Local Voices: Flip-Flops, 80 Bike Miles a Day and Costing an Arm

I’ve got a bit of an addiction to really great blogs. I love the opportunity to see inside a blogger’s world, even if just a little bit, and I love the tips, advice and ideas I get when I read their posts. What other platform offers the freedom and the expansive potential of blogging?

As a Patch reporter and supporter, I consider myself pretty lucky—I get my blog fix right here in our Local Voices section. Our blogging neighbors make it so easy for me with their mish-mash of newsy, localized, funny, smart and philosophical posts each week.

Check out eight of the most interesting, entertaining and/or useful posts I found around Patchland this week.

• Summer shoe wear: flip-flops or sandals? It’s a fashion conundrum, and this blogger’s got answers. According to Local Voices blogger and mom Bonnie Krueger, flip-flops are practical, easy-to-wear and super cute—but she’s still a dedicated sandal shoe wearer. She expounds on the values and detriments of each .
• Stocking the shelves is just a crapshoot, at least according to the . The blogger points out that there’s no magic formula that helps to determine which books will be stocked, but she shares her method for picking the books she’ll share with the community.
• The St. Louis Cappies “blew up” this year. , Cappies is an international organization that intends to offer recognition to high school theatre arts programs. Find out how local students brought Broadway to St. Louis, had a chance to win a scholarship, rubbed elbows with well-known theatre professionals and more, thanks to the STL Cappies.
• It’ll only cost you an arm. Good news for college students and their parents from Local Voices blogger Joe Arndt. The government has approved legislation to stop the interest rate on federal subsidized Stafford Loans from getting any higher this year for new college borrowers. Get the details .
• Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights, , who waxed philosophical on the Declaration of Independence in his most recent post. He says that while the document was definitely revolutionary, he wonders how the pursuit of happiness affects you as a basic human right.
• Thunderstorms and old dogs are not a great combo, either. According to Local Voices blogger Dorene Olson, who answered several reader questions she received after her post on fireworks and dogs , thunderstorms can be even more traumatic for pups than fireworks—and she offers tips and techniques for helping your dog to overcome it, from conditioning treatments to anti-anxiety drugs.
• She’s taking the big ride across America. MICDS 8th grade teacher and Local Voices blogger Larissa Powers was perched on a balcony in Billings, Montana as she wrote . Along with her group, she’s biking 80 miles a day and tasting all the local favorites along the way.
• Crazy-Hot Summer Bonus: Beat the heat the natural way. , holistic health coach and Local Voices blogger Elaine King shares a quick video packed with good tips for beating the hot and dry weather this season.

As you might know, this is only a very small cross-section of the Patch Local Voices blogger population. Which blog posts did you enjoy this week? Share your favorites in the comments section, below.

Got something to say? Consider starting a blog using the free Patch Local Voices blogging platform. You’ll have a built-in, local audience, and we’ll help you promote your posts. It’s simple and easy to set up your blog, and you can start blogging right away.