When I was a child, my parents were my heroes. As a teenager, I often viewed them as adversaries. As I became an adult, they became more like great friends. Once that happened, I learned more about who my parents really are and were before my sister and I popped into the picture. And, I came to realize–as I think most of us do–that they are, well, kind of awesome. Blogger Eliot Glazer had the same realization. In fact, he not only realized his parents were awesome, but that all of our parents were awesome too. To celebrate this fact, Glazer has created a photoblog called My Parents Were Awesome.

Glazer says that he came up with the idea because as, “an editor at Urlesque, where we focus on everything webby…it’s easy to get lost in the vitriol and snark of the blogosphere,” and so to combat this cynicism he thought it would be great to “creat[e] a place that was ‘warm and fuzzy’.” But why did he choose to focus on parents? Were his parents really that awesome? “They’re actually terrible, terrible people,” he kids and quickly adds that actually “they’re the best parents anyone could ask for.” The reason he focused on parents is a bit more universal though. ”[E]veryone has parents and most of us have pictures to commemorate them,” he remarks, “and almost everyone likes sharing, so it seemed like an excellent fit.”

He is definitely on to something. Glazer has received over 3,000 photo submissions in the little over two months since the site’s launch and he jokes that he might have to hire an intern to keep up with all of them. The site has also received a decent amount of media coverage. I first heard about the site on NPR’s show All Things Considered and later read a post about it on their blog. Fox News and ABC News have also interviewed Glazer about the site.

The site’s success may not, however, stem solely from our simple desire to share. Glazer attributes it in part to the large number of people who really respect their parents and grandparents, and who have a sincere desire honor them. “I never would’ve expected so many people to come out of the woodwork dying to celebrate their own folks,” he states.

Glazer, the proud parent of a 6-year-old Schnauzer mix, doesn’t currently have children of his own. When kids do enter the picture, he hopes they’ll attribute his awesomeness to his openness. “It would be great to have my kids know everything about me…It seems to make the parent-child relationship naturally healthy,” he says. “How can one not think their parents are honest with them if there are no secrets? That’s just pure respect, for better or worse.” Even when there are no secrets, it can be hard to know everything about the people we call Mom and Dad. It can be even harder to imagine that the people who raised us–the ones who watched the nightly news, discussed local politics for fun, and played in the weekly Bridge club–were at one point the definition of cool.

Glazer’s site provides the motivation for each of us to take a peek into our parents’ awesome past and gives us a simple way to celebrate their coolness. My two favorite pictures so far are the hippies sticking out the top of the VW bug and the couple with the goats in the back of their car. Although, I am also quite partial to the pic above of my own parents on their honeymoon in Jamaica! I shared my favs with Glazer and while he agreed they are phenomenal shots, the one he loves is joan-submitted-by-elizabeth, “because it says so much about the subject and the era in which it was taken.” Glazer seems to be having a ball celebrating the awesomeness of parents and says he has no plans to stop anytime soon.

Have you ever looked ahead at something you were dreading and wished… Oh, if only there was someone who would do this so I didn’t have to…

You ask – and the blogosphere answers.

I Do Things So You Don’t Have To is the humor blog of Julia DeGraf [JD at I Do Things here at BlogCatalog], who has been sparing us a mixture of crazy and mundane things by trying them herself since the summer of 2007. I Do Things So You Don’t Have To is always entertaining – full of tongue-in-cheek product reviews and humorous descriptions of what the author has tragically (and most of the time accidentally) consumed. Throw in a medical procedure (or two) and a side-order of nudism, the result is –ahem- unforgettable.

I recently spent some time with JD talking about her blog. When I arrived, she was smartly dressed in a pair of bright orange elephant pants and matching vest –  very MC Hammer meets the Orange Bowl Queen.  “It’s been my favorite outfit since the seventh grade,” she offered.

The room smelled mildly of hashbrowns. “It’s the cat,” she muttered, and invited me to make myself comfortable.

And so, we began our interview:

MM: How long have you been writing I Do Things? How did you come up with the concept?

JD: The boring truth is, the idea just popped into my head. I did have some other ideas, including “The Naked Editor” and “The Anxious Nudist.” The nudism theme has been fairly prominent throughout my blog, while I’ve written next to nothing about being an editor or having panic disorder.

Here’s a little-known fact: My original plan was to write mostly informative posts with some humor thrown in. Then I realized I don’t do very many interesting things (see: “I Bought a Door” ), so I had to make those things funny.

MM: Have you always been ‘the funny one’ or is it something you work at?

JD: I think of myself as funny, but I’m not sure I always come across that way. I like to say I’m funnier on paper than in person.

I met someone recently who reads my blog, and she waggled her finger at me and said, “I just know you’re going to crack me up!” Needless to say, all my funny dried up. I may have managed a feeble “knock knock” joke.

I sort of feel like you’re funny or you’re not. I have both parents to thank for my funny gene. My dad had a very unique, creative, and often silly sense of humor, and my mom is more witty and dry.

MM: What are your favorite things that you’ve tried so we don’t have to?

JD: Good question. Most of the things I do aren’t that interesting in and of themselves. But I have shared some experiences that I think people might find helpful or informative (but also funny, I hope. )

For instance,
I Drink Bugs … So You Don’t Have To, and

I Had a Colonoscopy …  So You Don’t Have To.

Of course, there are also posts I’ve written just for fun:
I Can Tap That  … So You Don’t Have To , and

I Flush … So You Don’t Have To?

No one has really experienced I Do Things unless they’ve read one of my “nudist” posts:
I Went to the Ponderosa Sun Club …  So You Don’t Have To.

But I’m proudest of my movie review posts, (because dang, those are hard to write! – at least for me…) You’ve really got to condense a lot of information into one post, and most of my posts are already way too long. I’ve only done a few movie reviews, but my favorite is:

I Watched Alligator… So You Don’t Have To.

(This is probably a movie most people are grateful I watched so they don’t have to.)

MM: How do your family and friends feel about I Do Things? Do you find they do weirder things — oh, like bellydancing or dressing up in drag — to be a part of the fun? Or are you the instigator of weirdness?

JD: My family and friends are great: very supportive and encouraging. (Except for the ones who don’t read my blog and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. )

I definitely suspect my husband (and cats) of saying and doing things just to wind up in a post – and it totally works. Dave’s antics make great blog fodder, AND he’s a really good sport. As is my mom, who is constantly saying, “You’re not going to blog about that, are you?” then in the same breath: “Oh, you can blog about that.”

I find weirdness in everything, so I rarely have to instigate. My family and friends are all funny. I don’t hang around with unfunny people, yo.

MM: Talk to me about product reviews. What’s the strangest thing you’ve purchased so I don’t have to?

JD: Oh, definitely cereal marshmallows.

I had written a post about how I prefer the “charms” in Lucky Charms to the actual cereal, and a kind reader sent me a link to a site that sells just cereal marshmallows. SCORE! I tried them out, and man, were they were terrible.

To my extreme horror, the cereal marshmallow guy e-mailed me after reading my derogatory review. I was afraid he was going to yell at me, but instead he insisted on sending me the “non-Kosher” marshmallows.  To my surprise (and relief), the second bunch was really good.

(I’d like to think the cereal marshmallow guy made a few sales because of my post, but let’s be real.)

MM: How did you choose your blog design and graphics? Has the look of your blog remained the same or changed over time?

JD: I use 3 K2 Redux Klein by Headset Options, but I tweaked it a lot. My main reason for choosing this theme was a cool Flickr widget that I don’t even use anymore.

I replaced the original header with an image that was described by a reviewer as a “jellyfish-attack during an acid-flashback,” and that made me cry, so I changed it. I hired an excellent graphic designer who came up with the idea of cartoonizing a photo of me in a bathtub with a rose in my teeth.

I’m very happy with the way it looks and probably won’t change anything. …Unless someone criticizes my header again.

MM: How has your blog changed since you started it? What about your attitude towards blogging?

JD: Starting out, I wanted money and lots of it.

I began my blogging career reading ProBlogger and other sites that tell you how to monetize your blog. I’ve always focused on quality content, but in the beginning, I factored in money-making ads way more than I do now.

Two and a half years ago, I was young and ambitious. Now? I’m lazy and jaded.

Blogging is a lot of work, and it takes time to figure out the best way to monetize. I’d rather work on writing good posts. Besides, if you write well, the advertisers come to YOU, right? (laughs bitterly..)

MM: What’s your day job? How do you work blogging into the ‘real’ part of your life?

JD: By day, I’m a freelance book editor. Since I work at home and make my own hours, it’s easy for me to be flexible. I’m lucky. I mostly blog when I feel like it (which is almost never.)

I tend to take notes when I’m working out (awkward), in the middle of conversations (rude), or driving (dangerous). I’m grateful for my schedule, because I can do things during the weekday that most people have to cram in on weekends or evenings, like shopping, working out, or blogging. This typically leaves me very little time for actual work, but today’s modern woman doesn’t have time for EVERYthing.

MM:What do you wish someone else would do so YOU don’t have to?

JD: Oh, so many things. Clean my house. Lose my weight. Wash my car. Figure out why the cabinet under my sink is all wet and what that one stain is. Oh, and get a pap smear.

Before I knew it, our interview was over, and JD had motored off for an emergency White Castle run. As I showed myself to the door, I thought about how glad I was to have found I Do Things So You Don’t Have To. It’s a quirky blog by a very funny lady.

I also found myself thinking, “Hm. Pap-smear-by-proxy… Genius!”

There are things you need and things you don’t need. And just because something is advertised on television, creating a buzz on the Internet or comes highly recommended by your Aunt Josephine, doesn’t mean you need it.

Jen Benz, trendsetter, blogger and creator of Prom Mafia agrees, presenting a handful of things you don’t need in her blog post appropriately title, “5 Things You Don’t Need.” Seriously, let’s face it. If you don’t need it, but you buy it, you’re just wasting your money. And Jen aims to save you from that.

So, what are these five things you don’t need?
1. The Bra Strap Clip – According to Jen, “You can get the same result by clipping a safety pin around your straps, which is what I’ve been using for years.”

2. The Snuggie – I hate the Snuggie. I find it offensive, not only to my sense of fashion but also to my intelligence. I own blankets. I own a robe. That’s enough. And Jen posed this smart question to Snuggie users, “Do you really need a hybrid of the two?”

3. Shoes that get you in shape – I agree with Jen on this one. I mean, is there really any data out there to prove that I can get rid of my cellulite by wearing flip flops or sneakers with that extra thick sole?

4. The Kindle – “Technology is great,” explained Jen, “but there is something special about holding a real book.”

5. The Cookie Diet – Um…, yeah. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.

So, what are some things you DO need? I turned to Jen for help with this one and here are her recommendations:

1. Makeup Remover – Soap and water just isn’t enough. “Makeup remover is formulated to quickly and easily remove makeup with minimal wiping,” she said. Minimal wiping means less damage to your skin. Jen has sensitive skin and suggested women with the same issue use Neutrogena Ultra Soft Eye Makeup Remover Pads.

2. Dr. Scholl’s Gel Insoles – Don’t let the annoying commercials throw you off. Jen and I are both a big fan of these lifesavers. “They soothe your feet and help you get through the day in a pair of not-so-comfortable shoes,” Jen said. “You can use them over and over again and switch them in and out of different pairs of shoes.” Dr. Scholl’s Gel Insoles can run you about $10, but Jen suggested you visit the Dr. Scholl’s website and print out the $2 off coupon for the insoles.

3. isABelt – Jen described isABelt as “The ultimate fashion fix-it item.” This invisible belt is designed to fix back pant gap and help fashionistas from flashing their panties.

So whether you’re shopping for yourself or purchasing gifts for this holiday season, keep in mind the things you need and the things you don’t need and avoid the latter. Then check back with Prom Mafia to stay up to date with all the things you need… or at least, want.

Charlene knows about balance. She blogs about it at The Balance Beam — Life Balance Strategy, humor & Random Overshare.

A Life Spent Hanging From The Edge

I know nothing of balance, which means that for me, her blog possesses a mysterious, unfamiliar, and exotic draw. My life has been a long series of the extreme. I’ve been in the top 10% of income earners, and I’ve been homeless. I’ve lived in downtown San Diego and in Rural Missouri. Even my chosen professions are adventures in extremety; Soldier, Salesman and Writer.

I’ve killed two marriages by never being there. Both relationships failed because I have never known anything close to balance. But since leaving my last job because the imbalance in my life had finally caught up with me, the idea of introducing some sense of balance has been on my mind.

Enter Charlene

“Just like in business, we have to think about our life in terms of the strategic big picture. This is why I call it ‘Personal Strategic Management.’

“We have to prioritize and invest. We have to get past our own lazy objections. Especially when things aren’t easy.”

Charlene has this stuff down. She attends conferences on the subject. Not just as an attendee but she attends as an expert. And she shares her expertise on the blog.

The Slippery Slope, reminiscent to the sharpening the saw concept familiar to Ziglar readers, expands on the idea of planning time to refocus and re-energize. She offers some simple, practical action steps for avoiding the slippery slope of imbalance, that actually robs you of the productivity you are seeking to gain as you begin the slide.

There is a lot of personal exploration on the blog, including some Potty Talk, that being an example of here parenting discussions. She has some pictures of herself on the blog, and as is often the case, I don’t see what she apparently sees, since she sees someone who struggles with all three culprits that prevent weight loss at some point in her life. Could be I’m just not sensitive enough, but I don’t see the problem. Could just be scale too, since I’m 73″ and 310# as of Fridays visit to the VA.

The content on this blog is great. I really enjoyed the read, took away some advice I will apply to my life in my own pursuit of balance, and found my self exposed to ideas previously unconsidered.

There are a couple of things I mention with some reserve, given the quality of the message. I don’t care overmuch for the yellow post background. I’d love to see her change it to a title background and post outline, leaving the body of the post on a nice white screen.

I’d also like to see the BC widget on the blog so I could have seen who else has been reading her. But that’s just me. She does have the Google Friends widget, and if she made the decision that she could only have one, Google has a huge audience that is difficult to ignore.

In all the content and ideas far outwheigh my little niggling complaints and she earns five stars from me.

What do you think? Five stars from you too? Why or why not?

I love it when things just come together at the right moment. For example, this past weekend I spent a huge chunk of my free time organizing my laundry room and kitchen. I consolidated half empty bottles of cleaner, got rid of never used gadgets, threw away months-old leftovers, and turned chaotic drawers and cabinets into neatly arranged spaces. Then, I arrived to a freshly painted office on Monday and spent most of the day rearranging the furniture that had been left in the middle of the room and ridding my workspace of unnecessary clutter.

Here’s where it all comes together. On Tuesday, after spending the previous three days organizing, I checked a post on our BlogCatalog Facebook page asking interested bloggers to leave a comment if they wanted us to highlight their blog. And, the first one listed there was Debbie Jordan Kravitz’s Virtually Organized!

Debbie is a professional organizer and author of the book Everything I Know About Perfectionism I Learned From My Breasts: Secrets and Solutions for Overpowering Perfectionism. Her Meet Debbie page explains that she is a cancer survivor and recovering perfectionist. Her battle with cancer taught her a bit about life, which she shares in an excerpt form her book:

I finally realized life is too unpredictable to waste time on perfection. You have to learn to make due with a less-than-perfectly-organized household, and instead spend more time with your family and friends. You need to relax, be patient, and enjoy the simple things life has to offer. And above all, you need to extend outside your own narrow comfort zone and try things you might actually fail. After my battle with cancer, I learned to ski, quite unsuccessfully I might add, and I learned to play Texas Hold’em poker…

Post-perfectionism, I finally had the courage to do something I had secretly dreamed of. I took yet another chance and started my own business, D & R Custom Organizers (now Virtually Organized by Debbie), and became a Professional Organizer. I truly enjoy helping others realize the benefits of organization, simplicity, and letting go of perfection.

I came across Virtually Organized while I was still enjoying my newly de-cluttered space and the sense of productiveness instilled by my days of organization. I was, therefore, eager to read Debbie’s tips and find ways to further rid myself of unnecessary clutter and simplify my life. Her well-organized and easy to navigate site ( a must have for a professional organizer) makes finding the information you need quite easy. The main categories–procrastination, perfectionism, kids, clutter, and time–make identifying your problem and finding relevant information a snap. The site has tips on methods for organizing your home, your time and your money. It seems that if there is any aspect of your life that has become chaotic, Debbie is the lady that can help you get it back in order.

One problem I personally struggle with is keeping all of my bills, files and important documents neatly stored. It seems that most of them end in a huge pile on the back of my desk and a lot of them remain there, unopened until their date with the shredder. If you have a similar problem, I suggest you check out her 3 part series on creating The Ultimate Family Command Center. You may have different problems: an unorganized handbag, kids toys everywhere, too much to do and too little time. Whatever the issue is, my bet is Debbie has a tip that can help you.

Today’s spotlight is perhaps less of a blog promotion and more of a commercial service promotion, but I was fascinated by the concept of having my own personal historian, because that’s how Dan Curtis describes himself: a personal historian, and an award winning documentary filmmaker for the past two decades, who assists individuals who want to preserve their family stories so that treasured memories are saved. He offers a wide range of services, which include creating Video Memoirs and Personal History Books as well as offering workshops on writing personal histories and ethical wills.

Today: The Present, Tomorrow: History

My first thought when I saw Dan’s blog takes me back some 14 years, to May 1995, when I was part of the local committee for preparing the 5oth anniversary commemorations for the end of WWII in the town where I was living then. At the kick-off meeting for the project some local historian told us to remember that what may be meaningless and menial tasks today, can be come very meaningful historical insights tomorrow, and that we owe it to our descendants to preserve history the best we can.  Whatever we leave behind will be a vital clue to future generations in deciphering, understanding and appreciating the life we were living.

Memories that won’t fade away

I guess Dan Curtis wasn’t thinking on such a grand scale when he set up his services, and I won’t go into too much detail in describing them, since they can be found on his website. After all, this isn’t meant as an advertisement for what Dan can do for you.

Dan’s Blog

Dan’s website also contains his blog, where he reflects on the experiences his business brings and also shares his tips on how we all can become our personal historian ourselves, we don’t need Dan for that, hehe. All we need are the books that he recommends.

Every Monday there seems to be a Link Roundup, where Dan has collected some interesting links with a cursory review of the sites they link to.

With the Holiday Season coming up soon, here’s a gift for this Christmas that fits the recession budget: Three No or Low Cost Personal History Gift Ideas. What about a letter of gratitude to someone who is special in your life?

Recording life stories can be tricky, and it’s not the easiest subject to bring up in a conversation, say, with your elderly mother.  She may be very reluctant to think about her own mortality. Who wouldnt?

But, if you’re terminally ill, recording a life story can actually have a greater purpose.

As Dan says, “The time to begin a life story is now because we really don’t know what tomorrow will bring.” True. Tomorrow could be too late, and then you will be forgotten…or hopefully not.

Nothing is without purpose

I like Dan’s quote from Mark Twain: There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. “It’s true,” he says. “I have yet to encounter a boring life story. All of us have had to face the challenges and joys of life. We have loved, faced losses, coped with illness, been part of the complexity of family life, dreamed about what might be and laughed at our foibles.” It may not always seem so to me, I have to admit that, but nothing is without purpose or without meaning. Nothing is not worth preserving and keeping it alive for those who would want to know.

And given the technological possibilities we have, we ought not to pass up that opportunity.

Written by Jan Husdal, BlogCatalog Blogger Advocate
http://www.husdal.com/
Follow Jan on Twitter

November 11th is known by different names all across the globe. To some it is known as Veterans Day; others call it Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. No matter what you call it, November 11 is a day to remember the soldiers who gave their lives to protect our freedoms and to honor their memory.

Throughout modern history this day has been marked by parades, memorial services, speeches and other events that express the respect we have for our fallen heroes. Recently, with the coming of blogs and other social media platforms, our remembrance has also moved online. Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are allowing users to share their thoughts about the holiday and details about their activities with friends and followers. This gives us great insight into how people feel about this holiday and what they do to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for the greater good.

JoeMasiero tweeted “Thank you to all the veterans who have served and all those still serving our country.” MissBonatide says “Thank you to all the veterans who have served and all those still serving our country.” Mstigall shared this, “Do yourself a favor and personally thank at least one veteran and one current soldier today. They deserve it.” Some even shared links showing what they are planning to do to sow their respect and urging other to join them. JazminAshlee wrote “I will be doing this ==>>http://bit.ly/1FrTfR<<== You should too!” Her link takes you to a page on parents.com where you can find information on sending letters and care packages to currently deployed troops.

Bloggers are also very active on this day. BloggersUnite.org, a website dedicated to raising awareness about important issues by asking bloggers to write about a certain issue on a particular day, is holding an event today called Veterans Day: Who Will Stand. The event is aimed at raising awareness and funds for nonprofit groups that support U.S. Veterans. Event organizers also hope to promote “Who Will Stand,” a documentary that explores the issues U.S. veterans face when dealing with the physical and psychological scars of battle.

The bloggers participating in the event share their individual views about Veterans Day and their personal experiences. Julia Kelly’s post “From Flanders Field to Silent Tears: Bloggers Unite for Veterans” is a great overview piece that spotlights several BlogCatalog members who are writing about their military experiences. She tells us about people like Susan Blake, a mother writing about her son’s deployment to Iraq, and Leanne Koscsis who created a resource called Military Avenue that provides information and connections for military families.

Bloggers Jane and Beth also share their thoughts on Veterans Day through their fictional characters Margie and Edna, two elderly sisters from the fictional town of Jericho, KS. Margie reflects on the recent memorial for the soldiers killed at Fort Hood. “I saw the spouses who have to go it alone now,” she writes, “the parents who have suffered the loss of a child, the children who will miss growing up with one parent, and all the brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins, and friends who mourn. I mourn with all of you and I am grateful for all those who serve our country now, then, and in the years to come.”

The birth of social media has changed the way people connect with one another. When it comes to a holiday like Veterans Day, it gives people the opportunity to easily share their thoughts about the day, let people know about planned activities and make meaningful connections. It allows organizations to reach out to millions of people and let them know how they can support Veterans. And, it even gives those of us stuck behind a desk today the ability to contribute and honor the brave men and women who have so selflessly given their lives defending us.

Thanks you to all the brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending my freedom. To those of you who are currently deployed, thank you for your service. Stay safe and come home soon!

This post was cross posted on Broowaha.com and was submitted to BloggersUnite.org as part of the Veterans Day: Who Will Stand event.

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

~  Lt. Col John McCrae,  In Flanders Fields

Whether you know it as Veterans Day, Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, November 11 is a day set aside to honor the fallen.

It is a day we honor all service men and women who wear the uniform of their country, overcoming fear to do what is necessary in a dangerous world.

The path of a soldier is one in which emotion is tempered by duty and discipline, and peril is balanced by the tedium of constant readiness. There are a thousand partners in the journey down the soldier’s path – family and friends, strangers and compatriots. We glimpse the experience of these many through the blogs they keep – through their poetry and personal stories, as they support loved ones and each other.

BlogCatalog lists the blogs of many service members, veterans organizations and military families. Blogging, although relatively new, has become an indispensible way for soldiers and veterans to connect with family and express the sometimes raw emotions that are a part of military life.  It is also a way to discuss everyday routines and to take comfort in a community that understands the challenges of military life.

Occasionally, blog-authors use their writing to share experiences that are deeply personal.  Such is the case with BlogCatalog member, Susan Blake.  Recently, Susan took the brave step of writing about her son’s deployment to Iraq. As she describes on her blog, Erasing the Bored, it was a difficult topic, but one she hopes will enlighten others’ perception of soldiers and their families.  Susan writes eloquently about saying goodbye to her only son on the day he shipped out, reflecting on the very moment of goodbye,

He stripped himself of himself in so many ways – and became what? A soldier? I knew in my heart I was losing a huge part of my son that day. He would not come back. This was the official ending of his childhood. I could no longer protect him. He would have experiences there that would change him forever.

Susan’s writing spoke to my heart and brought tears to my eyes. In that moment of transformation, her boy became a soldier and she became a military mother.

Military families bear a difficult burden. They stay and wait and wonder; the homefront is their battlefield.  And yet, the blogs of military families are rich — full of highs and lows, ordinary days and extraordinary trials.  Many create networks of support, sharing information on policy changes and programs. Krystel at ArmyWife101 has certainly done that, promoting VetsPrevail, answering questions about on-post life,  and sharing ways to reach out to loved ones during the holidays.

Leanne Koscsis at Military Avenue has created a great resource for Military families. Military Avenue hosts a question & answer forum for members to connect with one another and provides policy information and links to businesses who support the troops. Most recently, Military Avenue has compiled a list of 101 ways ordinary people can thank veterans every day of the year.

At times, blogs are the places to share lessons learned from the past. Lynne Cole’s writing contrasts the treatment of returning Vietnam veterans with those coming home from Operation Desert Storm. The difference was made, in large part, because of the amazing troop greeters (of whom Lynne was one) who gave their time and energy to throw their arms open in welcome, embracing tearful soldiers grateful to be taking their first steps back on home soil.

And when the lessons of the past and the needs of the present converge, there are groups of bloggers who will stand together, dedicated to raising awareness of the ongoing needs of soldiers and veterans. BloggersUnite — Veterans Day: Who Will Stand is a just such a group.

Veterans Day: Who Will Stand bloggers are writing today to help raise awareness and funds for nonprofit organizations that support U.S. Veterans returning from service with physical and/or psychological scars. According to Military Medicine magazine, 46.5 percent of solders with post-traumatic stress [PTS] have suicidal thoughts and 33.5 percent of PTS sufferers have tried to commit suicide – clear evidence that battlefield trauma can follow a soldier home. Veterans make up a significant portion of homeless men in the United States as well. In many ways, our Veterans are in crisis; now is the time to come together to help.

You can help veterans by informing yourself and by spreading the word to raise awareness of their needs. You can contact your Representatives and Senators and local leaders in government to express your support of Veterans. Be vocal.  Support your local chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, or your local VA hospital with your time, talent, and funds. Or learn about and support these organizations that help Soldiers and Veterans every day:

• The Soldiers Project helps provide free counseling and support to military service members who have already or who expect to serve in the Iraq and/or Afghanistan conflicts and to veterans of those conflicts. The services are completely confidential and are not reported to any  government agencies.

• Blue Star Mothers provides support for active duty service personnel, assists veterans organizations, and is available to assist in homeland volunteer efforts. The organization consists of mothers who have had children honorably serving in the military.

• Wounded Warrior Project raises awareness and enlists the aid of the public in meeting the needs of severely injured service men and women by providing direct services that honor and empower wounded warriors. They also advocate for legislation to provide critically-needed services to family caregivers of severely wounded warriors.

These organizations and others are featured in the film Who Will Stand, an independent documentary that covers the plight of physically and/or psychologically wounded soldiers after they have returned from war. To learn more, you can watch excerpts from the film, shared by producer/director Phil Valentine on YouTube.  Who Will Stand will also be featured at a special Veterans Day screening in Las Vegas on November 11, 2009.

I will close with a quotation from Iraq veteran and BlogCatalog poetry-blogger, Tony L. Jefferson, Jr., from his blog, Poetic MindState. Tony’s poems are powerful expressions of his life as a soldier and as a man. In his poem Silent Tears, he writes,

…
I carry this pain, this hurt, this distrust
Like a soldier carries his bags in Iraq
How can I love while crying these silent tears?
How can one person live with so much pain?
All I could do was cry
Cry for you
Cry for me
Cry for the world
…

Today, we at BlogCatalog invite you to read about and support the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Please do so with an open mind and heart. And then take action to support soldiers, veterans, and their families in your own community not just today, but throughout the year.

Many people are living in the land of tweeting, but I started using Twitter a few weeks ago.  I am enjoying it more than I thought I would.  At first I was intimidated and didn’t think it would work for me. Getting your thoughts out in only 140 characters seemed really short to me at first, but I have learned to chat within those limitations.

Using Twitter can play a key role in marketing your blog or your business. It helps you keep in touch with other bloggers and friends, connect with your current readers, discover new potential readers, promote blog posts, and learn about events, sales, and updates.  When you send a tweet that your followers like, then they re-tweet that to their followers and thus you are exposed to many more people than you would have been otherwise.

Not only can you use twitter to communicate and post information, but you can search for keywords and see what others are talking about.  This tool might help you when you are looking for blog post ideas and topics.

After reading and following the blog Twitip.com, I realized that I needed a custom twitter background to go with the design of my blog.  This way when someone checks out my twitter page, they see a page that represents my blog.  Some people will find you first through your Twitter name, and you need to brand yourself on your twitter page so that they know where to find your blog.

Many sites provide templates to purchase and some for free, but I wanted a theme that went with my blog.  SearchForBlogging.com gave easy instructions on making your own twitter background with the specific image sizes. I used an image editing program and made a background using images from ChattyGal.com.

Twitter Background Sites:
Below is a list of a few of the many twitter background template sites.  Some of the sites offer free backgrounds and backgrounds for purchase. Many also offer custom background packages.

• TwitterBackgrounds.com
• Twitter Image
• Twitter Gallery
• TweetStyle
• My Tweet Space (also includes Free Twitter Follow Me Buttons)

Other Tips:

• Picture & Logo: Include a picture of yourself and the name of your blog in your profile.  People like to see a photo of the person or something related to the brand of the blog, like a logo or caricature.
• Bio: Make sure you include a bio on your twitter profile page so that people can learn quickly if they want to follow you.  You can use your bio to optimize keywords for your blog.  Your bio is limited to 160 characters, so choose your words wisely.
• Twitter Lists: Mashable.com has a nice post on how to use and create twitter lists which allows you to organize the people you are following.  I currently haven’t used twitter lists, but I can see the importance of them as my list grows.

Do you have any other tips and ideas that you would like to share or have discovered?

View my new twitter background for ChattyGal.com and start following me @ChattyGalBlog

This fall season is a strong season for fashion jewelry trends. Maybe it’s because of the recession. Think about it. If you decide not to update your apparel and shoe wardrobe at all, you could still update your style and appear on-trend by spending less than $100 on fashion jewelry. Go ahead and wear your military jacket, painterly dress or your slouchy pleated trousers from last year. These looks still work. But now update them by incorporating the following three fashion jewelry trends.

Layered Necklaces
Pile it on! According to Ellen and Barbara Zenter The Gals at SoHoAccessories and creators of the blog by the same name, this is a trend where less is not more. In fact, think more, more, more. However, you should vary lengths. “Include all different links from 16 inch (or even shorter) all the way to a nice, long 24 inch,” the jewelry experts advised. Lengths longer than that look too costume-y and are better saved for celebrities.

“If you dabble in different weights, it’s best to throw in just one chain that is really chunky and keep the rest near the same weight.  Also, mixed media is very chic!  In other words try a satin ribbon necklace with a strand of pearls and metal chains thrown in,” suggested Barbara. Ellen and Barbara also said you should keep in mind your audience. It’s okay to wear layered necklaces to work, but keep the layers to a maximum of four. Of course, if you’re painting the town red, then go for broke and wear six, seven, eight layers or more.

Statement Pieces
Last fall, statement necklaces were a big hit. They still are, but this fall, your statement piece could potentially be on your ears, around your wrist or on your hand.  Just not all at the same time, of course.

Wear your statement piece on the area of your body where you would like to draw attention. If you have great eyes or love your smile, wear statement earrings. Like your neck or want to show off your décolletage? Wear a statement necklace. Don a statement wrist cuff or bracelet if you like your arms, but if you have great hands, wear an oversize statement ring.

“A statement piece doesn’t always mean it is big, it could be something that has a bright flash of color or movement to it,” Barbara said. “Don’t be afraid to wear your statement piece at any time!  A statement piece is about conveying a message to others whether it’s day or night,” she added.

Mixed Metals
“Mixing metals is a trend that comes and goes and tends to follow the fashion cycle,” Barbara and Ellen explained this popular trend, “When fashion is more conservative we tend to go conservative with accessories as well and it becomes taboo to mix metals.  But we are going through a period of liberal fashion and it’s all about expressing our individuality by going against the grain.” The ladies also clarified that it’s an easy and affordable trend to follow because women can just use their current inventory of jewelry and put something together. “This is part of the reason why layering is so popular,” they said, “Both trends are serving us really well in these tougher economic times because they are easy to create without having to buy something new.  Now combine the two by layering your mixed metals!”

Ready to get started? Visit Ellen’s and Barbara’s Soho Accessories web store and check out the affordable options. And bookmark and visit their blog at Blog.SoHoAccessories.com for ideas, suggestions and more tips.

In life there are some things that seem self evident, but only once they’ve been pointed out in a way that locks them into our minds.

One mark of intelligence is the ability to consider an idea without embracing it. One mark of genius is the ability to express an idea in a way that forces us to embrace it.

Mark Twain (possibly*) once apologized for the length of a letter, adding that he would have written a shorter letter, had he more time. Short, succinct communication is powerful. The fewer words we can use to transmit a thought, the more powerful the communication becomes.

Take a subjective truth and strip away the layers of it until you are left with the the choicest, most essential part of the idea and you have an aphorism.

Marty Rubin posts just such masterpieces of thought monthly (and sometimes more frequently) at Out Of Context: pieces of a life. I highly recommend a slow, thoughtful read from time to time.

PS. My personal Favorite Aphorism is Hope is not a course of action. What’s yours?

* — the jury is still out on the source, but I’m a Mark Twain fanboy, so lacking evidence to the contrary, I give him credit.

Before we get started I would just like to point out that if you don’t go read this blog you may never understand Why Women Talk To Cats.

Absurdistry is one of those rare, well written plunges into voyeurism that let us know we are still human after all. We really can’t not look at a train wreck, a parade or a cute baby in a sunny little bonnet. This artistic self exposure bares the spirit and satisfies that primal drive to observe the triumphs, pains, joys and sorrows of our fellow travelers on this absurdly provincial planet at the outer edges of the galactic proper.

Randall suffers from the desire to write. This affliction, among legion others, has plagued him for most of his life. This to the chagrin of his wealthy family, has all but consumed his life. As he searches for meaning and the Great American Novel, that must surely produce itself from the far recesses of his mind, he often finds that he must contend with the mundane matters of life. And he is shocked by the deep meaning these activities seem to reveal at every turn.

We have all heard the phrase “ants in your pants”, but i do not believe I have ever read a first hand account of some one actually having Ants In His Pants. And I know with certainty I’ve never heard of anyone having ants in their pants during a job interview by “The Board” for an unknown company that very well may have been the spear head of an alien invasion force.

If physical ailments, the curse of the desire to write and an occupation army of ants weren’t enough, The Magnetic Mattress would surely have long since sent any woman not so strong as Randall’s wife running to the arms of an attorney. But despite her sometimes disappointment with the way things seem to have come down, she is a humor-full woman who seems to be genuinely in love with the self admitted, six-foot-five mess that is Randall.

While the general practice of the peeping tom is to stand outside some other persons window and peep in, Randall has perfected his own technique of sitting inside his own window and peeping out.

If you find yourself, some sunny day, in the vicinity of the corner of Oak and 14th, check to see if a man in a black suit sits behind a coffee table in his driveway and if you should spot him, be sure to stop and Meet The Author.

Humanized is an interesting company. Their core philosophy and focus do not conform to a specific kind of software, but to a specific way of software. I know that sentence doesn’t seem to make much sense, but it really does. Humanized makes software, unfortunately so far, not much software, that is humane in it’s user interface.

I know, I promised you a Blogger’s tool you’ll love, and I will fulfill that promise, but I need to lay some groundwork first on why you’ll love it.

Quasimodal interfaces are Humane

The thing that really sets this tool apart is the use of quasimodes, which are modes that require you to take constant action to keep open. When you hold down your shift key and type a few letters, for instance, RSS you have just utilized a quasimode, because the text would only continue to be in uppercase letters as long as you hold down the shift key.

Modal Interfaces Aren’t

On the other hand a modal function is something that is “sticky” like the caps lock key. You press it and it stays in uppercase text mode until you press it again, whiCH CAN SOMETIMES MAKE THINGS COME OUT NOT QUITE RIGHT, if you know what I mean. How many times have you typed a whole sentence or even a whole paragraph, only to discover that you were in the wrong mode, and then had to retype it in the correct mode?

That sucks, right?

Two Birds With One App

Well, what if you could eliminate that problem completely and at the same time gain access to a neat little piece of software that can spell check in any window on your computer that you can type text into? What if it could count the words on any window on your computer, period? How about if it also did nearly a dozen other neat little everyday things that right now require you to switch modes from what you are currently doing, then switch back again? And if you could do those things as easily as you can hold down your shift key and type RSS?

Enso Words does just that.

Enso Words is a quasimodal, universal spell checker that also does a bunch of other nifty things like word counts, cutting, pasting, copying, changing case, solving math problems, and, with an add on, several search launches as well.

To engage Enso Words you hold down your caps lock key with your left pinky finger and type a command. Not some cryptic command either. The command for spell checking is [ [capslock] spellcheck ], though typing [ [capslock] s ] also activates it in the default configuration. You only have to type as many letters as bring the command you want up. As soon as you release the caps lock key, the commend currently selected is executed and you are returned to where you came from. if no command was selected, you simply return to where you were and it’s like nothing ever happened.

Imagine, you’ll never tyPE A CRAZY ALL CAPS SENTENCE AGAIN. And you can count words and check their spelling anywhere you can read or type them. That’s a useful little tool for a Blogger!

Try it out, it’s free. Drop a comment and let me know what you think when you’ve given it a try. I love it over here.

Must fashion and style be completely sacrificed when one becomes a mother? According to Sarah-Jean Ballard, Editor-in-Chief of The Fashionable Housewife, the answer is a firm no.

“I became a mother a little over two years ago and while I absolutely love my daughter and try to give her everything she needs in life, I also make sure I take time for me,” explained Sarah-Jean. “In order to be the best mother you can be to your children, you have to take a little time for yourself,” she finished.

At The Fashionable Housewife, readers get their dose of tips and suggestions for staying comfortable while remaining fashionable. So, even non-moms who find the need to combine comfort along with good style will find this blog useful and entertaining.

“Gone are the days when comfortable shoes meant granny shoes. With brands like Sofft, Born, and Clarks on the cutting edge of fashion while focusing on comfort, there is no reason to settle for ugly shoes just because they are comfortable, ever again!” Sarah-Jean exclaimed.

This is good news for all fashionistas. Being beautiful doesn’t have to be painful. “In this day and age, there is no reason to compromise style just to be comfortable,” advised the editor, herself a fashionable housewife. Sarah-Jean recommended women re-think the concept of being comfortable. She questioned, “Do you really think you are comfortable going out in public in your sweats? Your butt might feel comfy, but your dignity sure doesn’t.”

Sarah-Jean offered great comfort fashion advice. She suggested moms buy jeans with a bit of stretch like NYDJ Cashmere Denim and pair them with a gorgeous, yet super comfy structure shirt like XCVI Happy House Voile top.  Throw on a pair of Softspots Paxton Wedge with a cute scarf and the transformation to becoming a fashionable housewife is now complete.

With two best girlfriends who have just had their first child, I see how challenging it can be to spend one’s days as a new mom. Surely it’s too difficult to be stylish and a good mom? Right? Sarah-Jean said otherwise: “The most important thing to remember when it comes to staying stylish is not to feel guilty about taking time out for yourself. Sometimes it can be hard to even get in a decent shower! Make sure you have some help and take a few minutes in the morning to fix your hair, throw on a little mascara and lipgloss, and put on some decent clothes you didn’t pull out of the laundry pile. You’d be amazed at how much of a difference it can make in your day. Staying stylish can actually help you be the best mom you can possibly be!”

Inspiring, insightful and encouraging — readers will find all this and more at The Fashionable Housewife. Being that Sarah-Jean is quite the fashion diva, I just had to find out what she’s shopping for right now. “I’m still on the search for the perfect pair of Over The Knee Boots for under $100.  I’m also in the market for a motorcycle jacket, skinny ankle jeans with zippers, and something in hounds tooth,” she answered. Coincidently, those are also my personal favorite fall trends, too. I guess great minds think alike. If you find you can’t rock over-the-knee boots, Sarah-Jean offered an alternative, “Opt for another tall boot like the Born Nenna that will work for absolutely everyone.”

Sarah-Jean Ballard
Editor-in-Chief of The Fashionable Housewife

Where did the jobs go?

Ever since the banker’s shell game came apart and the economy tanked out across much of the world, many people have been forced to seek new employment. Jobs are gone and as some politicians have pointed out some of them just aren’t coming back.

Some people, too, get crazy ideas about dumping their day jobs and working for themselves even when the signs of the times would seem to indicate that this might not be the most reasonable course of action.

Enter the Digital Worker

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website calls them “Artificial artificial intelligence“. Most other people call them freelancers. I’ve always been peripherally aware of these denizens of the digital workforce, but they were never right there in front of me until just recently.

After spending some time looking for a new job, I realized that it would probably be more fruitful to just create my own job and changed course to that goal. That’s when I discovered that there is a huge economy out there for freelance workers.

And they have their own blogosphere too.

As I got into looking at this opportunity I began seeking information about it. Not the information provided by the freelance job sites, though there is some good information there. What I really wanted was the information provided by these workers themselves.

Can you think of anyplace better to find this kind of information than in the BlogCatalog Blog Search Tool? No? me either, so of course, that’s where I went. And I telly you I was not disappointed in the least.

There are many good of blogs in the catalog that offer up information on freelance working from a number of perspectives. I’m going to focus here on those that are written by people who actually do freelance work and blog about that work. They offer tips on finding jobs, productivity advice, writing ideas and much more. The Freelance blogs in the catalog are essentially a decentralized academy of the freelance arts.

I have become their devoted student.

Ariana R. Cherry blogs about her recent entry into freelancing at her blog, The Rural Freelance Writer. She’s just started working as a freelancer, and still maintains a day job that she hopes to reduce to part time and then eventually eliminate. She’s working her way into freelancing slowly. I hope she meets great success and I hope she continues blogging here experiences along the way.

Allison blogs about her freelance career at her blog, My Online Freelance Writing Career (BC Listing). She offers great advice about finding and maximizing online freelance jobs. With articles on how to find the jobs, how to get the best pay from the jobs and how to organize your job search. She also just completed the grueling 100 articles in 100 days challenge at ezinearticles.com. Talk about padding your portfolio. She detailed the process and posted regular updates about her progress though the challenge.

Katie blogs about working as a freelancer at her blog, Real Freelance Life (BC Listing). She offers up hard nosed, practical advice on how to get the job done as a freelancer that you can read, digest and immediately put to work in your own freelance efforts. Great stuff in there.

Jon Phillips and a crew of three other bloggers blog about everything to do with being a successful freelancer at his blog, Freelance Folder (BC Listing). This team of seasoned freelancers write well researched, informative articles designed to help any freelancer, novice and pro alike learn and develop a freelance career. They are currently looking for writers to join the team, and in the interest of full disclosure, I applied to write for them.

That’s just four of the blogs in the catalog that write about freelancing. There are many many more there too. So if you’ve been left out in the cold by the old economy, or if you’ve just been tempted by the new economy, all I can say is, hit the freelance blogs in the BC Catalog and start reading. There seems to be a big, bold, bright future for the digital workforce. One thing any of the bloggers I introduced to you today will tell you that the number one thing to do is take action. Find jobs and put your name out there as a writer. Go seize your own career today.

It took me a while to find it, but today’s Spotlight is a long standing blogger. In fact, his blogging career started on November 20th, 2005. That was the day when Chris MacDonald, who teaches Philosophy and Business Ethics at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, started The Business Ethics Blog. The reason was simple enough, he hadn’t found a good business ethics blog yet, so he decided he had to make one himself. Isn’t that how many great bloggers start in the first place? And for sure,  Chris has now become one of those great bloggers.

Climbing the blog ladder to success

His second post starts off with “Maybe this blog was a mistake. Apparently, I may not be very well qualified to write a blog on business ethics“…hear hear. He must have done something right, though, because he has come a long way since his then fumbling first steps, and in 2008 ethisphere.com nominated him as #81 among the 100 most influential people in business ethics:

MacDonald writes one of the longest continually-running blogs on business ethics written by a researcher and educator in the field, which has operated continuously over the last 3 years. Moreover, MacDonald explores and uncovers issues that, at first, might not appear to touch upon subjects relating to ethics; however, upon further inspection, they challenge the reader at a much more core level.

I can only agree to that.

Why should you read this blog?

You may think that The Business Ethics Blog is only for business students, MBA prospects and CEO wannabees. Wrong. It is just as much for the ignorant consumer,  who duped by advertising, buys his favorite products from his favorite company without even caring, or at least without even thinking too much about it.

One of Chris’ most recent articles deals with consumer trust and Big Pharma. Despite the industry’s spotty track record, there are some good reasons for trusting Big Pharma…to some extent.

One the more fun side, there is a review of the movie The Yes men Fix the World, a movie I haven’t heard of, but a movie Chris uses in class so the students learn not just to lament corporate wrongdoing, or to poke fun at it, but to understand the world in which that wrongdoing goes on. On the more serious side you can find a review of Food Inc, which may make you rethink what you plan on having for dinner tonight.

There’s a vast reservoir on business ethics on Chris’ blog, and he does not shy away from religion either. Most articles are well-commented, too, showing a truly engaging blog. Indeed, the Business Ethics Blog is definitely worth reading, bookmarking, and coming back to.

Not the only one

Back in 2005, Chris may very well have been the first and only business ethics blogger on BlogCatalog. Since then, many have joined him, such as: It’s Just Good Business, featuring stories about businesses who do good. Notes on Noble Business, where corporate futurist and author Darwin Gillett examines “nobility” as a model for sustainable business success. There is also another lecturer’s blog, Teaching Business Ethics, where Tony Birch and friends reflect on how to teach business ethics.

Bottom line

I don’t know who coined this phrase or whether I am actually reciting it correctly, but the saying is that if you take care of your customers, your customers will take care of you, i.e. your bottom line. For sure, without business ethics, there isn’t going to be much bottom line in the long run.

Written by Jan Husdal, BlogCatalog Blogger Advocate
http://www.husdal.com/
Follow Jan on Twitter

It’s Halloween again and most communities are split between those thrilled by the ghostly fear that chills the skin and those who battle hard against the dark, filling the night with the glow of candlelight, sweet treats and happy times.

The BlogCatalog community is no different. While many of us are sitting at our cozy keyboards,  like Amanda at Change.Org, writing 101 Things to Be for Halloween Other than a Pimp, or like the Crunchy Domestic Goddess, penning  10 Simple Ways to Green your Halloween, others are busy scaring the tightie whities off of everyone they can. The Horror Club’s 31 Days of Horror is creepy at its best. On the other hand, the Cupcake Project’s Anti-Vampire Garlic Cupcake recipe might just be the scariest thing on BlogCatalog.

You know what’s funny about being scared though? It can be tons more fun when it happens to someone else. I’m fairly sure that’s what MadMadMargo at the Screaming Me-Me thinks after Getting Punked (which means of course that she got her hair scared white). How? Well, it involved a shower and a stranger in her bathroom…  Even so, Margo knows what’s really important — what Halloween is all about. Is it about being scared incontinent? Of course not. Her sober reflections point us to the Truth that Halloween is all about, you guessed it… CANDY. (My waistline thanks you.)

Speaking of candy, LiteralDan, in a blatant and shallow attempt to lure a few more costumed candy magnets to his side, personally invites you to a little pre-2008-election-flashback of sorts. (I think he just wants to show off his cute kids in costume.)  And LesleyMo at MyTurntoTalk has hilarious costume ideas for parents who want to imagine their babies’ future filled with quiet desperation. (To ward off our need for Prozac, she follows up with some easy, more creative costume ideas.)

Whew.  Thank goodness.

You know, most parents think their kids are the cutest ones on the block… that is, until their costumes make them the most ferocious kids on the block. Mom2my9 at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven (say that ten times fast!) has written a cautionary news report about a Halloween scare her husband had last year. Her message: Be afraid! Be VERY afraid!

And what is Halloween without a little nostalgia? Especially when it involves fiberfill and a home-sewn costume that makes its wearer feel “like a python’s dinner being slowly digested.” But lest you think she’s all giggle and no ghoulishness, Jenn (aka ThriftshopRomantic) at Cabbages-N-Kings can also creep you right out. She weaves a hair-raising tale of a neighborhood house from her youth – a house with a thousand lifeless eyes staring at would-be trick-or-treaters. It left me feeling that, had I lived in her neighborhood, I may well have died of fright at a very young age.  And also… dolls are truly creepy.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a giggle after a shiver-fest like that. Which is why you need TexasHolly at June Cleaver Nirvana. Her Tale of Two Pumpkin Patches, a story told with markers, will restore you. (That is, if you, like me, get giddy at the shameless ways of modern pumpkin patch capitalism.)

This is the thing, though… once you get home from the pumpkin patch, arms straining under the load of spherical squash, what do you do with them?

You go grab some inspiration from Dirt Simple, of course. Deborah Silver is a professional decorator who creates gorgeous Halloween looks with pumpkins, ghosts, and gourds and shows off broomcorn decorations to die for, perfect Jack-o-lanterns, scarecrows and just enough spiders to keep things spooky. Truly, I wish I had her talent. But I always come away from her blog with terrific ideas.

As a mom of young children, I straddle the divide between yearning for comfort and creepiness this time of year.  There is a part of me that loves to have my boots scared off. (All you need to do is check my top movies on Netflix this week to figure that out!) But Halloween movies can be tricky. It can be tough to choose ones that will be approachable for the younger set. So I’m grateful to ElizabethE at MomReviews.net and her Halloween family movie reviews. After reading them, I might be able show a few while my kids are still awake!

That’s what I like about pets.  Dogs and cats aren’t phased by a spook movie or two.  They won’t wake up with scary dreams or be permanently scarred by the fact that they watched SAW XXVI in their puppyhood.  In fact, they’ll cuddle up to you at the scary parts as they think, “Hey, I wonder how that guy in the mask smells?”.  I appreciate the simplicity of that.  I have a feeling PetLvr does too.

As a matter of fact, PetLvr appreciates pets so much that he’s even created a Pet Halloween Costume Contest on Petlvr.com. My kids and I looked at the entries he’s received so far and had a giggle or two. They looked so cute.  Our favorites were the Pomeranian dressed as Wonder Woman, the Pug Bumblebee, Farmer McHarley, and Stunner the Jet Dog.  (Seriously, there’s nothing like dressed up pets.)

You still have time to enter your own pet, you know, but the contest ends soon! (Can you believe there’s only one cat? And no lizards, either… hmm.)  You pet owners had better get crackin’.

Which reminds me, I’ve got loads to do!  There are treat bags to stuff and a caveman costume to finish (and chocolate to sneak…)

Whew!  The work of a mom is never done, I tell you.

I’ll get right to it…

… after I have a look at a few more BC Halloween blogs, of course.

Have a Happy (Spooky) Halloween!

- Midwest Mom

The style-educated fashionista knows the importance of incorporating vintage fashion into her wardrobe. Vintage fashion evokes the romance or excitement of another era while keeping your personal style fresh and unique.

Today, American teens are scouring thrift stores and their parents’ closets for 1980s leotards, acid wash denim and concert t-shirts. Meanwhile fans of the hit television show “Mad Men” are searching for the sleek, sexy styles of the early 1960s. Let’s face it. Vintage fashion is in demand.

But, there’s something else we must face – vintage shopping is totally intimidating. Sure, you would love to dress like Don Draper, but what if you end up looking like Fredo Corleone instead? Before you go on the hunt for vintage fashion, you’ll need a bit of education. Your resource? The Past Perfect Vintage blog.

PastPerfectVintage.Blogspot.com is the blog for the vintage shop of the same name. Holly Jenkins-Evans owns Past Perfect Vintage and writes for the blog. At Past Perfect Vintage, Holly features quality vintage fashion from the Victorian and Edwardian eras to the 1970s, including selected designer clothing. A founding member of the Vintage Fashion Guild, Holly has supplied fashions to theatres, design houses and museums in US and Europe. A costume designer and draper by training, her theatrical credits include both design and production for approximately 200 productions around the US. So, let’s just say Holly knows her vintage.

“As a general rule, I do not recommend wearing pieces that are pre-1930s, as most vintage of that age is simply too fragile,” advised Holly. She suggested that beginning vintage shoppers should start small. “Learn about what you buy before you invest serious sums,” said Holly, “For those who are shopping for wardrobe needs, I suggest mixing vintage and modern fashions. This avoids the ‘dress up’ look.” As for care, Holly said fashionistas should start with washable cotton or sturdy wool. “They are the easiest to care for,” she explained. Interested in becoming a collector? Read “Preserving Textiles: A Guide for the Nonspecialist” by Harold Mailand.

Holly also suggested that vintage shoppers do a bit of research and familiarize themselves with the fashion periods so they can tell what they like and what they’re buying. Two great resources are the Vintage Fashion Guild and a new book just released, titled “The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping” by Melody Fortier. Holly contributed a section to this hot-selling book.

If vintage designer clothing is what appeals to your shopping sense, Holly claimed that studying your favoritedesigners’ history is crucial. “If the buyer knows their working dates, labels and their style, he/she will be ahead of the curve,” she said.

You may be tempted to attend estate sales and auctions on your own, searching for great vintage attire, but Holly warned that these adventures are often time-consuming and unsuccessful. In addition, most of these types of sales are ‘as is’ or do not allow returns. “As a vintage dealer, I search out great pieces, then clean, repair them appropriately, research, date, measure and provide a condition report for all items I sell. My customers can take their time and consider what they want and ask as many questions as they wish. And rest assured they will get a garment in the best possible condition,” Holly clarified.

Another thing vintage shoppers should keep in mind is that the sizing from “way back then” differs from modern sizes. Holly cautioned that shoppers must be prepared to go up several sizes. “A 1950s size 8 and a 2009 size 8 simply do not relate,” Holly said. Whether shopping online or in person, vintage shoppers should keep with them their exact measurements, including shoulders, arm length, bust/chest, waistline, hips and inseam. Shopping for vintage hats? Definitely measure the circumference of your head.

As for eras, know that each had its own unique styles and silhouettes. Holly explained that the 1920s look is for the straight-figured woman, while the 1930s is ideal for the shapely, but toned figure. The 1940s silhouettes are nicely shaped and allow for bust, waist and hips, but also provide fullness to hide figure flaws. The 1950s are perfect for the curvy fashionista and the 1960s are best for boho-chic ladies with a thin figure. “Having said that, I find that although I can’t wear 20s and 30s clothing well, I can wear the shoes, shawls, hats and jewelry of those periods just fine! So you can find something from any period,” said Holly.

Optimism aside, Holly did convey one firm vintage shopping rule: “If you were alive during a time period, it’s best not to try to wear it again. For example, I look silly trying to wear the 1960s again. It looks like reliving the past instead of re-discovering the past!”

Re-discover the past with Holly and the Past Perfect Vintage blog. Gain advice and obtain tips on becoming a knowledgeable vintage shopper. One of Holly’s most educational blog post is a three-part article called Buyer Beware, in which she addresses labels, dates, secret alterations, reproductions and so much more. She also reports to her readers of vintage shops she discovers while traveling, the newest additions to her own vintage store and “neat examples” from other sellers she knows and trusts.

Winner of an Amazon Kindle: Mike Magdaleno
Mike has been solving problems and studying human performance for over 25 years.  He has a Bachelor of Science degree (with honors) from the University of Redlands.  He has also been a student of Far Eastern philosophies and holds a second degree black belt in Korean Hapkido.  He brings a special talent to my coaching in that I have seen many of the problems people have and tested what works and seen what does not.

Winner of Bose on-ear headpones: Jay Ehret
Jay Ehret is Chief Officer of Awesomeness of The Marketing Spot in Waco, Texas. He is a small business marketing coach, consultant, speaker and writer. Jay started blogging about small business marketing in March 2007 and joined BlogCatalog in July. He blog specifically about marketing issues as the apply to specifically to entrepreneurs and small businesses. He give practical advice on topics such as branding, the customer experience, word of mouth, social media, advertising and promotion.
www.TheMarketingSpotBlog.com

Winner of a $100 Apple Gift Card: Robert Richardson
Robert has been involved in online marketing for about 10 years now. Currently he is the online Marketing Manager for a large bank. He also runs a number of websites including http://networkinvegas.com, http://offgridsurvival.com, and
http://richardsongraphics.com.

(posted by Jason Teitelman, Written by Deb Schroeder)

Have No Fear and Let Your Passion Lead You to the Next Level
The Opening Keynote at Blog World with Laura Fitton was very inspirational and a great way to begin the conference. Laura Fitton is referred to by many as the Queen of Twitter, wrote Twitter for Dummies, and founded Oneforty.com. Oneforty.com has reviews and information of all of the best twitter apps.

Laura recommends that you should just be who you are when twittering and don’t just post links, but ask questions and make connections.  She believes that in order for you to be “Awesome on Twitter,” you need to listen, learn, care, and serve.

Laura Fitton emphasized that you should not have fear or hesitance with blogging, twittering, and the use of social media.  We should always try new things since we all have something to offer.

If we hold ourselves back and don’t try, then we will be cheating everyone else out of something that only you can offer.  Discover your passion and let it lead you.

Internet Marketing for Smart People

The panel for Internet Marketing for Smart People consisted of Darren Rowse, Sonia Simone, Brian Clark, and Chris Brogan.   The hour long session had too many great points to jot down, so you can watch the entire session at JohnChow.com.  Below are some quick notes from the session.

• Posting: Keep a post rhythm with your blog so that your readers know what to expect.  If you post once or 5 times a week, be consistent with that rhythm.
• Content: Deliver valuable content to your readers.  Ask yourself “Is my content itself a reward for reading it?”  Does the content add value to your readers?
• Email Newsletter Marketing: Email marketing is still very important and email newsletters are the way to go.  RSS isn’t turning out the way they once thought it was.  More traffic is through email readers than RSS.  Some found that ads clicked doubled with email as opposed to RSS.  One way to get readers to subscribe by email would be a free e-book incentive.
• Community: Create a community among your readers so that they feel like it is “our community” not “your community.”
• What do you have to sell? Find something worth selling to your readers that provides value to them.  Build the audience first and create trust before trying to sell to your audience.  Get to know your readers and pay attention to them so that you know what they need and what is important to them.

Sponsored Conversations and the new FTC Regulations

Panelists were Ted Murphy, Jeremiah Owyang and Wendy Piersall

One of the common discussions at the 2009 Blog World Expo was the new Federal Trade Commission’s regulations for online advertising and sponsored conversations.  The new FTC regulations go into effect on December 1, 2009 and there was much debate about the topic.

What can be considered sponsored conversations?  Tweets, posts, and comments can all be considered sponsored conversations if the blogger receives payment, gifts or any other item for certain content.  It doesn’t matter if the blogger would have included the content with or without receiving payment.  Bottom line– if the blogger receives a gift or payment, then it must be disclosed.

It is important to create transparency within your blog and having a disclosure policy encourages trust among your readers.  The disclosure policy should be up at the top of your site and clear to your readers.  The new regulations lack clarity, but from the discussions at Blog World, it seems that individual posts that can be considered “sponsored” would need a disclosure statement as well.

An online site created and funded by IZEA allows you to create a Free Disclosure Policy from DisclosurePolicy.org in which you answer a series of questions.  After answering questions pertaining to your blog, a disclosure policy is created for you to copy and paste into your site.

Blogging Super Panel Gave Live Feedback on Site Reviews

The Super Panel with live feedback on site reviews consisted of top money making bloggers Zac Johnson, John Chow, and Darren Rowse.  Below are some tips offered to the various sites reviewed that can be applied to most blogs:

• If you have a new blog, focus on content and getting readers rather than trying to focus on monetization.  Most bloggers shouldn’t expect to be making large amounts of money until they have been blogging consistently and gaining readership for about 2 years.
• Your signup box for email and RSS updates should be large and easy to find.  Many put the signup box in the top right corner.  It is good to end posts with an offer to signup to subscribe in addition to having the signup box.
• Newsletter updates are important and you should attract more readers with this. Offer incentives for them to signup, such as a free e-book or newsletters with free samples, discounts, or some educational material in your niche. You can use your newsletter to help monetize your blog by offering valuable products for purchase, ads, etc.
• Do not ask for the first and last names of your readers when asking them to signup for updates or to subscribe to the blog.  Make the process easy and seamless for them.
• A general estimation given was that if your site is getting about 1 million page views a month, then you should be earning about $10,000 a month if monetized correctly.
• As you grow, you can consider offering membership sites, educational material or e-books as a way to monetize your blog.
• View your site in multiple browsers to correct errors that others may be seeing.
• Don’t have a super-large header and make sure that your header design lets the reader know what your blog is about.

Drive Traffic and Build Readership Using Niche Communities

Kevin Palmer discussed the many ways to use niche communities to drive traffic and build readership.  Kevin runs his own consulting company, Social Media Answers, LLCwhich has an abundant of free resources for those interested in growing with social media.

1. Evaluate Your Audience: Who are they?  What describes them?  How are they using the internet?  What content would they be interested in?
2. Examine Other Bloggers: Look at other bloggers in your niche and find out what social media sites they are using to connect with readers.  Look at their sidebars and examine the social media buttons they display.  Do a search with their twitter name to see what they are doing and how they are using twitter.  You can useCompete.com to analyze the traffic that other sites in your niche are getting.
3. Join Niche Social Networking Sites:  You can find over 400 Niche Social Networking Sites with reviews at Kevin Palmer’s website. Use social networking sites to gain potential readers.  Social networking sites are smaller Ease your way into the community, engage within the rules and listen to the readers. Don’t just join and broadcast your message, but become an active participant to create trust.  Look at the message boards and join in the active discussion.  Completely fill out your profile and include a profile picture.