I write a lot about blog carnivals here because I participate in them regularly and also because I think that they are a great way to easily find links to new blogs on topics that are of interest to you. Usually I don’t write about my contributions to freelance writing blog carnivals on this blog because I post that information on my blog about writing, Real Words, instead.

However, I’m choosing to include one of those here because the blog carnival is a smart blog carnival called Cerebral Barbed Wire which covers a wide range of different topics like I do here on Diary of a Smart Chick. one of those topics is freelance writing which is where my post on 10 places to look for freelance writing jobs was included. The other post in this section was on Digg Tools.

The other topics covered in this blog carnival were:

• Business and Personal Finance (particularly on penny stocks and remarkability)
• The technology of solar power
• Food
• Health and wellness – including overcoming fear

Interesting range of topics here!

Tags: best blogs, blog carnival, blogs, business, freelance, freelance writing, kathryn vercillo, real words, writing

Anyone who is interested in yoga, meditation and general wellness should make it a point to check out the many different articles that were recently submitted to the Roundup of Yoga, Meditation and Personal Development blog carnival. There was a lot of useful information provided there!

My own post was on the many benefits of yoga was included in this carnival. Of course it was in the yoga section along with posts on bikram yoga, face yoga, yoga for beginners and the internal strength built by yoga. Also in the yoga section were two chakra-based posts on the root chakra and the heart chakra.

Another topic covered very well in this blog carnival is the topic of meditation and spiritual growth. This includes posts on the zen of clearing your mind, the law of attraction, consciousness and mysticism.

Additional posts in this blog carnival ran the gamut of topics including happiness, hypnosis, making the most of life through gratitude, forgiveness and optimism, making good eating choices (like papaya), your subconscious mind, having children, addictive drugs, anorexia, creativity and life goals.

Which of these posts made you feel most at peace?

Tags: best blogs, blog carnival, blogs, health, kathryn vercillo, personal development, spirituality, wellness, yoga

I love blog carnivals of all kinds but, being a SmartChick and all, the ones that I love the most are the ones that are all about smart topics. That’s why I was really happy to contribute to the Brain Blogging blog carnival recently.

The post that I contributed was an article on Eidetic Memory. Also known as photographic memory, this is something that most people know only the basics about and most people don’t realize that it’s actually a pretty controversial topic. Some say that it doesn’t exist at all while others hold those said to have a photographic memory up on a bit of a pedestal. It’s an interesting topic idea.

Mine wasn’t the only interesting article here, though, not by far. The other posts in this blog carnival were on the topics of empathy, moral turpitude, learning, the brains of killers, antidepressants, teen cutting, ADHD, self-esteem, humor, sleepwalking through life and increasing your brain power.

Happy smart reading!

Tags: blog carnival, blogs, brains, eidetic memory, hubpages, kathryn vercillo, photographic memory, smart

It’s St. Patrick’s Day – let’s be green!!

Earlier this week I wrote about making your own carpet cleaner at home which isn’t just a way to save money but also a way to be more eco-friendly in your home. I submitted that post to the All Things Eco blog carnival where it was included along with loads of other posts that might interest you if you’re into being green.

Some of the other important topics that were covered in this blog carnival included:

• Saving energy without spending a fortune
• Green issues in entertainment (like in Wall-E)
• Living off the grid
• Green technology (like the self-winding cell phone)
• Vegetarian living topics including a great recipe for fruit filo pastry and cheap green cooking
• Recycling and donation topics
• Thoughts on renting any items that you need
• Nature posts on Sheshnag Mountain
• Green politics and business
• And general green tips for frugal green living (like greening your reading and cheap eco-shopping)

Generally, this blog carnival was all about what we can do to make a difference in the world around us by being green. Hope you’ll take a read at some of those other posts.

Tags: blog carnival, blogs, carpet cleaner, eco carnival, eco-friendly, green, links

I do a lot of writing about taxes but I’m hardly the only person writing on this (and other financial topics). Two of my tax posts have been included as part of blog carnivals that deal with taxes and other things related to money. They both have a lot of informative stuff that is worth reviewing if money is something that concerns you. And really, who isn’t at least a little bit concerned about money?!

My Freelancer’s Guide to Important Tax Deductions was included in the Small and Home Business blog carnival. It was in the “money and finance” section along with posts on healthcare, Roth IRAs, day jobs, tax refunds, tax software, scams, cash advances, MMA rates, high yield savings accounts, business credit cards, debt consolidation, debt relief grants and even green printing!

My tips for Organizing Tax Information Throughout the Year was part of the Personal Finance blog carnival. It was in the taxes section along with posts on itemized deductions, TurboTax discounts and asset allocation. The other categories at this blog carnival were budgeting, investing, retirement, debt management, risk management, estate planning, financial planning, home financing, the cost of education and  the economy.

Tags: best blogs, blog carnival, blog roundup, blogs, bukisa, freelance, freelance taxes, hubpages, kathryn vercillo, tax information, tax tips, taxes