blogtipping: verb. “On the first day of each month, write a blog post about 3 blogs in which you list 3 things you like about each. And, provide each with 1 tip.”

Sounds good to me…let’s get crackin’!

Blog #1: Andrew Garrett’s Mutation

1. Andrew ties most, if not all, of his blog posts into his own personal goals, keeping the blog well-focused. He’s working towards (in his own words), “mutating from a wageslave to pro-photographer, pro-blogger, lifestyle entrepreneur” and you can feel Andrew’s challenges, frustrations and successes along with him.
2. Andrew doesn’t pontificate unecessarily. You’ll rarely find posts that are very long (one of my biggest challenges.) The shortness of the posts works to inspire your own thoughts, or to lead into future posts that he writes.
3. Andrew asks good/tough questions of himself. He’s challenging himself to improve (he asks himself at one point, about his blogs “So, what do I add that’s unique?” and there’s something inspirational about that. Andrew’s a bit self-deprecating at times, with no need to be; he knows what he’s talking about, even by asking the right questions.

Tip: I’ve got 2. (1) Find your passion and go for it. You’re ready. Time for more than a toe-dip in the water. (2) I like the blog theme, but there’s a couple tweaks that it needs, including: more easily accessible archives (how can I find older posts?!?!), and it needs to show me the number of comments on each post. I’d also say this…it’s neat the way the comments work (tabbed to the right of each post) but it does take at least 2 clicks to get to them. There’s gotta be a faster way to get into the discussion.

Blog #2: eMoms at Home by Wendy Piersall

1. Wendy is genuine. What you see is what you get. And with Wendy that means lots of helpful advice in as uncondescending a voice as can be imagined.
2. There’s tons of free stuff and valuable advice for newbies and veterans alike. Wendy’s all about giving back – there’s BlogJolt, a free e-course: 10 days to a better blog, and more.
3. You can’t possible feel glum after reading. Wendy’s blog explodes with positive energy.

Tip: I’ve got 2 again. (Weird.) First, help me master affiliate programs. Please. And second, get into podcasting. I have a feeling you’d be perfect for it. If you’re interested, let me know — I’ll hook you up with something at Grasshopper New Media.

Blog #3: Darren Barefoot – Vancouver Technologist, Writer, Raconteur, Miscellanist

1. Darren talks about hockey. Not often, but sometimes.
2. Darren’s writing is extremely entertaining. The man knows how to write. And, he writes on a variety of subjects, from technology/the Web/blogging to quirky news to marketing and pr.
3. He asks interesting, thought-provoking questions. Combined with good writing, Darren asks questions that make you go hhmm…For example, Why didn’t podcasting get a social network? It’s an interesting question, with discussion to boot.

If I was allowed to add a 4th item it would be that Darren’s Canadian. Woohoo! From Vancouver. (It’s insanely beautiful there in case you’re interested.)

Tip: Since I did 2 tips for the others… (1) Work with me on one of the side projects I’d like to get started. (2) Write more about hockey.

That’s it for blogtipping today! I’m a day early cause I saw Easton and Joe were…

Happy blogtipping!