Ask Callista (is back!)–6/29–Gardening, Beginning Blogging and Nova Scotia

Ask Callista is my bi-weekly feature where I answer reader questions. I haven’t had one in 2 months though but it’s back now. I had switched to biweekly because I wasn’t getting enough questions and then I was busy planning the blogathon and I didn’t have a chance to do the posts.

I’d love for you to join the conversation in the comments by adding your thoughts on the questions and/or my answers.

Find out more and how to submit your questions here.

The Questions

Amie asks … I’m new to gardening and planting, I live in Hespeler ON. and I am wondering what is the best type of plants to plant in my garden?? One garden gets lots of sun and one does not

I definitely had to research this one as I know very little about gardening. I do remember that there are different zones that are good for different plants. According to HGTV you (and me) are in Zone 6. That link will give you an idea of what plants and flowers that grow well in our zone and some other information. HGTV Gardening section also has a list of easy-care plants and flowers for beginners.

Then you need to figure out what kind of sun exposure your garden has so you can figure out what plants would be best. Gardening Quick n Easy has information on this. Then go to your local place to buy plants (where they should have plants for your zone) and the plants themselves will have labels that say what kind of exposure they need.  Good Luck!

Miranda of Dustykatt’s Stuff asks… I would like some information on how to set up a blog for doing reviews, giveaways or just plain rants. To be honest I'm a little overwhelmed by all the different places that I see bloggers wanting their sites linked and or rated on. (Pinterest, GFC, Picket Fence, Etc.) What are these for? How important are they? I'm not even sure at this point how to get into each post on my blog individually. Everything just goes on the home page and that's it.  I guess the bottom line is - I have a blog, now how do I "Make It Go"?

First of all, good for you for starting a blog, it’s a lot of fun. There is lots to learn when it comes to blogging and it takes time. To start with, you can find a direct link to each post by either clicking on the post title or date stamp and then copying the url in the address bar or just by simply right clicking on the title or date stamp and choosing save link as or copy link location.  Looking at your blog it looks like you have post titles turned off (up to you but I recommend turning them on and using them, a title tells people what the post is about.) However if you click on the time after it says posted by dusty katt you will see just the page for that post.

Social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest etc are used for a few different reason. They are of course fun but they can also be used for blog promotion. I add a link to my blog posts to my Twitter account, Facebook fan page and Google+ page to draw in readers. More people follow me on these accounts than actually subscribe to my blog. If you ever get into working with brands or monetizing your blog (making money) then you will want to build your follower numbers on these sites as companies look for this.

Picket Fence is a top site listing. Users get votes to move up in the list. The more places your blog is listed, the more links into your blog which ups your Google Pagerank (of importance when working with companies) as well as there are more chances for people to find your blog. The blogs that are higher on the lists get more clickthroughs (visits.)

Check out blogging tips and how to’s and keep an eye on what other bloggers are doing that you enjoy. Don’t copy their content or images but you can get inspiration from them. Join groups for bloggers for support and as a place to ask questions. I’m not sure which ones to suggest as your blog doesn’t say too much about you. If you are a mom I have a lot of suggestions.  For now, try the Better Blogger Network or Blogaholic Social Network.

Check this out too: 5 Essential Pieces of Advice for New Bloggers

Margaret of Soul-mate, Daughter, Step Children and Fur Babies asks… I noticed that you said you didn't travel much but just wondered if you ever visited my home province of Nova Scotia?

Nope I have not been outside of Ontario with regards to Canada and I’ve only been to Michigan and Illinois in the states. I would love to see Nova Scotia. I’ve never been on an island, it must be beautiful!

Okay that’s it for today. If you submitted a question and I didn’t answer it, check back in two weeks! If you want to submit a question, go here.

Ask Callista–5/4–Twitter Follow Limit

Ask Callista is my (bi)weekly feature where I answer reader questions.

NOTE: I’ll be changing this to biweekly so look for it every other Friday.

I’d love for you to join the conversation in the comments by adding your thoughts on the questions and/or my answers.

Find out more and how to submit your questions here. (You can get 5 bonus entries into the may buffet giveaway for submitting a question – ends 5/15)

The Questions

Dianna asks… I hit my limit of following 2,000-- how do you go about not getting suspended by not going in and unfollow people and how do you remember who to keep on TWITTER??????

You can read all about twitter follow limits here is the part you want to know about:

Once you’ve followed 2000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow: this limit is different for every user and is based on your ratio of followers to following. When you hit this limit, we’ll tell you by showing an error message in your browser. You’ll need to wait until you have more followers in order to follow more users—basically, you can't follow 10,000 people if only 100 people follow you.

Whether we agree with the way they run it or not, by using twitter we have to follow their rules. Most people don’t end up following way more than follow them but those of us who enter blog giveaways that require twitter follows, often end up with a high amount.

When you reach a daily or total limit and we show you an error message, you've hit a technical limit imposed to limit egregious behavior by spam accounts and to prevent strain on the site. These are just the technical limits for your account; in addition, you are prohibited from aggressive following behaviors. These behaviors may result in account suspension, regardless of your account's technical ratio.

The key here is that you could get suspended for aggressive following behaviours .

We monitor all accounts for aggressive following and follow churn (repeatedly following and un-following large numbers of other users). You can read more about these below, but if you don’t follow or un-follow hundreds of users in a single day, and you aren’t using automated methods of following users, you should be fine

So you can unfollow some twitter users but you will also need to work on getting more twitter followers yourself. Just don’t unfollow hundreds at a time and don’t use any sort of website that will auto unfollow for you. There are sites such as http://www.friendorfollow.com or http://www.refollow.com where you can sort those you follow by the date they last tweeted. Start by weeding out those who haven’t tweeted in months or years.  Unfollow any you don’t really want to follow anymore. I wouldn’t unfollow more than 100 and then I would wait a few days before unfollowing more.

As for getting more followers, this is easier if you are a blogger because you are providing content of interest to others and you can also participate in paid cash giveaways and such. I’m not really sure what to suggest for those who aren’t bloggers. Luckily there are tons of giveaways out there now so you can find ones that don’t require twitter follows.  I would just weed out companies you only followed for the giveaway and don’t really care about (but not right after every giveaway, I mean when you need to weed followers), people who haven’t tweeted in a while and those whose tweets are of no interest to you (just other giveaways or spam tweets and whatnot.)

Does anyone have suggestions for Dianne?

Just one for today! If you want to submit a question, go here. (You can get 5 bonus entries into the may buffet giveaway for submitting a question – ends 5/15)

Ask Callista–4/27– E-store, Hockey, Go To Dinner

Ask Callista is my weekly feature where I answer reader questions.

I’d love for you to join the conversation in the comment by adding your thoughts on the questions and/or my answers.

Find out more and how to submit your questions here.

The Questions

Clarinda @ A Jewel in the Making asks… What is the best way to integrate a store on your blog? What plug-ins would work for that? Any other information on setting up a store front on a blog would be great

You stumped me with this one. I wasn’t able to find a person who could recommend a certain way of doing it but here are some resources I found on my own.

The easiest way seems to be using Paypal where you display products however you want and put “add to cart” buttons underneath and it will take care of the rest. More Info on Paypal.

You mentioned plugins so I assume you have wordpress. I found the following plugins for stores which seem to be rated as the top two.

- Get Shopped
- Shopp

I also came across Mal’s Ecommerce which isn’t a WP plugin but can also create a store front.

More Resources:
How To: Adding a Store to Your Wordpress Blog
How to Add a Store To Your Blog

Hope that Helps!

Greta @ Greta’s Day asks… I know you're from Canada. Do you like hockey? And if so, what's your favorite team?

I am not a sport fan in general. I don’t dislike Hockey but I don’t really watch it either. I have played it on PS3 before with my husband and his cousin but I wasn’t really good. The only part I don’t like is if it gets physical, I don’t think that’s funny or right in any sport.

Since I don’t really follow Hockey, I don’t know much about the teams but the one I played on the video game was always Edmonton Oilers. I suppose I should root for a team closer to home but I like their name and the colour of their jerseys.

Now you are probably asking this because you know Hockey is one of Canada’s Official Sports, but do you (or anyone else) know what the OTHER official sport is (without googling it!)???

Emily @ Nap Time is My Time asks… What is your "go to" meal for busy nights?

On busy nights, I almost always make Spaghetti. I try to always have pasta sauce, some kind of pasta (usually penne, rigatoni, rotini or cavatelli) and ground beef on hand. It often becomes our Tuesday night dinner every week as Tuesday is our Girl Guide night and is always rushed.

Another one is eggs and toast as we always have both on hand. Breakfast for dinner is fun!

Okay that’s it for today. If you submitted a question and I didn’t answer it, check back next week! If you want to submit a question, go here.

Ask Callista–4/20–Picky Eating, Product Reviews & Blogging

Ask Callista is my weekly feature where I answer reader questions.

I’d love for you to join the conversation in the comment by adding your thoughts on the questions and/or my answers.

Find out more and how to submit your questions here.

The Questions

Multi-Testing Mommy asks… Do you have any suggestions for how to deal with a super picky eater?

For some kids, picky eating is more to do with control in a similar way to how potty training is. They don’t want to be told what to eat or how to eat it.  Sometimes picky eating comes from not being offered enough diverse foods when they are younger or from watching other children and adults around them, make funny faces or say yuck to foods. It’s said it takes 21 times of tasting a food before we will develop a fondness for it. Occasionally there is a severe underlying issue such as Extreme Picky Eating or Selective Eating Disorder.

Toddler and young children have certain quirks that we must remember are a normal part of growing up and learning to eat foods. Do not be concerned if your young child:

• does not want his or her food touching on the plate
• holds food in his or her mouth for a while
• wants only one food for several days or weeks only to refuse that same food for the next few weeks/months.
• wants things a certain way and is upset if you do it differently (such as cutting the toast differently or using the “wrong” plate.

So what can you do about picky eating?

• Continue to offer healthy foods. Explain that it is on the plate so he can try it when he wants to. If he doesn’t, he can leave it on the plate. Just offer a tiny bit.
• Role model eating a wide variety of foods. Refrain from saying eww or yuck or making faces at food you don’t like. Just say no thank you or pass it.
• Offer a multivitamin recommended from your doctor.
• Bring your child in for regular check ups with your doctor to ensure he is gaining weight as he should and there are no worrying health problems. I suggest having blood done every once in a while to check for deficiencies.
• Realize that most children outgrow such pickiness.
• Take your child shopping with you. Sometimes if they pick out something to eat, they are more likely to actually eat it.
• Check out the book The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution by Elizabeth Pantely – the BEST book on the subject.
• If you live in Ontario, contact your local health unit and ask about the NutriStep screening.
• Ask your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist to discuss your concerns.

Good luck!

Added 4/25/12 – Check out Picky Eating Therapy from Healthy Lifestyle, Strong Family

Diane from Me, Him and the Cats asks… What is your favorite/most used product that you have reviewed ?

Oooh good one. I had to think for a bit but the item I got for review that I’ve used the most since I’ve gotten it would have to be…. my desk chair from CSN Stores (Now Wayfair). I’ve used it for over a year now and my bottom is much more comfortable because of it!

Ashley from Dr. Pepper Diva asks… Why did you start blogging?

I actually started blogging WAY back in 2003. I had websites from geocities starting in 1999 for many different things and on one I did book reviews. Then I found amazon.com and started putting my reviews there. Then in 2003 they changed the rules and didn’t allow anyone to post reviews on amazon.com if they hadn’t purchased from there and I didn’t have a credit card so I couldn’t purchase from there.

So I was planning to go back to my website for reviews when I stumbled upon a book blog and saw that this would be a great place to feature my book reviews. So I started my book review blog first and then shortly after, started this one. It was originally mostly for me, with results from online quizzes and my own thoughts. Then I saw that others were blogging for an audience and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. The direction of Callista’s Ramblings has changed many times but that’s how it all started.

Okay that’s it for today. If you submitted a question and I didn’t answer it, check back next week! If you want to submit a question, go here.

Ask Callista 4/13 –New Weekly Feature–Get Your Questions Answered

A Little Background

I love knowledge and I love helping others. When I started my blog, one of the things I wanted to do was impart knowledge to others. Not that I claim to have all the answers of course but what I don’t know, I have fun looking up.

When I was a kid, my mother and I would pick a topic, research it, and present it to each other in a fun way (demonstrations, bristol board displays etc.) Yes like a grade school project, but for fun.  As a teenager I research Autism and made my own binder full of notes and research. I still have it I think.  I didn't really know anyone with Autism, it just interested me and still does.

So yeah, I love knowledge. It`s why I read almost exclusively nonfiction.

On to the Feature

So every Friday, I will answer questions submitted to me by readers and friends. They fall under one of three categories: General Knowledge (Something I could look up if I don`t know), Advice/Opinions (My advice on the subject or I will gather advice from others if I don’t know or feel qualified to answer) and Personal (questions about me or my blog.)
You can submit your questions here.

The Questions

Samantha asks: What do you suggest for a child who is interested in potty training some days and will do good for a week or two, but then will stop and not want to use the potty at all for a few weeks? My daughter will be 2 and and half in May and I would really like her to be potty trained by the end of the summer.

Callista says: Potty training is difficult because we control so much about our children’s lives and potty training is the one thing that we can’t control. We can’t MAKE them go. We can put them on the potty, we can reward, bribe or threaten all we want. But we can’t make them go.  Many parents have a goal of when they would like their child potty trained by and it’s okay to have a goal but ultimately, the decision rests with the child. If she is showing interest and has even gone a few times, then she does want to do it, but she may either feel pressured and be pulling back or she may be nervous about moving to the next step.

Make sure you not only praise her when she goes but when she chooses to just sit on the potty. If she goes in her diaper, don’t make a negative comment. It’s tempting to say something like, “You know you should really do that in the potty” or “Big girls go on the potty” but that may backfire on you. Just change her diaper as if it’s no big deal, do it quick. One trick to try is to start dumping the poop into the toilet before throwing out the diaper. It’s a subtle message about where it should be, without saying anything. Depending on how often she is going in the toilet and if she is interested in wearing underwear and if you are willing to deal with a lot of mess, some parents (including me) have found just switching to underwear a good way to go. Once they actually have to FEEL their mess, they are more apt to go to the toilet. However you don’t want to switch back to diapers so take this step only if you are both ready.

Jen asks: When milk is heated does it lose any nutrients or calcium?

Callista says: I had a lot of trouble finding an answer to this one! There is a lot of conflicting advice around and the sources I would trust, didn’t seem to have anything on it.  I think the main consensus seems to be that heating at high temperatures can make milk lose some of it’s nutrients but that heating up milk in the microwave for a baby or a hot drink should be okay if you heat it up in short bursts, for as little time as possible. Heat no more than 30 seconds at a time, and you really shouldn’t need much more after that anyways. I will look into this furthur and see if I can find a more concrete answer from a reliable source. If I do I will be sure to share it. Also remember I am not a medical professional and will not be held liable for my advice.

Rebelle of Dishin with Rebelle asks: What is some advice you can give to new bloggers or even bloggers that have been around awhile but are still struggling?

Callista says: My two biggest tips/advice for new or struggling bloggers is this:

1. All is Not What It Seems
It may look like that bigger blogger has it all, has more time to devote to their blog than you, is just better at blogging than you, got lucky when it comes to opportunities or has a huge fan base that comments on every post but NOT NECESSARILY.  Those bloggers have a larger fan base and great opportunities because they work hard for it and they’ve figured out shortcuts to save time. They use scheduled posts, scheduled tweets and post/email templates. They often spend many hours on their blog, getting little sleep. Most of all, they have #2 on my list.

2. You Need a Community
I’ve blogged for years, some of which were on and off, but fairly steadily since at least 2007 yet I got piddly stats until just recently (2011).  The biggest help to my blogging has been the blogging communities I’ve found and joined. I bounce ideas off of them, they help me with problems and they exchange comments, retweets, giveaway entries and stumbles with me. (Also pins, follows, +1s and visits) It takes some time to find the right one(s) for you. I’ve joined some and found they weren’t for me and moved on. My two biggest community groups are the Canuck Bloggers Network and She Promotes. Just make sure you follow any communities rules.

Okay that’s it for today, this post has gotten really long! If you submitted a question and I didn’t answer it, check back next week! If you want to submit a question, fill out this form.