Bloggy Award

Finish Writing
As the name implies, Finish Writing is a blog that tackles anything and everything about writing. The blogger’s aim is to connect with other writers out there and to share each others experiences.

Visual Aesthetics - 8
The color scheme of Finish Writing leans toward the dark side and it is looking good. It is actually balanced out with a few splashes of color here and there. The header, which is an awesome picture of a Harley, is not really connected to writing but it does look good. However, the ads in the most prominent places takes away from the overall looks of the blog.

User Friendliness - 9
Finish Writing is organized quite well, making it easy for readers to navigate the entire blog. There are sections for the archives, pages, and categories (which is very useful). There are also links to entries which have had the most number of comments and the most popular entries. However, they are located at the bottom of the page, which means that you have to scroll a lot to get to them.

Reading Enjoyment - 10
I really enjoyed reading through the posts of Finish Writing. They are informative and well-written. Even the ones about grammar are presented in such a manner that you would not be bored.

Useful Info - 10
I think that this is the strongest point of Finish Writing. Knowing that the main audience of the blog are writers, Finish Writing really delivers with regard to content. There is a lot that a writer can pick up from this blog.

Overall Experience - 9
Finish Writing is a place where anyone can pick up tips on how to write better. Whether you are just starting out or you have been writing for a while, you can learn a lot from Finish Writing.

Totally Consumed
Totally Consumed is the blog of a human resources coach who is very passionate about his job and his life in general. He “finds joy in simple pleasures” and yet loves to dig deep to find the real meaning of things.

Visual Aesthetics - 10
The blog template of Totally Consumed is quite simple - two columns, with the navigation panel on the right. The color theme is black and red and it seems to suit the concept of the blog just fine. There are relevant photos within most of the posts and all in all, the blog is well formatted to give the reader a good viewing experience.

User Friendliness - 9
Totally Consumed is very easy to navigate, with even the blog rolls categorized into clear groups. I didn’t have any problems with load times and everything seemed to display as it was supposed to be. The only thing that I feel would improve the blog in this respect would be a list of categories, which would make for even easier navigation.

Reading Enjoyment - 10
Totally Consumed contains more than HR topics. And even if I am not an HR professional, I was able to relate and enjoy the posts about work. I think that this blog is very well written, with the readers in mind.

Useful Info - 10
There is definitely a LOT to gain from reading Totally Consumed. From practical aspects to inspirational ideas, one can find these things in the blog. The concepts are also applicable to different situations in life, making the blog all the more useful.

Overall Experience - 9
Totally Consumed is one of those blogs that I would recommend in a heartbeat. It is rare to see such passion reflected effectively in writing. Keep up the good work!

Expired Foods
Expired Foods is about “all that’s fit or unfit in the world of food, recipes, beer, and more.” Definitely a food blog but not your usual run of the mill foodie destination. You’ll be in for a lot of surprises in this blog!

Visual Aesthetics - 9
Orange on white is the main color theme of Expired Foods - no complaints there. I don’t quite get the use of blue for the font of the main posts, though. It really took away from the overall visuals. However, there is no lack of supplementary photos within the posts. All in all, a visually stimulating blog.

User Friendliness - 9
I loved how quickly the pages loaded up for me. Despite the large number of pictures contained within the blog, navigation was a breeze. Some work can be done on the archives - the months and dates seem to run into each other. More so, with all the interesting stuff that could be found within the blog, a section for easier browsing would be good (say links to best posts, categories, and the like).

Reading Enjoyment - 10
How can one not enjoy reading about the quirkiest food on earth? Seriously, I don’t know where the people behind Expired Foods find all the information they write on the blog! The mere idea that these food products exist is enough to catch your attention.

Useful Info - 8
Alright, maybe some of the posts may not be that useful but still, the read is worth it. More so, you never know when you just might stumble upon a treasure in the pages of Expired Foods.

Overall Experience - 9
You call yourself a foodie? Well head on over to Expired Foods and discover a whole new world of food!

Hodges’ Model: Welcome to the Quad
Hodges’ Model is the accompanying blog to the site Hodges’ Health Career - Care Domains - Model. It is maintained by Peter Jones, an “Independent Scholar & Informatics Specialist plus Community Mental Health Nurse Older Adults NHS in NW England.”

Visual Aesthetics - 9
Hodges’ Model has a clean look, making minimal use of colors and graphics. On the one hand, this makes for easy viewing. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but wish for a little more to look at.

User Friendliness - 9
Peter clearly realizes just how much content he has to offer his readers and he has done his best to organize Hodges’ Model. Navigation is a breeze - everything can be found in the right column. Be warned - you have to scroll down a LOT. Perhaps expandable links could be used to avoid this?

Reading Enjoyment - 8
Hodges’ Model is a very specialized blog. To be honest, I couldn’t really understand much of the concepts presented in the blog. Obviously, I am not part of the target audience!

Useful Info - 10
This is perhaps the blog’s strongest point. As mentioned in the previous section, Hodges’ Model targets a specific niche and those within this niche will definitely find a lot of information.

Overall Experience - 9
If you are in the health care industry, then Hodges’ Model should be in your bookmarks. If you are interested in Hodges’ Model, you should visit regularly and expand your knowledge. Otherwise, I suggest you look for lighter reading.

Honey Dew This
Honey Dew This is a humorous and yet thought-provoking blog about relationships written from a man’s perspective. Naturally, most of the posts might lean towards men but I still find the blog an interesting read.

Visual Aesthetics - 9
The blog’s visuals are very simple and I think the simplicity adds to its appeal. The background is simply white and the fonts black and a shade of green. There are relevant photos within the posts themselves so there is enough eye candy there. One thing that would make the visual aspect better is for the ads on the top of the page to be replaced by something more relevant to the blog.

User Friendliness - 7
The pages of Honey Dew This load up with no problems at (this despite my currently crappy Internet connection). The color scheme, fonts, and formatting also makes it easy for me to read the posts. However, aside from the links to categories in the right column, there isn’t much by way of navigation tools.

Reading Enjoyment - 10
Honey Dew This scores big in this respect. Mark Anthony writes well, with his witty lines. I really don’t want to say more - just go and read the posts for yourself.

Useful Info - 10
In terms of relationships and how to deal with the opposite sex, Honey Dew This presents a lot of useful information. Though many of the posts might have sarcastic tones to them, the usefulness of the information is there nonetheless.

Overall Experience - 8
A very good blog on men and women. I myself would be coming back to visit Honey Dew This.

You Are Living
You Are Living is an inspirational blog which covers a wide variety of topics about life. It is a place to visit for those who are looking for the positive things in life.

Visual Aesthetics - 8
The color scheme of You Are Living is very simply - blue and black on white. This scheme makes the whole look of the blog easy on the eyes. I think that the blog could benefit from more visual aids such as relevant photos, though, as it looks a little too plain.

User Friendliness - 9
I like the fact that there are numerous relevant links within the posts. As a reader, it was not difficult to look for additional information that was noted in the posts. I would change the arrangement of the elements of the right column, though. I would also add more relevant links such as the archives and tags.

Reading Enjoyment - 10
One of the strongest points of You Are Living is that the posts are well written and made to be read easily. The content is very relevant but not written in such a way that they come across as too philosophical.

Useful Info - 10
The content of You Are Living is very useful in terms of helping an individual reach within himself and find the motivation to think in a more positive light. The posts have very specific topics and the insights are presented in an organized manner, making the reader glean useful information very easily.

Overall Experience - 9
You Are Living is one of the best inspirational blogs that I have come across. The ideas are presented clearly and you cannot help but feel more uplifted after reading through the blog. It is very highly recommended.

McEwens
McEwens is the blog of a mother who doubles as a humor therapist. Reading through the blog, you’d find LOTS of evidence that she is quite effective at both her jobs.

Visual Aesthetics - 10
The visuals of McEwens is definitely at the top of the charts. The color scheme is black and different shades of blue and everything just blends really nicely. There are also a lot of relevant pictures that add to the overall experience of the reader.

User Friendliness - 8
The blog makes use of two columns and everything is well organized. The links to the archives, favorite posts, and other blogs are easy to find and the whole blog is quite easy to navigate as well. I would have liked to see the About Me section at the top of the page, though. Another thing that would have been good to see is a section for categories. Last, some of the formatting could use some work - pictures and text alike.

Reading Enjoyment - 10
What can I say? The McEwens are a fun bunch! It helps that their mom is a great writer who has a way with words. There never seems to be a boring moment in the blog.

Useful Info - 8
One can pick up a lot of insights in this blog, especially with regard to parenting and family. In other aspects, though, there is not much by way of useful information. I’m quite satisfied with the enjoyment factor, though.

Overall Experience - 9
McEwens is highly recommended for those who want to have a good time while reading blog posts. Even if you are not a parent, the blogger has a way of presenting ideas that just crack you up!

City Pictures
City Pictures is the blog of Mike Ferraro wherein he discusses most any topic under the sun and showcases his artwork in the entries. Caution: not for those with sensitive sensibilities.

Visual Aesthetics - 10
One strong point of City Pictures is the visual aspect. The header and the numerous art within the entries all seem to be created by the blogger himself and definitely add character to the whole blog. The formatting is such that the overall look of the City Pictures is pleasant to the eyes.

User Friendliness -
City Pictures is well organized, making it very easy for any reader to navigate the blog. The links are all located on the right hand column while the main entries are on the bigger main column. I didn’t have problems with page load time either.

Reading Enjoyment - 10
Mike writes in a very amusing manner. It seems that he engages his readers with every post he publishes. Some of the topics may not be deemed proper by some people but hey, the blog has its own target readers who can appreciate the topics.

Useful Info - 8
It could very well be that the aspect of useful information is where City Pictures can use some improvement on. This is not to say that you cannot pick up some useful information along the way but let’s just say that this is not the strongest point of City Pictures.

Overall Experience - 9
If you are looking for something fun and yet relevant at the same time, City Pictures is a good blog to visit. If only for the unique art, I would visit City Pictures regularly.

Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk is the personal blog of Malaysian Indian blogger Siva Chanru. The blog is basically a personal blog which covers a wide variety of topics.

Visual Aesthetics - 8
The color scheme of Coffee Talk doesn’t seem to mix very well for me - orange and blue. The blog could also use more images within the posts.

User Friendliness - 7
The pages of Coffee Talk loaded up pretty quickly. One drawback, however, is that each time I clicked on “read more” for the blog entries, another window would open. I would have preferred to have read each entry on the same window. This only happened when I clicked on the title of the entry. Categories would also help when it comes to navigation.

Reading Enjoyment - 7
There were some posts that were quite enjoyable. However, there were a lot of entries which I could not really relate to. It felt that the content could have been more in-depth.

Useful Info - 8
Coffee Talk contains some useful posts relating to current events and tips on various things in life. The blogger also added a bit of his insight to the news, making some of the entries more personal.

Overall Experience - 7
I suggest additional and more in-depth content for Coffee Talk. The template could also use some work in order to go up a notch higher in the aesthetic department.

Ed Unloaded
Ed Unloaded is the blog of a Singaporean father. In it, he details his life and the lives of his adorable children.

Visual Aesthetics - 9
Ed Unloaded is rife with photos of cute children and other related images within the posts. The header is a bit too big for my liking but the visuals of the rest of the blog are just right.

User Friendliness - 9
The links to the categories, archives, and the blogger’s personal favorites are very handy for navigating the blog. I didn’t have any problems going through the various posts. The only drawback is the load time for some of the pages.

Reading Enjoyment - 9
There were some posts that I could not relate to, but that is to be expected as the blogger and I are different people. However, the posts on fatherhood and children are very enjoyable! Ed writes is a readable manner.

Useful Info - 9
There is a lot of useful insights on parenting in the pages of Ed Unloaded. Not all of the posts can be useful to all readers but parents would love the content.

Overall Experience - 9
I recommend this blog to parents and parents-to-be. The visuals are enticing and the content worthwhile.