Adventures of Mommyhood -
Template - This is simply a cheesy piece of work that appears as if it were laid over something else. Way at the top you can see something under the body of the template, in my browser anyway. The pink background doesn't match the pink border at the top which only solidifies my opinion that it's a lame attempt at putting a free template together. Look, I learned the hard way... don't try and fuck with free templates if you don't know what you are doing. Either use the free template, follow the instructions and leave it alone or pay for a decent one. Don't try and add your flare to it if you don't know what you are doing. I speak from experience. The colors in this template are sickening and too many font colors are used. It's apparent that she is trying to match the font to the colors in the ugly flowers at the top, but it's overkill and completely unnecessary. All the color variance does is detract from the content and causes the reader to see nothing but disorder. And for some inexplicable reason, the OF in her title is capitalized. Apparently the OF mommyhood needs to be emphasized for some unknown reason.
Sidebar - Good God. It gets worse. The most obvious thing about the sidebar, besides the scattered use of color are these cutsey little cartoon smileys that seem to randomly permeate the topics. The serve no purpose and are just annoying to the reader. There is just a lot of useless crap in the sidebar and it's cluttered. The only things you need are your bio, blog description and your links. Lose the rest. And please jazz up your "about me" section. I am a stickler for bios and blog intentions and at least those are present, but they need pizazz. A lot of it. Readers want to be pulled in right away and the bio/description is the best place to do that. It's like your first impression.
Content - Aside from another assault on my eyes from all the color variation, the content is more snoozeville than interesting. Mommy bloggers get a bad rap, and this blog is why. There are a lot of mommy bloggers out there that can discuss their kids and their daily life and yet make you laugh at the same time and keep you coming back. Take some notes and come back. This blog is probably only interesting to family and friends.
In summation - This review is done with good intentions. I don't like giving negative reviews to mommy bloggers because I am a mommy blogger. So, take this as constructive criticism. Put some life into your posts. Your readers will appreciate it.
Rating 3 out of 10 - 3 points for having a bio and a blog intent, minus 7 for the template and colors.
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Confessions of a Stage Mom - So much potential, so little delivery...
Template - Yay, another pink blog. But wait, this one is pink all over. Not only that, blogger actually makes this template as a standard option... on purpose. I can only assume the blogger template designers are on crack. At least she doesn't try to mess with it. It is what it is and that's better than the previous blog. There are no cheesy attempts at being cute or annoying modifications.
Sidebar - Alright, here's the deal, I don't care what is on your iPod, your "latest thang" doesn't fit and the word "thang"... ugh, c'mon. Finally, your blog intention needs to be at the top. Otherwise, it's clutter free and that is always nice to see.
Content - "This is where it really picks up" (care of one of my favorite movies... you guess). Well, it's not side splitting humor or anything but she has spunk and some pizazz to her posts. There are a few fluff posts, a few meaningless things, but she has some funny stories to share. That is pretty much all I can say about it.
In Summation - I'm mostly indifferent to this blog. Nothing stands out but it's not horrible.
Rating 5 out of 10
Labels: RubyLou Reviews You
3 Comments:
I appreciate your taking the time to look at my blog.
I'm not commenting to "rant and rave" like other people do to you; i just look at your comments as constructive criticism.
Two bits of clarification-- The standard blogger template had the top pink different than the shade of pink on the side. I'm not really sure how to change it. Would you recomment i change the flowers back to what the background had been? B/C the original background was yet another shade of pink. I added the flowers just as a way to get rid of some of that pink.
Also, I figured you wouldnt like my "smiley faces." Perhaps they are cheesey... Okay, no perhaps. But my daughter loves looking at them; it makes her laugh, and that just melts my heart.
Yes, I started my blog as a way to update family and friends. Eventually, other bloggers started coming by. At one point, I did ask what they wanted more of: silly things or family things. The majority did say family things.
But perhaps I will start to add more of those silly things.
Thanks again
#1 - I don't like it. But I really don't care to read about kids of people I don't know. I saw too many kid posts, and not enough posts about her.
Plus, she committed 2 cardinal sins in my list of pet peeves. #1 is the poor spelling-- use your spell checker! #2 was the first post on the main page. She mentions something about some old man, links to the post where she describes it, and then also re-explains it again... um, isn't that why you linked to it? Too wordy.
#2 - Hate the template, but love the content. I can relate. I might just have to add her to my bloglines.
:o)
At least my blog didn't totally suck!
Considering im new to the whole blogger deal, and looking to improve my template (I have a graphic artist who is now willing to help me)... it's who I am and I'm okay with it. Like I state in my blog description, tragically average pretty much sums me up. However, I like feedback, and I can change what doesn't work. However, the use of thang IS exactly how I talk (unfortunately.) But I'm too set in my ways to change ALL my stripes.
Thanks for taking the time to review my little corner of the universe. Maybe after I mature in my blogging ways and find some more creative ways to present both my template and writing, we'll try again!!
:o)
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