Friday, August 5, 2011

Why Hazel Doesn't Blog Much and What, If Anything, She Plans to Do About It

Why I don't blog like I used to:
  1. Facebook. It helps me keep in touch with most of the people I care about and it's quick and easy to share my thoughts and photos. Blogging is mostly one way (from me to you) whereas on Facebook I get news and feedback.
  2. I have that other blog (which I'm also not blogging on like I planned) and I'm always logged in on that one so it's an extra step to log into this one and then two extra steps to log back into the other one.
  3. I feel a moderate amount of David Bowie pressure to spend my free time making science books for babies, not blogging. I haven't been caught up on orders since November or so, when I sold my first book, then made another one and sold that right away, then started selling them before they were made. I was furthest behind in June (8 books to make) and I've since caught up ever so slightly and only have 6 customers patiently waiting. Thank goodness for the summertime shopping lull. I hope to catch up completely soon and make some extra books and maybe some other kind of product as well. I'm thinking maybe science hair accessories (neuron barrette, anyone?) or science baby blankets or science holiday ornaments. If they had sold a neuronal action potential ornament when I was in grad school I would have definitely bought one for my advisor and more for my fellow grad students.
  4. I'm tired.
  5. I'm lazy.
What I plan to do about it:

A 30-day blog challenge. I pledge to post something every day in September. This September. My friend Lucy*, who writes The Hamer Adventures blog (see it in the list of great blogs on the right - it's sweet and funny) is doing this in August (a 30-day photo challenge) and it has inspired me to do so as well. There are many types of blog challenges out there and I have a few ideas for what to post but I would love to hear from you about what you'd like to see. Here are some ideas:
  • September is National Sewing Month. I would sew something every day (note, not complete something, just sew something) and then report what I sewed in the blog. This would not be a big stretch because I do sew almost every day, usually books.
  • A new topic every day, based on this list I found at coffeewithcheryl.com. Some of them I would look forward to writing about and others I would dread.
    1. Three things that irritate you about people.
    2. Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
    3. Weird things you do when you’re alone.
    4. Your views on religion.
    5. Your three favorite books and why.
    6. Write 30 interesting facts about yourself.
    7. What you wear to bed.
    8. A show you thought you wouldn’t like, but you did.
    9. Tattoos. If you have one, post it and it’s story. If not, what do you want?
    10. Write 5 messages to 5 different people without using names.
    11. Put your iPod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
    12. Bullet your whole day.
    13. Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
    14. Your earliest memory.
    15. Your favorite blogs.
    16. Talk about your family.
    17. Things that make you instantly happy.
    18. Name the thing you are scared of most.
    19. You favorite music.
    20. How important you think education is.
    21. One of your favorite shows.
    22. The last movie you saw in theatres.
    23. Give pictures of five guys who are famous who you find attractive.
    24. Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
    25. Talk about your siblings.
    26. Your first celebrity crush.
    27. The last person who texted you.
    28. Five things within touching distance of you right now.
    29. Someone’s Facebook status you can always count on to annoy you.
    30. List everything in your purse right now.
  • The Great Declutter - Every day of the month I would photograph and then get rid of three items (recycle, donate, sell, or send to the landfill) that are just taking up space in my house, then report in the blog about it. These would have to be things I hadn't already planned to get rid of, i.e., no candy wrappers or dust bunnies. So that means 90 items gone. Imagine the echo in the house when I'm finished.  Hazel's House Blog-og-og-og-og....
If you have any other ideas for the challenge I would love to hear them. And thanks in advance for letting me know your preference on these.

Here's the Blueb:




*Names changed.

3 comments:

Amacrine said...

AH, I find this intriguing and I want to do it, too (would that be intrusive?)I am a terrible blogger. So undedicated. I think all the suggestions are fun. I know I would least do the ones that require pictures because it always seems like such a chore for me to upload pictures. However, you take interesting pictures and I would love to see them. Also, however, I kinda want to see your responses to most of the suggested posts in the list. Can't wait to see what you decide! duackl

Tanya Cothran said...

Hi!!! I like the idea of the list of questions for the blog. I might do it too, if you decide to do that one. Also, thanks for putting the donation widget for Spirit in Action on your blog! It was so exciting to see the projects in action this past month!

Gena said...

Okay, Amacrine* and Kate*. I had decided not to do the blog challenge after all because I realized that I don't have to, and it would be stressful, so why bother doing something unnecessary that is stressful when I can focus on only necessary things and thus reduce my stress? But it's a different story if we're a team doing it together (no, Amacrine, it would not be intrusive, it would be fun to do it together). You and other readers have inspired me so I'm going to do the list of questions and I hope you two and others join me - this is going to be fun! (I will also do the decluttering thing but not blog about it). I keep telling myself, I don't have to write a novel each night. Just a paragraph. And Kate, you're welcome - I love supporting such a great program! Can't wait to hear about your trip to Africa!