Hey, all you hair bow making moms and grandmas. I have a great idea for Christmas gifts. Take a look at these cute shirts that state:

• Mommy Makes My Bows
• Bow Making Mom
• Bow Making Grandma
• Grandma Makes My Bows

Take your pick. They all make a statement and answer that question you get asked every single time you take your little angel out in public wearing those cute boutique bows you have been making for her.

OK, all you savvy online shoppers. You know where the deals are and this year they are absolutely not in the brick and mortar stor5es. Smart shoppers know that to get the best deals, you need to kick it into gear and shop the online stores. To ramp up savings, hunt down free shipping, no sales tax, rebates, and coupon codes. They make the prices all the more sweet.

If you’re hunting for coupons and discount codes, look no further than WebbyPlanet.com. They gather the deals daily 5,000 retailers, like Dell, Overstock.com, Eddie Bauer, Buy.com and Sephora.

Some bloggers live for comments on their blog posts. There are those who simper and beg for feedback. There are others who go out of their way to post inflammatory link baiting articles just to incite people to comment.

The question really is:
What kind of comment is actually beneficial to your blog?

If you look at the numerous comments made by the worshipful simpletons over on Michael Arrington’s blog, you might think a string of 25 comments reading “me too!” or “I agree” or “Can you feel my pink lips kissing your hairy ass?” would be the ideal kind of comments to find on a blog. If you don;t know who Arrington is, there is a good introduction in the article I just linked.

I ask – What does that really get you in the end? A puffed up feeling of self importance, perhaps? What do those comments add, though, in the way of SERPs (Search Engine Result Positioning)?

I would rather have no comments or just one good, informational comment per post, when it comes down to it. When I look at my stats, I see that often there is traffic streaming in from the search engines that has found me because someone has added solid information to my article by way of their comment. Once a comment is published to my blog, it becomes part of the fabric of the article.

Here is an example
I wrote an article about chicken pot pie recalls and a reader commented that they would like to see my own recipe for chicken pot pie. That encouraged me to add an additional post to my blog with my recipe. Yet another reader commented on that second post, adding their own twists on the dish. Some of the language in the comment is actually how new readers found my site via search engines. Lots of readers. Thank you to my commentator for adding valuable content to my site.

Now, how would 25 comments on a post simply agreeing with my opinion add to the value of my content? It wouldn’t. That is why I am happier with a handful of solid comments rather than a plethora of empty comments. My traffic is awesome. It is climbing weekly. My repeat visitor count is on the rise and the search engines are indexing me like gangbusters.

Nothing to complain about here, folks.

Historically, January 1 is when people look back overt the past year and decide it is time to get fit and lose weight. I’m telling you now that if you want to do what is healthy for your body, you will start now instead of a month from now. Get geared up for healthy eating before you are tempted by all of the Christmas bounties and fresh-baked goodies. Get a grip on moderation now and by the time the New Year rolls around you will already fell like you are in control of your life.

One of the best way to re-learn portioning (because most of us do indeed need to re-learn how to eat healthy portions at least once in our lives), is to get your hands on a good digital scale. And don’t worry about the scale looking like an eyesore on your kitchen counter, ScalesEtc features a line of Escali digital scales that are hip and attractive, just like you

This is something I meant to get around to about two weeks ago. One of my favorite bloggers, Prija of Blogging, The Movie (also fondly known as the Sneaky Bastard) pointed out that link trains and their ilk are technically “link Schemes” and as such, they are frowned upon by Google. But then, what does not Google not frown upon?

Ponder that one, my friends.

Keeping firmly within all said guidelines, Prija manned the engine and started a NoFollow Link Train contest. NoFollow is the key element here, but even more important is that the prizes include a copy of the 4-Hour Workweek book and some pretty hot exposure for your blog on the Blogging, The Movie website. So, without further ado:

***** Start Here ******

Prize

1. Free 4-Hour Workweek Book.
2. A chance to have a permanent link on front page of Blogging The Movie dot com.
3. Sign the Records Book as it travels to 10 different winners.

Contest

This contest is sponsored by BloggingTheMovie - A featured documentary about Bloggers. This contest contains no-follow links. So it is Google friendly and by creating an original introduction you won’t be dinged for duplicate content. This is an ongoing marketing campaign. There will be 10 winners at which each winner will be able to host their own contest which will be sponsored by Blogging The Movie. 1st Winner: Susan Suarez | 2nd Winner: Investing Adventures | 3rd Winner: Can be you!

Rules

1. Write an original short snippet introduction to avoid duplicate content.
2. Just copy the section between the start and end.
3. Add your 3 favorite blogs with rel=”nofollow” in between the link on the code page. i.e. <a href=”http://www.url.com/” mce_href=”http://www.url.com/” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” title=”url name”>URL.com</a>. This is extremely important to ensure that Google won’t ding us. Make sure you contact the bloggers and insist they participate so they can keep this going.
4. Email your URL of your blog post to Free4hourWorkweek@gmail.com
[Deadline: 12/31/07]

Favorite Blogs

Betshopboy | DerekSemmler | Enkay Blog | MsDanielle | JimiMorrisonsHead | Siteguide.us | Darin.cc | JonLee.ca | Samanathon | MrGaryLee | KellyCho | SusanSuarez | RobertaFerguson | Bloggrrl | TheKingKongBlog | TheBeefJerkyBlog | LifeisColourful | MarketingDeviant | MaleWail | RomanDock | 40hourstogo | TylerCruz | JonathanVolk | Egonitron | SuncoastScribe | Gnaka | WorldOfAngel | MyBlogContest | TheGeekBoys | ThinkingOutloud | TableForFive  | NanashiInc. | Add your 3 Favorite Blogs here (it is important that you change the link to rel=”no follow”)

If you were not tagged, you can still copy the list and add yourself on. No worries, it’s a win-win for everyone. So lets get ready. Get on the list to become the 3rd winner on the Train Contest

***** End Here ******

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is one of my absolutely favorite says all year, right after Easter. Well, they actually might be tied.

So, are you starting to wrap up your Christmas presents yet? If so, let me urge to not go with the boring store-bought bows. Make your own. They are simple and inexpensive.

Here is a link for direction on how to tie a perfect puffy Christmas bows. I also have all kinds of other bow instructions on my Girly Things website.

It should not come as a shock that when Terry Bollea (wrestler Hulk Hogan) filed his reply to his wife’s divorce petition, he contested several of her requests. Let me remind you, though, that Linda’s petition was absolutely standard for a Florida divorce. She did not ask for anything that the state law does not entitle her.

Hulk states in his filing that Linda can support herself and can afford to help support their minor child, Nick. He also states that Nick is old enough to decide on his own whom he will live with and which home will be his primary residence. He is asking for shared parental responsibility. That is a very likely outcome under Florida law, where the courts like to make a point of not favoring the mother. He agrees that the couple’s assets and liabilities should be split equally.

The divorce filings come on the tail of Nick Bollea’s charges of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury. His August 26 car accident in Clearwater left his friend, John Graziano, incapacitated. Graziano is at this point expected to spend the rest of his life unable to care for himself.

Many have speculated that since the Graziano famly has stated they plan to sue the Bollea family, the divorce is simply a way to tie up family assets for the time being. On the other hand, the Bollea family has gone through so much internal stress lately that relationship are sure to be strained. It’s anyone’s guess.

One of my best friends here in Florida, who shall go unnamed, has struggled with her weight since before I even met her. She got down to a lovely size before her wedding, but the girl was at the gym twice a day and eating strictly egg whites and protein shakes. I remember that back when she was losing her weight, she was completely off the radar socially. We never heard from the girl! She was at the gym for hours before work and hours after work and then so completely exhausted that she fell into bed at night. It’s no small wonder that when she did begin to date, she met her now-husband at the gym.

It’s safe to assume that losing weight is just difficult for her. She put all of her weight back on when she had her daughter, and then some. So, she called me last week to tell me that she and her doctor are beginning the process for the Lap Band procedure. That’s the system that uses an adjustable gastric band, so nothing is actually removed or altered in your body. You continue to receive all of your nutrients, because nothing is being bypassed. It simply reduced the size of your stomach. There is a Journey Lite facility in Tampa that she I gong to be working with. They are known for their lap-band los angeles offices.

I wish her the best. I know she wants to have a second child and her current weight has been getting in the way of conception. I support her decision and I will be excited to watch her progress.

I did not bother to write too much about the shenanigans of former Bachelor winner Mary Delgado, who was arrested two weeks ago here in Pinellas County for assaulting her fiance Byron Velvick. Delgado and Velvick met and fell in love on the sixth season of reality TV’s The Bachelor. National tabloid shows and our local news gleefully played the footage from inside the police station.

Delgado hit Velvick in the face, causing a cut on his upper lip. She is charged with domestic battery charge which is a misdemeanor. This comes right on the tail of an appearance The Bachelor: After the Final where, Delgado and Velvick said they planned to wed next November

This morning Tampa locals woke up to the news that former American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra was arrested again early this morning at Full Moon Saloon in Ybor City for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest without violence. She is also in violation of probation. Just plead no contest two weeks ago to charges of cocaine possession and felony battery for hitting a man with a glass at a bar last April.

Sierra is being held in jail this morning without bail.

If you take a look at local discussion forums. You will see all kinds of opinions about Sierra and her antics. One, however, stands out and seems to come to her defense.

This reader says Sierra has been out singing karaoke the past 9 or 10 days, most often at Pete’s Place on Thursdays and Fridays. He says she was not drunk or drinking when he observed her at that location, though “…there were guys trying to get her drunk and/or stoned in hopes of getting laid.”

The reader goes on to say, “…not beyond the belief that someone spiked her coca cola. The behavior reported in Ybor is sooooooooo out of line for her….Lot’s of women are very jealous of her and very capable of ’setting her up’.”

The reader also commented on Sierra’s arrest two weeks ago, saying “I do know that the original incident at the Hyde Park Cafe involved this so called ‘victim’ actually spitting in her face and she reacted by throwing a drink at him. The fact that the glass broke and hit him in the eye was an accident. Most of us would have slugged someone if they spit in our face.”

It was the 1970s and Evel Knievel was a superstar. He was so hot, in fact, that a line of toys and dolls was developed on his image. And, those were cool toys, not the dorky ones that none of the kids actually wanted to admit having.

And now, Evel Knievel is dead. The motorcycle daredevil was 69 years old and those of us who were children of the 70s are finally in a position to understand that 69 is not so very old.

It is said Evel broke every bone in his body, some more than once, over the course of his exciting career as one of the most beloved daredevils. This is a guy who was awarded sports programs on ABC simply on the merit of his death defying stunts, like his attempt to jump the quarter-mile Snake River Canyon in 1974 on his rocket-powered “Sky-Cycle”.

Certainly, he was an icon of my childhood and will be missed with longing and admiration.

Due to my Girly Things website and affiliated mailing list, I get a lot of e-mail asking about how to set up a website for selling crafts and handmade products. I always take the time to highlight the options available, depending upon the site owner’s experience with website software. One thing that I always tell people is that you need to have reliable and fully customizable shopping cart software for your site. You want to have full control over how the cart works and the ability to tweak it if you want to make global changes to pricing or policy.

Ashop Commerce is one of the top shopping cart solutions available. Unlike some of the free programs you can install on your server, Ashop Commerce has a tech support team that will walk you through everything. You can test the system free for 10 days and see how easy it is to set up and how dedicated the support folks are about helping you find the right ecommerce solution.

Instead of installing software and attempting to make it work on your own, Ashop is hosted on their site. They provide the secure servers, the fraud alerts, design help, and even web promotion services.

They are a viable solution for small businesses. The costs are low and the learning curve is small.