Make Your Blog Better-Minibite:GRAVATARs

January 26, 2010
Make Your Blog Better-Minibite:GRAVATARs

Here is a minibite for my Make Your Blog Better series… It is a good one!

Have you wondered how sometimes, in the comment area of people’s blogs, they have a spot for a picture, but yours is always blank? Have you ever asked?

-How do I get an avatar to show up when I post a comment on someone’s blog? or
-Why doesn’t my avatar show up on the comments area of that site, I have a blogger avatar? (or something like that)

Maybe your photo shows up when you post on one type of blog, but not all of them… like it works in blogger, but not on wordpress blogs.

STOP BEING THE FACELESS COMMENTER!! Read the rest of this entry »

Make Your Blog Better-Episode 1: Creating An Auto-Updating Blogroll

January 16, 2010
Make Your Blog Better-Episode 1: Creating An Auto-Updating Blogroll

This is the first in a new series on my blog, “Make Your Blog Better” (MYBB) where I’ll stretch my nerdy wings and share tech/blogging information that will improve the quality of your blog. :D

As bloggers, we all know about the pitfalls of having a blogroll… have you ever found yourself asking these questions?

  • how can I have the feeds I follow in google reader show up as my blogroll?
  • I hate that my blogroll is full of links that I read years ago, but I never remember to take old links out, even if I’ve removed them from reader?
  • I add blogs to google reader all the time, but I never remember to update my blogroll, WHYGODWHYISTHISSOHARD?

Okay, maybe that last one was a little dramatic, but generally, manually listing blogs SUCKS.

Most of us are using google reader anyway, so did you know that you can use google reader to be the source for a list of links that you currently read? It is easy… Here is how…

1) Go to your Google Reader (You’re obviously logged in, right?) and click on Settings.

2) Go to the second tab called, Subscriptions. On the right side, next to one of the blogs that you’d like to add to your blogroll, click on the pull down menu and select New Folder

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3) Name your folder. As you can see, I named mine “Blogroll”

4) Still in your manage subscriptions area, you can now check off ALL of the blogs that you would like to have listed in your blogroll PUBLICLY. **Remember, you can still have blogs that aren’t listed here in google reader**

Once you’ve checked them all, go to the more actions tab, and select Add to folder> *your folder name*

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5) Now you need to go to the Folders and Tags tab in settings. Check the folder you created, and use the drill down menu to change sharing to PUBLIC

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6) Now, it gets REALLY easy. On the right hand side, in the Folders and Tags setting screen, click on “Add a Blogroll to your site”. Once there, you can customize the title, choose one of the preset colors, and retrieve HTML code that you can implant in your sidebar, or on a links page (like I did here)

7. Now, in google reader, you’ll have a blog roll folder in your subscriptions list, much like a folder you might have in your email inbox. The best part, is that you can add and remove bloggers at your discretion from your reader. If you read a post that is particularly inspiring, give them the ole “clickclick” and they’re added to the blogroll folder, and immediately, instantly included in the list you’ve already added to your site. :D

GRBlogroll

Likewise, if someone in your blogroll folder stops updating, or otherwise loses the right to be on your roll (ouch!) a right click –or even a drag and drop- and their back in your unfoldered set.

Know that you could have all of them in the blogroll folder, but I personally have a few guilty pleasures that I’d rather keep off my blogroll. ;D

You could also use this, if you’ve got the time and patience, to make separate folders (aka GROUPS) of links. Like make a folder for runners, and foodies, and crafters, etc. Once you’ve made all the folders public, nothing is stopping you from grabbing several bits of code, and putting them near each other in a sidebar or links page. (I may do this sometime) Voila! instant categorized blogroll that is fully integrated with google reader!

Please share, link to, tweet, or otherwise share this story with friends, because this is good stuff! :D

2 Questions for you, dear reader:

Do you currently have a blogroll/link list?

If you don’t use reader, but something else, please let me know. :)

If you have questions, please leave a comment. I will reply here, so that I can keep those questions and answers in this post for the benefit of the community. :)

That’s what [bloggy] friends are for…

January 15, 2010
That’s what [bloggy] friends are for…

Hey gang!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t do a little catch up with some of the awesome blogger love I’ve been privvy to in the past few months.

I’ve gotta rewind a smidge.

At christmas, me, nicci, trinity, and heather got together for thai food…

Here are some photos:

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After this event, heather handed me my bloggy secret santa gift, because… SURPRISE… it was her. haha. I got an AMAZING stash, check this out:

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I got a glass water bottle (my absolute favorite thing)

Pumpkin spice pancake/waffle mix

Blueberry TEA (I’m obsessed with tea)

and 2 packs of CRAZY socks (I’m wearing ones with pink and green stars right now. :D )

Thank you again, heather!!!

 

And cause no one EVER complains of too many pictures in a post, here are some of last weekend… Heather went back to new york, but nicci, trinity, kristen and I had a sushi making party!!! :D Check it!!

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All that to say, that I <3 my blogging friends, and I love the sense of community it brings. (In this case, literal community!)

 

Talk to you soon.

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a is for awards b is for banana

December 1, 2009
a is for awards b is for banana

There is good stuff in this post ALL the way through, so read it all! haha!

Today’s eats included a couple of adventurous options… (read: we are almost totally out of food)

I started the day with an emergency banana and a Doctor Kracker Pumpkin Seed and Cheddar flatbread… (looks yummy, doesn’t it? keep reading!) I topped this bad boy with a serving of whipped cream cheese which REALLY made me happy. 60 calories VERY well spent! :D

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I also did something that I rarely do, which is drink about 250ish calories with breakfast in the form of 2 cups of fruit juice that is left over (and otherwise going to be wasted) from thanksgiving. I don’t drink a ton of juice, but I was thinking of getting starbucks, or a giant coke today, *GASP* and figured, at least fruit juice is a LITTLE bit better than that… I’ll just convince myself that that pulp made a dent in my fiber needs. :)

For lunch, I had my second random meal, since, again, we’re TOTALLY out of food. :)

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I had a grown up lunchable, comprised of a few slices of deli turkey on top of 8 Doctor Kracker Cherry Semolina Culinary Crisps! (VERY YUM… think THOSE look yummy too?? just get ready!) I also ate that colby jack stick which makes that about a 250 calorie lunch to offset my over 500 calorie breakfast. :)

At about 3, I scarfed a clementine… and debated having the pictured banana, but didn’t… I got so busy with finishing up work, parent phone calls, and getting to the grocery store.

note my red and green gmail theme! holla!

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For dinner Daron and I caved and had Taco Bell… (At least I know @ChicRunner and @CNicRun won’t judge me… :D )

FITNESS

Tonight, I’m going to whittle my middle while watching BL.

**I hope I teased you well with my yummy Doctor Kracker snacks! One of my bloggie besties, Nicci told me about these crispy yums, and with one teensy email, I was rewarded with a giant box to try, taste, review, and GIVEAWAY!

That’s right, Giveaway time again! Keep your eyes open on Wednesday evening or Thursday Morning for my Doctor Kracker review, and Giveaway information! :D

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Last but not least, my girl Nicci, who I mentioned above created an award for ladies who are doing what needs to be done to be fit and wonderful.

Just to add a little prestige to this bad boy, I’m going to bestow it to 5 lovely ladies who are recently/regularly/newly/consistently committed to becoming better!

1. Chris – She recently recommitted to her fitness routine, and 30 days of fitness, go YOU!

2. Heather – a constant inspiration on twitter and bloggie world

3. 4. and 5. Amber, Elizabeth, and Sarah who you know, if you watched the VLOG on Tuesday, will be running ROCK AND ROLL Dallas too! :D

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the ups and downs of the good life

November 29, 2009
the ups and downs of the good life

Hey gang…

I hope you all had an amazing thanksgiving (if you’re in America!) ;) And I hope you’re making the most of this holiday season. :)

I was supposed to be “off” for thanksgiving break, but as could be expected, vacation was spent being super busy, and bustling about in a holiday stupor. My MIL came in town on Wednesday and I’ve been go, go, go, ever since!

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On Thursday, we went to my Grams house for thanksgiving dinner, which was absolutely delish. I had been looking forward to having a holiday meal in moderation, which I managed to do pretty well… (I enjoyed some turkey, potatoes, yams, green beans, cranberry sauce-which I lovingly prepared, and fruit salad) but I have to confess… that is when things went a little wrong.

Somehow, with company staying at our house, I went a little food crazy… and for pretty much every meal except thanksgiving dinner, I overate, and threw all caution to the wind. I haven’t eaten this badly in a LONG, LONG time. I might even say that I was binging for the past few days, and it has been a LONG time since my emotional eating was this out of control.

In the interest of full disclosure, lemme tell you about my crazy eats this week. :-/

  • Wed. Dinner- Fuddruckers turkey burger with fries
  • Thurs. Lunch- Thanksgiving food… and pie.
  • Fri. Lunch- Urban Crust pizza with my mom (a fire baked pizza with chicken, mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and truffle oil)
  • Fri. Dinner-Thai food including a thai tea, spring roll, lettuce wrap, and a coconut milk/chicken/yellow curry dish FOLLOWED by a spot of frozen yogurt @ yogurt story.
  • Sat. Lunch- Chicken enchiladas (no cheese) and tomatillo sauce from Blue Goose Cantina
  • Sat. Dinner- Chicken Express Chicken strips bonanza and a barrel of authentic southern sweet tea
  • Sun. Lunch- A piece of fried fish and mac and cheese from a crappy fast food sea food place…

To top it all off, I didn’t lift ONE finger or foot, as I’d planned in an effort to counter those calories…

THIS was when I finally went, WOA. STOP.

as american as...

I have to say, friends, that I definitely buckled under some of the stresses and emotions that crop up during the holiday season.

I felt overwhelmed, tired, stressed, and alone… even while surrounded by my wonderful family and friends

Have you ever had a tumble off the proverbial wagon, that made you think you couldn’t get back on?

I’m so glad that I’ve learned a few things over the past year. Things that make me encouraged, and not defeated.

1. I am not the product of one bad decision.

2. It is NEVER too late, or too hard, or not worth it to make one tiny little choice that puts you back on track. (I’m reminded every time I look at my wrist)

3. I have to be kind to myself. So, I made some poor choices, and I gave into some negative thoughts and feelings… but I can DO ANYTHING… I have to love myself, and support my self through the tough times too.

It is easy to love yourself and feel good when you’re doing everything right. It’s a lot tougher to love yourself, when you feel like you’re your own greatest obstacle.

I’m feeling a lot better, and have made a couple of committments to help me stay on track for the last month of the Holiday Challenge!

To start things off, I registered tonight for something special…

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What better way to reclaim the promises I’ve made to myself than by starting training this week!! I’ve been looking forward to training for a couple of weeks, and I’m so excited that it starts this week! This should be awesome (and hard) but really rewarding.

Also, I’m going to count calories via Lose It! again for a while… (this is the iphone app which has recently launched a website too!)

(If you’re on loseit! add me as a friend! The email address that I use there is kelseytoney @ gmail.com)

Anyway, I think this blog post was long enough. :) I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow. :D

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