Adding a Print Friendly Button to a Blogger Blog With a Modified Template

At the request of some of my readers, I have added a print button to all of my posts.  This is mainly so that readers can easily print out recipes or craft tutorials without printing out the whole page.  This button is located on the upper-right corner of each post right below the post title and will allow you to print only the important text and images.

3G2S is a Blogger blog with a modified template.  I was able to add the free button from PrintFriendly.com directly into my template's html by using the code for a "website".  If you have a standard Blogger template, then you can choose the "Blogger/Blogpost" option.  The instructions are for adding the print button to the bottom of your posts, but I felt comfortable enough with editing my blog's html to add it into my template at the top of my post, where I much prefer it.  If you are not comfortable with html, then I recommend following the instructions provided by PrintFriendly.com for adding the button to your post footer.  If you are too nervous to touch your html at all, then there is an option to add the print button to your sidebar in a widget.

If you share recipes, crafts, or other tutorials on your blog, your readers would likely appreciate your making your posts "print-friendly."

3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires is Switching to Rafflecopter

We would like to announce that all new giveaways going forth will be using Rafflecopter to collect the contest entries.  A test run will happen later today with our upcoming Guidecraft giveaway.  Hopefully all will go smoothly and Rafflecopter will be a permanent fixture around here.

For any bloggers who are interested in utilizing Rafflecopter, you will need to enter your email on their website to be added to their waiting list.  My wait was only a few days, which was a pleasant surprise.

Free PDF Trial at Adobe CreatePDF

As you may recall, I recently wrote an article about why being able to create PDF files and convert PDF files is important to a blogger.  I had started thinking about this because I am about to do a mini redesign for my blog and I would need to alter my media kit to coordinate with it.  This would be fine if I wanted to leave the media kit in a Word document format, but I would very much like to have a PDF version because it does look much more professional.

So my dilemma was (and still is) about my struggling to decide if I could spend the money on PDF software.  Money is tight right now, so can I really justify the expense?  Well, this free PDF trial might be a solution for anyone in my situation.  One of the benefits of the free trial is that it offers you 5 free PDF conversions. You are required to register with your name, email, password, age, and geographic location.

Has anyone tried this free trial before?  I am curious to know if there are any other requirements aside from the registration.  If not, this would be perfect if you have a specific one-time project to complete.

Why the Ability to Create and Edit PDF Files is Important to a Blogger

Since my blog just turned 3, I have been looking back on all that I have learned during those three years.  One main thing I realized is that a media kit is essential for any blogger who would like to both monetize their blog or review products on that blog.  I admit that I paid a fellow-blogger to create my media kit about a year and a half ago because I did not have the right software to create PDF files or edit PDF files for that matter.  I update my media kit about once a week, and since the free PDF editors out there are so not user-friendly and are very time-consuming to use, I just keep a version of my media kit in Microsoft Word, which unfortunately does not look as professional as a PDF document.

Aside from the ability to create and edit your own media kit, having a PDF software is important for times when you are asked to convert to PDF format samples of your work or to create forms, such as an invoice for companies who do not use Paypal.  I really think I need to take the leap and purchase the right software.  I am about to give my blog a makeover and I will need to create a new coordinating media kit to go along with it.

3G2S Online Associations

3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires is proud to be a member of the following blogging networks and to have participated in the below campaigns.  Click on any badge to learn more about that particular network.

Google Page Rank Checker Widget

If you are unable to install the Alexa Toolbar to your browser, here is an easy-to-use Google Page Rank Checker provided by PRChecker.info . All you need to do is enter the URL of the site you would like the information about and click the "Check PR" button. Then type out the anti-bot code and click "Verify Now". The results should be instant and should give you a Page Rank anywhere from N/A to 10.

Check Page Rank of your Web site pages instantly:

This page rank checking tool is powered by Page Rank Checker service

Alexa Extension for Google Chrome Makes PR Work Easier

Recently, a fellow-blogger and web-savvy mom, Jessica of Riding With Jessica, tipped me off that Google now offers an Alexa extension for Chrome. You do not know how long I have been waiting for this.

As someone who runs blog PR campaigns, I am constantly needing to check the Google Page Ranks for one blog after another. Until this Google Chrome extension was introduced, I had to plug the URLs into PR Checker and then type in the "anti-bot code" to prove that I was a human being. Now that I have installed the SEO Status Pagerank/Alexa Toolbar for Google Chrome, I need only look at the upper right corner of my browser to see what Page Rank the site I am viewing has. I am not even required to click anything.

If you have Google Chrome and would like to install this extension, the process could not be easier. Just go to this page under Google Chrome Extensions and click the "Install" button. It takes a few seconds to download (if you have a high speed connection). Then you're done!

You Can Now See Beyond the First 200 Comments on 3G2S

I have always preferred an embedded comment box over the pop-up, but I have had a problem with my readers not being able to read any of the comments beyond the 200th. This has been the case for both my previous and present templates. Using the pop-up box was not a good fix, since my readers still needed to click "Post a Comment" to trigger the pop-up just to read all of the comments.

I finally found a fix today posted on Blogger Sentral. Although it took some trial and error because the language of my blog's template is a little different than what is shown in the tutorial, I was ultimately able to paginate my comments. If you are experiencing the same problem with your template, read the article "Solving 200+ Comments Display Problem" on Blogger Sentral.

Another great tutorial on the same site is "Numbering Comments in Blogger". There are many tutorials out there for numbering comments on Blogger blogs, but this one not only shows you how to number your comments, but it also explains how to make each subsequent page of comments not start over from #1.

I've Been Featured on The Game Review Network

Valerie, a member of our blogging community, recently took the initiative to create a new review network devoted to all types of gaming called the Game Review Network. This network covers PC gaming, console gaming, handheld games, phone apps, and may soon be branching out to DVD and board games.

If you are a review blogger, you should hurry and fill out the Game Review Network application before membership is full and becomes temporarily closed off to new applicants.

If you represent a toy company or a game manufacturer and would like to inquire about the Game Review Network's services, fill out this PR Request Form.

I am honored to be the first member featured on GRN's Friday's Featured Member. If you have time, click on the link to learn something about me that you may not have previously known.

New 3G2S Series: Sponsor Report

I have decided to start a new series to give feedback about the sponsors I work with to offer you, my readers, relevant product reviews and fun contests. If you read my blog, then you most likely know that I like to keep a generally positive tone, whether I am writing a personal post or an article that contains criticisms about a product.

The reason I am starting this series is not a very positive one. In the past 3 or 4 months, there has been a noticeable increase of sponsors, both small businesses and large corporations, not coming through with the contest prizes for my readers. For one reason or another, they have failed to deliver the promised prize to the winner without any explanation after months of following up on my part.

For example, one company made an agreement to send a prize worth $150 to our winner. The contest ran for nearly the entire month of August and I have been trying to attain the prize for the winner since the beginning of September. Since then, I have emailed the sponsor 7 times and messaged the sponsor 3 times on Twitter. The sponsor did acknowledge one of the Twitter messages and one email, but still almost 4 months later, my reader still does not have her prize. Now would you as a consumer want to purchase from a business that is not upstanding and does not value your taking the time to read about their product and to visit their website? As a blogger, would you want to promote this company's product?

This is the only editorial post that will be part of this series. The reports will consist of the date the contest ended, the prize promised, the company's name, and how many attempts I made to contact that company. Also, so that these posts are not completely negative, I intend to highlight the companies that have been especially upstanding . . . ones my readers take the time to write me an email about stating how quickly they received their prize and how happy they are with the product.

I truly wish more bloggers will take a stand and post something similar on their own websites. I really do want my readers to know that I did make an true effort to get their prizes to them, I appreciate their taking the time to read my blog and enter my contests, and I hate that they have been disappointed. I am not worried about burning bridges because I am unlikely to ever want to work with a company again that is not honorable. I am not concerned about potential sponsors not wanting to work with me because my reports will only list the exceptional sponsors I have had the pleasure to work with and the sponsors whom I have been chasing for at least two months and have still not produced a prize without an explanation.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, as it is something that I feel very strongly about.

Looking For a Bloggy Forum to Join?

Whether you have been blogging one week or one year, if you would like your blog to continue to grow, then you will benefit from finding the right blogging community to join. I have been a member of the MomDot forums since June of 2008 and it has been my home online ever since.

I'm telling you this because the MomDot forums are now open to the public for registration. If you hope to find friendship, support, and knowledge as I have from this community, stop by and register so you can take a look around. Although most of the members are mom and dad bloggers, you do not need to be a parent to join.

Click here to register at MomDot

The Blog-Link-A-Thon!

MomDot is hosting their first Blog-Link-A-Thon! It's just a way to show each other some linky love. If you've missed out on this round, go subscribe to MomDot's feed so you will know when the next one comes around in a few months. You don't have to be a mom blog to join in either.

"Pitch Bloggers" Brings PR Reps & Mom Bloggers Together

Pitch Bloggers, the brainchild of Trisha Haas, is an innovative new website that offers a platform where PR reps and the mom blogger can come together. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect on Pitch Bloggers . . .

1) Reviewers can post links to reviews and contest posts they have authored and of which they are especially proud.

2) Both reviewers and PR reps have the opportunity to introduce themselves to all members.

3) PR reps may post opportunities openly, PM specific bloggers to make contact personally, or request to have their opp posted in a forum for bloggers' eyes only.

4) Both PR reps and bloggers will have private forums in which they can exchange feedback about their experiences with those they have worked with in the past.

5) All approved bloggers must agree to the six points of the Ethics Agreement, therefore all participating bloggers are considered ethical bloggers.

PR reps can sign on with Pitch Bloggers by filling out the PR Rep Registration form and paying a monthly fee. As of now, this network is free to review bloggers, so I encourage you to take advantage of this and get your blogger applications in as soon as possible.

Getting Your Blog Noticed By PR Reps

Whether you are just trying to get started with writing reviews on your blog or you just want to diversify your contacts, I am about to tell you an easy way to do both of those things. Are you ready? Come closer . . .

Put your blog on MomDot's Recommended Bloggers List. That's it! All you have to do is fill out this form and your blog goes on a list that is accessible only to PR reps that MomDot comes in contact with (which you cannot even imagine how many that is).

Go here if you'd like more details or if you would like to read some of the reactions from PR reps so far about this list of mom blogs.

(Btw, if you are a PR rep, there's a list for you too. Just go here and fill out this short form if you would like help networking.)