Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A busy day and another question for you.........

Monday was such a busy day for me, as I am writing this on Monday night I am pooped.

Got up did my usual of having my breakfast while I checked my emails, blog, got my morning swag buck and whatever else needed done on the computer.  Had a shower and then cleaned the bathrooms.  Put a load of laundry in the washer.  Rang Linda at work to go over some stuff.  Cleaned out some of the ashes in the fire.  Took them out, brought in some logs, rang dh to see how he was.  Hung the clothes on the clothes horse to dry, and did some tidying up.

I went to get the car out of the garage, which is always a joy, as the door sticks when its cold, so kicked that a few times.............it's truly the best way to get it open and it gets rid of some frustration!!!  Had to shovel in front of the garage door first as snow had blown in front of it.  Warmed up the car ready to go to town.  By this time it's 9:30am.

Went to town had to go to Shopper's Drug Mart as there is a referral event on until Wednesday.........if anyone wants a referral just let me know, you get a bonus 5,000 points when you spend $20, which believe me is simple to do.  Make sure you also purchase a $25 gift card if you do decide to do this, as you will get an extra 250 points.  Then I headed to Zehrs to pick up some groceries, and then to First Choice to get my hair trimmed.  I was back at home by 10:45am.

Put all the shopping away and put on some eggs to boil.  Hunted out all my stuff for my quilting class.  Washed the dishes in the kitchen sink and did some more tidying up.  Had lunch, hard boiled egg sandwiches, and watched Eastenders at the same time.  As soon as that was over, headed for my quilting class.  The class was on how to quilt as you go.  Basically you sandwich together your block, batting and backing and quilt it all.  Then there is a neat way of stitching them all together. 

Had to put gas in the car, as it was on empty.....$50 later :0O it was $1 a litre.  Called in the vets to pick up some more pills for Molly.  Headed home unpacked the car, had to put winder washer fluid in the car, its a job I can actually do on my own.  Put the car in the garage, and no I didn't kick the door to shut it...........maybe I should and finally sat down for a bit. 

I don't feel as though I have stopped all day.  I have no plans on moving from the house over the next couple of days as the house is dust city, so want to get some cleaning done.

Did you remember to put your money in your pot today for the Daily Savings Club?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Cut back on the convenience foods – fast foods, microwave meals, and so on. Instead of eating fast food or just nuking some prepackaged food when you get home, try making some simple and healthy replacements that you can take with you. An hour’s worth of preparation one weekend can give you a ton of cheap and handy meals that will end up saving you a lot of cash and not eat into your time when you’re busy.
Now for the question (s).  As I said I am thinking of doing some changes to the blog and wanted your opinion on something.  What do you think of ads on blogs?  Are you more inclined to visit a blog if they have a giveaway on it?   Do you prefer blogs that deal with one subject, like cooking or gardening, or do you like blogs with a bit of everything on it?  Would you like to see some more 50 + 1 recipe threads, and if so on what?

A fellow blogger and I are brainstorming on how to reach out to a wider audience without losing our appeal.

24 comments:

Elcmae said...

Hi Gill. I love your blog just as it is! In fact I think it's the one I read first in the mornings with my cup of tea. It's warm and homely. I love reading about a mixture of things, cooking, gardening, quilting etc. I love reading about Molly and how you're tackling the jobs in your new house, the books you are reading. The 50+1 recipes are great and so are the money saving tips. You don't need giveaways - are the extra people there just for the giveaway or really interested in the you and the blog.
Sorry if I've rattled on a bit.
Thanks for sharing.
Elcmae.

Kelly Casanova said...

Ads on blogs are ok if they're not offensive and relevant to the blog. I have giveaways on my blog and they certainly do bring in traffic. I like to read blogs with a bit of variety. I think your 50 recipes are great.

softinthehead said...

Gill I was exhausted just reading that post, what a busy lady. To answer your question, whether a blog has ads or not makes no difference to me, I am just interested in the content. I like your current mix of news and tips. I particularly like your money saving ideas and have used them at Shoppers. keep up the good work!

Clippy Mat said...

softinthehead's comment was what i was just about to say.
saved me the bother.
:-)

Tracy said...

Ad's don't bother me. I read blogs through reader so don't see them anyway. Giveaways may bring traffic but not many people who will go on to continue reading. I like a bit of everything in a blog. I like the personal feel to a blog rather than than a professional look.

Karine said...

Wow, that is a crazy day! My Mondays are always like that because I go to work all day, come home, eat, shower, turn around and go right back out to choir practice and am not home until about 10:00 P.M..

Thanks for your concern regarding my migraine, I'm fortunate in that they hardly ever last more than 12 hours and those are the long ones! I also usually remain quite functional with them as long as I control them with over the counter stuff.

MyBulletinBoard said...

I just enjoy visiting a neighbor up north. I really don't like cluttered pages because they take so long to load. It is a rare day, vary rare day that I ever click on an ad on a blog page. Please don't worry about "attracting" people. Just be Gill. Always a good visit.

Liz in the Republic

DeniseinVA said...

Well, like Elcmae I enjoy your blog just the way it is. I don't mind going to blogs with adverts but don't usually read them. If there are a lot of adverts on a blog it seems that they take forever to load for me, so if that's the case I tend to back out of them immediately because it just takes the fun out of it. I'm going to be giving a giveway when I reach my 1000th post, not to attract more people, but to thank those who have been coming to my blog regularly. It doesn't really matter to me how many people come to visit but I love reading people's comments as it keeps us connected and have made lots of friends with lots of lovely people. You've got a great blog, you cover a lot of subjects and it's fun and interesting. Please don't change it too much but that's just my humble opinion.

Kim said...

I too like you blog as it is - I like hearing your spin on an ordinary day :)

I don't mind ads as long as they are not in my face. If I can ignore them fine.

I prefer your regularly posted recipes with photos to the 50+1 especially because I know you have tried and liked it.

Tracey said...

Don't like ads, don't go for give aways either, unless out of the blue theres one on a fave blog of mine. I love your blog as is, because I enjoy reading random stuff! xxx

Scrappy quilter said...

Gill I enjoy your blog just as it is. I don't ever look at ads and I seldom ever comment on a giveaway. I'm just not one to have giveaways in order to get traffic. I have to agree with Elcmae in regards to traffic and giveaways. I visit blogs because I enjoy reading what others are doing, not just to get a giveaway!!

Here is some good news....it's suppose to be zero today and all the rest of the week above normal temps. Unheard of in Jan. I'll be sending it to you soon!! Hugs

Kadeeae said...

I don't mind ads so long as there aren't tons of them, but I don't know that I've ever clicked on one, suppose I treat them like I do TV commercials - if they're trying to get me to buy something, I probably don't need it!

I do really enjoy your 50+1 posts, I think some along the lines of: 50+1 Things To Do With ..... would be great. I am always looking for new things to do with everyday things around the home, or things that would normally get tossed away. :-)

Love the blog as it is, but completely understand wanting to change it here and there as I just spent (am still spending) quite a bit of time doing the same on mine. Best advice though is to do what YOU want and what YOU enjoy, that's why we are all here in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Gill,

I am new to blogging but have read them for over a year. I enjoy your blog the way it is. I tend to approach each blog I read as an extension of the writer -- so each is different. If they were all the same, it would be a boring blogging world. What I don't like is distractions - too many graphics and fluff that take forever to load and then flash or float around the screen distracting the reader. Ads are okay but not if your blog becomes an infomercial. Hope this helps.

- Deborah

Peta said...

I don't mind ads, a lot of the time I read my blogs through my reader anyway so don't see them. I don't mind giveaways but I'd never go to a blog I don't normally visit and comment just to win something. I read lots of different blogs about different things (some craft, family, etc) and I think you should stick with what you are comfortable with

Jo said...

stay as you are! I don't like ad's but I do like giveaways!
Josie x

John Going Gently said...

sounds like my sort of day!
leave the blog s it is
xx

The Witch said...

Gill,
Wow I'm tired just reading what you have accomplished in one day!
Love the blog in so many ways because it's natural.It's just about life, family, nature, and everyday living life to the fullest.
Love all the pictures.
Ads that up to you. If you can make some money from them, then go for it.I just ignore most of them anyway.
Giveaway's I've never applied for I guess I figure I'll never win them.
Hope I've helped some in your decision.

mistyeiz said...

giveaways are a great way to pull traffic n a blend of topics makes it more interesting. ;) my take on 50+1 recipes is...its too long for my liking plus pushes down everything else. perhaps a drop down menu so it doesn't take up the entire side bar on the 1st page of the monitor? just an idea... :) but it's a good idea nonetheless.

chksnowqueen said...

Hi Gill,

- Love your blog as it is, nice and homey
- Don't care about giveaways
- Don't pay attention to ads and never click on them

Christine

Canadian Saver said...

I personally hate ads on blogs. I never click on them and don't like the look of them on a blog, too cluttered.

I do like giveaways when I can enter them (Canadian resident and all...).

Question about the gift cards at SDM... is it any gift card or is it just the SDM ones? I bought an iTunes one on Monday, don't know if I got points or not, checking my receipt after I send this.

Decadent Housewife said...

Some day you had.
You have a cute blog and it's informative.
Not a fan of ads.

Tracey said...

Morning Gill.....I have tagged you! xxx

Tanya said...

HI Gill, I tend to read crafty/ lifestyle, blogs. I like yours, it's nice. I ignore ads and never click on them. I do sometimes visit for a giveaway but only stay as a regular reader if I like reading...I love Bridget Jones, I use that same line every now and then 'he said he loves me, just as I am!'
Blogs where you don't have to write in a code word when you comment are easier to leave comments on too. Less fuss.

CannedAm said...

I swear I responded to this! I know I had trouble responding to another one (the christmas letter), too. I wonder if it's on my end or blogger's. Anyone else complaining? If not, it's on my end.

My comment was, I enjoy reading what you write. I like the out in the country stuff because I want to live out in the country and I also enjoy the reno's as I find that very interesting. But I enjoy reading all your posts, Gil.

{{{SIGH}}}

Tuesday was a mixed bag type of day. Had the appliance repair guy come again to install another circuit board in the fridge.  When hubby got...