Lijit

We first met The Broke-Ass Bride and her adorable partner in crime, The Fresh Hubby, last year at Blog World. They were leisurely strolling the Expo floor and were really excited once they found out what Lijit could do for their blog. As a newlywed myself at the time, I thought the idea behind their blog was brilliant and admired their obvious love for one another. Not to mention the fact that the Bride can rock a retro look with the best of them AND the Hubby has hair that’s to die for. How could we not feature them on our blog?

Whether you’re currently planning your wedding or are simply looking for romantic money-saving tips, The Broke-Ass Bride provides much inspiration on both fronts. Dana (the actual broke-ass bride) offers tips on how to be a better negotiator, how to decorate on a budget, and, of course, easy ideas for saving money before the big day. Let’s see what else Dana has to say… How long have you been blogging and why did you start?

Since April of 2008 - I started for a couple of reasons:

1. I was a creatively starved out-of-work actor and needed some creative outlet that I could be in charge of (unlike acting -in which we have very little control over our careers). I’ve always loved writing and thought this would be a fun place to exercise finding my voice and exploring another way of creatively expressing myself.
2. I was newly engaged and completely overwhelmed by the whole process, but especially miffed by the average costs associated with weddings.
3. I was obsessed with wedding blogs. Like crazypants obsessed. So I started my own.

Although your blog name might make it obvious, what is the mission of The Broke-Ass Bride?

I know it seems obvious, and in way it is, but its also not. By this I mean yes, it started as a chronicle of my journey toward the aisle with very little money. Yes, we provide lots of budget-related content about weddings. But we mostly focus on inspiration, ideas and advice to couples of all budgets on how to spend wisely and throw an authentically personalized and fun wedding -because (as we like to say) its not about how much you spend, its how you spend it! But I also write a lot about my journey to create the life of my dreams, so honestly, I like to think of our mission more as inspiring and empowering people to turn life’s challenges into opportunities…be it in weddings, careers, health or life!

Both you and your new husband (aka The Fresh Hubby) post on the blog. What are the benefits and challenges of this set-up?

It rocks! I love having him be a part of it because it brings a male perspective to the whole thing, which is rare in the wedding world…and he’s not all football and beer all the time. He’s got a really fun, unique and caring voice that both men and women really enjoy. So it diversifies our audience and helps people to understand me better, because they get a sense of us as a couple. He also lightens my load - being a solo blogger can get overwhelming, but he’s there to share the burdens and the joys with me. It helps him understand why I love it, and now, he’s totally hooked! The challenges? I don’t know…maybe that he gets annoyed when I correct his spelling or tell him a joke doesn’t work? Honestly, the pros far outweigh the cons so much that I can’t even name one!

What are some of your favorite wedding hacks that you can share with future (penny-pinching) brides?

Negotiation is key! Don’t be scared to speak up and haggle. Most brides and grooms accept asking price as final price far too often. But, be respectful. I approach it as a partnership - why should this person offer me a discount? What do I have to offer in return? Which leads me to… Barter. I did office work and fabric cutting for my wedding dress designer to earn a 1/2 price discount. I traded marketing advising with a personal trainer so that I’d fit into and rock that dress. I bartered a lot, because in this economy, vendors often need support but can’t necessarily afford full-time employees. It’s mutually beneficial, and has the added bonus that you make friends with the people making your wedding happen. Its not a right fit for every bride or every vendor. But when it works, its like budget slashing magic goodness! Bride$hare. I co-opted a ton of our wedding items with other brides who shared my taste, saving thousands. It worked so well that I started a site to help other brides find each other to do the same and save green while being green - http://brideshare.net/

How has Lijit helped to make you a better blog publisher?

I love how it helps me track the searches, know what’s popular and what content is most in demand for my readers. It’s a lifesaver!

We think that Dana’s upbeat and original approach to wedding blogging makes her a lifesaver for many anxious brides as well. If you’re in the midst of planning your nupitals, be sure to check out The Broke-Ass Bride and follow her on Twitter. With so much useful information in one place, you really can’t go wrong!

There’s nothing we love more than local support. (Okay, maybe company happy hours…) And we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be located in such a fantastic community with entrepreneurs and tech startups at every turn. For example, look at how happy we’ve made Megan with one of our comfy shirts and a few stickers…

In addition to being a new blogger using Lijit, Megan is also the co-founder of a Denver production company that helps clients tell their stories more effectively with video. If you’re looking for some help in the video arena, be sure to check out Alpine Light Pictures or follow Megan on Twitter.

And to see an example of her work, take a look at the following video she made for a series about TechStars founders. The video speaks for itself.

Many thanks to Megan for her support and fantastic evangelism! If you see her around Denver, be sure to give her a high-five for us.

I know, I know…some of you don’t recognize this as anything special. But for me, and all the women of Lijit, I thought it deserved a *small* mention. (And guys, don’t worry…International Men’s Day is in November and we’ve been celebrating your history for quite a while now.)

This month-long observance isn’t one of those made-up commemorations that simply exist to make people feel better about themselves, although some of you may argue otherwise. National Women’s History Month’s roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. Leave it to the textile workers to start a movement.

Some interesting facts, pulled from the U.S. Census Bureau about the state of womanhood…

155.8 million
The number of females in the United States as of Oct. 1, 2009. The number of males was 151.8 million.

82.8 million
Estimated number of mothers of all ages in the United States.

29.4 million
Number of women 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2008, higher than the corresponding number for men (28.4 million).

Nearly 6.5 million
The number of women-owned businesses in 2002.

66%
Percentage of female citizens 18 and older who reported voting in the 2008 Presidential election.

59%
In 2008, the percentage of females 16 and older who participated in the labor force, representing about 72 million women.

64.5 million
Number of married women 18 and older (including those who were separated or had an absent spouse) in 2008.

3.1 million
Number of girls who participated in high school athletic programs in the 2007-08 school year. In the 1979-80 school year, only 1.75 million girls were members of a high school athletic team.

Many thanks to all of our female publishers, just a few of which are linked to in this post, for their support and for the bravery in telling their stories.

And, if you haven’t yet this month, be sure to think fondly about all the special women in your life and how they’re currently making history.

With spring right around the corner, who isn’t itching to get outside and enjoy some nice weather? (Okay, maybe not allergy-sufferers.) But if you are the type to take to the golf course as soon as it’s green out, then you should be excited for this Lijit publisher. Golf Tip Reviews is designed for the OG…meaning the Occasional Golfer…and if you can’t get a lower score from reading this site, you might want to start saving for some private lessons.

Fortunately, Golf Tip Reviews isn’t charging by the hour for the vast amount of golfing knowledge they provide–in fact, they’re just giving it away over on the blog! Also lucky for us, the Editor at GTR agreed to answer a few questions about how he got started creating one of the best golf blogs around. Tee up!

How long have you been blogging and why did you start?

I have been blogging for about one year. I started because I wanted to help the Occasional Golfer elevate their game. I love golf, but play only about ten times per year, as the opportunity arises. So I am an Occasional Golfer. Despite this, I have a 12 handicap and break 80 once in a while. I have a solid game, built on fundamentals, that I trust on the course.

Sadly, most of my playing partners cannot say the same. We would all have more fun on the course if they could. They need simple, straightforward, and sticky tips that actually work under pressure. But such things are hard to find.

Most golf tips that people see are published in popular magazines, often with a professional golfer or teaching pro demonstrating the fine points. These tips are certainly valid, and useful to some people, but they tend to be a bit too technical and esoteric for Occasional Golfers. Plus, they are written in a slightly pedantic or academic way, without much edge or passion. Finally, the tips are often offered in isolation, rather than in an interconnected or holistic way. These things prevent the relevant tips from “sticking” with you on the course, which is where you need them.

Golf Tip Reviews attempts to close those gaps and elevate the game of the Occasional Golfers everywhere.

What is something interesting that you’ve discovered through blogging?

That the technology and tools for blogging evolve very quickly. That a site with a lot of bells and whistles is no good if it can’t be read in all browsers, or loads too slowly. And that most other bloggers are very generous people, willing to help out a newcomer.

I know it’s a hard question, but what is your favorite golf course to play and why?

My favorite course is Willinger’s in Northfield, MN, about 30 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. The setting is pristine, the course layout is challenging, the greens are immaculate, and the price is right - under $50 for 18 holes with a cart. I have played there a couple of times on business and always look forward to getting back.

What are some of your golfing tips for those of us just getting started with the game?

Most Occasional Golfers have a tendency to slice on full shots. Here’s how to cure it: If you warm up properly, aim your club correctly, take an athletic stance, start your backswing correctly, begin your downswing smoothly, keep your lag on the downswing, hit the ball with a descending blow, and have a balanced finish, you will hit powerful, accurate shots and avoid the dreaded slice. Sound simple? It is, actually. But you still need to practice!

How has Lijit helped to make you a better blog publisher?

I have found Lijit to be a stable and reliable addition to Golf Tip Reviews, and it definitely has boosted my pageviews per visit. The Lijit widget combines a lot of very handy things into a stylish and small package. With Lijit, my visitors can do a complete site search, look at what others have searched for, see the most popular search terms in tag cloud format, search my network of linked sites, and follow me across my various social networks. I recommend Lijit to all site owners.

We appreciate the continued support of GTR and encourage all those Master’s champions in the making to follow GTR on Twitter for 140-character doses of golfing goodness. Now that you have no reason for those high scores, we’ll see you on the links! Fore!

(And if we missed out on any golf lingo, feel free to add your own in the comments…)

Yesterday marked the start of America Saves week. If you’re like most Americans, this is one observance that probably passed you by. It’s not that we, the people, don’t like to save money (we don’t) but it’s more about how much we like to spend money (A LOT). I’m not just talking personally here. According to research, less than half of all Americans (41%) save regularly and three-quarters of households carry debt.

So what can we do to ready ourselves, and our bank accounts, for the worst?

Simply put, start saving. Whether you’ve set up your online bank account to automatically take money out of checking and put it into savings or you’re putting cash away into a piggy bank, the most important step is the first.

Additionally, that first step can also be the most difficult. For some people, saving money is more about living a frugal lifestyle than putting away a set amount each month. If you can shave a couple of dollars here and there on grocery bills, paying off credit card debt suddenly seems like a much more possible goal to achieve.

Fortunately, we have quite a few Lijit publishers who are currently blogging about how they’re saving money.

Take advantage of the wisdom of this group (Saving with Shellie, The Deal Fanatic, Canada Mom Deals, Bargain Hunting Moms, My Frugal Lifestyle, Saving in Akron, In Good Cents, BargainBriana, and Frugal Femina) by checking out the thrifty advice they offer.

And feel free to take advantage of the fact that all of the above publishers are using Lijit search to find even more money-saving tips.

Happy saving and here’s to your retirement!

This is a special Valentine’s Day guest post from one of our most Lijit publishers, Kristen Chase. She blogs at both Motherhood Uncensored and Shredheads. We appreciate her support and her sense of humor.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by the sex-related Lijit searches on my blog, and not just because I’m a sex columnist who recently penned a book about sex.

It seems there’s no shortage of folks searching for sex on the Internet. I can only imagine the disappointment when they click on the link for “sexy boobs” and find themselves at my mom blog.

But with Valentine’s day this weekend, the search for sex is pretty timely. Whether you’re a mom, dad, or a parent of pets, the “sexy” can still be pretty elusive thanks to busy schedules, lack of sleep, and well, life in general.

So why not use February 14th as a catalyst for change? It doesn’t matter if your battery is dead and needs a jumpstart or you need to trade-in your old junker of a libido for a newer model. Instead of the overprices flower fest and cheesy card exchange, invest in something that will sustain you way after you’ve eaten that entire box of Whitman’s chocolates.

And then save your searches for something more important, like mysterious body ailments and politician sex tapes.

**GIVEAWAY RULES**

To win an autographed copy of Kristen’s book, just share your funniest (and/or sexiest) Lijit search term in the comments and Kristen will pick her favorite. We’ll be running this giveaway until February 18th, at which time a winner will be announced. Only Lijit users are welcome to enter. So if you’re not using Lijit, get on it.

For tips, tricks and a little libido butt-kicking, check out “The Mominatrix’s Guide to Sex”, Kristen Chase’s frank and funny new advice book. You can also read her bi-monthly sex column and listen to her weekly podcast “Morning Sex with the Mominatrix”. Or just search “Brad Pitt pubic hair”.

When we saw an interesting blog called Crumple It Up create a Lijit account, we weren’t surprised. That kind of thing happens many times every single day around here. But when we looked closer and realized this interesting blog just happened to be representing a very large health insurance company, well, that was a surprise.

Crumple It Up has been creating amazing content designed to help motivate and encourage a healthy lifestyle. From their posts about corporate wellness to their suggestions of apps that can assist you in reaching your fitness goals, it’s obvious that Crumple It Up is on to something. We just wonder how a health insurance company went so long without having a blog.

How long have you been blogging and why did you start?

Crumple It Up was established in November of 2008 as a way to showcase the projects and people of Humana’s Innovation Center. We’re a small part of a large organization focused on finding ways to make fun things healthy, and we wanted to establish a presence on the social web to make it easier for like-minded folks to connect with us.

What is the mission of Crumple It Up?

Humana’s vision is to become the most trusted name in health. Crumple It Up’s mission is to help the larger organization achieve that vision, sooner rather than later. We think that there are a lot of exciting things going on in the world of health.

Innovation, technology, and well-being (both personal and community) are all converging, and we want to be the resource people turn to for those things.

Blogging for a large health insurance company sounds intriguing. What are some of the challenges and benefits that you’ve found?

This sounds trite, but one of the benefits of being there - out where conversations are happening - is being there. It’s impossible to engage in a conversation if you’re not in the places conversations happen. And while we do blog at Crumple It Up, the site is really a hub that spokes out to where our content really lives - all over the social web. Incidentally, that’s one of the reasons that we are so pleased with Lijit’s ability to pull all of that together for our readers.

In terms of challenges, I think that ours are probably the same as everyone else’s…being interesting every day, for one thing! But having a blog has helped the rest of our company to realize what’s possible. Since we joined the “social web” in 2008, nine other Humana departments have now started using social media to make their work more effective. That makes it all worthwhile.

What are your recommendations for “health creation” in 2010?

Health isn’t just the absence of illness. Your psychological and emotional health is just as important as your physical health. That’s what’s so exciting about where we’re going. We’re all about finding ways to make fun healthy, and that can be either an individual or a group solution. Whether it’s riding a bike, or challenging your friends and family in a game that gets you moving, or connecting with people around something that interests you, the bottom line is that activity creates health - and health enables broader well-being.

How has Lijit helped to make you a better blog publisher?

We’re just beginning to tap into the power of Lijit with all of our social outposts, and the early results have been great. The search and analytics capabilities of Lijit have been extremely valuable in the content creation process, and it’s been really helpful to our readers to be able to tie our growing number of social properties, from around the company, together into a single, searchable place.

We love knowing that our search is helping people to become more active, if only in a very small way. And if health care is on your radar this year (and when isn’t it?), you should dig into all of the resources available at Crumple It Up. You can find and follow them on Twitter. Here’s to the success of Crumple It Up and to health creation all around!

One of our Lijit users, Gretchen Rubin, recently published a book, The Happiness Project. She’s been test-driving different happiness tips for the past year and has been sharing her insights on her blog of the same name.

We’re excited to congratulate her on not only the culmination of all of her hard (but happy) work but also? She’s number one on the New York Times bestseller list for Hardcover Advice books. Nice job Gretchen!

(And if that doesn’t help with her happiness, I don’t know what would!)

I’d like to think I helped Gretchen with her spot on the bestseller list because, as you can see above, I purchased my copy of the book this past weekend and can’t wait to dig in. And, although she may not mention us by name in the book, I’m confident that Lijit has only brought her, and her blog, much happiness.

If you’re looking for a little more happiness in your life (and who isn’t really?), I suggest you invest in Gretchen’s book as well.

Finally, if you’re looking for a quick fix, you can follow Gretchen on Twitter for bite-size morsels of happiness or check out her blog and use her Lijit search to find out even more of what you’re seeking. We love celebrating with our publishers and thank Gretchen for her Lijit support!

In case you hadn’t heard, January is a very special month. Not just because we all head back to the gym with resolutions in mind or because it’s considered the door to the year, but also because it’s the month that we celebrate oatmeal. What? You didn’t know? Let us explore the wide world of oatmeal together, as seen through the lenses of some of our publishers…

Food Loves Writing shares the recipe for the best cookies she eats, which also happen to be oatmeal chocolate-chip. If the picture doesn’t do it for you, take into consideration that she bakes a lot of cookies…and these are the best she eats. That says a lot about oatmeal. And these cookies.

Perhaps you’re in the mood for a cookie and for oatmeal, but you want something that might be a *bit* healthier than the cookie pictured above. EcoSalon has a yummy recipe for Oatmeal Harvest cookies, which substitute dried fruit for chocolate chips. So maybe you feel a little less guilty eating ten of them?

Then, there’s the Brown Eyed Baker, who eats oatmeal in the mornings, but enjoys it in a different form. She has a delicious-looking recipe for Maple-Oatmeal Scones. Although not as healthy as a bowl of oatmeal, they seem to be much shinier. And quite possibly tastier.

If you’re in Chicago, one of our publishers highly recommends going to the Protein Bar, a healthy cafe where you can get a bowl of oatmeal that tastes like a pancake. But much better for you. In my opinion, this is one Foodie Wannabe that dishes out good recommendations.

Joining in on the oatmeal party is another of our publishers, Whisk, who proudly shares an old family recipe with an awesome name…the Rickety Uncles. Seriously. But judging from the picture, these are probably much tastier than anyone’s real rickety uncles. I’m guessing.

If you’re looking to go a completely different direction in celebrating this fine food, one of our local Colorado publishers, Crunchy Domestic Goddess, has a very interesting idea: oatmeal burgers. She says that they’re a great alternative to veggie burgers and since I’ve met her in real life, I’m thinking she’s not totally crazy when she claims such things. Plus, she makes them look good.

Perhaps healthy isn’t what you’re looking for with your oatmeal. If so, might I suggest some oatmeal stout ice cream? It’s featured on one of our most favorite sites, Drink of the Week, and it looks dangerous. And while you’re over there, be careful searching for new drinks…you never know what kind of trouble you’re going to find.

And speaking of drinks, in case you were curious, this is the official drink of the month. (Unfortunately, we don’t have any beer bloggers using Lijit, but it’s a vertical that I plan to go after. Soon.)

Many thanks to our Lijit publishers, who continually teach us about new recipes and make our mouths water with their pictures. No matter what means you choose to observe National Oatmeal Month, be sure to enjoy it. And in the famous words of Wilford Brimley…

Today, I’m guest-posting over at one of our publisher’s sites, Elementary Spirits, discussing this very topic.

If you’re unsure about how to interpret some of our stats, I’m breaking it down for you over there. Check it out and if you have questions, be sure to leave a comment on Barb’s blog!