Fun and Easy Way To Stay Caught Up On All Your Friends Blogs

Ok everyone, here's what I have found to be the easiest (not to mention really super cool) way to keep up with all my friend's latest blog entries. I just discovered how to do this and I couldn't wait to share it with all of you!



First of all, I use Google Reader. This constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content, and it's FREE! (I love that word).



All you have to do with Google Reader is sign up, then click on 'Add Subscription'. If it's a Blogger/Blogspot blog you're wanting to add then all you have to do is enter the blog address and click 'Add'. If it's a HSB blog you're adding, then see if they have 'My Blog's RSS' on their blog somewhere. If so, click on it, copy the address that comes up in the address bar, and paste it in at Google Reader and click 'Add'. It's as simple as that! You can even seperate the blogs you enter into different 'folders', like 'Five in a Row Friends' or 'Homestead Blogs' or just whatever you want! That makes it a lot easier to keep up with whose blogs you're reading.



Now, here's the really great thing!



I have always had FoxNews as my homepage but sometimes wanted to change it to different sites but never would because that's the only way I know what's going on in the world. But I just found a way to have everything I need in one place and have THAT as my homepage!



Here's how you do it...



Set up a Google account (which if you use Google Reader you should already have a Google account). Then go here... http://www.google.com/ig . This is where you can pick and choose from hundreds of things you want at your fingertips all in one place and set that as your Home Page.



For example, when I come to my computer and go to the internet my Home Page pops up and has all of the following in one spot: My Weather (for our town), the date and time, a calander that I can personalize and add events to, FoxNews.com (their top 3 story headlines that I can click on and it takes me right to that page at FoxNews.com), My Bookmarks so I can easily go to the places I visit the most, a To-Do List that I add to and check off as I get things done, along with a few other things that I haven't used yet like a Sticky Note pad and Google Notebook where I can keep notes I need (instead of having little pieces of paper laying all over my desk). There are literally hundreds of things you can pick and choose from to add, even games like Pac-Man! I'm seriously considering adding that, but afraid it will be too much of a temptation each time I sit down here.



You can even 'Choose a Theme' for the overall look of your Google Homepage. I chose 'Beach' and at the very top of my page is a beach scene all across the screen and the position of the sun in the picture changes to coordinate with the time of day it is here! How cool is that?!



But the COOLEST thing I have on there is a box with my Google Reader! It lists all the newest updates to those blogs I have added subscriptions to so I don't have to go searching each blog! And, it continually stays updated for you!



I'm telling you, you really should check this out. It has made my life SO much easier. It's simple and quick and I can still stay caught up on all my favorite blogs without taking up very much time and without clicking to tons of different web sites!



This is BY FAR the absolute COOLEST thing I have ever found on the internet! Now that's saying a lot.



(And no, I don't make any money from telling y'all about this . I just love it that much!)