This post was inspired by Janette Toral of Influential Blogger Dot Net. Janette Toral is a writer, SEO consultant, trainer, blogger, policy lobbyist, and entrepreneur from the Philippines and has a myriad of sites ranging from personal thoughts to successful business models. You can find a full list of her sites here, on her blogger profile (if I have missed some, please comment Janette )

Janette is always finding ways to promote new and existing blogs so that they may find their way to you the reader and she has asked for help in that bloggers take part in this writing project and name some blogs which have gained readership and have a following. The blogs must also be no older than July 1st 2007, so look out bloggers that are not even one year old!

My list that I have come up with to date is as follows and please note that I can name up to ten blogs and edit this post as I add to it so here goes:

I know you have heard me mention Sean Rasmussen from Sean Rasmussen Dot Com a few times on this blog already and the reason why is because he truly writes a great blog! He’s motivating, inspiring, walks the talk and has gained a good readership since starting his personal blog in September last year.

Durano Lawayan aka Brad Spit, is another blogger who has a great following. The Spitting Vessel is a place where you can spit your mind out, in disgust or in jest, so long as you feel it is a wrong that must be corrected, as the tag line suggests. Great reading for anyone.

Carole Fogarty from the Healthy Living Lounge has many tips for exactly that – Healthy Living – and a must to see and read. Carole also runs women’s retreats in Bali and has extensive knowledge in Yoga and all things alternative to keep your body, mind and soul at peace. Well worth the read.

For now I will leave it at that and update as I come across more outstanding blogs. There are so many and I have to be wary of their start up dates as there is a restriction as to how old your blog can be. Janette will add these blogs to a list on her site as she updates on a weekly basis. If you would like to take part, please feel free to get the word around so that other great blogs may be discovered. Thank you Janette for running this project.

As a founder on the Go Smell the Flowers blog, I have been privileged to be able to hand out these lovely Flower Smeller badges. These are to be presented to bloggers and non bloggers who are smelling the flowers in their own way.

Smelling Flowers means different things to different people. It could be that you are 100% happy with your life and you wouldn’t change a thing. Or perhaps you are working with what you are most passionate about and sharing your knowledge with the online and offline community. It could be that you have had a major re-direct in your life, or writing a book, or already written one with the result ending in it being published. It could even be because you are running a household with a family, working a job, taking care of everyone and still find time to spend with your hobby or passion.

Well today I would like to present this badge to five people (who are bloggers in this instance), who I think will enjoy the Flowers blog and have all achieved milestones in their lives and are heading for more. The badge up at the top of this post takes you to the origin of this award and you are most welcome to come and enjoy Go Smell the Flowers which has a community not of just flowers, but thorns as well… you will see when you get there

So without further ado… and oh… btw… I will be doing this once a month so please leave me a comment to let me know of your blog as I will be seeking out new blogs for this award… this month however, I would like to share it with:

My Aussie mate Allan over at Coffee with Allan Cockerill who is always around to give me a hand if I need it. Allan is also the only male in a household of four teenage daughters and any man who can live under those circumstances deserves a flower smelling badge!

Pearl who writes her thoughts on Interesting Observations and is always a pleasure to read. Having recently lost her father suddenly, Pearl is slowly making her way back into the online community showing her strength of character and I look forward to reading her blog.

Michaela, my niece, who introduced herself here a few weeks ago writing a guest post and then went on to start up her own blog called Michaela, Plainly Me so of course, I would like to encourage her.

Cory over at Dental Plan and Dental Care Tips who gives great dental advice for your pearly whites and offers some great dental plans if you happen to be over in the USA so check out his blog… I found some very funny dentist visit videos there… a word of warning though, if you get queasy visiting the dentist, watch out!

Doc KC is a professional psychotherapist who recently came into the blogosphere and is sharing her vast knowledge with the online community.  She writes in depth articles that make you think and offers advice both publicly and privately and is very approachable so please stop by Doc KC’s Blog and welcome her.

Please enjoy all the above blogs who are all making a contribution in there own way and you are all welcome in the garden at GO! Smell the Flowers any time.

]]> http://angesbiz.com/bloggers/smell-the-flowers-with-me/feed/ 6 http://angesbiz.com/bloggers/blogger-idol-contest-now-open-at-flowers/ http://angesbiz.com/bloggers/blogger-idol-contest-now-open-at-flowers/#comments Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:25:13 +0000 Ange Recchia http://angesbiz.com/blogger-idol/blogger-idol-contest-now-open-at-flowers/

You may be aware that I also write posts over at GO! Smell the Flowers blog and right now, they are running the Blog Idol contest. Mike French (whom I am racing for comments to posts, LOL) has very cleverly put this visual together to get the ball rolling. Please fave this and leave a comment to get it out there to the world.

1) Describe yourself in less than 20 words.
2) Details of your blogs URL and why you bother.
3) Why GO! Smell the flowers appeals to you.
4) What you can bring to the community.
5) What you’d like from the community.

Whether you have a story to tell, or you want exposure to your business, or you have had a book published, or are travelling the world blogging as you go, or not and want to start blogging… whether you have something to teach or even having a voice wanting to be heard… whatever your circumstances and expertise, Flowers Wants YOU!!

The contest closes on the 18th of March so get on over there and leave your details. One thing before you do… there are thorns as well as flowers in the garden so make sure to have a good look around to see your way through them Most of all, have fun and tell all your friends!

So here are seven random facts about me that I don’t think I have ever shared here before…

1. I come from a musical family… both my brothers have played in bands and my parents and sister all sing and play instruments too. When I was seven years old, I took up piano lessons and continued for about 12 years. Although I had all those lessons, I haven’t played for a very long time and it’s not high on the list of my priorities these days. If you follow the link to the band, there is a playlist from their last gig where I was asked to join the band on stage and play the tambourine along to the song Black Betty. Imagine!!

2. I have learned how to draw charts of stocks using candlestick bars and can read a chart and follow patterns. Interestingly enough, if you take 5 years of monthly charts of a very well established stock and lay them along side each other, you will see history repeating itself. These days I use software to look at my charts so although the drawing days have gone, the lesson came in very handy indeed.

3. You may have read that I am an adrenalin junkie and I am also addicted to chocolate and cashew nuts… can’t get enough and them and it has to be the right kind of chocolate like Cadbury’s or Lindt… yummy!

4. Unlike Diane, if you read her post, she stated that she cannot reverse park and is having lessons from her son. I on the other hand have it down pat as my driving instructor made sure I did before she would let me go and sit my driving test. Thanks Sabina (my instructor) who also taught 3 of my cousins, my mum and one of my brothers to drive.

5. My most favourite movie of all time is ET. I remember seeing it for the first time when I was about 14 years young and just could not stop crying at the end. I have always had a fascination with Aliens and believe that they are around, just watching us humans and sitting back laughing most of the time. What do you think?

6. Although I love technology, it takes me some time to nut out new software and learn how to use it. I do not like reading instructions and much prefer to go about clicking this and that until I find a way that suits my way of doing things. (Truth be told, most of the time, I can’t follow the instructions!) I do get it after a while. My iPod is great for transferring music and audiobooks or podcasts onto and I wouldn’t be without my mobile broadband to check on things if I am away from my laptop.

7. I volunteer a little of my time online for the worthy cause Invisible Youth Network. Invisible Youth is an organization endeavoring to make a difference by providing human, material and monetary resources for abused, homeless and at risk youth and related programs. Russell Hartshaw who was once homeless himself, is the Chairman and Founder of this organisation. My efforts at recruiting have been very random of late and if you are interested in helping in some way, please do… either by raising awareness of the cause or donating to it if you so desire.

Now there weren’t any rules for this so I am not going to specifically tag anyone, and if you feel like sharing some facts about yourself, link to this so it can be tracked back to the original meme and I look forward to reading up about you.

Have fun!