Each participating blogger is hosting their own giveaway, with prizes worth at least $20. Be sure to hop through the list below and visit them all to enter to win!
Omg this has been a DREAM of mine and I now have it- ALL MY RECIPES in one spot. I'm going to write up a longer review this weekend but I'm telling you, this is something everyone needs!
LOVE IT BECAUSE:
I can save any recipe from the Internet
It will make a grocery list for me from any recipe
I can input how many people are eating and it will do the math for me
It will sync to my android (also iPhone) so I have list when I go shopping
Also sync to my iPad so I can have the recipe right there in the kitchen
Today I was reading "Fit Mom's For Life" book by Dustin Maher http://fitmomsforlife.com/ while outside in the sun and it just felt RIGHT! I started a Weight Loss Challenge a couple weeks ago and the 1st week was GREAT then the 2nd week well I fell off! I don't want to give up though! So I got the book and read 2 chapters, my goal is to read 2 chapters a day and then blog about it.
What struck me the most is if I'm not in the right mind set then this isn't going to work. I need to WANT this not because I want to loose weight but because I want to change my life. Change is scary for me sometimes but I need to overcome that and look forward to what this challenge can really do for me in the long run.
Dustin writes about a 10 Year Plan- create a vision with my current negative behavior. I took some time thinking what would my life be like in 10 years if I continue doing what I'm doing and this is what I came up with:
Fatter
Death knocking on my door
Always in bed
Grumpy with everyone
Unhappy
Wow- really and that is the Truth! So then I took a deep breath and imagined what I WANT from my life in 10 years
Healthier
Happy
Wearing clothes that I love
Being outside more
In love with life
Traveling more
Owning my own business with husband
What a big difference and I won't get to where I WANT to be by doing what I'm doing now so YES I'm ready for change and I'm willing to work towards it.
I'm going to be HONEST...I'm not sure if I was in the right Mind Frame when I started this challenge. The book came a day before I started the challenge and yes I had looked at the eBook but did I actually READ it- NO! I knew I needed to loose weight but was I really ready?
Yes, I changed my eating habits and have stayed within the healthy limits about 80% of the time. I'm still not doing any goodies but I did have a soda the other day- husband brought it home for me. Bless his heart he didn't know what to get me with my tuna on wheat sandwich. Anyways, I been eating breakfast and sometimes drinking the water- kind of dropped off on that but I do drink water daily- that wasn't happening before.
Now the exercise- boy do I find all the excuses in the world not to this! I don't understand either because I felt awesome after I exercised. But life has been a bit stressful/depressing lately so I've been using that as my excuse.
I've been carrying "Fit Moms for Life" around the house with me but I haven't out right read it so my GOAL this week (starting today LOL) is to read 2 chapters a day.
Today I read 2 SUPERB Chapters that did that slap upside my head that I needed! So my goal tomorrow is start fresh and not look back on what I haven't been doing- move forward!
The Women's Original apron from Flirty Aprons is a feminine, yet durable apron that you will enjoy over and over again. The double-layer thickness protects from spills and messes, and the apron comes in many different patterns and colors. The Original apron has long ties so you can tie it in the back or front, and it is made to fit women of all sizes. Sassy, fun, cute and even sexy
My Review
I was so excited when my package arrived from Flirty Aprons. While I'm not much of an apron-wearer, I sure need one. I am a messy cook and could use some splatter protection and fun in the kitchen. Since the word Apron makes me feel like I'm a kitchen mom, I like to call it my fabulous kitchen accessory, or FKA for short. My Pink Chocolate FKA arrived and I put it to use the same day. My husband thought I looked cute. My son couldn't wait to have his little girlfriends over so they could try it on. (Now that he's nine, he's too cool to wear girly stuff so I couldn't get him to even try it.) I love the pockets and frilly, girly pattern. It makes cooking fun!
My Pink Chocolate FKA (Fabulous Kitchen Accessory) is:
The only thing I didn't care for was the tie at the neck. I would have loved to be able to just slip it over my head and go. But, I can leave it tied all the time, so it's really not an issue.
The Giveaway:
One lucky winner will get to choose a FKA ($35 value) of their own! You can pick from: Pink Chocolate, Blue Chocolate, Frosted Cupcake, Chic Pink, or Scarlet Blossom apron.
Giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway starts at 9pm 2/14.
Enter on the easy Rafflecopter below. Only 13 Mandatory Entries. Lots more optional entries. Please try to follow us with Linky Follows, as it is a new tool to replace GFC.
Thanks and good luck!
Okay so I came across a cool post today- How to add Pinterest to your Facebook Fan Page! Woohoo-plus it's FREE! I love PINTEREST and if my fans can enjoy my pins right from my page than a big double WOOHOO! Oh guess what I don't have to leave FB now to look at Pinterest- I just click on my Facebook page and look around from there! Loving this!
It's Not Right but It's Okay Whitney~ We understand this was not your fault!
I was in shock yesterday when I opened my Facebook page at 4pm on Sat Feb 11th to see yet another SUPERSTAR died. They were sure quiet about WHY/HOW but I think we all knew why! Hopefully, when the ME reports come back it will tell us something else besides drugs. I'm not going to talk bad or look down on her because I think we all take a wrong road in our lives and some just get plain LOST! My heart goes out to her family and to everyone who loves this special woman!
Today I weighed myself and guess what I LOST 3 lbs (in 10 days) and I like that! I feel so much better and turning down treats isn't bothering me anymore. Water is still my #1 DRINK- no sodas and only 2 cups of coffee- compared to 4-5 cups. I might not be the mommy blogger with the highest in points but I am trying and not giving up!
I didn't exercise today because I work from 7am- 3pm and I'm on my feet pretty much that whole time running back and forth so my ole body is TIRED when I get home.
Also I found out today it is totally hard to work at yummy breakfast cafe while on a diet. Oh my did I want some blueberry pancakes and some bacon. I had oatmeal for breakfast and sliced chicken-black beans-corn tortillas for lunch. I felt very proud turning down the pastries that co-workers wanted to share with me. I feel so good and I'm sure the exercise, change in food habits, and drinking the H20 has a lot to do with it!
I really appreciate all the support from all the other mom's in this life changing opportunity.
Plus I'm reading Dustin Maher "Fit Moms for Life" book and I'm learning so much. I'll be posting a review/giveaway NEXT WEEK! If your interested in weight loss you will need to read this book. It has given me such a different out look on how to go about it. I loved reading about other MOMS who did the program.
Also you can follow us on the #21MBC hashtag on twitter
Please visit www.mommybloggerweightlosschallenge.com- if you are interested in JOINING March's Mommy Blogger Weight Loss Challenge- email me (pamallen68@gmail.com) and I can send you info.
This show has me in TEARS when I watch- tears of joy though! The VOICES are just amazing and so is their stories on how they got there! I love the fact the judges can't see what they look like until they turn around or hit the buzzer to be on their TEAM. Then the contestants get to pick from who buzzed what team they want to be on. Such a feel good show! Next Monday is Blind Audition #3 so I will have my DVR set (hubby doesn't like shows like that.).
Today I did the Wii Fit- 45 minutes! Dustin's workout is AWESOME but I can't do that everyday. I haven't been on the Wii Fit for about 2 years- lovely huh! So it told me I gained 31 lbs and my Wii age is 59- WOW really Pam!
I forgot how much I enjoy the Wii Fit. I first did the strength training then aerobics (love hula hoop) and finished off with yoga. Some of the strength exercises I did very well in but aerobics I sucked! I just need to get into that routine again.
Water is my #1 drink of choice these days. Hubby just called and asked if I wanted McD's for lunch- Really? I said no thank you and my Lean Cuisine pasta will do me just fine today. I did forget breakfast today though. Had some cleaning to do plus some computer work so went right back into my regular routine but I won't let that happen tomorrow!
I'm still at no GOODIES- which let me tell you is hard but I feel good about it. Last night Hubby made cookies and brought them into the bedroom then asked if I wanted one. I shook my head- no thank you and gave that WTF look. He said he was sorry, sat right down and ate 6 cookies.
My kids are my biggest cheerleaders!
Tonight's dinner is fish, red potatoes and salad.
Read more about this challenge at : http://mommybloggerweightlosschallenge.com/ Dustin Maher is the sponsor for this wonderful workout, book, meal plan I was offered to be part of this challenge.
Wow...now I know I'm living in some hard times. What a big slap in the face to us plus my landlord. Ugh... I hate disappointing people too. In all my years RENT is paid first and everything else is 2nd but this month everyone will be paid late! Just depressing but my hubby won't let me get down and says PRAY ( if anyone else would like to pray for us- please do).
My hubby is getting garnished for the past couple months and WOW it SUCKS. For a family who goes from pay check to check and when they take out $600-$900 a month that is a big hit for this family. The only good thing that is coming out of this is an old bill from before we were married is almost paid off!
I picked up my check from work today and for some strange reason I was expecting more ( I think it was more wishful thinking than anything) but hey it is what it is. I need to pick up more days or find another job.
This is a time I wish we had credit cards to help us through hard times like this but we don't because we feel if we don't have the money we don't need it. But guess what we need a roof over our head so maybe we might want reevaluate the "no credit card" policy.
We will be OK in a couple weeks- thanks to TAX REFUND! It will be a our little shot in the arm we need.
Now let's hope PG&E, Cable, and Car Note people understand this domino effect that is happening in our house. Times like this I really need appreciate what we have and what we can loose.
I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer- just expressing what the heck is going on at the Allen's and this is why I love my blog. It helps me process what is happening and do better.
I still have my smile and I'm not going to let this get me down....I promise!
I had a bit of a detour but I'm back on track! I went through some health issues that caused me to be in bed for a few days so no exercising at all. However, I kept eating healthy and drinking my water. I didn't want to give up because of this minor setback. I've stayed away from goodies and sodas! That is a big accomplishment for me so I'm patting myself on the back for that!
PROUD OF:
I'm eating healthy
Bought batteries for Wii so I can also do the Wii Fit
Not giving in to temptation of goodies even when they are in my face
Drinking water
Writing in a journal
Not giving up
NOT PROUD OF:
Health issue
Lack of energy to exercise
Not keeping track of my points
Usually I would just give up since I didn't exercise for a couple days HOWEVER I'm not going to let myself to do that this time so I'm going to pick myself up and CONTINUE! I'm going to finish this challenge no matter what! Also not beating myself up emotionally helps a lot!
Wow, I was pretty much out of commission for 3 days! This might be a TMI post because I'm going to talk about FEMALE ISSUES- that's what I call it, LOL!
As I get older my female issues get worse. One month I won't even know it is coming and it will be all good then the next month I'll be a bit bitchy (more than usual)but there is one month it takes over my body and I can't function! I'll be in consistent pain and it feels like I'm in a fricken black bubble of misery!
This month it took me down for 3 days. I had to work as a waitress for 2 of those days and let me tell you it was hard not to bite off every single persons head I work with- btw they are all men so man that was super duper hard to keep my cool. It was like I transferred myself to another character (Pam the Super Waitress) but as soon as work was over please let me go home so I can crawl into bed and CRY! Hubby and kids are great during these months- they have been through enough to know I'm not joking I'M IN PAIN LEAVE ME ALONE! I try my hardest not to be mean or cry too much around them though.
My hubby yesterday came to me and told me whatever it takes I need to go to the DR! He is worried something is wrong and I'm sure he is right. A big part of me is soooooo scared to learn something bad is wrong so I don't want to go to the doctor but I need to be around for my family so I need to go ASAP! I'm not a young chicken anymore so this is very important and I need to suck it up and just go! Can you tell I'm trying to talk myself into it! I have never been a big fan of DR's due to an incident that happen when I was young.
Being out of commission is HORRIBLE because I fall behind on EVERYTHING! The house, laundry, blogging, and the other 100 things I'm doing get pushed to the side and boy its hard to catch up. Today is my catch up day! One blog post down and many more things to do! But hey I feel better and I won't be laying in bed all day so already a good day!
Wow this book came in handy at our house the other night! When we got the book my daughter was so excited and read it over and over again. Well last night she was almost ready to hit her brother and I said "What would Howard B Wigglebottom do?" she felt her tummy and stepped back! That is what Howard taught her! This is GREAT book for kids and love the LESSONS that are taught in the book. Both my kids said they could relate with Howard. We have read this book every night this week so I know it's a hit. We plan to bring it to school next week because I'm sure some of my daughter's classmates would like it too. I give this book a double thumb up!
Also on the website:http://www.wedolisten.org/index.html they have lesson plans, games, free books online, color and print your own book, also stop bullying info! I would love to have every book in the Howard B Wigglebottom series. The sportsmanship book is something my son could use.
These books normally are $15 (hardback) but are now on SALE for $6! Now that is a DEAL! I even shared this deal with my school community.
Wow yesterday was a hard day to start a Weight loss Program but I did what knew I could without stressing myself out even more than I was. School Drama~ I won't bore ya with all the gory details.
I've been gearing up for this Mommy Blog Weight loss Challenge for a couple weeks now so I was super excited about FEB 1st! I went grocery shopping and it felt GREAT to buy healthy foods. I didn't know what the food program was going to be but I did some research online for healthy meals and rolled with that. I'm a picky eater ( way worse than my kids- its just sad) but I manged to pull some meals together. I talked to my kids and they are on board! My hubby is on board but he is SNACKER so I informed him that all his goodies (chips, cookies, cake, candy he will have to buy) and he was OK with that. BTW he can snack day and night and never gain a pound- hate him (JUST KIDDING)!
Also I wasn't prepared to give up coffee (quite yet) but I promised (to myself) that I will do 2 cups not 4 a day. So yes I will get 2 minus points but I'm OK with that. I did eat healthy and actually had breakfast (oatmeal and a banana), first time in a LONG TIME! I drank water yesterday- big ol bottle went everywhere with me. I didn't break when I was in a stressful meeting and DOUGHNUTS (all kinds) were right in front of me! Usually at this meeting I would have had chocolate sprinkle and a cup of coffee but I sat there with my bottle water- big kudos to me!!!
I took the kids to the park- so I got outside but a friend was there so I ended up sitting down talking to her instead of walking around- bad! But hey its okay I had a wonderful talk with someone I haven't seen in long time. Bad News~ I wasn't able to work in a workout but it's OK because I'm going to work extra hard today!
I did take BEFORE PICS- (ugh do you know how hard it is to post these!!!!)
Did do my measurements:
Arms: 15/14
Legs: 18/18
Thigh: 27/26
Waist: 42
Chest: 43
Hips: 46
So my 1st day was somewhat of a bust but I didn't give up and continued what I could and I feel really good about that!! I did 82 points!
On to Day 2- Today!!!!
If you are interested in Joining please email me at pamallen68@gmail.com and send me a link to your blog (have to be a blogger) and I can send you a code to get in for free! You can start now or NEXT MONTH March 1st!
Day 4: {Intermediate} Use a Magazine to Improve Your Blog: I did this with only magazine I have at home~ Family Circle and I actually got a few ideas for blog post and FONT ideas. Also let me read my magazine which I do maybe 1 or 2 months down the road. I will be using this tip from now on when I need some blog ideas!
Day 5: {Intermediate}: Monitor Statistics on Your Blog
Need to start tracking :
I need to keep track of: Overall Visitors, Most Popular Posts, Referral Stats, Bounce Rates, Daily/Weekly Trends, and Exit Pages. I set up a Google Spreadsheet. How to make at Stat Book: http://www.kludgymom.com/creating-a-statbook-tutorial-b2sb2b-week-5/ this how I set up my Goggle Spreadsheet.
Day 6: {Intermediate} Make Your Blog Mobile Friendly
I have to work on Apple Icons and Meta Viewpoint Tag Go to http://marketing.grader.com/ and it will let you know what you need to work on! LOVE IT!
Day 7: {Intermediate} Create/Update a Sneeze Page for Your Blog
I'm working on my labels/categories and will go in and add to posts I never added the labels too. If I do one a day I will get caught up soon. I have a lot of categories and I need to narrow them down.
Love With Food is an amazing group of foodies, putting together adventurous tastes for all kinds of chefs, from beginners to the extremely talented! Their website is full of delicious recipes and amazing products. The coolest thing of all are the subscriptions. I received a free subscription for this review, which is a box full of samples to try. If you sign up for the monthly subscription, for a mere 14.00, you get a box, like the one shown below, filled with delicious, healthy samples!
The absolute best part of this is, when you buy a box, they will donate a meal to No Kid Hungry!!!
Of course, I was waiting for my sample box, and when I got it, I eagerly opened it to find all these delicious goodies waiting for me! Of course, my children gathered round, ready to sample with me.
We'll start with my FAVORITE! Spicy Apple Ginger Cider Chews by The Ginger People. I didn't let my kids try this...because they were too delicious. LOL. Also, it was very hot, but very flavorful. I will be buying some of these on my own! From the same company, The Ginger People, were Original Ginger Chews. I didn't care for these too much, because they were really really strong, and hot, and quite overwhelming. My husband, though, thought they were SUPER good. I'm also very curious about their affect on morning sickness. I have read that ginger can calm the stomach. I think, though, that these would be best cut into 4-5 pieces. A smaller bite might make it less overwhelming.
Sahale Snacks- Almonds with cranberries, honey and sea salt. - EVERYONE in our family loved these. It was the perfect mix of sweet, tangy and salty.
It's also a given that my whole family thoroughly enjoyed the Plain Jane peanut Butter Granola from Nuts About Granola. It was, mostly, as one might expect, but with a delicious peanut butter flavor. My kids were very disappointed when it was all gone.
Somersault Snacks- Pacific Sea salt. As per the pamphlet I got in the box: These crunchy nuggets are made with sunflower seeds and toasted grains, making them rich in protein and vitamin E. I really REALLY wanted to like these. I like sunflower seeds a lot, and so do my kids. Plus, it had a really super cute package. Alas, it wasn't in the cards. I did not like them at all, and two of my kids actually spit them out. Even my husband didn't care for them, and he likes everything.
Mighty Leaf Tea- Chocolate Mint Truffle. I let my husband test this, as he is the tea drinker in our house, and, as it's a Rooibos tea, and he LOVES Rooibos, I felt he was a better judge than I. He said that he really liked it, though, it was more of a mint tea than a chocolate mint tea. It didn't taste like chocolate at all, though, there was a hearty, earthy flavor to it, which he suspected to be the "chocolate" flavor.
Stretch Island Fruit Co- I actually buy these all the time, but i've never had the Mango Sunrise flavor. It was delicious. And I didn't share.
(The Somersault Snacks we didn't like)
(the Delicious almonds and cranberries with sea salt.)
Now it's your turn! I have been given the ability to award FIVE WINNERS with a sample box similar to mine!!! Enter to win on the rafflecopter below!
***DISCLAIMER: I received one or more products for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally, and believe will be good for my readers. ***
Today I'm going FOCUS on what I need to do to get ready for this challenge and not be the spoiled brat who wants to eat and eat. I need to work on a Food Plan, Exercise Plan, and what I'm going to blog about.
This is the challenge I'm taking: http://mommybloggerweightlosschallenge.com/ I will be posting 3 times a week about my progress plus I might do a video post too! This is going to be a life changer!
Rules:
MUST BE COMMITTED!
MUST HELP PROMOTE!
MUST EITHER WRITE A PROGRESS POST AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK TO EVERY OTHER DAY OR DO A VIDEO DIARY ONE A WEEK OR EVERY OTHER DAY!
MUST POST YOUR POST TO TWITTER AND FACEBOOK!
I will be posting a GIVEAWAY for his book "FIT MOMS FOR LIFE" by Dustin Maher on Feb 1st! Come back to enter. BTW the way its an AWESOME book that every mom who wants a healthier life needs to read. Look for a REVIEW of the book with my giveaway.
ALSO WHY DO I DO THIS: OMG I have been eating and eating like this food won't ever be around again. My excuse to myself is I'm starting a diet on Feb 1st so I should eat all the CANDY, CHIPS, and SODA, I can until Feb 1st! What am I doing! Sabotage comes to mind for sure! Stop it Pam!!
I/We are using Dustin Maher's Fit Mom's For Life Program. To learn more please visit Fit Mom's For Life.
Mom Blog Society, Mom Does Reviews and many other great bloggers have joined together to bring you a fabulous MBS Daily Flash Giveaway. ONE winner takes all prizes!
Now we (bloggers) all know we have said this to ourselves when we say/do/see things that are blog worthy!
My kids will do something these days and ask "are you going to put this on your blog?" or if they get in trouble its "mom, please don't put this on your blog!" so it sounds like my family knows- I'M GOING TO BLOG ABOUT YOU! I try not to blog too much about my hubby- that can get a bit messy and of course I don't want him mad at me- don't bite the hand that feeds you kind of thing of going on!!!
Well of tho work I go but of course I would rather be here BLOGGING!!
What is Pinterest~ Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.
If you need a Pinterest Invite~ email me at pamallen68@gmail.com and I'll send one :)
Yes, I know every school has bullies and it's something every kid will have to deal with at some point in their school life. But as a parent I HATE IT! I don't want to go up to the school and have to hurt some kid- just kidding of course!!!
My 10 yr old son is being called some HORRIBLE HURTFUL names and wants to go to another school so bad! If he tells on the bullies then of course he gets picked on for that too. He has been at this school since he was in Kindergarten and we have held on because I wanted stability for my kids (something I didn't have). The school has been going through changes the whole time we've been there and now its a whole new school environment- nothing like it was when we started. Different kids/Different parents!
My 7 yr old daughter has this one kid in her class that disrupts the class, hurts others, and takes the teachers attention away from teaching EVERY DAY! She is tired of dealing with this everyday. She wants to LEARN and not have to battle with others to do that!
As a parent of course I want to MARCH right in that school and DEMAND CHANGE but of course that's not going to happen just like that. So how do I do this without being that PARENT that admin and teachers hide from because they don't want to deal with you? I'm disappointed that my children have to deal with the bullies everyday. Every morning it's a challenge to get them out the door- today I lost the fight with Lil Mama- I let her stay home.
I do know I will be asking for some ANTI-BULLYING prevention. Will it help though??? I guess it might be time to move on for my kids sake but then will be it be different at other schools?
What are ways you deal with bullies in your kids school? Or how does your school deal with bullies?
JANUARY'S END OF THE MONTH BLOWOUT!!
THIS MONTH 11 BLOGGERS HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO OFFER YOU $55 IN PAYPAL CASH OR A $55 AMAZON GIFT CARD!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It's been three weeks since you've made all those resolutions.It's said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit, so you've probably already broken your New Year's Resolutions. I say - FORGET THE RESOLUTIONS! Let's have a giveaway hop instead!
The Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop runs from January 21 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to January 26 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Each blogger is hosting their own giveaway of at least $20.00. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs and enter theirs too!
PinkMama's Place is giving away a PERSONALIZED Custom Airbrush Pillowcase from Mr Airbrush Hands (value $25.) You pick colors, simple design, name/nickname.
It doesn't FIT! Just kidding LOL! I've been fighting being on the PTA (we call ours PTC-explain later) all year because I've been Secretary and Vice Chair for 2 years and this past summer I put myself in retirement.
Which by the way didn't really work. I thought I was home safe when in September we had ALL officers positions filled and everything was going great. I got to sit back and be a PARENT not plan/work at/communicate what was happening at the school- I was LOVING it! Then BOOM- Secretary left to go to another school and no one wanted to step in so I was asked very nicely by the Chair who is one of my closest friends- and for her I would do it. Then BAM our Vice Chair had to move- GONE. We were able to fill that position but that parent was put on the spot so not sure how she feels about it.
I've been slacking and not really doing my job- kind of like a spoiled brat who doesn't want to do something. So tonight I will let the parents know I'm sorry and I will do better! I just need to suck it up and hope next year they can get some parents who can commit and stay at the school, lol!
Maybe I'll takes notes tonight and actually write up minutes for the first time this year! I keep telling myself its for the KIDS! My kids love me being so involved with their school and my son says he is proud of me.
Oh WOW they really want me to get out of my comfort zone.
I have a couple bloggers I wish were my buddy but the "hey let's be blogging buddies" conversation never really comes up. We comment on each others blog, google page, fb page and an email here and there but that is it.
Guest posting always scared me because what if I'm not a good enough writer (you know that grammar/spelling mistakes everyone loves to point out lol)or what if my post is stupid. Can someone have blogging low self esteem because I think I have it! Great yet another issue I need to overcome.
Now I'm always OPEN to other's people posting on here- I would love it actually so if you want to ever guest post on my blog just contact me (pamallen68@gmail.com)and let me know!
I've joined a couple Facebook Groups on giveaways, mom bloggers, and yesterday joined a blogging buddy one so I know I'm reaching out now I just need to make that leap to engage!
I do agree that having blogging buddies will help with:
Support
Encouragement
Be a sounding board
Advice- ask or give
Tips/Tricks
Promote your/theirs projects
Blog growth
Being part of a community
With all those points above who wouldn't want a BLOG BUDDY!!!
I got my DAWGS the other day and I LOVE THEM. As a waitress I need comfort, slip resistant, and support because I'm on my feet for 8 hours. I like how they feel and OMG they are so light! I'm looking forward to wearing them at work. Also if I spill anything on them all I need to do is wipe them off.
DAWGS FOOTWEAR also has many other styles of shoes, boots, ballet flats, and slippers. They have something for everyone in the family. I saw a couple things I plan to get the kids soon.
Yesterday I wrote a BOOHOO whiny post and today I deleted it! Wow, I was on a emotional roller coaster and I guess I needed to vent out my issues for all of the INTERNET to read.
Today though NO whiny post but a THANKFUL post is needed! Found this quote and it made a lot of sense to me:
Stop looking at what you don't have and Start being thankful for what you do have.
OMG...how TRUE is this! Last night between breakdowns I had so much fun with the kids. Even daddy got involved- which barley ever happens. Without cable we actually had conversations with each other and found other ways to occupy our time. After dinner (which we ate together) Lil Man and Dad had a dance off- I wish I had video to show you because man that was heck of funny!
I wasn't sad we didn't have cable I was sad because I felt I was letting my family down because I didn't have the money to pay our bills. When I picked up the kids at school they could tell something was wrong and wanted to know if I was OK. I was honest and told them I had a hard day and cried a lot, they both told me everything will be okay and we will get through this- I love my kids!!!
My husband told me that yesterday morning on his way to work (3am) he had stopped at the gas station and was getting gas when a pregnant woman came up and asked for change to get something to drink. He didn't have much but he still gave her all his change. He told me even though we are going through some hard times there is worse off people out there and we should be grateful for what we do have. So very true. I've been there before- homeless and I guess that is what scares me the most- going backwards. I want to give my kids everything but most of all I want to give them stability. I want them to never have to worry about where their next meal might be or if they will have a roof over their head.
As for the other things that are weighing down on my heart~ I can't feel guilty for other peoples actions. They need to own that- not me!
I think I needed to go through yesterday to make me appreciate TODAY! As for NO CABLE- we will be just fine and as a family we decided to change some of our nightly routines and have more family time- also cut back on the cable!
Key Concepts for Today: In addition to writing actual blog posts, watching, monitoring, reading, and listening to what others are saying are important activities. Reasons to be aware of what others are talking about in your niche include getting ideas for new posts, being aware of breaking news, profile building, networking, and managing your reputation. You can set up alerts through a variety of different sources, but the two most common include Twitter Alerts and Google Alerts. Types of alerts to set up include words relevant to your blog’s niche or your industry, i.e. “wedding dress” if you blog about weddings. Other keywords to monitor include “vanity alerts”, which are keywords like your name, blog name, or company name.
Today’s Assignment: Use knowledge from alerts in your niche to brainstorm a new mini-series or to develop a new weekly feature or Meme for your blog. Share your ideas here. You can also share your favorite Meme’s from other bloggers here in the forum. What do you think makes them successful. Use that information to help you with your upcoming planning for a future series or Meme.
Oh I love GOOGLE ALERTS! I have several alerts already but added a few more today like:
mom blogs
blog giveaways
school pta
I added those because I wasn't thinking Google Alerts=Blog Posts, shaking my head I didn't think of that. I have google alerts set up to ALERT me when someone mentioned Airbrush (hubby) or Social Media Manager (me). Now this is cool and I hope it helps with the brainstorming.
As for the assignment~ that means I need to PLAN. I do a WIN IT WEDNESDAY when I have giveaway to do~ which I'm working on one today. TIP TUESDAY is always a fun one to do too! Also would like to incorporate my Pinterest finds in a weekly feature! Okay good figured that out! Now I need a name for my Weekly Pinterest Finds~and what day.
A group of bloggers have come together to bring you this awesome giveaway! One winner will be selected to win a 6-Month Subscription to Blockbuster with unlimited through the mail and unlimited in-store exchanges. Only 1 DVD out at a time.
Enter using the super easy Rafflecopter form below. For the first entry be sure to say that PINKMAMA'S PLACE referred you. Then, just "like" all our Facebook pages using the Rafflecopter form below for a total of 26 entries. You can also earn up to an additional 6 entries per day by coming back and clicking on the daily vote links and tweeting about giveaway.
This giveaway will begin on January 17th at 10:00 PM EST and run through 11:59 PM on February 1st, and is only valid for U.S. residents 18 years and older. Please note this giveaway is in no way associated with Blockbuster or Facebook.
I signed up to do a 31 Days to Build a Better Blog on http://www.thesitsgirls.com/ and I'm looking forward to learning more about blogging.
This week's theme is Assess Your Blog
Key Concepts for Today:
Studying successful blogs in your niche will show you what’s working well for them, as well as topics you might be able to tackle. Look close and see how they implement advertisements or promotions and what their readers are asking about. It’s important to note you don’t want to copy another blogger. Be unique, but allow them to inspire you!
Today’s Assignment:
1. Identify a successful blog in your niche.
2. Take 10-15 minutes to analyze the blog.
3. Share what you have learned here in this discussion string or on Twitter using #SITS31DBBB.
I LOVE http://www.scarymommy.com/ so I wanted to analyze her blog. She doesn't have a lot of junk on her sidebars. It's clean and she has other info about her blog on the bottom. Now all her social media buttons are up on top where everyone can see and its just plain SIMPLE! Also she has a COMMUNITY! I haven't joined yet only because I've had some crazy history with message boards. She also BRANDED her blog BIG TIME! She now has a book coming out and I applause that hard work. But most important she is REAL and I love her posts because I can relate to a lot of them.
I also ENJOY http://www.aboutamom.com/ because she has a little bit of everything. I like how she has Sponsor buttons but also all her sidebar info is nice and neat. There is a lot going on but its organized beautifully and flows very well. She has a "Pin" button on every post and since I'm a Pinterest addict I love that. She has all the information I want on one page.
I have some ideas now and really need to do a blog makeover.
