Some blogging tidbits

With my new blog in design phase I've been doing a lot more thinking about how I can make my next blog a successful one, and by success I mean more than 50 visitors a day. I'm not all about the stats or the ad revenue but I do want to reach as large an audience as possible for those rare occasions I have something to say.

If you're always on the lookout for some new tips and tricks for your blog then here are a few posts I found super nifty. I plan to reread them and apply them when I'm finally ready to unveil my new site. If you have any other helpful posts/advice/sites you think are perfect for the beginning or even experienced blogger, do share!

Easy SEO Tips to Optimize Your Blog
A very short and simple post from MomDot with some easy tips. This is probably a really good one for beginning bloggers but even more experienced bloggers may have forgotten the importance of a good blog post title.

Get Friendly With Google: Five Easy SEO Tips
BlogCoach is one of my most favorite blogs of all time and their "Grow Your Blog" series is a must-read for any level blogger. This post features five easy tips for helping with your blog's SEO.

Media Kit Template for Mom Bloggers
Sometimes it's nice not to start from scratch when it comes to creating press materials. This is a handy little media kit tweaked for mom bloggers. You can download it from Scribd, and because it's a Word document, you can do your own tweaking! You know often it's really and truly all about your media kit.


What's Technorati and How Does It Help Me as a Blogger?
This post from a mom blogger I met while participating in MomDot's "America's Next Top Blogger" does a really great job explaining Technorati and how it relates to your blog. I'm still a little fuzzy on this one and so I appreciate a post written so even I can understand it! (While reading this one check out Life Starring the Kids & Me's other fun posts!)

Did I miss a recent helpful post on blogging? If so feel free to link to it in the comments below! --Emily

Stay tuned...

I have had an idea for a new blog for a few months now and it's about time I got moving on it. Once we move on from georgie tees (anyone still interested in buying the biz?), which will happen by the end of the year, I want to have this new site well on a roll. To do so means I need to spend some time now designing the site--with the help of my good friend Quinn from CreatedByChicks.com--and planning just how it will all come together. I'm super excited and can't wait to unveil the new blog, so stay tuned for that announcement. The URL was purchased long ago and I'm hoping the site will be up and running sooner rather than later. It all depends on how often Quinn and I can get together for our "business" lunches...

Along with blog plans I have some actual paying work I am excited to do for a few friends. Writing press releases and company bios will take precedence for the next couple weeks. Like I said, it's actual paying work... So with the new blog, a couple clients, my son's 4th birthday this week (complete with a party at Jungle Jim's) and literally 1,000+ photos recently received from Shutterfly awaiting photo albums, my posts may be a bit sketchy. But that seems to be the story of my life these days and you all are probably used to it by now. (I hope.)

You will still find me posting on food for thought fridays--it's one of my favorite posts of the week! And of course wordless wednesday always makes me smile so that's a given. Other than that it's a crap shoot as to what you'll find here during the week. But heck, who doesn't love a good crap shoot? --Emily

P.S. Don't believe me about the Shutterfly photos? Check out the photo below. Have YOU ever received a package that large when ordering prints? (By the way, that box measures about 11"x14"x4".)


P. P.S. If you find yourself wondering what I'm up to when not posting feel free to follow me on Twitter; you can find me here. And if you're suffering from withdrawals you can always read older posts on this site or catch the guest posts I've written for a handful of other sites (see "I ramble on these sites too" on the right-hand side).

I know a blogging secret

Okay, so it's not really a secret since you'll find an entire blog post all about it, but it is something new to me and something I'm pretty sure not many mom bloggers know about. (Or perhaps it's just me that didn't know about it because I find myself constantly out of the loop...could be all that time spent away from the computer buried in mystery boxes, canned goods and old yearbooks.)

Last week @Jet_Set shared this blog post with me:

Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance

Yes, you read that correctly, a "secret blogging alliance." Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? The post goes into detail about how dinner and drinks between two bloggers turned into a group of bloggers pooling their resources to support each others' blogs, in turn helping those blogs grow faster than they could have on their own.


I still don't understand the ins and outs and will definitely be reading it in its entirety again, but it does stop and make you think how you too could hook up with like-minded bloggers to help each of your blogs grow--and we're not just talking upping the number of comments on your posts. You'll find out just what is a blogging alliance, what those bloggers do as members of the alliance (upwards of 13 things) and a few insights by the post's author. You can read "Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance" here.

It's kind of that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" way of thinking...and I like it! --Emily

Image by and[w], shared via Flickr.

How moms are making money blogging

When we started this blog it was simply an extension of georgie tees, a way for us to share news about our tees, tips about being mompreneurs and some of our favorite things, from fashion to food. And I still see this blog somewhat in that light, but as I've met other "mom bloggers," especially those who are making money from their sites, it's occurred to me that perhaps I too could make a little extra spending money for our family.

I actually have a URL purchased that I feel will make a wonderful blog and am currently planning just how I want that blog to work, the vibe I want it to have, etc. In the meantime I also want to learn everything I can about monetizing that blog if I feel it's a good fit. I am definitely NOT in it for the money but if it earns money, who am I to look a gift blog in the mouth?

If you too have been wondering how other moms are making money blogging then you need to check out my friend Vanessa's new site, MomsMakeMoneyBlogging. Vanessa is the woman behind such awesome sites as I Never Grew Up and Utah's Natural Kids and she is one of the most down-to-earth, wonderful, sincere women I know. If anyone can show you how to earn an income from your blog, Vanessa can. Heck, I'm happy to just sit back and watch her on video, she's that cute! And if I learn something in the process, that's even better!

So check out her new membership site, MomsMakeMoneyBlogging. Her intro video will have you hooked and I can guarantee the rest are definitely worth your time and membership. (And yes, she's really and truly that adorable in person!) --Emily

Moms Who Make It on KSL 5!

Though the Moms Who Make It conference took place over a week ago we are still hearing about it on Twitter, most of the tweets now from women excited about MWMI '10. (By the way, mark your calendars for around the middle of June...MWMI '10 will probably take place around June 17th and might even be two days next year!) But just last night we were able to catch KSL 5's coverage of the conference, which featured an interview with Cari Greer, one of our keynote speakers and a source of inspiration for MWMI attendees:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

We were so excited when we heard KSL 5 would be on site to interview Quinn and a few of our speakers and couldn't wait to see if we would be newsworthy enough to feature. Of course WE knew we were newsworthy; it was a matter of convincing the local news station...and I think we managed to do so! Kudos to Quinn, who's idea for a conference all about empowering and inspiring women was such a success that women are already looking forward to next year's event. What can I say? Quinn totally rocks!

If you want to learn more about Quinn and CreatedByMom.com you can visit the site here. You can also view info about the recent Moms Who Make It conference, including our conference schedule, by clicking here. For more info about Cari Greer and Sole Desires shoe parties, visit SoleDesires.com.

Moms Who Make It: One great recap

As many of you know I have loads of excuses for why I'm only posting a couple times a week, one being Moms Who Make It '09, a conference I helped plan and which took place last Thursday. I am still recovering (who knew I could be THIS exhausted) but the time and energy was well worth it. The conference was a success, and when I say success I'm talking about quality not quantity.

Though the turnout was smaller than we had initially hoped, it was perfect for our first annual MWMI conference. But those small numbers did not make for a "small" conference. The keynote and closing speakers totally rocked and the mini classes and breakout sessions were chock full of helpful, inspiring, useful information. The meals were delicious, the swag bags full of treats and the after party full of sorbet, music and even a little dancing.

I wish I had more time to write but I am still swimming in those other "why I'm not posting regularly" excuses like the sale of our home, the endless hunt for a new home, a trip to California and training for a half marathon. Thank heavens one of our backstage bloggers, or "sexy six" as we like to call them, wrote a post last week that does a fabulous job recapping the conference. It was truly a wonderful day and everyone there is already looking forward to MWMI '10. Believe it or not, so are we!

For some great photos, a sneak peek at the classes and potentially embarrassing after-party video (go, Evonne!) check out Vanessa's post "Just What I Needed--Moms Who Make It Conference" on her site I Never Grew Up. Don't be surprised if it leaves you a little sad...sad you weren't there this year. Good thing you have next year to look forward to! --Emily

P.S. You can see a list of the Moms Who Are Making It winners on Crazi Beautiful's site here!

Vanessa, Quinn and I at the end of the conference.
Can you tell we're super uplifted and inspired?

What prevents you from enjoying "me time?"

Last week I had the opportunity of being on the panel for Mom It Forward's #GNO night on Twitter. The subject was "me time"--something all of us women need but very few of us enjoy. One of the follow-up posts I wrote is all about those things that make it especially hard to take time for ourselves. And this time is vital for our happiness, health and most importantly, sanity.

In "The Top 5 Things That Get in the Way of 'Me Time' (...And How to Deal With Them)" I've compiled a list of what I feel are the five biggest obstacles to the ever-elusive "me time." As usual I've thrown in a good dose of humor--it wouldn't be one of my posts if it weren't a tad bit funny. (Hello--humor is one of the ways I stay sane!) So enjoy a good little chuckle and read how you too can make time for yourself even with days full of children, laundry and a serious lack of sleep.

Read "The Top 5 Things That Get in the Way of 'Me Time' (...And How to Deal With Them)" on Mom It Forward.

Related posts I wrote for Mom It Forward's "Me Time" #GNO:

• "Gal to Gal Foundation: Design & Donate"
• "Make 'YOU' Your Number One Priority!"

I can post what I want when I want

And Resourceful Mommy is totally on my side on this one. Her recent post "Back Off, Lit Mag Snobs" had me smiling, chuckling and nodding my head as I agreed with everything she wrote, from the "Bloggy Ivory Tower" to blogging to feel connected. I'm not as big a blogger as many out there so I haven't experienced first hand the "exclusiveness" some bloggers portray, and I'm so done with people still acting like high school that I could care less. Perhaps that's because my blog isn't my business nor is it my sole hobby; whatever the reason I'm all about the frat parties--figuratively speaking.

"Back Off, Lit Mag Snobs" is a must-read for all bloggers, especially women bloggers. And I'm taking what she's written and applying it to my life as it is right now, which is chock full of so many activities/interests/endeavors that writing posts for this blog is at the bottom of my list. Not that I don't love freshly baked--I love what I write about on this blog--but I love a few other things a bit more, including SassyScoops.com, Rocky Mountain Moms Blog, the Moms Who Make It conference (of which I'm co-planning), the sale of our home (hopefully) and of course, my family. That last one has taken a backseat to many things these past few weeks and I intend to move them up to the passenger side ASAP.

So I apologize to my readers if you feel I'm slacking when it comes to blogging here, and I'm trying to ignore the guilt I feel by not posting everyday. Hopefully you will still visit when I have a new post and continue to follow my random thoughts, links, recipes, tips and features. I'm pretty sure they'll pick up come the end of summer and start of the school year. Until then I'll be posting what I want, when I want. Hope that's okay...and if not, I'm sure there's a Bloggy Ivory Tower you can try and storm somewhere. --Emily

Will YOU be Boutique Cafe's exclusive Moms Who Make It correspondent?

I can't believe I failed to mention this totally rockin' conference my friend Quinn is putting on this July. As my kids and girlfriends have often heard me say lately, I'd forget my head if it weren't screwed on!

The Moms Who Make It Conference is THE conference of the year and you won't want to miss it! From inspiring and empowering classes to don't-miss networking and socializing--not to mention some serious gourmet food--Moms Who Make It is THE place to be on July 16th in Utah. The coolest thing is we're giving away the opportunity to be Boutique Cafe's exclusive conference correspondent, which comes complete with full conference ticket (including mini classes), invitation to the VIP mocktail party AND a Flip Video camera to record your behind-the-scenes footage of the event!

For details about the conference, the contest and how to enter visit BoutiqueCafe.com and read our latest post, "We want YOU to be our conference correspondent!" Good luck and hope to see you there! --Emily

5 Minutes for SEO

I admit it, I haven't set aside the time to really think about SEO for georgie tees or freshly baked. Perhaps it's because I already have so much on my plate and the thought of SEO is so overwhelming that I conveniently block out any and all thoughts of search engine optimization. Life is really good this way (i.e. ignorance is bliss but my search rankings aren't).

But thanks to "SEO Demystified: Breaking it Down Into the Basics," a guest post by Holly Klaassen on 5 Minutes for Mom, I have a new perspective on SEO and renewed energy to jump into optimizing my sites for those all-important search engines!

In Holly's post she breaks down SEO into some very basic points, making the process and application something even I could do--and without a lot of time spent on the more technical (aka overwhelmingly confusing and brain-busting) aspects:

[SEO] can seem especially daunting if you decide to just jump in and start reading some of the most popular SEO blogs (most of which assume at least an intermediate level of SEO knowledge). The reason this is unfortunate is that really, the basics of SEO are just that – basic.

"SEO Demystified" covers the foundations of SEO, technical components, keywords and links in a post that is as clear as it is concise. I'm tempted to throw out all the SEO-related sites that are collecting dust in my Firefox bookmarks folder after reading Holly's post and instead check out her e-book, 50 SEO Secrets for Mom Entrepreneurs. After her SEO guest post on 5 Minutes for Mom, I am one of Holly's newest and biggest fans! And as Holly says at the end of her post, "Go, do some SEO!" --Emily

Picking a host and picking your colors

Today I have two handy resources for you business owners, and they're so self-explanatory I can probably get away with one paragraph for today's post. This is a good thing since I'm trying to get ready for a trip back east to visit LeShan and making sure the kids get fed and bathed and tended is a bit more important than making sure I have super nifty blog posts for our readers. (Don't take it personally--if you're a mom you totally understand!)

The first is a list of the Top 10 Web Hosting Providers from Web Hosting Geeks:

Independent reviews of the best web hosting providers. Cheap professional web hosting services under $10 a month; all web hosting plans include at least one free domain name registration and 30 day money back guarantee. Review your web host--let other webmasters know the best and the worst!

The list includes rank, provider's name, features (space, traffic, price), bonus features and an actual review. Top on the list? Immotion. Bottom on the list? You'll have to check out Web Hosting Geeks' full list for yourself!

The second is a tool I didn't know existed but now that I've seen it in action I totally love it! I Like Your Colors from Red Alt lets you put in the URL from a website whose color scheme you like and then spits out the hex codes for all the colors it uses!

It's not perfect (where did #0000FF come from for georgie tees in the example above?) but it will give you enough colors to get you started. Try it on your own website and see what happens! And bookmark it so you can use it when you stumble upon a site whose color scheme you adore. Have fun! --Emily

Add a nav bar to your Blogger blog!

Thanks to BlogCoach, a super fabulous resource for bloggers, I now have a sweet little nav bar at the top of this blog. Just look up--you can see for yourself! I discovered how to do create this Blogger hack from a recent post under BlogCoach's "Grow Your Blog" tools.

The post refers to Beautiful Beta's "Adding a menubar to your blog." The hack requires a little copying and pasting but it's not too difficult. NOTE: I did have to go in and define a couple variables in my template's HTML. If you receive an error message that reads something like "headerTextColor not defined" or "headerCornersColor" not defined, try pasting the following just below /* Variable definitions toward the top of your HTML:

<variable default="#fff" description="Header Corners Color" name="headerCornersColor" type="color" value="#ffcc66">
<variable default="#666" description="Header Text Color" name="headerTextColor" type="color" value="#666666">

You can change the default and value colors to whatever you'd like using Webmonkey's Color Charts for your hex code.

BlogCoach also gives a few helpful tips for changing the look of your nav bar (e.g. left versus right align and spacing). You won't see the nav bar until you go back into your Layout &gt; Page Elements view and edit it by adding a few links. Once you have a link or two you can preview your blog and see if you like it. I found adding a space and the "|" after each link broke it up a bit and added a nice touch, but feel free to be creative!

Remember to download a copy of your template to your desktop before proceeding with any changes. That way if you get in too deep or mess up the CSS you can at least revert to your original template. Murphy's Law says if you don't save it, you'll need it! Have fun! --Emily

Do you have any other widgets or hacks you've incorporated in your blog?

Startup Princess: 22 Free Things to Manage Life & Business

StartupPrincess.com is a wealth of information for mompreneurs. If you haven't yet discovered this site it's about time you did! I've featured past articles from featured women business owners and like today, I'll be featuring many more. Had I attended the recent Startup Princess Academy Conference at Disneyland I would have had a lot of wonderful things to share with you, but alas, it wasn't in the cards!

At least I have some past information-packed posts to share with you here on our mompreneur mondays, and today's is a fabulous one: "22 Free Things to Manage Your Business & Your Life" from The Mogul Mom.

As mom entrepreneurs, we’re a tenacious bunch who isn’t likely to give up that easily. We’re going to keep building our businesses, even if we have pinch pennies, go at a slower pace and do much of the work ourselves.

This comprehensive list features everything from BoutiqueUp! Daily (I'm a subscriber!) to Twitter (you can follow me at emihill) to Photobucket (I have two accounts!) to Whole Foods--yes, even Whole Foods! And those are only 4 out of 22 resources she shares with readers. For the full list you'll want to read her post on StartupPrincess.com.

Do you have any "free things" you use to help manage your life and business? If so we'd love for you to share them with our readers. We can all use budget-friendly resources in today's economy! --Emily

A BlogCoach How-to on Giveaways

With an increase in blogging comes an increase in giveaways. It use to be you had to go to a company's site, opt in to their email newsletter or enter some form of personal information and then wait to hear if you'd won. (I'm still waiting.) Now you can't throw a virtual stone without hitting a giveaway. You can even find sites like Prizey that are virtual clearinghouses for the latest and greatest giveaways.

Don't get me wrong, it's a truly wonderful phenomenon! I've actually scored a pair of Alias Premium Denim jeans and a $35 gift certificate to Cinnamon Sticks. Before those wins I could count myself among those who honestly say, "I never win anything!" Blog giveaways have changed my life (and upped my jean count--hooray!).

If you're a blogger and looking to drive more traffic to your site, a giveaway is a great way to do so. But how do you join the giveaway scene and host a successful giveaway? BlogCoach's recent post "How to Host Effective Blog Giveaways" is a quick-start how-to for getting into the giveaway game. The post highlights four main points for making sure your giveaway is a success:

• Find great items to give away
• Streamline giveaway admin (who knew you could use Google Docs to make your giveaway life easier?)
• Maximize the benefit to your sponsor (this one is super important)
• Prevent and eliminate duplicate entries

Angie goes into detail for each of these four points and even "seasoned" giveaway bloggers like myself (you've entered at least one or two Daily Dish giveaways by now, right?!?!) will learn something new. And if you'd like some additional reading (and prefer to learn from someone else's experience), check out BlogCoach's popular post, "Blog Giveaway Gone Wrong."

It's a crazy, giveaway world whether you're entering or hosting. Good luck! --Emily

Fashion Incubator: "A licensing deal gone wrong"

Though LeShan and I have never pursued the avenue of licensing I have heard the word many times in our industry. Being that we've never looked into this area of business I am very unfamiliar with the ins and outs of licensing, its advantages and disadvantages. And while I'm sure licensing has its many benefits, I found this recent article on Fashion Incubator a real eye-opener.

In "A licensing deal gone wrong," Fashion Incubator's Kathleen Fasanella details the true story of one couple's nightmarish experience pursuing a licensing deal for their product.

I know that in spite of my many warnings to the contrary, a lot of people are hot for licensing deals. In that vein, I found a cautionary tale in the form of a series of blog posts which provides a detailed description of a licensing deal gone wrong. I decided to feature it with the hope of preventing something similar from happening to any of you.

The story of Ed and Rebecca definitely serves as a warning for many of us, whether we're in the confectionery business, apparel business or any industry for that matter. Their story almost reads like a Grisham novel, and you'll want to read the entire thing from start to not-so-happy ending. I found Rebecca's comments enough "inspiration" to not make the same mistakes, and Kathleen's follow-up at the end of the post is full of important insight and sound advice.

I can’t speak to the confectionery industry but in apparel and with seasonal product changes, you shouldn’t borrow money against your house to do it. Proceeds from one season should feed the next cycle of development and production. I don’t mean to imply you should have the expectation of breaking even to include paying yourself a salary at the outset but having a cushion can mitigate a term of discomfort.

I think those are wise words especially in today's economy. Another good point she makes: ask yourself if your product is viable. Of course as Kathleen states, "Sometimes you just can’t know if a product has appeal until it’s launched and marketed." Unfortunately this is often all too true!

If you've ever entertained the idea of licensing your product or someone else's product, "A licensing deal gone wrong" will give you a lot to think about and reason to do a bit more research into the subject before you dive in head first. --Emily

5 Minutes for Mom Ultimate Blog Party--party on, moms!

freshly baked is excited to be a part of 5 Minutes for Mom's third annual Ultimate Blog Party. We did this last year and had a blast, so of course we're back for more. Plus in today's economy, a virtual party means no need to purchase a new party outfit (with matching heels, of course) and pay for a babysitter. We love saving money!

Though this post doesn't have an awesome video or slideshow, it's not because we wouldn't love to do something so nifty. It's more that we couldn't find the time between wiping snotty noses, driving carpool, doing umpteen loads of laundry and oh yeah, taking a shower. But to spice this post up a little bit I did include a photo from when this mom took five minutes (it was more like 120 minutes) for a really fun photo shoot for her stylist's portfolio. See? I'm not always blogging in my pj's! And of course I couldn't leave out my amazingly beautiful BFF and business partner LeShan. And yes, she looks this good even in her pj's!

We're 2 moms with 8 children between us ranging in ages from 1 1/2 to 11. That 8 is made up of 5 girls, 3 boys and a 1 set of twins. That number does not include our husbands, though we often think it should. LeShan and I started our company, georgie tees, in June of 2005 and have had a great time growing the business. LeShan is a fabulous ballet teacher and I'm sure I'm good at something...as a result we have quite a few other projects in the works and just announced we are looing for a new owner for our baby (aka georgie tees). (For more information you can read our post on the sale here.)

Our blog has a mix of everything: mompreneur tips, health and fitness guides, fashion trends, recipes and sites we love. Feel free to browse all you like; we'd love it even more if you comment. If you leave us a comment on this post, please include a link to your blog or site if you have one so we can come on over to party with you! Party on, moms! It's 5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party! --Emily

"How to Make T.I.M.E. Work for You"

Making time work for me is something in which I'm definitely interested, especially as a mom and business owner. For today's mompreneur monday I wanted to share with you a wonderful workshop Tara McCausland, a Twitter--and now IRL--friend of mine (@myjoyquest--what a fabulous name!) from Joy Quest Coaching is teaching this week. Unfortunately it is an "offline" workshop and held here in Utah, but if you're within driving distance of Mapleton I highly recommend you make the time to attend. The workshop is free and promises to be fabulous. I'm all for anything that helps restore a bit of sanity to my harried life!

Here is the info:

LADIES!

Are you feeling hurried and harried? Come join us for a free workshop on Life Balance and Time Management titled How to Make T.I.M.E. Work for You next week on Thursday, March 19 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm in Mapleton (address and directions below).

The workshop will be geared toward a female audience, but anyone who is interested is welcome to attend.

We'll be discussing how and why to:

PLAN and PRIORITIZE effectively
INVEST in yourself
Make BOUNDARIES with family, friends, and co-workers
ELIMINATE guilt from your life

Refreshments will be served after the presentation. Please RSVP to tara@myjoyquest.com by March 18th if you're interested in attending. Hope to see you there!

Tara McCausland
Joy Quest - Life/Success Coach
myjoyquest.com
801.979.6244

Location
The Croshaw Lodge
1255 S. 1000 E.
Mapleton, UT 84664

Note: The mapquest directions are excellent, but they are currently doing construction on the 2nd Springville exit which is the one you typically take. Instead take the 1st Springville exit, continue on main street until the road forks to the right. Follow the directions as written after that. The Lodge is located behind the Croshaw residence.

I wish I could attend but already have a commitment that night. If any of you are planning on going, please take notes for me! For those in the Salt Lake area who want to carpool, leave a comment below with an email so others can contact you in case they'd like to carpool as well. You could make it a girls night out!

Feel free to email this info to friends and family who might be interested in attending. Tara would also love to have you Twitter about it, post it on Facebook...whatever you can do to spread the word. It is a very timely and important workshop for all of us women, business owners or not! --Emily

Who does the ironing in your home?

This mompreneur spent last night ironing close to 15 of her husband's shirts because he "had nothing to wear" (yeah, right--he just had no clue how to iron) and then most of today trying to catch up on a long to-do list. Hence, no mompreneur monday post. But sometimes that's what a mompreneur has to do--put aside what she wants to do and focus on what she has to do. Sigh...

I'm off to get more done so I have time to write tomorrow's post later this evening. Let's just hope my husband can find at least one pair of clean socks otherwise he'll have no clean socks for work tomorrow since he's long forgotten how to do laundry... --Emily

Proximidade Award: it's all about spreading the love!

Today's mompreneur monday post is short and sweet: spread the love. When you support other women in business, whether it's a shout-out on your blog, some much needed advice or mentoring, an act of service in time of need, anything that helps make the road to success a little bit easier is what I call spreading the love. When you help spread a little love I guarantee it will come back to you tenfold; it may not be immediate but it will happen.

Speaking of spreading the love, my friend Stephanie over at Bondville sent a little love our way in her recent post "Cool Websites: Proximidade Award." Bondville received the Proximidade Award, which "is all about community - sharing, celebrating others, and commending those who are building something special online." Bondville received the award from KidStyleFile and she in turn bestowed it upon us and seven other fantastic sites. (You'll have to read her post for the full list.) Thank you, Steph, for nominating us for the award!

Here is the official statement about the award:

These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!"

We are more than happy to send some attention to our favorite blogs!

Official rules for recipients of the award: This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog. Here are the blogs we feel are all about community--and spreading the love, of course:

• Boutique Cafe -- Yes, I am a bit biased since I write for the site but Daria is one of the most amazing women I know. BC is all about community and friendship.
• MomDot -- Another great community for moms and mom bloggers. The posts on this blog make me smile, cry, swear and occasionally wet my pants. Thanks, girls!
• Z Recommends -- This is my one-stop source for the latest reviews, news, comings and goings in the world of parenting. The ZRecs network is all about family.
• NieNie Dialogues -- No explanation necessary...
• c jane enjoy it-- If you've followed the story of Stephanie Nielsen and her family (see NieNie Dailogues above) then you know all about this blog and I'm sure love it just as much as I do.
• StartupPrincess -- One of my favorite sites for women in business. With all the Fairy Godmothers and Startup Princesses, it feels like you're part of a royal family!
• Mom It Forward -- This site is all about moms giving service. Now THAT'S spreading some serious love!
• A Mom in Red High Heels -- I love Tammy and I love her blog. It's all about helping moms look and feel their best. Gotta love that!

Every one of these sites is stellar and worth a moment or two of what I know is your very precious time. Thank you again to Stephanie over at Bondville for the award. Now it's our turn to spread some love. Please help us do so by visiting the sites we've nominated. Sometimes it's more important to be a visitor than to count your (unique) visitors... --Emily

This maven helps moms realize their entrepreneurial potential

Many of us (yes, I'm talking about me) wouldn't be where we are in our business without the help of fellow mompreneurs. One woman "helping moms get down to business" is Jill Salzman, a.k.a. The Momtrepreneur Maven.

Jill's first startup company was a lemonade stand at age six. Since then she's started various media companies including two magazines and music media company Paperwork Media. That was all before Jill's "biggest professional achievement to date: giving birth to a baby girl." Not surprisingly it wasn't long (only two months) before she started her next business, The Bumble Brand. That in turn led to the creation of other successful ventures. During this time of motherhood and mompreneurship Jill discovered many moms who had fabulous ideas of their own but didn't have the resources (time, help, experience) to launch their businesses.

That is when Jill became The Momtrepreneur Maven, a mom business owner with a mission of "helping other Mommies realize their full potential." Her blog features posts about successful mompreneur-owned businesses and all kinds of wonderful business-related advice. But it's not all work and no play; she also features recipes, craft ideas and a variety of less-business-more-mom posts.

But Jill doesn't just write about what you can do to get your business off the ground. She also wants to help! She offers one-on-one consulting, publicity and promotional services, product research, help with branding and social media and even a "Momtrepreneur Motivation Pacakge," which includes "legal logistics, business basics, web appearance, blogging, graphic design, photography and other aspects that every business needs." Now THAT is the mother of all mompreneur consulting services!

Some of The Momtrepreneur Maven is still a work in progress, but overall it's a very impressive site considering it's only been up and running since December 2008. Of course, having learned more about Jill, I'm not surprised. I can't wait to see what this maven does in the mompreneur world! --Emily

Missed BlissDom 09? Here's a great recap!

When I first heard about BlissDom 09 I felt like I didn't really need to go since blogging wasn't my main focus. Though I write for Boutique Cafe and Polliwogged, I am just one of a few contributing writers. And freshly baked is simply an extension of georgie tees. But the closer it got to BlissDom '09 and the more I saw my Twitter friends tweeting about it, the more I wished I had heard about it sooner, made the effort to find a few babysitters, booked a flight and attended one of the best women's blogging/networking/socializing conferences ever. I have already put BlissDom '10 on my list of must-do things for next year!

For those of us who didn't attend, today's mompreneur monday features a fantastic post from BlogCoach highlighting Ten Take-Away Tips from BlissDom 09. (The post makes me feel like I kind of had my own personal note-taker at the conference.) It's a wonderful wrap-up of what I'm sure was an information-packed (and party-packed) event. Though you really must read all ten tips, here are my three favorites:

• Community isn't just a bonus aspect of blogging; it is CENTRAL to blogging.
• Carrying an "idea book" allows you to jot down post ideas before you forget them.
• It's completely okay not to post every day.

I especially love that last one. Bloggers, including myself, often feel a great amount of pressure to post every day, but sometimes life happens and blog posts don't happen. I know I've been there and felt guilty all day for not posting. I will no longer do so!

If you want to read more about BlissDom '09 and all the fabulous information gained by attendees, just do a search and you'll find a plethora of posts about the conference. BlissDom '09 has come and gone but it's not too early to look ahead to next year. Hope to see you there! --Emily

mom blogs can make money? really?!?

According to"Mom Blogs and Making Money," a recent post by Trisha from MomDot, yes they can, which is great news for a lot of blogging moms. On one hand you have the moms who've been blogging for a while, still waiting for their first AdSense payment. On the other you have moms toying with the idea of starting a blog, wondering if it could really pay for their child's college tuition. (By the way, unless you're super famous that probably won't happen.)

But blogger beware. Starting or even continuing to blog with the sole purpose of making money is quite possibly the biggest mistake you can make:

If you totally encompass your blog with making money, when your adsense rolls in to be about 1 penny a month, you’re going to cry yourself to sleep at night. That leads to poor morale and you will quit before you started. Right? Right.

The article goes on to talk about three very important steps a mom blogger must take in order to achieve achieve a measure of financial success with her blog:

1. Have a goal
2. Build good content, build a following and market your blog
3. Market yourself, not your blog

The first step sounds simple, but it's not as simple as it looks. What really is your goal? What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? And steps two and three require a lot of work on your part. Fortunately Trisha goes into detail about the different ways you can market your blog and get the word out about you and your content. "Mom Blogs and Making Money" is a must-read for all bloggers regardless if you have offspring or not. I'd even suggest reading through it two or three times. I've read through it once and still have much to learn from Trisha's post.

"Mom Blogs and Making Money" is a wonderful guide even if you've been blogging for years. It's also a great action plan and source of hope for those of us still wondering if our writing will ever do more than take up space on a page! --Emily

101 posts for your blog

Though I have quite a stash of bookmarked sites ready and waiting for our blog, a day will come when I've run out of ideas. If you're a blogger, mom or not, this same scary thought may have crossed your mind as well. Have no fear! Mom Bloggers Club is here!

In "101 Post Ideas for Your Mom Blog" Jennifer James of Mom Bloggers Club compiles a list of 101 statements, thoughts and questions aimed at getting your creative posting juices flowing. Being a mom we often suffer from that whole mommy brain thing where all coherent thoughts somehow unexplicably disappear. When you're having such a moment you can browse through Jennifer's lis; I guarantee at least one or two items will get you thinking...and then get you writing.

Browsing the list I found at least three ideas out of the first ten that beg to be written. I can only imagine how many I'll find as I read through all 101! Yes, mom bloggers have many life experience from which to draw but sometimes those same life experiences are what sap our brain of its usefulness. When those times hit--and they will, trust me--you can read through Jennifer James' "101 Post Ideas for Your Mom Blog." It will get you over that writer's block in no time! --Emily

P.S. The answer to #37? The mailman...and I plead the 5th as to why...

learning from mistakes

Whether it's life or business one thing you must try to do is learn from your mistakes. If you don't you will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again, which ends up being no fun for anyone and can often be costly--and not just for business owners.

I have found mompreneurs to be one of the most supportive groups of women out there. Many of us believe strongly we are all in this together and try to help each other out as often as we can. One way to do so is to let others learn from our mistakes rather than making the same mistakes themselves. An example is this recent post from Savor the Success founder, Angela.

In "My debacle with a Big Name corporate client" Angela shares with readers about her experience with a corporate client and the lack of a purchase order. When all was said and done her company never received payment because the company claimed they never ordered product--and Angela had no way to prove they did because no purchase order existed. She took what she learned from this experience and has since implemented five major steps when it comes to securing orders from customer. You will have to read her story to learn just what those five things are--and learn how to avoid making the same costly mistake.

It's painful to make mistakes and painful to watch others make mistakes. Perhaps that's why moms rely so much on each other for support; it's hard to watch your children make the same mistakes you did. The same goes for business. Those of us who've learned a lesson or two should be willing to share their experience and insight so others can avoid making similar mistakes. Yes, learning from mistakes is a good thing but sometimes not making the mistake in the first place is even better.

Have you learned from someone else's experience? Have you shared what you've learned with others? We would love to hear your thoughts! --Emily

almost better than an SNL skit

What's hot for today's that's hot! thursday? It's the buzz about the recent interview with Vallese from the CPSC regarding the CPSIA. If you've been keeping an eye on the CPSIA issue via blog posts, news headlines or even Twitter than you've probably already heard about the "enlightening" WBAL TV interview with Vallese, (former) spokeswoman for the CPSC. If you haven't watched it yet, it's a must-see for even those not involved in the CPSIA issue.

After you've watched the video, perhaps you can tell me if I'm wrong when I say Vallese never really answered any of the questions asked during the interview. She talked and talked and talked but never said anything. She went from stating resellers of used children's products don't need to worry about testing to saying in not so many words (actually, many, many, many words) that testing may be the only way for a business owner to have the "level of confidence" she needs to sell those used products. By the way, the phrase for the day is "level of confidence" so wonderfully utilized throughout the second half of Vallese's interview.

I just wanted to say thank you to Vallese for clarifying the CPSIA for me. Now everything is crystal clear: The CPSC is just as confused as I am about the new legislation. Just as entertaining as the uncut interview are the various blog posts from those same "mommy bloggers" Vallese referred to so affectionately in her interview. You will find of my favorites listed below. Perhaps SNL should consider having Vallese host an upcoming show...

• National Bankruptcy Day: Alert the media! The CPSC has a sense of humor (love the "transcript" from the interview)
• From Cribs to Car Keys: When Will They Learn...
• MomDot: CPSIA Insults Mommy Bloggers (a little PG-13 but worth the read)
• Business Is Personal: CPSC's Vallese interview review re: CPSIA

This is probably the first day in a long time I've smiled when talking about the CPSIA. Hopefully it won't be the last time. Better laughing than crying, right?!?! --Emily

the power of a good nap

You've noticed by now that our usually daily posts are turning into 3-day-a-week posts. This mompreneur is finding herself busier than usual and more tired than ever, so some things have been removed from the daily to-do list. Hopefully with some sleep and some time management I'll be back on schedule but until then I will try and post whenever my time (i.e. kids, work, messy house, other commitments) allows.

Today's mompreneur monday moment is simply this: when you find you're being a far from stellar mom due to lack of sleep (late nights at the in-laws and sick kids will do that to you) and you can't focus on work because your mind is pretty much mush, take a nap. That's exactly what this mompreneur is going to do right now.

Anyone else a big fan of the nap? It's this mom's favorite timeout. What's yours? --Emily

and the survey says...

I don't mind filling out surveys. It's a great way to provide a company feedback on my shopping experience or my healthcare provider on the type of service I received at my last visit. I've also helped college students gather information for a class project and fellow websites decide which new products to carry.

Many of the surveys I've filled out have been hosted/created by SurveyMonkey.com and I've always been impressed with their simple yet easy-to-navigate design. With the new year just beginning I thought it the perfect time to feature SurveyMonkey on mompreneur monday. As a business owner you may be looking to change up your product line, improve your customer service or just find out what type of customers frequent your site or business. Using an online survey is an easy and affordable way to do so.

SurveyMonkey launched in 1999 and is an online tool that allows anyone (no experience necessary) to create their own surveys. The process is quick and easy and the feedback is priceless. Apparently more than 80% of the Fortune 100 use SurveyMonkey, so you're in good company! Here are just a sampling of the great features of SurveyMonkey's surveys:

• Various types of questions, from multiple choice to rating scales to open-ended text.
• Over 50 survey templates
• Support for any language
• Custom themes
• Ability to validate responses

SurveyMonkey has a few video tutorials to get you started. Membership is free and the pricing fits just about any budget--including those of us with no budget at all! If you want to find out what your customers really think about your business, all you need to do is ask, and SurveyMonkey will help you do just that. --Emily

Boutique Up! Daily: the dos and don'ts of pitching to retailers

I love Boutique Up! Daily (BUD for short), and if you aren't a subscriber you really ought to be, especially if you are a business owner looking to place product or a retailer looking to add product. We posted about BUD back in September ("do you BUD?"), so if you're not familiar with it, read up!

For today's mompreneur monday feature I wanted to highlight this great little post from Boutique Up! Daily, which I think all women business owners will find helpful. In "What Retailers Want When You Pitch" Lisa gives readers a little taste of what will soon be a full article on a very important subject: pitching your product to retailers. Lisa spoke with several retailers about the did and didn't like when being pitched new products and the result is this post, a short yet very sweet list of do's and don'ts for us business owners.

What to do? Arrive prepared with line sheets, photos and pricing in hand. What not to do? Act like you have no competition or actually be unaware of your competition. And that is just a taste of the great advice in this post. I can't wait to see the full article in January! You won't want to miss it so be sure and subscribe to Boutique Up! Daily before then! --Emily