This week I am planning to do a bit of “Blog Housekeeping.” 
I want to dust off the awards that run along my sidebar and put them under a header tab along the top part of my blog. This way they will be neater and I can actually list the people who were so wonderful to send them my way. Much more organized… that’s the plan. 🙂
I also have a little sidebar updating to do. I am trying to figure out a cool way to keep my current reads on the side bar that is going to be easy for me to remember to update. Currently I tend to forget and then see something I have read a month ago listed as my current read. “Doh”! So not cool.
I am working on cleaning up my book related emails. I have them just hanging out all over the in box – book review requests, ones I have accepted, communications with authors/publishers. It is like a tornado hit and I need to call in a Cleaning crew to come and assist.
I am also a bit behind on my giveaways so need to do some random pics pretty quick here and get them moving so I can add new giveaways that are waiting patiently.
AND last but not least my Challenges need a little updating as well. I have books completed for the challenges that I have not acknowledged and I need to just get a grip on this.
So – as you look over my blog which is always open to upgrades, do you have any suggestions?
Book Journey 
This sounds like you will be so busy! Good luck to you I’m sure when you are all finished it will look great!
My only suggestion would be to put the important stuff right up top. Pix of all the authors are not important. You could have an about me/contact me tab and a book club tab that would get those off the front if you wanted, but leave your pix, that is nice to see you right there and know who you are talking to. Personally I love having all the ways to follow someone right up top and it being really clear saying “Follow me”. When I first started reading blogs, I had no idea how to find them again. those of us that don’t blog don’t know the language. The only ones I could figure out were the ones that had something that said Subscribe via email. That I could figure out. Of course all this is just one woman’s opinion. Have always loved your blog and It is fine like it is. My DH keeps telling me if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but I am always trying to fix it.
This is a constant challenge, isn’t it? What to put out there, front and center, and what to stash somewhere else.
I like the idea of a header tab for your awards.
I was on another site where the blogger put in a tab for all her “ning” sites (J.Kaye), so I did that and put them on my Collections blog. That way, I (and others) can find them.
I have the same issue with the sidebar pictures of books…So far, what I’ve done is keep a list with dates to check off…next to my computer. That’s where I put contests and dates, too.
I put together a housekeeping list for my blog the other day and then promptly ignored it. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂 I need to pull it out soon and get working on it.
I don’t really see anything that I could make as a suggestion – I think things look great on your blog.
I have no suggestions, Sheila. But I would like to know how you get pictures on your sidebar in WordPress. I have been trying to figure that out for a long time. I’m ready to pull my hair out!
Emailing you now. It is hard and I was helped out too and they made it so easy for me and I am so thankful. 🙂
Great organization with your housekeeping list. I need to do some housekeeping on my blog … and in my house! I hope to have a fairly quiet weekend so I can get caught up.
No suggestions at all. I think you are doing a great job.
Why thank you…. that is appreciated. 🙂
I’m not familiar with wordpress, but i think your blog is easy to navigate as is JMO.
Thanks Diane – I do enjoy it. I am always trying to learn more – but like my home – I like it neat and organized. 🙂
This isn’t a suggestion so much as a plea from a newbie 🙂 Since you’re also a wordpress blogger and I really like how your blog looks I thought you might be able to tell me how to put graphics in my sidebar area? Dumb question I’m sure since it’s probably pretty obvious, but I really need a dummies guide to wordpress or something 🙂
Emailing you now. It was hard to do and another blogger helped me (wish I could remember who it was!) and I would love to Pay it forward – in fact you are the third person who I have helped with this. 🙂
I think your blog is great just how it is.
Blog housekeeping is, like housekeeping is prone to being, a neverending task. I did some major work this past week or two, but there’s always something else, isn’t there? Good luck!
I’m just reading through these comments, and I am grateful to see that I wasn’t the only one who needed help with sidebar stuff! LOL. Thanks to you, and your wonderful directions, I now can post there too!
It’s a learning process isn’t it!!
It seems that a lot of people are doing housekeeping and updating on their blogs, myself included.
Isn’t it supposed to be “Spring” cleaning?? Something about fall (BBAW maybe?) that makes us want to clean-up and redesign!
Oh! I was going to tell you, someone used your comment you made on my blog, and your name, and turned it into spam from some check your credit score address. I’ve never had this happen before!
Probably nothing…but it bothered me that someone took a comment and a name from my blog and used it as spam.
Thanks for letting me know…. thats a bit annoying. I havent heard of thatbefore either so lets hope it was a one time deal…
I love your blog. Really, I aspire to have so many wonderful things going on for my blog (one day…). Still, I completely understand the need for some housekeeping. I feel the same way about my blog and my life in general! I always tell myself I’ll stay on top of that kind of stuff to avoid a massive need for housekeeping later on, but something always comes up that causes me to slip up.