Happy #AWBU week, ladies! We are so excited to have a SOLD-OUT event full of fantastic women bloggers converging on the Ozark Folk Center this Friday. If you can’t join us for the event, we hope that you are enjoying updates and picking up some interested tidbits (and making plans to join us next year)! Don’t fret – we also have other meetups planned throughout the state, so we hope to see all of you in person very soon.
Even in these final days leading up to the event, we still have LOTS of exciting updates for you daily! For example:
WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE:
Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers
AND
Ziploc® Brand Containers
are our newest Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference sponsors!
Why is this exciting for you, dear blogger? Well, it means that there are some incredible goodies in store for you at the event! Plus, we know you will be completely hooked on these fabulous Ziploc® products – lucky for you, they are available at your local Walmart ~ aligning perfectly with the charge: Save Money. Live Better!
We could tell you all about the reasons having Ziploc® involved will be so fun, but we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. Here’s what’s particularly nifty about our two sponsoring Ziploc® brands:
Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers allow you to store, heat and to serve—all in one container. When it comes to preparing meals for you and your family, Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers make life easy. These dishwasher-safe containers are made from tempered glass, so you can use them to store food in the fridge or freezer, to heat food in the oven* or microwave, and serve food on the dining room table.
Ziploc® Brand Containers offer One Press Protection You Can HEAR!™ Ziploc® Brand Containers make it easy to store gifts, household items and food while locking in freshness! You can hear the lid securely close with just one press. When you have a secure seal you know you are keeping food fresh, which saves you money.
Yay! Please join us in welcoming Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers and Ziploc® Brand Containers aboard as sponsors for the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference this weekend! Those of you participating in Foodie Friday will get to know these fantastic products extra well, but all our bloggers will leave a bit more knowledgeable about these great options available from Walmart. Be sure to hop over to our AWBU 2012 Sponsorspage to connect with Ziploc® and our other event sponsors online and via social media!
By now, you’ve probably heard the news: Healthy Families will be the presenting sponsor for the 2012 #AWBU Conference!
Healthy Families is the sassy new makeover of an initiative that’s been active in Arkansas for nearly twenty years – you may remember it as the Campaign for Healthier Babies. It’s a program spearheaded by the Arkansas Department of Human Services with the sole purpose of providing reliable resources for happy and healthy pregnancies, babies and families in Arkansas and western Tennessee.
Remember the Happy Birthday Baby Book? They are part of the Healthy Families campaign, and thanks to the new Healthy Families website, you can access these free and informative ebooks online (or order copies if you prefer)!
It’s a natural fit for Arkansas Women Bloggers to partner with Healthy Families, and we are so excited to have them join us at this year’s conference. You’ll see our friends representing the Healthy Families initiative the minute you arrive and check in for the conference on August 24 in Mountain View, and they’ll be with us all weekend. They’ll give you copies of the Happy Birthday Baby Books, and they’ll be with us all weekend to meet and mingle with all of you.
Be thinking about how you can help spread the word about this important initiative. There’s not much that binds women bloggers across Arkansas together more than the mutual desire that all of our families be healthy, happy and prosperous. So whether you’re a mom to be, a seasoned parent or grandparent or are not certain whether having a family will ever be in the cards for you, join us in supporting Healthy Families.
We ask that each of you, whether you plan to attend the conference or not, unite with us for this cause. Please consider doing the following:
ORDERcopies of the books for a friend, neighbor, your church or to accompany a baby shower gift!
BLOG about it. Did you panic while dealing with postpartum depression or a colicky baby? Is a jealous older sibling creating challenges? Have you ever considered adoption? There’s collective wisdom in both your experiences and the resources offered by Healthy Families. Help others access that information and learn from it.
BADGE – will you put the one below on your blog? At least until August 31, but as long as you like! Link it to www.HealthyFamiliesNow.Net/ebooks so that others can access these resources. (Just copy the code from the box below and paste it into a text widget in your sidebar.)
We were thrilled to be able to award free conference registration during last night’s Twitter party to Karen at Ting’s Mom thanks to the support of Healthy Families, and they are sponsoring another free conference registration next Tuesday, July 31! We’ll draw the winner from a blogger who is 1) registered on the Arkansas Women Bloggers website and 2) has the Healthy Families badge on their blog!
One of the things that is so special about Arkansas Women Bloggers is that it is truly a grassroots network – our mission of Gather ~ Grow ~ Connect is all about women helping women. Intelligent and devoted sponsors like Healthy Families help us deliver a fantastic blogging resource to you. Help return the love!
Want to learn more? Follow @ARWomenBloggers and #AWBU on Twitter and register for our Twitter Party on Tuesday, July 24 at 8p CST to interact with other attendees and get the details!
Lyndi Fultz is the cultivator of nwaFoodie.com. She will be hosting a special Foodie Friday add-on option during the Arkansas Women Bloggers conference, jam-packed with food styling, photography, content and tips for food bloggers and those who just happen to like food… and blogs. Visit www.nwaFoodie.com to check out her awesomeness, or read her posts as Miss January 2012 – the featured blogger on the Arkansas Women Bloggers site!
10. Learn new blogging strategies, tech tips, and writing tricks. Discuss at some length and with great earnestness how much correct punctuation and grammar matter on your personal blog.
9. Put a real live person with a Twitter handle! Ever wonder who @DyingForCheesecake or @MysteriousTwitter52 is? You could meet her at #AWBU!
8. Add more blogs to your Google reader or feed burner that you won’t have time to read and will feel guilty about not getting to until the day you read 400 in one sitting and realize all the great stuff you’ve been missing. You also may find out that a close friend or fellow blogger has started a new business/had a baby/gotten married/gotten divorced/got a job/lost a job/published a book/discovered the secret to no-fail merengue. That’s never happened to me; I’m just saying it could happen.
7. Find the peace and quiet you always say you are wanting! Except for the times when you have a bunch of women bloggers together and then all the laughing, giggling, and sipping could get pretty noisy.
6. But seriously. Peace and quiet. Unplugged. Step away from your phone. Unplug those Interwebs. Exhale. Breathe in mountain air. Get a good night’s sleep.
5. See the always humorous, always engaging Lela Davidson as the keynote speaker. This woman has a few things figured out and she is happy to share her secrets. The things she doesn’t have figured out she is happy to ‘fess up to and make you feel better about just being you.
4. Hear women say some of the most inappropriate and ridiculously truthful things you’ve ever heard. And then reply with something equally inappropriate that you can’t believe is coming out of your own mouth. Again, that didn’t happen to me last year at all; I’m just saying it couldhappen.
3. Awaken the giant blogger within! Just being in the presence of other creators, writers, content generators, mothers, and women in a gorgeous environment will rev your blogger engine and send you home ready to write. You’re sure to get at least one new blog post out of the weekend!
2. Make new friends. Make friendships that already exist even stronger. Establish business and networking relationships that reap benefits throughout the coming years. This did happen last year (well, it’s just the thing I’m willing to cop to) and the relationships over the last year have been fruitful and significant. At the very least, you’ll go home with new people with whom to play Words With Friends.
1. Take your blog to a new level! Seek and you shall find—revamp or redefine your blog’s mission, update the look and feel of your blog, gain new writing and personal.
Want to learn more? Follow @ARWomenBloggers and #AWBU on Twitter and register for our Twitter Party on Tuesday, July 24 at 8p CST to interact with other attendees and get the details!
As for the Arkansas Women Bloggers leadership team… we are getting REALLY excited to see you all in just a few short weeks for the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged (fondly known as #AWBU) conference and retreat!
We’ve told you before that we’re NOT a big, typical blogger conference… we’re better! We’re more affordable, closer to home and the connections are deeper. Every single one of the nearly fifty women who attended last year’s conference found that it was more than they expected, and very different! Think of it as going away to “grown-up camp” for the weekend, but with the added benefit of expert bloggers, workshops, speakers and all kind of fun activities.
Without further ado, HERE’S THE SCHEDULE! We’ve included very basic descriptions of the workshops and only a few of the speakers and panelists because, frankly, we are still chasing down the most fantastic people we can find to make the weekend perfect. We listened carefully to your feedback from last year and we’ve made a number of tweaks to our sessions. A few little updates and reminders for you:
1. HURRY! The early bird registration fee for the conference is $135 until the end of this month, and then it goes to $150!
2. Lodging? The Ozark Folk Center cabins have offered us a special#AWBU rate that is very affordable. The cabins are walking distance to all activities and an excellent value. They aren’t rustic and they have indoor plumbing, so don’t fret. The nightly rate is $77.70 ($7o for cabin plus taxes), which you can split with a roommate, yes, $38.85 a night, not bad, not bad at all. There are two queen beds so you can cram as many as four people in to economize if you’d like! For more than 2 people, add $10 per person. Since they gave us this super cool blogger chic rate, you must call to register and tell them you are with #AWBU conference. 1-800-264-3655
3. Need a roomie? Don’t know anyone? Don’t worry! This is a super friendly group of people. They’ll welcome you and you’ll feel like part of the gang right away. If you need a roommate for your cabin, Julie Kohl can set you right up! Just send her a note at julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com.
4. Extras: We have some FUN additional options! Our Foodie Friday is a special conference add-on beginning at noon and lasting until 5pm on Friday prior to the full conference. Here is the working #FF agenda. We’ll have panelists, food photography & styling and… of course… a chance for you to do some food prep. You can also elect to do a special craft or Loco Ropes course excursion on Sunday. Each add-on is $25 and requires pre-registration.
5. Support: One of the best parts about the #AWBU conference is growing yourself and your blog. We will have several options for you to be matched with a Blog Mentor or to sign up for a Blog Review with a group of panelists – both of these options are intended to give you some constructive (and friendly, non-intimidating) feedback on your blog. Interested? Email beth@arkansaswomenbloggers.com to learn more.
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let each near year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
As you stride boldly into 2012, you’ve no doubt given some consideration to resolutions. According to The Barna Group last year, more than 60% of Americans have made resolutions at some point in their lives (although only 1 in 4 cited success and long-term change). As you consider losing weight, getting control of your finances, being healthier or other traditional resolutions, why not add some green to your goals?
Happily, it’s no longer considered strange to care about the environment, and it is certainly no longer a preference aligned with a particular political party. We’re even moving past sustainability being considered a fad or a trend that the general public, i.e. consumers, subscribe to without careful examination. There is still plenty of “green-washing” out there, but now it is perfectly normal for a family to make greener choices that have positive impact on the natural world and make practical sense for your bank account.
Best of all, we’ve got a giveaway to help you get started on your greener path! Blue Avocadois a nifty company making eco-chic products for shopping, lunches and more, and they are the real deal. Their products are reusable and washable, and come with an eco-label (and substantial information on the website) to help you understand all the steps they’ve taken to make their products truly sustainable, practical and dependable.
One of our goals is to help women bloggers in Arkansas Connect with one another. Soooo, Here’s a listing of ARWB members who gave us their blog’s facebook link when they registered with us. Go ahead, click them all and give them a “like”! You’ll be adding some great content to your facebook newsfeed and getting to know your fellow Arkansas Women Bloggers too!
Please note that these are all Facebook pages, not profiles (so you can “like” them – no friend request needed). If you would like to have your blog’s facebook page included in future “ARWB Facebook Love” posts, please head over and register as a member of our site (it’s FREE!). If you’ve already registered but would like to add your facebook page, please email fawn@arkansaswomenbloggers.com with your name, blog name, and facebook page URL.
If you’re considering starting a facebook page for your blog, here’s a post from Fawn on why you should.
A lot of you probably have set new goals for your blog with the new year, right? Maybe you want a new layout, or you’re going to participate in a new meme, or you want to expand the reach of your blog. Each of these goals takes time and effort, so you’ll want to see the payoff of all your hard work. But, how do you measure the results?
Alongside your own level of personal satisfaction, understanding your blog stats can be a great way to measure the impact of improvements you make to your blog. But, stats can be difficult to decipher, and culling out the valuable information is sometimes a chore. Here’s a quick primer on blog stats.
How Do I see My Stats?
If you are running on a free platform like WordPress.com or Blogspot (aka Blogger), your stats are built into your blog dashboard. If you are running a self-hosted site, your host provider likely provides a stat interface like AWstats or Webalizer. Probably the most commonly used site stats tool for self-hosted blogs is Google Analytics, which is what I primarily use.
The Main Dashboard for Google Analytics
Unfortunately, each of these methods breaks stats down in different ways and formats, so we won’t give a specific tutorial on moving through your stats interface here, BUT, let’s talk about some of the most standard statistics that you’ll want to track on your site.
Daily Visits – This is usually the easiest stat to see when you get into your stats interface. It’s useful because you can see which days had more visitors, and hopefully, correlate an increase in visitors with something you did on your blog, like writing a fantastic post, or linking to your blog from Facebook.
Unique Visitors – This is the number of different people (computers) that access your site. Usually we track this on a monthly basis. If your number of “uniques” is going up, you’re getting more people coming to your site! You can increase your unique visitors every month by utilizing SEO techniques and/or by promoting your blog on social networking platforms.
Visits – This is different from unique visits in that it counts the number of times that your site has been accessed. So, if your Mama visits your site every day for a month, she counts as one unique visitor, but she’s given you 30 ticks on your visits stat. Ultimately, you want your “uniques” to come back to your site over and over. The best way to do that is to give them a reason to come back!
Page Views – This is how many pages have been viewed by your visitors. So, if your mom comes to your site and just looks at the newest post, that’s one page view. But, if she clicks around on your archives, topics, bio, etc…your page views will go up. Easy ways to up your page views are to put links by post category in your sidebar, or to link to your own related posts in each post you write (Like I just did in the two bullet points above).
Bounce Rate – The bounce rate is the percent of visitors who come into your site and then leave your site without clicking on anything. For bloggers, this number is usually pretty high because our newest content is usually on the first page that visitors get to, so they don’t need to go anywhere else to find what they are looking for. However, a lower bounce rate means that your visitors are interacting more with your site, and that’s definitely a good thing!
What About that Alexa Chick?
You may or may not have heard of Alexa, which is another form of site ranking. Alexa ranks websites based on a number of components, including number of visitors, geographic reach, and the number of websites that link in to your blog. You can get your site’s Alexa rank at Alexa.com. Or, you can download the Alexa tool bar, which enables you to not only see your own site’s Alexa rank, but also the ranking of every site you visit.
Why Do I Care?
As I mentioned, stats are a good way to get feedback on how the work you do on your blog is paying off. If you want to work with companies or other PR efforts, the folks you will be working with will likely want to know the key components I listed above.
That said, don’t get too tied up in your stats. Spend some time in your stats interface to learn how it works and where to find the data that is important to you, and then mark your calendar to check it every week or two. Unless you are in the middle of a major campaign or change on your blog, there’s no reason to check your stats daily, and you’ll end up wasting a lot of time. Also, unless you are trying to make a business out of your blog, don’t put too much weight in your stats. Remember what your purpose for blogging is in the first place, and use your blog stats to help you meet your goals.
If you have specific questions about anything related to blog statistics, please leave them in the comments and we will do our best to answer them! (If you’re wondering about something, there are probably several other bloggers who are too!)
This post was written by Fawn, ARWB Managing Editor and blogger at Instead of the Dishes.
We’ve experienced a paradigm shift in the blogging world over the past several years. When I began blogging, most of my peer sites read like personal journals, long blocks of text with little to break them up aside from an indention and a hard return. These days, if you don’t have an eye-catching photo to kick things off, you are likely to get passed over, no matter how good your writing.
Early in my experimentation in digital photography, a fellow blogger complemented me on my shots and lamented her lack of high-end photography equipment. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was using a basic point-and-shoot that set me back about a hundred bucks. Years later, I’m still using that little work horse, but I like to think I’ve progressed a bit and learned a few valuable tips.
Shoot a lot of photos.
Seriously, go to the edge of ridiculous and then shoot a few more. Unless you are shooting on film (in which case you probably know far more about photography than I do) there really is no longer an excuse to be stingy with your shots. Few things are more frustrating than getting a photo that is almost perfect. Even the best of us occasionally lose focus or inadvertently crop out a bit of our subject. Additionally, you don’t want to end up with the perfect vertical shot only to realize in editing that what you need is the perfect horizontal. Finally, there are few exercises more valuable than looking at dozens of shots from slightly different angles and from varying distances to figure out a style you like, not just for that shot, but for future shots. With over six years in, I still take about thirty shots of any still life that I set up.
Natural light is your friend, and the in-camera flash is your last resort.
Mid-morning sunlight is a photographer’s dream, and mid-afternoon is a close second. Shoot during these slots whenever you can. Photos will have a natural depth of field and shadows will be soft and diffuse. Sunlight during the rest of the day will be sharper, but with screening and bounces, you can still use it for great shots. Whatever light you have to deal with, you can help it a bit with bounces and screens. The goal with these techniques is to even out your light, giving you fewer hot spots and shadows. About ninety-percent of the time, I’m shooting indoors in front of a large window. This gives me one major light source. Since I’m shooting a three-dimensional object, it stands to reason that I want to get light all around it. I do this by putting a bounce opposite the window and beyond the object I’m shooting.
Just about any large, flat expanse of white with work as a bounce. I have a fabric draped pvc frame I use for big projects, but I encourage you to use what you have. When I’m enjoying a meal out, the company and food come first and the photos come second, so I don’t like to carry lot of gear. That said, I don’t hesitate to use my water glass as and impromptu tripod or my white napkin or bread plate to bounce light. In a pinch and see someone in a white t-shirt? “Excuse me, sir!”
I use screens far less than bounces, but they are invaluable in particularly harsh light. Unlike a bounce, screens are placed between the light source and the subject. Screens will block some light, bounce some light, and let some light straight through. The overall effect is much softer light and less harsh shadows. I use a tulle covered pvc frame as my screen for most projects, adding layers of cheesecloth or thin cotton fabric if needed. A flour sack dish towel draped over the window works as well. I almost always use a bounce when using a screen.
These photos taken of the same subject during the same time of day show the difference between results with the in-camera flash (left), natural light from a single source (center), and natural light using a bounce (right).
Explore and experiment with your camera’s settings.
I love my camera’s macro setting. It is perfect for the many close-ups I shoot, allowing the camera to focus clearly on objects within a fraction of an inch from the lens. Although you have less control with this automatic feature than you would with a special lens, you can still create some great effects through a bit of trial and error. Most cameras will indicate which area of the frame will be in sharpest focus, so you can adjust as you shoot. Find your own favorite feature of your camera!
A very simple shot can be made a little more interesting with the macro setting which puts the area of the subject closest to the lens in sharp focus and slightly blurs the background.
Photograph things you love.
Just as with writing, it will be obvious from your photos if you are passionate about your subject. If you are trying to copy others who have better equipment, more training, and a bigger budget, you doom yourself to failure and discontent. If you are creatively pushing your limits to capture a subject the means something to you, most likely you are enjoying life and getting good pictures.
My mom doesn't like photos of her hands, but from her wedding ring, to the veins that run in the same pattern as mine, to the fact that they are always doing something for someone else, I think they are beautiful.
Play with your photography!
Take plenty of shots of anything that interests you and make use of natural light and the features of your camera. The more photos you take, the more you will begin to develop and eye for the kind of photos you want to take. What are your best photography tips?
Stephanie, originally from Wonderview, AR, now lives in our state’s capitol. A freelance graphic artist and a local-food
activist, she enjoys gardening, photography, and cooking. You can indulge in more of her musings by visiting her blog, Proactive Bridesmaid , which celebrated its sixth anniversary in June. Stephanie was Arkansas Women Blogger of the Month in December 2011.
When I’m reading blogs and I come across a post that is super long and has no photos, my brain tends to want to shut off. Photos can be very instrumental in grabbing the attention of your readers. Photos can help tell a story and really emphasize posts on your blog.
With an SLR camera, a few pointers (don’t be afraid!), and a little creativity, you can take great photos for your blog.
When working with an SLR camera, you have a several options for shooting. These options are Auto, Program Mode(P), Manual Mode, Shutter Priority, and Aperture Priority(Av or Tv).
When shooting in Auto, the camera decides what aperture and shutter speed to use. This is very easy to use and versatile in many situations. However, it doesn’t always give you the results you may want. Since the camera is “guessing” at which aperture and shutter speed, it does not always get it right.
Shooting in Program mode is very similar to Auto mode; however, you have a little more control over features such as using the flash, ISO and white balance.
Shooting in full on Manual mode is where a lot of people get nervous. To shoot in Manual, you must have a good understanding of ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Depending on the type of photo you are taking will determine what levels of each you will use.
If you are outside, an ISO of 100-400 should do just great. But, while shooting indoors, an ISO of 400-1600 or more can be used for better results.
Choosing a shutter speed is usually pretty simple. A shutter speed of 1/50 (1/50th of a second) is a slow shutter speed
and a shutter speed of 1/2000th is very fast and it freezes the action of an event.
When choosing the aperture or f-number/f-stop for a shot, it gets a little trickier. Aperture is defined as a hole through which light travels. The size of the f-stop affects the depth of field. A large stop (f/1.4) produces a more shallow depth of field, causing your subject to be in focus and the background to be blurred. The blurring that occurs in the photos is called bokeh. This blurring helps to highlight the subject of the photograph. This is great for when you are doing portraits or just photographing an object.
Smaller stops (f/22ish) produce a longer depth of field, allowing objects at a wide range of distances to all be in focus at the same time. This is
beneficial when taking photos of landscapes.
That brings us to Aperture Priority and Shutter Speed Priority Modes. Aperture Priority is used by photographers when depth of field is the main focus. When using Aperture Priority, the photographer chooses the f/stop and the camera decides what shutter speed would be best. Shutter Speed Priority is used when photographing a moving subject. The camera then chooses the appropriate aperture. So basically, if you want to freeze an action moment, you will want a fast shutter speed (1/2000th) and if you want to show motion in a photo you will want to choose a slower shutter speed (1/125th).
Understanding how to use your SLR camera will help you to take great photos! (I’m still learning and doing a lot of practicing myself!)
Some other tips to help you take great photos are-
Don’t be afraid to get creative! Don’t be afraid to take your camera with you and take shots of everyday life! I know sometimes I get funny looks for whipping out my camera, but I love having memories of normal, everyday things. These pictures are great for blog posts and it’s even better when the photos are ones that you have taken!
Try different angles! Try photographing something from an angle you normally would not think of and see how it turns out!
Try editing your pictures. There are great free photo editing software available. And there are great photo editing software available for purchase.
When photographing food, I love natural light. Actually, I love lots of natural light when photographing anything!
Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers 
Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers allow you to store, heat and to serve—all in one container. When it comes to preparing meals for you and your family, Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Containers make life easy. These dishwasher-safe containers are made from tempered glass, so you can use them to store food in the fridge or freezer, to heat food in the oven* or microwave, and serve food on the dining room table.
