How to Enjoy a Blog

I realize there is a chance that if you are reading this you may in fact already be aware of how to enjoy a blog. But just in case you are new to the blog world or find it incredibly overwhelming or just want some friendly helpful tips and blog suggestions... keep reading!

I don't just blog to get stuff off my chest or to have some kind of creative outlet. I don't just do it in hopes that I will one day make money. I really believe in the power of the blog.

For me, reading blogs can be like getting to flip through a magazine and look at projects that a real live person did. Instead of it just being things that are "on trend" or requiring a "designer" budget, they are things I can do myself, easily and affordably. Real women (or men), with real problems and busy families, sharing their projects and tips.

Bible devotionals are often super cheesy or written in "Christianese" and I have trouble relating to them (just keeping it real.) But I have come across a few blogs written by talented writers who encourage me spiritually whose words occasionally make me have those lightbulb, I-never-thought-of-it-like-that moments.

Occasionally, I stumble across a blog that doesn't just give me information, it makes me want to share my information too. Community. Fellowship. This is cool.

To sum up what I get out of blogs: Ideas, Perspective, and Community

Pretty cool, right?!

So, here, friends, are my tips to enjoying a blog:

1. Use a feed reader. I have Google Reader tool installed on my iGoogle home page. Every blog that I like, I subscribe to. Whenever I hop on the computer to check my email or Facebook, I can see a running list of new posts from each blog that I subscribe to. I can flip through a few that interest me from a box that expands when I click on the article. It's convenient. It saves me time. I only read what I want to read.
{Do you want to know how to do this?? Scroll to the bottom of this post. I have attached a Youtube video that does a great job of explaining how to use Google's feed reader. I also have some links that explain how to make iGoogle your homepage and add the Google Reader Tool to your homepage.}

• If you don't care to use a feed reader, consider having your favorite blogs send you their posts directly to your email box where you can read them there. Or follow your favorite blogger on facebook. The only thing you should know about Facebook is that Facebook uses an algorithm that makes it very unlikely that you will see the blog pages you follow in your feed... UNLESS you comment and participate on your favorite pages. That tells Facebook it's important to you and it moves it up in priority to the top of your feed. (It's the same with friends you follow. If you never comment on certain friends posts, you won't see them in your feed anymore)
  

2. Pick good blogs. 

• Pick a few big successful blogs. They are successful for a reason (usually). Their recipes are good, their projects are "on trend," they have great pictures, and they are well-written.

• Pick a few small blogs. Smaller bloggers are great at responding to your comments, replying to your emails, and usually have the capacity to even remember your name. 

• Pick a few blogs that are by people you look up to and a few by people who are right where you are. Want to be a better cook, for example, find a recipe blog by a cook that cooks how you want to cook, and recipe blog from someone who is learning to cook. Direction and wisdom can be gained from people you look up to. Perpective, encouragement, and the power of knowing you aren't the only one can be found in people who are right there in the trenches with you. 

• Pick blogs that encourage you, inspire you, challenge you. Avoid the negative, narcissistic blogs. I think it's pretty much easy enough to be this way all on one's own. I don't want/need any help with this. I love when I come across a blog that encourages me to be a better cook, better writer, better wife, better mom... that is full of tools to help me do this and is written by someone who seems like they know what it's like to be me.

3. Participate in a couple blogs. For the blogs that are the most inspiring and the most relatable, don't just read. Get in the conversation. Follow the blog on facebook (a place where a whole lot of "conversation" happens). Follow the blogger on twitter or on Pinterest too. Community can happen... even on the internet! I can tell you as a blogger, it makes my whole day when people leave me comments on a post or on facebook. And while affirmation is nice and always welcome, I think it's the conversation that I most enjoy. I like being talked to by you! :)

I once even heard of a blogger who invited all the friends she made from her blog over for a slumber party... This sounds like way super fun! (Hope that doesn't make me lame or creepy.)

While I would never suggest allowing the blogosphere to take the place of good, old-fashioned, face-to-face friendship, do utilize blogs as a tool. The blog can provide a little extra adult conversation, money saving tips, fashion forward ideas, craft projects, recipes, party ideas, humor, devotionals, encouragement, fresh perpective... all for FREE.

If you are considering adding some BLOG to your life, here's my favorites to get you started:
(These are the blogs that I always read when they appear in my feed reader because they are positive, uplifting, inspiring and sometimes even just their pictures make me happy)

Sarah Mae- She is encouraging and super REAL...a great read for moms.

A Beautiful Mess- These sisters are fresh and trendy but also kind of indie-retro-rock too. I love their pictures. I love their projects. I love their fashion suggestions. This blog always makes me happy.

A Holy Experience- pretty sure I've mentioned this one a thousand times, but this is Ann Voskamp's blog. She is a thought-provoking writer and an amazing photographer.

551 East Furniture- This blog is from a gal who revamps old pieces of furniture and resells them. She's got a quirky sense of humor and some seriously great ideas for furniture redo's.

Organizing Made Fun- Okay, so I don't always enjoy this blog if I am honest (I am so not an organizer) but I need this blog in my life. She has helpful tips and simple ways to organize.

Annie Blogs- She is a great read for singles and young women... but I seriously enjoy her blog. I don't think I have ever not laughed while reading one of her posts... though do be warned, she is also the kind of writer that could bring one to tears too. She's talented!

A Forest Feast (Healthy, Fresh, Easy Food and always with Beautiful pictures)

With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart- Lorraine has got to be one of the sweetest bloggers I have come across. She is encouraging! She's older, a grandma to 10 if I remember correctly, but so wise. She has timeless recipes, entertainment ideas, and crafts and some occasional encouragement.

I Can Teach My Child- If you would like to be a better parent, check out this blog. Jenae's blog is full of easy activities you can do with your children. Right now she is in the middle of a 30 for 30 challenge, where she challenges readers to spend 30 minutes with their children each day for 30 days. While I am not participating in the challenge, it still challenges me to be a better parent and spend more quality time with my munchkins.

And if you happen to be a fellow blogger or are thinking about starting one up, here's my list of favorite blogger tips/encouragement: Allume, Michael Hyatt, Problogger, and Blogging with Amy

By the way, this isn't even a tenth of my list of subscriptions. I enjoy blogging. And I also enjoy blogs. :)

I would love it if you would share with us, what are some of your favorite blogs?

Amanda
(keep scrolling if you want to learn how to set up Google Reader)


Want to set up Google Reader and have no clue how? Want to know how to add a blog to your reader? (I only just figured this out a few weeks ago... yeah. I am so not tech savvy) Check out this Youtube video.



Want to know how to how to make iGoogle your homepage? Click this link.


What to know how to add the feed reader tool to your homepage? Click this link.
This link will show you how to add a gadget. To add the Feed Reader. Click the gadget icon (towards the top of the page on the right hand side of the screen.) Enter seach terms, "feed reader," Click the Add it now button under the Google Reader (should be the top item).

You can now either click the Follow with Google Friends Connect or the Subscribe icon to follow your favorite blogs on your homepage.

I love using a feed reader because it saves me time and I can quickly scroll through a blog's post. If I like the article, I will click on it to go straight to the blog so I can comment. I love that I don't have to see anything but the article in the feed reader (of course, Google throws in a pesky Adsense advertisement at the bottom, but that's it).


If you want to subscribe to this blog's feed, click this button on the top right hand side of the page, or click on the button that says "Join this Site" with Google Friends Connect. Both of these will put my feed into your reader.

Of course you can enter your email address and get my posts sent directly to your email box (This is done automatically and can easily be unsubscribed to without me even noticing. I would never use your email address for anything else). You can also just follow me on facebook (I post all articles there too).


Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Hope this was helpful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments OR send me your questions in an email.

Thankful Thursday #9

Good Morning!

{Have you entered the giveaway yet? It ends June 17th. Go. Enter. :) If you don't understand how to enter, it's as simple as leaving a comment in the comment box below the giveaway.}

#98 These words: "It seems like you had a long day so I brought you home these [holds up klondike bars]"
#99 Seeing just how different Mike and I can be in something simple like wrappers. I do not understand why he neatly folds his wrapper, probably never will... but he does, and I love him, and I love how surprising life is when you get to spend it with someone who does not think or do just like you.

 #100 Jed at the dinner table (The camera missed it, but he totally had his feet kicked up on the table.)

 #101 Jed's first mail. A birthday card from Gigi.

 #102 Enough laundry to "require" a movie to watch while I fold.

 #103 Addy sharing her strawberry with her Nami and Uncle Jono. :)

 #104 This face. Also the way his hair brown hair is gold in the sunshine.

 #105 The girl that always wants snuggles

Did you see that ginormous pile of laundry?? Yeah. I have 2 more loads to add to that and then will be folding it all. I better get to it.

xo
Amanda

Grilled Pizza

Today I thought I would share my ALL TIME FAVORITE way to make pizza.

It's good. Like, really good.

Also, it's easy.

And with summer upon us, it tastes just right for this season: charred grill flavor on the dough and loaded with fresh veggies from the garden (or store).

This is one of those recipes that once you get the idea of how it's done, you can take it, and adjust it to your family's taste buds and whatever is in your fridge. I like those free-to-be-me and roll-how-I-wanna-roll type of recipes.

Here's how it's done:

1. Heat up a grill pan (Mine is a cast iron Lodge Logic for somewhere around $20-$30 from Target... SO worth it.) over MEDIUM to medium high heat.

2. Prepare ingredients... slice, dice, and shred.  My ingredients for this pizza are in the picture, but this can really be up to your imagination and supplies.

Note: I use refrigerated pizza dough for grilled pizza. If I make homemade oven pizza, I usually go to the trouble of making my own dough too because store bought just doesn't taste quite right. BUT, for this pizza, the grill and your ingredients are going to add so much flavor, making homemade pizza dough just doesn't seem worth the effort.

This pizza is so good... it makes Pillsbury taste good. Yeah.

3. Pull out dough and cut into 4 rectangles. (There's no need to roll out dough will a rolling pin, just a little pulling and re-shaping will do the trick.) Brush on some oil.

4. Spray grill with oil. Place dough oil-side down onto grill. Brush the other side with oil.

5. The pizza is ready to be flipped when the top starts to get bubbly. (I am hoping you can see the little bubbles in the dough...)

6. Throw on your pizza ingredients. (Note: The hardest part of making this pizza is getting all the ingredients on top before it's time to take the pizza off the grill. Do yourself a favor by having all your ingredients next to your grill and easy to grab.)

7. Cover pizza to assist cheese in melting. I own no fancy grill cover; I just use an old pan. (No making fun of my pan! I got it at my bridal shower many, many moons ago. I learned to cook in this guy. Together, we have survived many kitchen mishaps... as I am sure you can see.)

8. Serve and Enjoy!

Can you tell my husband loves this pizza? :)

Some notes and tips:

• This is a great thing to make with your kids. Help your child throw some ingredients on their own pizza, rave about how good their pizza looks, and they will most likely eat it. Give kids ownership in the making of a meal, and they are more likely to overcome their weird ingredient anxiety. (Anyone else experience "Battle: Dinner" with a picky eater???)

• This is great to make with company. Prep all the toppings earlier in the day, store in the fridge until your company arrives and then gather your company in the kitchen to make their own pizza. Good company+glass of vino+interactive meal=Fun times! (Another handy equation to know when entertaining: less work+helping hands=a more-relaxed you and a better time had by all!)

• If you don't have pesto or pizza sauce handy, this seriously tastes AWESOME with just some extra virgin olive oil. I prepare a little dish with olive oil, italian seasonings, cracked pepper and minced garlic and brush on in the place of sauce. 

• Consider making a couple extra chicken breasts the next time you cook chicken. Save the extra chicken for this pizza. If I have ready made chicken, this meal takes less than 15 minutes to make.

•  Imagination Welcome! Steak, Italian sausage, left over meat balls, chicken, ham, peppers, tomatoes, basil, olives, marinated artichoke hearts, spinach, mushrooms, onions carmelized in balsamic vinegar (a wow-factor staple for these pizzas that somehow I managed to forget the last time I made this for dinner)... LOTS of Imagination Welcome!

What would YOU put on top of this pizza? I'd love you hear your favorite ingredient combinations.

Hoping your MONDAY is MADE!

xo
Amanda

P.S. Have you entered the giveaway yet? Handcrafted Journal, 1000 Gifts, and $10 Starbucks card. One week remains. Do enter friends :)

Thankful Thursday #8

Happy Thursday Friends!

If you haven't had a chance, do enter the giveaway. Nothing would make me happier than to give away a homemade journal, the book I keep talking about (not to mention inspired the Thursday posts), and a coffee card to one of you! I seriously appreciate YOU! Your encouragement keeps me going. THANK YOU!

I have been doing a lot of praying and searching, and this blog may be taking a shift soon. I want to be less "me" focused and more "us" focused... like a community of women who want to live full and purposeful lives but struggle sometimes. Because, really, I don't have the answers, and I do struggle, and I need other women alongside me encouraging me that I can do it, and maybe you do too. I am still praying for direction. Consider praying with me? I truly believe God has put words in my heart to write and I believe they are for more than just me. I just feel like I am on a journey of discovering my niche and my voice. I would love to hear your thoughts especially on this community idea if you have got any!


#88 When my sister brings gifts from the dollar store.

#89 Baby Toddles and a cookie for each hand (Yep he's walking!!!)

#90 These words

 #91 Looking up at a branch full of cherries

#92 Hollyhocks... or more like how happy they make my mom.

#93 The way my dad keeps the blueberries on the bush so he can snack while he gardens. I think it's one of the reasons my daughter likes gardening with papa so much.

#94 Strawberry Mustaches

 #95 The way Jed sat and played quietly at my feet during church, reminded me of my brother. Oh and for the back of overalls... they made it easy to grab him when he would try to take off exploring.

I forgot to mention... in case you notice, there is a skip in the numbers from the last post to this post because I am also counting in my JOY! Journal. There will hopefully be a skip in the numbers in each Thankful Thursday post from now on.

Favorite moment from the week: #87 The gift of being able to explain to my 3 year old that we all make mistakes, but when we make mistakes we need to ask for help instead of trying to hide our mistake. Profound and deep concept, and even though it involved some tough-love discipline and a super messy bathroom (like someone should have cued Pycho's theme music bad), being able to explain that hard concept to a listening 3 year old was priceless. One of those "I am a mom and I do important things" moments.

What is one favorite moment from your week?

Wishing you all a wonderful day and a grace FULL heart!
xo
Amanda

...The First Giveaway!

It is time for this blog's first ever giveaway. Yeah-YA!

I am EXCITED!

(by the way the book isn't closed because my small children will not allow a book cover to stay on a book... even library books. Yeah. We are so that family. It's like they came with hardbound-and-covered book radar. They find it and immediately the cover is thrown off. Anyone else have this problem?!)

-Since I love getting handmade gifts, and the mere act of pausing, being grateful and scrawling it all down throughout my day has changed my life, I am giving away a JOY! Journal. (Do read the post that preceeds this one. The journal is important. Not this one, just the act of journaling. I might even inspire you to do it!)
-Since I refer back to it so much, I am giving away a copy of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.
-Since perhaps you need an excuse to get out the house, have some extra peace, and some time to really "see" (or maybe even some "friend" time), I am giving away a $10 Starbucks card.

I am excited! EXCITED! I have been wanting to do a giveaway since... well even before the birth of this blog. Giving things away is fun! Maybe it seems silly to give away a book, a journal, and a coffee card... but what if said book has some super encouraging words on life, delves into some deep unanswered questions for God that you may have, and offers some simple tips on how to live that leave you changed in the best way? What if writing your gifts in a journal I made just for you adds to the joy in the process? And coffee? Yeah, I don't think I have to explain that one to you... :)

{If you already have the book, consider still entering so you can give the book away. Like I said, giving things away is fun!}

By the way, Ann Voskamp and Zondervan have NO CLUE who I am. And Starbucks definitely doesn't (well besides my local baristas...). I am just a girl who wants to sow into your life some encouraging words. This may grow the blog (cool!) but even more exciting is act of giving something away.


By the way, I am not necessarily intentionally promoting Starbucks. I picked it simply because it's almost everywhere, and even if it isn't where you live, it is hopefully in a city you visit when you do your "big" shopping. (Side note: If you need an inexpensive way to drink your coffee cold and deliciously this summer... have you checked out The Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee? I make it more user-friendly here... or more "Amanda" friendly anyways.)


Also by the way, I am not promoting these journals. I have no Etsy shop and no journal making business. I am just gal who likes to writes, who wants to live a full life, and loves to give and receive homemade gifts. However, though  I may not be promoting this particular journal, I am definitely promoting the great gift search. Do start pausing every now and again to see and record the gifts you've been given whether in a camera lens, a journal, or however else you can think of living grace-FULL.

Alright. Now for the Giveaway...

To Enter:

1. Subscribe to the blog (however suits you best: by email, by the RSS feed, or Google Friends Connect... all located at the top right hand corner of this blog)
2. Answer this question in the comments: What is one detail from your day thus far that you are grateful for? (Anything: Snuggle from your baby, sun shining through the window making the carpet warm, the way the stack of dishes reminds you that you are blessed with abundance...)

Additional Entries:

1. Like my page on Facebook. Leave a comment below letting me know your following me on facebook.
2. Tweet or Post on Facebook about the giveaway (with a link to this post included in tweet or post). Leave a comment below letting me know you tweeted or posted. (Each time is worth one entry... up to 3 entries allowed this way)

I will use your email address to contact you if you won (and that's all I will use your email address for!) Do make sure I have it. (Some comments get left by "no reply" users. I can't email you or see your email address. You can change this setting or you can just leave your email address in the comments with spaces and spelled out: [amanda at gmail dot com] for example.)

This is open to friends, family, new blog friends, and people just passing through.

Giveaway will end Sunday, June 17th, 2012, at Midnight. Winner will be announced Monday, June 18, 2012. I will be using random.org to come up with winner.


xo
Amanda

This Giveaway is now CLOSED. 
Thank you to all who participated.

Joy! Journal AND...

There are a thousand ways a mom can feel overwhelmed.

A thousand things to accomplish.

A thousand worries.

A thousand hours of missing sleep over the course of 4 years years of parenting.

There are a thousand things to drag a mom down.

Word.

But there's this crazy hope inside of me, that I could live fully. Here. Now. Amongst diapers, grape juice stains, cheerio bottoms, whiney voices, and temper tantrums. (And later amongst wardrobe battles, rolling eyes, boyfriends, and attitudes). Because I truly believe motherhood is a gift, even when I feel exasperated and so very tired... I know these children are my blessing. I want to live on purpose and not so "half-there" because I'm tired and I can't figure out any other way to be.

I want to fully live.

I want to instill in my children how to fully live too.

I stumbled across the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp a couple months ago when a friend invited me to her church's study. I know I've mentioned the book here at least 20 times, but it's good, and it's changed me. It's a simple idea. It's really just about slowing down a couple times a day and counting the gifts you've been given. It's about finding the joy in the messes and beauty everywhere. It's inspired my Thankful Thursday posts and now a journal I keep super handy in my kitchen.

I count gifts and all the precious and fleeting moments with my children, because they're gifts too. I count the beautiful things I see and record things like my daughter trying to take Jed's "tensaber" (temperature, for those of you who aren't fluent in Addy). Things that perhaps only I will appreciate, but maybe Addy and Jed will one day as well. I try to write down the hard things too, like that the mess of cheerios is really just evidence that I am blessed with active children or how even when I was rushing Jed to the emergency room with a punctured ear drum, God was there and He gave us peace and kind doctors and an unexpected friend's visit who happened to be on her nursing shift.

My children are learning to be thankful. I am even writing love notes to my husband thanking him for all he does.

This simple act is changing my life, my family, and my marriage.

I may sound like a complete thankful fruit loop, but it's worth the risk if it helps change someone else.

Couple of notes if you want to try "Joy Journaling" or "Gift Counting" out for yourself:
1. Make the journal handy... like wherever you most often find yourself in your home. For me, it's the kitchen. And don't just put it anywhere... make it prominent--where you are very likely to see it and be reminded by it.
2. Quick notes, sloppy notes, poetic notes... it doesn't matter. It's the stopping, the seeing, the gratitude... that's what makes the difference. It's not about the list. The list is the tool that helps you live a grateful FULL life.
3. If it helps you to have a guided way to count your gifts: visit Ann Voskamp's blog. Every month she puts up a printable with suggested items to count (They are always towards the bottom of page on her Monday posts). Actually, just check out her blog. It's good.
4. The book is awesome, but I found it to be a little like wading through oatmeal. The poetic language makes it thick. It's packed with revelation. The truths it exposes are weighty. It's a little difficult to get through (at least for me). But it was worth the "wading," definitely worth it, especially when I got to Ch. 8. That was the life-changer for me. So, while I strongly urge you to embark on this joy dare, I think it is a highly recommendable idea to read the book too (and to know if you find it a difficult read, don't beat yourself up. You are not less-spiritual or the only one.) :)

To make the journal:

I made myself a journal out of a good old fashioned composition notebook... wide ruled so it's easier to make fast notes. They are less than a $1.00. I covered it in scrap fabrics, a family picture, scrapbook paper and modge-podged it all on.

To Modge-Podge: paint a thin coat on wherever you are adding something. Paint a thin coat over the top to seal it. Just a note: you will battle wrinkles should you choose thin paper. Choose thicker paper (close to cardstock-quality thickness). Also, use thinner more cotton-like fabrics.

I got myself a letter-holder-type thing to hold my JOY journal in my organization station. I had tried just sticking the journal to the wall, but it fell off. Also, writing on something that is upright makes your pen get air in it... and that makes writing difficult. I still like the journal on the wall though (hence placing it in a letter holder). I see it every time I walk into the kitchen, and it reminds me to stop rushing, stop stressing, and be grateful.

I made a couple more journals just for fun. They are seriously easy... like half-hour-with-some-drying-breaks-in-there easy. This one is bright and cheerful. Addy loves it. I am thinking I may let her use it.

This one below is my favorite. I made it with a ribbon and velcro clasp that I embellished with an easy fabric rose. I love the quote I found amongst my scrap-booking materials. Seemed very appropriate.

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."

Yep.

Since I liked this journal so well and this book has changed my life...

...well...

...you are just going to have to click the link below to see what this conquering housewife has brewing.

{Click here to find out about The CCHW's FIRST-EVER GIVEAWAY!!!! (I'm excited, in case the 4th exclamation point didn't clearly demonstrate this to you.) You will want to see this even if you aren't into reading anything longer than a page or writing in homemade journals. Wha-hoo!} 

Hope your Monday is MADE and your life is FULLY lived, Friends!
xoxo
Amanda

Thankful Thursday #7

This week I have been making good use of the practice of gratitude and it is paying off. I have been taking pictures, AND scribbling down notes in my Joy Journal. Joy and peace have been mine! (And not because everything is all perfect here... this momma had to pull a tick out of her baby girl's head and battle some "slapped cheek" disease). I even tried applying the whole gratitude thing to my marriage. Mike and I have been fighting much more regularly, I think just from him being gone so much. I decided to intentionally thank him for everything on our love notes board (in my organization station), text him and send him voice mails... thank you for taking out the trash, thank you for unloading the dishwasher, thank you for all your hard work, plus a couple "hey baby you're sexy" notes. I feel better just remembering how much he does, and he does better feeling appreciated. Plus, he remembers to tell me how much he appreciates me. This whole gratitude thing really can change a life, a family, and a marriage!


 #57 The smell and sound of valley oak leaves beneath my feet.

#58 The way a thistle can be even more beautiful when it's found amongst dead grass

#60 My sanctuary

#61 Pink Princess Shoes

#62 The girls who are going places

#63 Hay in the background... just something about the sight and smell of hay bails

#64 Balcony seating for 4

#65 The way a momma can love this face just as much as the happy faces. Grace. Love.

#66 Beautiful sights... the curls of brittle browned ivy around the barbed fence.

#67 Her excitement for friends and her first (non-family) birthday party... but still needing to bring Dawson IN the carseat with her.

#68 The company of this boy, bubbles and the morning sun during my prayer time.

#69 Addy wanting to play school. She's the teacher (in only her underwear) theatrically teaching me about bugs, "It's a hooded praying mantis. A poison praying mantis in the whole wide world. It's SO STRONG. And SO BEAUTIFUL!" Raises arm and twirls in dramatic fashion, plastic praying mantis in hand.

#70 The 5 fleeting and precious seconds this adventure-spirited boy offers his mother before he is off and climbing the heights of the chair (and making his mother's heart stop.)

Heart is full of gratitude!
Hope yours is too!
xo
Amanda