ALsocme Tech Tweet-Up Postponed, #AlaBlogMeet Still on for Wednesday!

The ALsocme Tweetup on July 13th has been postponed, due to Mayor Bell's need to make a trip to Washington to meet with FEMA regarding tornado relief for Pratt City. I will let you know when this event has been rescheduled.

We are still meeting for lunch this Wednesday, June 29th, for #AlaBlogMeet - details can be found here. Hope to see you there!

June Meet-Up on Wednesday!!!

Don't forget about our Alabama Bloggers Meet-Up this week!!!

The details on our June Meet-Up are as follows:

We will meet on Wednesday, June 29th, at 11:30am at Jim N Nicks in 5 Points South. Katherine of Grass Stains is our host this month, and has already reserved a room for us, so there will be plenty of room for everyone!

Please RSVP on this post or the original post so that we know to expect you. The hashtag is #AlaBlogMeet.

As always, everyone is welcome - whether you've ever been to a meet-up or not!


Jim N Nicks
1908 11th Ave S
Birmingham, Al 35205

Best Post of the Week: Week 105

It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Lost Birthdays: In Images.

Earlier in the week, I shared about Alabama's Lost Birthdays. Here are just a few pictures of the thrilled children that have been blessed by this relief effort. I think you'll agree that these pictures need no words...

Alabama Social Media Association: Biggest Event Yet!!!

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED - MORE INFO WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN IT IS RESCHEDULED.





Mark Wednesday, July 13th on your calendars and get your reservation ASAP - ALsocme is hosting a tweetup that you won't want to miss!


The tweetup is FREE, including food, and will be at Old Car Heaven in Avondale. Dinner will be provided by Ted's Restaurant, a Birmingham landmark eatery for nearly 40 years.



Hundreds of Alabama Social Medialites will be there, and Mayor William Bell will be giving a brief talk about the state of technology in Birmingham. There will be social / networking time before and after his talk, so you will have plenty of time to meet all the people with which you've been tweeting and blogging!


To RSVP, go to alsocme.com and scroll down right below the mailing list option, and fill out the EventBrite form. I hope to see you there!!


This event is sponsored by My Green Birmingham.

Tornado Relief: Alabama's Lost Birthdays.

Two things have really jumped out in the disaster relief efforts in our state: the helpfulness of social media in providing specific and immediate relief, and the creativity of need-meeters. People are not just sending money through the Red Cross or donating used clothes and canned goods - people are finding specific niches of needs and pouring their heart and soul into meeting those needs.

One of those creative and awesome ideas is "Alabama's Lost Birthdays". They can be found on their Facebook Page, where they have over 2,500 people following them and offering their help.

Their mission is to give kids that were affected by the tornadoes back the birthdays that they lost. They receive recommendations of kids to bless via email at lostbirthday@gmail.com. They contact the parents of that child and get information about what they like, what kind of party they want, and what presents they would like, and then publish these wish lists on their facebook page to allow their supporters the opportunity to purchase specific gifts for these children, or "smiles", as they're referred to on their page.

They have also been able to get venues to donate time to have the birthday parties and people to donate party supplies, such as cakes and decorations. People have also been willing to volunteer their time to make these parties happen.

So far, they have sponsored 75 birthday parties, 10 of which they're still seeking support for. They are truly blessing the children of Alabama who have lost so much. If you would like to be a part of their efforts, visit their facebook page!

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If you know of a great tornado relief opportunity, email me at rachel@alabamabloggers.com

June Meet-Up!

I've missed you guys!!

As you know, our April meet-up was scheduled for April 28th, the day after the tornadoes. We canceled for obvious reasons. Since then, I've been trying to find a date that would work for a blogger tornado relief work day for our next meet-up. However, no Saturday in June worked out for me, and I've not quite had enough interest in it yet to make it a go.

SO.

We're going to go ahead and have a June lunch meet-up, and hopefully at lunch, one of the things we can discuss is a Tornado Relief Work Day for a July meet-up. But even if you can't come to our June Meet-up, let me know if you're still interested in volunteering with a group of bloggers!

The details on our June Meet-Up are as follows:

We will meet on Wednesday, June 29th, at 11:30am at Jim N Nicks in 5 Points South. Katherine of Grass Stains is our host this month, and has already reserved a room for us, so there will be plenty of room for everyone!

Please RSVP on this post so that we know to expect you. The hashtag is #AlaBlogMeet.

As always, everyone is welcome - whether you've ever been to a meet-up or not!

I look forward to seeing you all again!!

Jim N Nicks
1908 11th Ave S
Birmingham, Al 35205

Best Post of the Week: Week 103

It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Recommended Upcoming Events

ALsocme is hosting their first family social event on Saturday, June 25th at the Alabama Theatre. Lunch will be at noon at Lyric Hot Dog and Grill, and then they will be watching "The Wizard of Oz" at 1:20.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for kids and seniors.

ALsocme events are great ways to get to know other social media / bloggers in Alabama - I've been to two events so far, and have been able to put many faces with names, blogs, twitter handles, and avatars! I highly recommend getting involved with this stellar group.

You can RSVP to this event on Facebook.

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The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is hosting a Father's Day train ride where ALL TICKET REVENUE will go towards Tornado relief!


Their trains are wonderfully historic and a ton of fun - a great family activity. They will be having trains depart on June 19th at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets range from $9-$27 and can be bought online.

Best Post of the Week: Week 102

It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Best Post of the Week: Week 101

It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

Staycation Ideas in Gadsden

By Micha



With the gas prices rising taking a vacation hundreds of miles from home may not be in the budget. That doesn’t mean that you have to sit at home all summer. There are many inexpensive places to go and things to do in Gadsden.

Gadsden is well known for Riverfest every June and as a part of the World's Longest Yard Sale, but those aren't the only source of Summer fun. Find seven different places to explore in Gadsden for under $10 a person at Staycation Fun in Gadsden.

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Do you have great places to visit and inexpensive vacation ideas in your part of Alabama? Share them with us at Alabama Bloggers!

Best Post of the Week: Week One Hundred!

It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

On Using Your Influence.

Today I visited my third destroyed Alabama town.

I thought that as I exposed myself more to the devastation of our state, I would become more used to it and less affected by the destruction, but I was wrong. With each successive visit, I've become more deeply saddened for our state.

Henegar was my first visit. Pratt City was my second. Today was Pleasant Grove.

Two sights from today's visit will be forever burned in my mind:

Two elderly couples, gingerly picking around the rubble that used to be their houses, looking for belongings (on the hill in the far background of this image out of respect for their privacy):

And a blue bow on a mailbox, perfectly intact, in front of a house that was not nearly as untouched.

The knowledge that that could have easily been my baby had the storms been just a few miles east is horrific to imagine and compels me to pray that this baby is miraculously safe.

I simultaneously feel emotionally exhausted, wanting to step away for a while, and like I must do so much more - because there is so much that needs to be done.

National Media quit covering our tragedy two days after it happened – A Royal Wedding took the headlines, then the death of Osama Bin Laden sealed the death of our news coverage.

But we as bloggers still have our voice. We can get the message out to the world that Alabama still needs help, and that all of us working together can make a difference.

So I urge you – one blogger to another – make your influence count! Do what you can to help our neighbors that have lost everything!

I highly recommending serving somewhere if you haven’t already, and then showing your readers how they can help.

There are so many opportunities for service, and so many needs to be met. I have personally been overwhelmed by my blog reader’s desire to help – they have responded amazingly to all of the opportunities I have given them.

One very practical option you can offer your readers to help is ordering off of the Christian Service Mission’s Amazon Wish List . One of our brilliant Alabama Bloggers, Beth from Unskinny Boppy, set it up. It’s a great way to meet the immediate needs of the moment, and know that 100% of your donations are going straight to relief efforts.

There are many options out there, so give your readers different ways to help. Show them how their funds are going to help immediate needs, and let them (and you) get involved in serving our state – because we need every hand on deck right now!

Yes, Alabama has come a long way in a few weeks – but the distance we still have to travel will require statewide – and countrywide – dedication.

See Jane Tweet - Rescheduled!

By Javacia

The social media seminar See Jane Tweet has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 26. It will be held from 6-8 p.m. at Matthew's Bar & Grill.

Originally scheduled for April 28, we postponed the event due to the devastation our city faced after the tornadoes of April 27.

See Jane Tweet is a seminar designed to help women writers discover ways to use Twitter and other social media tools to promote their work, connect with other writers, and get published. Our speakers, Erin Shaw Street and Kristen Record Heptinstall, will also teach participants more about digital branding.

As our state struggles to pick up the pieces and rebuild things like social media may seem trivial and insignificant, but I disagree. It is actually because of the storms that I approach See Jane Tweet with fresh perspective and a better understanding of just how useful things like Twitter can be.

When I lost electricity in my home I was still connected to others and still aware of when the tornadoes were getting closer to Birmingham because of Twitter updates from my friends, which I was able to access through my phone. Lives were saved as pictures and videos posted on social media sites proved to people that these storms were serious threats and that they truly needed to take cover. Our speakers will also share stories of how social media tools have been vital to the coverage of the storms and the aftermath.

As Christy Turnipseed wrote on her blog LifeofaTurnip.com, "with the new day of social media, it seemed as if we were all one family huddling together keeping one another informed and making sure we were all safe."

I hope to see you all at See Jane Tweet. Register for this free event at www.seejanetweet.eventbrite.com.

Food Blogger Bake Sale this Saturday!!

Two of Birmingham's top food bloggers, Alison of Ingredients, Inc and Jason of The Messy Epicure are hosting a Birmingham Food Blogger Bake Sale!!

The sale will be May 14 from 10 AM to 3 PM in downtown Homewood at the corner of 18th Street and 29th Avenue. All proceeds from the bake sale go to Habitat for Humanity.

With Alison and Jason cooking, the food is guaranteed to be excellent! But you can cook too - they are opening it up to ALL bloggers to participate, so if you have a special recipe that you're dying to share, join in the fun!

If you'd like to make food to sell or help work the bake sale itself, email jason@themessyepicure.com. They would love to have you! But even if you can't make anything, be sure to put it on your calendar to come by and sample the treats from everyone else, and get to say hi to a bunch of other local bloggers!

This bake sale is a part of a national Blogger Bake Sale Initiative, which can be read about here.

ALsocme: How to Deal with Negative Commenters.

Alabama Social Media Association had their second meeting last week, and the topic was "How to Deal with Negative Commenters".

Social Media guru Mack Collier shared some awesome advice about the subject. Although a lot of his advice was aimed at company/product blogs, he also had some great tidbits for non-business-related bloggers.

One of the most important things he said is to not get caught up in the idea that it's wrong to delete a comment. Your blog is your platform - don't let someone else use it to attack you or your readers!

If you do feel guilty about deleting comments, then simply write a comment policy - clearly explain what type of comments are acceptable, what type of language is acceptable, and that you will delete any comments that are unacceptable.

I felt that this was great advice - for the first year or two of my blogging career, I had the notion that to be an "honest" blogger, I had to leave all comments. Since then, I've realized that this is ridiculous. Although I do try to leave as many as possible, I will not let someone else abuse my sites.

How do you feel about deleting comments?

** For further discussion on the subject, Wade Kwon wrote a post on Birmingham Blogging Academy, interviewing me and two other bloggers who had experience with negative commenting.

Best Post of the Week: Week Ninety-Nine

It's time to link in your best post of the week!

The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.

So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!

p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!

A Few Notes about Tornado Distaster Relief...

1. Instead of meeting to eat for our next #AlaBlogMeet, I want to organize a blogger work day to help with tornado relief. We can either help sort through donations, help deliver donations, help prepare and give out meals to relief workers, or help with the cleanup. I'm thinking a Saturday in Mid to Late May would work best.

a) Would you participate if you were available?

b) What date would work best for you?

c) What would you recommend that we do to help?

2. I rarely cross my two blog's paths, but since we're all bloggers here, I highly encourage you to educate your readers on how to help with the tornado relief, and specifically how to use Social Media to meet specific and immediate needs. I wrote a post on my other blog about that very thing here - please help in spreading the word about how to help by writing about it on your blogs!

3. Kristen Heptinstall of al.com is compiling lists of blogger's responses to the storm. If you've written about the tornadoes, tweet her at @KristenHeptin.

Friday Link-Up: Ways to Help.

(Photo from al.com)


I, as well as all of you I'm sure, am completely overwhelmed by the devastation of our state. There are so many needs, but thankfully, there are also so many ways to help. Our Southern Hospitality really shows itself strong when disaster strikes. Seeing everyone pitch in to make a difference really is the break of light in the clouds.

It's wonderful that there are SO many options to help, because some are obviously easier and more accessible for different ones of us than others. I've been tweeting and retweeting opportunities and needs as often as possible to help get the word out, but instead of posting a link-up for "Best Post of the Week" this week, I thought it might be helpful to have a centralized place to link these options up. So if you've written a post about ways to help or know a website that has opportunities to help, please link up below so that we can all help spread the word about options to help those so severely affected in our state.

Thanks!!