This past week has been very interesting for my blog. Since installing this old plugin I’ve seen some visits to some of my older posts, as well as some retweets of these posts on Twitter. I can’t take the credit for discovering this fabulous plugin, since I read about it in a forum, but I can tell you about it!

The Tweet Old Posts plugin for WordPress is very customizable. You can exclude categories, set a limit for how far back the plugin can grab posts, and how often it picks a post. The randomized selection of posts to promote has really impressed me, and I like the button to manually publish a random post when I want to, outside of the schedule.

This plugin has really taken the work out of going back in and finding posts to promote and has helped to highlight posts I may not have thought to pull out!

Download from the WordPress plugin directory:
Tweet Old Post Plugin

Have you discovered any cool plugins lately?

Being a blogger means I spend a lot of time on the computer, and hardly any time actually reading books. This is why, when I do read a book, I want it to be a hard copy that I can hold in my hands… something that takes me away from the computer!! This year I’ve acquired and read two fabulous books about blogging. Now, I’d like to pass them on to one of you!!

Beyond Blogging

by Mike Cliffe-Jones and Nathan Hangen

The Best Blogging Book I’ve Read…

Beyond Blogging sheds light on the sheer amount of work, passion, and focus it’s featurees (is that a word?) put into their blogging businesses. None of them were overnight successes. Sure, maybe their 14th blog, the one that’s popular now, gained speed quickly, but what were they doing before? How many blogs did they start and scrap before they got to where they are now? Does their blog support their business and has grown from there, or is the blog alone their business?

Crush-It

by Gary Vaynerchuk

For online business owners, but full of advice for any hard-working business owner who wants to Crush-It! I really enjoyed Gary’s straightforward approach. He doesn’t sugar coat, and he doesn’t lie. Building a business is hard work. (disclaimer: if a little strong language offends you, this book is not for you)

How to Win:

I’ve entered a photography contest hosted by Rayovac batteries and I would love some help winning the fabulous camera prize pack. So, all I’m asking you to do is vote for me, and share the links! I have no way of knowing if you voted, but I’ll trust you…

1.) Open both of these links and click “Vote” then come back and comment telling me you did. You can do this daily through the 29th!

http://ow.ly/2uEG6 and http://ow.ly/2uEG7

2.) Share either of these (or both) messages on Twitter, Facebook, or both and come back to tell me you did. Please leave a link to your Twitter or Facebook status. (This entry is optional, but can be done as many times as you’d like!)

Here are some sample Tweets/FB status messages!

Help @EricaMueller win a new camera! Vote for her photos http://ow.ly/2uEG6 and http://ow.ly/2uEG7 RT Pls!

And/Or

Books for Bloggers #Giveaway – Win Beyond Blogging and Crush-It http://ericasays.com/3171  via @EricaMueller

That’s it! You’re now entered to win some fabulous books about blogging!!

Giveaway ends 11:59:59 p.m. CDT on August 29, 2010 and winner will be picked chosen the next day via random number generator!

Guest Post:
By Regina Lewis, AOL Consumer Advisor

These days, your teens’ “friends” aren’t just the kids hanging out in your kitchen and family room, they’re hundreds of contacts on their “friend” and “buddy” lists. More than 50 million teens (ages 13 to 17) are online worldwide and the average number of “friends” is 130. For many teens, these numbers are even higher. It’s not unusual to have more than 500 “friends” and more than 1,000 profile photos.

So, how can you realistically keep up with your child’s vast circle of “friends” and ongoing status and photo updates?

1. Become a “Friend”

For starters, you can become your child’s online. They’ll need to accept your friend request. This can be easier said than done. In some cases, you may get push back. It’s your call how strongly you press.

There are more private alternatives. A new product called SafeSocial lets you privately see everything you would as a “friend” and even more. Many kids prefer this route. Remember, you’re not “spying” on them; you’re simply doing your job as an informed and involved parent. Read the rest of this entry…

Being able to take time off to make cookies with a fast-growing little boy is a very good reason to work from home!