Getting to Know You - Mississippi Style!

Today I'm participating in a Link Up with Mississippi Women Bloggers! I'm so happy to be part of Mississippi Women Bloggers and to know there are so many wonderful women in my state blogging. Bloggers have a way of feeling connected to people. I'd venture to say most bloggers would have the connectedness strength pretty high on their list if they all took StrengthsFinder. I love the opportunity and chance to go deeper and get to know my fellow bloggers better, as well as letting my readers know me a little more. Tell me about you! Let's have coffee or chat sometime. I love getting to know people and their stories.

 

1. What part of Mississippi are you from? Childhood days from Monticello, Mississippi. I currently (and proudly) call Clinton, Mississippi home. 
2. How long have you been blogging? In my college days, back in 2003-2006, I proudly participated in the Xanga craze. I started this blog in 2009. So technically I've been blogging since 2003, 13 years! But I've been blogging semi regularly since 2009 (4 year), and fairly seriously and regularly for 2 years. 
3. Why did you start blogging? In college I started a Xanga because everyone was doing it! In 2009 I started blogging because I lived with a roommate that terrified me, had my first grown up job, and didn't have many friends. I wanted a way to feel connected. I kept blogging and started blogging more for a few reasons: A. I love writing! It's stress relief for me. B. I realized people actually wanted my recipes and meal plans. C. I realized I had a chance to be transparent and vulnerable about real things in my life that could help other people too (the weight loss struggle/journey and grief). 
4. Tell us what we can expect when reading your blog. Well, if you haven't noticed yet, FOOD! Food, recipes, and meal planning are what the majority of my posts are about. I occasionally share my heart about the grief process, healing, and my journey to try and love Jesus more and learn to let him love me more. I also like nail polish, hair, fashion, and DIY project a whole lot and they often make an appearance in my posts. 
5. What does your blog title means? My kitchen is where I live. It's where I cook, it's where I plan meals, it's where I do DIY projects, it's where I like to be with people! 
6. What do you love about being part of Mississippi Women Bloggers? I mentioned it above, but connectedness! I love the idea of all the women in the under appreciated state of Mississippi who love to write (and are good at it, in the state where people think we can't read) being connected to each other. 
7. Who inspires you to blog? Joy the Baker is my absolute favorite food blogger. When I discovered her blog, the way I blog about food was transformed. I learned how to take pictures better because of her. I learned how to incorporate stories with recipes because of her. Loving her blog also lead me to discovered SO many other great blogs out there. Loving blogs, blogging, and bloggers lead me to the Influence Network! And now, ever more than Joy the Baker, the Influence Network inspires me. The Influence Network inspires me because it reminds me the Jesus is my ultimate inspiration. 
8. If you could pick a favorite blog post from this past year, what would it be? Hard one! I would have to pick the post I wrote about Celebrating Victories. "Let's celebrate victories guys! Every small victory that isn't small at all. Looking in the mirror and loving who you see before you, VICTORY! Not believing the lies that Satan (it's him, it's really him) tells you about yourself, VICTORY! Getting up early to spend time with Jesus when before you "never had enough time," VICTORY! Asking for forgiveness, forgiving yourself, accepting grace that none of us deserve but get instead of living in self-condemnation, VICTORY! Choosing to grieve losses in a healthy way instead of letting yourself get numb and avoidance, victory, big, huge, not small at all, victory."
9. Do your real life friends know you blog?  How do they respond? They do! I post my posts on my personal Facebook and Twitter. My most faithful readers and supporters are my real life friends. Love them more than anything! 
10. What is your blogging routine (if you have one)?  I wish my "routine" was more of a routine! The one consistent post I post every week is my weekly meal plan on Mondays. I'm mostly consistent with posting it. I'd like to post three times a week. On good weeks my routine involves prepping multiple weekly posts on the weekend to be scheduled to go out the next week. 
11. We all love social media!  Are there any social media links you would like to share so we can follow you? Big social media fan! Twitter: kasialindsay / Facebook (Personal): Kasia.Crider / Facebook Page: kasiaskitchenblog / Pinterest: kasialindsay
12. Name 3 bloggers who have not joined Mississippi Women Bloggers that you would like to see join us! Life on Lawson, The Manuel Family, and A Life Worth Something.