Printing a Blog

Alright, if you have experience in this NOW is the time to step forward. LOL

When I began blogging, I would write each post in word, add the photos, make it pretty, check the grammar and then copy the text to blogger and add the photos via blogger. I did this so we'd have a printed back up of our Family Journal. It was cumbersome. I quit doing this. The photos were especially cumbersome. It took more time than I had for blogging. I went to composing on blogger and adding photo links. I decided capturing the day for family was more important than making it pretty - at least during THIS season of life. That has been a good choice for me as it removed the pressure to have a "polished blog" and affirmed the decision to create a "family journal".

Mike would like the blog printed. I know it seems inconceivable that blogger would go out of business, or have a crash and lose all the blogs...but honestly....4 1/2 years of family history would be heartbreaking to lose. I do NOT want to copy and paste each entry to a Word or PDF file to print.....

I have been researching blog2print - but I repeatedly get a Server 500 error when I try to use the service. Their response is "be sure you are typing your URL correctly" - I'm pasting it. I've also heard things that concern me on their Facebook page. Every company will have some problems with their product, it will be how they resolve those problems that matter. I understand. However, many are mentioning that the captions don't match their photos or comments or posts are missing from their finished product. I'm sure they're making good on these problems, but I'd rather not have the problems to begin with being over here. Also, blog 2 print only lets you select a date range. I can't pick and choose within that range. I don't want to delete posts I don't want in a book and neither do I want to spend hours re-dating those posts. Example: Product reviews, book reviews....I don't really WANT them in a family journal but I do want to keep them handy in a blog archive for when I WANT them.

I've googled and will continue to google for ideas. If any of you have experience or have done your own research, please share links.

Maybe I should have continued composing in Word. ::snort::

Here are some things I've found:

I shudder to think of the hours to turn each post into a PDF file to load to Lulu etc....but if I'm going to PAY big BUCKS to print the blog, I don't want lots of white space, I want captions to match photos, I want a bit of control over which posts are printed etc.

Add the feature to print each post with this code (didn't work well for me ::snort::) It sounds very simple to do. I couldn't find the exact line of code for the second step. If you do, please tell me about where it is...1/2 way down etc....

Blurb seems to have a lot of features. The tutorial seems to be saying I could pick and choose exact posts to print and edit as well. I may have to give this one a whirl. I could also leave the copies there for others to buy if they want (thinking family here not general public)! ::snort:: I'm downloading booksmart as I type...I can think of a lot of fun books to make. LOL

Printmyblog.com shows up on a lot of searches but the links all seem to be dead. Let me know if you find a good link for them. ::smile:: Many of the links are over 5 years old.

Scrapbookblogger.com - turn your blog into a scrapbook

This post is to assure myself that I did not waste this cold, snowy, icy day....Mike has repeatedly asked me to figure out how to print the blog...and I'm researching. Maybe a reader will benefit from the research or have the perfect new site for me to check out. Now I can go to dinner and an onsen with a clear conscience....and the family have a yummy smelling roast and veggies waiting.

Ideas?

JOSIAH & JAMIN ARE HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Monopoly Game to Beat all Games

Bre, Josiah, Jamin, Jared, Nolan, Arielle all love to play monopoly. I'm not sure if Krista likes it. I don't see her playing it at home as much as the others. When Bre is gone, Arielle tends to read instead of play the game with her brothers...... but THIS was the game to beat all games.

From 2010-01-04

I love that Nolan joined the big boys in their rather cut-throat game. These games contain trading, high interest loans, no interes loans, sales with right of passage maintained, collateral loans.....and the deals go on.

This particular game went on and on with many fun twists. In the end, Jared won. These are his final holdings.

From 2010-01-04

I found these notes to be hilarious.

From 2010-01-04

Yep, even the bank owed Jared money.

I really don't like to play board games...but I buy a lot of them, I watch a lot of them, I play a lot of them with the younger ones (because those are games I can figure out) and I play a lot of other games with the kids. LOL

JOSIAH & JAMIN ARE HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Look Who's Sixteen!!!!

From 2010-01-04

Jared is following in the rather rude and audacious steps of his older siblings: he's GROWING UP!

We have maintained for years that we have YOUNG ADULTS and not Teens. Our children clearly know that they are adults in training...and at some point they actually begin to function as YOUNG adults. Take a minute to grasp this. It's not simply semantics. If your goal is to raise an adult in the years between 12 - 20 there are clear expectations, clear steps and goals to reach....if you are raising a "teen"....well no one really knows what a teen is. I certainly do not want my children to rise to the levels of the stereotypical teen....so we call them and expect them to be young adults. We never give them benefits/privileges without responsibility. We don't pamper their every whim. We expect them to begin to act and think as adults. We expect them to do "hard things" as they mature into the men and women God has called them to be.

Jared has blessed us greatly on his journey to adulthood. Sure he's still 16...but wow! He's taken great strides in his walk with God, his relationship with his authority (us), his relationship with his siblings and peers. This has been a tough move for Jared. The things he excelled in, the areas where he was exhibiting leadership, are not available here. The homeschool support group doesn't seem to have much for young adults. There is no Civil Air Patrol. There is no homeschool sports teams. There is no House of Faith. We are not comfortable with registering him with the DOD school for a variety of reasons. He understands and doesn't make a stink. We all continue to pray for more young adults to come into Jared's life. We pray for ministry opportunities, such as he had in TX, to manifest. We are praying about starting some ministry outreaches as a family. Jared David is our "ruler beloved". It's been fun to watch God take immature leadership material - often manifested itself in his younger years in ways we didn't condone - and move it towards maturity and effectiveness for the kingdom.

Jared has a rather quirky sense of humor that keeps me smiling, covering his tail, and, at times, cringing. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Jared has a heart for God that AMAZES me and HUMBLES me and CHALLENGES me. It's not about "discipline, routine and lists," but that boy has a routine that is shocking. He reminds me of stories of some of the "greats" in Christianity....I stand back and wonder where God is taking him. I wonder what God is going to do in his generation through this young man who is seeking to follow him wholeheartedly.

Jared has an interest in politics. We all know that he will be old enough to run for President in 2029. ::snort:: His plan at this point is to graduate, go back to TX, become a city councilman and get a degree, become a mayor, a governor and then we'll see.

Jared has been the youngest child in our family. Jared has been the middle child in our family. Jared is now the oldest child of those living at home. He's stepping up to the role and we honor him for that.

We'll have a celebration on Thursday night. Last night we opened gifts.

Happy Birthday, son. We look forward to watching you mature and grow in the upcoming years. (Now go clean your room. ::snort::)

JOSIAH & JAMIN ARE HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...