It takes a community ... to build a blog

I'm still relatively new to the blog-o-sphere and I'm learning that I still have lots to learn. Even though I need to figure out how to best  fit it into my schedule, I think I'll keep going. It's been fun so far, plus it's a great outlet for me and it lets me connect to others, including friends and family, in a way that I haven't been able to in the past. The good news is there's lots of support out there to help me get going. Bloggers, I'm learning, are community-oriented and they like to connect with other. Many are willing to help newbies like me figure it out. Here's a list of fantastic resources I've found that are a great starting place for me and anyone else who wants to take a dive into blogging. I suggest you give it a try... it can be very rewarding!

1. SITS girls

SITS stands for the Secret Is in The Sauce, but their motto is "the secret to success is support". And that's just what they do. Not only are there lots of good ideas floating around in their forum, but all of the members help to support each other in their blogging efforts. Right now the SITS girls are sponsoring a 31 Day Blog Challenge - and I'm participating in it. Although I am dreadfully behind, I'm still learning tons - and you can too. Sign up to be a member of their Blog Frog community where you can easily get lost in the wealth of free information.

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2. ProBlogger

The challenge I'm participating in (see note above) comes from a book written by Darren Rowse, the ProBlogger. This guy is in the big leagues and he really knows his stuff. Best of all, his blog is full of great tips and information. He's totally down to earth and his material is super easy to read.

3. MomsMakeMoneyBlogging.com

I met Vanessa Brown at a blogging conference I went to a couple of months ago. She taught a class about monetizing your blog. I was brand new to blogging (I think I had just one post), but her class was very inspiring. I decided to sign up for her 7 month course that really takes you from the very basics and helps you to build a successful blog. Bonus: She is a totally "real" person and a busy mom, at that.

Plus, there are many, many more blogs devoted to blogging. I think the above sources are enough to keep me busy, though, for the next while.

What sources and/or tips have you found to be most useful for your blog?

I'm Michelle- and it's official, I'm a blogger!