BlogCatalog

On November 17, 13,200 bloggers from across the globe participated in BloggersUnite: Fight For Preemies. Their posts about the rising rates of premature births raised the awareness of approximately 3 million readers. Through a mix of sobering facts, statistics and moving personal accounts, these bloggers poignantly illustrated the impact premature births have on both the individuals involved and on our society as a whole.

Thanks to all who were involved, the Fight For Preemies ranked as the top event on BloggersUnite before and during the event with a total of 495 registered participants (approximately 3.8% of total participants). The March of Dimes saw the percentage of blog posts in which they were mentioned double on the event date, and Fight For Preemies was mentioned nearly 5 times as much on November 17th as it was in the month leading up to the event.

BlogCatalog and BloggersUnite want to thank each and every blogger who participated in this event. Thank you for taking the time to make a difference. Thank you for sharing your stories; they moved us more than you can imagine. Below are a few of the posts BloggersUnite and The March of Dimes felt deserved recognition for truly capturing the spirit of this event:

Love My Lily: "Having a preemie means having to say goodbye to a lot of things that most first time parents take for granted..." http://lovemylily.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-day.html

Baby Tea Leaves: "I learned something that day. I learned that even though we forget so much, that some memories will never ever lessen. They will remain as vivid as the day we experience them." http://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/11/post-that-almost-wasnt.html

Sophie's Journey: "Nonetheless, every night we were there, we noticed another couple who spent hours and hours sitting next to their baby's crib, reading to him from Harry Potter. They never missed a night. Their dedication was incredible." http://sophiejourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-month.html

Mothers Who Write: "He knows her better than I do. I have a baby too ticklish to touch and Ididn’t even know. I feel like crying, but don’t want to cry here. “Take me back,” I say. “I’m ready to go.” http://motherswhowrite.blogspot.com/2009/11/fight-for-preemies.html

Life And Times of the McTripletts: "I could give you some statistics about how many babies are born early each year, how much it costs families and businesses, what percentage of babies die from complications, the average time spent in the hospital, the percentages of these babies who have life-long complications... but to ME - those are just numbers. The statistic "1 in 8 babies is born prematurely" wouldn't have ever meant anything to me... unless that 1 baby was mine." http://themctriplets.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-day.html

Sayer's Journey: "Aidan spent 66 days in the NICU. Aidan lived and thrived in the NICU thanks to many doctors, nurses, specialists and research done to help babies born too soon. Aidan came home a month before he was even supposed to be born." http://sayersjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/prematurity-awareness-day.html

Our Stork Got Lost: "I definitely wasn’t prepared for the feelings of guilt, sadness, jealousy, anger, confusion, and fear that I would feel just because Max and Wes were born prematurely." http://ourstorkgotlost.com/2009/11/blogging-for-preemies-a-mommys-point-of-view

As of December 1, 2009, new FTC guidelines went into effect requiring bloggers to disclose any time they are compensated for endorsing or reviewing products or services. Bloggers should now be disclosing any time they receive payment, free products or services, or perks in return for a post on their blogs. Also any relationship with a company or organization that can be viewed as creating a conflict of interest should be disclosed. It is also a good idea to add disclosures to any past posts that still receive a decent amount of traffic.

The main focus for the blogger should be transparency. Tom Chernaik, one of the developers of http://CMP.ly (Comply), has had several discussions directly with the FTC. In a phone conversation yesterday, Tom told me that "what the FTC has said is that they're not looking to go after bloggers. What they want is for people to comply and be transparent and to be open about what they're doing." He stated that most of the burden will fall on advertisers. They will be responsible for "lead[ing] the discussion about disclosure...and having a monitoring plan in place to monitor those disclosures as they occur."

This does not mean that bloggers are without responsibility. Although the FTC may focus mainly on advertisers, bloggers are still required to include disclosures on their blogs and can be fined if they don't include them. Because many bloggers are confused about what they will be required to include on their blogs, CMP.ly is making it easy for bloggers to include disclosures. By creating a free account at CMP.ly you will have access to six standard disclosures and a custom disclosure that can be pasted into your post. If you feel like taking a more relaxed approach to the whole disclosure issue, humorous illustrated disclosures can be found at Louis Gray's blog. Whatever path you take, just be transparent and you should be OK.

Times are tough, and shoppers are cutting back. But, that doesn't mean consumers have stopped their holiday shopping all together. Americans are still giving and getting presents. In today's economy, being able to give the "right" gift can be a challenge, especially if the recipient is a high-maintenance, fashion-loving, trend-setting diva (that's a lot of hyphens). Being that I fit that description, I must share with you some tips and tricks for satisfying the designer demands of your favorite fashionista while sticking to your Walmart budget.

Speaking of Walmart, did you know you can buy designer fashion at this often chastised mass market? Norma Kamali has been designing since the 60s and is known for being innovative and creating functional, yet fashionable, pieces that can often be worn in various ways and in various settings. One of her most classic designs is the puffy sleeping bag coat, which is now available at Walmart for only $28. Her collection for Walmart even includes organic pieces. The entire collection ranges from a mere $4 to $28, so you can definitely find something stylish and inexpensive.

Norma Kamali for Walmart. Image from Walmart.com.

Of course, you must be familiar with Target's success with showcasing designer fashion. Currently at Target, you can find the Anna Sui for Target collection (price range: $20.98 - $104.98), Carlos Falchi for Target (handbag price range: $19.99 to $49.99) and Anna Sheffield for Target (jewelry price range: $13.99 - $34.99).

Anna Sheffield® for Target® Charm Bracelet. Image from Target.com.

Kohl's currently features a line from reality star turned designer Lauren Conrad. Named LC Lauren Conrad, the line includes jeans, leggings, tops and even pretty party dresses. Styles are trendy without being too young and junior-ish, so even the mature fashionista will appreciate the designs. Prices range from $13.99 - $44.99.

LC Lauren Conrad Shaker Cardigan and Asymmetrical Dress. Both images from Kohls.com.

This week, @TonyBerkman and @AngieAlaniz are out of the office and that means Rocky and Ariela, the office pugs, are gone too. While the office isn't quite the same without our trusty pugs--it is quieter and smells a whole lot better--it does give us a chance to appreciate a new addition to the BlogCatalog office.

Tom Wilkinfish is a little fish in a little bowl, and he is often overlooked by everyone other than his friend and caretaker, @ithinkdancan. Until now, that is. Tom now has his own twitter page so that everyone around the world can keep up to date with everything that happens in his little 6x4 inch world. It's pretty riveting stuff that you will not want to miss...if you're into swimming and breakfast pellets. You can follow Tom at http://twitter.com/tomwilkinfish and we'll be sure to check in with him now and again and keep you up to date on the word from the tank.

Sometimes it can be cumbersome to update your status on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin by having to visit the individual sites.

Your readers want to stay connected to you in various ways and some prefer different outlets.  You have to make sure that if you create a social media stream for your users to follow you, then you need to continue to use it so you don’t lose your reader’s interest.

I am a part-time blogger since I am also a full-time stay at home mom and involved in various organizations.  Even though I am considered a “stay at home mom,” it seems like we are never at home!  So staying connected in different outlets took a lot effort, but not any longer with HootSuite.

HootSuite
HootSuite is first and foremost a Twitter toolbox that has received rave reviews for many of its features.  HootSuite was recommended by many probloggers at BlogWorld 2009, so I decided it was worth trying out and I have never looked back.

Some of its features I love include:

• Easily RT, DM and Reply by selecting the username and the appropriate icons
• Ability to schedule updates
• Shorten a URL quickly and easily
• Provides analytics to track links clicked
• View the conversation for @replies

Other Features I Haven’t Tried:

• Ability to Manage Multiple Twitter Accounts
• Feed RSS to Twitter automatically
• Import Existing Lists and Create Lists
• Easily upload photos and documents

HootSuite Works with Facebook, Linkedin, and Ping.fm
HootSuite updated its application at the end of November to allow you to provide current and scheduled status updates on Facebook, Linkedin, Ping.fm, and Twitter.

I have been using this feature for about a week and it has not only saved me time from going to various sites, but it allows me to stay connected and be more active with my readers and friends.  Now I can update my status in Twitter, Facebook Fan Page, and my personal Facebook account with one application.

Will all updates go to all streams?
You can be selective in which stream you want your updates to be posted, so something that you would want to go to your personal Facebook update, won’t automatically be posted in all streams.  When you enter your status update, you select the icon for which stream(s) you want that to be posted in.  You can also update all of them with the same status.

Can you view your Facebook Friend's updates from HootSuite?
Yes, and with pictures!  After you import your other social media streams (ex. Facebook) into HootSuite, you will see Tabs for the different streams.  Click on a tab and you can view the wall status updates of your friends and can make comments to their updates.  You can also rename, add, and delete tabs.

It Gets Even Better…
You can easily add your social media stream as a column in HootSuite so you can see your Twitter and Facebook info on the home screen.

The Downfall…
There isn’t an iPhone application for HootSuite yet.  If we could just get this awesome application on our iPhone then I would have no more excuses for not staying updated.

Do You HootSuite?
Just give HootSuite a shot if you haven’t already fallen in love with another Twitter Toolbox.  I have found that it saves me time and I love its organizational structure.  Hopefully you too will find it useful.  If it doesn’t work for you, then at least you have nothing to lose.

Twenty-one years after writing her award-winning book The Cake Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum--a.k.a the "Diva of Desserts"--shares more amazing cake recipes in her new book Rose's Heavenly Cakes. Featuring detailed directions and instructional photographs that guide readers step-by-step through her recipes, the book makes it easy for any home baker to create Rose's mouth watering cakes. The book features butter and oil cakes, fluted-pan cakes, baby cakes, sponge cakes, and the bravest bakers can even attempt one of her wedding cakes!

In the spirit of the Julie and Julia project, Rose's fans are baking every one of the cakes in Rose's Heavenly Cakes and blogging about it at heavenlycakeplace.blogspot.com. Rose also has her own blog, Real Baking with Rose, where she shares her thoughts about baking, lists her upcoming appearances and has a complete list of all of her popular cookbooks.

Learn a little bit about baking a great cake by watching Rose's video:

Click here for a larger version of the video.

Writing in an office environment can be difficult. Distractions are everywhere. I hear coworkers talking about the details of Tiger Woods' alleged affair and I get distracted. They ask me a question about updating a profile on BlogCatalog and I get distracted. The UPS man shows up, asks for a signature and I get distracted. Even on the days when I find myself alone in the office, I still get pulled off track by the various tones emanating from my phone and computer alerting me to a new email, a new text message or an incoming call.

So, how does one eliminate all of the outside distracters and get back to the simple task of putting words down on a page? This is the question I asked myself at the beginning of the week, and after a few days I have come up with three tips. I have no illusions that these are ground breaking pieces of advice. In fact, writers have probably seen them expressed one way or another a thousand times. Still, even when one knows something already, it is nice to have a periodic reminder.

1. Schedule time to write when you know you will not be distracted. I usually get to the office between 8:30 am and 9:00 am in the morning. By that time, most of my coworkers are here too and so I come into an environment where there is already a lot of activity. By arriving between 6:30 am and 7:00 am, I give myself anywhere form an hour and a half to two hours of alone time when I can concentrate on my writing and nothing else.

2. Turn off your phone and any alert systems you have on your computer. I put my phone on silent, shut down my email program and turn off all my social media applications. I turn everything off completely because even if I don’t check my email or pick up the phone to see who is calling, just hearing the beep, buzz or ring can distract me from my thoughts. And, when you get knocked out of your writing groove, it can sometimes be hard to get it back.

3. Use a basic writing program. The first part of writing is getting your thoughts out on the page. So, pick a program that allows you to do just that without being distracted by spell-check and formatting errors; these can be fixed later.

This week I have been using Ommwriter, a new application for Macs developed by Herraitz Soto & Co. Recently launched in beta form, Ommwriter is "a simple text processor that firmly believes in making writing a pleasure once again, vindicating the close relationship between writer and paper." Forget formatting, inline spell checking, hundreds of font choices. You'll find none of that here. What you will find is a clean, simple application that allows you to focus on just one thing--putting your words onto the page. Ommwriter does have a few options. You can choose one of three backgrounds--a clean white page, a clean grey page or a minimalistic grey and white snow scene. There are also three font choices--serif, sans serif and script--and three font sizes. There are seven meditative soundtracks and seven different keyboard sounds from which to choose; or you can turn the sounds off and type in silence. For those of you looking for a meditative space in which to write all you really need is Ommwriter and pair of headphones and you’re there. For more information about the Ommwriter application you can go to: http://www.ommwriter.com/

Ommwriter (click the link to watch the full-size video on Vimeo.)

It's become a tradition, hasn't it? The holiday gift-giving season seems like the best time to give the gift of personal fragrance. Why is that? I hypothesize there are two reasons for this. One, people rarely buy a fragrance for themselves. Men never think to buy cologne, unless it's something they saw advertised on television for $9.99. And women often think of fragrance as a romantic gift. We wait for our significant other to make the purchase for us. The other reason personal fragrance is a popular gift during the holidays is that it's so easy to buy and give. Even when giving to those people who have everything, a bottle of perfume or cologne always seems to work out.

As easy as it is, one must put some thought into the purchase. After all, a bottle of White Shoulders may make a great gift for your Grandma Mae, but it would make a terrible gift for your twenty-something sister. So take some time to look in magazines, watch some television ads and read some blogs to learn about the personal fragrance options available on the market today before you shop. Once you realize what an easy and rewarding gift it is to give, you'll find yourself giving perfume and cologne to all your loved ones every holiday season.

Ready to begin shopping for personal fragrances? Start here by reading the following perfume and cologne blogs. They're very informative and helpful, covering modern fragrances available today.

Polish, Platforms, Perfume – With a name like that, you can imagine this perfume blog is my favorite! Blogger and Blog Catalog member, Lindsey, writes thorough blog reviews that include her editorial opinion, personal voice and, of course, details about the notes. Lindsey's' reviews are so clear and strongly descriptive that you begin to smell the fragrance as you are reading.

Perfume and Cologne Reviews – If it just hit the market, you can bet Blog Catalog member Armondo is on it. On his blog, Perfume and Cologne Reviews, you can get background information on the brand, details on the notes, pricing and even a fragrance education. For example, Armondo's blog post on Floral-Based Perfumes gives insight as to why one may prefer floral-based fragrance and lists recommendations.

The Smell of Bliss – If you're tired of smelling like everyone else, or you're shopping for someone who is, then niche fragrances are for you. When this Blog Catalog member isn't studying, researching and writing about the Gainesville, Florida Apartments market, she's reviewing and blogging about niche perfumes. That is, perfumes that are not manufactured for the mass market. If you're looking for something truly unique to give this holiday season, turn to The Smell of Bliss for guidance.

It's almost here. Are you ready for it? Black Friday is November 27 and Cyber Monday is November 30. These are  THE shopping days of the year – the two days when eager shoppers can take advantage of fantastic sales and special offers and quickly complete their holiday shopping lists.

But to really benefit from these special shopping days, you need a plan and you need to work that plan to its fullest potential.

1. Who's on your list? By now, you should have a written list of all the people for whom you are shopping this holiday season. If you don't, make one now!

2. What's on your list? Next to each gift recipient's name, note gift ideas for each one. In a separate area, list the holiday items you need for yourself, such as a party dress or home decorations.

3. Where will you shop? Now that you know what you need to buy, write down where you need to go to make your purchases.

4. How will you shop?Will you hit the brick and mortar stores on Black Friday or shop online on Cyber Monday? Or, will you do both? Decide now.

5. How much money can you save? Do your research. Look for scheduled sales and special offer. For example, if you plan on shopping at Banana Republic to purchase a dress shirt for your Uncle Bob, find out if BR is having a sale. Maybe there's even a promotion code you can use online to save money.

As you complete your lists and do your research, you may find yourself altering your original shopping strategy. This is to be expected, especially if you're trying to save money this holiday season. Be flexible. But in the end, come up with a plan and stick to it. Do what works for you, whether it's saving money or getting all your shopping done in one place for the sake of efficiency. Whatever your needs are, devise a strategy.

To stay ahead of the shopping game and help you save money, visit the following blogs for coupons, news and information on sales. Happy shopping!

Black Friday Sales 2009 – The blog title says it all. Visit this site for huge store sales, price cuts and more.

Queen of Clearance – Secrets to saving money while still living like royalty.

Christmas Store: Overstock Clearance, Gift Shopping Online, Free Shipping Offers – Clearance outlet deals.

I Love a Good Sale – The SOURCE for exclusive coupon codes and sales to most major retailers.

The Bargainist – Hand-picked deals, sales and coupons.

(Banner from Blog Catalog member Black Friday Sales 2009.)

As Thanksgiving approaches and we begin to focus our attention on buying and preparing dish after dish for our holiday feasts, it becomes more apparent than ever that there are many people in our communities that will be going without a Thanksgiving meal this year. In fact, many of these people often go without meals for themselves and their children and some struggle daily with hunger.

Food banks and nonprofit organizations all across the world do their best to help those in need, but it seems no matter how much they do there is always more that can be done. This year has been especially tough for these organizations. As millions of people worldwide feel the impacts of the current financial crisis, less and less people are in a position to give time, food or money.

That is why BloggersUnite has asked bloggers to join the Brown Bag Project. The aim of the project is to get bloggers to help in the fight against hunger. They have asked that today, 11/21/09, bloggers pack a bag full of food and deliver it to a hungry family, deliver food to a local food bank, donate money to a nonprofit fighting hunger, or anything else that will help feed those that are hungry.

The BlogCatalog team got in on the action a day early. Yesterday, we packed up 6 boxes full of food and delivered directly to families in need. We know our efforts are just a proverbial drop in the bucket, but seeing the smiles on the faces of those we helped and hearing their gratitude lets us know that we made a difference in their lives. And, that's what this project is about--taking just a little time out of your schedule to do something that will not only keep someone for being hungry tonight, but also make a positive impact on someone's life.

We want to thank St. Josephs's Downtown Church and Country Home Learning Center for helping us locate families in need. Anyone in the San Antonio area who would like to help someone in need today can donate a frozen turkey to the SA Food Bank's Holiday Turkey Round-Up until 7 pm today. Look for the refrigerated trucks at these SSFCU locations:

• 281 North Service Center
• The Rim Service Center
• 410/Rigsby Service Center
• SW Military Service Center

Links for maps to the donation centers can be found on the SA Food bank website.