*Whew*  I made it.  Bloggiesta this weekend was a lot of fun and while I had big commitments I was able to put in time around them and actually make a bigger dent than I thought I would in blog upkeep, repairs, maintenance…

Here’s the drive through version:

• I worked on and completed all mini challenges (except the picture one – which would have been fun, but I just didnt get there…..  “Doh!”)

• I painted – (err…. changed) my blog background color.  (If you were with me through the many hours I spent working on that – thank you for your input and support!)

• I wrote the 10 reviews I had pending and have them drafted and ready to go… a day at a time

• I wrote two Rainy Day posts – that are really fun (I think) and can’t wait for it to rain!  😀

• I sent out two author chats and wanted to do more, and will!

• I gave my side bars some love – and they need a little more yet….

• I spent several hours making a new header, deleting it, making a new header, deleting it… until finally at about 1:30 am on Sunday morning I managed to create this one and like it.  *Small victory dance!

• I went visiting new blogs – which I always enjoy and made my way to 33 new blogs to me, and 72 Bloggiesta participant blog visits over all

• Blogging Buddy was actually a Fall 09 Bloggiesta challenge but I saw that Lydia at The Lost Entwife was looking for one so we completed the secret blogger handshake.

SO… overall I put in 28 hours in the Bloggiesta which is amazing considering I worked 10 hours on Friday and had dinner plans, had a set up commitment on Saturday and more dinner plans, and Sunday set up beds for 16 people in our homeless program, purchased the food needed for the week,  and helped make dinner for the guests as well.

Oh and winner of the Pinanta hitting challenge (using random.org) is:

Samantha (Runner Sami)

Samantha’s comment was:  Great post! I would have to use a lightsaber if I could. If we’re being realistic then I’d use a poker.

Samantha – email me your shipping info and I will get the book and chocolates  out to you this week!

CrAzY wEeKeNd – but so much fun.  😀

Bloggiesta has come and gone.  My wrap up post will be up later on Monday

It is that time of year again and I am ready!  Up until a few days ago I was not planning on participating as I had a weekend bike ride commitment.  Well, life happens and my schedule changed where I needed to work today and could not find enough help to cover my Sunday commitment so I had to take a pass on the bike ride.

What is Bloggiesta? (In Natasha, Maw Books words)

In short, it’s a blogging marathon.  An opportunity to cross those nagging items off of your to-do list and improve your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing.  Break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two!

In my words?  It is Blog Housekeeping and I am ready!  Below is my list of plans to do this weekend and I will cross them off as I accomplish them.  I will post my updates on Twitter (bookjourney) #Bloggiesta .  On Monday evening I will post my wrap up.

1.  Write reviews and catch up 100% (Reviews completed  1 2 3 4  5 6  7  8  9  10)

2.  Write back up/ rainy day posts (those ideas I have had for a while but have yet to put in print)

3. Prep my Michael Sullivan weekend post idea

4. Contact the authors who have agreed to Author Chats and submit my questions

5.  Prep Author Posts

6. Update my side bar books

7. Update the challenges

8.  Update my giveaways link

9.  If I am brave I am going to change my back ground color of my blog because for me that is Bloggiesta tradition.

10.  Play around with my header a bit (ooh I am loving my new header!)

11.  Visit at least 20 new blogs (40 visited so far)

12.  Bloggiesta – Blog Buddy Time (Hi Lydia – thanks!)

13.  Do all of the mini challenges

First of all thank you so much to Natasha at Maw Books for hosting this incredible event!

So it is now time to recap this weekends Bloggiesta.  I had a BLAST!  I love this event and I always learn so much and have so much fun visiting the blogs of others.  On Friday when I started the Bloggiesta I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish.  As I traveled to other participants blogs and seen their goals… my list grew.  So here is my recap:

• Catch up on writing all the reviews for the books I have completed (Yes!  I have 5 posts written and hope to do a couple more tonight after floor hockey!)
  

• Have back up posts ready to go (Yes!  Created 4 conversation/idea posts ready to go when needed)

• Send out invites for authors chats with a few authors  (3 invites out and one positive response back at this time!)

• Clean up my Wish List link  (Yes!  Now I just need to add more to it…LOL)

• Organize all my pages (Yes!  I went through and cleaned up outdated info…)

• Create a new Blog Badge (Yes and I love it – upper right sidebar)

• Love a bit on my blog roll…. it needs a face lift! (I cleaned it out and need to enter some new ones)

• Love a little bit on my blog (Yes!  I actually loved a lot on my blog and the new color is the result of that)

• Clean up my book related emails (I went through and categorized those I needed to save and eliminated the ones I no longer needed.  I went from 98 to 33)

• Get out and visit other blogs!  Life has been so busy lately I have not had a lot of time to do this part of blogging which I love! (Yes – I visited all blog participants as well as many others.  I still have some regulars I hope to stop in and sat hi to tonight)

• Post the awards that I was planning to do at the end of December  (That is my Sunday night task… I hope to do this monthly after this)

• Revisit last Bloggiesta’s mini challenges to see if there is anything I may have missed (I did and it was fun to do some of them again or to be reminded of where I had learned a particular task to begin with!)
• 
  
• Take a look at My Review Policy (written during the last Bloggiesta) is it still current? (Yes – looked at and tweaked)

• Catch up on the giveaways that I still need to post  (I have two more to go but I have posted three over the weekend so I am getting here.  Trying not to crowd them)

• Stop in and see and comment on every participants blog (Yes done with the exception of one bad link and two that wouldn’t take a comment)

• My Blog Buddy is now Esme from Chocolates and Croissants!  Thanks Esme!!!

As for the new Mini Challenges:

Over at Rebecca from The Book Lady’s Blog I made some blog resolutions.

At Pam from Mother Reader’s Blog I set a goal to visit at least 5 book blogs a day and leave a comment.  I am going to make this goal be that I visit 5 new blogs to me and leave comments.

At There’s A Book blog I discovered a great idea to make a cheat sheet for all the links we use again and again in our posts to save time.  I saved mine to Google Reader and have already put it to use!

At Pam’s Bookalicio.us blog I was reminded the importance of putting a copyright on our blogs.  This is the one challenge I was unable to finish because I couldn’t figure out how to do it.

At Beth Fish Reads there was a great reminder about labels and for the most part I had this one down but it was agood reminder and I did make a couple corrections.

Thanks to Farm Lane Book Blog I backed my blog up for the first time ever.  🙂

Karin at Karins Book Nook linked me up to a couple places that would check my blog for dead links.

Chelle from Tempting Persephone was probably my favorite challenge because it was such a  great idea!  I chose three of my posts that had a lot of traffic and comments and put them on my sidebar.  I love this!

At Bookworming in the 21st Century I signed up for the Mentor program.  This idea is brilliant!

At Jenn’s Bookshelves I brainstormed a list of future blog ideas…. some of which I have already prepped posts for.

I am ending this Bloggiesta tired and happy.  I invested 23 hours and I think it was time put to good use.  I commented on probably close to 200 blogs over the weekend, all of the participants, all of the mini challenges (old and new) and about 50 others in there.  Because of this event I can relax a bit knowing I have back up posts.  For upcoming reads I have put the initial pieces already into posts for them so I can update them with my thoughts when it is time to post.  My blog once again has a whole new look.

Pedro says , “Good night!”

Next Bloggiesta:  June 2010

YAY BLOGGIESTA!

It has begun!  Today through Sunday I will be in Bloggiesta mode.  What exactly is Bloggiesta?  Well it is a time to take a closer look at our blogs and do some…. well, let me let Pedro the mascot, explain it.  Pedro?

“Plan.  Edit.  Develop.  Review.  Organize.“

That’s it.  Through mini challenges this is a time to plan out 2010 and get a little organized.  I want to share with you a few highlights from the first Bloggiesta event:

I had just started seriously book blogging about two weeks prior to this event.  Somehow I heard about the Bloggiesta and thought it would be a great way to perhaps (maybe) learn more about blogging, reviewing, etc….  I created a “to do” list and I participated in everything I could.  I learned so much through that event that my blog came out the other side looking sharper, more effective, and I had a new confidence of how I was going to go forward.  That was over 6 months ago and I cant even believe how much I am enjoying connecting with others through this Blog.  And now thanks to all those who helped me, I am able to help others.  🙂

Here is my weekend to do list:  (I will probably add to this as I go)

• Catch up on writing all the reviews for the books I have completed
• Have back up posts ready to go
• Send out invites for authors chats with a few authors
• Clean up my Wish List link
• Organize all my pages
• Create a new Blog Badge
• Love a bit on my blog roll…. it needs a facelift!
• Love a little bit on my blog
  
• Clean up my book related emails
• Get out and visit other blogs!  Life has been so busy lately I have not had a lot of time to do this part of blogging which I love! (and still going!)
  
• Post the awards that I was planning to do at the end of December
• Revisit last Bloggiesta’s mini challenges to see if there is anything I may have missed
  
• Take a look at My Review Policy (written during the last Bloggiesta) is it still current?
• Catch up on the giveaways that I still need to post
• Stop in and see and comment on every participants blog (currently working on)

Here are the links to the wonderful mini challenges which I hope to participate in every one of them!

• Rebecca from The Book Lady’s Blog – 2010 Resolutions.  You know you got them! Done!
  
• Pam from MotherReader –  Blogging is about community, so check out this Comment Challenge (watch for a Mr. Linky to be up on Saturday for you to complete this challenge).  Done!
  
• Danielle from There’s a Book – Blogging takes time & I’m sure we’d all love to blog faster.  Using a cheat sheet is just one idea of how to save time.  Done!
  
• Pam from Bookalicio.us – There is nothing worse than seeing your post on somebody else’s blog.  Talking about blog copyright and what you need to be doing to protect yourself.
• Beth from Beth Fish Reads – Using categories & labels to find what you’re looking for.  Done!
  
• Jackie from Farm Lane Books – Do not lose it all!  How to back up your blog.  Woo Hoo!

• Karin from Karin’s Book Nook – There is nothing worse than landing on 404 error pages.  It’s time to go on a dead link hunt!  Done!
  
• Chelle from Tempting Persephone – You have some great content.  But can people find it?  Here’s showing off the best of the best.
• Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century – Introducing a new blogger mentoring program and forum.  Done!
  
• Jenn from Jenn’s Bookshelves – Got nothing to say (not likely – that’s why you’re blogging in the first place!) but here is an opportunity to brainstorm blogging topics.  Done!
  

If you have time – I would suggest you go and sign up over at Maw Books and join an event that may very well make a positive difference in your blogging experience!

I will be keeping track of the invested Bloggiesta hours here:  as of 1/10/2010 10:07  a.m.   17 hours

Party Time!

Here is my starting line post from the last Bloggiesta.   And here is my finish line post from last time.