10 Best Instagrams So Far This Year

Confession:

I am an Instagram slacker this year.

Sometimes I think I need to go back to the #FMSphotoaday challenge

to maybe get my mojo back.

My life has just been too distracting away from social media!

I mean, I've taken lots of pictures of my husband's chest and heel wounds.

But ain't nobody wanna see that!

Ahem.

I have shared some photos, though, and these are the ones my followers liked the most.

5 Best Instagrams of December

Here is the final monthly installment of my most liked Instagram pictures!

I did this all year in 2014 (except for ONE month).

So even though it's a new year, I still have to wrap it up with....

Instagram Hearts: December

2014 (obviously).

These are the pictures you guys liked the best last month!

Camryn & AJ decorating our skinny, little tree.
(Yes, AJ was actually participating,
he just chose that moment to look bored.)

Blogging Over the Holidays

Three, two, two....

Those numbers are how many times each of the weeks of December I have published a post. Apparently I squeezed out three the first week, but only two posts each of the following weeks.

When I am one who normally blogs three or four times every week.

But it's the Holidays. Not to mention, MY LIFE as of late.

I have been ten times busier in my everyday life since my husband's hospital stay in September. It has been a lot of work on my part (even with help) to keep everything running smoothly for us.

My blog is my refuge....but I haven't been able to get to it as much as I'd like. It makes me sad. But also in a way, it doesn't.

Because while blogging makes me feel good, so does taking care of my family.

I actually kind of hate it when bloggers feel the need to explain why they've been blogging less, or might need a break, to their readers.

4 Best Instagrams of November

Wait. What?

Psst: she isn't supposed to post this until Wednesday!

Yes, you're right.

I have a good reason for hitting publish a couple of days early, though.

I'm sharing my most hearted (liked) Instagrams of November on Monday instead of

Wednesday because I am co-hosting an Instagram link-up with Dreaming of Leaving.

Imma share my pics, and then we'll get to the linky, m'kay?

Instagram Hearts: November

Instagrammers love pictures of food!

Looks good, doesn't it?

Confessions of a Blogger: Spreading Bloggy Social Media Love

Bloggers love getting comments on their posts. As long as they're not from ugly internet trolls or spammers, that is.

I love them too, don't get me wrong.

But here's the thing, another aspect of this blogging gig is the use of social media to tell people about our posts so they will get read in the first place.

The social media platforms are busy, and different from one another. Twitter streams fly by right before our eyes, Facebook continues to change the rules on us and so many of us still don't fully get Google+....

10 Things a Blogger Does when Her internet is Down

If you follow me on social media you may have seen my whining about my internet being broken one day last week.

I'm sorry, but THINGS SHOULD JUST WORK!

Also, I'm a blogger. The web is kind of important to me, right?

Just be happy you didn't have to hear as much of my angst as my husband did.

So what does someone who NEEDS the internet on a daily basis do when she is forced to go without?

How I Choose Who to Follow on Social Media

So....this is going to be a totally honest, transparent look at my thought processes as I click on follow buttons (or don't) around the Internet.

Think you can handle it?

Haha, "handle". Get it?

I don't think anything I'm about to say will be mean. It's just....well....honest. Take it for what it is, though: just one girl's way of picking and choosing who she wants to keep up with via social media.

7 Tips to Present a User Friendly Blog

There are several things about the layout and appearance of a blog, as well as accessibility of social media following options, that I always take notice of when visiting other blogs. They are things that guide my own blog layout, and therefor, I obviously like. Some things are my personal preference (but my preferences are right!), others I've noticed on obviously successful blogs, and then some I have taken under advisement from other credible sources.

Uh, yes, I am a credible source too, gosh darnit!

My Blog and Social Media Final Wishes

What would happen to my blog and social media accounts in the event of my untimely demise?

What would I want to happen?

These are questions I started thinking about after reading a recent post by my friend Greta at g*funk*ified.

It's very disconcerting to continue seeing the Facebook page of someone who has passed. Well, at least I think it is. My uncle died two years ago but his Facebook page is still alive. His name was Mark, the same as my husband, so every time I go to tag my husband in one my posts, my uncle's face pops up.

On the other hand, a fan page was created for my friend Emily after she passed in 2007 as a way of giving her loved ones a place to "visit" her and share memories if we wanted. For some reason that is more comfortable for me.

As a blogger and social media enthusiast I have "put myself out there". I have steadily grown my following and made some friends. I'd like to think that if I were suddenly gone, someone would wonder what happened. I know I do when someone I've been following seems to have dropped off the face of the earth without telling anyone anything. I have gone searching for people only to find their blog or twitter or whatever just gone. What the hell happened??

So after reading Greta's post, I turned to my husband and told him the following:

• I would want someone to post on my blog explaining what happened. People need closure!
• I would also want them to post to my Twitter account and Facebook fan page at least.
• I can write down login info and put it in our safe, but basically, if you open up Chrome on my computer, I should be automatically signed in to almost everything.
• I think my blog should be left up at least until the URL is supposed to be renewed.
• Before it goes away, I would love it if someone turned my blog into a book for my kids.
• Perhaps have my Facebook account memorialized.
• All other accounts should probably be canceled, deactivated or whatever at some point.

Granted, considering Mark's health status I should probably tell someone else the specifics too (or just the combo to our safe).

It's odd to have to think about such things, but our online lives are becoming more and more prolific, so I think this is most definitely something one should take into account as part of their end-of-life considerations.

Of course, I have no intention of going anywhere any time soon. I intend to get quite old and wrinkly, and take you along for the ride thankyouverymuch!

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your online presence postmortem?

Join the #KeepSMSocial Movement!

Social media.

We love it. We hate it. We love it. We want to throw our phone across the room. Oh, but my friends live in there!

It's supposed to be social, right? Entertaining. Fun. Interactive. Engaging.

Participating in social media should be like a giant, never-ending party on the Internet!

As a blogger, I know that there are lots of ways we use social media other than sharing photos, commenting on status updates, planning (IRL) parties and giggling at silly memes.

We bloggers share our blog post links. Then we share other blog links because we liked them and think you might like them too. News agencies are now keeping us updated on social media, people are debating politics, religion and gossiping about celebrities. And then there's advertising via social media.

So much so that it's often hard to just have a convo with someone.

Have you noticed this? I have. So has my friend Robbie of Fractured Family Tales. She and I want to get some of the friendly exchanges back into our social media lives.

We've chosen a hashtag and a day and time to have a twitter party!

To just chat with people. Gab. Jabber. Prattle. Engage in friendly discourse.

However you say it, you should join us because it will be FUN!

What: Keep Social Media Social Twitter Party
When: Saturday, 7:00 PM (PST)
Where: On Twitter with @JenAnnHall (me) and @momma23monkeys (Robbie)
Why: "Cause we miss just chatting with people!
Hashtag: #KeepSMSocial

Spread the word, invite your friends, let's play!

Perhaps it can become a weekly thing!

The View From Here: Politics and Social Media

This week's View comes from Greta of g*funk*ified!

Greta is one of my best bloggy friends. She is a running, photographing mom of 4 living in Kansas. She is authentic and kind.

However, she does have one View on a matter she'd like to get off her chest.

__________

Politics and Social Media

I don’t like talking politics. The only family members that I think I’ve ever talked politics with are my mom and (briefly) my dad. In fact, I only recently found out that my older brother and his wife are members of a different political party.

That’s not to say that I don’t have strong political beliefs. I’m a liberal. I believe that every woman has the right to choose what she does with her body (and by the way, pro-choice is VERY different than pro-abortion). I believe that we should help those in need if we can. I believe education should be a top priority in our society, and I believe that anyone should be free to love whom they choose and receive the same benefits that a married man and woman are allowed. I believe that gun laws should be strict and that not everyone should be carrying one everywhere. I could go on and on and on.

I’m not at all ashamed of my beliefs and will respectfully discuss them if asked. But something that I don’t believe is that politics and social media play well together. I have a hard time keeping my feelings to myself when I see something on Facebook that goes against a strong personal belief, and I’ve been sick to my stomach in almost every instance at the conversation that follows. I often take things personally (unfortunately) and it’s hard to know why someone sees the world the way he or she does, even in a calm, rational discussion. The biggest problem, though, comes from other people who have no qualms about jumping in and putting their two (or two hundred) cents in. People can be brutal, and disrespectful.

I hate election time on Facebook, because ignorant and completely biased views come at me from every direction, and I learn things about people that I didn’t know and frankly, shock me (and would’ve been happy to have never found out). And don’t even get me started on Twitter….140 characters is NOT enough.

I won’t change your mind and you won’t change mine. So, let’s just stay away from the hot button issues online, okay?

__________

I try so hard to stay away from the touchy subjects, but gosh darnit, I have my feelings, ya know? And I'm never disrespectful to someone else, although others sometimes think they're allowed to be so to me.

I shared my political views here during the last major election cycle. Like Greta, I'm a "bleeding heart" liberal. Also like her, I completely get the frustration of trying to express any sort of actual opinion on social media, especially Facebook. It seems things posted there are subject to the most scrutiny. Why do people think they should be allowed to say whatever the hell they want on something YOU posted? I think we should all be able to say the shit we want to say on our own pages, but should be respectful on others' pages. There is one person I am thisclose to blocking because they seem to think Facebook is a debate forum.

OK, so! Greta usually blogs about other things like running and gluten-free recipes and sharing photos, In fact, she hosts a weekly link-up of photos taken specifically with your phone. Please check the rest of her out at her:

Blog - Twitter - Facebook - Google+

**If you are interested in contributing YOUR View, please go HERE**

Confessions of a Blogger: The Etiquette Edition

About a year and a half ago I published Confessions of a Blogger, in which I listed things I do and don't like about blogs, mostly making points about layout and readability. It's not that I think I'm some kind of expert. It's just that I have noticed the most appealing things about blogs, in my opinion.

Well, I have also taken note of what I find most appealing with other BLOGGERS. The people behind the blogs. The sorts of things I and they do that I think is good blogger etiquette. Things I appreciate, and that I know others appreciate as well.

8 Blogging Etiquette Tips

1. Comments are like crack to bloggers. In this case, crack is NOT whack! Everyone (not only bloggers) is looking for validation. Comments give bloggers that. Also, the love can go both ways if you have an avatar and your name is a link, I can click it and go to your blog and leave you a comment in return. It's all good bloggy karma. I will probably mention good bloggy karma again.

I consider it good etiquette to either respond to a comment on a blog or return the favor by commenting on their blog. Ideally both, but if you can do at least one, that's awesome. - Kim Ulmanis

While comments are beautiful things, it's highly improbable that everyone will comment on every single one of your posts. You do know that, right?

2. Sharing is even better than commenting I think. Because if you decide to share MY post with YOUR followers, that must mean you really liked it for some reason, which means.....I did a good job and you think it should have more eyes on it. I share, share, share the posts I fall in love with. I'm not shy about it at all, and I don't think any of us should be. When you share something someone else wrote, it says to me that you're a very cool, humble and share-the-love kind of person. *Good bloggy karma*

3. Reciprocity is a big word, but basically like currency between bloggers. If someone shares, follows, mentions, comments, at the very least, acknowledge it. Better still, reciprocate in same way. *Good bloggy karma*

4. That being said.... You would like it to go that if you follow someone, that person follows you back, but don't ask them to. It's tacky. I don't care if you phrase it like, "would appreciate a follow back" or "hope you'll check me out too". It's so much better if you just let it be my idea. Honestly, if someone is inclined to follow you back, they will, without being asked. If you ask, you just create this uncomfortable guilt trip thing that makes me angry. One caveat, however: I don't mind when a fellow blogger lets me know they liked my Facebook page and directs me to theirs. The thing is with that, I might not know you're a blogger at all just by your Facebook name.

5. Say thank you for sharing. It's so super easy to hit reply to a tweet in which something of yours was shared and type "thanks for sharing". Just do it. At least that, if not also strike up a conversation with the person who shared. It's just good manners. Oh, and *good bloggy karma*.

6. You should at least mention a link-up host, if not include their button in the post you're linking up. People who host link-ups and blog hops are not to be used solely for more exposure for yourself. It should go both ways. Furthermore, I believe that when you participate in a link-up, you should, at the very least, read and comment on the host's post, and read and comment on another linked up post. Also, the hosts I like best, and continue to link up with, are the ones who read and comment on the posts people linked up with them. It is so disappointing to hook up with a hop and not have even the host check you out. Why host something if you're not going to read the posts? Oh, because you're only in it for the page views? That's not *good bloggy karma*.

7. Good communication when involved in a guest post situation is very important. Since starting The View From Here series in October I learned the best things to do as the person who wants the guest are:

• Get the commitment
• Keep some sort of record of it (I use Google Calendar)
• Remind them several days to a week prior (people forget stuff)
• Have a back-up plan in case they have to bow out for some reason

Things the guest blogger should do:

• Make a note somewhere that you need to write a guest post (Google Calendar?)
• Acknowledge the reminder you get so the host blogger doesn't panic
• Write something you would publish on your own blog
• Help promote your guest post and respond to comments

Because it's not just that you're doing me a favor by writing something for me. I'm also doing you a favor by introducing you to my readers and sharing your words with my followers. It's supposed to be a win-win situation. Networking. Reciprocal. *Good bloggy karma*

8. If another blogger inspires you to write something similar to what they've written, give them a nod. Lisa of The Golden Spoons worries that:

With so many mommy bloggers, it is just impossible to know who has written what recently and there is always overlap of ideas. For example, I was thinking about writing a post about stocking stuffer ideas, but just saw another blogger post the question on her FB page. Do I go ahead or is that "stealing" her idea? Same thing happens occasionally when I read other blog posts. It sparks a similar idea for me, but I certainly don't want to plagiarize. Where is the line?

Basically, I say it's all good. Yes, we women and mothers feel and think many of the same things, so I think it's impossible for us not to echo each other a bit. I think the way it should work is that YOU put YOUR own PERSONAL spin on a topic. That's the whole point of blogging, isn't it, to share YOUR perspective? Also, I think it's OK (even right) to mention the post that sparked the idea, or go to that blogger and say, "I'm planning to blog something similar, great minds think alike!"

Now let me just say that I am not sitting here up on some high horse about this. I'm not 100% perfect. But I absolutely do these things on some level. You probably do too. If there is something you've been overlooking, just step it up a little.

Also, remember that no one is a perfect person. If you feel that someone has been rude to you, I think you should give the benefit of the doubt at first. They could have gotten distracted by a kid just as they were going to tweet back to you. Or they did read your post but their comment got eaten. If a lack of good manners continues, then maybe they're not all that worried about their bloggy karma and it's fine if you just move on.

Is there anything you would add on this topic?

The (Big?) Reveal!

Not sure how big of a reveal my new blog name is since MOST OF YOU GUESSED IT ALREADY!

What am I going to do with you people?

I really am transparent, hu?

That's right, you can see it right up there. The blog formally known as just JENNIFER will from henceforth be called Dancing in the Rain!

The URL is now ImDancingintheRain.com. Please make a note, re-bookmark it, do whatever you gotta do to get your sweet self back here.

Pretty please?

Everything else I am in the process of updating.....all my social media accounts and whatnot. Just one teeny-weeny thing I need you guys to do in that regard.

As I suspected, I had to set up a new Facebook page so I need you to go throw your LIKES on it. Besides Twitter, my blog Facebook page is where I have the most fun with everyone. I really love posting things and interacting with you guys there. Don't leave me lonely, K?

The "just JENNIFER" FB page will likely remain open through the end of the year to hopefully give a nice long time for everyone to get the hook-up to the new page. That doesn't mean you should dawdle, now. All the good stuff will be over at my "Dancing in the Rain" page!

I love my precious' new name and I hope you do too!

My Blog is Not Your Bitch

I'm getting a little annoyed. It seems a particular blogging issue is coming has come to a head for me.

A few weeks ago I clicked on a link to an article published by the Harvard Business Review (Harvard!) via The SITS Girls Facebook page titled "Yes, Marketers, You Should Pay Your Influencers". I read, applauded (in my head) and shared it on my own Facebook page and elsewhere.

The very next day I received an email that began with "Here's something that I think will interest your readers", and ended with "Please let me know if you have any questions".

Um yeah, I do have a couple questions. My response:

That sounds pretty cool, but do you expect me to promote it for free? That's actually not really fair to me and the work I put into my blog and social media following.
I do like your company so promoting it would be genuine on my part. It's just that I deserve some kind of compensation for doing so.
If that's something you're open to, please let me know!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hall

Because my blog and my readers are not your bitches!

I'm not being crass. I'm dead serious.

Yes, I am absolutely cool with doing sponsored/campaign type work through my blog and/or social media outlets. I already do. It's not as if I'm snobby about such things. I'd be lying if I said I don't appreciate being able to earn a little money through blogging. It's not why I started my blog. I only found out about these opportunities long afterward. But now that I'm aware, I am open to the possibilities.

Quite honestly, and I think a lot of other bloggers would agree with this, earning some money through these efforts helps justify the time and energy spent doing them. And it IS why some of us started blogging, to do it professionally.

Regardless, whether I want to earn money through blogging or not, I deserve respect. My blog and my followers deserve respect. YOU ALL deserve for me to not simply give away this space to every Tom, Dick and Harry who ask for it.

Or, in the case above, Darcy. Who, incidentally, I've not heard back from. Go figure.

"Here’s the thing, Brands, may we call you Brands? You’re treating us like customers, not like partners. Swag is fun but it doesn’t pay the bills. Stop thinking of us as hobbyists because we are businesses. We create a product in our writing that earns us readers and followers on social media platforms. We have clout. When we speak, the people who are listening care what we say because we have built relationships with them. Think laser beam attention AND interaction." - Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

I was recently shocked to see a major brand, Betty Crocker, post an available blogging job for which they intended to only compensate each blogger with a $15 Starbucks gift card. Just an e-card sent via email, at that! Oh, and they had all these REQUIREMENTS:

In addition to a well-read blog, we are looking for bloggers with an active and engaging presence on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook - so you can spread the word about your post and your take on Betty Crocker’s....

WTF, Betty? You want a well-written, well-read blog post and lots of social media interaction in exchange for FIFTEEN DOLLARS? Who the hell do you have managing your advertising department??

I don't.....I just. *shakes head

I cannot count how many requests I've gotten for someone to submit something they've written with a link back to them. There is nothing for me to gain from this. They try to sugar coat it with phrases like "high quality content for your site". Excuse me, but I think that kind of implies that my own content isn't of high quality. Jerk.

You may or may not recall the live theater review I posted in July. I was so very happy to do that because the theater intern (an intern, not even a marketing executive!) who contacted me did not expect me to simply promote the play out of the goodness of my heart. She asked me to come see it, which was a fun night out for me and a friend. I also happen to like the idea of promoting events in my own community.

A month later she asked me if I'd like to be a promotion partner with them again for their next production. I noticed it would be performed on a different stage, with different seating for the audience (the first play was performed on a circular stage). I went back to her and told her that I'm visually impaired so if it's at all possible for her to get me close to the stage that would be so helpful to me. Without skipping a beat, she said she could absolutely do that, and so I happily agreed.

She gave me FRONT ROW seats.

That is how it's done! That's how you make a blogger/influencer feel appreciated. The person I worked with showed me and my time respect, offered me something in exchange for my end of the deal, was encouraging, just plain nice, and presented me with subject matter I felt my readers might relate to. Not only that, she (or perhaps some other intern) interacted with me on social media, retweeting my post more than once. That post was actually one of my most viewed this summer.

To sum up, all I ask for myself and my fellow bloggers are these five things:

1. DO offer some form of compensation for a blogger's time and effort.

Mamarific agrees, saying: I expect them to pay, for starters! Cash or product. Unless it's a charity or some other public service, in which I'm happy to help if it's something I believe in. *I couldn't agree more.

2. DON'T take advantage of a blogger or their readers.

3. DO understand that bloggers won't publish something that doesn't fit on their blog.

4. DON'T expect us to feel privileged that you are asking us to promote your product. All parties need to feel good about it.

5. DO be supportive, encouraging and as accommodating as you can reasonably be.

I don't think I'm asking for anything extraordinary here.

What do you think? Did I cover all the bases, or is there something you would add?

Social Media Truths

Something that has been driving me a bit bonkers lately is why do I have WAY more Twitter followers than I do Facebook page likes? I mean, what is the difference? Why do people follow me on Twitter more than like my fan page on Facebook?

(It's not that I'm obsessing about the numbers, it's just that asking why is sort of my thing.)

Granted, I started using Twitter before I created a Facebook page. But not THAT long before.

Trying to figure this phenomenon out, I then got to thinking about how people maybe view and feel about their social media platforms.

Because I find it all very fascinating. (Remember my Social Media Rights?)

I think....

LinkedIn is like why not? Couldn't hurt.

Twitter is like whatevs, stream goes by so fast, if I see something I don't really like, it'll be gone from view in a sec.

Google+ is like sure I'll circle you, it's not as if I'm ever on there anyways.

But Facebook....it's like PERSONAL so if I like your page it's as if I'm making a commitment!

Here's an image to prove it. Because an Internet graphic is like God handing down the 10 commandments.

And that's what Pinterest is for!

Agree? Disagree? Would you add or change anything?

__________

By the way, my "Instagram Hearts Summer" link-up with GIVEAWAY is happening RIGHT NOW through the 15th. Come play with me!

An Instagram Link-Up!

Instructions

Look through your Instagrams from June, July and August.

Pick out the Top 10 Most Hearted (liked) photos.
(The ones your followers liked the most!)

Put them in a blog post.

Use words or go wordless.

Come back on September 1st and link up your post with ME!

GIVEAWAY

I will randomly choose one linker to receive a

Starbucks gift card!

I think this will be super fun!

Please join me!

Addicted to the Internet?

There was this post on BlogHer way back on March 1 titled "Are You Addicted to the Internet? Take a Test and Find Out".

So I did. I went to NetAddiction.com, "The Center for Internet Addiction....your source since 1995", (yeah, evidently this is a real thing) clicked on Recovery Resources and then Self Test and then chose the second one down, the Internet Addiction Test.

Like the BlogHer post writer, Melissa Ford, I scored a 32, which means:

You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.

I absolutely promise I answered the questions truthfully!

That self test says I'm not addicted, but the Internet IS a big part of my life.

I use it to:

• Blog
• Socialize/Network
• Pay bills
• Help my kids with their homework
• Check movie listings
• Find recipes
• Find knit and crochet patterns
• Shop
• Email
• Edit photos
• Research products
• Keep track of my kids' school records
• Find info I need/want
• Learn from others
• Fill out and submit forms 
• Get directions
• Check on news and weather
• Check my husband's work schedule
• Watch All My Children (which is now only available online)
• Watch Netflix instant streaming
• Make phone calls using my Internet connection

Honestly, this list could go on and on. The Internet is useful in a bajillion ways.

I don't know how many times exactly I've talked about BALANCE here. Oh wait, yes I do. That's what the handy-dandy labels are for. Sixteen. I have mentioned something about the need to find and/or keep balance at least 16 times on this blog.

It is my personal goal each day to make it a balanced one. To do things I need to do, things I should do and things I want to do. Too much of any one thing makes me feel off, UNBALANCED. I get cranky.

This applies to my use of the computer, just like anything else. The last thing I want to do is be sitting here all damn day. Popping up and down from the computer chair is something I often do. A little of this, a little of that. And I don't like to be on the computer at night. That's when I want to watch TV or a movie with my husband, or read and crochet. That's my down time.

I've noticed lots of people complain about the pervasiveness of the Internet, smartphones, tablets and whatnot. I see things on Facebook about how it's getting in the way of face-to-face interactions (isn't it kind of ironic to post something like that on Facebook?). I saw an infographic that asserted: "57% of people talk to people more online than they do in real life".

Really? OK, maybe. I mean, people are busy. And spread out. Gone are the days when family, immediate or extended, all live near each other. I live two states away from my mother, as does my husband from his. My best friend too. In fact, my entire adult relationship with my BFF has been a long-distance one. We see each other as often as we can, but our main form of communication is via email.

Regardless, it looks to me like we do have plenty we're doing away from our computers. I see all the time when people purposefully decide to unplug. I have faith that the possibility of the Internet or texting or whatever else getting in the way of personal interactions is on everyone's minds and they will, for the most part, take steps to make sure they DO OTHER THINGS.

It's the swing of the pendulum. We see it all the time, things going from one extreme to the other and then settling somewhere in the middle. Internet addiction is an extreme.

The Internet is a necessary part of life nowadays. And I think that's OK. Even good. I happen to think that the Internet actually connects human beings to each other MORE than it isolates anyone. I learn things, have easy access to information I need, my mind is opened to issues I didn't know existed, I discover people who have things in common with me and I'm able to share in the day-to-day of my BFF and her family.

I have become far more open-minded, tolerant, compassionate and just plain kind since I began blogging and reading other blogs.

We feel LESS alone because of the Internet.

It doesn't mean we aren't interacting face-to-face like we should.

I'm not addicted to the Internet and I bet you're not either.

Why I Think Social Media is Cathartic, and Even Gives Me Hope for Humanity

I have come to the conclusion that my interactions on social media are very helpful to my mental and emotional states.

Yes yes, I know that online interactions can also be quite frustrating or annoying. I hear a lot of complaints about things said on Facebook. I have had my own complaints about that particular platform.

Those of us who use Twitter regularly seem to prefer it for its feel of realness; we feel like we can be our true selves when we tweet. I think this is due to the fact that Twitter is used predominantly by those my age and younger, therefor our parents and in-laws aren't hovering over our 140 characters. Also, we tend to follow and be followed by people we know we have something in common with, not family or long lost high school classmates we may not actually like very much, as is the case on Facebook.

So why do I think social media is good for my mental state, in spite of any annoyances therein?

In one word: Validation.

In more words: Twitter and Facebook are places I can go to share, play or vent, and most of the time when I do, I get some kind of interaction back. Even if I'm completely ignored, I still got to get something off my mind, heart or gut, which can help me let go of it.

Think about it. If you're a Twitter user, don't you just love it when you send out some tweet and get responses back? Perhaps it sparks an entire convo and you now have a new connection with someone. Sometimes you get virtual (((HUGS))), and that feels nice. Then someone says, "Me too!" and you don't feel alone.

Social media give me hope for humanity because I see people making other people feel better about their asshole boss, jerk spouse and their kid's temper tantrum left and right. I think that's pretty cool.

I posted a very angry status on Facebook recently:

The most ludicrous thing I could ever hear.....even more ridiculous than any stupid political statement or ignorance....would be to say that my husband, my Mark, is having a pitty party. Anyone who ever says or thinks that can go fuck themselves.

I felt like I needed to say that. What I got back in comments was that people understood why I was angry. People were ticked off with me. From that I felt justified in my gut reaction, that I had a right to be angry.

I've said it before, the one thing we all have in common is a need to be heard and validated. That's not an original thought.

I am not trying to exalt something that can be pithy, trite, petty and even ridiculous at times. I know there are a whole slew of people who just don't get it. It can suck up way too much of our time -- it's highly distracting -- and can indeed cause problems where there weren't any, before your knee jerked and you posted something without thinking. Believe me, I know this.

But I'm here to say that social media has its benefits, and they are why I use it. I love it for its ability to keep me in touch with people I wouldn't otherwise stay in contact with. I love that I get to "meet" lots of other people all over the world that I NEVER would have known without it, and learn so much from them. I love that I can say shit I often have no context to say to anyone in the room with me. And, last but not least, I love social media, including blogging, because it is the epitome of free speech, giving each and every last one of us a voice if we want one.

Do I love everything I see out there on the Interwebs? No. Do I love that it's there? Yes.

I shall leave you with some "Social Media Rights" I came up with awhile ago, because I'm still patting myself on the back for them!

How do you feel about social media?

Your Social Media Rights

Everyone knows the Miranda Rights cops recite when they arrest someone.

If not (what rock have you been under?), here they are:

Your Miranda Rights

• You have the right to remain silent.
• Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law.
• You have the right to speak to an attorney.
• If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.
• Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?

For some unknown reason I got to thinking about the perils of social media and the Miranda Rights came to mind. Surely the two shouldn't be related because social media is FUN! Ahem.

Nevertheless, I give you:

Your Social Media Rights

• You have the right not to Comment.
• Anything you Tweet or Pin can and will be held against you on Facebook.
• You have the right to connect with an attorney on LinkedIn.
• If you cannot find anyone on Google+, you may peruse Instagram.
• Do you understand how the Klout algorithm works as it has been explained to you?

And because this is so clever and witty and gosh darnit! pin-able, I give you:

Tell me what you think!

I am totally hooking this up with Yeah Write,
cuz this shiz needs to be seen!
Love you, YeahWriters!

The Ultimate Blog Party 2012 - #UBP12

I am so late to this party. It's apparently been going on for six years!

By six years I mean this is the sixth annual Ultimate Blog Party.

It's a way of "getting around" in the blogosphere. I like getting around.

Wait. That sounds wrong.

Anyway! I am supposed to introduce myself, similar to how I would at a party. Problem is, I never introduce myself at parties. I let others introduce themselves to me. I'm just kinda shy that way.

However, I am NOT all that shy here on the Internet. Here I can pick and choose who I interact with, without any of those awkward moments where neither person can find anything to say and then you come up with some excuse to walk away.

Not that I'm a snob. I'm so NOT!

Ah hell, I'm not sure this is going well at all....

OK, here goes. My name is Jennifer and I write this blog that I named after myself. Like I say on my Me & Why I Blog page, it's all the parts of me.

I am a mom of two, an 11 1/2 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. They are smart and gorgeous and crazy. They complete me.

While my blogging has gotten bigger and broader, this space was originally my place to get things out, and it still very much is. Most especially issues regarding my husband's health problems. He is a Type 1 Diabetic on dialysis with a host of complications, the worst being several things wrong with his heart. Just last month, we nearly lost him. We feel very fortunate that he pulled through, but are now increasingly mindful of the possibility. And it's hard.

BUT, I am as upbeat and positive as I can be, laugh instead of cry most of the time and am full of gratitude for my many blessings.

I host a weekly link-up on Fridays called TGIF - Get Your Happy On. I invite a guest to write a TGIF post every other week. I also co-host a monthly blog hop (first Tuesday) called Did You Know? with a great gal, Danielle at motherhood: TRUTH.

I like social media. I play on Twitter, Facebook and GetGlue mostly, but also dabble in Pinterest. I have profiles on Google+, LinkedIn and StumbleUpon too.

I am a knitter and recently took up crochet as well. My good bloggy friend @DiaperDads recently inducted me into his superhero hall of fame as The KNITTER with the power of yarn bombs! I have posted a few of my original patterns here, and would like to more, if I ever get around to it. I am currently working on a pair of legwarmers I was hoodwinked into knitting, wearing and blogging about.

I think that's about it. Thanks so much for popping in to meet me! Stay awhile, look around. Please, let me know you did!