Home blogs for years. I can’t wait to check out the rest.
Warmly, Gloria
Sallie
Hi Gloria,
I hope you find some new ones you enjoy!
Sallie
Jean | Delightful Repast
Sallie, thank you for the list. I see a few of my favorites on it, but many are new to me. Can’t wait to check them out. I’m all about keeping it cozy with comfort food, but I can’t resist reading about ways other fans of all things cozy create that atmosphere for themselves and their family and friends.
Sallie
Hi Jean,
You’re welcome! I hope you find some new ones to enjoy. 🙂
Sallie
BillieJo
Hello!
I don’t know how I missed this, but thank you for including me!
I am going to check out the others you have shared.
Have a cozy evening!
Sallie Borrink
Hi BillieJo,
Glad to include you! I always enjoy seeing what’s going on with your family.
And we share a love of autumn. LOL!
Sallie
Leann
I love this list! What is crazy is that I remember following some of these years ago but because of social media I got away from that. I have recently been in search of bloggers to enjoy again after getting off most of my social media accounts. I even picked up my writing on my own blog and love the therapeutic aspect of it. I will be wandering through this list over the coming weeks and hopefully reconnecting with some old favorites and finding some new ones. Thank you!
Angell
I know this is an older post of yours, but it just showed up in my Pinterest feed. THANK YOU! I have been yearning to find something like this as well, but haven’t made the time to sit and search. You saved me a ton of time. I bookmarked quite a few. I think what caught my eye the most is that those were much like the old blogs back in the day, before blogs became so popular. Back in the day, blogs had depth, and you really got to know the writers. And now, in many cases, everything feels fake, only surface level, and almost like they are just trying to sell you something. So thank you! Off to see your other posts about cozy blogs. I’m sure I’ll end up with a long bookmarked list lol!
Sallie Borrink
Hi Angell,
Thank you for saying hello! I’m glad this post found its way into your Pinterest feed. There ARE still cozy blogs out there if you look around for them. Once you find some you like, you can usually find more by looking in their sidebar. I still do it from time to time just to find more real people writing about their real lives.
Happy discovering!
Sallie
Angell
I’m curious if you happened to stumble on any cozy blogs like that, that have some kind of “clean along with me” type thing? Years ago I followed a blog (not specifically about cleaning…it was a cozy homemaking blog), where many of her followers basically cleaned together, following the same routine. It was just fun and took a mundane task and made it enjoyable. Of course that blog is gone.
Yulia
Hi Sally,
My Pinterest feed gave me a gift of knowing you and your blog. I hope it is still working for you. We are a homeschooling family from New Zealand and I started blogging this year on regular basis our life in the 1893 cottage. Thank you for inspiration 🌿
Sallie Borrink
Hi Yulia,
I’m so glad you found your way here. It’s nice to meet you!
Please feel free to leave a link to your blog so others can take a peek.
Sallie