I'm still here (and exciting news to share)

Um, hello [insert shy wave]! Oui, c'est moi. I am still here, feeling rather sheepish for leaving you here with nary a calling card to explain my absence. Please accept my humblest apologies. Life on Planet Baby continues to be particularly trying and I have had to expend my energy wisely. Regrettably, that hasn't included blogging. Mr PB and the pixies have needed me and that's where my priorities always lie.  I know I've been largely absent here this year owing to Mr PB still looking for a full-time job (since Christmas Eve, can you believe it?). The resulting stress and challenges have been debilitating and exhausting. But I really cherish this space and want to commit to it properly. So I have a plan - want me to share?

The thing is that notwithstanding everything going on offline which has prevented me blogging, the truth is that I've been feeling a real disconnect from my blog name. When I started blogging in July 2010, Life on Planet Baby perfectly described where I was at with a preschooler, toddler and infant. Yes, they were my babies, in the truest sense. Fast forward to now with Joshua and India at school full-time and Sammy starting three days a week Kinder next year and my babies are growing up. 

Here they are the other day, very proud of their new booster seats

I've always cherished the concept of 'Planet Baby' but now 'Planet Joy' is much more my spiritual home. 'Baby' pigeonholes me to a phase in my life I'm naturally moving away from as the pixies grow up. It also means incessant approaches from baby-related companies wanting me to endorse their products. They just don't 'get' me.

But you all do, especially those who have been aboard this Planet for a while, watching my creative spark ignite and light the warm fire which now delights me through Planet Joy. You 'get' how my crafting inspires, and sustains, me. You 'get' the hope it brings to my life.

So I guess it won't surprise you that mentally, I've hopped planets. From Planet Baby to Planet Joy.

And I'm fervently hoping you'll take the leap and join me. 

I've bought the domain name for www.planetjoy.com.au (www.planetjoy.com was unavailable) and want to move this blog there. I toyed with the idea of calling it 'Life on Planet Joy' and bought the domain name and everything as I thought it would make the transition easier for you. But then I realised it made more business sense to drop the 'Life on' part. Many people who know me through Planet Joy have no idea I blog here. Keeping it simple is the way to go, I think. 

I'm hoping I can just export this blog to the new one and leave a custom redirection from Planet Baby to Planet Joy so you won't have to do anything. That's the plan. But it may be more complicated. I'll let you know when I find out.

And so, how are feeling about this? Wondering what direction my blog will take?

Well I've been thinking about that. I plan to write as I normally do - no change of 'voice' required. So you'll still know it's me at the tiller of this fine ship.

I'll post more about what I'm making for Planet Joy and what's inspiring me. But I won't just turn it into endless promotions for Planet Joy, though. I want it to feel balanced between both my life with our young family and my art. I also want it to be more Tasmanian focussed so you can see more about this magical place we call home.

I am so excited about these plans. I eagerly await the day when I can feel that this space truly represents where I'm at in life right now. I don't want it to feel like a stuck record any longer. It's time to pick the stylus up and start a new tune.

So (big gulp), what do you think about these changes? Excited, annoyed, indifferent? I really look forward to hearing your thoughts, of whatever kind. Truly. I'm all ears!

Announcing my giveaway winners!

Good evening, gorgeous Planetarians! Tonight's post will be short and sweet - I'm here to announce the winners of my giveaway for my 3rd blogoversary. Tonight the pixies drew the entries from the Ceremonial Planet Baby Gumboot as follows. 

First up was Joshua with 1st place which went to:

Christine! Congratulations, lovely lady. 

Second place was drawn by Miss India.

It went to Caitlyn from Mother Down Under. Woo hoo! 

Sammy then drew 3rd place.

It went to the delightful Kate of A Fountain of Mirth.

Congratulations, ladies! Please email me your addresses so I can post off your Planet Joy pretties. 

Thankyou to all of you who entered. I must admit there were fewer entries than in recent years which surprised me a tad. Giveaways like this (the unsponsored variety) seem rather uncommon nowadays, don't you think? How blogging has changed in the past 3 years!

Post of the Month Club: the July 2013 edition

Oh my word. That week has whizzed by. We're a house of sickness right now, all a-splutter with wintertime colds. I'm pleased to see some of you have entered my giveaway to mark my 3rd blogoversary. You still have until Tuesday 6 August to enter so please join in if you wish. I can't wait to see who'll receive my Planet Joy pretties!

Right, now back to business. With my befuddled head, I forgot to announce that it's Post of the Month Club time! Thanks to everyone who joined in last month. Laura's photos of the sublime summertime blooms in England was a treat. Sarah introduced us to the concept of circular knitting needles, the clever minx. And Shell showed us how to create a rainbow stitch hoop - nice work!

Right, so the regulars know the drill but for any newbies, here's how we play it:

• Become a Planetarian (a follower of this blog) by becoming a Google Friend Connect follower (see my sidebar), by RSS or by email subscription (click on the icons under 'Want to find me?');

• Look through your posts for July 2013;

• Find the one you're most proud of; 

• Edit it to add the POTMC button at the post's end (you can copy the HTML from my sidebar) to let everyone know that you write for the Club;

• Add your post to the linky at the bottom of this post; and

• Visit a few other (or as many as take your fancy!) Club members' posts to share the bloggy love with comments. Don't forget Operation blog love! Plus it's a lovely way to meet new bloggers instead of just 'dumping and running'.

Let's see if we can make it a bigger edition than last month's effort of 12 entries. This edition will close publication on 15 August 2013.  

Celebrating my 3rd blogoversary and a giveaway!

Oh my stars! Can it really be three years since I hit the 'Publish' button on my first ever post here? Little Sam had just turned one and I was sleep deprived with two toddlers and a pre-schooler. My PND was quite bad and my darling Dad's health was deteriorating. I can no longer recall the precise moment when I decided to start blogging but I'm so grateful I did. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that three years later, I'd have written 424 posts and have 573 followers. Or have made so many delightful friendships the world over. Not in a million years.

Thankyou for the phenomenal support you Planetarians have gifted me over the past three years. You've shared in my escapades with the pixies, supported me through my recovery from PND, comforted me both before, and after, my Dad's death, encouraged me to start Planet Joy and generally provided me with kind and compassionate companionship on my journey through these testing years.

You are all the best.

I can't imagine my life without the joy blogging has brought to it. So many of my closest friends are now bloggers, both in person and online. Starting this blog was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Now, as is the custom, to help me celebrate this little milestone, I'd love to offer you a giveaway of some Planet Joy pretties I've made. Here they are!

To start, I'll make the initial of your choice from a selection of the Liberty fabrics I have, just like this one.

Here's a wire wreath I made, complete with Francophile-loving ribbon.

Here's a plain green covered wire piece to brighten your day.

Here's a Liberty flutterer, perfect for hanging or as a bookmark.

And something to inspire some day-dreaming.

And to end, here's a trio of little Liberty-covered hearts I've hand-bent from wire.

In true Planet Baby style (after my first giveaway), there will also be prizes for the second and third names drawn. I’ll keep them as surprises.

Terms and conditions

So, here’s my lawyer’s fine print:

1. If you're a Planetarian, leave a comment and you're entered.

2. If you're not already, become a Planetarian by either:

• clicking on the little Google Friend Connect button in my sidebar and follow the prompts; or

• clicking on the RSS icon in my sidebar to have my posts delivered to your reader.

3. You get an extra entry for:

• blogging about it;

• linking to it;

• putting it in your sidebar;

• tweeting about it;

• sharing it on Facebook; and

• sharing it on Instagram.

To make it super easy for you to do so, you can just click on the little icons at the bottom of this post!

Make sure you leave a comment for an extra entry to be awarded in each case.

4. This offer is open worldwide to all my fellow Planetarians. Yes, the pixies will happily help me lick enough stamps to post it anywhere. *Real* stamps, too – not just those stickers-dressed-up-as-stamps!

5. The giveaway will close at on Tuesday 6 August 2013 at 6 pm AST (Australian Standard Time so overseas Planetarians please take that into account) and will be drawn by the pixies from the Ceremonial Planet Baby Gumboot.

So, over to you! Dive in and have a go. I can’t wait to send these little packages winging their way around the world. 

I'd also love to hear which of the prizes take your fancy as well.  I welcome all feedback - you all have such fabulous taste!

Post of the Month Club: the June 2013 edition

Good evening. How are you all travelling tonight? We are relieved today's gale has finally departed after causing havoc in Hobart. Peace reigns on Planet Baby as the pixies slumber. Right, time to get my blogging socks on! As promised, it's Post of the Month Club time again. We've had a long break from it and I'm raring to go again. I hope you'll join in and link up a post, especially if you've never done it before!

Right, so the regulars know the drill but for any newbies, here's how we play it:

• Become a Planetarian (a follower of this blog) by becoming a Google Friend Connect follower (see my sidebar), by RSS or by email subscription (click on the icons under 'Want to find me?');

• Look through your posts for June 2013;

• Find the one you're most proud of; 

• Edit it to add the POTMC button at the post's end (you can copy the HTML from my sidebar) to let everyone know that you write for the Club;

• Add your post to the linky at the bottom of this post; and

• Visit a few other (or as many as take your fancy!) Club members' posts to share the bloggy love with comments. Don't forget Operation blog love!

Let's see if we can make it a bumper edition. This edition will close publication on 14 July 2013. 

Okay, time to crank up the presses - let's go!

Living in the age of mass distraction

Bonsoir, you gorgeous Planetarians! The evenings are getting a little chillier in Old Hobart Town now. I have my winter boots on and the heater turned up. A mug of hot chocolate is keeping me company as Mr PB works his night job and the pixies slumber. Tonight I want to chat about a topic which has been irking me for some time. I suspect some of you have been feeling likewise. Maybe we can compare notes! What's bothering me is our age of distraction. Strike a chord? 

Technology can be tremendously empowering and useful. And we're seduced by its charms so readily. Imagine life without Google! Tricky, isn't it? The pixies certainly can't.

We have so many stimuli firing up our brains throughout the day - too many, I find.

In amongst the hurly-burly of our everyday lives, we can constantly monitor our emails, browse Facebook news feeds, fall down Blogland's rabbitholes, fire off tweets, instagram our way through our days, spend hours mooching away on Pinterest - you know what it's like!

The drawbacks of social media

But technology has its drawbacks.

Source

That picture makes me giggle. A little uncomfortably, to be sure. They left off Pinterest and Instagram, though!

It's true, though. I find my attention diverted every which way.

And I don't like it.

It leaves me exhausted, overwhelmed and lonely.

That's a crazy paradox in this more-connected-than-ever age, don't you think?

I've heard it described as the peril of 'over-engaging'. That really hits a nerve for me.

So what am I doing about it?

Blogging

I've cut back the blogs I follow to 173. I'm still culling.

That only takes me so far. How, and how often, I check for new blog posts are the biggies.

Now that Google Reader will cease operating on 1 July 2013, I've started using Feedly. It's a brilliant reader. I adore it. This excellent New York Times article explains how it works.

I find Feedly allows me to scan posts and 'mark them as read' most efficiently. And the magazine option is a far more visually engaging style compared to Google Reader. It's a pleasure to use.

I browse through Feedly about once every couple of days. I've learnt to let go and resist the call of the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) - read this brilliant article here about this phenomenon.

And you know what? It feels fantastic. I'm back in control of my ship's tiller!

Facebook

In July 2012, I posted about reclaiming my social media identity back here and my plans for dealing with Facebook.

My thoughts have hardly changed. In fact, I feel the unease caused by social media even more intensely now I have a smartphone.

I changed my mind about having a 'Life on Planet Baby' fan page. I don't see the need. Running the 'Planet Joy' fan page is challenging enough as well as my personal page.

I now plan to:

• post a status update several times in the near future advising my friends that I am reorganising my FB use by having both personal and Planet Joy fan pages;

• invite those who want to remain my personal FB friends to *like* that status update and/or comment on it;

• advise that anyone who doesn't respond will be 'unfriended' (a terrible word!); and

• invite those who want to follow my Planet Joy fan page to *like* it.

I'll let you know how I go! Hmm, it feels a tad confronting but I know I have to do it.

I'm also weeding out all the pages I have liked and limiting the time I spend on Facebook.

Twitter

I am rarely there anymore. It doesn't excite me. There's a lot of negativity and unpleasantness. Not to mention the noise. I don't have the spare energy for wading through the chatter to find the bits I like.

Google +

I've deleted my account.

And not regretted it one little bit.

Instagram

As many of you know, I've been seduced by the Mistress-called-Instagram. I find it so enjoyable and satisfying. Expressing myself in photos is a pleasure.

But I have to keep an eye on myself. Resisting the urge to check my phone often is challenging. Especially when there's some fun banter going on! But I want, and need, to. I have more important things to focus on first. Instagram should only be a pleasurable habit, not an end in itself.

I might even have an Insta-cation soon, like Anna.

To finish, do look at this hilarious Instagram parody for a giggle. It makes me laugh out loud! And laughing at myself has to be a good thing, right?!

So, wish me luck as I implement these changes to my social media consumption. And do tell - do you get as distracted as me by social media? Or have you sussed out the right balance between living your life and documenting it? I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Feeling tired and tongue-tied

Source

Hello lovely Planetarians. I am really struggling here. This popping-my-head-back-over-the-parapet business to restart blogging is confounding me. For the first time ever, I don't know where to start. The challenges life has been throwing us lately have left me unsteady on my feet. And this bloggy caper, which always came so readily to me before, is no longer familiar territory.

I miss it.

And I miss you, too.

I don't mean that in a melodramatic, overly familiar way. I mean it most genuinely. I treasure the support you Planetarians gift to me, in so many ways and places. I have only been visiting your blogs fleetingly of late and am missing sharing your latest tales.

Most of all, I am missing being a good friend to so many of you who have been just that to me in recent times.

I wish I could offer all you more but right now, I need to conserve my energy to focus on our family's immediate needs.

I am really tired. Bone-achingly so. Long-time Planetarians will know just how challenging the last 7 years have been since we arrived on Planet Baby. The pace has been unrelenting. And the hurdles keep popping up. I loathe running and hurdling is even less my style. But those hurdles continue to appear, just as I'm gaining some momentum.

And so I raise my right leg yet again, trying not to trail my ankle, straining forth to mount yet another one.

At the moment, I feel like I have more problems than I could poke a stick at. I've struggled to work out how to articulate this to you. I don't wish to whinge or make out that my problems are any greater than anyone else's. Far from it. I guess it's just part of my 'keeping it real' motto.

But, and there's the rub, I also feel tongue-tied. There are so many things I'd like to share with you about how we're faring right now but so many of these tales are not my own to tell. So I can't.

Here's a snapshot of life on Planet Baby at the moment:

Mr PB

Mr PB's job hunt continues. He's still working his casual night job. It helps but he's been taking on extra shifts. He's tired.

Finances

Life is very challenging right now.

The pixies

It's school holiday time. The days are getting shorter and cooler. That means more time indoors for the pixies. The issue of the appropriate amount of screen time for them is vexing us no end. 

Planet Joy

Planet Joy is tootling along nicely. But I have so many more ideas and hopes for it. It has so much potential that I long to fulfil.

I'd love to find a business mentor to help me write a business plan and help me find the people who have the skills I lack in photography, styling, merchandising, social media and marketing. The whole small business caper, actually.

Hmm, no wonder I'm tired. Thankfully, I am thoroughly enjoying the challenges of Bikram yoga. I've been attending 4-5 times a week for the past 6 weeks, thanks to Romy's encouragement. It's starting to work wonders with both my body and mind. Will fill you in soon about it.

This post is a bit of a meander. But it's where my mind's at right now. I hope I've filled in the gaps a little without disclosing too much.

Finally, thankyou for all your kind words and actions in recent times, especially all the emails which I've been struggling to answer. I can't express how grateful I am for every effort you make to contact me. I am trying to catch up on the backlog.

So I am back blogging. Please just bear with me a little longer while I get my rhythm back!

Popping my head over the parapet

Source

Hmm. Taps microphone. Ah, bonjour, you gorgeous Planetarians! How are you all? It's been a whopping 9 weeks since I last posted. That has been the strangest experience. It's relieved me of pressure and allowed me to direct my energies to the real Planet Baby. But I've missed our interaction keenly. I've realised how blogging both drains, and invigorates, me.

So I've forayed back into Blogland in the past few days, lurking, most uncharacteristically. I'm feeling rather shy! And I must admit I'm having the teensiest trouble finding my blark again (Bron's fabulous word for 'blogging spark'!).

So much has occurred on Planet Baby in the interim and I scarcely know how to catch up. I know you don't expect me to but I'd like to give it a whirl as I relish marking our family events here in this little space.

I'll use photos I've shared with that beguiling mistress called Instagram (find me here). I guess life is still very stressful here (no new job for Mr PB yet, very limited finances etc) so I'm trying to conserve my energy. So less words and more photos will be the norm here for the next little while, okay? Right, let's go!

Joshua's 7th birthday party

Our big boy chose Pokemon for this year's theme. Here he is with one of his costumed guests.

Thanks to a photo on Sophie's blog, I whipped up this Oshawott cake. It passed muster, thankfully.

India's 5th birthday party

Miss India had a girly pink party and asked for a pink flamingo cake! I totally winged it. The result?

She was delighted which was the main thing!

She revelled in spending time with her girlfriends. They were all cuties.

Lost teeth

Joshie has been losing a few teeth lately, to his utter delight. Here's the gap-toothed wonder.

And this is what the Tooth Fairy pays nowadays.

Talk about inflation! We only received 20 cents back in the 1970s. And yes, the Tooth Fairy had to return the next night to retrieve said tooth!

The 175th Royal Hobart Regatta

In accordance with family tradition, we trooped off to the 175th Royal Hobart Regatta on the waterfront. The clowns greeted us - the same ones Mr PB and I used to play with in our youth.

The pixies lined up and had a go. Here they are with their prize which is now shared between them, alternating whose bed he sleeps in each night.

After the boys had a spin on the dodgem cars, we remembered to take a rare photo with me in it.

And here's a photo of them with Mr PB. Sam is saying "Cheese!".

That's it for now. I'll be back soon to show you what I've been up to with Planet Joy, the pixies starting the new year and other goodies. It's great to be back!

Post of the Month Club: the November 2012 edition

Well hello, you gorgeous Planetarians. Cripes, it's only a fortnight since I started my blogcation but I feel very out of practice. So peculiar. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who's asked how I'm faring. 

I won't lie. We're doing it very tough on Planet Baby at the moment. I'm going to have The Big Talk with our bank manager on Monday to work out a better way forward - wish me luck! I am heartened, however, by the support so many of you have given Planet Joy so cheerfully - I adore making things for you. Don't forget custom orders are my speciality, especially with Christmas coming up - *wink*! 

As promised, it's Post of the Month Club time again. We had 36 fantastic and varied entries last month. I haven't made my customary visits to you all yet but I enjoyed reading Kristin's thoughts on motherhood and the art of letting go. I feasted my eyes on Heidi's parents' enchanting garden and was transported. Caitlin spoke movingly about her thoughts on body image and Steph treated us to gorgeous photos of her little Bijou, painting.

Right, so the regulars know the drill but for any newbies, here's how we play it:

• Become a Planetarian (a follower of this blog) by becoming a Google Friend Connect follower (see my sidebar), by RSS or by email subscription (click on the icons under 'Want to find me?');

• Look through your posts for November 2012;

• Find the one you're most proud of; 

• Edit it to add the POTMC button at the post's end (you can copy the HTML from my sidebar) to let everyone know that you write for the Club;

• Add your post to the linky at the bottom of this post; and

• Visit a few other (or as many as take your fancy!) Club members' posts to share the bloggy love with comments. Don't forget Operation blog love!

Let's see if we can top 36 entries this month. This edition will close publication on 14 December 2012. 

Okay, time to crank up the presses - let's go!

Taking a blogcation

Source

Hello Lovelies! I've never had such a break between posts in my two years of blogging. Truly.

I've blogged through it, even when my heart was overcome by grief.

I've always supported others' decisions to take some time out from blogging to attend to more pressing matters. "You go, take your time. Do what you need to do. Come back when you're ready. We're not going anywhere" I've reassured so many of you.

And I've meant it. Absolutely.

But somehow, I haven't gifted myself that grace.

Now it's time for me to do that.

Life's harsh realities are asserting themselves at the moment. Lack of money tends to do that, regrettably.

So, whilst I attend to our family's needs on Planet Baby, I need to take a little break from here.

I need to free up my mind and energy so I can focus on the truly important things in my life. As I always say "Life first, blogging second". Time to walk the walk.

I'm not sure how long I'll need but hope you Planetarians are content to await my return. It won't be months but it may be some weeks - I'm not sure.

I was so heartened by your overwhelming show of support for this post so I trust you will understand.

I will miss our interaction here dreadfully. But I have to do this.

So, I'll see you back here in a while. A bientôt!

Edited on 21 November 2012: 

Oh my stars! Your gorgeous collective response has overwhelmed me. By habit, I was preparing to answer each one individually but I stopped myself. That's what taking this blogcation is all about, isn't it? 

Instead, I'd like to thank you all for your extraordinary kindness and support. I'm a lucky girl to have you all cheering me on. Please know that I have read, and appreciated, every single comment.

Oh, and I will continue to run the Post of the Month Club during my break, never fear!

Time for a little housework here!

Source

Well, hello there, sweet Planetarians. I'm so sorry for the radio silence. I am very much learning-on-the-job how to manage the normal Affairs of State on Planet Baby as well as run Planet Joy. Which explains the dust bunnies accumulating here over the last few weeks! Hmm, time to bring out my broom, sweep up and rearrange the furniture a tad, don't you think?

My blogging habits

Visiting other blogs

I have finally realised I can't visit Blogland as often as I used to. That means I might be a tad slow in reading your posts but I will get there eventually. That includes commenting on your fabulous entries in October's Post of the Month Club - with 32 entries, you still have until 14 November 2012 to contribute, if you wish.

I'm also going to have to cut back the number of blogs I follow - 173 is not sustainable! Hmm, time for a 'bloggy rehab' update, do you think?

Blogging here

And I can't post here as often either, sadly. 

But, it's all relative. I just want to blog smarter, making the best use of the time I have. It doesn't mean I'll stop blogging here or just go through the motions. This space brings me so much pleasure and energy so I'm not abandoning it. At all. 

I just have to adjust my expectations of myself. Whilst I have been enjoying writing the 'Down the rabbithole' and 'Blogging 101' posts, they take a long time and a lot of effort to write. I can't pump them both out weekly anymore.

So, here's my revised (and very flexible!) blogging schedule:

On the occasional Wednesday: 'Down the rabbithole'

On the occasional Thursday: 'Blogging 101'

On Saturdays: 'Some Saturday soul food'

On most Sundays (and occasionally on a Monday!): 'Sunday splendour' 

At month's end: 'Post of the Month Club' 

That probably doesn't seem all that different to you. But it's a big deal for me to reduce the pressure I place on myself. All part of *being kind to myself* and *letting go* and all that.

Sprucing up the place

With the proceeds from Planet Joy, I hope to soon change my blog header (with some new gumboots!) and alter some of the fonts etc to have a cleaner look. 

I'm looking forward to it - this space needs some fresh energy.

So, there you go - a shorter post so I can get some much needed beauty sleep. There's been too much burning-the-candle-at-both-ends here lately ☺. Your thoughts? Do share.

Post of the Month Club: the October 2012 edition

Well hello, trusty Planetarians. It's Post of the Month Club time! We had a fantastic total of 36 entries last month. Martha showed us a wonderful etched glass memento of her children. Laura treated us with some of her signature delightful shots of English life. Caitlin mused about the joys of an unhurried childhood. And Bron showed us how to eat our way through France! It was a wonderfully varied edition.

Now, time to start publishing this one!

Right, so the regulars know the drill but for any newbies, here's how we play it:

• Become a Planetarian (a follower of this blog) by becoming a Google Friend Connect follower (see my sidebar), by RSS or by email subscription (click on the icons under 'Want to find me?');

• Look through your posts for October 2012;

• Find the one you're most proud of; 

• Edit it to add the POTMC button at the post's end (you can copy the HTML from my sidebar) to let everyone know that you write for the Club;

• Add your post to the linky at the bottom of this post; and

• Visit a few other (or as many as take your fancy!) Club members' posts to share the bloggy love with comments. Don't forget Operation blog love!

Let's see if we can top 36 entries this month. This edition will close publication on 14 November 2012. 

Okay, time to crank up the presses - let's go!

Blogging 101: adding options for following your blog

Well hello everyone. Sorry for the radio silence this week. Planet Baby's affairs of state have been keeping me occupied. We've had our gate and fence fixed after those crazy winds. Once the car is repaired, the total cost of the damage caused in that split second will be about $4,000! Madness. Thank goodness for insurance ☺. Anyway, it's time for another 'Blogging 101' post.

So far, we've looked at:

• linking your email address to your Blogger profile;

• choosing your profile photo/avatar;

• adding your 'About me' widget; and

• adding 'Home' and 'About me' pages.

That means people can contact you, know what you look like and have an idea of what makes you tick.

What next? Let's make it easy for them to follow your blog!

Subscribing using Google Friend Connect (GFC)

When I started blogging in July 2010, GFC was a great way to follow blogs and could be customised to make it much more personal. Unfortunately, this option now only works on Blogger blogs and only in a basic form.

To add the GFC widget:

• Go to your blog homepage and click on 'Design' and 'Layout'. This is what mine looks like.

• See the 'Add a gadget' box on the right-hand side? Click on it.

• The Blogger 'Add a gadget' box will then pop up. Scroll down to 'Followers' and click on it.

• You can change the title from 'Followers' to something more personal if you wish.

• Click 'Save' and then drag and drop it to where you want it in your sidebar. Having it somewhere near the top is a good idea.

• Click 'Save arrangement' and you're done!

Non-Blogger blog options

Some options used by bloggers with non-Blogger blogs are:

• Bloglovin';
• Networked Blogs; and
• Hello Cotton.

Let me know if I've missed any and I'll update this post!

Subscribing in a reader

• Go to your blog home page and click on 'Design', 'Layout' and then 'Add a gadget'.

• Click on 'Subscription links'. You could change the title from 'Subscribe to' to 'Follow me' or something like that. Hit 'Save'.

• Once you're back to the 'Design' page, just drag and drop the box to where you want it. Click on 'Save arrangement'. 

• It gives people the option to subscribe to your feed in a reader. A reader is an aggregator which pulls the posts from all the blogs the person is following and presents them in a list so they’re in all in one handy spot. 

• The most common one used is Google Reader but there are heaps of others. 

Making your feed user-friendly

To make your feed user-friendly (ie with all the options for the different readers so everyone's choice is covered):

• Go to http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/myfeeds;

• If you haven't already, type your full blog name (ie http://www.yourblognamegoeshere.com/) into the box under 'Burn a feed right this instant'.

• Click 'Next'.

• A box will then open up with 'Atom' and 'RSS' options. I usually choose the 'RSS' option. Click 'Next'.

• Click 'Next' again. Then you'll see this.

• Click 'Next'. And 'Next' again.

• Then click 'Optimize' and 'Smart Feed' on the left.

• Click on 'Activate' and then you're done! Now when people click on that widget, it will open up with a variety of reader options for them to choose from.

Subscribing by email

Another way for people to receive your blog posts is through an email subscription using Feedburner. 

Set it up by doing this:

• Go to http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/myfeeds;

• Click on your blog name;

• Click on 'Publicize';

• Click on 'Email subscriptions' on the left;

You then have two choices for how you want to  display it on your blog.

By form

• The first option is to have a box in your sidebar where people can enter their email address.

• Click on 'Use as a widget in' and select your type of blog. Click on 'Go'. The widget will then appear in your sidebar for you to drag and drop to where you want it. 

• Click 'Save arrangement' and you're done.

By link

• The second option is to offer email subscriptions from a link rather than a form. Just copy the following link code. Users who click it will be prompted to enter their email address in the form that appears.

• Click on 'Use as a widget in' and select your type of blog. Click on 'Go'. The widget will then appear in your sidebar for you to drag and drop to where you want it. 

• Click 'Save arrangement' and you're done.

So there you go! It sounds tedious, I know, but you really only have to do it once to set up your blog. Giving everyone all the options should make subscribing to your blog a breeze.

Do share if anything's unclear or I've missed anything out. Has this helped? I look forward to hearing from you.