I Heart Google Reader

It took me awhile to start using Google Reader, but now that I have, I LOVE it. Not only does it give me a "one stop shopping" approach to reading all the blogs I love, but it's also loaded me up on more blogs to enjoy and learn from. Here's a sampling of what Google Reader has suggested (and therefore I have added):

Make and Takes

It's billed as "Ideas and Crafty Tidbits for Home, Family & Fun" and I'd say that pretty much sums up the blog. I've seen some CUTE stuff on there, things that the kids and I could easily make together (even a couple of things I could incorporate into my scrapbooks!)

Just yesterday this cute craft (with instructions) was posted. I am going to file it with my Halloween/fall scrapbooking ideas and try it with brads. Really cute!



I also found Tip Junkie, which is a lot like Make and Takes. Cute ideas. I saw this cool Halloween snack idea that I want to try:



(That idea came from Kraft Foods, according to the blog owner...there are more adorable Halloween ideas over there, too.)

I found a great site for Target lovers like me (I know you'll love this one, too, Mom...) If you're a Target endcap cruiser like me, then you have to check out Attention Target Shoppers. I found a great Jensen iPod docking station for $17 by checking this blog. It was originally over $70. The blog owner also matches up the weekly Target specials with current coupons and printable coupons. Lots of good deals to be found (as if I NEEDED another reason to be in Target once a week...)

I found a handful of other blogs that help you live a more frugal life. Lots of them do the store flyer/coupon matching so you know how to get the best deals (they especially like to do that for CVS and Walgreen's.) They can be redundant, offering up the same deals, but I added 'em all to the reader just in case. Don't want to miss a bargain! Some of those blogs are BeCentsAble, Coupon Cravings, Freebies 4 Mom, Money Saving Mom, The "Cent"sible Sawyer, Mommy Making Money, JANE4girls $800 Annual Budget For A Family of 4 and MoneySavingMethods.com.

I previously mentioned that I've become addicted to giveaways. Reader found me more of those kinds of sites, too. So far no wins for me, but one day maybe I'll hit the jackpot. I've found a lot of amazing wares for sale (mostly through Etsy) by entering these contests. In fact, I am now the proud owner of a couple of cute Scrabble tiles (and a necklace on which to hang them) that I purchased from Mark & Stefani at HomeStudio.etsy.com. I bought the Joy tile and the Black Cherry Blossoms tile. Cute, no? There are several others I have my eye on as well (and they'd make super teacher gifts, wouldn't they?!? Go check them out!)

I almost forgot! The giveaway sites I visit are: Mama Loves Giveaways, The Giveaway, Bloggy Giveaways, PRIZE - A - TRON, I Love Give-A-Ways!!, and my favorite, Prizey (with its companion site, PRIZEYWinners).

I think I've mentioned it here before (a few hundred times)... I love to scrapbook. I try to do a little scrapping everyday, and that can lead me to feel like I'm stuck in a rut. I like to get fresh inspiration, so in addition to reading a couple of scrapbooking magazines (Creating Keepsakes and Simple Scrapbooks) I've also found a few good blogs to help me stay fresh. I like PHutch Sketches, How Much is Too Much?, My Sketch World, 2 Sketches 4 You, Gettin Sketchy, Got Sketch?, kellicrowe, O' Scrappy Day, Scraps of Life and SketchThis. BONUS: Some of these talented ladies have giveaways, because they're given the supplies by scrapbooking companies and they want to get the products into consumers' hands. You know how I love FREE stuff, right?

I also cover the news through 3 sites that report on local goings-on. One is the local paper, another is the local NBC affiliate, and the third is Palmetto Scoop. I like the Scoop because he leans a little right like I do and has a dry wit. I like his scoops. They make me feel smart and up to date... kind of like having current events Cliff's Notes.

If you don't use Google Reader, I highly suggest it. I will offer this bit of advice: don't feel like you have to go back to the beginning of a blog and read it from its inception. What I do is scroll back a couple of posts, get the most up-to-date info, and then click "Mark All As Read" so I don't get overwhelmed when I add a new blog. Then I just follow each blog one post at a time. I added a button to my Google toolbar that tells me when there are new posts added, and there is also a widget you can add to your Google homepage that will give you all of the newest titles from the blogs you follow.

Here's another warning: be careful, because Reader is addictive. It's like Internet Nicotine or Lays Potato Chips.

You can't read just one.