Blogger Idol

Sunday night, I chose the winners of my ad giveaway.  One of the lucky winners was Blogger Idol, who has submitted this great piece about the Blogger Idol experience written by Daddy Knows Less.  If you have a blog, this looks like a terrific experience, a way to connect to others throughout the internet, and to gets some honest critiques of your blog.  Read on:

It's true. I am a rock star. It has nothing to do with my love of karaoke, my penchant to sing in the shower, or my talent to make a parody out of any song by putting my dog Luna's name in it. It doesn't even have to do with taking My Director to the Awesome 80's Prom for her 30th birthday:

This was 5 years ago.
Yes, that's a Smurf tattoo

No. I am a rock star because Blogger Idol told me so. The motto of this wonderful experience disguised as a writing contest is "writers are the new rock stars." As many of you who have been following DKL from the beginning may remember, this time last year I was knee-deep in Blogger Idol. I had made it to the finale in the first-ever season, only to lose by a handful of votes at the last possible minute. (Not bitter at all. Totally over it. Now please pass me that bottle of Jack Daniels.)

I've made a lot of friends in the blogosphere, forged a lot of relationships, learned a lot of things from a lot of really cool, special, interesting people. Blogger Idol was by far the most unique experience I've ever had in the year and a half since I took DKL public. The weekly challenges were at times frustrating, but mostly invigorating and inspiring. They pushed me as a writer to go places I've never gone before and explore topics I never would have explored. (Uh, there was a vampire week. Random but fun. And my post got top marks from the judges.) I have gained lasting friendships with some great people. My fellow contestants, actually. Roni from The Mommy in Law, Chris at ...from the Bungalow, and Derrick from Dad v. Autism, to name a few.

I'm not going to lie. Winning would have been very cool. But in hindsight, doing it - putting myself out there - was so much more rewarding. I was proud of the work I did, how I presented myself, and how I kept true to myself and the integrity of my blog and my writing.

Now Blogger Idol is back, it's bigger and better. The prizes are amazing. And perhaps most exciting for DKLers, I'm going to be a judge. How cool is that? For now, judge for yourself and check out some of my favorite entries from last year's assigments:

Here is my audition post that convinced the judges to put me into the top 12. The assignment was simple: Why are you the next Blogger Idol? So I drew inspiration from my Grandma Sylvia and told them What I'm Made Of.

In Week 1 of this 12-week journey, we were asked to introduce ourselves to the voters. So I wrote About Being a Dad

When I first saw the assignment for week two, my first reaction was, "Oh. My. God." We had to write about a day in the life as the opposite sex. So I made it an homage to the woman I know the best. Enjoy Freaky Friday.

The post I thought would win me the whole damn thing was a very emotional one I wrote for the finale about The Best Dad I Know.

Auditions begin TODAY. So I urge you to get involved. If you are a blogger looking to get established, to have your writing critiqued by bloggers who are established, and to showcase your writing to a new audience, this is a great opportunity. Follow Blogger Idol on Facebook and Twitter for updates. Even if you don't audition, I urge you to follow because you WILL connect with these contestants. I promise. They all will inspire you when they pour their hearts into their posts. Let the competition begin. 

 Written by Daddy Knows Less.

What's New with Catholic Newlywed?

Hello lovely readers,

I just wanted to let you in on some exciting news about Catholic Newlywed!  I just bought my own domain, so if you are currently following me on an RSS reader, make sure you are now following CatholicNewlywed.com!  I've been quite busy with my new job, but not that my time is limited, I've realized just how much blogging means to me.  By that I mean, if I'm coming home tired from a long day of work, spending the evenings with my husband and sweet daughter, and STILL finding time to blog, then blogging is more than just a hobby, it's a passion!

In the past, I've struggled to find my voice in blogging, but perhaps that's because I tried too hard to fit my blog into a niche.  In the past few months, I've stopped "trying" and started writing about life, as it is.  If I want to write about my baby, I do.  If I want to write about marriage, I do.  If I want to write about my Catholic faith, I do.  If I want to write about my newest craft or zany idea, I do.  I can only write about what I know, and these things, I know.  I only have three rules in my classroom: "Be respectful. Be yourself. Work hard."  These rules are just for my middle schoolers, I try to incorporate them into my daily life, including blogging.  What you get on these pages is me, myself, and not the person I'm trying to be.

Apparently, other people relate to my authentic self, because my blogging statistics have skyrocketed over the past month.  Here's a little overview:

Total pageviews:

July: 7,852

August: 25,990

Unique visitors:

July: 3,239

August: 17,304

I'm in awe, sweet readers!  Thank you so much for your support!

As my stats have increased, I have also more actively begun seeking sponsors.  If you are interested, click on the "sponsor" tab on the top of my blog to read more.  I also love to swap buttons with other bloggers.  If you'd like to swap, email me (catholicnewlywed@gmail.com) and I'll send you the code for a free "Basic" ad.  If you would prefer to purchase an ad, my prices start at $3 for one month and $7 for three months (for a 125 x 125 button) and all purchased ads include a sponsor spotlight post.  You can buy an ad at anytime, not just the beginning of the month (it will run for 30/90 days from the day you purchase it).

Also, if you haven't already entered, I have a contest ending tonight at midnight for "Premium" advertising space on my blog - a 300 x 300 button and sponsor spotlight.  There will be two winners - one wins 1 month of advertising and the other wins 3 months!  You can enter here.

On the same topic, please, please, please visit and patronize my advertisers!  My husband and I are working so hard to support our little family and one way I do that is through my blog.  Sponsors are investing in not only my blog, but in my sweet family!  I have great dreams of one day being able to make a living with my blog (who doesn't want to making a living doing something she's passionate about), today is not that day but every bit helps.  Clicking on my sponsors shows that you appreciate their support of Catholic Newlywed! 

One more thing!  Please never hesitate to write me or to comment on a post! I love hearing what you have to say and I blog for the "community" of it all!  Don't be a stranger!

Much love & blessings, Mandi

7 Quick Takes Friday (Take 66)

--- 1 ---

The Intersection of Faith and Science I've been reading and following blogs for about two years now and I've read some beautiful posts from time to time, but this is probably one of the most touching ones I've ever read.  A blogger friend of mine, Kaylene, wrote about finding out that the baby she is carrying might have special needs and how she and her husband reacted.  I can only hope that if I am ever in the same situation, I can approach it with as much faith as they did. 

--- 2 ---

21,915 Days of "I Still Do"  My grandparents celebrated their 60th anniversary yesterday.  Check out my post about how they "beat the odds" (and to see a rockin' vintage photo of those two). 

--- 3 ---

Speaking of anniversaries, this week I posted a DIY tutorial of the map wall art I made David for our anniversary last month.  It was really easy, took only a few hours (including shopping for supplies), was under $20 (basically just the price of frames), and came out fabulous.

--- 4 ---

Today completes my second week of teaching.  It's exhausting.  Being in the classroom on my feet (both literally and figuratively) all day is hard work, but the planning is really what is sucking the life out of me.  I teach K-8 so I have nine different classes to plan.  I try to do some similar activities in various grades to save time, but the real lifesavers for me have been Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers.  Thanks to those two sites, I have tons of ideas for activities, games, and worksheets to keep each class interesting.  How did new teachers survive their first year without the internet?

--- 5 ---

A Lucia update: (I know her nine month post is coming up buy I just couldn't wait) She's pulling up on everything she can and is getting quite adventurous about letting go.  She also added a new word to her vocabulary: "mama".  Be still my heart!

--- 6 ---

We spent last weekend with my in-laws.  My husband's brother and his wife came down too and we had a really nice time.  Unfortunately, much of the time I had to work on lesson plans, but it was still nice.  It's especially fun to see Lucia with my sister-in-law, those two are quite smitten with each other!

--- 7 ---

This weekend, my aunt is out for my grandparents' anniversary.  I'm going to be spending the long weekend relaxing with family and baking.  I just haven't had the time to bake with my new job and I can't wait to get a few goodies in the oven.  Have a blessed (and safe) holiday weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

21,915 Days of "I Still Do"

Sixty years ago today, a 16-year-old Hispanic Catholic with tattoos and broken English married a 21-year-old German Jew (much to his mother’s chagrin) in a little Las Vegas chapel called “The Hitching Post”.  It seems the odds were stacked against them.  They were young.  They were naïve. They were broke.  In fact, the young man had to sell his beloved fishing gear to pay for the gas from L.A. to Albuquerque to ask for his sweetheart’s parents for her hand in marriage. 

And yet today, three children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren later, these two celebrate their 60^th wedding anniversary.  

 I’ve seen people of my generation brush off the long marriages of older generations with the excuse, “Back then, divorce wasn’t an option.”  Not so.  That young man vowed to care for his beloved in good or bad, sickness or health, as long as they both shall live despite having been raised by a single mother after his parents’ bitter divorce at an early age.  Divorce was an option, but so was life-long love and commitment.  And I’m glad those two chose the latter.

Marriage has never been easy; it certainly wasn’t any easier “back then” than it is now.  That young couple could never have imagined that their life together would be filled with as many sorrows as blessings.  That someday, each would have to nurse the other through cancer treatments.  That they would never have much more money than they did their wedding day.  

When I look at my husband and contemplate the blessed marriage we have, I am filled with gratitude to my grandparents who provided an example of marital love and fidelity that has been passed down through the generations, first to my parents, and through them to me.  Yes, the effects of divorce are profound, but a loving marriage has the power to transform generations.  

Thank you, Nana and Papa, not just for that first “I do”, but for 60 years of saying “I still do” even when you thought it might have been easier to walk away.  You made the choice to love every day for 21,915 days.  And though you might not be commemorated in history book or statues, through your love, you have changed the world.

Anniversary Gift: Mapping Your Love Story

Our two year anniversary was last month, so you could say this post is a bit late, but I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to share the Pinterest-inspired anniversary gift I made for my husband.  In our first two years of marriage, we moved around a few times so there are several places that played an important part in our "love story".

Long before our anniversary, I started noticing and pinning some very sweet DIY map wall art on Pinterest.  When our anniversary came along, we were both unemployed and had just moved back in with my parents.  A DIY map art project seemed to be the perfect gift to commemorate the important places that defined our first two years of marriage.  Not only that, it would be easy on the pocket book and would help up to decorate our room in my parents house so that we could make it into our new home.

I took several examples from Pinterest as inspiration, but I ultimately came up with a design all my own, in large part dictated by which supplies I could easily find.

Supplies:

maps for each significant place in your "love story"
square picture frames (or one short, long frame to place all maps within)
cardstock in colors that complement your decor and map colors
heart stencil, ruler or other straight edge, pencil, & scissors
repositionable glue

In all, I would say this project cost less than $20.  My mom is a AAA member, so she was able to get me the maps for free.  I only used a small portion of each map, so I folded them back up to save them for future craft projects (I'm thinking of making some coasters by using Mod Podge to stick maps to cheap tiles from the hardware store).  The picture frames were the main cost - I think each of these came out to around $5 on sale.  I used cardstock I already had, but it's fairly cheap anyway.  I bought a heart stencil for about a dollar.  The repositionable glue was a few dollars.  I hate including the full price of craft projects like the glue stencils or pack of cardstock since only a small portion is used for this particular project and these are items that I know will get used up eventually.

Even if you have other craft glue at home, I still recommend that you get repositionable glue.  It takes the pressure out of lining everything up perfectly the first time and potentially having to spend more money (and time) if you have to buy new supplies ans start over. 

While I initially loved the idea of putting all three places within one short, wide frame, I opted for three separate frames so we can add more as we add more children to our family or move away for more adventures together.

I also assumed we would put hang these on the wall (and we might eventually) but for now, I'm loving how they look lined up on the top of the desk hutch in our room.

 

Basic instructions:

1. Trace the heart stencil around significant places to you and your spouse (or the couple your are gifting this to). Cut the hearts out.

2. Cut out squares from two different colors of card stock to serve as the mat.  One should be the size of the glass in the frame.  One should be the same proportions as the frame, but smaller as to leave a border of the other color.

3. Using repositionable glue, glue the two pieces of cardstock in the middle and the heart in the middle of that.

4. Place in the frame and wrap for your honey or for a lucky couple celebrating their wedding or anniversary.

5. Receive an outpouring of gratitude and amazement for your sweet gift.

My favorite part about this gift is that it is very sweet and sentimental, but perfectly suitable for a man.  (Men may refuse to use maps, but they do think it's pretty studly decor.)  It's also a great conversation starter, when people visit your home, it's inevitable that they will ask the significance of the places on your wall.

The three places I chose to frame are "where we married", "our first home", and "where our daughter was born".  You can include little titles within your frame like these, if you like.  I had intended to, but due to the size of the frame and the heart stencil, there just wasn't enough room.

 

Some places to commemorate:

where you met

where you got engaged ("where she said yes!")

where you married ("where we said I do")

your first home

where each of your children were born

where you went on your honeymoon

each city/state/country you've lived in

where you married & each of your parents married

Another fun idea (one that I'm toying with as well): hang another picture below each of these of the two of you together in that place.  Or you can actually connect the two together by hanging them both on a ribbon and then hanging that on the wall.

Which places are part of your "love story"?  

Have you completed any DIY projects lately?  I'd love if you would leave the link in the comments so I can check out what you've been up to!