Just "google" it...

I haven't forgotten about my blog...and I haven't learned everything there is about blogging either. I did read through what I considered the most important parts of the "Blogging for Dummies" book that I bought last weekend...only to find the answer to what I was really asking by just "google-ing" it. Gosh, who would have thought we'd have so much information right at our fingertips?

At some point this week, I felt like I was wasting time as I tried to find the answers to my questions in my newest blogging book. Don't get me wrong it did have some good information in it, just not the precise information I was looking for.

I wanted to be able to link my posts to certain "pages" that would pertain to that post. For example, if I shared a favorite recipe I wanted it to post to a "recipe" page. Or if I shared some insight on parenting, or homeschooling, it would also post on that "page"...that doesn't seem like that should be difficult to do....until you read most of an entire "blogging" book and realize you're not going to find the answer there...

So, what do I typically do when I need to find an answer...yep, I "google" it. {Why'd I even buy that book anyhow??}

What exactly was I looking for? I wasn't sure what it was called that I was wanting to do. After a few attempts at wording it right I was able to find a decent answer here.

I tried what it suggested and will work through the kinks this week.

I think I learned that I wasn't really wanting "pages", but possibly "labels" that will link to a pretend page?...I'll give this idea a go and see what happens! {this is a bit too techy for me, but if I want to have a blog, I best get used to the idea of needing to be a bit techy} techy? is that even a word??

If any of you readers out there know an easier way to do what I think I want to do, I'd be most grateful to hear from you!

Until next post....live life today, it's all you have right now!

~Tracie

Blogging for this "dummy"

I love the "For Dummies" books that are out there. I've used a few of them before. I like the simple way they guide me through new hobbies or interests.

They are a simple concept really...if you can get beyond being called a "dummie" you may just find some great information out there to help you navigate a new hobby, software or interest.

Well, I tell you this because I bought a "For Dummies" book last night!

I don't know the last time I bought a book at a store. I usually do my book buying on Amazon or Ebay. Have to admit the sticker price was shocking compared to my old standby's.
You can find a link of this book here.

But, I didn't want to wait......you see, when I start a new hobby or interest, it becomes like a disease for me...I have to learn all I can learn, as fast as I can learn so I can do what I have learned...Now, I have prime on Amazon, and they are super fast shipping books out..many times beating thier expected deliveries, but yesterday I knew I'd have this afternoon to read/play while my husband was out golfing...actually, one of the reason I'm blogging now instead of laying in my hammock reading, is to put to use one of the new things I've already learned and that is how to hyperlink something to a word....like I did up above. I hyperlinked the word "here" to take you to Amazon...I thought that was really awesome to be able to do that. I actually squealed when it worked. {those of you that know me, aren't surprised to read that}

That concept alone will come in really handy for me as I blog.

I'm not a super creative person. {on my own} I'd call myself more of a "creative copier". I can see a concept, picture or idea and run with it, but to come up with that concept, picture, idea.....nah, that's not me. So, to be able to hyperlink my readers to a blog, website, business that I get my ideas from will be an awesome way to give credit where credit is due!

So, now that I've tried something out that actually works, I'm sooooooo excited to get into this book and learn it ALL!! {ok, not ALL, but enough to put some more neat cool things on my blog}

Stay tuned and be amazed!! {there are some really creative things out there I can't wait to copy!!}

Whew!! Well, I've finally made it to this point...I'm not talking about having a "blog" of my own now, but just basically getting to this point of writing my very first post! Who would have thought that creating a simple blog {because everyone can do that} would cause as much utter frustration as it did me these past few days? Well, I'm telling you, I didn't think that. Jeepers with blogs popping up all over the place, and everyone seeming to have not just one, but several, I asked myself, "how hard could it be?" I'm fairly proficient with the computer, {I said fairly, and I realize that is pretty broad}, but this whole blog thing was a bit more than a "fairly proficient with the computer" project for me to to tackle! What have I learned as my "take away" today?

1. my boys have no idea why I'm not fixing them dinner tonight {sorry!}
2. that I'm eating any chocolate I can find...because I want a "cute" blog {how I deal with stress}
3. that I'm not the admin of 1 blog but 3 blogs!!! Ok, I have to admit, I have no idea how that happened and when I went to try to delete those other two blogs...well, it added another layer of frustration {wish I had more chocolate!!}
4. pinterest is so much more fun...{not to mention all those awesome chocolate recipes!}
5. I'm determinted though, to make this work for me {cuz, I'm all out of chocolate at this point}

So, that said, I'm glad I'm to this point. It will be nice to click "publish" and jump over to my blog page and see this post....my very first!

Then, I must get some dinner around...I guess it's still early enough in the evening that I can throw something together...but, I'm not that hungry {wonder why....} and I don't like to cook when I'm not hungry. ...or I could learn a bit more about this whole blogging world...try to find a cute banner, or buttons or whatever else I may need to make this blog cute-er...cuz, it needs to be cute-er than it is.

I hope you come back and see all my new additions as I learn about everything in this blogging world there is to learn...then I can get onto why I wanted to blog in the first place and that is to be an encouragment to you to live your life TODAY! That has become a mantra, so to speak, of mine this past year as I've been ushered into a new a season of change in my life {50 birthdays has a way of doing that} I look forward to sharing that with you in later posts...

I'd tell you to sign up for email threads or something like that, or to follow me, or whatever bloggers do, but I'm fairly {there's that broad word again} sure that my page isn't set up for you to do that...I don't think...

Thanks for stopping by....