These are the tools I used and I recommend them highly. This page will be updated from time time.
Google Blogger
As you probably know, this blog is based on blogger. Although many people will tell you that it's much better to use WordPress and self-hosting, that can be too costly for a beginner.
Try blogger, then upgrade to WordPress and self-hosting once you have saved enough money, or earn enough from AdSense or affiliate marketing.
Google Blogspot template
This blog is using Polar template. I like this template because it allows you to add the necessary pages like Privacy Policy at the bottom of the blog. You can get it here.
H-Supertools
This was created by a Mr Hassan, a successful blogger. He created some cool tools for bloggers to use; I find his Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions generator especially useful for newly setup blogs. You can go to his link here.
Social Plugin