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Windows Live Essentials = One Happy Blogger!

Monday, June 08, 2009 Hand-posted by Jennifer

Are you a blogger?  I can’t say anything about Wordpress or other blogging platforms but I can definitely tell you that I hate the Blogger tool to create/edit posts.  Hate it!  I don’t exactly remember how or when I stumbled across Windows Live but I fell in love with it.  The main tools that I use from Windows Live are the Windows Live Mail, Messenger, Movie Maker Beta, and Writer.  Since I specifically use the Live Mail and Writer for blogging I’ll talk a little bit about those and you can checkout all the other things if you like.

Windows Live Mail

I have multiple upon multiple email accounts.  Don’t you?  I have my personal one for family.  I have a professional one for job applications, a blogging one for reader comments, a blogging one for affiliates, a freebie one for free samples, a survey one for MyPoints and so forth.  Get the picture?  They all add up.  So, why do I have so many email accounts?  To keep things simple so I can concentrate on the task at hand.

Enter Windows Live Mail.   Here’s where my life gets real simple.  I no longer have to log into each hotmail or gmail account that I have online.  I add each email account once using their setup tool and voila.  One inbox.  But, it gets better.  Even though all of my emails are delivered to ONE inbox I can just simply click on one email folder and drill down on one specific email account that I want to see at anytime.  Simply awesome!

Calendar & Contacts This are pretty simple features.  Everyone knows how to use them I’m sure.

RSS Feeds & Newsgroups  Love these.  If I’m in a hurry I can do a quick scan of my RSS feeds and click through to the blogs that catch my attention and finish up by perusing their site.  It’s the way that I work best.  I do have feeds setup in Google Reader and if I’m not home then I will access it to check things out but I don’t really like it that much. Windows Live pulls feeds in just like an email which is downloaded to my PC.  Why do I like this?  I have high speed satellite which is not always reliable so if my internet is down I can rely on the last feed update that I received through Windows Live so that I don’t go through bloggy withdrawal

Catching my drift?  LOL.  Now, here’s where the real blogger tool really comes into play.  You ready?

Windows Live Writer

This tool can be used for Windows Live, Wordpress, Blogger, LiveJournal, Typepad and many more.  And, if you can use any of the Microsoft programs then you’ll feel right at home with this software.  It’s so easy!

Once you download the program you go through a few simple steps to add your blog and you’re up and running to blog your little heart out with this cool baby!

Windows Live WriterYou’ve got Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough.  Numbering, Bullets, Quote.  Left, Center, Right, Justify.  You can insert Links, Pictures, Tables (my little secret to putting pictures beside my weekly store matchups).  You can save drafts to pull up later, pull recently posted to edit.  Publish to multiple blogs if you have more.  You can Preview how it will look on your blog or edit the Source HTML code.  Schedule posts out with set publish dates.  Need I say more?  OK, Sure…

The editing tools that you have for pictures is awesome!!  This is one of my main reasons that I like this program.  You can manipulate the picture in so many ways besides just aligning it. You can add margins, links and borders.  And there are even Advanced Picture tools like Rotate, Crop, Tilt, Contrast, Watermark, Resize and so much more…

So, that’s a little bit about how I blog with Windows Live Writer and I hope that you might take some time to download it and see if it works for you and makes blogging a little easier.  I know it sure does for me!  :)

5 comments:

  1. Unknown said...

    Thanks for the head's up.I am going to have to check this out!

  2. Lady Christie said...

    I may have to check this out.

  3. Amy said...

    Btw, I downloaded that Windows Live Writer....Amazing! Ive been looking for ways to change the fonts, because Blogger is so limited in the fonts it allows, so this was awesome! And I always wondered how you go those cute little pictures next to all your matchups lol.

    Awesome tip!

    Amy

  4. Unknown said...

    I downloaded this per your recommendation and have been using int. I do love it, too! I am having one problem and would love your help. Can you contace me when you get a chance?

  5. Jennifer said...

    I would be happy to answer any questions about this program to the best of my ability.

    Desiree, I can't locate an email for you on your blog. Hope you see this comment.

    My email is jennifer {at} couponmommie.com

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