Hey all, Dad With a Minivan here. Normally we don’t really discuss the topic of “blogging” here at MomWithAMinivan.com, but today I wanted to share something that I think could be really valuable for some of our readers who blog. If you have a blog on Blogger and you wish you could convert it to WordPress but don’t want to lose your followers and all the work you’ve put into your blogger blog, then keep reading!

THE LONG STORY

I started my first blog in 2008. I started it on Blogger because it was free and very easy to setup. This was great for awhile, but once I had built a following, I wanted to be able to customize my blog more than I could using just blogger. (MomWithaMinivan has been on WordPress.org from the beginning).

After time, I realized that what I really wanted was a self hosted blog through WordPress.org (not WordPress.com, there’s a big difference).

The problem I faced is that by the time I was ready to embrace blogging and switch to WordPress, I was ranking well in Google search results and I didn’t want to lose that by starting a new blog from scratch.

So I began researching how to convert my blog from blogger to WordPress without loosing my followers. I talked to a couple of professional bloggers I know and they both said that it couldn’t be done. I was bummed. It took almost a year, but I finally found a way to do it that worked well enough for me.

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE THE SWITCH

I just recently discovered an even better way to convert from blogger to WordPress by reading at tentblogger.com. John, over at tentblogger, is a real pro who isn’t just a great blogger, he’s also a top level coder/programmer. He has actually converted several blogs from blogger to worpress using the method he describes here. He’s also has some sweet dance moves he occasionally shares with his readers.(My wife made me put that last line in!)

I wasted so much time feeling “stuck” on blogger before converting to WordPress that I want to help spread the word to let others know that IT IS possible to make the move and keep your followers and google ranking. Happy blogging to you!

Hi all, Dad With a Minivan here. So the holiday shopping season is upon us once again. If you have kids, nieces, nephews, or other children in your life, then that means it’s time to try to figure out what kids want for Christmas. If your kids are like my kids, they’ve probably been dropping some hints already.

If you would like some toy gift ideas for this year, you may want to check out another website that we run over at www.AllTheBestToys.com. We review toys and create lists of toys by age, category and brand. Everything is designed to help parents find the best toys for their kids. This isn’t something that we promote very often here at Momwithaminivan, although we have been running the Toy website since 2008!

Specifically, you may want to check out the list of the Top 20 Hot Toys of 2010 or our newly updated list of the best toys for 1 year old children.

My family and kids are excited to Celebrate all Jesus has done for us and praying your Christmas and coming New Year are filled with this goodness.

Dads,
Have you ever said something to your wife and then as soon as you say it, you think, “hmmm…. I probably shouldn’t have said that”. If you are like me, unfortunately, often times this revelation comes after my wife’s reaction and not before. So maybe we’ve all been there.

Here’s a funny video that takes a look at this and offers some helpful advice to us guys. The song is called, “The Don’t Song”.

“LET’S GET READY TO R-U-M-B-L-E!!!!!!”

Yes, it’s that time of day again…. bed time!

It’s a special time for those toddlers and pre-school age kids who are old enough to be able to climb out of their crib or toddler bed by themselves, but not old enough to just simply stay in their bed. (My oldest is 4 years old, so I’m assuming here that at some point they grow out of this and will just stay in their bed at bed time. Please, someone tell me that kids will eventually reach an age where they stay in their bed after you tuck them in and say goodnight!)

Lately for us, bedtime can be a battle. We have a routine, put on jammies, brush teeth, read books, tell a story, pray, and good night. If only this was the last time we would see the child awake that night, that would be a really sweet scene.

Except then instead of going to sleep, they get up and find mom and dad. I take them back to their bed, give them a band-aid or whatever else is “necessary” for the child to stay in bed, and tell them good night and stay in bed. Only then to see them re-appear 5 minutes later out of their rooms.

So how many times per night do your kids get out of their room before they actually fall asleep? Answer the poll below and leave a comment on your “unique” or not so unique bedtime with kids scenario.

Thanks to Dad With A Minivan for the post! Stay tuned for more great topics from him and a post coming soon to let you know more about this “Dad With A Minivan.” I’m glad I married him and we drive a minivan together!