Adventures in Monetizing

It's just a beginning, but I decided a little while back that I would check out the monetizing thing when I reached 25 followers.  I hit that first little milestone yesterday, so here we goooooo.  (For some unknown reason, the sidebar doesn't always show all 25 of you, but you are all there and I am so excited to have each and every one of you!)

So I have now signed up with Google Adsense.  This is my first experience with them, but I am giving it a try.  It's a work in progress.  I have already been playing with the layout a bit and we will see how it all goes.

I would love to hear feedback from anyone on what you think about it.  Please feel free to let me know if you like it, if you hate it, if you think it adds to or detracts from my site, etc.  Of course, it would be great if you clicked on something.  ;)

I don't plan on particularly changing the way I blog, although I may mention the brand name more often on products I am discussing anyway.  (You already know I love my Pam and my I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray.)  I don't think you will be too surprised to find out the cream of mushroom soup I use is Campbell's or that the onion rings I put on my green bean casserole are French's.  Especially since I already posted pictures of the cans.  Anyway, if, at some point, I do anything like product reviews, I promise the opinions will be all mine, and all that good stuff.

Oh, I see the first ad is up and it's for hotels in Hawaii.  Huh, I didn't expect that.  Sounds fun though!  I think I mentioned Hawaiian Punch the other day; I wonder if that was it.  :D  This may be fun to see just what they pick up on.  Hmmmm, what interesting things could I mention...?  Now I am tempted to throw out random odd stuff and see if they post ads for it.  (Rolos, Rolos, Rolos - send samples please, oh great and mighty Adsense!)

They also put a political ad up, but thankfully, it disappeared when I rearranged things.  If I can figure out how, I plan to request  they not put up political ads.  I do have political opinions that I am passionate about, but politics are not the purpose of this blog and I would prefer not to get into them here.

So, if anyone heads to Hawaii, post pictures, I want to hear all about it!

Note: It just brought up another political ad.  Until I can figure out if I can stop that, please know, that any political ads do not necessarily reflect my opinions.  And just to throw a few monkey wrenches into that system, I just google searched several various political things, in hopes that if it persists, it will bring up a variety of opinions and positions. 

Here is my heartfelt political opinion for you:  I urge you to check out the issues and the candidates and make decisions about who and what you support, according to your own personal beliefs and values.  I urge you to get involved with the issue/ party/candidate/etc. of your choice and to make your voice heard.  Most of all, I urge you to vote, whichever way you choose to do it.   

According to my stats, not nearly all of my readers are in the United States, but for those of you that are, as we gear up to major elections in the coming year, I just urge you to participate, in whatever way is right for you.  To those of my readers in other countries, I urge the same, for you to know what the issues are in your communities and in your countries and support the things that are important to you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Stepping off my soap box...)

Rolos, Rolos, Rolos!  And Hawaiian Punch!