2011 Review

Real quick review - won't be posting anything new until 2012

The biggest thing I've learned is to do my own thing. I have 5 years to get this off the ground - if I stress about following all of the suggestions I want to give up.

If I do what I think is right then I keep plugging away and eventually I'll get there.

Week of 12/5 To Do

• Done! Get rid of grey line around ebook: http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/feed-your-family-eboook/
• Done! announce giveaways and ebook
• Done! change header w/ clickable ebook region

Blog Design

Done! Friday December 2, 2011

Steps I've done week of Nov 29 for eBook:

1. Created cover
2. created a cover for the header
3. created big "add to cart" button
4. Final touches on eBook. DONE!
5. link Paypal Account {don't keep cash in this account} DONE!
6. ejunkie DONE!
7. sales tax 4% DONE!
8. set up accounts DONE!
9. Create sales page on WGS blog {page has been started} need to add testimonials and link to MSM guest post about why I don't use coupons....add a few more links to HH as well. GOOD ENOUGH!

TO DO Later:

1. Affiliates - will do this later

eBook cover Wed. TO DO

Still to do:

1. make cover for HH blog that is 3D (link is how to make the spine)...how to make 3Dimensional
2. Add an arrow to the header in WGS DONE!

• The second way is less elegant but requires nothing more than the GIMP, a font that has arrows (I have one called Wingdings), and some work with the rotation tool. In many ways, that sentence really said it all, but let me elaborate. One of the fonts that your version of the GIMP probably has contains a font of little icons or dingbats. You may have to type out all of the letters on your keyboard to find out which ones they are, but in one of those fonts will be some arrows usually pointing in the cardinal directions. Make a text layer with just one letter from this font, say the up arrow. With the GIMP you can choose any color for your font, and you can scale it to be whatever size you like. If you need a longer tail, you may need to go in and use the selection tool to make a copy of the tail that is there and then repeatedly paste it on the end. This will convert that layer from a text layer to a graphics layer, but that's fine. You may also need to make the layer bigger to accommodate your longer tail. Once you do this, you just have to work with the rotation tool to get your arrow pointing in the right direction

Misc. Notes
filter render fractal explorer




fc5d00

Ebook to do

Steps left to do:

1. sales tax 4% 
• http://sd.gov/
2. set up accounts
3. ejunkie
4. Create sales page on WGS blog
5. Affiliates

Oh there are no dumb questions around here at all!  Make sure the box is checked in Dashboard–>Settings–>Writing–> Convert emoticons like  and  to graphics on display. Then, when you're writing, each time you type a : ), it will automatically switch to the emoticon

To Do Monday Nov 21

Finish eBook!!!!! Everything else can wait....ebook cover
http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/08/13/how-to-resize-images-using-the-gimp/

What I Learned:

• how to embed a google doc in my post
• wrote a post on existing blog encouraging people to subscribe on weeklygroceryshopping.com because in a future giveaway it counts as an entry... http://www.hummingbirdhomemaking.com/2011/11/need-your-help-upcoming-giveaway.html
• 
  
• (from think traffic).....To grow your search engine traffic, you don’t need to be an SEO ninja. In fact, you just have to follow a few basic steps:

1. When you’re planning your article, use the Google Keyword Tool to find a keyword phrase that’s 2-4 words long and gets 100-1,000 exact searches per month.
2. Use that keyword phrase in the title of your post, a heading title, bold or italicize it once in the body of the article, and use it a few times in the content of the post.
3. That’s pretty much it!

To Do/Think About/Decide:

1. research next smartpassiveincome challenge
2. http://manvsdebt.com/how-not-to-suck-at-blogging/comment-page-1/#comments.
3. http://thelittlehenhouse.com/category/blog-advice/
4. gimp black and white
5. check google webmaster to see what is being searched
6. Gimp - removing the background from a picture (see sidebar for more posts they've written)
7. write a disclosure policy for WGS
8. Take a print screen of my blog and define the areas ie. #content # secondary
9. Keyword "Homemaking" every post
10. link up at several carnivals
11. http://www.theminimalists.com/blog/  
1. We Instead Of You. The best bit of non-fiction writing advice we ever received was from Joshua Becker when we wrote a guest essay for his site. He asked to use “statements of ‘we/our’ rather than ‘you/your’ especially when talking about negative behaviors or tendencies.” It reads far less accusatory. Think of it this way: we’re writing peer-to-peer, we are not gods.
2. Research. Spend your time researching what you’re writing about. The reason we are able to use so many helpful, relevant links in our essays is because we put in the time to research our topics. That doesn’t mean that we read all of these blogs regularly, but we put in the time reading them when we’re doing our research.
12. advertising
13. gimp  - valentine day hearts;  gimp - various tutorials on you the designer
14. http://michaelhyatt.com/how-to-monetize-your-blog-without-selling-your-soul.html

EBOOK price will be $2.99:

• clickable table of contents do not do now because when you update the table of contents you lose all of your hyperlinks:
• http://www.ehow.com/how_5714608_create-using-ms-word-openoffice.html
• Make TOC linkable (this didn't seem to work for me)
1. for the kindle

Social Media

1. Learn Twitter - UGGGG

Reading

• http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/blogging-tips/

SEO

1. 
   

Other Bloggers
at 1:14 mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pjNMkPG0A
http://www.pocketchanged.com/

Design using Graphene theme - LATER

1. How people browse blogs
2. http://www.momcomm.com/   wow!
3. Add a picture to the front of your blog so people know you are real

Misc.

• Child Theme info
• Kindle for ebook

DONE

• Gimp tutorials - nothing I need right now
• google webmaster seems to be working - check weekly to see what is being searched
• added social media buttons to my header

Review of the week 11/18/11

WHAT I LEARNED

• I love playing with the design of blogs, but it's time consuming. I needed to get something up that was good enough. After this week {thanksgiving} I really need to keep some kind of schedule/goals as far as things I don't like FB, Twitter, pinterest
• timing matters BIG time over at moneysavingmom
• I'm getting a lot of hits at orgjunkie...be consistent in what I call my link up

DONE

• blog design is good enough for now - using graphene template (will add features later including a different header)
• google webmaster seems to be working - check weekly to see what is being searched
• added social media buttons to my header
• signed up for twitter
• actually wrote something random on my FB wall. After Thanksgiving week make a time schedule again including FB and twitter...pinterest as well..starting to get more hits from that
• linked up twice this week. Lots of hits from moneysavingmom
• my post was listed at smartpassiveincome

DONE

• continually posted on my blog

How to add Multiple Clickable Images to a Header

To add a clickable header in graphene WP blog

dashboard -> appearance -> graphene options ->advanced -> tick graphene header {header.php}

then slide a text widget into graphene header widget area

Then:

• create an image in gimp then save as .jpg
• open the .jpg image
• filters -> web -> image map
• select area and click -> enter in URL
• select another area and click -> enter in URL
• -> view -> source to get the html code you need...

in WP

• upload the image via media to WP - {get the location of the stored file} 
• dashboard -> appearance -> widget -> graphene header -> text
• input the code from gimp, but update it with the URL of the header

<img src="http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/white-background-with-letters-and-ebook.jpg" width="960" height="198" border="0" usemap="#map" />

<map name="map">

<!-- #$-:Image map file created by GIMP Image Map plug-in -->

<!-- #$-:GIMP Image Map plug-in by Maurits Rijk -->

<!-- #$-:Please do not edit lines starting with "#$" -->

<!-- #$VERSION:2.3 -->

<!-- #$AUTHOR:Johnlyn -->

<area shape="rect" coords="8,13,548,181" href="http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/" />

<area shape="rect" coords="555,14,953,132" target = "new" href="http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/feed-your-family-ebook/" />

<area shape="rect" coords="849,139,895,188" target = "new" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Weeklygroceryshoppingcom" />

<area shape="rect" coords="901,141,946,191" target = "new" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002957037720&amp;sk=wall" />

</map>

http://forum.khairul-syahir.com/graphene-support/inserting-images-next-to-header#post-10355
http://wordpresstipsandmore.com/2010/09/hello-world/
http://forum.khairul-syahir.com/graphene-support/how-can-i-add-adsense-to-the-background-image-1
http://www.ehow.com/how_5741472_make-clickable-image-map-gimp.html

Review of the week 11/11/12

I got nothin'


Next week will be better..I've been playing with the design and I hate it...it took up all of my time this week. Next week will be better.

Review of the week 11/4/11

I did nothing but worked on my ebook.

Dropped it off at my editor on Thursday....(AKA my friend!)

Tues To Do

this week (oct 31) I'm finishing up my ebook and only focusing on that....




To Do/Think About/Decide:

1. check google webmaster to see what is being searched
2. Take a print screen of my blog and define the areas ie. #content # secondary
3. Add FB icon so someone can like your page in the header widget area
4. Write on ebook 1 hour
5. from 365cp site - choose to post every single day using your keywords in your post...tip a day? quote of the day??
6. http://www.momcomm.com/   wow!
7. link up at several carnivals
8. http://www.theminimalists.com/blog/  
1. Vision. The reason our site design looks good is because we had a vision of how we wanted it to look, and then we worked very hard to make that vision a reality (N.B. neither one of us had any design experience prior to starting this site). It’s hard to create a great looking site if you don’t know what you want it to look like.
2. We Instead Of You. The best bit of non-fiction writing advice we ever received was from Joshua Becker when we wrote a guest essay for his site. He asked to use “statements of ‘we/our’ rather than ‘you/your’ especially when talking about negative behaviors or tendencies.” It reads far less accusatory. Think of it this way: we’re writing peer-to-peer, we are not gods.
3. Research. Spend your time researching what you’re writing about. The reason we are able to use so many helpful, relevant links in our essays is because we put in the time to research our topics. That doesn’t mean that we read all of these blogs regularly, but we put in the time reading them when we’re doing our research.
9. read http://www.farbeyondthestarsthearchives.com/how-to-create-an-a-list-minimalism-blog-in-less-than-6-months/
10. advertising
11. gimp   gimp
12. twitter
13. 
    

Social Media

1. Learn Twitter - UGGGG

SEO

1. 
   

Other Bloggers
at 1:14 mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pjNMkPG0A
http://www.pocketchanged.com/

Design

1. header
2. Like MichaelHyatt's design
3. more font information at blogigs.com
4. like TheSitsGirls logo
5. Allaboutbasic
6. A lot of design tips http://www.blog.web6.org/
7.   {real food ~ on a budget ~ without coupons}

Misc.

• Child Theme info
• Kindle for ebook

To Do Later for EBOOK:

• clickable table of contents do not do now because when you update the table of contents you lose all of your hyperlinks:
• http://www.ehow.com/how_5714608_create-using-ms-word-openoffice.html
• Make TOC linkable (this didn't seem to work for me)
1. for the kindle

DONE

• Gimp tutorials - nothing I need right now
• google webmaster seems to be working - check weekly to see what is being searched

Review of the week 10/28/11

What I Learned:

• Guest posts help tremendously. Definitely worth the time investment. This one fell into my lap, but I need to look for more opportunities.
• http://www.momcomm.com/   wow!
• It's still murky on what I'm supposed to be doing first, but have decided NOT to release a sub-par ebook just to get that project done.

What I've Done:

• Guest post at GroceryCartChallenge 552 page hits/ 1032 page loads one day; 332/714 page loads the next
• linked up at several relevant carnivals
• link within a post - not working quite right...
• figured out header getting blurry...had to define in functions AND in style sheet #branding img - that part took forever - love this part of blogging!
• played around with gimp - again that takes forever, but it's amazing what you can do
• added a like button to my posts via a plug in

To Do:

• My running list of to do's just keep getting longer - separate post on this blog.

Review of the week 10/21/11

What I learned:

• Once again, how important social media is...
• If I try to compete with others on MDBP then I lose focus of my most important priority (my family/home)
• If I focus on working on my ebook for an hour a day I don't enjoy it at all.
• I need to spend some time reading other bloggers

What I've DONE:

• created "purchases in alignment" spread for page steps for success
• created blank grocery budget by food you want to serve your family
• created a grocery list sample and blank sheet
• added the sidebar back into each single post (continue reading had no sidebars)
• wrote guest post for GCC
• updated employer info on facebook - not sure it did any good though
• added a clickable image for weeklygroceryshopping.com in HH blog - about me. Added button to a post with a 2005 date, then right clicked on image to get the image address...could be an easier way to do this???
• from bloggerseo website:
• <a href="URL WHERE YOU WILL GO AFTER CLICK"><img src="YOUR IMAGE DIRECT LINK" /></a>
• added clickable image on WGS directing people to HH:
• Amy in a new text widget put the following code:
• "<a target = "new" href="http://www.hummingbirdhomemaking.com/"><img src="http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/HH-button-for-WGS-button-snipped.jpg" /></a>"
• insert image into your server via the dashboard - doesn't look clear because of using snipping tool. Need to learn how to use gimp to do that.
• Added table of contents to ebook - do I want this to be clickable???
• decided against google+ for now.
• found another place to link up 

What I need to do:
I keep my to do list updated on this blog...most importantly I want to write on my ebook one hour every day AND ENJOY THE PROCESS!!!

Review of the week 10/14/11

What I learned:

Holy Cow - what have I gotten myself into? Just read SEO from ThinkTraffic and then tried to find a keyword w/ 500-2000 exact searches/month AND with google results < 20,000. Very difficult with my topic. In VBL's example he chose search volume of 3,600 and a google result of 96,000. Should have chosen a domain with my keywords in them.

I'm creating a combo niche site/authority site....need to keep keywords in mind. Keyword researching takes FOREVER and a day there are tools you can buy to make it easier.

• Learned how to disable comments on one page....at the top of the post or page, click on screen options, select discussion...at the bottom of your post uncheck allow comments.
• How to add "continue reading" in posts: http://www.blog.web6.org/make-summary-post-in-wordpress-blog-homepage/
• basically you put your cursor where you want the "continue reading" to be at and then click on the icon from your kitchen sink that says "insert more tag" when you hover (two pieces of paper split apart.
• Unfortunately for me - Social Networking matters - have got to figure this out!
• " You “aren’t really into” social media.
  Dude. Dude. If you’re a blogger who doesn’t like social media, you’re missing out on perhaps the single easiest thing you can do to be successful. I don’t care if you don’t like Twitter or Facebook or Google+ or LinkedIn. You need to at least have a mild presence at these social networking sites. You need to at least give your readers buttons to they can share your content. You need to stop complaining about the kids on your lawn and admit that social media isn’t some new-fangled passing fad. It’s here to stay."

What I've Done:

• picked SEO keywords
• updated my All In One SEO plug in using this video:  http://www.craigfifield.com/all-in-one-seo.htm    
• changed site so the permalinks include the day and month
• read keywords finding your niche
• http://www.e-mealz.com/  became an affiliate for my ebook
• wrote my first post and linked it to LifeasMom
• continued working on blog layout
• trying to decide if I want static pages or not
• from BloggingwithAmy:(Dashboard–>Settings–>Reading–>Front page displays–>"a static page"
• added social icons to each post....not to main blog page
• Establish your platform now from MichaelHyatt
• to do now:
• Consistently publish to your blog.
• Guest post to other blogs with similar markets.
• Collect emails on your blog and keep in touch.
• Consider producing a podcast.
• Create a Facebook Fan/Like Page.

What I Need To Do:

• http://bloggingwithamy.com/one-easy-way-to-cross-promote-on-facebook/
• I use the Comment Reply Notification plugin. http://bloggingwithamy.com/15-basic-blogging-dos-and-donts/
• Change headers/create ebook design...check out more font information at blogigs.com

Review of the week 10/7/11

What I learned?

The main thing I realized this week was that I need to work on my ebook every day. It's basically compiling everything I've written over the past couple of years regarding saving money at the grocery store and different strategies to try to feed your family.

This new blog will be a way to promote the ebook and help all people (not just homemakers) w/ grocery store issues.

What did you do?

text widget formatting
worked on ebook every day
Read about google plus  and decided to add this later! There are a million things I want to do.

designed blog - still more changes need to be made.

What I plan to do by Oct 14.

more font information at blogigs.com
Sociable Icons - For now add a FB like to each blog post.
1 hour each day on ebook.
4 hours uninterrupted Tues and Thurs...more hours throughout the week, but those are the two big days

Penalty

Not sure what I'm going to do here....paying money didn't work!

Thursday To Do 10/6/11

Read about google plus - add this later!


Ebook - 1 hour
CopyBlogger font size info more font information at blogigs.com

Sociable Icons still not sure if I'm going to do this.

For now add a FB like to each blog post.

Review of the Week Sept 30

What I learned?

After reading Amy's blog and seeing Venn Diagram, I'm changing my mind about what my blog is going to be used for. Will take longer to set up, but that doesn't matter. After reading Pat's post How to Really Profit from Your blog...my direction is confirmed. Blog is a vehicle for future ebook and classes I would like to teach.

What did you do?

• Sent email to Pat with link of post for his Reader Challenge which will continue to grow readership at HH.
• Continued working on header using Gimp
• Installed Firebug using Firefox to make changes to child theme in my blog. Getfirebug.com
• tons of comments/info at Allaboutbasics. 
• Started working on ebook layout using word

What I plan to do by Oct 7.

• Buy a cup of coffee for author of Allaboutbasics  Done!
• Continue working on layout - make new plan for blog goals to come on Monday. Done!

Penalty

Owe $2 of my fun money to food pantry (must take items in by Oct 7) this isn't working...

Thursday To Do 9/29/11

In order to figure out how parent/child themes work install firebug: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHbYpl1XFiM done

Excellent tutorial - read the comments too: All about Basic
Future to do:

http://digitalraindrops.net/2011/08/twenty-eleven-social-icons-in-navigation/

Goals Week of Sept 26

Tues:

• installed firebug in firefox....use F12 to activate. Figure out why there is a gray line at the top of my header. Design header and change functions.php to accommodate the change in size. Needs to be higher than 150 (width keep at 1000). (see bottom "notes" to see if there is something in there that I did.
• emailed Blogher done wait for 30 days
• still working on forms - no goal - ongoing issue....

Wed: 11-1:30 or 2:00

• shop in AM, update grocery shopping post in PM done
• design in gimp??? done

Thursday: 4 hours maximum!

• write 1 hour done
• Continue working on design using firebug 

Ongoing:

• update Intentional Living post constantly!

1. Contact Blogher regarding advertising on this blog. (30 minutes) sent email 9/27
2. Install Clicky software http://getclicky.com/user/#wordpress (as long as it takes)
1. Update feedburner feed
3. Update wordpress twenty eleven, allaboutbasic, digitalraindrops.net
1. child theme 
2. forum
3. firebug youtube video; 
4.  Continue learning GIMP - header (min. 1 hour)
5. install recommended plugins (review SPI's) (min. 1 hour) do not need to do this right now.
6. Friday - check feedburner to see if it works...

Still to do from last week:

Create professional documents - not sure how to measure this...what I'm doing looks unprofessional. Make documents clean and easy to understand.

1. http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/picnik/thread?tid=06d47931e6134512&hl=en
2. can I just add arrows in excel?

On future to do list:

• read SPI's post about good plug ins to have
• SEO plug All in One
• from thinktraffic Creating a Launch Plan "For now, start making a list of everything you’d like to have in place by the time you launch your new blog." Launch Plan thoughts:
• Safeway/Starbucks letter to see if they'll donate for a giveaway
• List 10 websites that I could submit a guest post to (include three big sites)
• Share a "my story"  at SmartPassiveIncome by end of October

Penalty

Every goal unmet donate $1.00 to food pantry donation $

Notes:

in style.css

#page {
margin: .5em auto;
max-width: 1050px;
border-top: 15px solid #bbb;
-webkit-border-radius: 15px;
-moz-border-radius: 15px;
-o-border-radius: 15px;
border-radius: 15px;
}


may want to add this????

What I learned...9/19-9/24

Everything takes forever to do. I need to continue working on things with a time limit instead of a goal to get something done. My family comes first.

9/22/11

• Read comments regarding plugins on Amy's site
• install recommended plugins (review SPI's)
• continue on her site starting with feedburner feed
•  from ThinkTraffic.net  -  You have to install Clicky analytics on your blog and Google Feedburner (both free services). - what did Amy say about feed whatever plugin?
• register for Million Dollar Blog Project
• Gimp tutorial  13 minutes long

• Make sure that my backup worked and was sent to jaebroeder; if yes, set up a filter

Week of 9/18/11

What I learned?

1. Write Epic!!! don't write mediocre stuff - there's a TON of that on the Internet
2. "It’s also important for your topic to solve a problem or fulfill a need your audience has. "
1. my blog http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/ will solve a problem IF I write/show them how to do it PHASE by PHASE showing details in a professional way
3. Answered these questions:

• Why should someone read my blog vs. the 100s of other blogs out there on this topic (or related topics? How would my blog be different?
• Am I capable of writing outstanding content on this topic? Could my content be better than 90% of blogs that exist on related topics?
• Am I excited enough about this topic to write about it multiple times every week for a year, even if I don’t draw a large audience?

Most importantly I learned that the content you write needs to be outstanding AND you need to be different than all of the other bloggers.

Main Goal

Start researching themes for WP


Items Accomplished 

• DONE! Read ThinkTraffic's posts on naming your domain - decide if I want to keep my domain name
• http://weeklygroceryshopping.com/
• DONE!  if I don't keep it, then start all over (N/A - I'm keeping my domain name)
• do the following
1. DONE! find 3 frugal carnivals to participate in
• grocery details wednesdays and/or frugal recipe on thursday:   http://www.frugalfollies.com/ 
• spendwise.org
• grocerycartchallenge
• moneysavingmom
• lifeasmom
2. DONE!   find out if google docs can be displayed in a post or does it always have to be a link: click share at the right hand side, publish as a web page, click on HTML, grab code and insert it into the post.
3. DONE! find a free publishing software that I can use OR figure out MS publisher
1. http://bloggingwithamy.com/how-to-make-a-blog-button/
2. http://bloggingwithamy.com/how-to-watermark-a-photo-and-edit-images-in-picnik/
4. Create professional documents - not sure how to measure this...what I'm doing looks unprofessional. Make documents clean and easy to understand.
1. http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/picnik/thread?tid=06d47931e6134512&hl=en
2. can I just add arrows in excel?

On future to do list:

• already have domain up on wordpress - find a simple, clean theme that works for me
• design header
• read SPI's post about good plug ins to have
• SEO plug All in One
• from thinktraffic Creating a Launch Plan "For now, start making a list of everything you’d like to have in place by the time you launch your new blog." Launch Plan thoughts:
• Safeway/Starbucks letter to see if they'll donate for a giveaway
• List 10 websites that I could submit a guest post to (include three big sites)
• 10-20 Keyword rich words
• Share a "my story"  at SmartPassiveIncome by end of October

What I plan to do week of September 25, 2011


Penalty
Every goal unmet donate $1.00 to food pantry donation $

Items Researched

Creating a form in google docs

Started Accountability Journal

Found ThinkTraffic.com's Million Dollar Blog Project

Rules include:

• Accountability journal - ThinkTraffic.com 
• Install Clicky Analytics
• Feedburner