Adventures · Inspiration

How to have fun as a blogger

Shelley

So here you are, joining me again (thank you, by the way, you’re welcome here any time!) on a Stream of Consciousness Saturday for another exciting post. Remember you can link up here, where Linda welcomes all of us, every Saturday!

As Linda does, but in a different way, today I’m inviting you for something different. YOU are going to have extraordinary fun with me.

Hold on tight as we take a ride across the continents and discover how to make your blogging efforts FUN.

First, put on some music. Yeah, that’s the first step. Try something you’ve never listened to before. By an artist, that you and I loved in the 1980s. I loved Prince’s Little Red Corvette. The way he danced and moved, it was exciting to watch.

But you know, I didn’t expect to enjoy this one. The jazz sound of it is exhilaratingly cool. And fun to have played in the background as I write.

Okay, so now my SoCS, prompt of “xp” is done…now what? See how fun it is to play with the prompt from someone else’s blog to get you started on writing a post yourself?

What’s next for fun on the agenda for today?

Well, it’s time to be all bee-like and be xenial.

What is xenial?

Look it up. Okay, never mind, it’s my party, I’ll do the work for you. Here’s a link.

How in the world does it apply to blog fun?

Isn’t Xenia more about the work of bees? Right? Yeah, but, hospitality is in the definition, too.

Bee pollination process helps plants grow. The plant invites the bees, too.
Are you sure you haven’t figured out where this is heading yet?
No…it’s not my trees inviting bees, they aren’t blooming like this, yet…not even close.

Enough, already. I’ve just been crossing off my wish list for spring. I can’t wait to see the bright colors that attract the bees.  It’s time to get back to the business about having fun on a blog.

My best advice to have fun is to take trips across continents and meet other bloggers by commenting on their blogs as well as inviting them over to visit your blog.

I can’t make these things up…!

To help you see what I’m talking about, I’m going to cross-pollinate with the magic of WordPress Pingbacks. Check out this support article on how to do so, if you’re not familiar with it, you’ll want to make sure you have your settings right, and that the blogger you’re linking up with knows too. It’s been my experience that if that blogger doesn’t have sharing settings right, the pingback doesn’t work.

First, let’s head on over to Australia. On Brian’s Bushboy blog you’re going to find gorgeous photos. I’m never disappointed in photos he shares, and he’s such a welcoming blogger. His post about The Rule of Thirds will brighten your day.

Next, let’s fly all the way over to take a tour of Las Vegas, Nevada with John at LasVegas Photoblog. John always welcomes comments and feedback, and he’s one to visit your blog and will share his warm thoughts of encouragement. John’s post about a soft sunset captures the beauty of a city that is full of activity. John was originally from Michigan.

So, speaking of that, let’s take an excursion over to see Linda in Michigan. Linda’s blog is such a joy to visit. She is so welcoming, and she is also very dedicated to encouraging other bloggers. You will fall in love with her as well as her adventures with the squirrels. And this post about bugs…that’s a new one for me to read about, but you’ll enjoy the tales she shares, I’m sure of it!

Whew…that’s a lot of flying around…time for a quick break.

I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much fun, but I’ve got two more spots you’re really going to enjoy visiting.

If you’re thirsty, you might want to stop by for a beer with Dan. His blog is welcoming, funny, and you’ll enjoy his stories at the bar. As well as his linking up with other bloggers. He’s working on something fun with Teagan starting today.

We’re almost done, but not yet, you’ve got to stop by and check out the story about pansies.

Don’t they have such cute little faces?

I love pansies, and so do the deer, so I hear from Ally over at The Spectacled Bean. Her delightful tale about how that post became her most popular post is worth your time to stop by! Ally’s wit and charm will warm your heart and you’ll have fun stopping by her blog to say “Hi!”

Wait…we can’t exit the trip yet.  I have two more places to visit.  Jeez, I didn’t expect that I’d have a hard time choosing between my friends.  I wish I wasn’t running out of time, to share them all. 

Next trip, right?  

Since this post is about the letter “X” for the AtoZ Challenge, that has reminded me of John at The Sound of One Hand Typing – every post for the challenge he’s used the letter X! Woah, that’s impressive! Plus his posts are really fun too. If you’re still thirsty, today’s XX post won’t disappoint! And, of course, there’s my dear blogging friend, Janet at Janet’s Smiles – she’s been like me, mostly up for each letter, and occasionally winging it some of the days with the letter of the day. Like W – that was a tough one. As she said, though, we’re on the homestretch now!

And we’re back where we started.  We’ve crossed off “X” by crossing the continents and the US.  And some of you didn’t think I had it in me to find a topic for “x” did ya?  

Okay…you can exit now.  Go link up with some really cool bloggers.  Don’t forget to stop back and say “Hi” to me too!!!  

Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday ‘xp’ and A-Z Blogging Challenge – X.

PS – Did you have fun?  I hope you have the chance to take me up on the proposition to go visit the other blogs.  Did you think the ‘x’ was going to kick my butt?  How about Prince, are you a fan of his earlier music or his later music?  Hope you have a great Saturday!    

 

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

48 thoughts on “How to have fun as a blogger”

  1. Wow- Shelley – that was fun! Thanks so much for mentioning the bar, and Teagan’s story. I enjoy having met and “knowing” bloggers from all over the world and from the parts of this country (like yours) that seem like another world 😉

    1. Aw, thanks, Dan! Glad you enjoyed joining in on the fun :-)! Your kindness extends so far, I can see why so many people enjoy your blog. I’m still moved by your words and you sharing the train story from yesterday. WOW…so touching.

    1. Thank you, John! You’re welcome. PS – I really do like your new theme on your blog. I’m behind on visiting, when did you update it?! It looks great!!

      1. Wow thanks Shelley! I changed it just last night late. The other theme is nice but I feel it’s a bit complicated now. So many choices may not always work for readers. The trend has been Minimalism in web design for a good while now. This simple #ffffff theme looks clean and easy to view/navigate.

        1. Whew…I thought I was slow to observe the change. You’ve done a great job chosing one that features your photos. It does look clean and easy to navigate. You’re brave to change it up. I’m scared to try that. 🙂

          1. Thanks! I remember changing themes when I self hosted long ago, it’s not a big deal, give it a try. Your current theme renders well on my Mac, iPad and iPhone.

          2. You’re welcome. That’s what my daughter says too. Maybe I will when the license comes up for renewal again. I’m glad to hear it renders well on those platforms!

  4. Thanks for including me in your world tour. I’m happy to be included with these other great bloggers– and am only slightly irritated that your pansies bloom as if there are no deer around to eat them. 💜

    1. You’re welcome Ally, thanks for being game for playing along. LOL – that’s the one and ONLY pansie in my yard, it is gobbled up quickly by the night visitors. I wish I could grow them, but I know the deer will eat them. I’ve read it somewhere…! 😉

    1. Thank you, Maggie! I hope you have fun traveling today. I’m so glad you stopped by here to say hi, I enjoyed my visit to your blog, too! Your expert advice was great to read about! Happy Saturday to you!

  7. I’m honored to be included in your list of bloggers, Shelley. Thanks so much. While I know a few of the others, I have some new people/places to check out. Happy Saturday.

      1. Thanks! I will check it out, but I do not have my site linked to any other social media sites, other than Pinterest, which I haven’t checked in months.

        1. I hope you do check it out. It is mostly just a setting in your own ‘discussion’ settings on your blog to allow other bloggers to comment and share the link to your posts and/or your blog with out you having to approve the share. Hope that makes sense?!

  9. First up, absolutely love your bee photos. I feel privileged to be included in your wonderful post. I hope lots of people visit all of your favourite sites. ❤❤

    1. Yay, thank you, Brian!! I appreciate you sharing in the travels with us. I hope they visit the sites too! 🙂

    1. Thanks, Anita, I’m glad you enjoyed it. You do a great job of discovering other bloggers and sharing your kindness with them. I love that about you!

  12. Thank you for the shout-out Shelley and here you are at “X” and the last comment I offered you a suggestion on “X” – somehow I lost a day and a letter. Hmm. I will stop and visit these other bloggers as well. I like how you tied in the bee flitting around to flitting around the world in the blogosphere. I am impressed with something about my really faraway blogging friends. They all know English as a second language, and I am sure many of us, could not converse, nor read,let alone write in a foreign language. I know I could not, despite taking French in college for three years. English is a difficult language to master – double entendres, multiple spellings but different pronunciations of the same word. It is tough. I really didn’t follow Prince too much – in fact I didn’t know a lot of his music, until his untimely death and a medley of songs were playing to honor him and I recognized his music then. I knew a few songs and “Raspberry Beret” was my favorite Prince song – that one I know by heart.

    1. You’re welcome! I’m impressed with their ability to speak English too. We had a foreign exchange student in 2009, from France, she said that it was mandatory in school to learn English right along with their own language. I agree with you, it is a difficult language to learn. I love the sound of hearing someone speak French. My youngest took it through high school, thus the foreign exchange student. Yes – that is one of my favorite Prince Songs too. Thank you for playing along with the travels today. I hope you had fun meeting the other bloggers! I’m positive they’ll enjoy meeting you!

      1. When I lived in Canada we had to learn French in first grade I believe … in fact I think I mentioned this when you did the French exchange student post (I know I told you about our Brazilian exchange student who stayed with my good friend and was sent home for lying about her age). I like to hear French too. I have forgotten so much of it now. We have many Spanish-speaking people living here in Michigan. In fact, Meijer where I do grocery shopping, has all the signs in English and Spanish. English is difficult to learn … interestingly, sometimes if I am writing a post and decide to use a phrase that I’ve used in the past many times, I want to check it means the same now and you would not believe how many times it has a second meaning in the slang dictionary … not a phrase I would use in the post, so I am glad I check. I want to return to this post and check out the others. Ally Bean I know … I just started following her a month or so ago. I did a very long post today in Gutenberg – noticed when you preview something there is a little song-and-dance about “previewing” … didn’t notice that before, wondering if they are or have rolled out this 5.2 version. I didn’t notice any changes to the theme. This post had more photos than I usually do and I was sorely tempted to use Classic Editor to save myself an hour as I’m now behind on comments and not even tread into Reader yet. Reader will likely be tomorrow at this rate.

        1. Yes, I remember your comments on foreign exchange students. WOW – I’ve found that too on the sayings. I tend to double check Urban Dictionary, and like you sometimes am shocked at the alternate meanings. Ally has a fun blog, glad you’re following her. I tried Gutenberg again today and was so frustrated by the end of the post. I have to write in Gutenberg in my .org account, save it, then look at it in my .com account, then what doesn’t work, go back to my .org account, change it…etc. I can’t publish in .org, I have to publish in .com otherwise it doesn’t work. It’s a PAIN to say the least. I shall try again another day. I’ll stop by to see how you did on your post. You’re right though, it takes WAY longer to write a post in “G”!

          1. I’m shocked many times by Urban Dictionary because these are modern phrases, not ones I ever recall seeing. Thank goodness for having it around! Ally followed me first and I followed back and was surprised to see a lot of the other fellow bloggers I knew there. It becomes a big family sometimes. Did I ever share Kim of Red Dirt Farms with you Shelley? I like her blog a lot and have shared it with bloggers who live in rural areas (some whom often keep chickens … several of them do). Kim is a fun blogger and photographer to follow. She doesn’t post a lot in the growing season – she has a roadside stand, grows flowers and is artistic with them and sells them fresh as well, makes jewelry, makes food items for the stand and sells eggs. Her blog is homey and fun. Just her and her husband and the pets are their kids. This recent post tickled me: https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/51131225/posts/9892
            I struggled with “G” last night – it took way too long and I knew I could have just dumped the photos into the post and re-arranged them according to the paragraphs (I asterisk to match the paragraphs to the photos as I cut-and-paste the narrative from Word.) And I started the post in Secure Browser, not Opera and every paragraph, headline and photo had those little black diamonds with question marks – whatever that is. So I saved it, and switched browsers but it took way too long to finish. It’s more of a a pain for you – I’d hold off until it’s mandatory to use “G”.

          2. Thank you for the link to Kim’s blog, I’ll check it out. I agree with you, it’s like one big happy family when we all connect across the blogosphere. Yeah “G” is gonna take some getting used to for me. Since I blog everyday, I had definitely gotten into a groove and it’s hard to break that. It’s good to find and discover and learn new things, so I’ll keep trying it occasionally, until mandatory. I’m glad to read you keep giving it a try and are finding out bugs for me to avoid ;-)!

          3. Yes, it is a fun blog to follow and I love her pictures – I think you will like the garden shots. She makes me smile with the free-range chickens and her new rooster sometimes. I did tonight’s post quickly – go figure because I had some setbacks on Sunday night and nearly gave it up and returned to Classic Editor for that post. Yes, I’ll keep you apprised of the bugs so you don’t have issues. I’ll be the guinea pig. 🙂

  13. Huh. How come I never heard of this Prince guy? That was pretty nifty. I see in the YouTube comments he died – I’m sorry I missed him (although to be fair, I don’t listen to much jazz).

    Nifty also describes a bunch of those links you posted. Thanks for helping me shirk housework for another Sunday!

    1. Prince was hot in Minnesota (where he grew up) in the 1980s. Being from WI we had to like him. It is sad he died so young. You’re welcome. I’m finally feeling up to vacuuming…it’s loud though 🙁 Glad you’re feeling up to cruising around the world. You bounce back nicely!

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