Win a Macbook Air
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeShoemoney is running a “comment contest” at the moment. I LOVE blog contests and giveaways but get weary of those which require people to jump through hoops and subcribe, link, comment and half a dozen other things just to get an entry.
Well, this one is nice and SIMPLE. And I really LIKE nice and simple. All you have to do is leave a comment.
So I’m not writing this post in order to gain entry. I’m writing it because I LIKE Shoemoney and I LIKE his contest and I LIKE to let you know about stuff like this.
Plus I LIKE the fact that Shoemoney is prepared to ship outside of the US (unlike many blog giveaways I come across *sigh*).
The contest started with a t-shirt giveaway. I’d LOVE a Shoemoney t-shirt. That would be more than enough for me. 
BUT, he has just announced a new prize in the comment contest - A Macbook Air.
If that doesn’t get you drooling, I don’t know what will.
Head on over and check it out.
Congratulations Aussie Bloggers
The Aussie Bloggers Forum and Blog is celebrating it’s 6-month anniversary this month. Sometime last year, three prominent figures in the Australian Blogosphere joined heads and resources and gave birth to both the Aussie Bloggers Forum and the Aussie Bloggers Blog.
Some 6 months later the Aussie Bloggers Forum has over 650 members, more than 32,000 posts on over 2400 different topics. Quite an achievement in such a short time. We’re quite a chatty bunch over there and you’ll always find someone willing to answer your questions, cheer you up or keep you company.
Some of the most popular threads include what’s for dinner (with some fabulous inspiration if you’re short on ideas), favourite search terms (with some hilarious offerings) and how’s your day.
It’s a great way to connect with Aussie’s who use Entrecard, Digg, Twitter and various other social network and blog promotion methods.
You can also find discussions on various tv shows including Big Brother and Dexter.
As far as blogging goes, you can learn more about Injader, ask questions related to Wordpress, Blogger and Other Blog Platforms. There are many discussions on ways to monetise your blog such as sharing the top 3 money earners on your blog, the 30 Day Challenge and charging for advertising. Of course there are many, many more blog discussion topics. Too many to mention here.
The blog is written by a diverse range of bloggers who are also responsible for overseeing the general running of the forums. Such diversity means that the blog publishes quite an interesting range of blog topics from TV shows to Australian Food and Places to great Blogging Advice.
As you can see, Aussie Bloggers offers something for everyone. It’s a fun, friendly and helpful place to be.
Congratulations to all who are involved in Aussie Bloggers in some way and here’s to a fabulous next 6 months.
Using Youtube Clips Offline
Image via WikipediaHave you ever tried to save a you tube clip to show someone, only to discover that you HAVE to be online in order for it to work?
Here is a nifty little download tool which makes it nice and simple:
It’s as simple as copying and pasting the You Tube URL and hitting the “get video” button.
This will save the clip as a vlf file. To play this type of file on your computer, simply download this VLC Media Player. It’s not a large file so shouldn’t take too much to download.
Just be aware that clips on youtube are not automatically copywrite free so it’s important to be considerate in how you make use of them.
Top 100 Australian Women Blogs Has Moved In Lightening’s Blogworld This Week
Leigh from All For Women announced this week that the Top 100 Australian Women Blogs has moved location and is now being hosted at Crazy Meezer. If you link to the list, you’ll need to alter those links to reflect the change (something I myself need to get around to as well).
New and Returning Blogs To the Top 100 Australian Women Bloggers This Month:
- DigiFree digital scrapbooking freebie
- The Original Mx5
- Meet me at Mikes
- Get Shouty
- One Red Robin
- Morsels & Musings
- Limes & Lycopene
- Save Save Save
- Housewife Hiccups
- Frog ponds rock
- Innovation Feeder
- Australia Entertains
Congratulations also go out to Karen Cheng who is currently occupying top spot on the list.
My Blogging News:
My Blogs are listed at number 7 (Lightening Online) and number 41 (Lightening’s Blogworld) on the Top 100 Australian Women Blogs this month.
I wrote a post for Aussie Bloggers this week on the great Australian tradition - The Road Trip.
Ben Barden wrote a great review for Lightening’s Blogworld on his blog Blogging and Website Tips without the jargon. Thanks Ben.
I celebrated my birthday with this post: A Time For Reflection
Entrecard Blog Review: I Need Alex
I Need Alex is a blog that according to it’s description is about:
Money Making Ideas, Internet News, Reviews of Cool Products + Many Clueless Ramblings
I found the recent post “Some Interesting Money Quotes” to be an interesting read. Everyone tends to have an opinion when it comes to money and these quotes reflect the diversity of opinions when it comes to money.
If you’re unlike me and have time to burn, you might find something interesting in the post “10 Totally Time Wasting Websites You Must Visit”.
I thought it was interesting that the “advertise” link went to an ebay page. I’ve not seen that done before and wonder how effective it has been. I noticed the auction is not current right now.
Things I Liked About This Blog
- I really liked the header. The graphics are clear and easy to read and provide interest without being overdone. I really like the cartoon. It gives me the impression of someone who is trustworthy and building trust with readers is an important part of sucessful blogging.
- Both RSS and Email Subscription options are clear and easy to find.
Things I Would Do Differently If This Were My Blog
- I couldn’t find any page giving me more information of what I could expect to find on this blog or anything about the blog author. This is a little more challenging with a blogger set-up than wordpress (which allows pages) but can be done.
- I’m personally not a big fan of dark background on blogs. While I do think it looks effective, it can make prolonged reading rather difficult.
- I couldn’t find any way to search the blog via category or tag which made navigation a little bit difficult.






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