Below are some bookmarked posts from my recent reading.  Maybe you’ll enjoy them too.

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What’s the best post you have read lately?

Remember when I mentioned that we were in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for the weekend to attend a wedding?  I was a little steamed that events beyond our control required Perry and me to drive up separately, eating up more precious gas.  It was no one’s fault, really, but it wasn’t my idea of the way this trip should go.

As it turned out, the awkward scheduling gave me to extra time before the wedding to visit my friend Smockity!  Wait, you knew that already.  I posted a link to our video on her blog.  You did go see, right?  I didn’t anticipate the enthusiastic response to that video, but now I’m really excited about adding a weekly video (a webisode) to our blog!  I’m going to interview my hubby and children one by one, my mom and any siblings that will cooperate, other friends who blog…can’t wait to start!

Over the weekend we also had 2 wonderful evenings with precious friends who used to worship with us in San Antonio, made even better by the fact that they had family visiting.  Their relatives were just as delightful as they were, so there was just that much more fellowship to go ’round.

What I also didn’t anticipate was that Perry and I would decide that most of the kids and I should stay up here for a couple extra days while he hurried back to work.  I miss my hunney, but this is fun stuff!  The kids and I are back with Smockity tonight, staying up late flippin’ our lips with one of her real-life friends (hi, Melissa!)

Look: it’s after midnight and I’m blogging side by side with my bloggy friend!  I don’t know how she writes thoughtful stuff like this while she talks, but I bow to her superior multitasking skills.

Monday: McDonalds in Colleyville from 12:30-2:00

Tomorrow the kids and I are having lunch with any local friends and readers that we can rustle up!  Will you be there?

On Tuesday we’re having lunch with more friends (location: top secret), then heading down to Waco to visit my brother and his wife and baby.  Yay for baby nephews!  We’ll spend the night with them, and then on to Austin for another lunchtime meet-up!

The Austin event wasn’t my idea and it’s not about us, but I was invited by another blogging friend (Sprittibee) who is coordinating it, and I’m excited about joining in – can’t wait to get the details!

I feel like I’m on a campaign trail, but I don’t know what office I’m running for.  I also feel like there should be a really funny answer to that question, but my brain just isn’t cooperating.  Maybe because it’s 2 AM?  Maybe you have the answer I’m looking for?

Please tell me you understand, because I have a terrible case of ovarian guilt over what I’m going to tell you.

KimC is going to unfriend all her bloggy facebook friends very soon.

She’s doing this for many reasons, but one is that she just can’t find the updates of all her siblings and children and real-life friends among the updates of her bloggy friends. She knows that facebook has filters to accomplish this, but they don’t seem to work on her phone where she does most of her facebooking.

Another reason is that she thinks some updates may be more appropriate for one group or the other, and not both.

Don’t think badly of her.  It’s not that she doesn’t like you.  She loves you, but she is rather shy  and is really hoping that you’ll choose to follow her much more gregarious alter ego, Life in a Shoe.  Life in a Shoe is going to do her best to lure you into following her on Facebook by adding extra photos and updates, and proving how much more cool and fun and friendly she is than KimC.  There may even be giveaways exclusively for Facebook fans!

So all of this is really a request that you will become a fan of Life in a Shoe on facebook very soon, and please don’t be offended if and when the Great Unfriending happens.  I still consider you a friend and a guest, and I’m only asking you to come with me, not to leave.

I’m in the Fort Worth area this week and am sittin’ in the real live Smockity Frocks Living Room blogging on my little netbook.

Don’t be jealous.  Just pop over to her blog and watch the little webisode we did last night.  Smockity tells me webisodes are the New Thing In Blogging, and you know how trendy we mommy bloggers are so I pretended to know what she was talking about and we hopped right on board.

What do you think?  Would you like to see videos like this from Life in a Shoe too?  I could interview my own children and husband for starters.  That would keep us busy a good long while.  Then we could hurry up and have more children so we could interview them. Just kidding.  I wanted to see if you were paying attention.

But really: should I give it a try?  Do you click through to watch videos on blogs?  Would you watch one on our blog?

There are now 3 installments to my series on Monetizing Your Blog over at Frugal Hacks, and roughly that many comments as well.  OK, there’s more than that, but those people are quiet, unlike you all.  Maybe you could pop over and stir things up a little for me?  Tell me what you think so far, or what you’d like to know.  Just say something, for goodness sake!

I have at least 9 articles planned for the series and would love to take suggestions for more.

Part 1: Don’t do it for the money
Part 2: Take your time
Part 3: Get your own domain
Part 4: 13 Great ways to build your traffic

How do you like my title?  It probably sounds pompous, but it’s just my way of saying I’m still enjoying my new toy – er, tool.  Yes, a tool that is helping me manage my time better, as evidenced by the lack of new posts on my blog.  See?  I’m spending much less time on the computer.

What’s that?  You’re wondering how much time I spend on my phone?  Let’s not cloud the issue with facts.  I was just about to tell you some of my favorite phone apps.  If I do a good job of communicating the utter awesomeness of the smartphone, you’ll wonder how I ever tear myself away.

THE BEST ANDROID APPS

Here’s my list of personal favorites so far.  I have far more than this on my phone, but these are the ones I worked hardest to find.  These are the apps I use the most, and in most cases I tried quite a few of the similar ones before settling on what I believe to be the best.  Most are free, sometimes with ads.  Some have a free version and a paid version with no ads or extra features.  Most are also available as iPhone apps.

For me, customization is crucial.  Few apps do exactly what I want without a little tweaking of the settings.

1. Our Groceries – I tried nearly every grocery app on the market, and this is the best as far as I’m concerned.  It combines all the features that other programs charge for and it’s free.  I use this several times each day to keep a running grocery list for each place I shop.  I can create and maintain as many individual lists as I want (even to-do lists!); share them instantly with hubby, even editing his list while he’s in the store (and he’ll never know!);  access and edit my lists from a computer as well; easily move items from one list to another; delete with a single touch as I shop; add items by speaking, typing or choosing from a list of items I’ve bought in the past.  The interface is clean, and the program is free unless the unobtrusive ads bother you.  The ad-free version is $5.  I’m tempted to buy just to support the developer because I like it and use it so much.
2. Weather Bug – My kids drive me nuts asking for constant updates and forecasts when I’m on the computer.  This little app makes the info available much more quickly on my phone than on the computer, including all the details you could ask for.
3. My Bank – No link here because you don’t need to know what bank I use, but there’s a good chance your own bank has an app to make it easy for you to check your balance and transfer funds between accounts.  It’s secure even if your phone is lost or stolen because the app does not store your username or password.  It may be inconvenient to log in every time but it’s safer that way and it’s still far faster than using the computer.
4. CadreBible - I mentioned this one before and I still love it.  In fact, it’s one of only three apps I’ve actually paid for so far.  CadreBible itself is free and comes with several versions of the Bible, but I paid to add the ESV.  There are ESV apps available for free, but none with the look, feel and customization of Cadre.  This is a case where I shelled out the bucks because I wanted to support and encourage the developer.
5. Kaloer Clock – Quite simply the dimmest night clock I could find for free.  Lets me turn the backlight all the way down, lets me turn off the lights for the buttons, and uses dim red numbers for the clock.  Make your look however you want.  This replaced our alarm clock.
6. AlarmDroid – This is a big part of why I’m making better use of my day.  I have alarms going off all day long to remind me to get busy and stay busy on priorities.  A surprising bonus: after a few days I find that I anticipate the alarm, which is strikingly close toremembering the targeted action on my own.  This makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside while simultaneously raising my self esteem.  ;)
7. AppBrain App Market – An app that actually lets your sort and filter all the apps on the android market.  I love being able to sort by rating and filter out the paid apps!  It doesn’t look quite as pretty as the “real” app market, but it’s far more functional when you’re searching for the best free app to make your life easier.
8. Widgetsoid - This is brilliant marketing.  The guy made the best widget app on the market and is giving it away for free.  Create as many widgets as you want for your phone, use them to do anything you want, make them look and act however you want, and do it with ease.  There’s not even an ad in it.  In the description, he offers his paid services as a custom app creator.  If I ever meet someone who needs a custom app, I know who to recommend!
9. PdaNet - This possibility is part of what motivated us to get smartphones.  Believe it or not, switching to smartphones did not increase our total monthly expenses.  This app let us turn off our internet and use our phones to connect our computers to the internet.  In theory you can do that for free, but this makes it easy enough for anyone.  The free version works just fine but limits secure sites.  We paid the $16 one time fee to remove limitations, and now we can go anywhere we want on our computers – if we actually want to set down the phone and use a computer.
10. Go Launcher EX – Made my phone look and act more like an iPhone, which is exactly how I wanted it to look and act.  It lets me customize everything I ever wanted to change, and I cycle through themes with touch of a finger.  If it was possible to love my phone more deeply and passionately, I do  now.
11. Calendar Pad – After trying a million, I found a calendar that I like. It’s not the prettiest one on the market, but it’s free and functional and it does exactly what I want it to do.  A full month widget lets me see what’s on my plate at a glance. I can scroll through months or weeks with the flip of a finger.  Events are easy to add and customize.  I can sync with my google calendar if I want.  This one is a keeper.
12. Google Sky Map – This one is just on the list for “wow” effect.  I downloaded it at a family gathering and my phone was instantly snatched out of my hands to be passed around a large group of awestruck admirers.  It took me a few minutes to figure this out, but it doesn’t work by actually seeing the stars (i.e. the camera is not involved).  You can aim it through buildings, trees, mountains or use it in broad daylight to learn what constellations, planets and other ethereal objects are around you anytime the urge strikes.  Aim downward to see what’s in the Southern sky.  Use night mode to save your night vision.

I feel like a kid with a new video game.  My computer is beginning to feel a little neglected, I’m sure.  My phone can do more and can do it faster.  Every time I find myself wondering if my phone can do X, I look it up and 45 seconds later I have already downloaded the app and started doing it.  I wonder if it can make dinner for me tonight?

The kids and I have been giggling about how we’ll someday look back on the old days, when phones were only for talking and we thought laptop computers were new and cool.  Of course in a few years we’ll probably be looking at this post and giggling about how cool we thought my phone was.

If you have a smartphone, what are some of your favorite apps?  What do you wish your phone could do?

If a person was going to publish a test post using her husband’s old iPod, what tips would you offer?
The kids bought him a new iPod Touch at Christmas to replace the older one he had inherited from his dad – trickledown technology, some call it – and he is letting me try out the old one.
I assume I can keep it if I find myself unfortunately addicted.
And so I ask you, dear friends, for tips. Like, “Run away screaming!”  Would that be a good one?

To clarify, this is actually an old iPhone without phone service, which makes it an iPod Touch.  Can you recommend any apps that a game-hating internet-loving mom might love and/or find useful?

I’ve helped quite a few friends with a variety of blog issues, and it occurred to me that others might have similar needs.  I can’t offer free unlimited help, but I’d like to offer my time and knowledge for a modest price.

Do you have a WordPress blog but need a little help getting it to act or look the way you want?  Maybe we can help.  We’re not talking about designing a custom template for you, but help with the small stuff – stuff you could probably figure out but really don’t have the time or want to expend the brain energy.

• Resizing an image in your sidebar
• Making your sidebar a little wider/narrower
• Moving that thing in your sidebar a hair to the right so your eye will quit twitching every time you read your own blog
• Getting a cool feature like you saw on __’s blog
• Changing the size/color of the headings in your sidebar or your post titles
• Change the background of your blog
• Creating and adding a “grab this code” box
• Adding a banner for your favorite affiliate program [Read more...]

Actually I’m supposed to be working on tomorrow’s 4 Moms post, but I’m procrastinating.  After this but before I start the 4 Moms post, I’ll convince myself that I should assemble 4 orders for Geneva Bible Pages, go to town for groceries, read some more of Bud and Me to PerryBoy and a few other things.  Somebody should make bread.

I think we’ve had our first encounter with a gen-yoo-ine influenza bug.  I’ve always called any vomiting bug “the flu” but this time we had fevers and chills, body aches, severe headaches, and various respiratory complaints.  It’s the first time we’ve all been sick in a very long time, and Parker’s first illness ever.  The poor guy chose this very week to start getting a tooth so we may not know where the flu ends and the teething begins.

We’re all on the mend now, though it’s not entirely over.  The liquid ibuprofen and Niquil are still on the window sill over the kitchen sink.  We’re still hacking up the occasional lung, and it sounds like an old folks’ home: every time someone laughs it’s followed by a coughing fit.  Unfortunately we laugh a lot a lot around here, sickness notwithstanding.  That may the first time I’ve actually used the word notwithstanding. We’re also cranky when we’re sick.  The two don’t always mix well, but c’est la vie.

Case in point: extreme crankiness can be really cute in a 2yo, and it makes us laugh. ["I'm NOT cute," accompanied by malevolent glares. "Pink medicine DOESN'T make me feel better, and my doll is NOT on the floor under my chair."] Laughter makes us hack and sputter like veteran smokers.  Then we collapse into the nearest chair and trade complaints about our aching throats, chests, and abs.  Meanwhile, the cranky 2yo is either laughing at us, crying because we laughed at her, or both.

At any rate, after a month-long break it’s been surprisingly hard to renew my blogging addiction and I feel a little like my sweet husband many years ago when he was still a smoker.  In spite of several half-hearted attempts at quitting, he had been smoking cigarettes for at least 10 years.  As he recovered from a bout of bronchitis, I heard him bemoan the fact that after more than a month he still couldn’t smoke a cigarette without setting off a coughing fit.  I couldn’t help but ask why he didn’t just quit, and he grinned ruefully because he didn’t have a good answer.

Remind me: why do I need to get back to blogging?