by oh amanda on August 26, 2010
If you tried to access ohamanda.com in the last 12 hours, you probably got nothing. Because that’s what there was. Nothing. No posts.
Nothing but a search bar and a note that said, NOT FOUND. Ya think?!
This morning the sidebar and top navigation bar was gone. So, I sent an impassioned email to my personal tech guy, my brother Jason.
As we poked around my blog and my control panel, I got more and more sick. Every single post was GONE from my dashboard. NO POSTS. Every single thing I’ve written in the last 3 years GONE!
He chatted with my host, Host Gator for a minute. They told him I could do a relaunch. Or a reinstate. Or some kind of re-something but it would cost money and I had to fill out a request form.
Jason had to go back to work and do actual real-life stuff, so I got on a live chat with Host Gator help. Here’s my conversation with help tech, Trevor Ne:
Did you read it? Because those are my real words. Can you hear the terror in my voice? The relief?!
Thank you, Jason! Thank you, Host Gator! Thank you, Trevor Ne!
linked to Diaper Diaries’ Things I Love Thursday
by oh amanda on August 19, 2010
Yesterday I got my favorite cookbook-magazine, Everyday Food and my favorite crafty inspiration, FamilyFun in the mail. As I was reading through them I saw so many things I ALREADY knew because I had READ them on BLOGS!
Like this adorable book sling from Vanessa at Silly Eagle Books?
Also on page 73 of Family Fun:
{but even better? this article was actually written by blogger Megan Cooley at pennycarnival.typepad.com!}
Have you been reading the “How To Use a…” series at Feels Like Home? My fave was How To Use a Muffin Tin.
The folks at Everyday Food must have liked it too because look what is on page 81 this month:
I don’t know if you remember my awesome Father’s Day gift on Impress Your Kids:
But Family Fun had almost the same (but not as cute, if I do say so myself) craft this month (page 24):
This is what I love about blogging–there are so many talented people willing to share their skills and knowledge for FREE! It’s like the modern-online-version of a small town—people who help neighbors just because they are neighbors!
{But don’t worry, I’ll still be getting these magazines in the mail–I’m old school enough to want to smell paper and flip pages with my hands!}
So, what do you think? Do bloggers rock or what?
by oh amanda on July 26, 2010
A few days ago (maybe weeks?) Darren at ProBlogger posted a little blogging exercise: The Seven Links Challenge. He gave seven prompts about your blog–links to find out more about yourself and your blog. I starred it in my reader and decided to give it a whirl…of course, I had to add #8-10. So, hopefully he’ll approve.
So. Here it is my TOP SEVEN TEN LINKS ABOUT MY BLOG, OHAMANDA:
1. My first post. Ah, my first post. I actually like this post. It’s about, what else? Blogging. Here you go: My First One.
2. A post I enjoyed writing the most. It’s called, “Something Beautiful Happened Today“. This is one of those posts I wrote in one sitting and it just flew out of my fingers. I was happy to post it. And I’ve looked back at it so many times to encourage myself.
3. A post which led to a great discussion. Two years ago I wrote a post about theology, aptly titled Oh Theology. It was much harder than I thought and it brought about some good discussion, but it was so intense that I could never write a Part 2.
4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written. Anything that’s ever flowed out of Scribbit’s fingers.
5. Your most helpful post. I don’t know if it’s the MOST helpful thing I’ve ever written–do I really write helpful posts?–but My Miracle, the story of Lydia’s first 6 weeks in utero is the first time I realized how powerful the internet could be. It was the first time I got interesting search engine hits—people would find that post by typing in things like “my baby’s heart just stopped beating” or “the doctor says my 6 week old baby is dead in my womb”. I pray I helped some mothers.
6. A post with a title that I’m proud of: Top Ten Snacks I Should Never Eat Again {But Will} and it’s alternate title “Top Ten Reasons I Think Exercise is Overrated”. Actually, I love most of my titles. I regularly snicker at them.
7. A post you wish more people had read. Love & Marriage or My First Parenting Scar. Both of these posts make my heart hurt.
8. A post with no words. You know a wordless post is very hard for me. But I do so love this picture: The Picture I’ll Cherish On Lydia’s Wedding Day. (Maybe that would have fit under the proud post title…)
9. A post you never published. I have 52 posts in my drafts folder. Some are there because they were only kinda-good ideas. Others are there because I’m too embarrassed to publish them.
10. Do you remember any of my posts? Any that stand out? Either good or bad? Funny or serious? (Really, leave me a comment, I’d love to know!)
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OK! Your turn. Got a Top Ten list to share? If you’re stuck for a topic, I’d love for you to do my 7-turned-10 links from Problogger. It was fun. I loved re-reading all my posts to find some good ones. Also, made me really like my blog! *happy sigh* Regardless of topic, all you gotta do is WRITE a post, LINK back to me, PASTE your url below and start LOVIN’ on the rest of the participants with comments, tweets or at least a little bit of traffic!
For official guidelines and a cute button visit my Top Ten {Tuesday} page.
by oh amanda on June 26, 2010
Once I responded to a comment from Mandi—I thought it was my sisterchick, Mandi from itscome2this.com. But when she responded to my email she said, “I think you’re confused! I’m a different Mandi…!” And a fun friendship was born! Mandi is the “other” Mandi Ehman from Organizing Your Way and Doodles Place.
She is a mama first. And a blogger extraordinaire second.
In both arenas I’m in awe of her.
Me and Mandi Harry-stalking at Blissdom.
She is incredibly purposeful in her motherhood. Her Doodles Place blog is a spot to showcase her children and the amazingly incredibly fun stuff she does with them. She also exhibits her real desire for them–to love God and their family. (And you know how much I admire this!) Recently, she and her husband made an even bigger step in the journey of doing the best for their families–her husband quit his job so he could be a stay-at-home-dad and co-homeschool with Mandi.
Now, what is Mandi doing while she’s not co-homeschooling? Why, she’s being a wildly successful blogger, of course!
Mandi makes things happen. My first Blissdom I saw this in real life when Tsh from SimpleMom stood up and said something that turned out to be my biggest tip from the whole weekend…she told us how Mandi had called her and asked Tsh to mentor her. How bold is that?! But it’s a move that has paid off. Mandi’s niche blog, Organizing Your Way is hugely influential and has a great reach. But even without Tsh’s advice, I know Mandi would still be making things happen in the blogosphere. The first time I was blown away by her was when she launched The One Dollar Give. It was really just a month long blog that asked people to donate ONE dollar to a different charity each day. Mandi thought this would be an easy way to make a big difference. Isn’t that great?!
Before our big IRL meetup at Blissdom, Mandi posted on her blog that she wanted to meet me because she thought we’d be BFFs. I left her a comment that said, “Wait a minute! I thought we were BFFs!”
Mandi, I’m inspired by your gentleness, your willingness to give and help on a bloggy and friendship level. Thank you for standing 5 feet from Harry Connick with me AND for sending me HTML code even when I didn’t ask for it. Thank you for your inspiration, your example and your sweet smile! We are BFFs!
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This is the final post in a 5 part series thanking incredible mom bloggers. It is a paid campaign by theMotherhood.com and P&G’s ThankYouMom.com. The best part is that YOU could win some cash to visit your mom by thanking her on the ThankYouMom.com website. It’s a beautiful tribute to moms with a fun prize at the end!
Next Tuesday, June 29th the mom bloggers who have participated in this campaign PLUS a few of the moms who have been thanked will be hosting a chat on theMotherhood.com. Please join us!
by oh amanda on June 23, 2010
My first foray into social media was a messageboard on iVillage. It was for moms who had babies born the exact same month as my Lydia. Those ladies were a lifeline to me the first year of Lydia’s life. Today I still talk to them on facebook, see some of them in real life and think about their kids and our conversations often. One of the mamas from that messageboard is Amber Ferrell. She was one of THE first blogs I started reading. In fact, I think hers and Candace‘s original Laughing Daisies blog were the first blogs I actually ever saw!
Do you remember back in the bloggy day when all blogs were just about, you know, LIFE? Then brands and twitter and paid posts and facebook kinda changed the atmosphere of the blogosphere? Well, Amber’s blog has never changed. It is the most beautiful honest-to-goodness mom blog I’ve ever read. She can write about her kids’ mishaps, her mothering mayhem and still dazzle me every day. I don’t know how she does it.
Amber is an outstanding photographer. Each of her posts are loaded with beautiful (and hilarious) photos of her life. She can write brilliantly about her first house (ugh! I can’t find the link to this post…it’s on her old blog and I still remember it!) or about her day as a mom of 3. She’s hilarious and her kids are stinkin’ cute. And these last 2 years she has been a warrior for her son.
Her son, Nathan has Mitochondrial Disease, Complex I and III. I really can’t give you a good description of what this does to his little body and what it means for his (and their family’s) future. But let me tell you that it doesn’t really matter. Amber makes her way with gladness and joy. She’s honest about her questions and pain. But she’s become an advocate for Mito while still maintaining a normal and joyful home for her three children.
I read Amber’s blog regularly (even though I rarely comment…are you sensing a pattern here?) but am inspired by her ability to be so consistent in her (bloggy) voice. Through the lens of her camera, I feel like I can see the lens through which she sees the world. I am forever grateful to her heart, her friendship and her inspiration to me. (Not to mention, she gives me traffic almost every day!)
(I took these pics off her website without asking her because you just had to see her gorgeousness!)
This post is 3rd in a series of thank-you posts to great mom bloggers (see part 1 & 2). I am overjoyed to be working with P&G and theMotherhood.com. Please visit theMotherhood’s Thank You Mom Circle to see all the awesome mom posts and ThankYouMom.com to enter a contest to visit YOUR mom!
