This is a compensated review by BlogHer.

I think you can safely say that I adore blogging and everything it entails. It has brought me such great pleasure to watch this baby blog of mine grow little by little over the past year. It has developed into a great passion of mine and I thoroughly enjoy working on it, meeting new people through it, and learning more about myself thanks to it all.

When I started this blog in January of this year, I never anticipated the reach it could grow to have and how much it would impact me. I am forever thankful to every person I have come in contact with through blogging and the opportunities it has presented me. When BlogHer asked me to share anything I enjoy about their site, I happily accepted to do so and knew exactly what I would discuss - networking.

Networking matters. I try not to view networking in the traditional sense of searching out people who can provide some sort of personal gain. To me, networking is finding venues that help open up relationships that otherwise may never have become available. Blogging relationships hugely depend on networking. How else would we hear about each other and build this amazing community of support? BlogHer understands that and has built a site dedicated to it. BlogHer provides a great networking resource for all of us women out there interested in blogging or reading blogs.

Anyone can become a member of BlogHer and in doing so, share their blog in a well-organized and extensive blog directory. I enjoy perusing the blog directory on occasion because I like finding new blogs to pop in and visit. It’s an easy way to see who else is out there or give a bit of support to another blogger. Also, we are people with many interests. I love that the BlogHer directory includes blogs from a variety of topics. It makes it easy to find other blogs in different areas of interest, such as motherhood for me or perhaps crafts and decorating for you. Plus, the directory gives others a chance to find YOU.

Another fabulous feature of BlogHer that can help broaden your reach in the blogging community is their option to share posts in the member section. Anyone signed up for BlogHer can publish posts to the site, which can help bring traffic to your site and introduce you to new readers. Back in September, when sharing my 30 Days of Self Love posts, I made sure to post each one to BlogHer as well. I wanted those messages to reach as far and wide as possible. Sharing there helped me make a few new blogging friends here!

Another great networking opportunity BlogHer focuses on comes in their numerous blogging conferences. These conferences are some of the largest out there to really help women connect. I have told you all before how badly I want to attend BlogHer ‘11 in San Diego this upcoming year! They also have BlogHer Food coming up in May here in my hometown, Atlanta. In fact, they are currently giving away a free conference past to BlogHer Food (see bottom of this post for a link to win).

I chose to work with BlogHer as a publishing network because I find them a great community of support and networking. I would not have readily offered up space on my blog to share about their site, unless I valued it myself. The site is fabulous for its networking opportunities and information, but they have so many other great things going on in addition to that. They readily have giveaways for prizes like $100+ Visa giftcards, Ipads, conference passes, etc. They also currently have an Own Your Beauty campaign that I fully support.  I really hope you will check them out and see for yourself everything they offer.

Visit this week's Sweepstakes post on BlogHer.com for your chance to win the BlogHer Food conference pass!

Question of the Afternoon – What ways do you enjoy “networking” with blogs and making new blogging relationships? Do you use any forms of social media or blogging sites? Word of mouth or others’ posts?

I have a weakness for lists. I fill my share of notebooks each year with lists – daily to-do lists, grocery lists, bigger project lists, pros and cons lists, workout plan lists, guest lists, blogging lists. If it can be listed out, you better believe I have it in my hand dandy notebook. Like this guy, only less creepy.

Is Blue’s Clues even still on? I hated having to watch that show with the kids I babysat back in the day. Moving on.

Yesterday, I was the queen of lists. I created a list of things to do before baby B arrives. You know, instead of actually starting to organize. I have to be sure Peter has a honey-do list ready before I go out of town. You know, next weekend.

As you can tell, I love my lists. I do not love when they keep me up at night, however. I woke up quite a few times last night from feeling uncomfortable. I would have trouble falling back asleep thanks to the discomfort…and then my mind would start working out its lists. We all know how that ends.

I’ve been up since before 4 am and now have a list of things to do this weekend when I have the most spare time I have had in weeks. That list is ridiculously funny. I will bow to myself if I can manage to finish it all. I also have a list of pros and cons for blogging conferences. Yes, I’m still thinking about them. Especially after I learned from Caitlin that there likely will not be a HLS 2011. Not definitely not, but likely not. So, I created something like this in my head at about 3:42 am.

Let’s just say I’m *thisclose* to registering for FitBloggin right now and still tempted to do BlogHer as well. Heck, my crazy mind got into thinking about pursuing sponsorships and other things by 4:18 am. This is what happens when I can’t sleep.

Along with foregoing Power class in favor of some easy cardio on machines. I haven’t done cardio on machines in at least 6 months. How crazy. I actually like using machines, but only if I’m doing some sort of intervals or a workout to make it more interesting. Just low intensity, steady state on the treadmill, elliptical, or stepmill? Not a huge fan. Since I didn’t think my body could handle Power today and weather conditions did not allow for a walk on the trail, I made due with machines.

I nabbed a spare magazine and hit up 20 minutes each incline walking on the treadmill and la-di-da-ing on the elliptical. It did the job. Now, to wait out the next 1.5 weeks until I can always go in the afternoon. I did my workout in the afternoon yesterday and loved it! Unfortunately, our previous commitments won’t let me do that every workout for another 1.5 weeks. Bummer.

I will be back later with today’s Q + A and my regular nightly post. Have a great Hump Day! 😀

• Do you like cardio machines for workouts? Which ones? What types of workouts do you do on them?
• What types of things keep you up at night?