3 hours ago
Showing posts with label What Do You Think?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What Do You Think?. Show all posts
For several years now I have used a writing program to write my blog posts, instead of composing posts directly in Blogger - and I have to say, I love it! I've never been able to go back to writing in Blogger since I started using a program, so today I thought I'd talk about a few reasons why I like it.
1. It allows me to compose posts offline. This was especially useful when we had a more finicky internet service, but when you are working with a writer, your post drafts are saved to your computer. So if you are not in a place where you can access the internet, you can still prepare blog posts, format them, and get everything ready to hit "publish".
2. It is easier to add and position photos. Maybe it's just my computer, but I always have a hard time moving photos around when I try to add them into a post in Blogger. With a writer, you can just drag photos into the post you are composing, and it's easy to move photos around in a post.
3. Photos are resized for you and uploaded in one batch. When you add photos to your post, you can either choose the exact dimensions you want it to be, or in some writers you can even drag the corners of a photo to size it a precise way. Then when you upload your post, everything is uploaded in one batch, and the sizes of the photos are exactly how you sized them in the writer. This makes the uploading much faster because the photos are not being uploaded at full size, and it saves me work and space in my Picasa albums by re-sizing photos for me.
Those are the main things I like about using a writer, though I'm sure others could list more benefits that I haven't really utilized. So what writer do I use?
Windows Live Writer For PC
I first started using a writer when I had a PC, and the program I used was Windows Live Writer. If you are a PC person, you are in luck! I loved Live Writer, and I've never been able to find another program that is quite the same after I switched to Mac.
I was pretty sad to not be able to use Live Writer anymore when we switched - I've adapted a lot since then, so I don't remember all of the things I could do with Live Writer that I lost. But I do remember the photo-sizing options being more smooth and easy to use because you can drag the corners of photos to size them a certain way. Live Writer also formats the program so that it looks like the format of your blog - so you can really see how the post is going to look before uploading it.
I think it also allows you to edit posts that have already been published, and I seem to remember being able to back up my posts from Live Writer (correct me if I'm wrong - it's been a long time). I think you can also choose to have your photos uploaded to a website other than Picasa, which is nice if your Picasa albums fill up. All perks of Live Writer. And the best part is that you can get it for free! You can download Live Writer for free here.
MarsEdit For Mac
I did a lot of research after switching to Mac, and I finally decided on getting MarsEdit. It's similar to Live Writer, and it looks like they've even improved a lot of things since I downloaded my current version - you can now edit the HTML of a post in MarsEdit, and they've also added a preview feature and an option to format a template to match your blog.
With the version I have, you can only compose drafts in MarsEdit, you can't update posts that have already been published. You also can't resize images by dragging the corners (you have to pick the size you want when you add them to your post). I'm not sure if those things are different in the new version or not.
Live Writer is definitely the best out there, but I've actually come to really like MarsEdit too. It still allows me to compose posts offline and save drafts until I'm ready to publish them, and it still is way nicer for dealing with photos. I wouldn't trade MarsEdit for composing in Blogger.
Unfortunately you actually have to pay for MarsEdit - I think it's $40 from the app store? We got a free gift card to use for apps when we bought our Mac, so it didn't really cost me anything extra at the time. You can try a free 30 day trial of MarsEdit here.
Do any of you use a writing program for your blog posts? What is your favorite program? What are some of the reasons you like your writer? I can only speak about the two that I've used, so I'm curious to hear what you all think!
Alright, first let’s wrap up last week’s poll, shall we?
Do you have a Twitter account/ How do you feel about Twitter?
-I do have an account and I love it! - 6 (26%)
-I have an account, don't use it that much - 4 (17%)
-I have an account, but I don't really "get" Twitter - 7 (30%)
-Don't have an account, prefer other social media - 0 (0%)
-Don't have an account, don't understand the point of Twitter - 6 (26%)
Votes: 23
Wow, I was a bit surprised at the results this time! I guess I’m surprised at how many people don’t really get Twitter. But I shouldn’t be, because it took me about two years (?) to understand it. And I’m still not an expert.
Twitter can actually be pretty helpful to bloggers (more so than for the general public, I think), but it is way easier to get into if you have a smart phone. If you have a smart phone and you’re a blogger, you definitely need to give it a good try. No excuses for you!
Any bloggers out there who consider themselves adept at Twitter? Because I think the results of this poll call for a post on understanding Twitter, but I’m not sure I’m the person to write it. But I would love to have you write a guest post for me on the subject. I’m serious. E-mail me at throughcloudedglass@gmail.com if you are interested!
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Okay, on to today’s topic, and the subject of the next poll – first birthday parties.
(From Wyatt’s first birthday party. I just realized that one of the lights in our chandelier was out. Ignore that.)
I’ve been thinking about first birthday parties a lot lately. Maybe because I’m only four months removed from Wyatt’s first birthday party. Maybe because it seems like lots of babyies in the mom-blog world are hitting “One-derland”! Maybe it’s because I still find cute ideas for parties that I pin to my party Pinterest board.
There are some amazing party ideas out there. Seriously. Just search “first birthday party” on Pinterest and take a look at what comes up. It’s hard not to want your own child’s first birthday to be just as fabulous as all that.
The cute themes. The birthday banners. The artfully decorated smash cakes. The highchairs. The party hats/outfits. The food tables. The favors. The guestbooks. The presents.
(Wyatt’s birthday guestbook.)
Anything that can be done for first birthday parties seems to be done these days.
I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad thing. You all have seen Wyatt’s first birthday party post. You know the effort I put into it, and I had such fun doing it.
But what I’m getting at more than effort is the money that goes into all of this. Or at least the pressure for all the money to go into this.
A few months before Wyatt’s first birthday, I got the catalog in the mail. The first birthday catalog. Filled with tons of decorations, accessories, and pretty much anything you could think of wanting for a party.
I’m sure you all got the same catalog. How do these people get our names, anyway?
Sure, they had a ton of cute stuff in it. But I sat down and added up all the things that you could buy for one party, based on what they were selling in the catalog. And it was a lot of money. At least it was a lot to me, but maybe I have unrealistic expectations about what it takes to throw a first birthday party.
(Cupcakes.)
After I threw Wyatt’s first birthday party I sat down and added up how much I spent on everything, including outfit, decorations, presents, and food. At first I thought what I spent was a lot, but not after looking at the catalog.
And it made me wonder, what is the average amount that is spent on first birthday parties these days? I really want to know.
Because let’s be honest, people, the kids aren’t going to remember any of it. First birthday parties are often more for the parents and family than for the kids, just because of the fact that they won’t remember.
Wyatt won’t remember his first birthday party. I will. But he won’t.
I don’t remember my first birthday party. I like looking at the pictures. It was a circus theme, and I had a cake shaped like a circus train. But that was the extent of it – no elaborate decorations or any of that.
And I looked perfectly happy, thrilled even, with my little party.
And yet it seems like there is all this pressure to have an amazing first birthday party for our kiddos. Probably more so for us blogging/pinning people. And aside from the outside pressure we also put the pressure on ourselves, because who doesn’t want everyone to “ooh and aah” over our creativity?
I know I’m not immune. And I really don’t think it’s bad to spend a bit of money and effort making your child’s first birthday party special.
I just think there should be a balance.
So, in light of that, what do you think is a reasonable amount to spend on a first birthday party? How much would you/did you spend on your child’s first birthday party (including decorations, presents, outfits, and food)?
Tell me below if you feel comfortable, otherwise you can be anonymous and vote to the left! I’m going to leave this poll open a little longer to last through next week, and I'm allowing multiple answers for those of you who have multiple kiddos.
I’ll tell you how much I spent on Wyatt’s party when I do the wrap-up of this poll in a couple weeks!
Do you ever notice that light, easy-read type posts generate alot more comments than the posts that are more thought-provoking or professional pieces?
I recently read a post by another blogger about how serious posts are far less popular than light posts on her blog, if you are judging popularity by the amount of comments received.
I've noticed the same thing on my blog. If you've been blogging for any length of time, and have written both serious and light-hearted posts, I'm sure you have noticed the same thing.
Why is that, do you think?
The writer of the post I read suggested that it's much easier to "skim" those light, easy-to-read posts. You can't quickly skim through a really in-depth post and make an intelligent comment.
I agree with that - it's all about time. It takes much less time to comment on a "fluffy" post than a "heavy" post.
But then I wonder, why don't we take the time to really read the posts that might change our view point, or encourage us, or make us think? Why don't we take the time to think of an intelligent response to challenge or encourage the person who wrote the post?
Sometimes it's easier not to think. Sometimes it's easier just to "skim" those easy-read posts and be entertained, rather than to read and evaluate deeper posts and possibly be challenged.
I'm guilty of reading posts that way. It's so much easier to choose the entertainment route when reading blogs. And when writing them.
Honestly though, the posts that really matter and make a difference are not the ones about how amazing my dessert was, or what I bought at the mall this week, or what I'm wearing for Easter (though I will still be writing those posts - because they are fun to read and write!).
But the posts that really make a difference in my little corner of the blog world are the ones that took thought and effort and time for me to write.
The posts that I read on other blogs that really make a difference to me are the ones that take thought and effort and time to read.
And it's worth the thought and effort, if we'll just take the time.
I recently read a post by another blogger about how serious posts are far less popular than light posts on her blog, if you are judging popularity by the amount of comments received.
I've noticed the same thing on my blog. If you've been blogging for any length of time, and have written both serious and light-hearted posts, I'm sure you have noticed the same thing.
Why is that, do you think?
The writer of the post I read suggested that it's much easier to "skim" those light, easy-to-read posts. You can't quickly skim through a really in-depth post and make an intelligent comment.
I agree with that - it's all about time. It takes much less time to comment on a "fluffy" post than a "heavy" post.
But then I wonder, why don't we take the time to really read the posts that might change our view point, or encourage us, or make us think? Why don't we take the time to think of an intelligent response to challenge or encourage the person who wrote the post?
Sometimes it's easier not to think. Sometimes it's easier just to "skim" those easy-read posts and be entertained, rather than to read and evaluate deeper posts and possibly be challenged.
I'm guilty of reading posts that way. It's so much easier to choose the entertainment route when reading blogs. And when writing them.
Honestly though, the posts that really matter and make a difference are not the ones about how amazing my dessert was, or what I bought at the mall this week, or what I'm wearing for Easter (though I will still be writing those posts - because they are fun to read and write!).
But the posts that really make a difference in my little corner of the blog world are the ones that took thought and effort and time for me to write.
The posts that I read on other blogs that really make a difference to me are the ones that take thought and effort and time to read.
And it's worth the thought and effort, if we'll just take the time.
It is the first thing everyone asks you when they find out you're pregnant - do you know if it's a boy or girl? Apparently, the answer is what people want to know, and these days couples have been coming up with more interesting ways to reveal whether they'll be shopping for pink or blue items.
Gender reveal parties are a fairly recent trend - basically the parents-to-be keep the gender a secret until the party, then invite people and reveal the gender in some creative way. The gender could be revealed by cutting a cake with blue or pink icing on the inside, opening an envelope with the answer on the inside, opening a bag containing pink or blue balloons, or any other fun thing you can think of.
I have read several blogs about different gender reveal parties, and they all looked like such fun, so after we found out we were going to have a baby, I decided that I'd like to do one too. Derek was on board with the idea as well, so that was all the encouragement I needed. We're finding out the gender on October 26th, so we decided to do our party on October 30th, and I realized I needed to start brainstorming for ideas.
What better tool for brainstorming than Google, I ask you? So I sat down in front of the laptop and got to work.
I'm still working out all the details, but as I was searching the web for ideas, I came across a few different articles against gender reveal parties. I was kind of surprised, but I read the articles to see what the complaints were.
One person stated that they thought gender reveal parties were just an excuse to get more gifts. I clearly stated on our invitations that no one was to bring us gifts, so that one I dismissed. There's the baby shower still, and I agree that asking people to bring gifts for the gender reveal party and the baby shower is a bit much.
Other sites argued that gender reveal parties are narcissistic and obnoxious. They said it presumptuous to think that people are going to care that much about your baby's gender, and it's rude to ask everyone to give up an entire afternoon/evening to come to your party.
I guess in a way I can see their point. Maybe it is narcissistic to hold an entire party just to tell the gender of your baby. And maybe people really don't want to have to come to another party for you, and you shouldn't expect them to.
Derek and I hardly ever have barbecues or parties at our house, even though we'd like to have people over more often. But it seems weird to throw a party for no reason, other than the fact that we just wanted to have a get together. So when the gender reveal party idea presented itself, I jumped on it, because it was a good excuse to have my close family and friends over for some good food, games, and other party stuff.
Plus from everything else I read, it just looked like alot of fun. Personally, I love going to these kind of things, and I wish I knew more people getting married or graduating or having babies so that I could be invited to more parties. Maybe other people don't like going to these events as much as I do, but the thought never crossed my mind.
I don't think motivations for throwing a gender reveal party would always qualify as narcissistic. In my case, I'm not really expecting people to care about the gender as much as I do - to me, it was just a good excuse to have a party. I don't want anyone to bring me gifts. And I only invited my close family and friends who I thought would really like to come (my apologies if any of you really don't want to come, and please don't feel obligated to make an appearance).
What do you think? Do think the gender reveal party trend is narcissistic or obnoxious, or do you think it's just a fun idea? Would you throw a gender reveal party? I'm curious to know what you all think.
Photo credit.
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