Anna Says - The Introduction

You may or may not know that in June I did a 30 day photo challenge. It was fun! It really helped me find my blogging mo-jo and made me realise that boy, oh boy, I just love to write. But, June ended and well, I was a bit at sea as to what to blog about next. I searched the internet for writing groups - but they were too... bookish. I searched the internet for writing memes - but I couldn't quite find what I was after. 

So... I asked my fabulous Facebook friends {on my very own brand new Facebook Page} what they thought I should blog about. It was great. I got some good ideas. But, one person had more ideas than any other. My friend Anna. She gave me 14 ideas. I started sorting them out into ones I could do and ones I didn't know enough about. Then I realised that the whole point of searching for writing groups and memes was to be challenged. So - I decided I would do every single one of the things that Anna mentioned. In order. Once a week. 

This means that Sunday nights are - 'Anna Says' nights... 

Here are the topics in the order I will do them....

• Fashion tips
• More from my 'Thrify Philosophy'
• An interview with someone significant to me
• Heirlooms vs Junk
• I wish my mother had kept....
• Lip Balm road test
• New method of cooking (not Thermomix)
• The Coolest .... I have ever seen
• Tips to keep the study/home office desk tidy
• Kids DVDs that are not scary
• Things to do while watching Masterchef
• Home Hair Dye
• How to get the kids to look at the camera
• Slow Cooker Meals

Anna, thanks for the ideas! Thanks for being such a totally cool friend. You have inspired me - again. Mwah, B

How to Hug A Blogger - Part 3 of 3

Okay - this is the final part in this little series on 'How to Hug a Blogger'....


The first post was about how to become a follower
The second post was about how to receive blog posts in different ways


This post is all about sharing, because sharing is fun and sharing is nice...


There are lots of ways to share when it comes to blogging....


1) Comments - this is a great way to Hug a Blogger. Commenting is a great way for a blogger to know whether blog posts are reaching their audiences. It is a great way to be part of the blogging community, some great discussions happen in comment sections. Comments can be anything from "Hmm, interesting!" to "When I travelled through Provence I ate a bad fig too!" kinds of things. Comments can be witty, sympathetic, advisory or just an other point of view.


A few friends have told me lately that they are having trouble commenting on my blog - I am hoping this is a technical hitch as opposed to content that doesn't resonate with my readers..... You may need to look into your Cookies - I did find this article which makes it all sounds SOOOO easy! Anna - go check this out!


Just a note,  I too have had trouble commenting on my OWN blog (what is with THAT!) but, I have found that if I try twice, it works. It is a pain, but... you know... if you have something truly cool to say....


2) Facebook - bloggers are pretty clever people. They have worked out that blogging is all about community, so social networking is actually a great way to get more traffic to a blog. If you have Facebook, it is easy to Hug a Blogger, by 'liking' their Page....  What was that? Do I have a Facebook page? Why, yes in fact I do! In fact, I am now the proud recipient of a 'Vanity URL' which means the Facebook address for my blog landing page is:  www.facebook.com/bbeingcool. Pretty neat huh!? Head on over and 'Like' me there too - the more 'Likers' the merrier!


Facebook is another way to be connected with my readers. I can post things under the name 'B Being Cool Blog' and get comments and feedback. I like having this option, as I can now comment in two different places with two different audiences with two different names. This is bliss for me - I LOVE writing status updates - LOVE LOVE LOVE it....


I have had a few friends who have linked some of my blog posts to their status updates, which is so cute of them! It spreads my blog to a whole new set of people. It is really easy to link blog posts into Facebook - a simple 'Link' selection with a copy and pasted URL for the blog post and 'Voila' it is done - scattered into a whole new social circle...


3) Twitter - I am not going to be writing much about Twitter, as I honestly just don't get it. A very monkish friend described Twitter like this.... {heavily paraphrased}


"Imagine you have walked into a room full of your favourite people. Everyone is talking all at once, but only in phrases of 140 characters. You can't really get a word in edgeways - this is Twitter"


I have just signed up for Twitter, thankfully, I have linked my B Being Cool Blog Facebook page directly to Twitter, so I don't really have to think too hard about what the heck is Twitter really...


My Twitter account is:  http://twitter.com/#!/bbeingcool - you can follow me there too!


You may notice on blogs there are these little widgets lying about....

These are another way to spread a blog post around to Twitter or Facebook or the like... A simple 'click' and you can link that post to your account.... 


3) Respond - You might notice at the bottom of my blog posts (and many others) there is a little do-dad that looks like this....

These are a quick and easy way to respond to a blog post. You can simply click on your chosen response, 'funny', 'interesting' or 'cool'. How easy is THAT!?


Now that you are all experts on following blogs and Hugging the Blogger.... Here are some blogs to check out... 

These are (some of) my friends who blog...

Crafty Mummy - this is a blog I plug a lot. Crafty Mummy is one of my peeps. She is who I call when things go pear shaped and I call her my 'Agent'. If you are inclined to be crafty {in a 'thread and fabric' kind of way as opposed to a 'scheming cheating at Monopoly' kind of way} you should definitely pop over to her blog - you can 'Follow' her, comment on her posts, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest... Just go to her site and see how a blog should be....


Caitlin's Happy Heart - Caitlin is one of my longest standing friends. She has had such an interesting journey... and {this is so selfless of me as she is now going to get even MORE hits than me} she is about to have TRIPLETS! So, go Follow, Like and Comment on her happy blog....


Killing a Fly with a Ukelele is Probably the Wrong Thing to Do - Mrs De Elba is a great friend. She is sooooo funny and fresh. I love reading her posts,  she is quirky and has the most fabulous way with words. She is quite private, she does not like Trolls, so, if you are a troll - don't visit Mrs De Elba!


A Fruitful Life - Lacey is a sweet heart. And she has a great blog. She blogs about everything from babies to decorating and grocery shopping. She is thrifty, wise and cool. Go Follow, Comment and Share the love....


Keep it Real - Kirsty has been my friend for so long! She writes a blog that reminds that God needs to be in my life. Her message is to see God in all things and to enjoy the journey. A great place to visit to have a heart check-up.

Blogs I read regularly....

be a fun mum - Kelly is LOVELY - great tips for fun things to do with your kids, great cooking and she does some great posts about GORGEOUS houses that are family friendly


fatmumslim - great cooking, thoughtful posts, coolness


retromummy - she cooks, she knits, she quilts, she has 4 children, she makes me feel lazy


writing out loud - I like reading Megan's work as she is a freelance writer. I like reading things that she writes so that one day I can work out what kinds of things I might be able to write - when I ever get around to thinking about a job again.... 


Salvation Jane - Just love it. Love design. Love her style. Wish I had more time and $ to make my house funky.




Phew - what a marathon of words! I didn't think I knew much about blogging, but I think I have convinced myself I do! 


Thanks for persevering with me. We shall get back to regular programming soon. Look forward to stuff about boots, and books, and cooking, and old coats and clocks in the coming little while....

10 Things - 10 Things To Bring For Kids When at a Self-Contained Unit

We have a rule when we go away: the kids can bring whatever they want to play with or do, as long as it fits into ONE bag. This works well for us....

Here is a list of 10 things you could bring away on holidays to help your poppets have a good time....

1. Favourite teddy
2. Favourite blanket & pillow
3. Books
4. Toys (cars, marbles, My Little Ponies, dolls etc)
5. Games (Snap, board games, marble games, etc)
6. Ball & Frisbee
7. Bubbles (really fun if staying up high!)
8. Bikes &/or scooters (including helmets)
9. Walking Shoes
10. A Special New Thing*

* I like to have something special to give to my kids for the trip. This gives them something new to play with and also adds to the fun of holidays.  We used to get a Smurf when we travelled...


We also have to have a big bag of snakes to eat on the trip... Do you have any travel traditions?

How to Hug a Blogger - Part 2 of 3

So... in the last post about 'How to Hug a Blogger', you learnt how to become a follower. Here is a review in 41 seconds....

In tonight's post, you will learn how to read posts in few different ways...


1) Via Email: Would you like to get blog posts direct to your inbox? Well, it is so simple to do. Most blogs have a widget that looks like this:

This is simply a little program called 'FeedBurner', this program sends you the blog post in email form. All you have to do to receive these emails is literally insert your email address {again, no spam or junk}. You will get the posts quite soon after they are posted on the blog - it guarantees you don't miss out on the fantastic content on offer through your favourite blogs.


2)via Reader: Do you have a reader? You will know if you do... If you have gmail {which is powered by Google - remember in the last post I talked about Google Friend Connect?} this is an easy click of a tab and you can read your favourite blogs all in one place. It would look like this....

This is another program that puts all of your favourite blogs into one place making it a 'Feed' - a bit like a Twitter feed {which will be discussed later in the week}. RSS is the name of one of the programs that does this {the other is called Atom - oh see those bubbles floating up? I am getting out of my depth!} - so you might see a widget that looks like this:

I have literally just inserted the gadget below, you can choose how you would like to receive blogs and to whichever reader you choose to use... This helps those of you who might be Yahoo! fans, or who use AOL or... other reader using folks...

I don't know if it showed up in the picture of my reader above, but I have around 600 things stored in my reader... I am a bit old school, I like to actually go to the blogs I like and read the posts there. It seems a bit more 'writery' to do this. I literally have a little hand written list of blogs I 'follow' and comment on.


So, my blogging students, these are the blogging terms* you have learnt so far {in no logical order}...
Blog: an online journal, log or diary
Blogging: the fine art of writing a blog
Blogger: a creative soul who likes to blog
Search Engine: the way the internet is navigated, Google, Yahoo! etc....
Post: a single blog entry
Follow: to sign up to a blog saying, "I think you rock, I want you in my life"
Follower: a lovely person who likes to show support to a blogger
Spam: Nasty stuff - canned or fresh, no-one wants Spam in their inbox or in food
Comment: a thought or response about a blog post
Program: a string of letters and numbers and <>. These things {programs} do very cool things making the internet a much more interactive place to hang out
Gadget: a little program that works like a widget - even wikepedia can't tell the difference between a Gadget and a Widget... {Head Hurting}
Widget: a little program that is a link that does something tricky like searching through a blog or linking to another program like flickr (photo sharing through Yahoo!), facebook, other blogs etc
Feed: a whole run of things you subscribe to, all in one glorious place through a reader
Reader: a program that puts all the blogs you 'follow' into one place so you can go to blog nirvana and enjoy all your favourite blogs without getting RSI from clicking onto web pages


* I made these definitions up, they are as accurate as I need them to be - they make sense to me this way - as soon as someone uses techy terms like HTML or URL or similar, my eyes glass over. I really don't know the actual difference between a Widget and a Wot Wot, my agent takes care of all that...

Mr Cool really knows the way to a Blogger's heart.... He bought me flowers the other night, it has been a tough week - hormones and sleep deprivation do not make for a happy B. Well done Mr Cool!  How can a girl stay grumpy when her handsome husband walks in with a beautiful bunch of red roses? Not me!


The final post in this series will be about how sharing is fun, expect it next week. I will also send you some links to some blogs I read....


So, have you hugged a blogger lately?

How to Hug a Blogger - Part 1 of 3

To me, blogging is pretty normal. A lot of my friends blog to some degree. Most of my friends read lots of blogs. However, to others (like my dear mum), blogging is a strangely odd thing for someone to do. I have been dancing around blogging for only a year or so and still don't get some of the nuances involved. So - I thought I would write what I know (and have Googled) about blogging.


Firstly, what is Blogging? Blogging is essentially a weblog, like an online diary or journal. It can be about anything and anyone can have one. I use a program called 'Blogger' which makes it easier for me to feel as if I am a 'blogger'. Wordpress sounds too hard to me! (That is a bloggy joke - not a good one mind you). Google is the brains behind Blogger and Google helps to promote blogs through their search engines.


Blogging can be a lonely task. There are bloggers all over the planet sitting all alone writing blogs about everything from craft to business and everything else in between. Some bloggers find success and reach the giddy heights of samples and companies scrambling over themselves to sell their wares through their blogs. Others, strive silently along, tormenting friends and family for ideas, experiments and endless feedback, picking up followers in dribs and drabs.


One thing that all bloggers have in common - is that they love a bit of love. A bit of encouragement. A bit of a pat on the back. A bit of a hug. They like to know that they are not alone out there in the blogosphere. But how does one do this? How does one find and then follow the mysterious being that is 'The Blogger'. Here are some ways to 'Hug a Blogger'....

1. Sign up with 'Google Friend Connect' - this is the first step.  This simply involves an email address and a password. Google does not send you any junk mail, you shouldn't get spammed, you can sign out anytime you like etc. If a blog has a link like the 'Google Friend Connect' widget above, just click it and plug in your details. This then allows you to have a Google profile. This is simply, a picture of yourself and some details like; your favourite movie, favourite vegetable and perhaps your favourite colour. Be careful though, don't add your street address or your PIN numbers, this is the internet after all!
2. Then, when you come across a blog you like - you can 'follow' it. What this means is that you can have a cute little picture of yourself somewhere on the side bar of the blog and you are considered one of the faithful. Look out for the little 'Google Friend Connect' widget on blogs you like and simply 'Click' it and 'BoomBa' - you are a follower of that blog!
3. Once you have become a 'follower' - the blogger will feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and will know that some success is being made in the world of blogging. The amount of followers a blogger has is a good indicator of a blog's success. However, numbers aren't everything (I say this as a new friend of mine has more followers than I do, I just don't want to admit my utter jealousy of her popularity - that is too uncool)it is the quality of writing and development of a writer's style that counts.
4. Finally, the best way to Hug a Blogger is by leaving comments. This shows you have read the post, thought about it and felt compelled to comment on it. This can start some fabulous dialogues between readers and it is all terribly exciting! Please note: bloggers do not really appreciate being sworn at, verbally abused, being corrected on punctuation and/or grammar (save that for the inbox) or being told that they are mean, nasty, smelly, ugly, dumb etc. So keep things positive and/or constructive.

Being a 'follower' does not mean you will automatically get any notification that a new blog post is posted. To get blogs in your inbox is another matter, I will explain this in the next exciting instalment of.... How To Hug A Blogger - Part 2 - which I will post tomorrow night...


So.... would you like to Hug a Blogger right now? Really? Well, click the 'Google Friend Connect' Widget above right and go right ahead!

Introducing 10 Things....

I write lists....  I know, I know it is weird for a youngest child to write lists. But I just love the satisfaction of ticking things off lists. Sometimes, I put little squares as a bullet point which is just the right size to put a neat little tick snuggly within. Very satisfying...


So, I thought I would share some lists here on my beloved blog. Every Tuesday from here until eternity - I will have a list of '10 Things'. The first twenty-something are already scheduled. Everything from what to stock in your fridge, cool places I have been, 10 people I would want to have over for dinner and the 'list' goes on and on. Some are serious, some are silly, some are random. 


I hope you enjoy these little snippets of B....

10 Things - 10 Things You Must Bring to a Self-Contained Unit

We love taking holidays and going somewhere by the beach. Because we have kids and they can be unpredictable, we often stay in Self-Contained units. It works really well as it means we can prepare our own food and ensure that Miss Z actually eats SOMETHING other than hot chips. And it saves a bucket load of money that could be better spent on fun shopping.

Here are 10 things you should bring when going Self Contained....

1. Some meals - I try to make some meals ahead of time and then freeze them. This means that preparing dinner is simple pimple and healthy
2. A decent knife - some places don't have a knife that is even good enough to cut fruit
3. Washing up things - dishwashing liquid, dish cloths and tea towels
4. Washing powder - It is handy to wash things as you go so that you don't have a massive pile of clothes to wash when you get home
5. Antibacterial wipes - Just to be sure there are not as many nasty germs about
6. Cling Film - so handy to keep leftovers fresh and to wrap up snacks to take down to the beach
7. Tomato sauce/mayonnaise - for when you eat hot chips!
8. Cereal & Milk - splash out and buy a kind of cereal you don't normally eat - you could even let the kids choose!
9. Plasticware - plastic cups, plates and bowls are really handy for kids - cheaper to replace than the highly priced replacements in some units
10. Toilet Paper - they never give you enough - and well - you need it 

NB - I know that there are actually MORE than ten things on this list - but you know, I HAD to fit it into 10 points!


Next week - 10 Things you must bring to a self-contained unit - for Kids...


What are the things you just HAVE to bring on holidays?