New Year’s Eve has come and gone...here’s your next countdown...

In just a couple of days the official Blogging from A to Z sign-up will begin - January 30th, to be exact!

I’m dressing up for the occasion by adding a new tab, A to Z 2012 INFO PAGE, to my blog.

This page is going to act as my blog’s central hub for those of you wishing to share your ideas on themes, posting strategies and any Challenge relevant comments, or questions, you may have.

If you need more information about the Challenge make this INFO PAGE your first stop.

On the INFO PAGE you will find links to specific information so you don’t have to go searching for answers - it will all be in one spot.

If you don’t see the info or help you are looking for - leave a comment, or email me directly (my email is on that page) and let me do the leg work for you. 

Drop by the A to Z 2012 INFO PAGE and take a look around - let me know what you think!

Since this page is for YOU, your input is important!

___________________

Don’t forget to take the Badge, over in the upper right-corner, and add it to your blog - this let’s all your Followers, and visitors to your blog, know you are up to the Challenge!

___________________

Also, if you do any posting about being part of the Challenge I will be happy to do a link back to your post over here at Pearson Report. 

___________________

“What can I do to spread the word?”, I hear you asking!

1 - Invite your Followers to join the Challenge. Put the Challenge out there for them - maybe your post will be the first they hear of it! (That’s how I found out last year)

2 - Add a link to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge blog site so they know where to sign up. You can put a link in your side bar or at the end of a post - everywhere and anywhere - be creative!

3 - Twitter and Facebook about the Challenge.

4 - Share your Challenge strategies, theme ideas or teasers with your Followers - it's a great way to fill in a post when you’re stuck for ideas!

5 - Use your own ideas - you’ve probably got some pretty creative juices flowing and I’d love to know what you come up with. 

Share your ideas with me in my new A to Z  2012 INFO PAGE hub; they could end up on the front page of Pearson Report!

___________________

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...I want to say a sincere, heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you for your support and encouragement, here at Pearson Report, while I’ve been busy, behind the scene, creating these posts for this Challenge.

Thank you for following, for commenting, for being out there and in here. 

 Jenny

More bits, bobs and even a BON to mention!

Thanks to everyone that popped by to check out:

How to save a post for a later date and time

I failed to mention this was for bloggers still using the “old” interface.

The process is slightly different with the “new” interface, and my A to Z Co-Host, Tina, did a super job of explaining it over here.  If you use the new interface it’s worth checking out. Thanks Tina! 

You can visit Tina at Life is Good!

___________________________

Did you know the A to Z Challenge has its own facebook page and is on Twitter! 

Yes, that’s right, we are EVERYWHERE...so I suggest you tidy up under your bed because you never know where we’ll show up next.

Click on the words Facebook and Twitter to take a peek - join in the fun and tweet along with the TEAM! 

___________________________

Also...I’ve got something up my sleeve, and when I find it I’m going to share it with you! 

So stay tuned!

___________________________

In the meantime let me share some really exciting news….

Alex J. Cavanaugh, a Co-Host of the upcoming Blogging from A to Z Challenge, has been BON'd!

See for yourself...

If you missed your chance to Follow Alex (and the rest of the A to Z Team) back here...then now is your chance to pop over, visit Alex, and Follow him! You won’t be disappointed! 

I can tell you this much - I am fortunate, as a Co-Host of the A to Z Challenge, to have the opportunity of working with Alex; he is super cool, very helpful and goes an extra mile for the blogging community!

Congratulations Alex J. Cavanaugh - you deserve this Blog of Note distinction!

__________________________

So...do you Twitter?

Yes! - then leave your info in a comment area and I’ll check you out!

Jenny

How to save a post for a later date and time

Many of you know this...some don’t.

I remember how tickled I was when I found out how to save a post for a later date and time.

This is how it's done.

Write a post.

Decide on date and time of posting.

Click on Post Options.

Select the Schedule at option.

Then go ahead and set the date and time.

Click on photo to enlarge

When you are finished setting the date and time you MUST press the PUBLISH POST button to save it as “Scheduled” to your Posting List.

If you go back and edit this post, you MUST press the PUBLISH POST otherwise it will be saved as a draft.

Click on photo to enlarge 

Finally, this is how it will look in your Posting List.

Click on photo to enlarge

____________________________

If you are in a generous mood...I would encourage you to share this with your own Followers and blogging friends.

This is how we learn - sharing and passing on the goodies!

Besides...in one of my other lives I was a teacher...I’m sure of it...and every now and then the old gal surfaces and wants to be useful (how thoughtful, eh). 

Are you already using this handy feature?

Don't forget to visit Blogging from A to Z for more great tips and ideas from wonderful bloggers, just like you!

Jenny

Pearson Report weighs in on prepping for a Challenge.

You'll find me doing double duty today...I'm over at Blogging from A to Z sharing these thoughts there as well. 

Last April was my first attempt at doing the A to Z Challenge.

I signed up on April 1st; I had only found out about it on March 30th.

By letter “C” I had my groove on and was letting the juices flow.

Having no time to prepare for the challenge I was clearly at a disadvantage - my day to day activities did feel the pinch and sleep was lost in the process...but, By George I sure had fun!

Is it necessary to have your posts finished and ready to hit the Publish Button well before April?

Some say yes, I say not completely...let me explain.

It is a challenge set forth for the month of April, to be done in April...so why all the fuss about having everything finished before the Challenge has even started?

Well, I imagine getting organized early falls into a few areas of concern; finding a theme; having the available time; commitment to a day job; family obligations; other interests...and so on.

All of these areas do affect how much time we spend blogging and therefore a little preparation can go a long way in helping us participate in a Challenge that has very clear time constraints, without messing up our lives completely. Right?

It’s no different than preparing for your first marathon - you don’t just lace up your runners, arrive at the starting line and run twenty-six mile without some preparation.

Key word here is “preparation”; so when April 1st rolls around you can enjoy the process of “doing” the Challenge because you are ready, organized and have prepared for it.

Now, that being said, I will have much, if not all, of my “stuff” done because, as a co-host, I want to spend every free minute, in the month of April, visiting YOU and reading your posts!

What are your “preparation” strategies for this upcoming A to Z Challenge?

Are all of your posts finished and ready to go? If so, what will you be doing in April? 

 Jenny

New and Improved COMMENTING feature is very COOL!

Blogger has introduced a new way of commenting! With this option you can now reply directly to a comment, right in your comment area.

As a blogger, you have three options for how your comments appear on your site.

I have long been a fan of “embedded below post” comments as this option does not redirect a blogger to a separate page for commenting.

Recently, I changed this commenting option to accommodate a lovely blogging friend who was having a difficult time posting her comments with this particular setup! Therefore I have been using the “pop-up window” commenting option for the last month.

I have missed my “old” ways and I am hopeful my friend will find these changes have solved the glitch that was affecting her ability to comment and is now able to leave one with this improved option.

Here’s what you’ll need to know:

Go to your Settings area and open the Comment section (marked in red in my screen shot) click on Embedded below post. Then save your settings and you are ready to go.

This is what the comment area looks like after the change: (see box below)

Alex J. Cavanaugh left me a comment; I was able to Reply directly to it; right under it.

If for some reason you need to Delete a comment...you can do it right then and there.

Next...once I wrote my comment, I had the option (as before) to Preview it, or Post it directly. If for any reason I am unhappy with my Reply (which is sometimes the case) I can Delete it and start over, without having to go back and forth, as in the past.

Then...and this is the best part...

If Alex comes back to check if I've replied...he doesn't need to scroll all over the place to find my reply...it's there, right under his comment.

Now...I ask you, "How cool is that?"

So, are you going to give it a try?

 Jenny

Big or Small...when does size really matter?

Over here, on my side of this little orb, I’m having a coffee, compliments of my coffee station; you all remember my coffee station, right? Yummy stuff!

It’s a small coffee station, but then my kitchen is small...or is it?

My kitchen is 14’ x 12’; is that big, or small? (for my European friends that's 4.27m x 3.66m)

Well...it’s all relative, isn’t it.

For anyone living on this little orb, in a place where having four walls of any kind, let alone kitchen walls, would be a dream come true, the idea of one room being 14’ x 12’ is incomprehensible - is it not?

Yet, to others, 14' x 12’ might be the size of their garden shed out back.

Is that big for a garden shed, or small? 

Well...it’s all relative, isn’t it.

To some, having a little garden would be a dream come true...the shed, I speak of, would be like having an opulent dwelling plopped down in the middle of this garden - that is how size is perceived by those having no way of comparing it to anything when they have nothing.

How big is nothing, or how small is it; when you have nothing does size really matter?

Now look around you...is what you have big or small compared to having nothing at all?

 Jenny

The A to Z Video Challenge - this is your VIP invitation!

As part of the A to Z Challenge TEAM I have access to juicy behind the scene bits and bobs…

Here is the latest bit…

Blogging from A to Z Challenge is having a contest for all of you super creative folks out there!

It’s time to pull out the stops and show us what you’ve got!

Over the next couple months, Blogging from A to Z is looking for short videos (max. 2 minutes) to promote this amazing Challenge and we thought it would be fun to let YOU show us what you’ve got!

Ron, over at Dads Unlimited has been having some behind-the-scene fun and is sharing his video to help motivate YOU to show us yours.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Circle Wednesday, January 18th, on your calendar. 

All the details will be posted, on that date,

on the official A to Z Challenge blog site, with rules, prize information and a sign up form.

WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY…

might I suggest you start working on that video of yours!

Are you ready for this Video Challenge? I know I am!

Jenny

To all of you wonderful bloggers that have added yourselves as Followers of Note, here at Pearson Report, THANK YOU!

I'll be dropping by shortly to say Hello! 

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it’s off to school I go…

Ahh...the call of higher education, makes you just wonder, doesn’t it...what more could Jenny possible need to learn!

A course in modesty, perhaps! 

Well, modesty aside, I do think learning throughout one’s life is just part of the journey.

Whether at an institution or the school of hard knocks - one should never stop learning.

To stop, is to drop! (Dead! - might as well be, if you choose to stop learning.)

So...what am I going to school for...since we’ve ruled out that crash course in modesty? 

I am taking a course in Home Renovation Planning!

This is what the course says I will learn:

It will take three evening, each three hours long, and then look out, I’ll be swinging my hammer like nobody’s business! 

My property is undergoing rezoning and with the value of property being insane I am going to maximize some revenue potential!

Any added advantage I’ll have after taking this course can only be seen as a good thing. I’ll be better prepared when the time comes for me to gather my crew and start the tear down and rebuild process.

Having grown up in a family that loved taking things apart and putting them back together, as well as building something new, from the ground up, I’m no stranger to a skill saw and I’m really enjoying my new drill set!

So off I go - back to school to learn something new! 

Think I can do it? 

Well, it’s not really a question is it, modesty aside, I know I’ll do just fine (I’d use the word ‘great’ if I was willing to pull out all the stops and not hold back). But hey, someone once said, “show a little restraint there girl...you don’t want to scare off all the boys, now do you?”

____________________

Are you planning on adding a course or two to broaden your outlook on life? Or is this the year for taking a breather?

Jenny

The Co-Hosts have arrived...let the A to Z party begin!

Thanks for coming to the party.

 Take a look around, mingle and meet the

awesome bloggers that will be co-hosting the upcoming

Blogging From A to Z Challenge in April.

THE BADGE:

This is the "official" badge for the 2012 A to Z Challenge.

Take it and add it to your site!

Pop over to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog for more cool badges.

THE CO-HOSTS:

Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)
Arlee Bird is the mastermind and creator of this awesome event!

Amlokiblogs  (Damyanti Biswas)

Alex J. Cavanaugh  (Alex J. Cavanaugh)

Life is Good  (Tina Downey)
Coming Down The Mountain  (KarenG)

Cruising Altitude 2.0  (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie  (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse  (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE  (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller  (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report  (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small  (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs  (Stephen Tremp)

Drop by and visit these Co-Hosts.

You'll find lots of great advice and words of encouragement for both

first timers and those entering the A to Z Challenge again.

Don't forget to add yourself as a Follower, while you're there!

WHAT IS IT:

Starting April 1st, for 26 days, write a post for each letter of the alphabet.
With 30 days in April, that allows for 4 days off - seems like Sunday was a favourite!
This year, April 1st is a Sunday...so you will post on that day and go from there!

YOUR MISSION: 

1. Add the Badge to your site.

2. Visit the official A to Z Challenge Blog and Follow!

3. Drop by and say HELLO to the Co-Hosts.

4. Write JANUARY 30th on your calendar (date sign-up starts).

5. Start planning your posting strategies.

6. Spread the word.

To my followers and fellow bloggers, I am very excited to be part of this amazing team. I look forward to keeping you informed about any pre-challenge activities, as well as remind you of the sign-up date as we get closer to it! Any questions - let me know!

____________________________

So...are you in? 

Are you working on your posts? 

Do you have a theme? 

Share...I'd love to know what's ticking in your head!

Happy Blogging

Jenny

See a penny, pick it up...

She reached out to take the few coins offered back in change; they fell to the floor; she had not been fast enough.

The young man behind her smiled and waited for just a moment before bending and claiming the coins.

Surrendering them to her - their hands touched. He was taken by the warmth and smoothness of her skin.

He smiled.

She thanked him and asked him to keep the sole penny, in the grouping, as a wee token of good luck; she had a knack for finding lucky pennies and at every opportunity thrilled in sharing one.

To the left of the store was a favourite coffee shop of many of the locals; she had often enjoyed people watching from the corner nook and the thought of a little pause, before walking the three blocks to her home, was appealing; as was the thought of a good coffee.

Home had its burdens, not that anyone every heard her complain, but having a few moments to herself was as good as getting on a plane and having a few days in the sun...well, almost!

His voice startled her...how long had she been standing, blocking the doorway...he asked if she would join him for a coffee - holding the door she walked in ahead of him.

At no loss for words or good cheer they struck up a healthy conversation and before she knew it she was saying good-bye. 

He reached for her hands, squeezed them gently and said, “same time next Tuesday?”

She winked and said, “I’ve never regretted the investment of a penny - next week would be lovely.”

__________________

Have you ever been given a good luck penny? And...

Jenny

Taking a closer look can be quite revealing!

Good morning and welcome to 2012!

I don’t make resolutions - never have, never will!

What I do, though, is take a closer look at the path I’ve travelled; who I’ve met; and what I’ve learned.

Then...I throw caution to the wind and hope the gods favour me as I head into this new and uncharted phase of my life; commonly known as a New Year.

I’ve come a long way since my early, carefree days and while my shoulders are no broader, they carry just a wee bit more; my heart, while not bigger, holds a few extra loves; and my brain, while definitely shrinking is still willing to be open and accessible. 

What I’ve learned, on my travels...here on this little orb, is to sing when I know I will never be a rock star; laugh when I know I really want to cry; and run toward the edge when common sense says run the other way!

If the end of my journey is near I want to know that I kicked the can good and hard, long and far and with enough gusto that, just maybe, I might get another chance!

Now..

If you make resolutions, I wish you great success!

If you don’t; I wish you equal felicity in your travels through 2012.

Either way, be happy; think big; feel deeply; love passionately; and laugh...above all, laugh, it beats the other option.

I have had a wonderful run at 2011 and now look forward to a dynamic, vital and lively 2012. 

What else could it be...I’ve got you, babe!

Hugs to you all!

Jenny