Favorite Posts I've Read This Week

Today I'm sharing a round up of some of my favorite posts I read this week. They are just too good to not share.


Ice Cream Pop-Tart Treats by Wenderly

This yummy looking recipe is sure to be a huge success with Little Buddy. I think this may quickly be his favorite summertime dessert.

Photo by Wenderly

Caramel Dipped Pretzel Rods by TidyMom

These are absolutely one of my favorite things to make for the holidays. They always seem to be well-loved at parties and appreciated in gift baskets. Seeing this recipe this week made me ready to start my holiday baking and creating.


Cocktail Cupcakes by Hoosier Homemade

When I saw these cupcakes that Liz made, I thought they were just too cute! Definitely a fun touch for a party or maybe even a reason to throw a party!


Day 2 on Building a Better Blog by Sprittibee

I love how bloggers you really love to read just really love blogging. It's not a job, it's not work. It absolutely has helped me to maintain my focus on what is important in my life.


Which leads me to....


In Memory of Ann (Recipe for Life) by Dine and Dish
Inspiring and so full of love, this post had me sobbing like a baby this week. The line, “This is not the kind of thing anyone should have to do alone,” stuck with me this week. 

I walked to a different tune after reading it. Thankful for each day I've been given. Even piles of laundry took on a new meaning.

Enjoy our days, make the moments count.


What are some of your favorite finds from this week?

Savvy Blogging Summit 2010 - Audio Recordings Available

Wishing you'd been able to attend the Savvy Blogging Summit in Breckenridge, Colorado? Well, now the fabulous ladies who coordinated this wonderful learning event are making the audio recordings made during the summit available!

While I fully recommend the entire suite of recordings, they are allowing you to download individual courses as you'd like at $10 each.

What a sweet deal!

Just think, you don't have to look for sponsorship, pay for flights, hotel or meals and are able to learn exactly what we all learned from the comfort of your home --- in your jammies even!

Simply click on the link below to be directed to the Savvy Blogging Summit download page.

Click here to visit Savvy Blogging.

Oh, and if you hear a really Southern Belle (aka: twangy) sounding accent, that's totally not me. {sigh}







The Savvy Blogging ladies are allowing previous attendees to offer these recordings under an affiliate link.

Screwed Up Texan Style

Today I'm hanging out over at Allie's at Fresh Confessions of a Screwed Up Texan where I'm sharing my love for Honey Ginger Grilled Pineapple Chicken.





If you've not been reading Allie's blog, she's off on a wonderful trip with her family in a Chevy Traverse graciously loaned to her for her review after her trip. Isn't that the coolest? I'm wondering where the sign up sheet is for that kind of gig.

If you are visiting from Allie's, Hi! I'm glad you came by for a visit. Poke around a bit. I share some pretty neat recipes, host two weekly linky parties -- On the Grill and Mingle Monday. If smelly dogs and kids are more your style, I've got those, too!

Thanks so much, Allie for letting me join in on your vacation fun!

Better Blogging :: Add Print Friendly

Want a sure fire way to make sure your readers are happy when they print items from your blog?

Have you ever visited a blog and decide you needed to print the recipe or the excellent lesson they detail for homeschooling? Then, when you go to your printer, you notice it has printed out on gobs of paper - some with only a little bit printed on the paper?

Frustrating, isn't it? Not to even mention how wasteful with paper and ink. I want to share with you a solution I found. Print Friendly.

Printing a Web Page
Step 1. Copy the URL with the permalink to the page of information you would like to print.


Step 2. Paste the copied permalink into the appropriate box on the Print Friendly home page.

I surely didn't want you to have the same frustrations if you decided to print information from my blog, Our Homeschool Home. Therefore, I installed Print Friendly on my blog. Now you can simply click on the Print PDF icon below any of my posts. You can now either save the post as a PDF or send it to a printer without wasting extra pages from your printer.

Bloggers, you can install this functionality very simply on your own blog. The Print Friendly website provides great instructions along with the code to utilize.


What types of information do you save as a PDF or print from websites or blogs?

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Better Blogging :: Establish A Test Blog

Do you have a test blog site? Do you use it?

I recently realized how important having such a site can be. I was fiddling around on my blog like I do incessantly when everything went wonky. {Don't you love the word "wonky," it is such a fun word to say. Wonky.} Anyway, everything went all wonky and I could not get it to look normal again. Thankfully it was on a Monday and I had just performed a backup of my blog on Sunday.

I thought this would make an excellent topic to discuss in my Saturday series on Better Blogging.

Step 1. Establish another blog through your blog host. I currently utilize Blogger and set up a test blog with a blogspot name.

Step 2. Go into the Dashboard of your Blogger blog, click on Edit HTML. Next click on Expand Widget Templates and then Download Full Template. I recommend establishing a folder on your computer where your template is stored. I also recommend copying this folder to a thumb drive, external hard drive or another source besides simply residing on your laptop or computer.

Step 3. Go into the Dashboard of your Blogger test blog and click on Edit HTML. Click on browse beside the line that reads, "Upload a template from a file on your hard drive:" Select the file you just saved to your computer in Step 2. Click Upload.

Step 4. Click Save Template and View Blog. Now your test blog should be a copy of your actual blog.

Step 5. Establish a schedule where you perform these steps on a routine and consistent basis. My schedule is to do these steps each weekend or as soon as I make any major changes on my blog. Find a schedule that works for you and stick to it.

Step 6. Now prior to installing any new widgets or code into your actual blog, you can see how they will look and if there are any problems by first testing on your test blog.


Other posts in the Better Blogging series:

Better Blogging :: Branding With Your Favicon
How to Achieve Blogging Balance and Improve Your Blog
Google Reader :: Managing What You Read

I'm Lovin' It - Clicky

If you blog or have an Etsy store or some other presence on the web-o-sphere, I'm sure you've heard of Google Analytics. They provide an excellent resource that I have used for a good while now to track activity on my different locations - Facebook, my stores, and this here little ole blog of mine.

While I have loved and continue to love all of the goodies that Google Analytics offers, I have just fallen for someone else -  Clicky.

Clicky is very simple to install and once activated, you can monitor all of your information from their very intuitive dashboard. If you want greater details, like location of visitors and actions they've made, just drill down further into your Clicky homepage.


While the free version is wonderful, the premium version is absolutely wonderful. You can track analytics of your Twitter account, receive your analytics via RSS feed, and also use an iPhone app to access your info, just to name a few things. There is also a Spy mode that will knock your socks off.



Disclosure: As I am a user of Clicky, I will earn a few pennies when someone I refer signs up for a premium account. And, if you sign up for Clicky, the same affiliate will be available to you.

Better Blogging :: Branding With Your Favicon

Trying to build your brand as a blogger? Make sure your blog has a favicon.

I end up with tab after tab after tab open when I am online. Sometimes there are so many open at one time, the only part able to display is the favicon.

Favicon is short for favorites icon and is also known as website icon or URL icon.  This small icon, usually 16 x 16, is generally picked up by most web browsers and is displayed in the web browsers URL address bar and also within the tab of the tabbed browsers I was referring to earlier.

If your blog does not already have a favicon, it is simple to add one. Here are the steps to creating your own brand favicon and installing on your Blogger blog.


Step 1. Select the image you would like to make as your favicon.


Step 2. Upload your image to www.favicon.cc  or to DeGraeve create your favicon. Save the image

Step 3.  Save your image in the ICO file format, allowing it to be accessible by many browsers, and upload to an image hosting site that accepts ICO file formats. Some of the sites allowing ICO file format uploading are:

Host Any Image
Imageous
PicPanda


Step 4. In your Blogger Dashboard, click on the Layout tab, then Edit HTML. Enter the following edited code two lines after in your html code. Replace { with < and } with > for the code to work properly.

{link href='http://YOURIMAGELINK' rel='shortcut icon' type='image/vnd.microsoft.icon'/}

Step 5. Preview your template to make sure no errors are found and then save your template. Refresh your webpage and view your newly branded site. ENJOY!


Please first test these changes on your test blog prior to making any changes to your actual blog. 

This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday.

How to Achieve Blogging Balance and Improve Your Blog

Do you have a plan for your blog? When I first began blogging, I certainly didn't. My blog was my therapy, my outlet and connection with the world. But I was honestly all over the place.

Then, I realized I was not applying any of the organizational skills I used in the rest of my life with my blog. It was truly an "Ah ha!" moment. While I am certainly not saying I am an expert blogger, not in any way am I claiming that title, I do want to share the things I have done. They may help you as well.


1. Plan.

Download a blog planner and begin using it religiously for one week.

There are two blog planners that I personally use. Both are free and well done in my opinion.

- Living Locurto Weekly Blog Calendar


- Productive Flourishing monthly blog planner {these are available at the beginning of each month for the month.}


2. Post.  

Write your posts for the week and schedule them.

Taking the subjects for your blog planner, go ahead and write your posts for the next week and schedule them to publish on the date you had planned for them to post. If these posts are to be part of a blog carnival/meme/party, you will just need to edit the post prior to its publishing to include the link to the permalink of the blog party you are participating in for that post.


3. Promote. 

Setup a Twitterfeed account to automatically publish your posts to Twitter and Facebook.

If you do not have a Twitter or Facebook account, go ahead and set one up now. It is a wonderful way to extend and build your community.
 

Now that you have done these three things, not only will your blog seem more organized to you, you will also be free to actually unplug for a bit and do something fun and enjoy your family. You may just find an end to any sort of "writer's block" and like me, have items scheduled beyond the next week.
 

This post is part of Things I Love Thursday.

Google Reader :: Managing What You Read?

When I first started following and subscribing to blogs, I would faithfully visit each one every day. I only had a few in those days. And then I discovered more and more wonderful blogs and bloggers. Blogs on homeschooling, parenting, photography, and design. Blogs that inspire me to be a better person and feed my Christian soul. Blogs that teach me how to create tassles and light my writing fire. I love them all.

And then, I was drowning.

Drowning in all of the greatness. I realized I was subscribed to over 300 blogs. I had to get control. I did in three {yes, count them, three!} easy peasy steps.

Step 1. In your Google Reader, simply peruse your listing of posts from blogs you subscribe or follow.

Step 2. Click on the star to the left of the title of blog posts you want to read. I'll advise you, don't click on them all. If you do, this totally defeats the purpose of the process to help you.

 

Step 3. Now, in the left menu, click on Starred Items. This will display only the posts in your Reader which you starred in Step 2. {Bloggers, see how important your Post Title and First Line are now? Amazing.} To enter a comment on a specific blog post, simply click on the post title.

Now, you'll be able to enjoy your 300+ blogs you subscribe to with ease.

Disclaimer: I moved about a bit in my reader so y'all couldn't tell what I marked and what I didn't. I will say, I'm having a hard time Marking All As Read when I finish reading my starred posts. But, I'll get there.

Do you have a great tip you'd like to share with me on how you manage to read all of the greatness on the blogosphere?

This post is linked to Smockityfrocks Tutorial Tuesday. Head on over to read all of the other goodies.

Our Morning and A Winner

This morning I participated in a Nikon photowalk that turned out to actually be a competition. There were 25 photographers competing and were to capture and submit their cameras back in to Nikon with only three photographs in the camera. One for Planes and People, one for Planes in Flight, and another for Planes as Art. It was tough! My husband and Little Buddy were also able to participate and honestly, Little Buddy's photographs put mine to shame!

I think I know what elective I need to begin teaching him. Or maybe, he needs to begin teaching me.

We should find out the winners of the contest around 2. I just hope I can get digital copies of Little Buddy's photographs back. They were THAT good.


Also, last night officially ended the Ultimate Blog Party. You guys have blown me away with commenting on my UBP post and entering my giveaway. I wish I could give every one of you the $50 Amazon Gift Card. If I could, I would in a minute!

I have loved visiting you back and getting to see your blog homes as well. I look forward to continuing to read your blogs and hope that you will do the same. I've enjoyed this giveaway so much, I'm planning another biggee in the next week. So be sure to stay tuned for it.

And now, the winner. It's Lolli.

Congratulations. Send me an email and I'll email you with the gift card.

To everyone else, thank you so much for entering. Remember, I have another biggee coming next week!

Ultimate Blog Party!

It's Ultimate Blog Party time and I am super excited. If you are stopping by from the party, welcome. I sure hope you enjoy your visit and come back again {and often}.





Let me tell ya just a little bit about myself and my family. My name is Robyn and I am married to my sweetheart. We'll have been married 15 years this September. I know, I'm awfully young to have been married that long. {just kidding! you are only as old as you feel, and some days I feel ancient!}

We have one wonderful son, Little Buddy. He brings so much laughter and delight to our home.

Last year, I left my corporate job of 15 years and came home to be Wife, Mama, Teacher, and Entrepreneur. I traded in those Jimmy Choos for tennis shoes {usually flip flops for nine months out of the year} and haven't looked back!

I am a full-time homeschooling Mama and share quiet a bit about our journey in homeschooling, my newly fulfilled life, and sometimes glimpses into my business life.

In honor of the Ultimate Blog Party, I'm giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Ok, yes, $50! Because I know you can find yourself a little something something at Amazon and get it lickity-split! And 'cause I'm just cool like that!

How to enter:
- Leave a comment with information on your blog, facebook page, twitter handle, etc. so I can come say hi to you, too! {I'm a friendly blogger!}

Extra entries:
- Subscribe to Our Homeschool Home by RSS or Email.
- Become a Fan on Facebook
- Follow on Twitter
- Retweet about my Amazon gift card giveaway!


Thanks so much for coming by and I sure hope you come back soon!

As for the prizes I would love to have:
US18 - Goodie Basket for Mom from Healthy Moms
USC8 - $55 Amazon e-Gift Card from Kelly's Lucky You
US38 - Mary Kay Satin Hands from Jasmin Collier and Tamisha Hays
US65 - The Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD from Stacey Says
US72 - Your Shape for Wii from Kristie's List
US95 - $100 Gift Certificate to Restaurants.com from Thrify Jinxy
US105 - Get Fit Pack from Green Mom Wannabe
USC3 - $50 Target Gift Card from Peggy Gorman

The Mac Daddy of Blogging Publishers - A Blog Publisher for Mac

Use of blog publishing tools is definitely a matter of personal preference.

Many bloggers do not even use them. They stick with working directly with the publishing tools provided by the blog application itself. There are also a few of us who prefer to work with blog publishing software to utilize tools that, in most instances, are easier to use and provide additional functionality from what’s available directly from the blog application.

I began as a purist. Only writing and publishing directly through my blog application. In my case, this is currently Blogger. (I am planning a move to WordPress this summer.)

Then, I discovered Microsoft’s Live Writer. Live Writer is a free application available for download. It quickly turned me from a purist to a blog publisher junky.

Recently, I upgraded and entered the Mac world. I love absolutely everything about my new Mac, but was disappointed that I could not find a viable alternative for blog publishing software. I tried the free trial versions of Blogo and MarsEdit2. While both of these seemed like great software, neither provided me with what I was expecting of blog publishing software that was “Mac worthy.” And honestly, neither came close to the blogging experience I had with Live Writer.

I then learned of MacJournal, thanks to my brother-in-law.

MacJournal 5.2 (released 3/1/2010)

According to Apple, MacJournal 5.2 is “next generational” journaling.

While I have not yet located plug-ins like I had available through my Live Writer install, MacJournal does serve my blog publishing software needs very well.

MacJournal is not a free blog publishing software package. The cost of $39.95 would cause me to pause and really consider whether or not I could just live with the tools available in Blogger. But, it, along with Clips, RipIt, CoverScout, Flow, and some other goodies are included in a bundle package available at MacHeist in a nano bundle for $19.95. It’s a bundle valued at over $260 for $19.95! Now, even I can’t turn a deal like that down! But, it is for a limited time. So I would check it out if interested.

Now, MacJournal developers, please consider making available plug-ins to the goodies I had with Live Writer. Then, you’ll be five stars in my opinion!

Do you have a great blogging tool you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment to share.

A New Little Diddy

Change isn't comfortable for everyone.

There is one side of me that sure does wish I didn't enjoy "new" quiet so much. That I was satisfied with the status quo. That I could just be happy with okay. Well, that's just not me. I like to shake things up a bit in search of something new, something better. And I love it when that something seems to be a problem solver.

The Problem

Image by greggoconnell via Flickr

I've been loving connecting with folks that visit my blog. I love it when y'all leave comments and I get a glimpse of you, your life, what you are thinking.

I love it when I'm able to send you an email back thanking you for taking the time to comment, replying to your question, or just saying, "hi there!"

But, not everyone is easy to get in touch with in the bloggy world. More people than you can imagine have their settings such that I just can't reply to you. And I really want to! I really want to say, "hi there!" I love to chat. I promise I won't stalk ya. Much.



The Solution

I've installed the plug-in from DISQUS. I'm hoping it's all it seems to be cracked up to be. Here's what I'm hoping it offers us:

Cleanliness - I love the look of clean comment forms and clean comment sections on a blog. I love to be able to see who has commented and any follow-up responses or questions. This plug-in offers us just that. The comments and corresponding responses will be threaded in such a way that is easy to follow. I need some order in my world!

Community - By now you all know I want to be able to respond to you. This plug-in will allow me to respond to questions, just say "hi" and participate in the discussion. It also will allow you to do the same! Yep, now you'll be able to reply to another reader's question or comment. Isn't that some kind of awesome?

Comprehensive - I really just needed a third "C" word, but this one fits the bill. DISQUS is very comprehensive - for me and for you. You can login with any one of a myriad of social media ids or you can post a comment as a guest. It's entirely up to you. Just remember, I love to see your pretty avatars AND the first time is when you enter the information after that - it's easy street.

So, don't be afraid of the change. Go ahead, throw all care to the wind and leave me a comment. You'll see this change is not quiet as bad as it sounds. You never know, you may be like me and love it so much you decide to install it on your own blog. You can thank me later.

P.S. If you need more official sounding references for DISQUS, here they are:
 - Chris Brogan uses it
 - A Familiar Path uses it

Ok, I don't know about you, but those two are enough for me!

Best Blog Award

Well, well, well. What d'ya know? I was tickled today when I found out that Pooba had named Our Homeschool Home as a Best Blog Award winner.

There are a few requirements for this prestigious award.

Rules:

1) To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

My picks for Best Blog Award are:

1. Melissa at A Familiar Path
2. Steph at Bowmania
3. Shannon at Milk and Cuddles
4. Sprittibee at Sprittibee
5. MarshaMarshaMarsha at Other Such Happenings
6. Amanda at Contest for Moms
7. Jennifer at Planted by Streams
8. Whispering Writer
9. Boys School and Fun
10. Cathe at Just Something I Made
11. Amy at Living Locurto
12. Kris at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
13. Carolina Mama
14. Southern Accents
15. Christy at Southern Plate


Oh, and Pooba, I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have gotten my first blog award from - at all! So glad we're buds!