Subheadings for Blog Posts and Other Lessons

Subheadings to Make Your Post Easier to Read

I have been blogging for quite some time now and I have never thought about why some people use subheadings within their posts and some people don’t. I submitted an article to Tribal blogs and gave them permission to change it because I was not entirely sure what they wanted me to do. They didn’t change much but they added Subheadings.

Not only does it make the post look much better it makes it easier to read. It breaks up the large block of text and makes it easier on the eyes. I went to check out some of my favorite blogs and the most of them utilize Subheadings no matter how personal the content. They still write in first person and have a lot of personal stories to tell so they don’t sacrifice personality for style.

Changing my Posting Format

In an effort to learn from my mistakes I am going to be changing the way I post on all of my blogs. I don’t have the time or energy to change all of my old posts but from this day forward you will see Subheadings. It will work quite well for this blog considering I love to write about different aspects of my life. I can create a title that sums up my week and tell you about my diet, my new baby chicks, my exercise, my interviews and whatever else strikes me as important to document. With subheadings you will get an idea of what I am going to talk about in the next few paragraphs.

Extra Lessons I Learned This Week

If you plan to live a life a little against the grain expect many people to get behind you. You must also expect just as many if not more to tell you how crazy you ideas are. I get a lot of support from like minded individuals but I have had to search for them at times. I often run into people who are just extreme in whatever they believe and they really get on my nerves. These are the people you will have the most trouble with.

Bringing the Farm To the City

I live in the city and I just bought 6 chickens (pictures here) I have two patches of strawberries to take care of and I intend to plant a huge garden at my mom’s house this year. I am also hoping for a great big porch garden here because I have not had any luck with an outdoor garden in the area of this yard suitable for gardening. I want to learn to live off the land as much as I can.

What I Want to be When I Grow up

 If that is not enough to get me admitted to the mental institution my career aspirations might get me sent there in a straight jacket. I also wish to only work part time in my schooled trade and part time writing while picking up various other projects. I am still working on what I want to do when I grow up. I think I want to live on a farm and raise animals, write about the farm life and maybe a fun novel or two, and run some sort of charity where children can come see the farm animals and learn how to grow food. Even I think it sounds crazy but it sounds like loads of fun!

Christmas Is Coming

I am all done with my Christmas shopping and I have most of the gifts wrapped. My husband and I decided not to buy for each other this year but just get ourselves a few things we wanted. Normally I would have a problem with that but not this year. I have not had the time to think up a good list and I also don't have the time to guess for my hubby. If I don't guess exactly right he takes it back. Like if he wants two video games a lot and I pick one he takes it back to get the other one.

I can't win unless there are a lot of things on his wish list that he wants equally. I am usually happy when he gets me something off my list or something he knows I have been dying to get but haven't because I am trying to save money.

We have things for everyone but my hubby's grandparents and he is on his own for that. I am feeling more stressed out over the need to take food to peoples houses. I don't cook much for events. At home I try to cook meals that all go in one pan like a stir-fry or grilled meat and veggies or potatoes. I don't ever make the kinds of food that people take to family functions. I hate doing it and I am usually asking what I can bring that comes in a box or a bag and can be dumped on a plate for the event.

I have a light work week only working a few hours on Christmas eve and Tuesday into Wednesday. I kind of need the break anyway before spending all that time with family and then a 40+hour work week the next week. It will give me time to get the elliptical fixed or at least a date for fixing and a work out schedule in place for the next week. I might even get one of the Kinect games for the Xbox 360 to work out with except I am not sure which one I  want.

Last but not least I am loving Super Scribblenauts! My hubby bought it last week and brought it home for me to try. I ran the battery out in his DS and he left the charger at work. If you can spell at all this game is a lot of fun.

Writing and Volunteering Today

First I want to say please pray for Matt and Sarah Hammitt and their little boy Bowen. Matt is the lead singer of Sanctus Real and he went to my high school. Their baby was born with a heart problem and he is now in the hospital. After a few close calls he is still hanging in there. Your can read more at  Bowens Heart.

I myself am suffering from lack of sleep because of rude people who like to make a lot of noise at all hours of the night. When i can actually identify all the words in a conversation outside at 11pm I am thinking it is too loud.

I am just going to quit thinking about that and try to get enough coffee in me to make the best of what I have today. I volunteer at Toledo Area Ministries today from 1-3 but other than that I plan to be writing. Jen Whitten who has been like an angel to me over the years has invited me to post on one of her blogs. Your Dark Passenger is a blog I read often and I am really excited about being able to contribute. So excited my mind has gone blank and I am having trouble thinking well enough to focus on a topic. I have a post in the works but I am nervous about it. Who would have thought I would get like this when writing for someone I admire.

I also plan to get a few sample articles ready for applying for freelance writing jobs. I have no idea what to write about for these articles. I have been thinking a few articles about dogs, religion, book reviews, and other random articles. I just need to continue writing and things will work out eventually.

I Love Blogging, Wish It Was a Good Way To Make Money

This morning I woke up at 7:30 instead of 5:45 and it felt amazing. I still needed a cup of coffee to start functioning well but it didn't take as long as usual. My goals for the morning were to get blog posts up for at least some of my blogs. I got distracted a little with the thought of making money blogging again. The thought didn't last long as I got a great laugh when I saw the book on the side of this post.

It reminded me why I blog and what a mess that I make when I try to create a blog that produces income. I start to feel like it is work and I end up spending hours clicking other blogs and wasting time I could be doing more productive things. Then ultimately it becomes a chore that only pays pennies for an hour of work.

I can't say that it is impossible to make a 6 figure income blogging but for me I really don't see that happening. I don't think any of your average bloggers are going to make a huge income like that. There might be a lot of great tips in this book so I am actually thinking of picking it up if they have a library copy. I am not looking at it for the huge income but for some tips to improve my blogs. I would love to have more readers and improve things for the readers I have.

I am not going to try to make tons of money blogging because I start to focus on the money making aspect too much. I am however going try to post more often and attempt to bring more readers to my blogs. If I make a few advertising dollars great if I don't I am still loving it.

I have well over a year to get my Social Work license up to date. I can keep the credentials and I can work on a plan to use my Social Work knowledge to help people. I want to start a business of my own and work for myself . It may be an internet business not directly related to social work I am still trying to decide what to do. What I do know is that I don't want a traditional job. I don't mind sitting at a desk most of the day if I can choose when I get up and walk the dog or work out. I want a job where I can work from 10pm (when my hubby leaves for work) till the wee hours of the morning and then sleep in if that is what I choose to do. I have been thinking of trying to write again as I do enjoy it most of the time. I know I would have to put a lot time and effort into getting some paying jobs. I have also been thinking of marketing some life skills lessons on a website. I would have to write them and then get a website to sell the lessons. Then I may have to figure out how I can retain rights to them. I have a bunch of ideas for the first time in long time but I jut need to get some focus and work hard at meeting one goal at a time.

Visit my other blog Dark Novels for book & movie reviews.

Updates On My New Blog

Soon I will have updates here as well but I would like some traffic to the new site as well so here is a link. I would love some feedback. Activate Your Dreams

In this post I discuss many areas I intend to improve in my life and the areas that I do well in even when life feels dark. I discuss some of the issues I have been having with family and health.

There are is not acceptable excuses anymore for me I am going to make my dreams come true, especially since I have realized that dreams can change. The dreams I had ten years ago are not the same as they are today. If they change while I am trying to attain them I just need to make a new plan.

On that note if you read my second post I have already written a plan of action when dealing with my family and I am going to type it up in a more comprehensive way and then I will post a bit of it there.

Working Out Physically, Mentally and Spiritually

It is just after one and I have managed to do some chores, work out, set an appointment with SCORE to help me with my business plan (for free!) and an appointment to work out the details of volunteering for the organization I worked my senior internship. I also started writing my business plan and finished a few more chapters in the book serving as my picture for this post.

So far it is a good basic overview of the business but I don't see it getting anymore in-depth so I have ordered one that is more of a text book. I am not going to put this on the back burner I am going to go out there and get moving. I feel good and things are really coming together. I must have made an impression on more people than I thought when I wasn't letting life chew me up and spit me out. I have had no problem getting back in the game and starting to re-establish contacts.

This is day 2 of being back on track with my working out. I had gotten there before surgery briefly and then I took another few weeks off even thought I was fine. I made different goals this time and I think they will be easier to stick with. I am going to work on getting to 3 miles in thirty minutes on the elliptical. I am tempted to make more goals but I have found in other areas of my life it is easier to focus on that one goal and when you meet it decide where to go next. I get frustrated to easily if I can't hurry and move on to the next goal.

Also I have not stepped on the scale yet. I do want to get on just to see the weight I am starting at but I don't want to get obsessed about it. So if I don't remember to weigh in the morning before I drink a few cups of coffee I just don't do it. One day I will remember but I am not sweating it, and really it is easier to do now that my goals have changed and I feel happier.

I am also spending time getting closer to the God I believe in. I am determined to read a chapter in Proverbs each day and pray. I have also been talking to the hubby more and trying to figure out how we can plan things together for our future and our marriage. When I launch this business we are going to have to have a plan for how we are going stay focused and in touch with each other even if I  get so busy I don't have much time to spend with him. We both know it will take a lot of time and energy to start a business so we need to set some ground rules to keep our marriage a priority.

So I am working hard to make my dreams come true and hopefully I can help others realize their dreams in the process. Knowing what I want and going for it has already helped me with my attitude.

Well gotta go mow the front lawn and go to the bank and library and read more chapters in my book and then write more in my preliminary business plan document.

I have a new blog too Activate Your Dreams so please check it out. In the future I want to link it to my business website.

I Want to be More Positive

I am listening to Make Today Count by John Maxwell. I think I need to learn to be more positive if I want to be successful and I have listened to a very short book by this man before. I was working at the second very temporary job this week and the attitude that makes it a great place to work no matter what tasks you are doing made me think of that book. I have it on cd somewhere but I found this one on the library website for download and it was quicker than looking through all my unmakred CD's

I have let life get me down so much (my fault not life's fault) that I can't see the good half the time. I need to start looking at the positive and not the negative. I need to change my attitude and learn to live each day fully. I try not to talk about all the negative things I think and I try to push the thoughts away but they are there because I am not doing anything about them. I need to develop a better attitude and I need to become more disciplined.
I have had this great revelation that if I don't learn to change myself then even if I get another job or another house I won't be happy or satisfied. The change has to start with me and I need to learn what makes me feel happy and go for it. Right now nothing makes me happy except a good nights sleep. I am the problem thought because I am not doing enough to change that. I give up to easily on everything these days because I have lost my passion. I need to find my passion again and until then learn to get up off my lazy ass and start doing things until if find what makes me feel good about myself. The first one is having a clean house which is something I really hate doing but I like the results and I feel good that it is done and much more able to relax. The second is to spend an allotted amount of time each day not half the day on my blogs and other writing projects including a journal I started. I need to have a daily journal time that includes finding what I really like to do.

I know that I love:

• Working with animals especially dogs 
• Blogging
• Gardening when I don't plant it under a tree that kills the plants 
• Reading
• Writing
• Paper Work or any task like that if it keeps me busy

I am sure I can think of more things later on but those were the things off the top of my head. So I am off to work more on the cleaning my house aspect. I had to take a break from the bleach smell it was giving me a headache. I would love to hear your thoughts on what I could do to make a living doing things I love.

This Week In Review

Blogging

Well this week has been kind of strange. I have been working a lot on promoting this blog as well as my Dark Novels blog and have found that this blog is quickly picking up in popularity. I have been spending a few hours a day writing posts and dropping cards. I think I may put adgetize on this blog as well. While not significant having two blogs with Adsense seems to up my earnings as well. I don't get much but with more visitors to this site I am getting a few cents a day now compared to one cent or less. The occasional click boosts my earnings too.

I have found that I have many more things I can do with a relative amount of ease on this blog without sacrificing readers. It is a personal blog I can write about just about anything and right now my focus is on weight loss with a little personal finance mixed in. The problem is that now that I really enjoy writing for this blog I have been neglecting my other blog. I have to think about my book reviews and that takes time. So once again I will be in a search to find balance. I often wonder why it is so hard for me to find balance in anything I do. Is it my personality type?

Working out

I have been doing good with this still but Tuesday I worked and took a break although with all the snow I shoveled I am not sure it was really a break. I have been reviewing some of my books on exercise and decided I need to do more toning if I want to see fat loss and look better. I will have a review of a Jillian Michaels book for this blog soon. So I have been working on my Claudia Schiffer YouTube videos and getting on the treadmill. I try to do at least an hour a day as I am having trouble working out more than that now that I am sore everyday. I am not so sore I can't work out but when I do I start to feel exhausted if I do too much. 

Diet

I have been doing amazingly well with this aspect of my life. I am still praying for someone to invent a pill that makes sweets taste bad so I can arm myself with that when I go to a party or my small group. I am not asking for something that makes me loose weight here just something that makes me not want sweets. Okay since that is not happening I am following Weight Watchers and I have not used my Flex Points (extra points you can use after your target points) or my activity points all week and I have been a little under my target points every day as well. I will be using many of the points on Saturday for our Valentines dinner at a great local pizza joint. I will attempt to eat light all day to keep my points low but I really want pizza not one of the microwave Weight Watchers ones but real good pizza. Not that the WW's frozen pizzas are not good but they are just not the same.

Everything Else

Well my life is good this week except the snow. We got a little under a foot of snow over two days but the worst part was the wind that was making huge snow banks. I had to work on one of the days but because I want to be responsible and bring some money into the home I didn't call off. I hate driving in the snow it stinks but my Jeep did well and got me there and back with only one slip into a curb I couldn't see no real damage done. I have been doing pretty well remembering to say THANK YOU to people who are doing nice things for me. That does seem to change the way people talk to you especially when you are asking for help and you actually thank the person for telling you how to do something. I think at least where I come from people don't hear those two words enough.

Looking For Blogs to Link To

Well I am looking at starting a links list on this blog. I am looking for weight loss blogs and blogs that have a similar view on finances that I do. I will accept many blogs if you blog has a once a week finance article or weight loss article let me know.

I am going to be picky about the finance blogs if you follow the principals of Dave Ramsey or Larry Burkett or a similar plan that does not endorse borrowing money I will use your link. I don't borrow money anymore and it is like true freedom

As you leave me links it will take me a while to post them but don't worry if you meet the requirements and I don't find your blog offensive (I am not easily offended) you will make the list. I am leaving it open until the end of February.