I decided when I got the new blog, I would use it to talk more candidly about our real lives and the things going on outside of our photography business. Hope you do not mind!

Today’s Confession: I am a blog reader. I read TONS of blogs. More than I can count and certainly more than I can actually keep up with, thank goodness for google reader!

It seems that all the blogs I read are centered around three key topics: photography, interior design, and real food.

• Photography: I am sure you understand that one

• Interior Design: It is just plain exciting!! We are building a house and I have spent the last few years reading design blogs getting ready!

• Real Food: Ahhhhhhhh that is where I really get carried away. My friends are sick of me so I thought I would give them a break and take my ramblings to the blog. Shane and I are passionate (some might say obsessed) with real food.  I am not going to lecture you (too much) on the evils of the conventional American diet, but I do want to warn you that I plan to occasionally post links here to blogs and people that support clean eating!

Here is a blog I found recently that is great! In this POST on the Nourishedkitchen.com, author Jenny details her philosophy for eating. It is certainly worth reading!

I also want to give a shout out to some of our favorite local sources of information and nourishment.

• Ed and Rachel at For The Health Of It are so incredibly knowledgeable and they provide our community a much needed source for clean, organic grocery products and supplements. They are conveniently located right across the street from us, so I get to shop for fresh products and pick their brains daily.

• Bart and Kelli Precourt at Balance have long been following clean eating practices and they are always happy to offer advice and to really explain the science of how real food makes the body work. I love going there and talking with Bart about Ph levels of drinking water, and which fruits to eat in my morning smoothie. People look at us like we are crazy, but I know they are secretly listening in!

• Jen at Raw Juicy is a lifesaver. Jen is a raw food chef and if you have never had her homemade yogurt and granola you are missing out! Jen is always coming up with new menu items that are out of this world. You don’t have to be on a raw food diet to appreciate how good her food is, and I promise if you eat there, you will never feel weighed down and tired afterwards, one of the many many benefits of eating clean food. Jen is also responsible for the Seaside Farmers market, but I will brag on that in another post.

• And last, but certainly not least are our good friends Jen and Andy of MAC FARMS. The provide the Carter clan with about 5 pounds of fresh spinach a week. We are addicted to our green smoothies! The also provide us with olive oil, arugula, and fresh tomatoes! They keep adding new items to their repertoire and we are happy to try it all. They are pioneers for hydro farming in our community and I hope to see their business continue to blossom.

Now go clean out your pantry and start eating real food!

(All photos courtesy of Shane via his “People of 30A project”. Add him as a friend on facebook to see more!)