Almost there . . . (and a BIG change)

New pictures are up, descriptions on the sidebar are updated, navigation bar is on it's way....things are pretty well wrapping up over here in the redesign area!

One thing I did tonight was to install Disqus as my new commenting system. I did this for a couple of reasons:

1. I really, really love the interaction I get through my blog. I often email commenters who leave kind notes or questions on my blog back directly, rather than to 'comment' in my own comment section--I've always felt that was much more personal, and again, I like the interaction! (And, I never know if people actually check back in the comments for an answer to their question or not!)

Lately, I have been becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact that many commenters (understandably) do not have an email address linked to their blogger profile--and that means I get comments emailed to me with no way to contact the source back. Bummer.

With Disqus, I will be able to check and respond to all of my comments in one spot, saving me time (always good) and you the effort of checking back! All you will have to do is click 'subscribe by email', and the follow-up comments (on that post only--so you can choose that option for posts you are particularly interested in) will be sent directly to you through email.

2. Another great thing is that commenters can log in using several different accounts. If you are not a registered Disqus member (that takes two seconds, by the way), you can log in using your Facebook, Yahoo, or Twitter account, or even an open ID. Easy peasy!

3. Commenters can interact with each other better. You can 'like' someone's comment, or respond directly to it in a 'reply' mode. If someone posts a question and you have an answer, post it for all of us to see!

I think it's gonna be a great change. One thing I am sad about is that during the switchover, I lost all of the comments that have ever been left for me on this blog. I panicked for a moment, but realized that they are still 'there' if I uninstall the Disqus widget. *whew*

I say that to say that I know there have been lots of comments and questions lately about recipes, canning, preserving, couponing, and the like. If you have a question and I have yet to email you directly or respond back, please post it again! I'll do my best to hit on each and every topic in my "In the Kitchen" or "couponing" postings!

Have a great Thursday, everyone--and let me know your thoughts on the switch!!