Sheryl, you know what I think it very much has to do with overall climate of where someone is...so for me in Seattle its cold and damp all winter and winter lasts a long...long time
I tend not to use my heat much (low when I'm home and off when I'm not, I have grow lights which are florescent so they don't put out much heat, although they do some, and I'm in an apt. with the person below me probably sending up some heat too!) So for me I watered in the way you described last year and nearly lost, or lost several plants, they got too wet and cold. So this year I read somewhere that if its cold try reserving water and it really seems to be making a difference! My plants are still in their winter mode and shivering, but they're not getting too sad looking! And my babies are doing great, lost no attempts at propagating! (it is slower in the winter I think though!)
Serse - I use a sharp knife, I used to use scissors and it just didn't cut smooth enough and damaged both parent plant and cutting! As with the leaves I just set the rosette on the surface of the soil - a little shaded rather than in full light, also if you take too much off the parent plant you do run the risk of killing it, so I keep that in mind when deciding how much to take, I often have to work at it to only get maybe the top 6 leaves or so of the rosette. After a week or so I put it into the soil.
Also in terms of watering, I tend to water once per week, but I don't water heavily when my plants are indoors.
Hope this info helps! I really only got into having my own succulents 2 years ago, I have always liked them but figured it was too much work to give them the right environment in my zone, but they're actually pretty forgiving and so I live in a jungle now! Almost embarrassing! And all my friends know what they're getting for any gift giving occasion
