The Quest for the Perfect Blog

I have extensive files of saved, unread blogs that I can't wait to look at. Yes, I'm a fan of Twitter and at times find myself lost in Twitterland. I enjoy reading conversations and continue to click on each person to check out their blog or website before I decide if I want to follow them. (Feel free to follow me at Grandma's Shoppe). Since I'm not able to read all of the saved blogs immediately, I start "collecting" them! That of course has led to my huge assortment of blogs waiting to be read.

Not only am I a fan of twitter but I also read HARO reports, religiously, three times a day. I recently responded to a query sent from Rena at the Soul Salon. She is starting a blog called "What's Right With Kids Today". She asked individuals to write her and give examples of how our children are helping out others and making a difference in the world.

Rena explained that there are too many negative stories circulating in the press about children and not enough positive articles. When she googled What's Right with Kids Today, she found only a handful of uplifting stories relating to the accomplishments of children. This became a turning point for Rena and she at that moment decided that she would become a child advocate, supporting children and inspiring them to do positive acts of kindness. This blog will spotlight kids 0-21 years of age who have great stories to share.

"Kids are awesome. They are full of surprises, great ideas, amazing energy, big hearts

and the best thing---The desire to have fun. We could all take a lesson from kids on how

not to take ourselves so seriously much of the time and have more fun"

I submitted two stories for her inspirational blog. She loved my submissions and will be posting our personal stories shortly. I'll keep you posted and tell you when they are running. E-mail Rena with your stories at rena@mysoulsalon.com.

Another exciting find this week was Grammy Janet's Place, a blog, written by a grandmother, filled with articles, product reviews, give-a-ways, coupon specials, and inspiring stories. As the owner of an online boutique called Grandma's Shoppe we always love connecting with Grandmothers!

Obviously an animal lover, Janet's most recent article is about Going Orange for Animals.

"This year, the ASPCA’s inviting animal lovers across the country to spend the month of April ‘Going Orange for Animals’ to raise awareness for ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ month. From creating grassroots fundraising events to getting the buildings in your

town to light up orange, the possibilities are endless!"

Please visit Grammy Janet's Place. Janet is going to run a review and give-a-way of our "Grandma Rocks CD".(make sure your volume on the computer is up!) We'll keep you posted with the details.

The question remains, is there a perfect blog? In order to have a "perfect" blog one needs to know exactly what a blog is. I decided to consult with one of the most trusted sources I know, the Webster Dictionary I looked up the definition of blog:

blog
Pronunciation:
\ˈblȯg, ˈbläg\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
short for Weblog
Date:
1999
: a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer ; also : the contents of such a site
— blog·ger noun
— blog·ging noun

With that infomation in hand, I decided to research, "What makes a good blog post"? I traveled over to 43 folders for some answers. An article written by Merlin Mann describes in a list form all of the qualities needed for a "good blog".

"Good blogs have a voice, Good blogs reflect focused obsessions, Good blog posts are made of paragraphs, Good “non-post” blogs have style and curation, Good blogs are weird,

Good blogs make you want to start your own blog".

Click on the above link for complete descriptions and additonal information. It's a very detailed and an informative article.

Lots to think about. My journey for the perfect blog continues...I look forward to hearing what your favorite blogs are. Have you found the Perfect Blog?

Happy blogging, Happy Passover and Happy Easter,

Robin

The Quest for the Perfect Blog

The quest for the perfect blog. Is there such a thing? Originally when I started searching for the "perfect" blog I was hoping to find a blog filled with everything that interests me. I had no idea how many blogs were out there in cyberspace.

Some blogs have wonderful articles that are business related,others teach how to blog, many talk about the advantages of using twitter,twitter etiquette, some mention colleges, others keep us up to date on the latest fashions and make-up.

How would I find the right blog/s for me. I began my journey by looking at each person's blog on twitter before I would decide to click on the follow button. I then realized that the person I was following was hard to find so I began saving lots of blogs onto my favorites in hopes of reading each blog when I had time.

At the same time I began checking out blogs that were attached to retail websites. Again,clicking and saving. Because many blogger's list their favorite blogs on their blog I began clicking on their button and traveling over to another blog. Again saving these blogs onto my favorites.

With mouse in hand, I've begun clicking onto all of my saved blogs. The mouse acts as my GPS and directs me to information about the writer,their passions, the focus of the blog, photographs,and personal stories. Each week I hope to organize my saved treasures and will share the results on Grandma's Blog.

I mentioned that blogs often talk about twitter and how effective twitter can be in meeting interesting people, possibly connecting for business purposes, or supporting someone in need. If you're unfamiliar with Twitter. It's a service that allows friends, co-workers,and businesses to communicate with each other through quick one line responses. IE. What should I make for dinner tonight?

I enjoy going on to Twitter to tell about Grandma's Shoppes latest updates and to tweet about our specials and new products. I also enjoy keeping up with all of the conversations that are going on at the same time.

Yesterday "The Adventures of Kitchen Girl" sent out a tweet requesting donations for a Mother's Day gift basket.She wanted to put together a fun basket filled with gifts for mom and offer it as a give-a-way around Mother's Day.

I contacted Jo and told her about Grandma's Shoppe. We decided that a fun give-a-way for her gift basket would be our I Love Grandma Bear.

I'd been on the lookout for a blog filled with great recipes, simple instructions and beautiful photos"The Adventures of Kitchen Girl"was exactly that.

Jo is a featured publisher with foodbuzz.com and has had many recipes published in several newspapers in conjunction with blogburst.com.

On the right side of the blog is a listing of Jo's favorite food blogs. By looking at the length of the list I will no longer have the excuse that I don't know what to make for dinner!

By scrolling down and looking on the right side of the blog, all of the recipes are listed so that you can easily find a recipe for sandwiches, seafood, soup, beverages, etc. Along with the recipes are a listing of all of the give-a-ways.

Take a look at The Adventures of kitchen World and tell us what you think.


I'll tell you when our give-a-way is up and running.

Happy blogging!
Robin