Have you ever thought about keeping up with your favorite blogs via a 'Reader?' Have you ever wondered what RSS means?
I read here and there about people having 'a million unread posts' and 'so much catching up to do' on their reader. I never quite got what they were talking about.
A while back, I tried 'Subscribing' to a blog I check regularly, and I didn't like what I got (I'm not going to tell you which reader I didn't like--that'd just be rude.) So I put it off and put it off and put it off some more (I'm a really good procrastinator. Like right now, I should be putting the lunch dishes in the dishwasher, but I'm here, writing about RSS feed readers instead. Very productive.)
Anyhoo . . . I saw a reference to 'Google Reader' somewhere and thought I'd check it out last week. Wow! What a difference! I really like the format so much better than the reader I'd tried before. I decided I'd give it a try. I had enough time to get five or six blogs I read most frequently added and left it at that until I had more time.
The next morning, I was checking the blogs I really like the 'old fashioned' way through my Favorites menu bar when what did Simple Mom post? This great article on using an RSS feed. How did she know? Just amazing. Her article answered the questions I still had and gave me the encouragement to make the time to finish adding the rest of the blogs I check in on periodically.
It is AMAZING! I have cut my computer reading time in half (at least) because I only click on the blogs with new posts! The only down-side I have found, is I have to click on the post title and be redirected to the actual blog in order to leave comments. This does add some time, but in the end, I'm saving so much time by not waiting for blogs to load that haven't been updated, that it's worth it to me to use the reader.
Honestly, I think you should give it a whirl! I usually check my reader in the morning when I have a few minutes and again after Pickle goes to bed. Compare this with over an hour at the computer just to check in on the blogs in my Favorites list, when often less than half of the bloggers had posted anything new. I'm sold!
Simple Mom also has a fabulous interview up with Amanda Soule. She's giving away two copies of Amanda's book, The Creative Family.
I hope you check out both Simple Mom and Soulemama. They're both lovely ladies who value their families and all things simple!
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