#2009FAILS

Here is my list of 10 fails of 2009. Hopefully we will have learned our lesson and correct these things for 2010.

1. Not adding a disclaimer to product reviews
2. Pressing publish before editing
3. Harassing moms on Twitter
4. Bloggers deleting posts
5. Blog posts without tweet buttons
6. Cyber stalking bloggers
7. Not adding connect buttons on blog sidebars
8. Using a cartoon as your Twitter avatar
9. What? You didn't vlog in 2009?
10. Leaving mean, not negative comments on blog posts

One to grow on:

If you are a blogger and you aren't following @problogger

Turn Your Blog Into a Mobile App

We are all looking for ways to get our blogs known...right? Well, I have 3 and I'd like SOMETHING to come of all my hard work!

I came across this via A Cowboy's Wife (she shared it in a group we are both in) and had to first sign up and then share it with you. (this is the link to download her app http://itunes.apple.com/hk/app/a-cowboys-wife/id347880519?mt=8)

It's a way to have your blog as a mobile app so that you can reach an even larger audience! Now, you are probably thinking...how much is that going to cost...right?

Well, it can cost you $99/year ad free or it can cost you NOTHING for a 50/50 sharing of ad revenue!

Benefits

• Extend your brand to the mobile world
• Follow your readers wherever they go
• Monetize your content with the MotherApp ad network*

Supported Features

• Offline content reading
• Embedding of YouTube clips
• Twitter feed integration

Basically, you can promote your blog in a new and exciting way and maybe gain a new readership and make money doing it!

I've already submitted my application. Submit yours (here).

Check Out This Video Message From Santa

This is adorable, you have to try it!

You fill in the blanks like child's name, hair and eye color, something they will be getting for Christmas, a chore or task that they have worked really hard on (like brushing teeth), where you live, ect.

Then, using all of that info, a video is made especially for your child of Santa from the North Pole.

It's free to do and adorable! I did one for two of my girls and can't wait to tell them that Santa sent a very special message to them from the North Pole. They are going to go ballistic!

Here is the link to the website...(link).

My Heart is Heavy For Shellie Ross

Every day, at the end of the day or if I'm done with all of the things on my "To Do" list, I go blog hopping.

I hit MomDot, Rock and Drool, A Cowboy's Wife, Organize With Sandy and many more. One thing that these 4 blogs all had in common was they had posts about Shellie Ross from Blog4Mom.

She endured the most tragic thing a mother could or should have to experience...the loss of a child. Her son drowned in the pool of their new home. My God...can you imagine?!

So, I'm hopping from one blog to the next, glued to each blog post and now I feel so sad for this mom and yet so happy she has the support from this awesome community of Mommy Bloggers.

There have been some awful things said to her on Twitter because she did tweet about her loss, but come on folks...Twitter is a support system and when one is hit with tragedy, one grasps for support.

I hope she gets through this because I know if it was me, I'd have a very hard time and would hope people were supportive in my time of tragedy.

I Felt Depressed Yesterday: How Twitter Helped

Yesterday I was feeling downright depressed... all-day-long.

I felt "gray" as I call it and not surprisingly it was gray outside. I felt bored, kept checking my email for something exciting to drop into my inbox and was having those worthless human being thoughts.

I thought, "I'm not a good mother."

"My family would probably be better off without me," with a sigh.

I felt downright sad and really needed a pick-me-up, so I tweeted:

"Feelin' so depressed today...gotta get out of this funk and fast!"

And then got these two responses:

PickleSugarPlum @TheAppleOfMyEye It happens to the best of us, sometimes! Hope you snap out of it soon! HUGS!

and...

Elizabeth_N

@TheAppleOfMyEye knock it off-did that help?


And, guess what...it made me smile and it was just what I needed. I woke up this morning and felt "normal" and all signs of the gray funk that was surrounding me was gone.

Thanks Twitter friends for taking the time to respond to my cry for help to get out the gray cloud that was following me yesterday. I truly appreciate it!

Why Are Bloggers Deleting Posts and Pictures?

This question has been on my mind lately because I keep coming across blog posts that disappear or pictures that aren't there anymore and I wonder why this keeps happening. Are we not thinking before we hit publish?

I'm not talking about bloggers that are password protecting their posts. I understand privacy trumps. I'm talking about writing a post, hitting publish and then removing the post or pictures for fear of what? Offending someone?

Your voice is important, but you need to think before you hit publish, just like you need to edit before you hit publish. It's just one of those steps that should be a part of the blogging "process".

Before I hit publish, I read my post out loud to make sure my sentences are complete and everything sounds right. I also spell check and look for punctuation mistakes. I may not find them all, but I try. Then, if I think my post might cause a stir or offend, I save it and think about it. If I am confident in "my voice" and I'm strong in my opinion, I hit publish.

I never go back. If I do go back, in the future, my plan is to put a note in my post explaining why I have edited my post. I think that our voices are so strong in the blogoshere that we owe it to our readers to explain everything that we do. Just like disclosures on our blogs when we receive product or payment for review, we need to disclose EVERYTHING to remain a viable voice to our readers.

What do you think?