Bloggers are the Rodney Dangerfield of the writing world, people who do not get respect. Some of that is unfortunate, as many bloggers contribute valuable information that is oftentimes missed by the mainstream media.

But, in other instances the disrespect is deserved because the blogger has made some mistakes that make him/her look like an amateur.

If your blog’s bounce rates are high, there could be some very good reasons why people leave your site at first glance. Read on as we identify and discuss five blogging mistakes you must correct…

1 – Your theme is a mess.

You settled for one of those freebie WordPress themes, thinking it would attract and retain readers.

Unfortunately, the theme is seriously broken, hiding comments automatically, sending your readers to the wrong pages or simply featuring an undesirable color combination.

Perhaps most important of all, test your blog regularly for broken links. And by all means invest in a quality theme that rocks. Read more…

If you are trying to reduce your energy bills and preserve the environment by using less power in your home, there are many things that you can do to decrease your consumption.

Unfortunately there are many pieces of common wisdom which are being passed around about saving energy which are simply not true. These myths are repeated so many times that everyone believes that they are valid and uses these techniques to cut down their energy consumption, while failing to learn the more accurate realities about home energy.

Here are four of the most common energy saving myths which continue to be believed by a huge number of consumers: Read more…

Your pet is special to your family. So special, in fact, that you consider them part of the family. You take them to the vet for annual shots to ensure that they’re healthy. You have them groomed to look great. You give them food, you provide them with exercise, and you reward them with lots of love and attention.

Like any other member of your family, you want to ensure that your pet is kept safe from harmful items. While some of these are obvious – small bones, toxic chemicals, etc., there are plenty of household products that most people don’t realize can be harmful to your pet. Here are just a few: Read more…

Many women and men are getting a facelift to restore their youthful look. However, although there are many benefits to getting a facelift such as removing the visible signs of aging, it is important to remember that getting a facelift is a medical procedure.

Before you decide to undergo any cosmetic surgery such as a facelift, you should consider these four important factors so that you make a wise decision that results in a successful facelift:

1 – Determine if you are a Good Candidate for a Facelift

There are a number of reasons why you may want to get a facelift. However, it is important to be realistic about what a facelift can actually do for you.

A facelift does not give you a totally new and different look. What it does is get rid of the features that show aging.

A facelift can smooth wrinkles and lines to make you look younger however it cannot make you feel more worthwhile as a person. It can promote an overall good feeling about yourself, but it is not a cure to low self-esteem and low self-confidence. Read more…

Learning new things is quite fun – but yes, it is a bit intimidating. However, once a person begins to engage in new activities or areas of learning, the learning curve gets less wide. It becomes easier the more you do something or engage new material.

Is there something you always wanted to learn how to do, but you were too “busy,” “scared,” or lacked follow-through? Now is a good a time as any, right?

Consider the following four things that everyone needs to learn how to do:

1 – Change a Car Tire

If you’re a guy, you’re just expected to know how to do this. If you’re a gal, you’re likely expected to have someone else do it. In an ideal world, it would be great if we could be what others wanted, wouldn’t it? In this world, it’s a great feeling to know you don’t have to rely on others if you find yourself in a jam - like a flat-tire jam. Read more…

Almost everyone thinks about early retirement at some point in their career. The thought of being free from the corporate grind and spending more time with family and friends is not just for daydreamers.

Retiring early can be a reality, as long as you have a plan in place when it comes time to leave your old job. Here are three essential steps to follow if you want to leave the workplace behind for good:

Step 1: Reduce Your Expenses

When most people start thinking about their retirement plan, they begin by assessing their savings. However, it often makes more sense to measure your financial future in terms of your costs. It is much easier to cut down on monetary obligations as opposed to creating new income streams. Read more…

This is kind of an ironic question because the term “landline” is really so new.

Before cell phones became common, we would only hear the term on boats or in remote areas where people communicate via VHF radio. Because there was no privacy on the VHF, people would often say things, like, “I’ll fill you in on the details when I get to a land line”. Which, back then may have even meant a pay phone in the marina!

Now the term landline is more commonly used because every member of the family has a cell and the landline that just a few years ago was also used for dial up internet, is rarely if ever used. Read more…

Low water pressure is one of the most annoying things that can occur in your home. There is nothing more frustrating than standing under a dribbling shower head or waiting an hour for the bath to fill up.

However, you don’t have to put up with this problem as in the majority of cases it can be improved or completely resolved in a few simple steps. This may involve calling out the plumber, but it also may be something that you can fix yourself.

Here are the steps you should take if you want to increase your water pressure:

Step 1 – It may sound silly, but the first thing you should do if you have low water pressure is check that the valve connecting your home to the mains water supply is fully switched on. Often if work has been carried out in the home which involved turning off the mains water supply it can fail to be turned back on fully when the work is over, so make sure this isn’t the problem you are having. Read more…