Awards | BulgingButtons

December 2, 2013
by BulgingButtons 38 Comments

Reaching Goals

OMG! I’ve been Freshly Pressed! Yay me! I actually found out over the long weekend and was bursting at the seams. I finished NaNoWriMo, I finished NaBloPoMo, and I was chosen for Freshly Pressed all in the same weekend.

What an amazing week. This writing thing is awesome. I’m really pleased that I’ve achieved all three of these goals.

Now I have some new ones, and with the power of positive thinking, or the power of attraction, or the power of working my butt off (and some good luck) I have no doubt those goals will be met too.

Thank you so much for coming along with me for the ride, it just wouldn’t be the same without you!

November 30, 2013
by BulgingButtons 20 Comments

Another Award!

I am tickled to announce that I’ve been awarded the Dragon’s Loyalty Award by D. Parker over at yadadarcyyada . This blog’s tag line alone should be enough to get you over there reading, “vague meanderings of the broke and obscure.”

The philosophy of the award is: “The Dragon’s Loyalty Award is an award for the loyal fan/commenter, whether the recipient is a fellow blogger or just someone who follows and comments regularly”.

There are some rules that one must follow in order to fully accept the award and they are as follows:

1. Firstly, display the Award on your site (see Award page or sidebar!) You earned it and you deserve it!

2. Link back to the person who gave you the award in your acceptance post;

3. Nominate 15 well-deserving bloggers for the Award and let them know the wonderful news by sending them a message on their site;

4. List 7 interesting facts about yourself

Hmmm, not sure how interesting these are, but here goes: 1. I used to be called “Imelda Marcos” in college because of a slight shoe obsession 2. I first went to overnight camp when I was seven. I stayed eight weeks and loved it. 3. I am allergic to sulfa drugs. 4. I can’t carry a tune. This makes me sad. 5. I feel guilty about all the unfinished quilts and other projects I’ve started. 6. I drive a car that has 123,000 miles on it. I plan to drive it forever. 7. Buying my own house was probably the bravest thing I’ve ever done.

***BulgingButtons Disclaimer***

I know that not everyone accepts awards. If I’ve linked to you and you don’t want it, please don’t be annoyed with me, just take it as a sign of appreciation for what you do. You do not have to accept this or any other award. It is a compliment, not a curse!

Check out these 15 bloggers who regularly stop by and offer their insights and encouragement. I appreciate you all!

http://galeweithers.wordpress.com/

http://collinesblog.wordpress.com/

http://tjbarkerseattle.wordpress.com/

http://easyweimaraner.wordpress.com/

http://thisblogisepic.wordpress.com/

http://tanglycottage.wordpress.com/

http://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/

http://bigbodybeautiful.wordpress.com/

http://myyearofsweat.wordpress.com/

http://reinventionofmama.com/

http://momshieb.wordpress.com/

http://thegoddessweighsin.wordpress.com/

http://geogonhayley.wordpress.com/

http://barmitzvahzilla.blogspot.com/

http://redclayandroses1.wordpress.com/

November 14, 2013
by BulgingButtons 7 Comments

To Follow Stats or To Ignore Them?

In education there is a huge trend toward examining data. Test scores are valued so highly that we have meetings to discuss them virtually every week. At times it’s overwhelming, and frankly, something of the spirit of the child gets a bit lost in these discussions.

I won’t get all soap box on you, but my point is, the data isn’t the whole picture. That being said, it does have value. I just think a balanced approach is probably best.

The balanced approach is usually best, in my opinion. All or nothing rarely works out well, in my experience, especially when it comes to diet and exercise (this is where I get into trouble, but this isn’t THAT kind of post). Moderation is key. You know, balance?

That’s why I more or less ignore the debate amongst bloggers about statistics. Some live and breathe them, others say ignore them completely. I’m in the middle camp (is there a camp in the middle?). I enjoy taking a peek at them, and I get a not so secret thrill when I see lots of activity on the blog. But do I obsessively examine them for trends? Do I throw in random asides to generate more traffic? Do I cross post all over the internet? No. I do not. I don’t have the time or the desire to do those things. If you do, I have no problem with you, it’s just not my thing.

Still, I was thrilled to see this number. Two hundred. It stands for two hundred follows. I feel like I’ve been waiting for a while to see it. I set a goal, visualized it, and it happened. How cool is that? So even though I know some of those follows are from people trying to pad their own numbers, I’m okay with it, because I know there are loyal readers, and many of you slog through each post and take the time to offer feedback. That’s what I find so rewarding about blogging, and for that, I thank you.