Author Archives: LA Blogger Gal

It’s Party Time! WootWoot!

Ultimate Blog Party 2008

Welcome to my party, um the Ultimate Blog Party! I wish I could do something, oh.my.god. amazing, but sadly, I’m still a little sick *sigh* So sadly, no cocktails from me. But I can offer you a tasty cuppa tea and some chocolate chip cookies if you’re so inclined. And well, party pro that I am, I won’t let something as a three week-long headcold slow me down! Just keep reading along as the days go on. My doc assures me I’ll be better in not time flat 😉

Let me tell you a little about myself…I’m one of the few non-moms participating. Well, actually, I am a mom, but to the four-legged kind of kids – my handsome tuxedo cat and my feisty little mutt. And as to be expected, both are well loved and some might even say, spoiled. I decided to participate in UBP because I thought it would be a great opportunity to find some new blogs and make some new bloggie friends.

I’m a 30-something, stay-at-home, work-from-home, wife in the greater Los Angeles area. I’m a former disk jockey and teacher (not at the same time) and I’m in the process of launching my own business (thanks to Ladies Who Launch), so I tend to talk about that. A lot. I’m an avid reader, though most of the time, I tend to forget to mention what I’m reading. We go to a lot of concerts and sometimes I get to take pictures. Other times, I get to meet the performers – though not always. I love to take pictures and up until recently, I was a regular participant in Wordless Wednesday.

Here are a couple of my favorites…

A Pedicure & New FlipFlops - What More Could You Ask For?

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My bloggie friend Geggie is doing 2 truths and a lie, so I thought I’d copy her play along also. Below you will find 4 true facts about me and 2 lies. It’s your job to guess which is which. Please share your thoughts in the comments. And now, a little more than you ever wanted to know about me…

  1. I’m great friends with my husband’s last ex-girlfriend.
  2. I’ve done phone sex to make a quick buck.
  3. I actually know some people that can take care of that for you (she says in euphemisms).
  4. I’ve partied with Bruce Springsteen.
  5. My husband I have invested in my best friend’s haunted, ghostie business.
  6. I’ve had a couple of my amateur photos published.

So now I just need to find that Mr. Linky thing-a-ma-gig so I can get this show officially on the road. Keep reading along, I promise, I’m a cool chick.

I look forward to meeting all of you!!

ETA: Please feel free to stick around a while – I even have two good reasons to try and entice you…1) I’ll be posting the answers to my Two Truths & a Lie from above and 2) this blog really isn’t all that old and it wouldn’t take you all that long to poke around – maybe check out my Welcome! Welcome! for some more insight into this theory.

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UPDATE: You can find the answers to my 2 truths and a lie over here.  I’ll come back later today and check and see if anyone guessed correctly.  Now,  I must run…

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Did someone mention prizes??? It was hard to choose my favorites, but these seems super useful to me.

I also think these are all fun-sounding as well: 20, 21, 36, 39, 41, 60, 67, 70, 91 – so difficult to chose.

BlogHer Conference Anyone?

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Is anyone planning to go to the BlogHer Conference this July?  It’s in San Francisco, so I kind of feel that I should go.  I was about a week off last year for the Chicago one – not that I signed up or anything, I just happened to be at the same hotel as some of the BlogHer gals.  Reading all the blogs though, it sounded like they all had so much fun.

I did the SXSWi BlogHer dinner last year and well, I was a little disappointed.  While I get that so many bloggers know so many other bloggers, it still felt like I was on the outside of some cool clique looking in.  Thing is, I’ll talk to anyone about anything.  So for me to say something about that crowd (or at least that part of the crowd that I met), that’s really kind of saying something.

Because of that outsider feel, I really don’t want to go to BlogHer by myself.  But this years theme of “Reach!” sounds right up my alley since my main focus and goal this year is to increase my site’s blog presence.  Here’s what they have to say about it…

Our 2008 conference focuses on a central theme: Reach! As BlogHers, you’re commanding an ever-growing online presence, but what is the true extent of your reach (and your message)? Is your reach something you need better defined, or something you’re looking to expand exponentially? If you believed that your blog could do anything, what would you reach for?

So is anyone considering going?  Has anyone gone in the past?  Has anyone hooked up with a roommate through the event coordinators?  So many questions I know, but pre-registration is nearly over and they pretty much expect to be sold-out shortly after pre-reg.

Yup, Still Sick (or so it would seem)

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I just finished my 10-day round of antibiotics and well, my sinuses are SO much better, but dammit if I’m not still sick. With something different, at that. I’ve been craving a latte for nearly 2 weeks now – since first getting sick. I caved last night and finally drank one. Of course, I woke up this morning with a sore throat and feeling all floaty-headed (surely it can’t be the latte, I know that much). I’ve got an appointment in a bit with my doctor.

In other news, I feel crazy busy. Mind you, that’s crazy busy in a good way. I’m still following up with ladies about the blogging workshop I did on Monday all while getting ready for my next workshop next Wednesday. The cool news, just from Monday’s workshop alone I’ve been invite to lead another workshop in Orange County and another in Santa Barbara. This is awesome!! I’m telling you, Ladies Who Launch is an awesome organization.

Also, have any of you ever purchased an ebook – downloadable, PDF book? I’ve got a couple ideas that are running around in my head and I’m considering using the ebook platform. If you have purchased one, can I ask what the topic might have been? The price? The length of the book? Did you feel it was worth the money spent? Just wondering and trying to gather as much information as possible right now.

Before I sign off…remember that there’s still time to join the Ultimate Blogging Party on the 7th – 14th. Just click on the pretty pink banner there to the right for more information. Hope to be partying with you next week! 😉

Michael Gerber Rocks!

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Have you heard of Michael Gerber?  He is known as the small business, entrepreneur guru.  He wrote the awesome E-Myth books.  Every small business owner should read these books – I really got a lot out of the E-Myth Revisited book.   His latest book is called Awakening the Entrepreneur Within.  I pre-ordered it last week and I can’t wait to read it.

I was lucky enough to listen in a tele-conference call he did for Alexis Neely over at Family Wealth Matters earlier today. He is not only an amazing man, but a very motivational and inspiring author and speaker.  He’s currently holding a seminar workshop training class engagement session – whatever you want to call it since it’s none of the above, really – in conjunction with his Awakening book.  It sounds like such a fascinating and fun process.  I’m considering doing it since it’s in San Diego at the end of this month.

Either way, if you have a small business, or would like to have a small business, check Michael Gerber and his books out.  Below are a couple of quotes from the call that really struck a chord with me.

“What you don’t know is there. It’s there waiting for you to discover it”

“If there’s a way to do everything on the face of this earth, then there’s a better way to do everything on the face of this earth. And if there’s a better way to do everything on the face of this earth, then there’s a best way.”

“If I’m passionate about this, everything I need to know will become available. I will discover it.”

My Rant on Celery & Messy Desks

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I don’t like celery.  No wait, that’s not entirely true.  I like raw celery and I like raw celery in my tuna or chicken salads.  I just don’t like it cooked.

If cooked celery turns mushy and gross when cooked, then why do we always put it in soups?  You see, I love soup.  I don’t love celery.  If you’re going to put celery in soup, can’t you at least leave it chunky enough so that I can avoid it?

The only thing worse than celery in soup…okra in soup.  Talk about slimy and gross!   Really, it totally throws off the consistency, so why do it?

Onto other things that annoy  me…why is it that I can clear off my desk, but a mere two days later it’s piled over with crap?  I mean there’s rarely even a bit of flat enough surface available for my mug of tea.  How is that even possible?!?  More to the point, how can I stop it from happening over and over?

And speaking of messy desks…what the hell am I supposed to do with this ginormous stack of mail that needs to be shredded, but is just too much for my little home office shredder to handle?  Times like this I wish we had a fire place.  I mean this stack really seems to be hindering my productivity while at my desk (if you ignore the additional stacks ‘o mess I mentioned above).

What is a girl and her messy desk to do?  Any suggestions from you work at home gals out there?  How do you keep it all under control?

Let’s Party – Ultimate Blog Party Style

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Ultimate Blog Party 2008

I’m planning on participating in the Ultimate Blog Party. I’m not a mom, but I can and do read quite a few mom blogs. Hopefully, there will be some other non-moms participating. I figure it’s a fun way to be a part of something and meet new bloggers. Mind you, with my various biz and other blogs, I’m up to 150 blogs in my Reader, but still. I won’t let that hold me back.

Anyone want to join me in this? Much like NaBloPoMo (which went monthly, did you know??) there are prizes to be had. And this gal loves anything with a prize! It’s only for one week and basically only requires you to make ONE party post during the week of March 7-14th with a link to a Mr. Linky (still learning that part – somewhere in the first, March 7th post? Maybe? Hopefully?). The rest of the time, you blog as usual – I just have to remember not to drop the f-bombs (like I do that so often!). For all the specifics, check out the instructions rules details over at 5 Minutes for Moms.

My understanding is the that the sooner you link up to your party post, the sooner you’ll get some new visitors. And well, hey, once you post that initial party post, the hard stuff is done. After that, it’s back to blogging same as before. So won’t you join me in this mini virtual celebration?? Just click on either the banner above, or the one to the right.

About Cooking, A Blog & A Contest

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I love to cook.  I love to bake.  Unfortunately, I have a teeny tiny kitchen with absolutely no counter space.  This puts a damper on my dreams of cooking and baking.  I also have a piece of shit stove and oven.  The temperatures are way off, I think the oven leaks, and it cooks horribly uneven.  Oh, and did I mention that we can’t use our stove or over from April to October because it creates too much heat and the walled AC unit doesn’t reach into the kitchen?!  Actually, it barely reaches beyond the living room where it’s walled, but that’s an entirely different story for a hot summer day.  Ahhhh, the joys of apartment living.

Needless to say, I don’t cook or bake that much.  I tend to look upon events like book club, as my excuse to finally try something fun (I’ve learned my lesson with the in-laws that they won’t try anything they don’t recognize, so that leaves out a lot of food choices!).   But that doesn’t stop me from buying and reading cookbooks (yes, I read them like a book, page by page, cover to cover).  And it doesn’t stop me from reading cooking blogs.

My dear bloggie friend Geggie, over at GeggieBlog (Hi Geg!!) not only can point you in the direction of one of the best restaurants in Phoenix (damn was it good!), but she can also point you to some damn fine cooking blogs.  The latest in her list of referrals…Megans Cookin.  Check it out, it’s a fun-looking blog that just might leave you drooling.  Don’t say I didn’t warn  you.

Megan is also having a contest right now, just in time for Easter.  And let me just say, I do believe that I am coveting those dish towels!  If you stop by to check her out and enter, be sure to let her know that LA Blogger Gal sent you.  And if I win the basket, I’ll send you my Peeps!  Deal?

And speaking of book club, it’s time to get ready to head on over the farmer’s market.  I need to pick up some berries and granola for my contribution – I already have the yogurt at home.  I really was hoping to make the granola from scratch, but damn, I was just to wiped out this week to do much of anything.   Plus the last time I tried to make it in this oven, it just didn’t work out so well.

Happy Weekend everyone!

Not a Fan of Blogger

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Why can’t Blogger remember me?  Typepad and WordPress remember, why can’t Blogger?  I thought when they switched over to the whole OpenID thing that they’d finally have it set to remember.  No suck luck.

So I’m sure you can all understand why I won’t be recommending the Blogger platform at my Let’s Get Blogging training on Monday.  Sorry Blogger, but really, you kind of suck and aren’t all that intuitive. Maybe you might want to fix that.  Why don’t you give those geniuses at your partner Google a call?