I have to vote on Super mom. This blogger comes to us from South Africa....She's an accountant, an runner, wife, and a mother of 3 boys. I give a ton of credit to Melany because I have 2 boys who are in Karate, basketball and swimming and I know how the boys can take alot of time and energy. It's worth every minute of it and the hint I am getting from this blogger is she doesn't mind either. My only point of criticism is to set up some kind of archive or way to navigate through your blog rather than flip through the next page section. It makes it tough. Aside from that I have to say this is a great blog that is well written in a very easy to read style that keeps you wanting to read more. Well done!
Saturday
Our Amazing adventure
This blog is actually about a family's adventure in Romania. There day to day lives in a foreign country and adjusting to customs and the differences they are faced with. There is a funny post about paying bills in Romania that describes the drastic differences. This is a really interesting blog to get insight into another country and the family that is living there.
Friday
Journey to Jackson
What a beautiful story. These two high school sweethearts, Travis and Laurie, got married, are both in the medical field and have recently adopted a coll little boy from Vietnam. It's reads like a Hallmark Hall Of Fame telemovie. The blog is full of stories about the life and times of Jackson, Travis and Laurie and photos to go with them. Truly a nice blog. Easy to read and draws you in. Nice job!
A Penny for your thoughts
This blog is entitled, A Penny For Your Thoughts. That's what I do and I am glad catch decided to ask me. This is one of those blogs that screams television sitcom, all you have to do is read her little introduction on her sidebar and it says it all. A fantastic mix of everything that goes on in an American home and then some. I do have to say I love the cartoons in the first couple of recent posts especially the crayon one. With only a year under it's belt this blog is already at over 11,000 visitors and that right there is a testament to it's appeal. Stop by and say hello to catch and make yourself at home.
Third times a charm
The third times a charm they say and that's just exactly what this blog sent to us by merle is. Charming. Full of alot of this and that, you get a mixture of poetry, thoughts and stories delivered in a way that grabs the audience and leaves them wanting more. I found myself going from post to post enjoying this feisty Australian's blog that I'm sure I'll visit past the third time and on and on. Nice job.
New Jersey Life Insurance
As a young person you think you will live forever and nothing can ever happen to you. You then get older and get married and have children and these ideas start to creep into your head. What will happen to my wife or children if I get hit by a car or have a heart attack and die. Morbid thoughts, but rational ones. People of all ages need life insurance and it is a great time to think about life insurance when you are young and healthy for a couple of reasons. One is because at a young and healthy age you can usually get better life insurance rates. Second is if you choose whole life over term life you will have one rate over the life of the policy and that policy will build equity that you can borrow against if need be in the future. These days getting information about life insurance and getting life insurance quotes is as easy as a click of the mouse. It doesn't matter where you live. If you are looking for New Jersey life insurance or Washington Life Insurance, or life insurance on Mars, the information couldn't be easier to find. Probably the best place to look would be Secureinsuracequotes.com for all the information and help you need. So why not start securing your future and you families future with a visit to Secureinsurancequotes.com today!
This has been a sponsored post by the fine folks at secureinsurancequotes.com.
This has been a sponsored post by the fine folks at secureinsurancequotes.com.
Prince VInce
This blog is way cool. It was started in February of 2006 and it follows the birth of Prince Vince, who was born with Down Syndrome. The kicker here is the family recently moved to Europe after living in the US for the past 10 years. Talk about culture bouncing. It's a touching and wonderful story told in a fantastic manner that grips your attention and keeps it with each post. Well done and keep the blog rolling!
Organized Chaos
Is there really such a thing as organized chaos? Well when you have 5 kids there is plenty of material for your blog and this one is full of material. Started in 2004, it's fun to watch this story unfold and I've always liked to see how blogs began and how they transform over the years and kind of fall into their niche. This blog is definitely worth the visit with down to earth writing and a magic that makes you want to keep reading.
Ponderings of the Heart
This sleek looking blog from wordpress is brought to us by a Christian blogger where she blogs about her faith, friends, and family. The blog itself is set up nicely and the writing is good, the only problem I have with it is that the font size is too small in my opinion. It makes it easier to fit alot in, I understand that, but to read alot of text with small letters make it hard on the eyes and hard to enjoy, and there is alot to enjoy. Just some constructive criticism.
Nordquist
Here's a blog that is simple in it's presentation but complex in it's delivery. Topics ranging from saving on auto insurance to the Porche 911. The blog touches on business and gives commentary on why business make it difficult to cancel service. Really an interesting blog that is headed in the right direction in my opinion. Well done!
New York Traveler
It's interesting to see what beauty there is in New York when you think past the city (which is fabulous). New York is right up the turn pike from me and all I think of when I hear the work New York is the George Washington Bridge, Traffic, and Broadway. This blog points out the other side of New York which is alot more breath taking. The blog recently went through an over haul with a new template and I think you did a great job. Nicely done. The blog offers lots of information about New York with links to different aspects of the city and state so if you are thinking of taking a trip, visit the New York Traveler first!
Preachers Wife
Alrighty then. This is a powerhouse in the fast lane of traffic. The preacher's wife, from what I can see, started this wonderful blog on March 7th and in less than a month has over 2300 visitor! This should tel you something, either she has alot of friends or the blog is really that good. I say it's really that good. A christian blog? Yes. A Boring Blog? No. It's presented in a hip way without being preachy and the feeling of friendship comes through strongly with this blog. The writing is great with many interesting features like C.S. Lewis Saturdays. Who'd of thunk it? I like this blog alot and recommend stopping by to say hello.
Thursday
NEW CONTEST!
****$100****$100****WIN 100 DOLLARS OF BILLY MAC'S MONEY****$100****
Just how do you ask? Simple. To promote my new Feedblitz sign up feature I am offering $100 dollars to a randomly drawn blogger( Hopefully I can get a celebrity to pull the winning blog!). The way to enter is by doing two things. One you must sign up for my feedblitz feed for email updates to which I will reply to you with a request that you send me your blog link, and two is to add CMB to either the Technorati Favorite Button or to your own favorite button. The reason for the request is to se if it in any way will increase the blogs page rank or Technorati ranking. The reason for the money is to make it fun and to thank you for your help. I wish I could give a hundred bucks out to everyone who joined the Feedblitz but regretfully I can't. Those of you who have already added your email to feedblizt will automatically be added. To make it interesting I will add your link in a post promoting all of you who sign up on a periodic basis. Thank you for your help in this experiment and hope you are the winner! UPDATE 3/25/07- Forgot to let you know that the drawing will be held the same day as Montetized Mondays which is Memeorial Day 2007. Also to sign up for MY FEEDBLITZ CLICK HERE!
Rhett's Journey
Here is a blog that hits you right in the heart. A blog about Rhett who is not yet 2 years old yet who has Down Syndrome and the family and mom who loves him so much! This mom lost her job because of a rotten district manager because she took 4 weeks off while Rhett was in the hospital. To get the full story read her post, THE HOLIDAYS. I have to say that this is the perfect example of what I write about in Monetized Mondays where a blogger could use some help, and with the right ad and revenue structure set up could help to supplement the lost income that this family probably needs. I'd set up some more adsense on your site and Adbrite is another good one along with Text Links. In a case like this with lots of opportunity for revenue on your blog you can have the possibility of making some extra money. Now for the blog itself, I think it is a fantastic way to raise awareness about Down Syndrome and special needs children and I think it is important for others to realize that people shouldn't feel sorry for you or your child or your family, but instead support and understand what Down Syndrome is all about. Parents who have children who have Down Syndrome or Autism or anything like that are blessed in my opinion because these children are so special and unique that they open your heart and your eyes to so much. Fantastic blog and keep up the great work!
Just a country girl
Looks like this country girl is still settling in with wordpress. The wordpress blog is only a few months old and the format is alittle off. The template is beautiful and very nice, but in the posts you have this kind of stuff going on which is tough to enjoy, "
Immediately, I stepped over to the sink and ran cold water over the cut for several minutes. I felt nauseous as I watched the blood mingle with water from the faucet, forming a ruby-red river as it went down the drain.
“I need a towel,” I called toward the living room. Evidently, John heard the alarm in my voice, and came to investigate.
“You cut yourself?” he asked, looking into the sink. “Let me see.”
I fought back tears as my ex-paramedic husband examined my wound. I had a lot to do that day, and a trip to the ER for stitches just wasn’t in my plans.
I was relieved when John announced that the"
Immediately, I stepped over to the sink and ran cold water over the cut for several minutes. I felt nauseous as I watched the blood mingle with water from the faucet, forming a ruby-red river as it went down the drain.
“I need a towel,” I called toward the living room. Evidently, John heard the alarm in my voice, and came to investigate.
“You cut yourself?” he asked, looking into the sink. “Let me see.”
I fought back tears as my ex-paramedic husband examined my wound. I had a lot to do that day, and a trip to the ER for stitches just wasn’t in my plans.
I was relieved when John announced that the"
Other than that the blog seems to be on the right track.
FLip FLop
Flip Flop Floozie's blog is one of those blogs that make you feel good all over and puts a smile on your face because you can just tell she loves life, her family and her friends! First thing that greeted my was a tune by Beethoven. I have to say that these Sonific widgets scare me once in a while because I don't expect the music. I think if you are looking for a feel good blog where you can sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy the time you spend there then this blog is for you. The bloggers personality jumps off the screen and it is truly an enjoyable read. Well done!
Second Effort
This poor guy has been waiting so long for this critique that he renamed his blog, Second Effort. I get a few people who have submitted their blogs around the time I went on my...well...sabaticle. This is one of them and am I glad he decided to give it one more shot. The blog is really well written (although some posts are alittle long in my opinion) and keep your interest with thoughts and observations being offered by the blogger. I have to laugh at his first post from December 7, 2005 where he references George Burns, Bob Hope and Jack Benny. Being in my early 30's I can, "Say goodnight Gracie", Thank you for the memories and play a tune on my violin. These guys were classics and so is this blog. Keep up the good work and hopefully this will be you second and last effort in the world of the blog.
alcohol treatment
This review is one that is near and dear to my heart and is about a topic that has affected countless people throughout the world. Addiction is a powerful force that takes hold and does not want to let go of it's victim. I would venture to say that at least 8 out of 10 readers of Critique My Blog has been affected by alcohol or drugs in some respect, whether it be personally, or whether it be by a family member, or even a friend. It's a horrible thing to have to deal with and because addiction is so strong those suffering with the addiction need places to help them like The Watershed. It is here that people can seek help for alcohol treatment , drug addiction. Watershed is a wonderful treatment facility that has 3 locations which are both welcoming and inviting. Their experienced staff are there for you with one goal in mind. Recovery. Watershed has even been endorsed by Senator Joseph Biden and is highly thought of as can be seen in this newspaper article about the facility. It's easy to see that with places like Watershed around, the path to alcohol treatment and recovery can be made a little more easier when people care.
This post has been sponsored by the fine folks at Watershed.
This post has been sponsored by the fine folks at Watershed.
Wednesday
Smart Wealthy Rich
Make way for this fantastic blog full of positive posts about networking, blogging, and entrepreneurship this side of the universe. Can you tell I'm a fan. As I said earlier, I love blogs that promote positive thinking, advice on blogging and advice on self improvement in general. We can all use some improvement whether it be with out blogs or in business or in out personal lives. This blog touches on this and a whole lot more and I can see how, if read on a regular basis, it could help to make you Smart. Wealthy. Rich. Great job with this one and much success.
Call ME Grandma Dawn
Dawn's blog is a pretty basic blog with stories of life and the journeys it takes you through. Some fantastic pictures in her latest postings from Africa which are very cool...The writing flows well and the blog itself is an interesting read so stop by and check out this blogger from the foothills of the Rockies!
My Home Sweet Home
I love blogs that are full of life and give you a warm feeling of family. Now this family is full of 8 children which makes it a little more of a full family, but I think big families are the best! I had a friend growing up who had 10 brothers and sisters, 2 cousins, and an uncle all living in the same house. I live in a little neighborhood, needless to say they had the biggest house there. As for this fantastic blog, you will find lots of family photos and stories about family and thoughts and ideas the blogger has. All that a blog should be. Only thing I didn't notice was some kind of site counter...it's nice to see how many people are stopping by your Home sweet home. Nice job and keep up the great work!
My Life As Annie
It's interesting how easily it becomes to take for granted things like our good health, our children, our freedom, the sun. Things that are just there, things we expect to be there, things that we never really think of, until they are taken away! My Life As Annie Chronicles the story of Izzy who is a beautiful little girl who had a life changing accident for her and her family! Izzy nearly drowned and it was from this moment on I suspect all the things we take for granted changed in an instant. This is heart tugging blog, stop by and say hi and offer any prayers you can.
online dating
Looking for a truly free online dating site where you can browse thousands of others looking for the same thing you are. The site is called JUSTSAYHI.COM and it is sweeping the Internet with quality members who are looking for friendship or maybe alittle but more. Love can be found in the supermarket, it can be found on the bus, and now it can be found on the Internet. Why waste your time with obnoxious people at bars and clubs when you can sit in the privacy and comfort of your own home and look for the next best thing. JUSTSAYHI.COM is waiting to add you to it's ever growing member base. Go sign up today!
This post has been sponsored by the fine folks at JUSTSAYHI.COM.
This post has been sponsored by the fine folks at JUSTSAYHI.COM.
Not Fearing Change
This blog is definitely unique in alot of way in that it's a collection of fact and fiction that is both edgy and cool and everything in between. It seems also that drama is spreading all around the blogosphere these days and it hasn' t bypassed this blog with the recent posts about an unpleasant F**K You. Got to read this blog to get a full appreciation for the blogger and the blog itself. Really liked this one. Nice job!
Views of the Silent Majority
Our blogger C-Dell brings us a blog of current topics where he discusses his views and opinions on such things as troop deployment and the bringing home of the troops and his dislike for the president. I'd say his views come from a liberal standpoint and are delivered in an excellent manner without being preachy, but instead in a way that you would have a decent discussion over lunch, type of way. I enjoyed reading through his posts. Some great points are made and he has some decent insights.
Never Again Debt
Never again debt is my kind of blog. I love information about investments, debt reduction, savings, retirement, and money. This blog is right on when it comes to great information delivered to you in an easy to read format where the blogger doesn't "blog over your head". Nicely done and hope you have a fantastic time in Italy! On point of criticism I can offer is to be careful with your labels...you can consolidate alot of your "labelled posts" like the following labels, "credit", citigroup", "Chase", and "bank of America" can all be labelled under "credit cards". Your label list can get way out of hand and take over too much space on your sidebar making it to jumbled for your reader. Otherwise the blog is spot on! Keep up the great work!
Tuesday
2 seperate contests
Please be aware everyone that there are 2 separate contests running...they are not one in the same...the Monetized Mondays contest is separate from the Win 100 Dollars contest. There has been some confusion. I will be going through those who have signed up for the 100 dollars and be posting those people over the next few days.
Pimp it up
This is my kind of blog...Sue's got the idea down to a science when it comes to building her page rank and other rankings and her revenue building ideas on her blog are right on. She's got a sidebar worth of gold when it comes to knowledge for bloggers, and her blog is a journey to make some extra income online as stated in her first couple of posts that you can check out here.
Very impressed with this one and let us know how it's going....great job. You should check out the Monetized Mondays contest and join the crusade!
Monday
Bobby Griffen and Bestest Blog
Fall of an empire of just growing pains?
I was alerted by Barb from Skittles Place about the controversy that is brewing over at Bobby Griffin's blog, Bestest Blog Of All Time. It seems there are a whole lot of unhappy bloggers out there and we're talking torches and pitch forks mad. The claim is out there that people are angry for the slow response of Bobby when it comes to their paid placements on his blog and for his lack of attention that is being given to his blog and for the lack of traffic people have been getting after joining Bobby.
Here is my take on it. I first had my blog added to Bestest when I first started this blog and it's true...he put me on the map. Soon after I found I was inundated with requests for blog critiques. It got to the point where I actually had to take time off and walk away because I was literally getting burned out and was loosing the joy that blogging and the bloggers brought to me. So I left. I spent that time reading alot of books and speaking via email to alot of very successful bloggers, both who make a living from blogging and bloggers who don't. I learned so much and decided to get back in the game . I went back to Bobby's Blog (which I hadn't visited since I left), and found that his blog became very successful and it was making money. I myself wound up paying for a premium spot on his sidebar in hopes of bringing my traffic up to speed. I then went back to Barb from Skittles who graciously put some kind posts about Critique My Blog being back and she added me to her sidebar for free! I found that the kind words from Skittles Place boosted my blog critiques requests to almost the way they were. Here are some of my thoughts on this issue. One thing to remember is that you are not forced to pay him money or to donate to Bestest Blog, if you choose to get listed in his sidebar then you have to pay, if you want to be listed as blog of the week then you have to pay, if you want to be the blog of the month you have to pay. One thing is he doesn't have an area on his front page that is dedicated to free links. Sure you can join for free but you are put on an obscure page that no one really looks at...As for pay per post, my hats off to him for that. He is doing well and making money, but, you can't ignore your readers who want your attention or your own blog. When I paid it took almost 3 weeks for Bestest to list my blog and that was even with an email of inquiry. But all the while I was watching as pay per post adds kept appearing day after day! The people who submit their blogs to you in the hopes of getting picked for the bestest blog of the day and who want to be linked somewhere on your blog are your bread and butter! If the blog is experiencing growing pains or you are truly stressed out from the move...etc...then you should be up front with your readers and let them know and then stop all pay per post and catch up. Bestest Blog and Critique My Blog are "service industry" blogs. We provide a service to bloggers and the same customer service that people expect in real life they expect from us. Having said that I want to say that I am in no way opposed to people making money with their blogs, especially since people put alot of time and effort into their blogs and they try to make them as nice as they can for others to read. They deserve every penny they can make in my opinion! As for Bestest, I think it is going to take some real customer relations to solve this one. The blogosphere and the Internet are like virus carriers. Stories spread like wildfire...and just as fast as Bestest Blog was built up , it could fall just as fast. Bestest relies on the vast incoming link network that it has out there. If people follow Skittle's advice and start taking the Bestest link off their blog then that can be a problem. Hopefully Bestest can find a way to appease the ones who were hurt and maybe re-vamp the blog to bring it back to the grass roots blog it was when I first joined almost a year ago.
Sunday
BIG BLUEBERRY EYES
This blog is a real "grab ya by the heart and open your eyes" kinda of blog. Michelle' daughter Kayla has Down Syndrome and her blog is dedicated to raising awareness about Down Syndrome and Michelle's great love for this little princess. I worked with children and adults who have Down Syndrome at one time and my wife currently works with Autistic children, no matter what the child has, one thing is always clear. They are all gifts from God. Michelle's blog is "spot on" in every way and the writing and "story" is captivating. Stop over and say hello. I also would like to mention that Michelle is a consultant for Discovery Toys. Why not have a look there too.
Give away!
If you have to start a project then this is the kind that people should love! This is the place to go if you want to research free give aways. This is your source to find contests, free stuff, freebies, etc. A really fantastic compilation of things to get for free! You have to check this one out. Look at what the Give away project guarantees!
Ploop...ploop...
This rapid fire blog is full of thoughts and pondering of a whole rash of topics. Being from the pest control industry found this post about Mosquitoes and Smelly Feet to be interesting, but the whole blog itself seems to take that route. It will make you think at first when you first visit and look at some of the drawings and the like....but as you read you will get the full picture...Well done and keep up the good work.
At Your Service
The blog title says it all...This brand new blog has resource information for things like Searching for prom dresses to the recent Dog and Cat food scare. The side bar is chock full of information as well. It's on it's way to becoming a pretty cool blog. Only thing I can's understand...Your blog archive is for February but all your posts are in March? If you ever decide to start another blog at some point I think the Topic should be about Alaska. I think it's a cool state with an unusual day night schedule. Great job and keep up the good work!
Hard Rock Bands
This is a pay per post advertisement
Where was Unsigned.com about 10 years ago when I was playing in a cover band at the Jersey Shore to hundreds of people and trying to develop our original stuff? If you are in a band of just about any type, whether it be Hard Rock Bands , hip-hop, or country, this site is for you. There is a section for bands or artists to set up a profile of their stuff and some cool upcoming features will complete this fantastic site. You will have access to a CD Creator and a Music Player as well as music classifieds! SO what if you are looking for original bands? You can also create a profile and find some of the coolest and best artists and bands on the scene today. Unsigned.com is by far on of the most progressive sites out there for the band or artist who wants to promote their band to move it forward. Imagine a place where you can basically have a virtual demo pack for agents and record labels, a place to go in case your drummer leaves and you need to find a new one, a place that every band and and band promoter needs. Yes...10 years ago I would have killed for a site like Unsigned.com . Fast Forward to today, instead of using the artist features I have to use the listener features, but that's ok because there is still some rock and roll left in this blogger! 
LIFE AS I SEE IT!
Jessica submitted this wonderful blog which is basically chronicling the love affair between Jess and her husband, with fun photos(I liked the funny billboard post) and and other "stuff" thrown in for good measure. It's funny to look back at the early years of her blog...Check out Jessica's first post...blogging...especially new blogging...can be addictive.
Saturday
Karma
Dirk from, Eddie Are You Kidding? has all the right moves in place. First off let me congratulate him on his upcoming winning of the Best Blog Of The Day Award! Dirk has also been featured on several other blogs that review, critique, and comment on, other people's blog. I am happy that he submitted his blog to Critique My Blog because it is no doubt on of the coolest blogs I've gotten to review in a long time. I love the style of the blog and Dirks writing keeps the reader engaged and you find yourself being pulled into this bloggers...well...Karma. Dirk has also done his fair share of blog awarding and reviewing himself as shown in this Christmas Week posting about his Eddie Awards. Hopefully you;ll keep CMB in mind for your next reward post :). Great job and keep up the fantastic work!
Becca
Becca's blog is a compilation of...well...all things Becca. It's just as a blog should be with stories of her life and family...clippings of things that interest her...and alot of pictures to boot. Started as a way to keep in touch as stated in one of her first posts and reading through the blog it looks like she does a good job of posting about those kinds of things. I found it a nice blog to read through and I think you will too. Stop over to Becca's place and say Hi.
I see Dead People
Brilliant and morbid all wrapped into one! Noelle started work at a funeral home a year ago and has been keeping a cool journal of the life and times and goings on of the day to day of a funeral home business. Great insight into this world of death written brilliantly by Noelle. The blog is so simple and easy to read with no distractions, aside from your occasional cadaver. Great job Noelle and keep of the good work!
Blog Review
A healthy dose of controversy anyone? Only 8 posts old is this blog with the blogger's angle point toward a good discussion about hie thoughts on edgy topics of the day. My only constructive criticism would be to add a sitemeter to see who is visiting your blog on a day to day basis.
Fiancial Odyssey Blog Critique
Another one of my favorite topics is talked about in this blog about having debt and getting out of it...all while trying to reach financial freedom. I personally like the philosophy of Dave Ramsey who is a famous debt counselor and financial planner on the radio and television. He says get money to pay off debt at every opportunity. SO my next question is...why not use this blog as a tool to get money to pay of your debt. Start an adsense account...as your traffic and page rank gets better, sign up for adbrite and pay per post. Make sure you have added your blog to google's search engine, it's free and easy and is a great way to start adding readers and page rank. Then submit to sites like Critique My Blog and Bobby's at Bestest Blog and promote your site via link exchanges. Ask other blogs that are in your same genre to exchange links with you and try to get linked in blogs that have a high ranking themselves. John Chow is another good site for this. The content of you blog is excellent and god luck with the journey. Another thing to do is post on a regular basis....don't let your blog go flat. Nice job and keep up the good work!
Friday
Feedblitz
I've gotten some emails lately asking why it is taking so long to get their blog critiqued. So I've decided to add feedblitz to the blog so that you can be kept up to date via email on when Critique My Blog is updated. I also added it as a tool for those of you who may visit from time to time to see what new blogs have been reviewed. I think as I start to incorporate the blog advice and other aspects to the blog it will be a good service to know when the updates occur with that. If you haven't already done so...click on the feedblitz chicklet on my sidebar and sign up for my blog today. It's easy. Thank you.
WELCOME BACK
Welcome back to Barb from Skittles who had a downed blog scare for a few days. Skittles has become a sort of stop over for me in between blog critiques for a smile and a laugh. Her interactive blog is refreshing and fun to visit and you can imagine my surprise when I tried to click over one day and the blog was gone! I then started to receive some emails wondering why the link was broken on my blog to hers. The amount of work and time Barb has put into her blog is why it is so popular and she has found an amazing following. No worries now...she's back! SO stop by and welcome her back and leave a comment!
The Winds of Change at Critique My Blog!
As many of you might have noticed I've been playing around with the look and feel of CMB lately. I am kicking around a few ideas, some of which include posting more of a mix of critiques and blog advice and general blog information. Critique My Blog actually started this was in the beginning and I thought it would be nice to continue it. When I discovered blogging I fell in love with it, as many of you have, often describing it as addictive. I want to help bloggers realize their blogs full potential with tips on optimizing their rankings and search engine listings. I want to help with tips about different revenue streams that are available to bloggers and how to take advantage of them. I want to offer news and information about blogging in general and most of all I want to continue to critique blogs. If you have any advice or input to give please feel free to do so.
coupon codes
This is a pay per post advertisement.
The Internet has brought to us some amazing things, most of which is incredible convenience. I never would have thought 15 years ago that I could bypass the lines and insanity in the malls around the holiday times and buy all my gifts right online! It's the best. What's even better is saving money while doing it! My wife and I are both big time Target fans. When I found out about Couponchief.com, I went straight for the Target Coupons! I was pleasantly surprised to find awesome deals and my wife was in heaven. There are so many ways to find savings on couponchief.com. You can search per store or by category like men's apparel. Whatever your preference or style I think you'll find just what you are looking for at couponcheif.com and that's savings!
Love it
One thing I love more than blogging is money. Saving it, making it, finding ways to cut spending, stocks, finance. All of this is my cup of tea. This blog is well written and brilliantly monetized. One thing I might suggest looking into is pay per post. With your page rank you should have no problem. If you are looking for an interesting blog that focuses on money and finance and saving then you should hear over to SAVING MONEY today!
We get questions...lots of questions...
It's amazing but this blog just gained an instant fan when they submitted to CMB. I love it. Dear Useless Men is a bunch of useless men offering useless advice and answering useless questions from useless readers like us! It's a blog that is taking the Internet by storm after being started back in 2005, it has grown from just a few questions to having answered 502 useless questions!
Here are some useless examples of the questions they get:
Dear Useless Men, When getting over a cold is it ok to cough up phlegm in public and spit it out on the sidewalk?----Then stand over it and poke it with a stick and show anyone who will stop and look to see what you made.....
Dear Useless Men,As I look down in the shower I find myself pondering this thing that seems to have no real purpose. It pokes out to the right and left but doesn't really seem to do much more. It seems to be some left over from the Stone Age when cave men might have had a use for it. It bangs into things whenever I walk around 'all natural' and causes me much grief when sliding it into its proper sleeve. I often wondered what would become of me if it were to ever be cut off?My question is this: Why do we have a pinkie toe?
So hurry over to this Useless website to get the answers to these and 502 other questions that will keep you smiling all the day through!
Step Back
Jenn from Frugal Upstate keeps a cool blog here with ideas on being frugal. Some people are so unfrugal it isn't even funny...as for me, I'm in the middle. I'm a thinker, not a doer. I've thought often about a topic in Jenn's Blog that refers to our coffee consumption. I am definitely a Starbucks or Dunkin Doughnuts kinda guy, but when you put it into perspective like Jenn has done in her post called Conscience spending-how not to dribble your money away, it makes me think twice. One of Jenn's more recent ideas in an amateur improve your blog contest. I recommend going over and checking out her blog and see what needs improving in your opinion. As for me...I think it's just fine.
Thursday
cheap India calling cards USA
This is a pay per post advertisement
Calling cards have been around forever, or at least as long as I can remember. I remember using them when I was away at camp and had to use the pay phone and it seemed like I was punching in a million numbers just to make the call. Today there is Pingo, a calling card that is user friendly and saves you money. Now if you are an international caller it gets even better, if you are looking for international prepaid phone calling cards then you've come to the right place! Some features of Pingo calling cards is that you can bypass the 10 digit pass code on phones that you use on a regular basis like your home or cell phones, there is automatic recharge as well as managing your account online so you always have control of your account, you can set you own account number and pin. How about saving money you ask? You can save money by referring friends. They have great rates as well. What would it cost to call from the United States to India and what would the calling card rates be? Log on to find out. This is no doubt the way to go if you call long distance or rely on calling cards to make your long distance call. Log onto Pingo today and get the information you've been looking for and finally start saving some money!
Yummo!
SO here it is. Cheryl submitted her blog for review and as I was reading through it I was thinking to myself...this is a good blog about the bloggers life, her thoughts and ideas. It is pretty much along the lines of alot of other blogs that I come across, until I came across the post entitled Breakfast Time. Now, mt background is in pest control and I often catch exactly what was on the menu this particular breakfast time, and being from the east coast we often stick to Egg McMuffins or something along those lines. This is exactly why I love the blogosphere so much, you can see how other people's customs are different from your own. Great blog Cheryl! Keep up the good work.
Fiddle Sticks
"It could have been worse" is how the old saying goes, and Dee Dee is bringing that fact to life in her creatively done blog of the same title. This may sound alittle light footed of me...but this blog's template and look reminds me of the Shopaholic book series.(My wife is a big fan and they often lay around the bathroom) It iv very clever looking. Dee Dee affectionately calls her blog a brain dump, and when you think about it, isn't that just what a blog or a journal is? This is a fun look into the life and times of this blogger, so pour yourself a good cup of coffee and settle in. Well done!
Martha
Did you know that angle food cake is not a candle...this is new information to me and glad to know it. So what is this unusually named blog all about. Mostly tips on cooking and being frugal with things around the home. It is very Martha Stewart like. Some explanation of the blog is in it's first post. If you like cooking, cleaning, shopping and being frugal...this blog is for you!
Wednesday
Nevada Mortgages
This is a pay per post advertisement
Do you know the difference between Pre-Qualified and Pre-Approved when it comes to mortgages? Do you know where the current interest rates are at? If you are interested in buying a home or refinancing then these are questions you have to ask and need to know the answers to. So where do you turn? Personalhomeloanmortgages.com is a great place to start with a mortgage calculator to help you start your journey to new home ownership. You can find different mortgage rates as well so you know where you'll stand in the borrowing market. They also have specialty sites with information about getting a mortgage in some of the hottest real estate markets in the county. Nevada and Washington being two of them. So check them out today and start on your way to owning your own home!
What's New
Today I started to fool around with wordpress.org to start a blog on that platform. I signed up with Bluehost and downloaded wordpress. It's not as easy to navigate as you'd think. I know people rave about how great it is but I find it alittle un-user friendly.I guess I have to do some more research. I'll also be started my own personal blog soon as I've stated before. Hopefully this weekend I'll launch that along with a neighborhood blog where I live. I wanted to thank everyone again who has donated to my blog. I added a donate button on my sidebar about a week or so ago and have gotten some good response. I have always done this as a service to the bloggers to help promote their blogs and hopefully to get them some more traffic and readers, but it is nice to get a little "monetary" thank you once in a while :)
Don't forget that Monetized Mondays is still open from week to week. So enter for this Mondays award and the chance to win the grand prize on memorial day!
I also wanted to thank again everyone who has submitted their blogs and who have referred others to here. I love to discover and read other people's blogs and to see the enormous creativity that people have. It's a nice thing to see the time and effort that everyone puts into their blogs. Well I'm going to get ready for American Idol. Wonder who will be axed tonight?
Don't forget that Monetized Mondays is still open from week to week. So enter for this Mondays award and the chance to win the grand prize on memorial day!
I also wanted to thank again everyone who has submitted their blogs and who have referred others to here. I love to discover and read other people's blogs and to see the enormous creativity that people have. It's a nice thing to see the time and effort that everyone puts into their blogs. Well I'm going to get ready for American Idol. Wonder who will be axed tonight?
Happy Trees
This mother of 6 needs a day at the spa in my opinion...One of her 6 children is Charlie...a boy with autism. This hit home for me, not because I have a child with autism, but because my wife works as an autistic support teacher for the school district. The stories she brings home make you laugh and at times cry. This blog has alot about that topic from a mom on the front lines.
As for the blog itself...labels are taking over. I'd pick 5 or 10 and place each post in the closest label. If you blog about the day you had shopping have a label that is for bad days. You get the picture. I might even arrange you archives by month also...Aside from that I think you are doing a great job and you have one added reader in me. You might also want to think about adding a feedburner so people can sign up to your blog and they would be alerted as to when you update. Just some thoughts and suggestions. Keep the blog rolling!
Maxim Lighting
This is a pay per post advertisement
My friend and I used to always comment on good lighting any time we were driving around at night. It was clear to see how outside lights could really change a home's appearance and appeal. As for my own home I have always wanted to get recessed lighting in my ceiling. I always liked the idea of having them pointing on a painting that was hanging or on a piece of art that was on a pedestal. It adds to the ambiance of a room and adds a certain mood. One place I recently discovered was premiere lighting that sells fixtures by Maxim Lighting, an online place to shop for lighting fixtures and advice.
Lily
Lily's story of jumping over barriers and overcoming her alcohol addiction is an inspiring one. For those of you who may have or have been affected my alcoholism you can attest to the intense grip it has over you, even if you want to stop. Her blog chronicles this story along with other sprinklings of ideas and thoughts along the way. As for the blog itself I thought the layout, while cool looking, was a little narrow making the blog seem long in length. I didn't notice any kind of a site meter to see who is visiting your blog which you may want to add just to satisfy your own curiosity...other than that I think the blog is wonderful and just keep taking things one day at a time.
Single Moms
This is a pay per post advertisement
Who would have ever thought you'd be able to find your own true love on the Internet. If you would have told me this would be the norm 15 years ago I would have called you insane! Fast forward to the future and it's all the rage...there are so may dating web sites out there it's hard to keep up. There are websites for people who are interested in guys, girls, guys who smoke, girls who smoke, tall and short people, the list goes on and one. Lately a fantastic website called
single moms and dads have come along to add their name to the list. Single parents might not find it the easiest task to get back into the game or to go out and hit the dating scene like before. It is hard to find baby sitters and and time to invest in dating. Now there is a website that eliminates all that. Single Moms and Dads is free and user friendly and is set up specifically for singles who have children, so you are already starting off with something in common. It's a fantastic web site and I think you'll find it fantastic too.
Stop the World I want to get off!
Stephanie looks to be struggling alittle with theme issues. It says it is dedicated to debt free living and I see not too many posts about that topic. The blog aside from the theme is OK, but since you specified that dedication I think you should be post alot more about it. Your success in achieving your goal...how you are doing that....etc. I'd also try to jump start your goal to living debt free with adding some adsense and/or adbrite type of ads on your blog and pay per post is another good one to help generate revenue to apply toward that goal. Finance and debt blogs are very popular and I think if you tweaked it more toward that angle you'd see alot of interest grow.
Just Me
This girl loves life...you can pick that up right away from this positive blog about life and living it everyday..I don't think I've come across a single negative post...The blog itself is set up perfectly and I think you will really enjoy tagging along in Shann's journey. Great job and well done!
Tuesday
What's new at Critique My Blog
Over the next few weeks I'll be experimenting with some new features and ideas here at critique my blog that will bring some different aspects to the blog. If any readers have any suggestions for the blog in terms of content or the blog over all please send my your ideas to submityourblog@gmail.com .
I've been researching the new program brought to us my some entrepreneurs called AGLOCO.
This is a fantastic way to build a community of bloggers as well as a way to make some potentially good money. It's easy to sign up and for more general information check out the info on the AGLOCO Website. I will be doing some further research about this company and be writing about it later on down the road.
The Monetized Mondays contest is still open for anyone to enter. The grand prize will be drawn on Memorial Day. Unfortunately there hasn't been too much interest in the program. I encourage people to check out the idea behind this program and sign up. Let's build awareness together. And any winners so far who have seen an increase in their blog earnings please comment.
I want to thank those who have donated via the donate button on my sidebar that I recently added. It's nice to even see a dollar or two donated. As everyone who is blogging knows it takes alot of time and energy as well as passion. We all love it and do it for free but it is just an extra blessing to get a little monetary recognition.
I am also excited about the sale of some advertising on http://www.pestcontrolinfo.blogspot.com/ which is another blog I edit. It was for 50 dollars and I thank Dormia.com for their faith in my blog.
I still haven't forgotten about the personal blog I've been saying I was going to start and as time permits I will be starting that.
I want to thank everyone who has submitted blogs for critiques and for all the return visitors and readers who join us daily at CMB. Those who submitted a few days ago and are waiting for their critique...I am working on March 15th's submissions so your critique is right around the corner. It's becasue of al of you that CMB is possible, so thank you all kindly.
I've been researching the new program brought to us my some entrepreneurs called AGLOCO.
This is a fantastic way to build a community of bloggers as well as a way to make some potentially good money. It's easy to sign up and for more general information check out the info on the AGLOCO Website. I will be doing some further research about this company and be writing about it later on down the road.
The Monetized Mondays contest is still open for anyone to enter. The grand prize will be drawn on Memorial Day. Unfortunately there hasn't been too much interest in the program. I encourage people to check out the idea behind this program and sign up. Let's build awareness together. And any winners so far who have seen an increase in their blog earnings please comment.
I want to thank those who have donated via the donate button on my sidebar that I recently added. It's nice to even see a dollar or two donated. As everyone who is blogging knows it takes alot of time and energy as well as passion. We all love it and do it for free but it is just an extra blessing to get a little monetary recognition.
I am also excited about the sale of some advertising on http://www.pestcontrolinfo.blogspot.com/ which is another blog I edit. It was for 50 dollars and I thank Dormia.com for their faith in my blog.
I still haven't forgotten about the personal blog I've been saying I was going to start and as time permits I will be starting that.
I want to thank everyone who has submitted blogs for critiques and for all the return visitors and readers who join us daily at CMB. Those who submitted a few days ago and are waiting for their critique...I am working on March 15th's submissions so your critique is right around the corner. It's becasue of al of you that CMB is possible, so thank you all kindly.
Big Web Links Directory
THIS IS A PAY PER POST ADVERTISEMENT
Web directories have been around since the beginning of the internet. Web site owners and bloggers would submit their blogs or websites in the hopes of generating traffic and readership to their blog or site. Problem was that most times their blog was addes to list of about a million other blogs or websites in that particular catagory. So your effort to add to these directories were mostly in vain. Fast forward to the present and we finally have a Web Directory that makes sense and can work. It's based on what is the back bone of America, and that is capitalism! You are in control of your own destiny or at least your blog or websites destiny becasue you pay a fee to submit your web address. The more you pay the better your positioning in the directory. Now when you list yourself in a catagory you won't be lost among the millions of other submissions and dead links that are in many of those directories.
Doubting Tomas
This is one of the most clever blogs I've come across lately. It's called the Ordinary Adventures Of Tomas, it's a comic about an invisible friend...well...I can't really explain it..you have to go see for yourself. This blog won this weeks Monitized Monday award and is entered in the grand prize to be drawn on Memorial Day...Nicely Done.
Tango
When I think of Tango, I think of the scene from Scent of A Woman, when a blind Al Pachino danced the Tango with a girl he had just met in the restaurant. It was terrific and it was there that I became very interested in Tango...now I still haven't started lessons yet but a good place to start to read up on the tango is right here at this blog. Lot's of interesting info and an exotic location to boot. Great job!
B
This is a cool blog that reads, in my opinion, like the subject is really just talking to you. I can see a movie where the actor is doing regular daily stuff and the whole time you hear a voice over and the actor is thinking her thoughts and you can hear them. It's like that for me...really interesting...I've spent alot of time in this blog looking through the posts and think it is worth a look. There is a also poetry sprinkled through out as well. Well done...I liked the blog alot.
Super Mom
All you have to do is read this post(scroll to bottom) from the beginning of Linda's blog to get the full story of where she's been and is going. It amazes me the strength that people have when faced with such stress in their lives and I guess that you pull that strength from your daughters. Linda is a dispatcher for an ambulance service which in an of itself is stressful and couple that with he fact that there are teen girls in the picture you can imagine how life can be alittle Topsy turvey. Are We There Yet is a fun blog and if you look at the picture at the top of the blog it tells the story. Nice work! Stop by and say hi to Linda at Are We There Yet.
Phoebe
This brand new blogger is a single mother of 2 adopted children who's main topic is writing about their lives together...SO far the blog is on the right path...One thing I'd recommend is adding a sitemeter to see who is stopping by to read your blog. I guess my only question is with 2 little ones where do you find the time to blog :) Stop in and give a big blogosphere welcome to C!
Organize
Looking to find tips to organize your life or menu planning options or simply to find other uses for things you'd never think of? Then you must check out Marcia's blog if you've caught the organizing bug. Spring time is here and I'm sure as the season continues you'll be able to find lots of spring cleaning and organizing tips along the way.
From Russia With Love
http://www.jamieandsuzannegotorussia.blogspot.com/
Blogging can be alot of things to alot of people...this blog in particular was begun with the adoption and brings home of the adopted children. Fast forward to today and all in between you get the life and times of the family and their journey through life. What I love and think will be the neatest thing of all is that as you keep this blog and the children grow older they can see the journey from the beginning and see the virtual picture album with the best caption system out there. Nice job!
Blogging can be alot of things to alot of people...this blog in particular was begun with the adoption and brings home of the adopted children. Fast forward to today and all in between you get the life and times of the family and their journey through life. What I love and think will be the neatest thing of all is that as you keep this blog and the children grow older they can see the journey from the beginning and see the virtual picture album with the best caption system out there. Nice job!
Bloging for Dummies
Here is a blog that is right up my alley...if you are looking for a boat load of information and resources for blogging then you have to check this blog out. It is a treasure chest of information.Definitely a site I will be returning to again and again!
Song of my Soul
It is amazing to see ow many Christan Bloggers are out there! Another comes to is from Crystal, a musician, a writer, and poet. She blog about her day to day life, about her husband and about her God. As I've said before it is great to see a blogger go deep and give the reasons they started a blog in the first place and it was expressed so nicely by Crystal in this post about her blogging. Aside from blogging she also has a hand made jewelry business that she started with her mom and you can check out her website called Two Belles and A Bead. My only criticism would be to paste that website in a predominate place on your blog...it will help business.
Writers
In a cross between Steven King and Edgar Allen Poe, we are presented with this dark bloggers collection of short stories with the topic of death being the order of the day for it's characters. Don't get me wrong....it's not a bad blog...in fact it is captivating as I found my self reading post after post...The stories are short and have a sort of twist at the end. Very creative and brilliant at times. Check it out!
A Gift
Some people just have a gift for writing...a gift for words that allows them to express themselves and their thoughts in such a way that it grabs the other person and keeps then wanting to read on. It makes them learn something and the writer and sometimes about themselves...Judith's blog is just that, nothing fancy, just the ideas in her head being brought to paper...or in this case...the keyboard. Nice job Judith...
Pilates in Paradise!
Does it get any better than this? Lynda is a Pilate's instructor who loves her work and to top it off her practice is in Turks and Caicos Island! How great is that gig...and talk about having content for a blog...it's like a never ending river. Lynda's blog speaks mostly about her passion which is Pilates and Reiki and how she is building a client base on the Island. You have to check out this blog and if you are vacationing at Turks and Caicos you should stop by. Lynda's business website can be seen HERE. My Only advice would be to plaster that website address on the top of your blog and at the top of your sidebar...not just placed among the links. Also let me mention her recent writing honors in her most recent post, Writing Gigs. Congrats and much success!
Mariuca's Blog Critique
I'll no doubt be treading lightly today with the critiques and reviews after yesterdays ranting and raving I did, but that's not Mariuca's problem, in fact her blog was a pleasure to open as the first blog of the day to find it well planned and simple. All the right things are in place and the posts keep your interest. In particular for me I found the post about writers block interesting, and the post entitled The Two Of Us is nice with a cool play on the photos. Great job and wish you continued success!
Monday
Stranded in the Mountain
REBUTTAL
Here is the comment that the blogger over at Stranded on the Mountain posted to her blog review that I posted earlier today.
Kathleen Marie said...
Hummm,I do have an archive section at the bottom of the left hand side. Hopeless romantic? I don't think so. It was a sweet review though but doesn't really reflect my blog. Thank you though!Kathleen (not Kathy...never have, never will go by Kathy ☺)
Hummm,I do have an archive section at the bottom of the left hand side. Hopeless romantic? I don't think so. It was a sweet review though but doesn't really reflect my blog. Thank you though!Kathleen (not Kathy...never have, never will go by Kathy ☺)
So I missed the archive section...it happens...and as for the review of the blog this is what I wrote:
This is a scary blog title until you click into it and see that this blog is about a helpless romantic Kathy and her passion for her family, her God[if you look at her profile which is as follows:"Welcome and thank you for stopping by. A little about me: happily married, mother of four, grandmother of one, writer and poet. I like sunrises and sunsets, the ocean, the trees and the sky above me. I write, read, crochet and do a little gardening. I love my family, my kids, and in general I love my life! I am very, very blessed." you would see how I'd get the impression of a romantic...writers and poets are often romantics as well as folks who love sunrises and sunsets..etc...etc],and...well...photography...some pretty awesome picture taking is going on in this blog[ Again I refer to her blog with photos taken and her love of photography clearly stated]. The only thing I can't tell is if it is a new blog or not because there is no archive section that I see[My fault]. Liked the blog alot...nice job! [Used to...now I'm cranky]
It has to be understood that I obviously don't read these blogs everyday as many of our friends and family do and I might not get the full story all the time...I will say that I often revisit alot of the blogs that I review because I find that they are entertaining and well done...When I get a blog for review I do just that...I look to see if it is horrible beyond belief...if it is not then I make sure that things like sitemeters and such are added so that the blogger can gauge traffic and readers...I offer advice on advertising and placement of ads...I offer some constructive criticism...If the blog is a good blog then I write the review based on a god blog...if it is a great blog then I report on that...
The whole reason I started this blog was to help bloggers and to point more traffic in the bloggers direction because I think that bloggers put alot of time and effort into their blogs and deserve readership and recognition. If I can help in that effort then that makes me happy...I put alot of time and effort into this blog as well...and I'm not sure how to take Kathy's comments...I find them alittle condescending and rude...If I had one of those crazy Mood Widgets on my blog right now it would say Cranky with a capital C!! Stranded on the Mountain indeed...I SAY GOOD!
Family ties
One thing I have to ask right from the beginning is to make the letters in your posts larger and darker...The blog itself is really good with you family being the anchor and center...but, in my opinion, it is really hard to enjoy it and read the way you have it set up now...other than that I think you are on the right path and the content flows nicely.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
