Changes for Candid Diversions

Candid Diversions was born in 2007. Since that time I've had two babies, a miscarriage, moved twice, homeschooled from preschool up to 8th grade, and read a lot of books along the way.

I've also learned more about blogging since the first tentative days when I opened my first blogspot address. Blogging started as a hobby, a way to keep family and friends informed of the little things that happened, the funny things the kids said (even though I gave them all pseudonyms), and what I was reading and learning.

Back then, I didn't have a niche. I didn't have a plan. I just had words and they wanted out.

1,500+ posts later, the words still want out. But I need to be more disciplined about how, when, and why they are shared. And, honestly, if possible, I need my blog time to provide more for my family than just an outlet. We've added two more children to our lives, and many more expenses, but not much more income.

So, with those thoughts in mind, I've decided to change blog homes.

My husband has helped me set up a brand new blog. There's a new address. There will be all new (though still familiar) content. I won't be taking Candid Diversions down, or moving all the CD posts. I may even stop in here from time to time.

But the new home for my blog writing life will be Living Unabridged. I hope you'll come with me. It's a new look (Wordpress is different from Blogger in many ways) but I think it will look familiar too.

And just like when you move into a new house, everything isn't quite where it will stay. It's still unfinished and everything isn't moved in. Because I didn't move all my Candid Diversions posts, there isn't a lot of content, yet. But there will be, because there are still so many things to say, so many books to read, and so much life to live.

I hope to see you there!

10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Blogging

1. Build Community. I had people comment on my posts in the early days that I didn't respond to for one reason or another. Those could have been my long-time blogging buddies by now. And I commented on a lot of "bigger" blogs, not realizing that those bloggers didn't have the time, even if they had the inclination, to respond to or encourage less known bloggers.

2. Aim for an Audience Outside of Family. I didn't start the blog to be private, family only updates but I also didn't make it easy for new readers - I assumed they knew who I was and where I was coming from.

3. Plan Ahead Instead of Reacting. My thought process in the early days went like this: "Oh such and such popular blog is hosting a link up on Friday? That one is hosting this other unrelated link-up on Wednesday? Hurry, create something that fits!" I felt like my content needed to match the link-ups I knew about. I squeezed my writing into boxes created by other bloggers.

4. Finding Your Own Voice Takes Longer Than You Think. My first posts, when I re-read them now, I can almost tell which "Big" (or at least "Bigger") blogger I had been reading before I wrote because I'm a mimic (even in real life). Developing my own authorial voice was not a natural thing.

5. Take More Pictures. Excuse time: I didn't have a good camera and I didn't know how to use any photo editing software. Consequently, pictures are few and far between (and tiny!) in many posts. Even now, I'm a beginner in this whole "take a picture, make a graphic" thing, but I'm enjoying learning about it. Just because words are my favorite medium doesn't mean I should just forget about photos, graphics, etc.

6. Leave Politics Alone. I used to love talking about politics. I read The Corner (National Review) and bloggers like Karen Braun (Spunky Homeschool) and I thought I could do that too. Turns out: I can't. I don't have thick enough skin and there are so many other things I'd rather talk about in this space. And I don't like scaring off my potential friends and readers by promoting one politician over another. I have opinions (STRONG ones!) about politics, but as a general rule, this blog is not really where I prefer to discuss them. (A few opinions and links do slip through. Hey, I promised to be Candid. It's right there in the title!)

7. Be Consistent. I still struggle with this. When I look through my old posts I see far too many, "Don't really have much to blog about, be back soon," kind of posts. Maybe I was busy, maybe I was just tired, maybe I should have taken a meaningful break. I try to be more direct about that these days. I'm also experimenting with posting every day (except Sunday). It's been a challenge but writing begets writing, ideas inspire yet more ideas, and creativity spurs further creativity. Now I have a notebook of ideas and I need to find time to finesse them into actual posts. This is a fun problem to have.

8. Learn to Promote Without Feeling Manipulative. I struggle with this. I have trouble saying, "Hey, I wrote this. Please read it!" I resisted Google Plus and I still haven't figured out my Facebook page. But self-promotion isn't always wrong and I'm working through the mental blocks I have against it. (I'm an Introvert. It goes against everything in me to say, "Hey! Look at me!")

9. Be Cheerful and Encouraging. In the early years (and, OK, longer than that) my posts were a lot of venting. I stay at home, homeschooling my children. My husband is sometimes the only other adult I see within the span of days. I didn't have a lot of outlets and writing has - ever since I could hold a pencil - always been how I process feelings and events. But reading through those posts now, they just sound whiny and negative to me. Yuck. No one likes a champion complainer and I certainly don't want to be one. Does that mean I'll never write another "venting" post again? Probably not. But I want to proportion to be right.

10. Keep Stretching. I don't have hundreds of followers or thousands of hits a day. I'm not making any money (other than some Amazon affiliate money once a year or so, which just about pays for my hosting fees). But that's OK. I can produce posts I'm pleased to call my own. I can enjoy the online friendships that have grown. I can stop comparing myself to the big fish in the pond and just be happy to be swimming here. I can learn new blogging skills. (How to write an eBook or make printables, any one?)

Here are some posts about blogging that have encouraged or inspired me:

• 10 Reasons to Be a Mom Blogger from Having Fun at Home
• You Don't Need a Niche from Homeschool Blogging
• Dear Anonymous. Why Blogging Matters by Rachel Marie Martin at Finding Joy.
• What I Don't Show You (And Why I Blog Carefully) by Sarah Small.
• Nicheless But With Atmosphere by Katrina Ryder.

What about you? What do you wish you had known when you started your blog?

This post is linked here:

5 Reasons I Said Goodbye to Deals Blogs

We all know that one simple way to curb our spending is to stay out of the stores. This is an easy way to cut clutter & the budget at the same time, because if you're not in Bath & Body Works, you won't talk yourself into buying 5 bottles of soap, just because it's cheaper that way.

And if you're not in T.J. Maxx you won't even see that cobalt skirt marked down to a crazy low clearance price. (Yeah, you already have a cobalt skirt, but this one is a-line. So versatile!)

If you're not in World Market, you won't buy the Lavender Ironing Water. It smells great, of course, but you hate ironing.

You get the idea. No shopping = no spending. Easy enough.

But...dun dun DUN! You are active online

This is what happened to me. I'm a homebody so shopping is not usually how I spend my leisure time. And I can avoid online shopping fairly easily (Amazon. eBay. Etsy.)

Temptation for me came in a different form: my reading habit. I love blogs. I read hundreds of blogs every week (and no, that is not an exaggeration).

Among that number were about 10 or so money related blogs. All were self-professed "frugal" or "penny pinching" blogs.

These blogs were actually my first introduction to the blogosphere, back when our family was increasing but our budget wasn't. (Actually, that's still true.)

These blogs once offered inspiration and encouragement to a struggling homemaker, but as the years passed I started noticing subtle - and not so subtle - changes. These blogs became businesses.

There are only so many times you can explain just exactly how coupons work or how to save on your energy bill. (How many times have you read the advice, "Check for electronic 'vampires'."?)

Blogs that are businesses need constant content. So these blogs shared deals that they came across, whether in a physical store or online.

I found myself in 2013, about six years after I started blogging, feeling creeping discontent seep in whenever I read these blogs or when they came across my Twitter or Facebook pages.

I know how to coupon. I can sign up for freebies when I want to. I use Swagbucks (sometimes). I know how to do a search for online coupon codes before I order anything.

My problem wasn't lack of knowledge. My problem hadn't changed in the past six years from when I was first inspired to seek out these frugal gurus. The issue was still lack of money. Instead of feeling inspired after reading something from a frugal website, I felt annoyed by all the "deals".

I once read a study that said every person has a limit to how many times they can tell themselves no. Once you hit that limit, the struggle with your own will becomes harder.

A constant Twitter feed of "Only pay shipping!" and "This is the lowest price this season!" and "BOGO" or my least favorite of these pitches: "I just love my one of a kind piece of jewelry sent to me by this gifted artisan and you can have a similar piece starting at just $49.99! Which is your favorite?!"

It's all too much.

I don't need a discount for scarves I won't wear or 1/2 price on classes I don't want or a free tube of makeup in a color I don't use.

So, I started saying "no" to the deal blogs and bloggers. I no longer have any subscriptions to this type of blog in my reader. I cleared out most of them from my Twitter and Facebook (although not all, I admit).

• Because I'm already a fairly decent penny-pincher.
• Because I value my time.
• Because I can think more about the blessings God has given me and less about whether I "need" a deeply discounted product.
• Because I can always stop by if I want to see what's happening on a specific blog.
• Because there's always, always, ALWAYS another sale.
  

Saying no to the source instead of no to the products makes me feel 10 pounds lighter and $1,000 richer.

That's a good trade.

Photo credits: all photos from Free Images.

Want to Learn More About Blogging?

This is a fantastic deal available right now. I ordered mine a few days ago and I liked it so much, I signed up to be an affiliate.

I've been blogging since 2007 but it hasn't been something I've started taking seriously until the last year or so.

Now, I'm trying to take blogging from a fun (but often time consuming) hobby to the next level. The information in these e-books will help with that. Whether as a hobby or a business, there are always things we can do better.

So, yes, I am an affiliate and if you decide to upgrade and purchase a product from Blogelina, I would get a small percentage of that sale. But I wouldn't be telling you about this free opportunity if I hadn't enjoyed it or found it useful myself. You can't beat free, right?

Renovation Underway...

source

Here at the blog, that is.

My web guy (and what a handsome, amazing guy he is!) is working on some updates for Candid Diversions.

Except he had to go to a real job where people pay him real money instead of finishing my important but less lucrative task.

So, catch you when the reno is complete.

(Meanwhile, there is also renovation going on here at the Rental. Three guys have been working on the foundation almost non-stop since Saturday morning. Fun, fun. Quote from Miss Lili: "Um, Mom, I heard a noise. What's dat?" Imagine this about every eleven minutes while the child is awake. Like I said, fun.)

Top 10 Tuesday - Non-Book Blogs

Today's theme at The Broke and the Bookish is completely non literary or book related:
Top 10 Favorite Blogs That Are Not About Books.

These are not necessarily my favorite blogs, but they are blogs that I check every day:

Homeschool Blogs:
1. Mental Multivitamin (although, really, this one is where I get a lot of "books I must read" suggestions so that's kind of cheating right there)
2. Mt. Hope Chronicles

Fashion Blogs:
3. Casey's Elegant Musings
4. Vixen Vintage
5. Bramblewood Fashion 

Decorating Blogs:
6. Modern Country Style
7. Beautiful Clutter

Craft / DIY Blogs:
8. Grosgrain
9. Refashion Co-Op 
10. Two Butterflies

You can also see which blogs I link to in my left sidebar.

What about you? What are some of your favorite blogs?

I Have Issues - Professional Homeschooling

OK, pet-peeve alert here: there are no professional homeschoolers. Not the book authors. Not the magazine article writers or editors. Not the bloggers.

No, not even those bloggers whose sidebars are filled with sponsors and whose posts are filled with product reviews and giveaways.

How did people who were independent enough to buck the entire educational system of our country fall prey to a bunch of women (and men) who are just like us?

This really hit me at the last homeschool convention I attended. I am a homeschool graduate and a homeschool mom.  I've read the books (magazines, newspaper articles, blog posts...). I understand the theories, the methods, the fads, the curriculum and, most importantly, my own children.  I'm qualified. I am an expert, if I do say so myself. Yet the vendor hall almost sent me into a tizzy.

What if I didn't start with this curriculum, would my daughters be scarred for life? (Probably not.) What if I started this too early would they fizzle out too soon and hate all learning, books, and me? (Um, possible, I suppose but, again, probably not.) What if I didn't have these shiny math manipulatives and we used beans instead? Made our own multiplication charts? Our own teaching clock with a brass fastener instead of shiny plastic or wholesome ("none of that poisonous plastic for us", say some homeschoolers) wood? What if I don't have a timeline on my wall?

If I, as a person intimately familiar with homeschooling both as a graduate and a parent feel this overwhelmed, what must the newcomers think?

The problem with "professional" blogs in general (this includes magazines too, I suppose) and with conventions: they make it too complicated. They make it too hard.

I feel for the newcomers because they must think that choosing to educate your children without school buses, classrooms with thirty children, and ahem, professional teachers, is the most complicated thing since NASA put men on the moon.

It's.Not.That.Hard.

If you can parent, you can homeschool. In fact, you already are. Did your toddler learn to walk? Learn her colors? How 'bout numbers? How about what sound a cow makes? (Not sure why that's important but I know I've taught my kids and my nephew all about barn animal sounds like they were going to be tested on it. "Oh, I'm sorry. She thinks a pig baas like a sheep. Back to level one. One more animal sound wrong and we call CPS.")

Sure, a little parenting advice now and then is appreciated. And encouragement never goes out of style. But really, when's the last time you read something in a parenting magazine or article that you didn't really - deep down - already know?

We homeschoolers must attempt a tricky balance: encourage each other without intimidating the newcomers. Talk about pros and cons of certain curriculum in our circumstances (never with blanket judgments). We must try to balance the good and the bad (as Jimmie so eloquently pointed out in this post). We shouldn't pretend our lives are perfect and we shouldn't whine that they're so hard, either.

So, by all means, read the books, subscribe to the magazines, follow the blogs of your choice. Just don't think that those folks have it all figured out or that they do something you could never do.  I'll continue to share my curriculum selections and cheer-lead for homeschooling in general. I'll try to balance out the good and realistic in my posts.

Parenting - no matter what method of education you choose for your child(ren) - is one of the most difficult yet rewarding blessings God gives us.

But you probably didn't need a blog, a magazine or - irony alert - me to tell you that.

(Caveat: I have made some wonderful new homeschooling friends via blogs. I do not mean this post to step on your toes, whether you're a "professional" homeschooler, product reviewer or not. I have chosen to limit how many of those type blogs I link to but it's nothing personal.)

In Which I Hold Forth on Blogging

Giveaways - If you are giving something away on your blog, have your readers leave a comment. Have extra entries (and comments) for things like following your blog, following you on Twitter, befriending you on Facebook, etc. When I see a giveaway like this:

For one entry simply:
1. Follow this blog
2. Write a post about why you follow this blog
3. Go to this website
4. Come back here and tell me your favorite thing about aforesaid website
5. Donate blood
6. Type in pi to one hundred digits.
7. Come back here and leave a comment to tell me all these steps are complete.
8. And remember - if all these steps aren't complete, you'll be disqualified
9. Don't forget about pi to one hundred digits...

Sorry, I just dozed off there for a second. And I am for sure not entering your contest. Anyone willing to jump through more than two hoops is welcome to whatever it is you're giving away. (If you'd like to enter a giveaway that doesn't have hoops, my mom has one going on right now!)

Just.Give.It.Away.Already. If I have to make my part time job entering your contest, it isn't a gift.

Facebook - If you have a fan page for your blog, feel free to mention it. If you put out a friend request in order to increase your blog visibility and then, once you have thousands of blog followers and Facebook friends, drop your friends because you don't need them any more  ("See you on my fan page!"), then you are what is known as a jerk. Either do a fan page or friend request but not both. And certainly don't penalize the people who helped you get so many blog readers if you must change from befriending to fans.

I will not link to blogs that have acted this way. I still read them if I find them useful, but I will not link to them. For similar reasons, I do not link to many "big" blogs. Pioneer Woman doesn't need my help.

Issues - Remember that there are two sides to pretty much any story. Also remember that there is no list of fifteen things you can do to have a perfect life, perfect family and perfect health. Blogs about food and "natural" living are particularly egregious about this. I don't care if you are so into raw milk that you sit under the cow to drink it - just because I am not convinced about the virtue of such behavior doesn't mean I am poisoning my children.

I want to feed my family wisely. I want us to pursue good health. I take my kids to the Farmer's Market... every once in a while. We take supplements. We try to eat a balanced diet (whatever that is!). But I am not willing to make food, natural or otherwise, an idol in my life. Food isn't the answer to every health problem, and bloggers who pretend like it is are doing themselves and their readers a disservice. (One side note here: another pet peeve is quoting a book about diet or food and saying it is "extensively footnoted and researched" when in fact the footnotes are for other studies by the author. That's not the same thing.)

And don't even get me started on vaccinations - talk about a hot button, personal issue! I don't think I've seen a discussion break down any faster than that one always does.

I feel better now.

Be sure to check back here at Candid Diversions for my new facebook fan page, a list of ten ways to never gain another pound and an e-book giveaway consisting of five easy steps to enter!

These are the candid opinions of an opinionated blogger. Your mileage may vary (or YMMV, as we say in the biz). And that last paragraph was in no way meant to be taken seriously. But if you have a list of ten ways to never gain another pound but still eat what I want, feel free to let me know.

Weekend Reads

Homeschool families get a lot of comments. These could be good, they could be bad. Add in a few more children than the norm (whatever that is) and you're likely to get even more comments. Jamie's post "I don't have to" perfectly describes how I feel about my kids and homeschooling. (This also reminds me of what one of my childhood camp directors used to say, "No, you don't have to.You get to," to some whining camper. I still use this line every year at camp now that I'm a grown up and camp directing along with Prince Charming.)

Pastor Dad works for a local college. He could tell you some stories about the state of higher education in this country. But, just in case you haven't had a chance to talk to Pastor Dad about it, here's a frightening one I read this week. Some of those papers all the underpaid T.A's are grading? Probably not written by the students. And that's only part of the problem.

The holidays are upon us! First we have Thanksgiving, which brings me to an important question: stuffing or dressing? Somehow none of those pictures look like what my in-laws eat for Thanksgiving. We always have Thanksgiving with my in-laws. Whom I love very much, of course. The cornbread dressing they all eat...um, not so much, which is probably enough to confirm the fact that I am not a "real" southerner in everyone's mind, no matter how sweet I make my iced tea.

Then there's Christmas. Yes, denial ends now: it's coming. December 25th. Mark your calendars. And Christmas means fudge. For me, Mamaw's fudge, specifically. Those recipes aren't Mamaw's fudge, but they'll get you started. (Note: thou shalt not use rum in the making of fudge. There are three acceptable types of fudge: chocolate, blond or peanut butter. You could ask Mamaw how to make them. But she won't tell you because all her recipes are closely guarded secrets.)

Christmas also involves gift giving. Personalized presents are always a good idea.

Finally, if it seems like things are super busy, super complicated, and increasingly stressful, here's a list of 60 Ways to Make Life Simple Again.

Message Received

Do you ever feel that God is hitting you over the head with a lesson He REALLY WANTS YOU TO GET?

Just me? OK, then. I can live with that.

Don't worry, this isn't going to be another long, confessional post. But I don't believe in coincidences and you wouldn't believe what sort of things I've been seeing on blogs here lately.

1. Things like, I'm not the only one who heard the "heart -beep" (as Polly once called it) this week. So did Amy. And it was definitely a "finer thing".

2. Jenni, who has had her doctor give her bad news far too often, had some good news to share.

3. Molly Piper's story, (that's John Piper's daughter-in-law, just in case you needed the name drop), has often broken my heart. Her sweet Felicity has touched my life in a way that's hard to explain. And then this week, well, just go read it. If you don't end up clapping your hands and praising God (yes, that was my reaction) I don't know what we can do with you.

4. And, just on the off chance that you are one of the 10 people in the Western World who hasn't met Nella yet, go meet her! What are you waiting for? And don't stop with her birth story. That's only the beginning. Here's another post that you should read. But really, you should probably just clear your schedule and read them all. Nella's Mommy is a good writer and great photographer and you won't regret the time spent. (Warning: large pictures might slow down your load time. And there's a music player at the bottom of the page. So you might want to turn down your volume.)

Maybe I'm starting to get the message.

Ma's Advice About Blogging

You know 'Ma' don't you? The kind, patient and wise mother in the Little House books? Ringing any bells?

Of course, I do mean the books and not the '70s era show. Those are two different things entirely, though I won't get into all that just now.

Anyway, Laura Ingalls Wilder's books are some of my favorite ever written. Polly and I are reading through the series and we are almost finished, being now in the book Little Town on the Prairie. In the chapters we read tonight, Laura gets into some hot water at school because of some angry words. After this situation is set right her mother writes in an autograph book a piece of advice that I have no doubt the future Mrs. Wilder would remember until she died:

If wisdom's ways you wisely seek,
Five things observe with care,
To whom you speak,
Of whom you speak,
And how, and when, and where.

Mrs. Ingalls could not have imagined the marvels of computers, the Internet, email, and so on, that we have today. But she, in her wisdom, couldn't have hit a better bit of advice about blogging and social networking if she had tried.

We may not ever meet our readers in person. We may attempt to control just who has access to our pages and sites and whatnot. Howsoever that may be, I know I would do well to remember Ma's advice, not just in the "real" world, but in my cosy little virtual ones too. Just goes to show you: wisdom in 1881 is still wisdom one hundred and twenty-eight years later in 2009.

From The Commonplace Book

It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that my two children needed me at home more than they needed anything my income would buy for them.
- Jenifer Roback Morse.

and an Einstein quote that I feel complements the above:

Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. - Albert Einstein

When I start feeling like I should be doing more for our family, my commonplace book is a great encouragement to me. I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing. It may not be what you are supposed to be doing, but it is what God has planned for me right now.

(And a small blog note: I've rearranged some things on here and added lots of great new links - especially in the "Homekeeping" category. I hope you enjoy them like I do!)

500 Posts And 3 Medications

Dear Blog Friends,

Well, here it is: My 500th post! My little blog is growing up.

To celebrate I was going to draw the winners for my giveaway but instead of that (fun) activity it looks like I'll be lazing around and taking three kinds of medication (two prescription - including my very first inhaler, one OTC) for a nasty case of bronchitis (looks like it wasn't allergies after all).

I have to get my rest, you understand, because tomorrow is the long anticipated library book sale bag day, which I never miss. And, any day now, my nephew (whom I will be naming "Fennec" for the purposes of this blog - inside joke- never mind) will make his almost equally long anticipated appearance. Hospitals tend to frown on visitors who are hacking, sneezing, coughing, and struggling to breathe in the maternity ward (go figure) so I have to concentrate on getting better quickly.

So I'll catch everyone later and announce the three winners later and well, later,
Karen

My Very First Giveaway

For the momentous occasion of my Very First Blog Giveaway, I couldn't decide what to give. I thought a few of my favorite books might be appropriate, but then my stack grew and I decided to spread the wealth around. Here's what I came up with:

Childhood Favorites:
Little House in the Big Woods, A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury, two Avon soap paints, and a pack of striped tissues, you know, just because.

The second set on offer is a little more grown-up:
This features the first book in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith which I am always talking about, a little Ghirardelli chocolate, and a pack of tissues (why? Just because).

The final set is my personal favorite:
A brand new paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice (everyone needs at least one of these), my favorite type of Ghirardelli chocolate, and a small lined notebook, perfect for starting your first Commonplace Book.

Now for the rules (warning: I am a firstborn. I love rules.):

1. This giveaway is only available for residents of the lower-48. I'm paying shipping and I can't be spending the money I'm supposed to use to be using to get our tree trimmed (more on that later...).
2. You get one entry for leaving a comment - specify which prize you prefer, if you wish.
3. If you follow this blog, you can leave another comment and say so.
4. If you post about this on your blog, come back and leave another comment for another entry.
5. Winners will be done by random drawing (three prizes, three little girls to draw names from the hat = perfect).
6. This is open for the next week starting today and ending at midnight (Eastern time) on Wednesday, June 3.
7. If you win but I can't get in contact with you within a day or so, we'll draw again for a new winner.

And my favorite and final rule: if no one enters, I get to keep all this loot for myself.

Karen's Rules of Civility...

Upon Meeting Other Bloggers for the First Time:

1. Play it cool. (If you can). Also be aware that not every one is a Hugger. If you are a Hugger, approach with caution. Non-Huggers like a leetle bit of personal space. Watch out for closetalking tendencies as well.

2. Do not express strong negative opinions on people, places, things, or ideas. (Oh, wait, that's the definition of a noun, what do you know?!) You think your strongly expressed emotion is perfectly valid but hey, guess what? Not everyone shares your opinion. Political views are particularly treacherous but are by no means the only controversy you may stir up. If all we bloggers agreed 100% then all but one of our blogs are unnecessary. We don't always agree, even if we have several points in common. And that place you're insulting may be our favorite place on Earth. Or maybe our husbands or best friends work there. The point is, you don't know. I'm just sayin'.

When attending a large convention, you may want to be aware that some of the people you meet live nearby. They want you to enjoy your stay. They do not want to hear their city (beloved or otherwise) put down. They may have their own concerns about how it looks, how accessible it is, what type of amenities are available, etc. but rest assured they will feel defensive to hear anyone else talk about the city's (or the venue's) deficiencies. Everyone comes from somewhere. Now is not the time for jokes about the South (or any other region), cities vs. country living, or Red State / Blue State.

3. Do not say, "I've never heard of you." Chances are, we've never heard of you either. We know we are not celebrities and that our fifteen minutes of fame haven't come up yet. We're just happy little bloggers. For the same reason, try not to talk about how sad you were when you dropped from 1,000 to 950 readers. We don't particularly want to hear it. We may have just celebrated getting 10 of our closest friends and relations to follow our blog and actually comment sometimes.

If you haven't followed the above guidelines, we aren't going to want to share the love and link to you. We may not even visit your blog. You probably don't need us to anyway, but it does seem like this type of thing can be easily and happily avoided.

There. As Lulu says, "I've counted to ten and said my piece." Which is pretty much what I do (except for the counting to 10 part) every day on this blog, come to think of it.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

The "rules" about this award:
The Premio Dardos award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person that has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to other 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So, I'm not actually thanking "the academy". I'm thanking Vicky for passing this award along to me. I'm not sure I'm truly transmitting cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day, but hey, it gives me something to work toward!

I'll be passing this along at a later date. Thanks again, Vicky!

More About Commonplace Books

I got a few questions about my commonplace book. I've saved the Wikipedia link in my Delicious finds (you can find those over on my right sidebar) but, knowing the skepticism some have for the wondrous Wiki (cough Kelly cough), I've also found a few other links that explain the concept and have pictures of famous books.

Notes About Commonplace Books

and

The Lyceum

As for my book: it is very low tech. No tabs, no dividers. I didn't actually know about other commonplace books when I started mine. I just started it and then later I found out about the rich history and thought, "Oh, so that's what my book is!"

At the front I started keeping a list of all the books I finished (that's an important distinction for me: whether I finished it or not) and at the back I started a list of quotes that caught my eye. So eventually (soon!) those categories will meet in the middle and then this particular book will be finished.

There are also a few other things scattered around. Like a list of my favorite songs, some prayer requests, a few lists of things I'm thankful for, and basically anything I want to be reminded of later. And yes, I have torn out at least one page when I looked back through the book and thought, "There is no way I want to read that ever again." That doesn't happen often, though.

You could make a book like this on a grand scale or you could use a tiny little steno pad. You get to decide. Just like you get to decide what quotes make the cut. I've got political, spiritual, artistic, literary, humorous, inspirational...well, you get the idea.

It's kind of like a blog, now that I think about it. Only now I have the high tech blog (here, which you all so kindly read) and the low tech (my notebook, which not even Prince Charming dares open). It's also like a scrapbook, but I spend more time on those and include pictures. This has (gasp!) no pictures at all. Only scraps of words that I found meaningful.

Maybe next I'll show you my Favorite Things Book. It's similar to a commonplace book but it's actually completely different. And yes, I do have notebooks for my notebooks around here. It's an obsession. And I fully admit to having little scraps of paper everywhere too. I'll finish this post with another quote from the book:

I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die. -Isaac Asimov

Yes! That's it exactly. See how useful the book is?

In My Non-Expert Opinion

I, an armchair psychologist from way back, have diagnosed my blog troubles. Are you ready for this groundbreaking revelation? Well, how 'bout you read it anyway?

Here's the trouble: I am not an expert in anything.

I know, it shocked me too. But, if you think about it, anything I am an expert in does not really qualify me to tell the rest of you what to do. (Not that I've ever let that stop me before...)

I love God. I love His Word. I love His church. I love the journey to know Him better and following Him. I love all the wonderful books written to help me along the way. I love the mysteries, the conundrums and the things I can't even begin to explain.

But it doesn't make me an expert on Christian Living or Theology.

I am an expert on Prince Charming. No one knows him better than I do. No one can read his face like I do. No one can annoy him like I do (on purpose). No one listens to him better than I do. No one prays for him as earnestly or specifically as I do.

But that doesn't make me an expert on marriage.

I am an expert in Polly, Tigger and Sweet Pea. No one knows them like I do. No one has known them longer than I have. No one has loved them harder or longer. No one remembers all the quirks (oh, the many quirks!) each child has: what they like to eat, listen to, read, play, talk about, do, dream, think.

But that doesn't make me an expert on parenting.

I read a lot. I know, if I do say so myself, a lot. But none of it is widely applicable. However, if I'm ever around and someone suggests we play Trivial Pursuit, you might want to insist that I be on your team. I'm just sayin'.

Maybe I should have been more specialized when I started this blog: a blog about homeschooling, a blog about parenting, a blog about books, a blog about organizing, a blog about seeking God's will, a blog about politics (oh, wait, Prince Charming did rope me into that).

Instead you'll be getting a hodgepodge of all of the above. Lots of minutia. Probably some "majoring on the minors". And I will, most likely, be offering my unsolicited advice on any number of topics, even though I am not An Expert with a capital E. Amy of Untangling Tales calls this "Advice from the Unqualified".

(Note to mothers on a little topic that's bugging me: Stop feeding your child whatever they want, whenever they want. Make a meal, offer it, put it away. No short order cooking. No catering to the whims of a doggone TWO YEAR OLD. Be the Mom. BE the Mom.)

Well, that felt good. What can I diagnose next?

Nothing to Say so How 'Bout I Distract You?

Another glorious day! Not quite as warm, but the sun is shining. (Makes me want to say "hooray" but then my blog post would be rhyming and I don't want to keep it up.)

I seem to be experiencing blog block: a struggle to get out words that go together in an interesting way. (And please don't tell me you think I've always had trouble with that.) So, unless I come up with something later, I will tell you that I'm working on my very first giveaway.

That's right. I will be having my first blog related giveaway soon. There are two possibilities for when this is going to happen:

1. When I hit 500 posts. Which makes me hope I come up with something to say soon, 'cause I'm only at 451 right now.

2. When I have my "Blogger" anniversary. I started blogging on another site before I blogged here but I'm counting my first Blogger post as my anniversary.

Now, before you get all excited, I have to say that I will not be giving away an IPOD, a flat screen TV, or anything remotely valuable. (Did I just stick a pin in your "giveaway hopes" balloon?) It's all stuff that I would like. So, if no one enters, I can just keep it for myself.

Just kidding. I wouldn't actually do that. I'm not that selfish.

Stay tuned!

Saturday Inspiration

Simple Mom is one of the "new to me" blogs that I'm using to replace my magazine hankerings. The site looks fresh and modern, is easy to navigate, and has lots of great content even if you are not a mom.

As for the home front update:

- Our new refrigerator has been installed
- It is generally considered a reliable brand
- It was a decent price
- It had "free" delivery and removal of the old fridge
- I say "free" because really it involved a complicated rebate process
- Which Prince Charming has completed (Bless him!)
- The Store from which we purchased the fridge is also giving us a gift card
- Because there is a small dent near the bottom of the door
- It was a gift card or they would completely replace the appliance
- Which seemed rather silly
- Considering we need a refrigerator now
- And what if there was a dent on the new new one?
- So we are still recovering from this week
- And the children are still coughing
- My ear problems are not wax related, thank you, Stephen
- They are genetic
- I need to stop now before I reveal any more embarrassing information
- Such as my weight or age
- Almost 28
- Oops.
- Quitting now.