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Reality Blogging

I am still working on my glass ware. Who knew that old stickers would be so hard to remove? I am using a bucket with hot soapy water to soak the last few stickers. I have cleaned them all up. I have redone three of the containers.

Speaking of glass, Hubby found a glass cleaner that is in a can. It was really cheap at Sam’s so he had to try it. Hubby loves to try new cleaners, which is why I never buy them he usually will buy them when I wouldn’t. It does do a great job on glass and mirrors, other stuff not so much.

I had hoped I was one of those bloggers who could take one thing and in 24 hours turn it around. When I get them all done and loaded I will redo a slide show, at least that is my plan. I had Goo Gone, but I am out of it. It is not cheap, but hot water and soap work works well. It just takes a lot of time and patience.

Now I know with my best efforts I will not make a 24 turnaround. I marvel at some bloggers, their house is never messy, it is wonderful decorated and their kids are perfect. You are not here because of any of those reasons! If you have all of the above, I am thrilled for you, but my kids, house and dirt are real life. Knowing who you are is just refreshing, even when I was frustrated yesterday. Knowing that my glassware is normal, cheap stuff I have to redo with soap and water I was thankful. The reason is simple, life is not easy, nobody has a breeze of a life. We may not know their struggles but everyone has struggles.

It was not me that came up with the soap by the way, it was Hubby. That is the way his mom and grandmother did it years ago. As we shopped the other day, and he saw the cleaner my dad used to use the type of cleaner when he sold glass and mirrors. Everything old is new again.

Today when you want to think defeat rejoice in who you are. Everything I have been through has been a lesson learned, God teaches us over and over until we learn. The less we fight the lesson the more we learn. You are who you are for a reason, and that reason is yours to rejoice in.

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Some of My Best

I thought today I would do a look back at some of my best posts. Bloggers in the know say over 500 words is a waste of time. With my chatty self, 500 takes mucho editing. If you are new enjoy, if not take a moment to glance back.

I started the blog in 2007. But until 2008 it did not really get rolling.

My favorite Football Post is HERE.

Tips to Blogging can be found HERE

A great way to save money in the kitchen is HERE

And finally my history with the Beast or Cancer as you people call it, this post is about all those people on the waiting list HERE.

Indi I will fix that video, I promised Sconicle we would do a homeschool group activity this afternoon, look for it to be fixed tomorrow though!

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As the Blog Turns

My life is never boring, I figured that out a long time ago. What I have decided about my blog is words are wasted on Sundays. If you like to read something I have back posts that most of my readers haven’t read. The weekend you can play catch up, doesn’t mean I wont post it only means my best writing will be posted Monday through Friday.

I know on Sunday I like something light, it has been a long week and Sunday is supposed to be a day of reflection and rest. So my video that I love to post so much will come on Sundays. I highly doubt I can limit myself to only one video either. I could have posted a hundred of the military and a hundred of Glenn Frey alone. I am also not saying that during the week if I get a good video I will wait because I wont! Like the Michael Williams I could watch that video any day of the week. I have noticed my reading volume is less on the weekends, and I truly understand the importance of family. The only reason I am spending so much time right now in promoting my blog is I have the time to do it. Summer is the slow time around here. My dedication to my blog is serious but my time frame is short once school begins.

Saturdays for the record I haven’t figured out. I think I will have a written post as far as I can tell. I cannot get on the bandwagon with Wordless Wednesdays; somehow, I want words on that day. The best thing in the world about owning a blog is you can drive it the way you want to.

I have male and female readers YooWho so I can’t even promise Eye Candy on Sunday, but I do love Eye Candy! In the mix both sexes will have something to look at! The Eagles is a great enough band for a guy to listen to so I didn’t feel bad. Guys remember Guidon has Girl Friday, I can’t go there on Fridays but all the guys in Afghanistan that can go there if they have some net time. Perhaps Fat Hairy Bastard will stop by! Don’t you love his name? It is from something the boys know but they are all watching movies.

On my Stumbleupon I found so many great sites I hope to share in the future with my readers. One site speaking of watching movies is www.hulu.com. Actually, Adam sent me there. You sign up and once you get your log in you can watch any NBC or FOX TV shows new and old. It is a great time killer plus I am always missing one episode of something, and it seems like if I try to catch up nothing makes sense. In addition, Hulu is free. So far, I love it. Word of mouth is the best advertiser. Stumbleupon it has made it simple to do it.

Okay so no you know my future plans for my blog. You my readers are “in the loop”.

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Blog Lessons #3

I was a Disco Queen. I know I am shocked I admitted it. In college, I had a friend that taught me how to spin in the air. I know now I am lucky to spin a top. The late seventies and early eighties were a time for people like me that loved to dance a dream comes true. I love to dance, anyway anyhow. When I found someone who could teach me moves, and liked to practice, I went for the gold baby!

We went to local contests, we figured out our outfits. We could not have enough shiny spandex or white suits. Life was fun, and dancing does burn the calories. Why we thought we were good, I don’t know. The fact that we never won a contest didn’t bother us, only way to go is up baby! So just about the time I had my closet full of spandex, Disco fever was over. Urban Cowboy was the new dog in the dancing world. By that time, I was not contest dancing anymore, so I decided to find me an urban cowboy. Yes, I have not always been this conservative boring mom.

The funny part is you would never know it until there is a song that comes on. I have to dance, any song by Donna Summer, or YMCA. I am out on the floor. I feel young and ready to party when I hear certain music.

The point of my post today you ask? Well it is only to realize that where you start and where you end up may not be the same place. I never did find a Disco King that liked girls, and Urban Cowboys are not my cup of tea. I tend to want the original brand.

As you write your blog may not end up where you thought it would. Which is why many bloggers have more than one blog. I can barely keep my one blog the way I like it, I cannot imagine handling more than one. However, I get the reasoning. They started one way and figured out they could not combine everything and make it work. My very serious point is that as you write, your “voice” will reveal itself and the direction you should go with your blog. Just be prepared to chunk what doesn’t work. You don’t want to wear spandex when you are doing the two-step. You want to appear fresh and open and connected to your blog, so stay in touch for the warning signs you are out of touch. Read blogs that teach blog tips or help on a regular basis. They all disagree on some things but many can help you stay fresh.

I love Stumble It. I have tried the Digg, but Stumble It is an amazing tool that I would rather use than anything right now. I get the content I want, the quality I want and the choices I need. Where you start with Social Networking may not be where it works best for you. I have tried several blog lists. I decided if it didn’t work I was tired of having junk on my site. My site space is precious, and I needed more room for things that work.

Review and yes it is an open book test later.

1. Content
2. Consistency
3. Experiment with social networking and ads

You may need to try things more than once to make them work.
Stumble It!

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Blogging Tips Lesson #2

You have focused on content, and have tried to find your “voice” when you write. This takes time and practice. The only way to get better at something is to do it repeatedly. I have three boys as I have told them when they wanted to succeed at a goal. The only thing you have to do is practice.

It takes twenty-one days to make or break a habit. Meaning you guessed it you write something for twenty-two days. Why twenty-two? Oh Come On NOW(as my MIL used to say), you know why to make sure you pass the twenty-one and keeping going. The writing does not have to be perfect, but it does have to be scrutinized, worked on and pumped up. Personally I write fast, always have. The slow part is the tweaking and editing. I want my entries to zing. To know that the reader hears me speaking in my twang, yes I have a drawl. The boys will come in and see me typing my entry but realize I am not even through with my first draft. They will check back in thirty minutes. I read mine in my head, then I read mine with my lips moving, then after I posted I still read it one more time.

I try to keep my posts at about 500 words. The only reason I do is that studies have shown that people like an article they can read in a matter of minutes, too long and you lose the reader too short and no content. My oldest is a great writer but he takes so long to get going, tweaking for him happens before. My point is that regardless of which way you go you have to, have to work on writing.

You have focused on yourself as a writer, and you have written for twenty-two days. Now as part of this exercise, you have to read front to back all your entries, then you need to read them back to front. Hopefully if you have spent some real time on your writing it will show. You should have better posts in your new material than you do in your older material. Now that is not to say there will not be a gem in the midst of ugly rocks, because depending on your passion for the topic your writing will get better or worse.

Now you are asking me, yes I hear that whiny voice, “But Brazoscowgirl what is my payoff?” Your payoff is that after you worked on your writing you are good to go to find you some readers. By finding readers, I mean you figure out what Social Network is best for you. I am not going to recommend one over the other. The man reason is that depending on your blog and your goals depends where you want to go. What works for one may not work for another blog. What I am comfortable with you may not be. Your best bet on what works is find a blog you admire and watch what they use.

I thought I would share a post that many come here for. Not because I wrote it because Lynnae from beingfrugal.net linked to me. It was written in mid March.

Real Frugality at its Best

Lynnae gave me first shout out, which in blog world is the big bite. My point is? Okay my first entries were not at this level. Right now, I know I can write better than I did there. Yep I have been stinkin practicing!

Let’s Review

1. Content
2. Constant writing

These things will help your blog. Oh and don’t forget the people that got you there!

Stumble It!

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Blog Lessons

What is broke you fix it, what is not broken you don’t fix. So I thought I would go through some of the things that have been broken about my blog and some things I will not change no matter how much so many would want me to. I am going to this one topic at a time.

Consider this a lesson with one lesson per post. There is no reason to overwhelm a new blogger.

I am who I am, a right wing conservative mom not afraid to say it. Just ask any politician I have campaigned for, you get me with the passion or you get nothing. It doesn’t mean I am right but I am, just wait until you are in the tax bracket we have been in and then we can talk. See I live in an eighty percent democratic county, this is not news to anyone I know. I am that “gal that is a Republican that married a good ole boy”. Yep I am, I have voted Democratic, and I did live to regret it. Hubby is a Reagan Republican.

Since you know who I am let’s get to what was wrong with my blog. The only reason I am writing this is that I see many that need help and now that I have figured out a couple of basics I would like to help many that need it. My mistakes should teach you a trick or two. Just remember who helped you along the way. When I first started blogging I did because it was something to relieve stress. It was awkward at first writing and hitting the post button. I felt like my life was flying around the net and everyone would see my true colors. Then I remembered I wanted my colors shown, reread the second paragraph and you will see why. You may not be a right wing “bitter dyed in the wool Republican”(yeah I know you aren’t), but you are somebody. The good thing about blogging is each blog can and should be uniquely different.

Different in blogging is good. Different stands out. Different is an oddity yet to be explained, if well thought out oddity can be a draw. Now I didn’t know this when I started so I stayed away from political leanings thinking I would never get any readers since everyone was so angry at Republicans. I was meek and mild, and I was wrong to be so. The reason is I am not a meek or a mild person. I am loud, hyper, and chatty. I think now my blog reflects that. Even as I write in Word, I constantly have to correct my way of writing for content. See the rest of the world wants my content to be “politically correct” and “well formed vocabulary”. Not gonna happen people, no way no how. This is my living room, and when you come to my house you don’t wear a tuxedo or a ball gown, you come in jeans and take your shoes off. I give you a glass of sweet tea (okay unsweet if you a diabetic), and we sit awhile discussing and cussing the world we see.

Know who you are! Write what makes you! Don’t worry about rejection, just write. Worrying about rejection stifles the writer in you. That is the first step to a great blog.

Stumble It!

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Category: blogging  2 Comments