It's Worth Asking

Last night, I watched a cheesy 90s movie while my wife was at a 90s boy band concert. We're so cool.

I woke up entirely too early this morning. As in like 6 AM early. This would be okay on a weekday. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. So it's 6:30 AM... on a Sunday! Nonsense.

So as I'm sitting here typing and drinking coffee, I realized something. I have the urge to add a few new blogs to Google Reader. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find these new blogs.

That's where you come in.

My request is simple: comment with the blog you're enjoying reading the most right now. I've asked about this before, so if you answered then, try to comment with something new. I'm all about trying new things, ya know.

The blog I'm enjoying most right now (that I haven't already plugged in the past)?

How about...

Life as Experienced. I just recently found this blog when its author, Seth, e-mailed me about doing a guest post. So, although I'm sure you'll be hearing from him soon around here, I wanted to give you a heads up about his blog! Give it a look-see (what a weird word...) and let him know what you think!

Oh, and while you're at it, have a great day. Keep being awesome!

Oops, I Did it Again

I'm not sure what's with all of the song-inspired titles lately...

Today I'm going to do something daring. Something crazy. Something a little wacky.

I'm going to break some sort of unwritten blogging code and hope the blog police don't come for me.

I'm going to, once more, grovel for guest posts.

I received some great responses the first time I posted about this a couple of weeks ago, so I just wanted to throw the opportunity out there once more for anyone who might have missed it or maybe had just forgotten.

I need some awesome, epic guest posters!

That means YOU! 

So, for the sake of not writing the exact same blog post twice, I wanted to share a few guest posts with you to help inspire you. Consider this my Shameless Plugging for the week, so I don't seem completely self-centered and self-promoting.

"Beating Writer's Block" by Jon Acuff - This is the most recent guest post that I've read and has some great advice for writers from Jon Acuff, a Christian blogger and author. He posted on a blog site called Money Saving Mom, which sounds completely out of his realm, and I thought that was pretty gutsy.

What I learned from this guest post: You can guest post anywhere. All you have to do is ask!

My Guest Post at My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream - Alright, this is pretty self-centered and self-promoting, I have to admit. But this is just another example of a guest post that may have been in a realm that doesn't necessarily line up with the one I normally write in.

What I learned from this guest post: If you guest post, you're guaranteed to sound funnier and smarter. I'm not sure why, but that's just the way it works. Sort of like when you eat someone else's ice cream. It always tastes better than it would have if it was your own.

"My Average Day Mostly Sucks" by Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary - I'm not sure what it was about this guest post, but it is one of my favorites. Jamie took F.U. Question's theme and flipped it on its head and then made a great guest post out of it!

What I learned from this guest post: I will never, in a million, bajillion years, be able to write as well as Jamie Wright. Sometimes, you just have to know when to admit these sort of things.

What I actually learned: You don't even have to run with a blog's theme when writing a guest post. Which means you could actually write a guest post for Life Before the Bucket explaining why you don't have a Bucket List or why you hate making goals. You just never know what I could go for!

Hopefully this has encouraged you to think about guest posting not only here, but on your other favorite blogs as well! Let me know if you're interested in guest posting here through a comment or in an e-mail and we'll make it happen!

I Don't Want to Beg, But...

Farmer's Markets are probably the best invention ever. Reminds me so much of the markets in Sierra Leone.

Alright, fellow Bucketeers. I didn't want to do it, but...

I'm begging for your help!

(Yes, the title says I don't want to beg. Doesn't mean I won't do it!)

If you haven't noticed as of late, I haven't been feeling very well. I'm not really sure this is going to be remedied anytime in the very near future, and I only feel more tired each day. Quite frankly, it sucks. That's why I need your help.

Instead of shamelessly plugging blogs today, as I usually do, I would like to shamelessly plug Life Before the Bucket...

for guest posts!

I'll be honest. I could survive without them, but honestly, I want to feature other people's writing on here! There are about a million avenues you could take when writing a guest post here on Life Before the Bucket:

Write about a life goal you've recently accomplished.
Write about a goal you've failed at (I do this frequently).
Write about a goal you're in the process of achieving.
Write about something that has absolutely nothing to do with your goals (again, I do this frequently).
Write about a specific hero that you have - we all need a little inspiration.

Or just about anything else you can think of.

If you write it, I can make it work.

So here I am, on my virtual, interweb knees, pleading for your help.

Would you consider writing a guest post for Life Before the Bucket?

If you're willing, able, or whatever the case may be, just e-mail me at awaller1990@gmail.com. You can send me the potential post in whatever format you please, and I'll let you know what I think!

Thank you so much in advance. You have no clue how much this will help me out.

Your Turn!

There was a lightning flash so bright last night that I swear God was taking a picture of me...

It's Suuuuuunday.

Around here at Life Before the Bucket, that could only mean one thing.

I get to shamelessly plug whatever blogs I want. It's a beautiful thing, really.

However, this Sunday is going to have a little twist. This Sunday, I need your help.

This is what I look like when I run out of blogs to read.

Usually, I link to whatever blogs are striking my fancy at the moment. I've discovered lately, though, that I don't follow nearly enough blogs. And if I don't follow enough blogs, it means I don't have as many friends as I could have, which always makes me a little sad on the inside. Plus, I want to be able to share as many awesome blogs with you as possible!

So here's what I'm asking. It's simple, painless, and won't cost you a penny.


Leave a comment that shamelessly plugs one of your all-time favorite blogs. If you see that someone has already beat you to it, think of another. I want to hear about as many blogs as possible! Doesn't matter what they're about, either. You could link up to a blog written by a 40 year old dog that lives on Pluto for all I care (and I would care, because that would be awesome!).

So let me hear it.  

What's your favorite blog to read?

On Typos

Well, at least one Boston team won a championship this year...

Do me a favor. Tell me how difficult this sentence is to read:

Alll I wunt too do durin thee summer is sleap and swam.

Not terrible, right? EDIT: Wrong. Apparently it's only easy if you hold your breath, tilt your head to the left 27.4 degrees, and do the Macarena.

We can all pretty much decipher that it's supposed to say, "All I want to do during the summer is sleep and swim." Because we're all geniuses around here. Ya know?

But imagine if an entire blog post looked like that.

I don't want to - that's for sure. It just makes me cringe thinking about it.

Now I'm no grammar Nazi. However, I might be a grammar Commie, because I notice a lot of typos when I read things. Not usually when I read my own writing, though (because, naturally, I'm perfect... just kidding). But trust me when I say that those wretched typos are everywhere. And that's why I need your help.

You see, on occasion, a monkey might attack me while I'm writing up a blog post, and distract me just enough to get me to make a misstep as I write.

Yes, there are monkeys that break into houses in the middle of Kansas. Don't question my judgment!

So you see, when these monkeys attack, there's very little I can do, because frankly, all I want to do is take a picture of them, not write. So mistakes may happen. Sometimes I can avoid it, but most of the time, I can't.

That's why I need you to help me. Help me find these stinking typos!

If you ever notice a typo around here, feel free to leave a comment and let me know about it - I'm not scared for the whole world to know I'm not perfect. Really, it relieves a lot of pressure. Plus, I can just blame it on the primates, so no harm done.

Poor monkeys. Getting all the blame for all my problems. I almost feel bad...

Have you ever seen typos, but been scared to tell authors about them? How about any funny typos you've seen that have really made things funny? Or are you someone who never notices these things? Either way, I'd love to hear from you about this (or anything else!) in a comment or an e-mail!

A Grab Bag of Goodies

I finished The Hunger Games books in 3 days. Now what on earth am I going to do with my life?

Sunday, Sunday, gotta get down on Sunday...

Oops. That's supposed to be Friday. I'm pretty sure someone forgot to tell this girl that, though:

Because it's Sunday, and because Sunday is awesome (and, to boot, I'm pretty rad myself), I wanted to share a few blogs with you that I follow. I do this each week because, frankly, I'd want someone to do the same for me. And I think Jesus tells us to do stuff like that on a regular basis, so I'll take his word for it.

So here are the blogs you NEED to visit today. Yes, this is a need in your life. Fulfill it.

SSquared - This blog is probably one of my best kept secrets... until now. Stephanie, the author, has some great insight into a lot stuff that happens in life. She has her own perspective on things that you can definitely appreciate and understand. 

The Life of Kai - So this might be cheating, since I've shared Kai's blog before, but he has started posting regularly as the result of a very cool writing challenge he's taking a part in. So click on that beautiful little link and let him know what you think (catch the rhyme there?). 

Two Hiccups Blog - And, as always, a blog for the moms, because moms are awesome. Including this one, who has a lot to say about homeschooling, faith, and anything else she can think of!

Short. Sweet. To the point.

Just how I like it. And, I suspect, how you like it as well.

So give these people a visit (remember, it's a need you have!) and give them a follow as well! Have a fantastic Sunday!

Blogs of Note

Call me crazy, but I think you probably missed the fact that I'm giving away a FREE book! Just check out yesterday's blog post!

It's Sunday, which I'm pretty excited about. It means a few things.

My wonderful mom graduates this year!

First of all, it means we get to cook dinner for my mom for her **th birthday (yes, it's censored - I want my mom to still like me!).

It also means that I get another chance to breathe, which is a pretty huge deal. I guess that's everyday, though!

Finally, it means that I get to share some of my favorite blogs with you!

So without further ado...

Shoes Never Worn - You know, I have a terrible memory, so I don't know if I've plugged K's blog before, but I love it. She's brutally honest, and as a member of the military, she has an interesting perspective on things that I often overlook (until reading her writing, of course).

Getting Out of My Boat - I love reading this blog because of how much I can relate to it. It's by a 19 year old in the UK, and she has gift for being honest with herself and others. Her transparency is unmatched, and she really challenges her readers to get out of their comfort zone and truly live life.

His Wounds Became My Healing - This is a blog that one of my friends from school just started. She's a very fun, cool person who has a lot to say and isn't afraid to say it. Go check out her blog and give her some comment love!

So there you have it. Go check out each of these blogs and leave them some comments. Heck, give them a follow while you're at it! And have a great Sunday!