PEDRO

Plan.   Edit.   Develop.  Review. Organize.

I just learned how to create a Google Form using Google Documents. Thanks to Jen at Devourer of Books. I am working with all of Jen’s tricks to see if the form will embed in my WordPress blog. Here it is:

No problems! A couple of width changes, but it looks great. Then I decided to do a completely different form and it turned out fine as well. Wow, this could be fantastic. Thanks Jen!

Happy Reading!

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,
I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.

PEDRO!!!

Plan.   Edit.  DEVELOP. Review.   Organize.

I am trying to add reviews to my website at a rapid pace. Perhaps too rapid. I just stepped back a moment to participate in a Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge and discovered that none of my recent blogs are appearing on my home page!

My book reviews are on the book review page – as they are supposed to be. But where are all the Bloggiesta updates and Values blogs I have posted tis past month? I have no idea. Is this part of my never ending cycle of frustration this weekend?

On the positive side, I was able to create a little icon all by myself. I chose something easy – A Star of  David, which I thought I might be able to use at  sometime. I used Real World Maker’s Online Icon Maker as suggested by Callista at SMS Book Reviews (@callista83). Here it is:

Rather spectacular, don’t you think? I am going to try a banner next…once I figure out where my blogs are hiding.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,

I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.

You will incur no additional cost, however.

I appreciate your support.

PLAN! Edit. Develop. Review. Organize.

Amy over at My Friend Amy is challenging the Bloggiesta-ers to do some goal setting before we get too far ahead of ourselves this weekend.  Normally, I have a plan – in my head – of what I am going to do. Then life interferes and I wind up in bed disappointed that nothing I had planned got done.

Today would have been exactly that, with the dead computer, the netbook tribulations and the snow shoveling. Instead, I find myself sitting at my net book, making a list of what I want to accomplish, not only this weekend, but in the future.

My plan for the weekend was to upload the many reviews I have stored away in my computer and get them onto my website.  I also want to add them and many other books to my Catalog of Books and my Amazon store. I would then like to see what types of technology I might add to the site.

My future goals include writing a blog each month about a specific Jewish value accompanied by the Jewish and Secular books that support it.  I want to write additional blogs so that I can be counted on for at least a blog each week.  I would also like to be a better citizen of the kidlitosphere.

However, probably the best pieces of advice Amy provided was the following sentence: “Write the blog you want to read.”  As I read it, she might as well have written, “Run the Boston Marathon in April,” because the blogs I want to read are written by extraordinarily gifted writers and reviewers.  To think I should, would or could attempt to join their company seems quite a stretch. However, the more I thought about it, why would anyone else want to read what I wouldn’t want to read myself? She’s a sly one, that Amy. So I am adding that to my list of goals, to write blogs that are the best writing I can deliver. Blogs that are so engaging, even I would want to read them. Now that is a high bar.

Of course, my list goes on, but I want to be realistic. No sense committing to everything in writing…what will I do next year?

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

©2011 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
Books used in this review were provided by my local public library.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon,

I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.

You will incur no additional cost, however.

I appreciate your support.

H

Plan.  Edit.   Develop.   Review.   Organize.

It is a little after 3 PM and I am just now starting my participation in the 4th Edition of Bloggiesta, a 72-hour fiesta of blogging, blog reviewing, website analyzing and blog updating unlike anything I have encountered since the last time I participated in this frenzy.

I thought I was going to get a huge head start on the event when I woke up this morning and discovered I had a “snow day”! Hooray! Unfortunately, I was greeted by a computer screen lacking any icons and after carefully turning it off and rebooting, then turning it off, unplugging it and rebooting, it appears my well over 7-year-old computer has entered the technological afterlife.

Which left me with an ASUS netbook with internet access, but no Microsoft Office programs.  OK, so I downloaded the 2-month trial of the Microsoft Office Student Edition. Problem solved.

Then I could not access my WordPress Dashboard because I could not remember my password which I had changed the last time something like this had happened. Oh for the love of…so I changed my password.

Now I am writing my initial blog because I know participating in Bloggiesta is worth every moment of frustration. As the manager said in A League of Their Own, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great.”  That’s what perhaps everyone working away this weekend is shooting for – something great.I know I am.

But first I have to shovel some snow.  Back in a bit.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

1. I began on Friday by signing up for the 2010 Comment Challenge on the MotherReader Blog. Since then I have commented on 18 blogs some of which I have not visited before.
2. I prepared my 2010 New Year’s resolutions thanks to Rebecca at the Book Lady’s Blog.
3. I began preparing cheat sheets and templates for my book reviews and blogs thanks to the great idea provided by Danielle at There’s a Book.
4. I checked to make sure my copyright date was up-to-date and that my copyright information on my blogs was current, thanks to Pam at Bookalicious.
5. I backed up my blog thanks to Jackie from Farm Lane Books.
6. I joined the Bloggie Cult and asked to become a Mentee thanks to Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century. But wait, there’s more…
7. I added RSS, Facebook and “Follow me on Twitter” widgets to my sidebar.
8. I created a Facebook page for forwordsbooks.
9. I added an Amazon.com search widget to my sidebar.
10. I wrote my Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog for next Tuesday.
11. I finalized my Tu B’Shevat Blog for next Thursday.
12. I wrote 7 book reviews. I have a lot more waiting for me.

I have spent approximately 16 hours over the course of the last three days working on things connected with my website. That is simply fantastic. Thank you Maw Books, Pedro and everyone associated with Bloggiesta for the chips, the salsa or whatever it is that put that fire in my belly to move me forward. See you in June!

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

And I checked to be sure my copyright date is updated to 2010 so one Bloggiesta mini-challenge has been accomplished…

And I have written two comments today…so far…

Moving on.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

MotherReader - where I signed up for the 2010 Comment Challenge and thanked her for the opportunity.

Lee Wind – where I thanked Lee for partnering with MotherReader on the Comment Challenge and giving us the opportunity to meet new people.

Maw Books Blog – where I signed up for the Boggiest and thanked her for the opportunity.

There’s a Book – where I got involved in a Bloggiesta mini-challenge and learned about creating a cheat sheet for my blog and thanked him for the template.

The Book Lady’s Blog – where I got involved in another Bloggiesta mini-challenge to think about my goals for my blog in 2010 and commented about how I  am already completely overwhelmed.

I am happy it is Friday night and Shabbat will allow me to relax just a bit. But before I light the candles, here are a couple goals for 2010:

1. Finish the forwords Catalog of Jewish Books and get it up on the website and let the Jewish community know it is there and updated in the next two weeks.
2. Target a Jewish Value each month and find secular books that support it. Feature those books and write a blog about the value and how the books support it.
3. Work on my Amazon affiliate program and see if I might generate a bit of income through book sales.
4. Attend the 2010 kidlitosphere Conference. Meet some the incredible people writing these amazing blogs.

I am sure there will be more,  I haven’t even touched the social networking stuff yet. But let’s leave it here for now.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.

JON SCIESZKA

I am not kidding.  Jon Scieszcka commented on my blog. Jon Scieszcka, the Caldecott award winning, First Ambassador for Young People’s Literature thanked ME for writing a tribute to HIM.  So not only does this incredible guy, write fantastic books with excellent Jewish values content, he’s also a mensch. And yes, I thanked him for thanking me.

Now I have had my taste of the kidlitosphere and the real possibilities it harbors. Not that Caldecott Award winning authors are going to be commenting on my blog every day, but the feeling of being part of a larger community.

With that in mind, I have decided to participate in two online challenges that are starting today:

The 2010 Comment Challenge sponsored by MotherReader and Lee Wind. A 21 day event running through January 28 that challenges kidlit bloggers to post 5 comments a day for 21 days.

And

Bloggiesta sponsored by Maw Books Blog, a weekend event to help those of us who tend to procrastinate with our blog maintenance duties focus on some clean-up tasks.  The mascot for Bloggiesta is Pedro,  Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize. He’s a cute little guy with a lot to say.

I have a lot to do this weekend and in the days ahead. I am looking forward to making some new friends in the kidlitosphere and beyond. Wish me luck.

Happy Reading,

Kathy B.