Organize with a RSS reader
High tech moms and dads use RSS readers to organize and manage tips from the wonderful assortment of blogs and websites available today.
Not high-tech yet? Well I’m about to change that. Then you can brag to your kids about how technically savvy you are. 
New to RSS?
Give it a try for a week and you will be hooked. You may be saying, “Now, Melinda, that stuff is way too technical for me.” I promise it is very easy to use and no tech-wiz ability is required.
You can subscribe to many sites by email, but using the RSS reader option will keep your subscriptions neatly organized in one place without clogging up your email’s inbox.
Setting up Google Reader
If you don’t already have a Google account, you will need to make one. See the “sign in” at the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Sign in and go to Google Reader to see what the reader looks like.
I have a more detailed description of how RSS works here at my tech blog.
Google Reader will feel very familiar since it resembles an email program. The subscriptions are listed on the left. Click on a subscription and browse the topics to see if anything interests you. Nothing interesting? Mark them as “all read” and continue to the next subscription.
RSS saves you time
Now you can keep up with websites in a more efficient way because the information comes to you. A great time-saver!
Add Subscriptions
Simply go to a site you enjoy and look for the RSS symbol. Click to subscribe and select the Google Reader option. You will need to be logged into your Google account. It will send you to your reader and you will see the subscription added to the left of the screen in the list. Occasionally it will require you to confirm the subscription by clicking a button at the top right side of your screen.
Finding blogs on subjects you like
There are blogs on every subject you can imagine. Like to sew? Search for some sewing blogs full of great ideas. Go to blog directories and search the subjects are you interested in. A few include: Blog Catalog, AllTop.com, and Blog-Search.com.
Some sites I love to get you started
Organization sites:
![SimpleHomeOrganization.com](http://www.simplehomeorganization.com/SHO_button_125x125.jpg")
Don’t forget to subscribe to mine here.
Lifehacker.com – Search any term. One of my favorite sites!! Good stuff!
OrganizeWithSandy.com
OrganizeYourStuffNow.com
Unclutterer.com
GetSimplifized.com
HealingOrganization.com
ClutterDietBlog.com
MonicaRicci.typepad.com
MeckMom.com
OpenSpacesFengShui.com/blog
ProductiveAndOrganized.net
ElaineShannon.com
PenelopeLovesLists.com
Blog.Rubbermaid.com
Lifehack.org
Mommy/Daddy/Family blogs:
Mommy/Daddy blogs are all the rage these days and have been featured on countless TV shows. Find some great parenting tips and share your own in the comments. You may discover a great community of other parents that you can relate to.
MyDeliciousAmbiguity
5MinutesForMom.com
YummyMummyClub.ca
BalancingMotherhood.com
MommyMaria.wordpress.com
Busymom.net
LoveLifeFamilyAndThenSome.com
MomMadeThat.com
MomSpark.net/
Money Saving tips:
MoneySavingMom.com
CentsationalGirl.com
CouponMom.com
Coupons.Smartsource.com
CouponCabin.com
CoolSavings.com
Valpak.com
MyCoupons.com
Going Green
GreenMoms.com
MamaGoesGreen.com
OrganicKidz.ca
Green.blogs.nytimes.com
GreenLivingIdeas.com
Treehugger.com
FullCircleHome.com
Recipes
Collect some new recipes and make your own cookbook.
SmoothiesRecipe.com – I’m a smoothie fanatic, so I was excited to find this site!
SeriousEats.com
Great list of food blogs at Delish.com
If you have others to recommend, leave them in the comments section.
Write one? Add it, too!
Happy RSS reading!
Just going to voice my opinion here that I highly, highly recommend Google Reader. I remember a while ago I argued that the most important thing Google Reader does is make all feeds look the same – your writing looks just like someone from the nytimes. The consequences of that, for new media, are huge:
http://www.ashokkarra.com/2008/01/if-youre-into-politics-you-definitely-want-to-use-an-rss-reader/
ashok recently posted..Emily Dickinson, “It is an honorable Thought” (946)
I agree. However it is important to occasionally clear out what you don’t read so it doesn’t get overwhelming. I actually burn a feed for my Twitter favorites since I use Twitter on my phone most of the time. When I want to check out a link on my computer, I favorite it so I can check it out later through Google Reader. I find that to be a huge help.
Just put this on stumbleupon, bookmarked it on delicious – hope it helps bring in some traffic.
ashok recently posted..Posts on Anime- Movies- One TV Show and One Book
Hey Melinda, I don’t really use RSS too often. Most of the time I sign up for email subscriptions. For me the problem is that I never remember to look at my reader feeds. Oh heck I might as well just admit it – I’m very UNorganized, especially when it comes to blogging. LOL
Thanks for the tips!
Ileane recently posted..Samuel John Klein posted an update- I just created a new group- Designers and Artists- for those of us who do
LOL Ileane! My favorite use is what I said above..since I am on my phone using Twitter a lot, I can favorite things and then access them through the reader from my computer to check out the links. If I have to wait for a webpage to load on my phone, it takes way too long.
Hey Melinda…
Nice tips and some interesting sites shared there.
I will share this on facebook as I think some will like them sites too.
I have stuck with Google reader since day one, it works as I want it to, though the buzz thing and shares screwed things up some, still waiting for them to allow us to separate them without losing buzz.
Hopefully that gets sorted, and we can tailor Greader for us again.
Rob Sellen recently posted..Are you being served Need feeding
Thanks Rob! i still haven’t really done anything with Buzz. I think Ileane is the only one I am connected to. I haven’t had much time to play with it to figure it out. Of course I know all I need to do is watch her how-to videos as she is the queen of Buzz.
I think buzz is ok, but it could be alot better
As for feeds, I always have my reader set to “list” on the left instead of expand, this makes it so much faster and easier to skim.
Rob Sellen recently posted..Commented here Thanks- added another benefit
Thanks for that tip. I did not know about that option.
Ya welcome, it’s on the right side of the bar across the top of the reader section
Rob Sellen recently posted..Diversify traffic or stall
Thanks for the tip i am like ileane but a little bit more organize i mostly use email subscription thansk for the lovely info.
lawmacs recently posted..Is Content Still KingTime For Another Round Up
Some I follow on RSS, some just on Twitter, and some via email. Depends on how fast I want the information.
I am a huge fan of Google Reader but recently I have found a tool that I like even better. I have an iPad and there is an app available called Flipboard that takes all of your RSS feed items and turns them into something similar to a newspaper pulling in photos and information. This took makes it amazingly easy to scan a huge list of RSS feeds to understand the items you are truly interested in.