Finding Your Place in the Blogosphere

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Tammy Soong of Blogging Betties for their newly launched podcast series. (Congratulations!) I was asked the question, How did you find out where you belong, what your space is, in the internet world where there are thousands of blogs?

I breathed an audible sigh because I wasn't thinking how obnoxious and rude that sounds when taped live, as if they're making me endure the biggest torture of my life, and then I went full-scale into what I feel explains how we fall into that which we're drawn to.

I hope you'll give the podcast a listen. And maybe, there might be a pearl or two of wisdom that will help you feel your way home in this vast world of internet real estate. (After all, miracles happen and it is Holy Week)

Thanks so much, and have a wonderful spring break!

Click here to listen: Podcast Episode #006: Alexandra Rosas Finds Her Place in the Blogosphere

**ABOUT Blogging Betties:  Blogging Betties Podcasts, where veteran bloggers/gal pals Poppy, Tammy, and Vanita share all the tips, tricks, and tools you’ll need to navigate the blogosphere. Each week we bring in top bloggers to tell their stories, spill their best secrets, and share their past screw-ups. Get ready to make your mark — the Blogging Betties are here to help. Follow them on Facebook , twitter, or the Blogging Betties website.

**thank you to Poppy, Tammy, and Vanita: I had so much fun talking with you!

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Blogging For The Love of It

Getting ready to leave for BlogHer '12 and feeling the squeeze; lining up dinners, figuring out clothes, scheduling what's a Must Do and who is a Must See over the next five days.

And that's just for my three children left back home.

To help you get a feel of what I'll be doing with my time once in the Big Apple, I'm excited and honored to be on a BlogHer panel for The Personal: Blogging For The Love of It. 

If you'll be at BlogHer, please come join a roomful of us who blog because of what it brings to our lives and how it's enriched our days. I know it's done that and more for me.

Click here to see the line up of BlogHer '12 presenters and :brushing imaginary lint off shoulders: I'm the fifth one down. *a cool little thing happens when you float the cursor over my picture*

Thank you all so much for being a huge part of why I know I will always live here online. Keeping this blog has been life changing for me and to say it has turned into one of the most unexpected joys in my life is an understatement. Because of your love, support and encouragement, I need to say Thank You. Thank you for reading my blog and linking to it on twitter and FB and passing it on to others. I humbly say I love every post I write here as well as the ones I've written for the other sites I'm fortunate enough to have opportunities with. These people believed in me and offered me a chance to stretch what I knew of myself, and because of that, incredible things* came my way.

I am humbled and grateful to be a part of your lives.

Life can be funny -- the parts that don't hurt, anyways -- if we write it down, even if what happens doesn't make sense to us. It may make no sense, but reading the words to the narrative of our lives helps us see the moment we're in.

All of you are 99.9 % of the wind in my sails and the strength behind my voice.

I appreciate you and can never thank you enough times.

Signed,

verklempt

*Part of 2011 Listen To Your Mother cast in Madison. Wisc. Part of 2012 The Moth cast, where I read live with Molly Ringwald. 2011 BlogHer Voice of The Year for Humor, where I read in San Diego.

I'm Here But Not Really

Hi. It's me, Baby E, and I'm here but not really. But it is my day to blog.

For my mom's and mine Two Year Blogoversary we did a give-a-way. I gave away my time of blogging that I do on Mondays. A lot of people with kids wanted it but only one lady won it for her kids. The lady who won was Kirstin Piccini and she has a blog like my mom and me do. The name of her blog is The Kir Corner and she is the mom of two boys and it was her two boys Giovanni and Jacob that won.

I want to say to the boys that I hope you have a lot of fun here today and don't worry about what you think other people would think just write what you think because that makes the best posts.

If you're still pretty little and new and I want to say that I started out little too. You will get bigger over time so don't worry. Maybe after you do this and a lot of people will like you will go on to do regular posts just like me.

If you have questions please tell me. I will gladly help you. I hope you like blogging and will become a regular at it because it's very fun and you get to make people happy and that makes me the happiest when my mom tells me people came to my blog post today and it just lightened up their day. That makes me very happy.

Bye.

Oh, and please say hello to Giovanni and Jacob. They are four. They are twins. [I wish I had a twin a lot. That would be fun to look at someone who looks like me and play with them. Either really cool or really weird. And you wouldn't know who is copying who, me to him or him to me. But no doubt, all in all, we would be best friends.]
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Hey boys, you won something for the Empress’s blogoversary!

Gio: is it a car (toy)?

No, it’s better!

Jacob: it is Ice Cream?

Nope, you won a day to answer some questions.

Gio: Oh. I wish it was a toy.

Well this is better, because well the Empress is very cool and she is a mommy to all boys like me. You’ll answer your questions on the day her son Baby E normally writes for her.

Gio: Baby E?

Jacob: He’s a baby?

Well no, but he is her son and he’s her baby.

Gio: Like I’m your baby?

Yep, just like that. So will you answer some questions for the Empress and Baby E?

Gio: OOOOOKKAY

Jacob: I guess so, Mommy.

Ok, 1^st Question: if you were making dinner tonight what would you make?

Gio: I don’t know! Maybe something that you’d eat for breakfast. Like Lunch! (o-kay!)

Jacob: Orange Mac & Cheese (which is essentially Hamburger Helper as opposed to Yellow Mac & Cheese which is Velveeta)

2^nd question: What is the best way to keep scary things away?

Gio: Dogs! Or Elephants!

Jacob: Lions! Definitely lions!

3^rd Question: Who is funnier me (Mommy) or Grandma?

In unison and without blinking an eye: GRANDMA!!!!!! (Gee I wonder if they like her?)

Question 4: Who is faster Buzz Lightyear or Lightening McQueen?

Again in unison and pounding their feet: BUZZ!!! TO INFINITY and BEYOND!!!

Question 5: Favorite Movie?

Gio: CARS 2 with Finn McMissle, I love Finn McMissle Mommy.

Jacob: the Secret Harry Potter (the Chamber of Secrets) but I like the Goblin one too and Dobby.

Question 6: What do you love most about your brother?

Gio: *thinking about it* I like giving Jacob my cars!

Jacob: hey thanks G! I like HUGGING GIO!!!

Question 7: What’s more Fun being Superheroes or Bad Guys?

Gio: SUPER GIO!

Jacob: Bad guys!!!! (and he giggled)

Question 8: Does mommy like shoes or books better?

Gio: Books!

Jacob: Shoes. I wear your shoes sometimes Mommy!

Question 9: What’s your favorite bedtime story?

BLANK STARES….

What’s your favorite book?

Gio: I love books, we have lots of books.

Yes, Gio, I know. Which one is your favorite?

Gio: Llama Llama wakes up!

Jacob: Miss Nelson, but I don’t want to hold the book Mommy, ok?

Question 10: What would you do on your perfect day?

Gio: Play!

Jacob: *crickets*

Hey Jakey, what would do on your perfect day? Jake?

Jacob: Mommy stop asking the questions to me. I’m tired of answering you.

And with that our interview concluded.

Boys say “Thank you” to the Empress and Baby E for inviting you over.

Gio: Thank you! Mommy is she a empwess like a princess ?

Yep, exactly like a princess! She’s very cool.

Gio: are we going to her house?

Jacob: are we? Can we go to her house?

Not today, but maybe someday, today it’s just like Magic.

Jacob: Like Harry! I need my wand to get us there!

Boys just say Thank you….

Jacob: thank you Empwess and Baby E!

Gio: can I call her a princess? *I nodded* THANK YOU PRINCESS!!!

Thank you Empress and Baby E for sharing your space today, the boys and I were so honored to be able to visit you today.

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*Thank you, Gio and Jacob! Your mom is so very lucky to have you. Sounds like you have a good future in blogging. We're glad you won and we hope today was as much fun for you as it was for us!

What Does Your Blog Look Like To Others?

As if my life were not exciting enough, last week beat all.

I went and took my Starbucks money, and had a personalized blog assessment done by Eli/Rose Social Media.

It was so.very.cool.

I have always wondered what my blog looks like, what impression it gives. And, for the cost of one of my trips to Starbucks [double tall breve latte], I found out - for the special introductory rate of $7 until May 1,  Eli/Rose Social offers a 25 point blog assessment. Talk about giving it away!

Eli/Rose, an idea whose time is now, is a business founded by Liz of a belle, a bean, and a chicago dog, and KLZ of Taming Insanity. These two brainy, social media savvy lady bloggers have the best idea in the blogosphere that I've seen: they offer many blogger/etsy/ and business services, but the coolest is their Personal Strategy package - for $15 they can guide those interested in taking their blog to the next level.

I received 3 pages of an analysis and detailed review of my blog that was so interesting. Their points were something I could implement right away, and, just as a sample: one idea they offered shaved 4 seconds off my blog loading time.

Important stuff when you want people to be able to visit you.

I was so pleased and impressed with what Liz and KLZ did for me, that I want to spread the word on Eli/Rose. I invited them here for a chat, and we discussed some basic questions, that I think will let you know just how worth it I feel their services are. [psssssssssst...read through to the end, there is a GIVEAWAY involved!] Pay attention people, they have already worked with over 25 bloggers!

Welcome, KLZ and Liz!!

What services does Eli | Rose Social Media offer to bloggers?

Eli | Rose offers a wide array of blogger services. The cornerstone of our offerings is our 25+ point blog assessment and customized personal strategy session. We’re offering special pricing on both through May 1st.

I am not very tech-savvy, how will I be able to implement your recommendations?

Our blog assessment is put together in a simple checklist format. We’ll even provide links to any relevant tutorials you need.

Are you guys going to be mean?

No, no, not at all. We fully recognize that it can be hard to have someone review your work. But don’t worry. We’re not mean - we want to see your ideas grow. Growth does not come from meanness.

Besides your blogger services, what else can I find on your site?

In addition to our blogger services, our site offers regular tips and tricks for etsy shops and small businesses, as well as social media news and best practices.

If I get an assessment, will I instantly start raking in cash?

This, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee. What we can say is that others that have worked with us have seen substantial increases in everything from followers to pageviews.

Is my significant other going to be mad I spent money on this?

Again, no guarantees, but we doubt it. Our blogger services cost roughly the price of a trip to Starbucks with your family.

So, after I get my personal strategy and assessment, what else?

Keep following along. We’re planning to add blogging webinars to our bag of tricks in the near future. In the meantime, we’ve got some great post topics lined up on everything from blogging basics to innovative marketing ideas. 

I think I might know a couple people who’d be interested.

That’s awesome. We’ve got a referral program. If you love your blog assessment, refer 3 people who pay for a service and we’ll give you a free personal strategy session. And if you've already purchased a strategy session, you'll get a discount on a webinar of your choice.

Find us at http://www.elirose.com, like Eli | Rose Social Media on Facebook or follow Eli | Rose on Twitter @EliRoseSocial

**Great news! Eli | Rose Social Media is giving away one free blog assessment. Head over to Eli | Rose to enter this giveaway. Entrance is simple:

- Follow Eli | Rose Social Media via GFC or email

- Like Eli | Rose Social Media on Facebook

- Follow @EliRoseSocial on Twitter

- Tweet about the giveaway: I just entered for a chance to win a blog assessment from @elirosesocial ! http://bit.ly/aDdU31

Entries will be accepted through Monday, May 2^nd. Winner selected via Random.org.

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COMMENTS CLOSED. Please go and visit http://www.elirose.com and ENTER to win your free blog assessment! 


P.S. I was not compensated in any way for this review. I just love what these two are doing so much, that I begged them to do a review. Naah...not really, I just asked nicely.

Beautifully Bilingual - Your Child Talking Guest Post

Lori of In Pursuit of Martha Points is one of my favorite funny lady bloggers, and she's one of the best peeps to follow on twitter, @marthapoints.

Lori is also a licensed, certified speech-language pathologist, with over 15 years experience, who has created a resource site, Your Child Talking,  dedicated to providing parents with information on children and language development.

How did Your Child Talking come to be? In Lori's words: 

"I wanted to develop a place where parents could subscribe to blog posts with information about language, speech, linguistic development and communication. I wanted to create a place where people could contact me to ask questions. I wanted to develop a service where I could consult with parents about their own children using easy-to-use web services like YouTube and Skype.
And after thinking about it for a while…here it is..."

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of guest posting at Lori's Speech and Language site, Your Child Talking, with this post on being raised bilingually. Lori follows up my post there, today, with her take on the linguistic and cognitive benefits of raising a child with more than one language.

I am honored to have Lori here today to discuss the blessings of raising children knowing more than one language.
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Beautifully Bilingual--- by Lori, of Your Child Talking

There are many things I want to accomplish in this life. I want to write a book. I want to climb Half Dome. But there’s one more, and I’ve tried and tried and I just can’t get it to work.

I want to speak a second language.

I tried French. I tried Spanish. I tried sign language. And while I’d like to blame my failure to learn Spanish on the distraction created by my incredibly handsome Spanish professor, my blame game breaks down with French. I had a good high school teacher, a good (if somewhat austere) college instructor, and yet I can still only stumble through in asking to buy a ticket somewhere or find a bathroom (or a library).

I know that part of my impairments comes from a resistance to making mistakes, and you just can’t get anywhere with a language if you wait to talk until you know you’re going to get it right.

As a result of this repeated failure, I have an amazing respect for people who are bi-lingual. And that respect climbs for the multi-lingual.

We are hard-wired to use language. But we are hard-wired to learn language when we’re little. Up to around the age of 10 or 12. Then it is at its easiest and most natural. That’s why people who learn their other languages when they’re young escape the accent challenge. The amazing plasticity of a young brain allows it to gobble up motor patterns with ease and their speech sounds as natural as if they spoke only the one language all the time.

Here’s an interesting fact about children who grow up bilingual: they often acquire language more slowly than monolingual children. To the point where in places where there are large immigrant populations and a language other than English is learned at home, that school speech therapists spend a lot of time filtering out children who are referred to them for language problems when they’re truly just trying to acquire more than one language at time. This is the simplest type of delay, not a disability or a disorder. And since we know that the fix for this problem is time, we give it to them. A speech therapist cannot fix what is not broken. But if you think about it, this makes complete sense. The child is learning two sound systems, two vocabularies and two sets of grammatical rules. So since they’re doing twice the work, it is really only fair that it takes them a bit longer.

But here’s the GREAT part: people who were bi-lingual as children often exhibit far greater cognitive flexibility later in life. And by cognitive flexibility I mean the ability to make leaps in problem solving. I mean a rich appreciation of humor. I mean access to a broad array of language subtlety. I mean ability to appreciate multiple sides of problems. They often have better focus and attention. And any person who can speak more than one language has a part of the world open to them that may be closed to others. And lastly, there seems to be a cascade effect where learning two language makes a person that much more able to learn a third. It’s almost as if the act of learning two languages as a child wires in the language-learning ability far more permanently than learning only one does. Isn’t all that fantastic? So if you’ve been thinking about raising your children with a second language, or about bilingual immersion programs that some magnet or charter schools are offering these days for your kids, I urge you to do those things. It may slow the language process down initially, but that’s a small price to pay, and a temporary one at that. And your kidlet gets back the investment in spades.

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I invite you to visit Your Child Talking, read, browse, email me or leave Lori comments.

A resource like Your Child Talking is an amazing, valuable asset for parents who have speech language questions, concerns, or a healthy curiosity about their child and age appropriate language development.

Click here to learn more about one-on-one services for you and your child.

Yes, I Do...Yes, I Do...Oh.Yes.I.Do.

2 out of 2 guest bloggers say:

"Where did Saturday go?  Sorry I'm so late responding - ditto to what Tiff said about your readers.  You're welcome and ANYTIME.  Your readers are wonderful and generous in their comments."


"I love your readers - their comments are always so genuine." 




Ahem, excuse my puffed out chest here, but Oh Yes I Do ....I do believe that I have the best readers and the best commenters end of story. Lucky, lucky, hugely lucky me.

Those first sentences here in today's post?  are what Tarja of The Flying Chalupa, and Tiff of On The Verge, my awesome guest posters from Wednesday and Friday, had to say about the comments left here for them.

Taking this week off has allowed me to think, ponder, mull, and come to a realization. I now know why it has bothered me SO VERY MUCH that I haven't been able to get back to everyone who comments here.

*lightbulb*

I know now why I don't like the feeling of not being able to make it to your blogs as often as I'd like.

*i can see clearly now*

So this is why I have been unhappy in falling behind in contact with all of you.

*hello!*

IT IS because I really really like all of you. And, not just regular like, but really like. Like, grown attached to, and miss. I didn't have guilt, I had a case of missing you. 

See what I'm saying? I missed you all because you are all that. And it took Tiff and Tarja to just say, "hey, your readers rock" that made me actually hear PING! in my head at the thought of "that's it!"

I don't feel guilty, I MISS THEM.

So, I came across the most AWESOME way to say "I love you, man" over at Wellington Road, which just so happens to be the blog of the week here. Juli Ryan is the author of this sweet, sweet, intelligent and clever blog. She is living in New Zealand with Five, her precious son with an accent, and her husband.  She held a giftcard giveaway, no strings attached, to say thank you to her readers. "Hey!," I told Juli, "I can do that and would LOVE to do that."

So, I am doing that to say Thank You. And to say You Rock. And to let you know how I truly appreciate you and want you to feel that, not just read it, but to know it, too. I love this idea, I really do.

My live in tech support coughhusbandcough will pick a random number, and that will be the random commenter winner on this giveaway of your choice of  a Starbucks giftcard or Border's giftcard or Barnes and Noble giftcard. Your.choice. Just please leave a comment so we can do this thing.

Ahhh...I feel so good about this. Thank you, Dr.s Tarja and Tiffany, for the productive session. The check is in the mail.

And, THANK YOU,  to all of you, my most wonderful commenters and readers. You really are the best, you know that?

Also: I know I don't have to do this,  but I really want to. 

Tags: [It's my blog I can do a giveaway if I want to.]  [You can't stop me.]  [This is so fun to give stuff away.] [ I love you, man.]

Pioneer Woman's Bloggity Rules And Breaking Them One By One...

I love me some Ree, I follow Pdub and click over to her daily.

Pioneer Woman keeps her blog as she does her corn chowder souffle, light and fluffy.

When Southern Living Magazine interviewed Ree this past March, she said the one thing she hoped that her readers walked away with every day when they left her blog was feelin' good.  As in, lots of daggums, and garshes, and whoa~nellies! I once counted 5 goshes in a post, it must've been a light day for her.

Point is, I love The Pioneer Woman. I do leave her place smiling, happy, and feeling good. That is her goal, and she is the best at it. The.Best.

Well, I am breaking Ree's A#1 Best Quality piece of advice to a successful blog here. She doesn't bring in $800,000 a year from her blog from not knowing what she talks about. Yes, that number is correct. See the Times Article on the Top 25 blogs of  2009.

Today's post here will not have a single dagnab it, gosh, or tantalizing picture of the most beautiful family life possible.  There will be no sparkly double rainbow sightings through an ever so light autumn drizzle.

I am falling apart. Not all at once. Just little stitch by little stitch. I am so not where I want to be at in my blogging life, so much so that I was at a loss as to what to do. I take where I am very seriously.

One of my favorite parts of blogging: the visits to other sites, is too far behind that I can't even joke about it. Not even a smart ass comment can be made as to the status of falling behind on my fave reads.

My other favorite part, getting back to precious and valued and prized commenters? Even in worse shape.

I should be feeling better at this point, the truth shall set you free and all that. But I don't.

I lamented and handwrung and wailed and tore at my garments to my closest dearest babes. And the two of them collaborated and will be offering up guest posts here this week, while I catch my breath. Tiffany, from On The Verge, and Tarja, from The Flying Chalupa, will be here Wednesday and Friday, even though one is swamped with a baby and business trips, and the other is swamped with school and 2 little ones, they're doing this for me. I know, I can hardly stand it.

And, that is why I haven't just shut it down to re open later. These two life giving angels will keep things afloat for me. 

My name is Alexandra, and I am 3 months behind on my Google reader and am sporadic with replying to comments.

You all have given me an incredible gift with your comments, and your time spent here, and your support in every direction I've gone. You all have given me an incredible gift, and I'm grateful for that.

I'm posting this today because I don't want anyone to ever think that I don't want to visit their site, or that I think I'm too busy to visit their site, or that their comments don't matter to me, or that I don't even read them,  so I don't respond.

That is my fear: and that is why I'm typing these words here today.

I am behind, because I am behind. So many reasons for it, but no one is interested in excuses. And I've read PioneerWoman, and I, sir, am no PioneerWoman, receiving 1,500 comments per post.     

Forgive me? 

P.S. I love you,  Tarj and Tiff, you two are a force of  nature to be reckoned with. Coming in on sweeping keyboards and all.

And I love all of you who are still with me, here, while I somehow failed to keep up with you. Thank you.

*BONUS: The Empress' Bloggity Tip: Set the bar low, you can always jump over. ( -

**Extry extry Bloggity Bonus Tip: blogging, the devil and angel of it is all the cool people I met cuz of it. However, blogging is like that waaaay hot college boyfriend that you know is so bad for you, you know? No? mmmmmmmK, then, never mind.

Wendi Aarons: Day 2 of SAH BlogHer '10: You're Invited To A Party!

Welcome to DAY 2 of Stay-At-Home BlogHer '10!

Today, a party invite for us! and it's the Best BlogHer '10 party invite ev-er!

 Beyond funny Wendi Aarons has put a BlogHer '10 xtranormal video together at the Mouthy Housewives website, that will make you squeeeee. And you're invited!!

Day 2 of Stay-At-Home BlogHer '10, we will click over here.

Seriously, you have to see this. Trust me.


And I do think you're all like angels, only skinnier. Come laugh, hard, over here. (see, we ARE having fun)

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NEWS! Just learned in the most pleasant awesome surprise to wake up to, that Good Day Regular People is the featured blog at Lady Bloggers Society. Thank you, Stepfanie, Dalia, and Amy. What a joy and honor to be featured today. If you're meeting me for the first time, here is a link to the fave posts at Good Day.
THANK YOU, LBS!!  
LBS  is a great place to meet new friends, learn, and it's like stopping in for coffee with your friends before you begin your day. If you haven't been to Lady Bloggers yet, stop over, it is a lot of fun and is my first blog stop in the morning.  

The Flying Chalupa as BlogHer '10 SAH Opening Speaker

Welcome to the BlogHer '10 Stay-At-Home Event!


Today, kicking off our weekend of SAH planned events, we will click here for our Keynote Speaker, Tarja, of The Flying Chalupa. Tarja will introduce us all to the depths of the world of the blogger, and from hence we came.

Please, let's all click over and welcome Tarja, reading from her keynote address, "The Blorax."