Mrs. Mecomber's Scrapbook Talking technology, computers, and the Internet… for the average computer user

Boy, reviewing blogs is fun. I am discovering so many great new blogs that I otherwise wouldn’t ever see. A Blessed Life is a very, very cute little blog. It’s kept by Sheila, a Kansas wife and mom who has one adorable son and is expecting another. The little boy is the silent center of the blog (he, uh, doesn’t post anything yet). His cute photos and his presence are detectable all over the blog. Judging by the comments, A Blessed Life is popular with other mommies of little babes.

About the design: it’s a typical Blogger design (“dots” is it?) but it has three-columns. So I assume it is not one of the basic Blogger templates, but a revised theme. The background is very dark and the font so small that it emits a moody atmosphere. This seems at variance with the perky baby in the sidebar. It’s just too dark for me! I suggest a different theme or brightening the room. It would be cute if Sheila could find a baby nursery type of theme, or make one herself. The blog is difficult to read because it is so dark and moody.

Also, the posts, which are rich in content, suffer from what I call “Stream of Consciousness Formatting.” in other words, the content of the post is all in one huge paragraph, with no visual break. Here’s an example, if I may:

Feb. 3, 2008 Sunday- My husband called from Florida and little Noah wanted to get the phone from me. As soon as i handed the phone over to him, he said “dada”. I asked my husband if he heard it, he said “no”. Maybe because he was talking to him at the same time. So, I gave the phone back to Noah. He said “dada” again” then “dade” the third time. It surely made his Daddy’s day. We had been watching Baby Mozart a hundred of times this weekend as if it’s the only show on earth. There’s a part where the green snake would say “Blah”. Noah, as soon as he saw the snake, said “aaaah” in a growling way just like how the snake said “blah”. It was funny coz he surely knows it’s coming. Noah has been doing a lot of discovery with his toys. Whenever his toy phone rings, he would give it to me then I would pretend his friend Marky from the daycare was calling him. I would give it back to him and he would say “hi” or just blab. He knows what Cheerios are this time. Yesterday, I said Cheerios and he looked at the top of the cabinet where his Cheerios are located. This morning, it’s fascinating coz he gave me his little book of numbers. I counted and pointed to him 1 kite, 2 pancakes, then 3 balloons. As soon as he heard the 3 balloons, he turned his back and looked at the 3 balloons I got for my birthday few weeks ago. He even stood up and compared the balloons on the book to the real balloons. It’s amazing how his thought process is working at this age. Last Thursday, he was eating his Cheerios form his toy box and the big cow was at his back. he manaeged to sit on it while eating and without me telling or helping him to get on it. He knows how to put his toys in his box. He is just so amazing. He is getting smarter as the day passes. There was a loud thunder this morning and he cried. He got scared. Of course, mommy comforted him immediately. He already knows how to share. Whenever we say “share mommy”, or share daddy”, he would raise his hand and put food into our mouth. Last Friday, it was funny coz he stood behind his kyeboard and started playing it wit his butt. He was having fun doing it. Wish i took a video of that. Baby Kaeden, our soon-to-be-born baby had been kicking last Friday. I felt his kicks when I placed my hand on my tummy while lying on bed. I had been feeling him move the past few days (as if there’s a goldfish swimming inside me ), but had not really felt it with my hand. This time it was real. Can’t wait to see and hold him in my arms. Thank you. Lord, for another baby.

OK, that’s all in one paragraph. That’s much too tedious and takes too much effort to read. Break things down. I was a mom of little babies, too (I had 3 under age three for a while), so I know how hyper one can get! Take a breath, Sheila! LOL.

Now don’t take this too hard. The posts are really interesting to read. But the format makes them too hard to read. Only friends and grandmothers are going to stay that long to slog through the lack of readability. And that’s fine if that’s all you want to read your blog. But if you want people to come back and read your content, the design must encourage it. The cluttered posts, coupled with small font and a very dark background, will repel more readers than draw them in. The posts are interesting– the one about the tornado warning was absolutely gripping– so there’s a lot to work for. Of course, young moms don’t always have the time to reconfigure their blogs! There are free Blogger templates out there; consider looking around. Pay attention to other people’s blogs as you surf, too.

The sidebars are rich in content and display Sheila’s personality. I like that in a blog. The sidebar content is balanced. But again, the font is so tiny! And there is no header at the top. this actually isn’t necessary, as long as you have a very clear indication of your blog’s title and it’s general description somewhere at the top. Here, the title is in the sidebar above the profile, which is OK, but it is dull and not very reader-friendly.

So overall, A Blessed Life has a lot going for it! I’m sure the posts will continue to be very entertaining in the unique way that having a houseful of children will provide! Put more effort into the blog design and watch this blog shine.