Saturday, October 10, 2015

How to Design Your Blog Yourself

It turns out that you can design your blog yourself without needing to have any expertise in blog design whatsoever. After paying to design this blog, I was faced with the challenge of having two other blogs with no way to formally pay to design them also; so I decided to do the job myself.  Let me just say I had no formal training or expertise in this area. However, I was able to transform these two blogs into a space that was uniquely what I wanted to present to my readers. 



Here are some tools that I use to help me:


Free Templates

It was important to me to have my blog design looking visually appealing. I found that there are blog designers that actually gave away free templates that were first rate quality. You can find great free templates on these sites:



I have used Blogger Candy and I have found they offer a number of templates that are well designed and easy to change to suit my preferences. 

How to Install Templates in Blogger


Here’s how to install a Blogger template you’ve downloaded from another site:


1. Log in to Blogger, and on your Blogger Dashboard, click the Design link.

2. Click the Edit HTML tab.

3. Click the Download Full Template link and save it to your computer.

4. Make a note of the file name and where you saved it in case you need it later!

5. Unzip the template file you downloaded from another site.

6. Back on the Edit HTML page, click the Choose File button.

7. Navigate to where you saved the unzipped files on your computer, and double-click the one that ends in .xml.

8. Click the Upload button.


Creating Specialized Headers

Sometimes you find a great free blog design or a design on blogger that you love but you want to personalize it with your own unique blog header.  Canva is one of the websites I used to create my headers. I find that the website tools are easy to understand and very user friendly. Plus, I do not need to know anything about design to use it. I can upload my images/logos to the site and use them. You will however need to know the dimensions for your header so that you can have the right size and you will need to save the header you have created in Canva as a picture (jpeg/png format) .


How to Install a Header in Blogger


Go to the LAYOUT window and click on “EDIT” in the header widget (little blue link). The following pop-up will open:




Browse for the header image file on your computer and make sure you select “Instead of title and description” (also, do not select ‘shrink to fit’).

SAVE! ALL DONE!


 Sources:

 http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-install-a-google-blogger-template.html

http://www.bloggercandy.com/faqs-how-to/how-to-install-a-header-image/

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

How to Review a Poorly Written Book

source
You are excited because you have just received your first book to review. You quickly start reading the book with bated breath because you can barely contain your excited. Ten pages into the book you find that you are struggling to move on to the next page. With each page you become more disappointed with the writer's craft. You shake your head at the poorly written plot and the conflict that you are waiting to see develop but seems nonexistent.  Finally, at page 100 you give up. You just cannot keep going. You have 100 pages left and it is too painful to continue reading. Then, you remember that you have a write a review on the book. 


What then? 

How do you review a book that is poorly written? 

That is a dilemma that a number of bloggers face. Today I want to address that issue. Here are some tips on how to review a poorly written book:

 

Your Audience

 Always remember that your loyalty is to your audience; it is not any company, author, friend, etc. Bloggers tend to develop a relationship with their core followers; while your core followers depend on your honest points of view on the products, services that you review on your blog. So, your loyalty is to your audience. You must always remember that you should always the true to your readers.

Integrity

In business and in blogging integrity is everything. It is important that you state before accepting any product (book) or service to review that you will give your honest opinion (no matter what). By doing this, you are making it known that you will not write a great review of a book that is sub-standard because you are being paid or you are requested to do so.

Decline

After reading the book you can decline to review it. This is easier if the book was given to you by the author.  You should contact the author and explain your experience and decline to write the review or explain the type of review that you plan to write. I find that the author will understand because he/she does not want a bad review to be published.

Be Unbiased

 You can also publish the review with your honest opinion. You can state to your readers that although this is your experience it might not be the same for them. If the book is from an author they are familiar with you can suggests that they can read the book and share their own experiences. 





Thursday, August 27, 2015

Tips for Managing Multiple Blogs


Here are some tips on how I manage my multiple blogs:


Use One Blogging Platform

I find it more manageable to have all my blogs on one blogging platform (Blogger). My blogger dashboard has where I can see all my blogs at a glance and I find this very handy and useful.
So I suggest have all you blogs on one blogging platform that way you can see all your blogs and you can better track your blogs that way. I find that blogger helps me to do that.

Never Post Substandard Content:

 When you have multiple blogs you might feel like you have to post to keep your readers coming back; however, if you post content that is below your standards you will find that your loyal readers will lose interest and stop reading your blog. It is better not to post than to post content that is not in line with your blog just  because you feel like you have to post something.

 Set scheduled posts

 I am bad at this. But I have found that it is great when you stagger your posts if you have multiple blogs. This is especially good if all of your readers are from one Google + profile. This way you won’t overwhelm your readers. Pretend that you are a reader and you see four different posts from someone you follow from four different blogs on the same day.  I am sure you do a double take and become so confused. In short, don’t overwhelm your readers (Google +).

Find Your Niche

You need to have a clear purpose for your blog that way you will definitely know your niche and you will target that niche. When I first started blogging I had no purpose for my blog, Lioness Rebirth. I just wrote about things that interest me. However, over time I realized that my readers gravitated to posts that provided information that they found useful. So, I then focused my blog on that niche.

Network Based on your Blogs

It is good to join different communities on Google + based your different blogs. This helps because you can share with members of that community so that they can read posts that interest them from your blog. Remember to get involve. Do not make it a one way street. That way you can get a discussion going on your blog and in the community itself.

I hope these tips were helpful. Please let me know if there are any posts you will like me to share.


Sunday, August 23, 2015

5 Face Scrubs Recipes


Summer is almost over, however that does not mean you cannot keep summer with you through out the year. Here are a few simple D.I.Y. scrub recipe you can create at home to beautify yourself: 

Recipe 1- Tropical Face Scrub

  • Olive Oil
  • Brown Sugar
  • Honey
  • Lemons
You can use your desired measurement. You cannot go wrong. Combine all of these ingredients until the mixture forms a paste-like substance

Recipe 2- Quick and Easy


  • Cornmeal
  • Condense Milk
Combine all of these ingredients until the mixture forms a paste-like substance. Then apply to the skin. It might get hard and tighten the skin. Following this, watch with warm water for a smooth youthful look.

 Recipe 3- Summer Fun

  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 10-15 drops essential oil (optional)
Combine the coconut oil and one cup of the sugar in a bowl and mix until creamy. Then, add the essential oil while continuing to stir. After, add the remaining sugar until the formula reaches the desired consistency. Finally, scrub away and love your super soft skin! Store the remaining scrub in a tightly sealed container for later use.

Recipe 4- Clean & Cool


  • 2 cups of white sugar
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/8 cup rosemary essential oil
  • 2 Tbsp. baking soda
 
Combine all of these ingredients until the mixture forms a paste-like substance.  Place in a mason jar.  Because of the olive oil ingredient, it is ideal to use this body scrub while showering, and to clean the tub thoroughly when you are finished to get rid of any oily or slippery residue. This body scrub may be used before shaving to leave your skin feeling soft and resilient.

Recipe 5- Simply the Best

  • Baking Soda
  • Rag
Wet your rag and pour two teaspoons on the rag (or as desired). Also, rub baking soda into the rag. After this, use the rag to rub your skin. Then, wash your skin with water. This can be done before or after your bath.
 
 
I hope you find these useful. Remember, I am not a trained professional and I am sharing my thoughts and opinions.
 
Resources:
http://www.morethanmundane.com/2013/12/09/101-diy-scrub-recipes/
http://saltlicklessons.com/2014/09/23/homemade-sugar-scrub/

Monday, August 10, 2015

How to Write a Blog Post


So I have been blogging now for about four years on and off. It is something I enjoy doing and it is purely my hobby. However, over my four year journey I have learned a few tips and tricks that have helped me when writing my blog post. 



 Getting Started

  • Sometimes it is hard to get started on writing your blog post especially if what you want to say is not actually what you are typing on the page. You find that you type and delete continuously; before you know it, you are at square one. So what to do?

Brainstorm Ideas

  •  It is good to have an idea of what you want to write before you begin writing. Basically, brainstorming is writing down your ideas and organizing them before you start writing.
  •  I find that brainstorming saves you a lot of time and energy. It also prevents you from having writers block in the middle of writing your post.
  •  Brainstorming helps you to focus your topic, eliminate ideas that are not in line with what you want to write about and also to find an innovative way to present your topic.

 Creating Your Title

  •  You can start writing your blog post by creating the title of your blog post. It is important that you ensure that your title concise but it most also convey what you blog post is about.
  • A good title is one that is also search engine friendly meaning it could be similar to a search query that someone would type to find information on the topic you are writing about. 
  •   When you create the title first; it also helps to frame the content. Creating the title first is also very helpful because you can always refer to your title when writing content to ensure that you do not include unnecessary information.

After Starting

  •  Once you start writing make sure your language is simple and easy to follow. It is important that you write in a way that your readers can understand exactly what you are trying to say. 

Creating your content

  • There is no hard or fast rule that says you have to begin writing your blog post by creating your title first. Sometimes when it comes to a title you can be blank. Therefore, you can write your content. Depending on your blog, you can decide to write your content based on any topic. After you have written your content you can examine what you have written and create the most suitable title for your blog post.

Do your research

  • If it is an informative post you are writing it is good to ensure that you have the most current and relevant information on the topic. Therefore, please ensure that you do adequate research.

Edit! Edit! Edit!

  • Editing your blog post is essential. I type my posts in blogger then sometimes I copy it and paste what I have typed into Microsoft Word. That way I can see not only the spelling errors but also the sentence structure errors. I them proofread my post in Microsoft Word and paste it back to blogger.
  • I know it sounds tedious but I find that when I type in Microsoft Word and paste it in to blogger that my margins are off and then I have to go back to word and do more aligning to get it to align properly on my blog. 

Preview

  • After this I preview my blog post clicking the button on the top right hand corner of blogger that says preview. This allows me to see what my post will look like when I post it. I can adjust the paragraphs and check grammar again. I try to check my grammar as much as possible because this is my weakest area. 

Visual Appeal

  • I find that adding pictures add to the visual appeal of the post. Ensure that the size and the colour of the words on your blog post makes it reader friendly. If you have written a long post you can include subheading to break up the paragraphs and to grab the reader’s attention.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Three Fun Things to do this Summer

Summer is a time for fun, sun and relaxation. However, if you are not on holidays and you have to work at a 9- 5 job; then the beauty of summer will be lost on you. Here are three fun things you can do this summer that will make this summer memorable.

Weekend Road Trip


Planning a road trip is a great way to get away from your everyday routine. A great road trip will enable you to explore different places and to spend much needed time with family and friends.

There are different types of road trips. Here are a few:
Type 1: a direct car trip to get to a specific event or location

Type 2: an extended planned trip with multiple destinations

Type 3: the indefinite trip with spontaneous destinations

D.I.Y. Summer Items

What I love about summer is the sense freedom it brings.  As adults we often feel trap by our daily lives. This is because there are times when we are forced to be practical. Designing cool Do It Yourself (D.I.Y) summer items is a way to shelf the practicality of our lives and just have fun.

Here are some summer D.I.Y. items you can make:


Reconstructed Blouses 


D.I.Y. Scarf Sandals


D.I.Y Belt

Break the Routine: Tour Your City


Find those tucked away places in your own city that you have often over looked or you have been too busy to explore.

These can include but are not limited to:

  • Art Gallery Tours
  • Bicycle Tour around the City
  • Spending a day at the beach or local attractions
  • Going to festivals and local concerts
  • Exploring historical building and churches

 The idea is to do something out of the ordinary.


Further Reading: Summer Road Trip