Monday, April 30, 2012

Blogging: Z = Zealous

 Zealous = Eager, Enthusiastic, and Passionate


Be zealous when you are writing blog posts.  Be eager to read what others have written.  Be enthusiastic when commenting on a blog or blog posts that you really like and enjoy.  Be passionate about replying to your readers who comment.


{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading 

Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}

Blogging:  T = Time 

Blogging:  U is for Unique
 

Blogging:  V = Vlog

Blogging:  W is for When & Where

Blogging:  X = Xtreme

Blogging:  Y is for You 

Blogging: Y is for You

Yea, you reading this.  And, you writing those blog posts.

If you are reading this, I adore you!  I really do.  I appreciate all of my followers and readers.

If you are a blogger, you are awesome!  Blogging is hard work, and it is intimidating sometimes, but it is also fun and exciting.

Worry about you every now and then.  Write what you want to write.  Read what you want to read.  Don't worry about anybody else but yourself.  Enjoy it.


{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading 

Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}

Blogging:  T = Time 

Blogging:  U is for Unique
 

Blogging:  V = Vlog
Blogging:  W is for When & Where
Blogging:  X = Xtreme

Blogging: X = Xtreme

Yes, Xtreme is a type of Chevy S-10.  I know.  I owned one!


And, yes, I am technically cheating, but who gives a hoot!  I am tired, I am hurting {I got a little sunburn today}, I am sitting on the balcony of my hotel room overlooking the ocean, and I am drinking wine!  Xtreme is as good as it gets right now!  {And, technically, I have written something similar to Xtreme in my B = Bold post, but oh well!}


Be Xtreme.  Go for the gold.  Pour your heart out into your blog posts.  But, most of all, love every minute of it.  If you don't love it, your readers probably won't either!

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading
Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}
Blogging:  T = Time 
Blogging:  U is for Unique
 
Blogging:  V = Vlog
Blogging:  W is for When & Where 

Blogging: W is for When & Where

When I thought about W, I thought about writing, of course.  Bloggers are writers.  But, I was thought long and hard about this letter W because I had already wrote about writing in a couple of my other posts.


So, I thought some more.  And, I came up with why.  But, as I thought on that, I figured out I had already wrote about why.  And, I have also wrote about who.  What does that leave me with for the letter "W."  Which led me to when.  When do you blog?  When do you publish your blog posts?  Is there a reason you blog at a certain time, or do you schedule blog posts to be published at a certain time?  In addition, where do you blog?  Do you have a special place you have to be to write, or can you write out a blog post anywhere?




{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading 

Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}

Blogging:  T = Time 

Blogging:  U is for Unique

Blogging:  V = Vlog 

Blogging: V = Vlog

Vlog = "V"ideo B"log"

Several bloggers like to vlog every now and then.  It can save time, and it can be considered more personal than just writing.

Other bloggers do not like to vlog, ever.  I personally have never created a vlog.  I may one day, but not today. :)

What are your reasons for creating a vlog or not creating one?

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading 

Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}

Blogging:  T = Time 

Blogging:  U is for Unique 

Blogging: U is for Unique

Be unique.  Be creative.  Be inspiring.  Be yourself.

When you write a blog post, do your best to inspire your readers in a positive manner.

Always, always, always be yourself.  Your readers will love you more if you are completely you when you are writing your posts.

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading 

Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}
Blogging:  T = Time

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Brain Fart

Um, could today be Monday, by chance?  Today, I have been super busy, and I seem to have misplaced my brain along with some other things!  I called my bank, and here is how the conversation went:

Bank Personnel [BP]:  "Thanks for calling *** bank.  How can I help you today?"
Me:  "Yes, I was wondering if you can tell me my.....my......my....ummmmm, I seemed to have lost my train of thought [nervous laughter]."
BP:  "I know how that feels.  Did you want to know your balance?"
Me:  "Yes, ma'am.  Thank you."
BP:  "Can you please give me your bank account number?"
Me:  "Um, I seem to have misplaced my check book [more nervous laughter].  Can you look it up if I give you my debit card number?"
BP:  "Yes.  Just give me a minute.  Okay, go ahead with your debit card number."
Me:  "My debit card number is ****."
BP:  "Okay.  What is your name please?"
Me:  "Kayla Yow [Oh shoot, now BP can go tell all the other BPs about me and my idiocy and laugh]."
BP:  "Ms. Yow, can I have the last four of your social, please?"
Me:  "Yes, ma'am.  It is ****."
BP:  "Okay, your account balance is ***.  Is that all you needed today?"
Me:  "No, ma'am.  I was also wondering if you could tell me about any pending deposits on my account."
BP:  "That won't be a problem.  Give me just a minute.  {Silence}  Ms. Yow, can you give me your full social?"
Me:  "Yes, ma'am.  It is ****."
BP:  "Oh, my computer froze.  It's not doing anything now."
Me:  "Glad to know that I am not the only one acting like it is Monday!"
BP:  [Silence]
Me:  [Even more nervous laughter.]


After about five minutes, the BP is finally able to pull up my pending deposits, and we say our goodbyes.

I believe today has been the craziest day for me in a while.

[I cannot wait until lunch time tomorrow, when I will be leaving for the beach.  Seriously.]

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Blogging: T = Time

 Blogging takes time.  A lot of time.

But, that time can be well spent if you know how {and are not a procrastinator - like me}!

You see, I have every intention getting things done early, and usually I have a great start, but it goes down hill from there.

Take this challenge for example.  In the beginning, I was writing my posts early and scheduling them so that they would post at midnight the day they were supposed to be posted.  Then, I slacked off a little, and other things took priority {like family and school}!  Now, I am three days late on my post {I think}! Ha ha!

Not only in this challenge have I been late though with my posts.  I have quite a few Day Zero posts I need to do, and I haven't.  I also have a couple of rough drafts that are just sitting there that I have not finished writing {one happens to be what happened to me on Friday the 13th - yep, almost 2 weeks ago!}.

So, if you are like me, you know what I am going through.

But, if you are not like me, you can {and probably do} write posts early {and not just one post, but plenty of posts}, and schedule these posts to publish like every other day or every couple of days {so that you are publishing frequently}.  If you can do this, I say go for it.  I try to, but I do not always succeed!

[By the way, I wanted to let you know that it took me about 3 hours - if not more - to write this post.  Not because I couldn't think of what to write, or that I was writing the whole 3 hours, but because I stopped several times to go read some great blogs, get on Facebook and Twitter, and to eat!  Yep, I am also easily distracted!]

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
 
Blogging:  Q is for Quest

Blogging:  R = Reading
Blogging:  S is for Search {labels}

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Blogging: S is for Search {labels}

It is important for your readers to be able to find your blog posts fairly easily.

Labels help in this situation.

By creating labels for your blog posts, you are making it easier for your blog to be found through search engines {and if you have labels visible on your blog, your readers can search for posts with that label}.
 

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private
 
Blogging:  Q is for Quest
Blogging:  R = Reading 

Monday, April 23, 2012

Blogging: R = Reading

If you are a blogger, you are also most likely a reader.

You don't blog just for other individuals to read your posts, but you also enjoy reading what other bloggers have written.

I often scour the internet looking for new and interesting blogs to read.  And, if I especially like a blogger/blog that I have found, I will go through the old posts in that blog and read them as well.


Here are a couple of great blogs that I love reading:


>Good Youngman Brown - If you have never checked out his blog, he is absolutely hilarious.  I have went through most of his old posts because I am that in love {serious stalker status} with his blog.  I cannot wait for him to post something new because it usually means I am in for a laugh! {Kidding about the stalking [sorta], but really he is funny, so go check out his blog!}

>Mrs. Monologues - Another great blogger where you can usually find a laugh {you know, in case you lost yours!}.  Not only is she funny, but she's snarky {her words, not mine} and she has some great tips as well for bloggers! 

>Keeping up with the Pickles - [I mean, really, does this need an explanation?!]  I found Mrs. Pickles during this blog hop {A to Z Challenge}, and oh, how glad I am that I did!  I mean I loved the name before I ever got to the blog, and now I thoroughly enjoy reading her blog.

So, if you need some new blogs to read, and you have not checked out these three, please go do so now, and show them some love!
 
{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized
Blogging:  P = Public or Private

Blogging:  Q is for Quest 

Blogging: Q is for Quest

What is your quest for your blog?

What mission did you set out on, and did you accomplish what you wanted?

Are you done with your journey or just getting started?

Everyone who writes a blog has a reason they are blogging.  Whether you blog to help others {such as a health/fitness blog} or blog for yourself, you are on a quest.

Tell me about your blogging quest!

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 
Blogging:  O is for Organized

Blogging:  P = Public or Private

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Smart Arses

I started reading I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak, today, and within the first few pages I found a quote that I love and is oh so true!

"All my friends seem to be smart arses.  Don't ask me why.  Like many things, it is what it is," (p. 7).

This describes my family and friends so well.  We all pick around and make jokes, but we all love each other.

~~~
In other news...
Today, as I was leaving my mom's work place {after eating lunch with her}, a goose ran out in front of me!  It quickly turned around and waddled back off the road, but when it got back into the grass, it turned around and looked at me like I was an idiot!  {What a dumb arse!}

{You see, I love animals very much.  I would never hurt or harm an animal unless it was dangerous.  BUT, some animals seem to have a death wish.  I like to say that some of them try to commit "suicide by Kayla."  Yep!  As I am driving along, many animals dash out in front of me, or just sit in the middle of the road.  So far in the past 6 months or so, a deer, a couple of rabbits, several squirrels and birds, a goose, and even some dogs and cats have blatantly jumped out in the road in front of my car.  Unfortunately, not all of them were as lucky as the goose!}

~~~
{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Blogging: P = Public or Private

Is your blog public or private?

Public blogs can be viewed and read by anyone on the internet, anywhere in the world.

{There are two types of private blogs.}
You can set your blog to private and allow selected readers access to the blog.  By doing this, only the readers you have selected will be able to read the blog.
You can also set your blog to private so that you are the only one who is able to view it.  By doing this, you can write whatever {just as in a diary or journal} and no one will be able to see it.

Many individuals have their blogs set to public so that anyone can read what they have posted, but sometimes it may be necessary to set your blog to private.  If an individual is posting personal information, they may only want close friends or family to read their blog.  Other individuals may need to set their blog to private because of their career. 

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
Blogging:  N = New 

Blogging:  O is for Organized

{Don't forget to swing by my About Me post, and ask me some questions.}

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

My {About Me} Page

I have seriously been meaning to post an about me page for quite some time, but I have not done it yet.


One of the main reasons I have not posted it is because I do not know what my readers/followers want to know about me.  I don't want my {about me} page to be a boring autobiography, full of information that my readers don't need or care to know.


That is where you {all my wonderful readers and followers} come in!


What do you want to know about me?


Feel free to ask me any question {well almost any}, and I will answer it!


Please post your question as a comment, and I will add it to my {about me} page, along with the answer!

Blogging: O is for Organized

Among many other things, your blog should be organized.

An organized blog will make it easier for you, your readers, and your followers to find information.

Organizing your blog is very simple.  Make sure your layout is user friendly.  Important information should be in the top of the sidebars, such as a way that your blog can be followed.  In addition, your blog archive should be easy to locate.
 {You can also have labels posted on your blog, so that your readers can search through your blog posts that way!}

Another easy way to organize the information on your blog is the top tab {page} bar.  You can create different pages for the different types of content on your blog {home - blog posts, about me, contact, etc.}.

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 
Blogging:  M is for Money 
 
Blogging:  N = New

Blogging: N = New

New as in fresh, original, different!

 When you write a blog post, it needs to be something new.  Something that no one has written about {your life, perhaps}, or something that has been written about, but with a new perspective and outlook.

Not only does your content need to be new and different, your whole blog needs to be original.  Your personal style needs to shine through your blog posts, your blog layout, template, design, and blog name.

So, next time you write a blog post, redesign your template or layout, or change your blog name, remember - your readers want something original and different {as I am sure you do too}!



Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep
Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 

Blogging:  M is for Money 

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Blogging: M is for Money

Can you make money blogging?

Well, I have heard that you can, but personally, I have not tried.

I know you can have ads on your blog, which generate money every time they are clicked, and you can have sponsors, which pay for ad space.  Other than these two options, I do not know much about making money blogging, so I did some research, and I found this great article Make Money Blogging.


Not only are there plenty of tips in the article, but there are links to other articles and posts about different methods that you can use to generate income from your blog.

 Do you make money blogging?  What are some tips you have or you have found that will help bloggers make money?


Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 
Blogging:  I is for Images

Blogging:  J = Journal 

Blogging:  K is for Keep

Blogging:  L = Link-ups {Blog hops} 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Blogging: L = Link-ups {Blog hops}

Link-ups and blog hops are very popular.


One of the main reasons to have a link-up is to find new blogs to read {that may or may not be similar to yours}!

When hosting link-ups, you have to have plenty of followers and readers, otherwise no one will participate.

Link-ups can be held one day a week {such as on a Friday}, one day a month {such as the first/last day}, or even for a whole month {like the A to Z Challenge}!

When participating in link-ups, it is always nice to visit the other blogs who link-up and comment on their post.  In addition, you could read some of their other posts, and you may even find a new blog that you enjoy reading and want to follow.

Have you ever hosted a link-up?  What are some tips for hosting a successful link-up?

{P.S. - Sorry this post is late - Blame it on Friday the 13th!  I will be posting about my experiences that did happen yesterday.  It was a crazy and busy day for me!}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways
Blogging:  H = Headline 

Blogging:  I is for Images 
Blogging:  J = Journal 
Blogging:  K is for Keep

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Blogging: K is for Keep

{Keep Up & Upkeep}

As bloggers, one of our main focuses is to write great posts for our followers and readers, but we have other responsibilities.
  1. Keep up with your followers - Visit them every now and then {if not every week or every day!} and thank your readers and followers often for their support.
  2. Keep up with the blogs that you follow - read them regularly and leave comments {show them your support}!
  3. Upkeep - check on the blogs that you follow and ensure they are still active and posting frequently.
  4. Upkeep - Perform regular maintenance on your own blog {layout, template, design, etc.}.




 
Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways 
Blogging:  H = Headline 

Blogging:  I is for Images

Blogging:  J = Journal 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Blogging: J = Journal

When you look at the synonyms for journal on Microsoft Word, it gives you several options, including paper, bulletin, and newsletter.

So, blogs are like a public journal because no matter how you write or what you write, each blog post is like a journal entry into the very impersonal world of the internet.

Some bloggers pour out their hearts and souls into their blogs, while others only share some details of their private/personal life.  Whether you are blogging about intense personal details of your life, such as weight loss, marriage, and/or children, or you blog about general topics such as books, music, or current news, some part of you goes into your blog, which I believe therefore turns your blog into a journal.





Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways 
Blogging:  H = Headline 

Blogging:  I is for Images

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Blogging: I is for Images

Images can be photos, drawings, or clip art, or most any picture found online {don't forget to link back to the source}.

Images can give your blog post a boost.  They can be used to break up lengthy blocks of text or to emphasize what your blog post is about.

Overall, images can be a great asset to most any blog post, as long as there isn't an overload of images all the time {unless that is the main point of the blog}.


Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:
Blogging:  G is for Giveaways 
Blogging:  H = Headline 

Monday, April 9, 2012

Blogging: H = Headline

Headlines are extremely important.
{source}
They draw your readers in.

The headline for a blog {or any other piece of writing} is normally the first thing a reader sees, so it is important for the headline to be catchy and exciting if you want to lure in new readers and followers.
{source}
Your headline should be a sentence or couple of words that reflect what your blog post is about.   It should be short, appealing, and memorable.  It should make your readers want to see more.

For some tips on writing great headlines, check out this article.  It lists some good techniques for developing headlines that will generate more readers.

{This is my 100th post!  Yay! - I know it may sound silly to some of you, but I made it to 100 posts, and recently, I have been receiving more views and more individuals are following my blog now!  I am super stoked about all of it!}

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Blogging: G is for Giveaways

And, gift swaps!

{source}
 Many bloggers host giveaways.  Some are sponsored giveaways {sponsors donate the gift and sometimes even create the rules}, while other giveaways are done just because the blogger wants to.  It could be to commemorate a certain number of posts, followers, or years blogging.
{source}


Gift swaps are usually a blog hop/link-up where a blogger host the gift swap, then participants {readers & followers} sign up stating they also want to complete the gift swap.  The blog host will set rules {such as how much to spend} and then pair up two participants to swap gifts.  The participants will list what they like, then whoever they are paired with will buy them something and mail it to them!
{source}
 I personally like gift swaps better because everyone receives a gift if all the people who signed up participate!  But, giveaways can also be great because you could possibly win something more expensive or nicer than what you can get in a gift swap!


I am thinking about completing one or the other soon.
What do you guys/gals think would be better for me to do?
Giveaway or gift swap?

Check out my previous A to Z Challenge blog posts:




By the way,  I have been sick, so that is the reason this post is sooooo late!  {Hey, I am just human, right?!}