Don't Be Shy!

I, like many of my Bloggy Brethren, have a stat counter, which spews data at me every week. Since I'm not much of an expert, I really don't know what to make of all the referrals, entry clicks and exit clicks, but I do know page views. And I average, in any given week, about 96 page views a day; close to 700 in any given week.

Whew! To hear the experts tell it, that's a lot of traffic! But one thing I don't really understand...why would someone visit a site like mine, digest its content, then slink away without commenting?

If my stat counter is to be believed, oodles of people visit Eat Your Veggies! So, I have a pretty basic question: Why all the "lurkers" out there?

As you probably know, a lurker is one who hangs out at a blog, but doesn't comment. I'm not sure how the "professional" blogging world views lurking, but I guess I just don't understand the need for anonymity.

OK, I understand if my posts are tedious; if they're silly; if they're just plain uninteresting. But I'd like to think I create posts that are at least mildy bright, if not downright sparkling.

But the comments? They're just not coming. A recent snapshot proves my point. Monday: 9 comments; Tuesday: 9 comments; Wednesday (A "theme" day, with Angie's Wordful Wednesday): 19 comments; Thursday: 8 comments.

During that same time period, I had visitors from Oregon, Indiana, California, Arkansas, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Nevada, Virginia and Florida, to name a few. And don't forget the international traffic: Canada, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Mexico, Germany and, of course, Unknown. But I guess we don't know if Unknown is an international or a domestic visitor, do we?

My questions to you are these: Am I doing something wrong, or are bloggers basically shy people at heart? Is there something else I should be doing that I'm not? Why are all these visitors lurking in the shadows of cyberspace?

Hey, I'm a friendly gal. And I'm still pretty new at this Blogging Business. So, please ~ suggest, offer, push and insist with me. I won't take offense. If there's one thing I've learned in my life, I'm really good at responding to constructive criticism.

My Nana taught me that it's impolite not to have a "welcoming" atmosphere in one's home. Well, my red (cyber) carpet is out. I'd love for you to leave a comment. Pretty please?

Experimenting with Pop'rs & Trying a Pop'rs Giveaway!

What do Rachael and Aunt Julie have in common? Well, first of all, they're surrounded by boys! Rachael has three, and Julie Eliz has four. And what else forges a bond between the two? Why, they're both crazy mad for Pop'rs!

Welcome to Day 3 of The Great New Pop'rs New Years Giveaway. The Rules and Particulars, as you know by now, are Simple as Pie:

• We're picking Five Grand Prize Winners. Each winner scores a complete set of Pop'rs...All Eight Flavors! ...and T-Shirts for the family!
• All you have to do for one entry is leave a comment on my blog. The more comments, the more entries! Comment on every post this week! Comment multiple times on one post! Comment about anything...the weather, your family, my family, Pop'rs. The sky's the limit!
• For an Extra 10 Entries, post about this contest on your blog, and send me the link.
• The contest runs until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2009.
• Uncle Lynn will pick our Five Grand Prize Winners by Random Drawing, and I'll make The Big Announcement right here on Monday, January 12!

So, what does Rachael, a Grand Prize Winner in our Great New Pop'rs Thanksgiving Extravaganza, have to say about Pop'rs, that good-for-you seasoning that encourages everyone to Eat Their Veggies?

"We have had lots of fun experimenting with our Pop'rs," Rachael remarks. "Jack & Joe love to eat them on applesauce. Jack loves a combo of the Cinnamon and Color Burst! "

But wait! There's more! "Joe loves the Color Burst...and eating them right out of the container," Rachael continues. "He has sprinkled the Buffalo and Taco on chicken nuggets, as well. "

And what about Chris, the oldest? His Mom says he "loves Chocolate Pop'rs on buttered toast. He has also sprinkled the Butter flavor on green beans!! "

It also seems like Rachael's Guys learned to share at an Early Age. "The boys had their friends try them also," she says, "and they voted Buffalo as their favorite. They ate it on popcorn while watching the Iron Man movie."

If Rachael's Three Amigos, pictured above, aren't a good endorsement for Uncle Lynn's Pop'rs, I don't know what is.

"I would definitely recommend Popr's to others," Rachael concludes, "especially if you have children that don't like to eat their veggies." Thanks, Bloggy Friend! Veggie Mom couldn't have said it better herself!

So, what are you waiting for? Come Join The Fun!

I *Heart* Your Blog-I Really Do!

Bling Alert! Veggie Mom's a Winner yet again! Marla, who has Adventures of the Paklet Kind, conferred this cute little ol' Bit o' Bling on little ol' Veggie's head the other day. Thanks, Marla! So, it's up to to moi to confer it on seven other unsuspecting, but most deserving, Bloggy Friends!. First of all, here are Ye Olde Rules:

1.The winner puts logo on her/his blog.

2.Link the person you received your award from.

3.Nominate 7 other blogs.

4.Put links of those blogs on yours.

5.Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve chosen.

OK, Faithful Readers, this is always très difficult for me, but Here Goes! I think these folks most rightly deserve the honor:

1. Pocket Change. Caroline is a hoot-and-a-half, plus she's the Mom of a Redhead, so what's not to love?

2. Expectantly Waiting. Breanne serves her country every day, 'cause her Hubby's in the Military. Thanks for all you do, B.!

3. One Krazy Kat Lady. I'm a Cat Woman. Marrdy's a Cat Women. Nothin' else to say here.

4. The Journey to the Hot Tub. Lizzy's running for President as the standard-bearer of The Plaid Party. She has *yard signs* and everything!

5. Just Lisa, No Filler. Greedy Grace has a lot to say. And I absolutely love the silly face she makes at the top of her blog!

6. Mommy from the Midwest. Well, she's a Bears Fan and all, but we can forgive her for that. She lists "Mommy" as her occupation in her profile!

7. Candid Carrie. She's funny, she's a great photographer, she hosts the weekly Friday Foto Fiesta Finish, and, well, she's candid. And from Wisconsin--always an added plus!

So, there you have it! Remember, Please Pay It Forward--This *Heart's* For You!

They're Hot for Pop'rs! And YOU Can Be, Too!

Cyber-chatter continued over the weekend for Pop'rs, Uncle Lynn's cool new seasoning that's fun and good for you, too! The Pop'r King wants to Share the Pop'rs Love, and also let you know about a cool new Giveaway! And BTW, that's Soccer Boy, doin' a little Double-Dippin'. He's sprinkling Chocolate Pop'rs in his Chocolate Milk. Yummy in the tummy!

Veronica, who patrols the aisles at Supermarket Serenade, started us off on Friday with a Music and Pop'rs combo. She posted a pretty cool Music *Meme*, and paired it with a review of that fabulous seasoning that literally makes your food sing! I'm talking about Pop'rs, of course, available only from Uncle Lynn in eight awesome flavors!

And in what kind of Pop'rs Pleasure did Veronica and Family partake? Cinammon Pop'rs on pancakes and Colorburst Pop'rs on mango slices--sounds pretty delish and exotic to moi! Then Veronica. Just. Went. Crazy!

"Taco Pop'rs to popcorn, Butter Pop'rs to broccoli and green beans, Buffalo Pop'rs to our turkey sandwiches," Veronica blogs enthusiastically. "It says on the bottles that they have vitamins added, which is an extra bonus, but we (especially the kids) just liked the crackling! I don't think they are available in the supermarket yet, but I'm sure Veggie Mom will let us know when they are. Thanks for the fun treat, Veggie Mom!"

No, Pop'rs aren't in supermarket aisles. They're easy to get, though. Just click here to order your Pop'rs from Uncle Lynn, at new Recession-Proof Prices!

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful, with more Great Pop'rs News to report! Deanna, who's got our attention over in Deanna's Corner, had some Saturday Savings news on homemade popcorn topped, of course, by Pop'rs! Deanna's out to save her Bloggy Readers a buck or two, and increase their taste sensation at the same time. I'd say you're successful, D! "I highly recommend Butter and Taco" -flavored Pop'rs on the homemade popcorn, Deanna suggests.

Already Pumped Up on all this Pop'rs Love, imagine Uncle Lynn's glee when he took a gander at what Angie, The Ringmaster at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS had to say about his product. She enlisted her five kiddos as "Official Product Testers." What were they reviewing? Why, Pop'rs, of course! Let's let Angie explain:

"My kids really eat to live," Angie says. "Unless the article to be consumed has an enormous sugar content, they usually don't get very excited about it. Don't get me wrong. They are good eaters, but if they are not hungry, they won't eat, just to eat. Even if it is delicious."

Sounds like a Mom who needs to offer the Wee Ones a tad more encouragement. "So, I really wanted to try out Pop'rs. They are a new product that can only be purchased online and have gotten the nod from the likes of Rachael Ray. They sounded intriguing to me, so I felt especially lucky to win every flavor in a giveaway."

OK, Angie, but what are they like? "Basically, Pop'rs are like Pop Rocks in different flavors, but with vitamins. So, not only do they add flavor, they provide music in your mouth. Literally. They pop in your mouth (and in the sink if there are any remaining on the plate) and the effect is really quite enjoyable." I like the image of the popping plates in the sink, don't you?

Angie and Family went wild with the Pop'rs, and got wonderful results! "So far, we've added the berry flavor to a peanut butter sandwich, and the butter flavor to a grilled (with no butter on purpose) cheese and turkey sandwich, and I have big plans for dinner tonight," she says. "Taco and butter flavor on corn on the cob, and cinnamon on homemade applesauces for dessert. My kids won't eat cottage cheese, but I'm going to try a raspberry on that, too."

Our Bloggy Friend Angie was pretty pleased with the Pop'rs. "It seems that the possibilities are limitless," she says, "and I know we'll enjoy a little magic in our eating in the future. And, just in case anyone is wondering if I went commercial on you, let me reassure you that I rarely, rarely do product reviews. This is my way of saying thanks to Pop'rs and Veggie Mom at Eat Your Veggies for my free gift."

Wow! Uncle Lynn was pretty pleased himself, after all that good news about Pop'rs! So pleased, in fact, that he's running another Great Pop'rs Giveaway. It kicks off tomorrow, so make sure you're there, too, to Share the Pop'rs Love!