using eBay to drive traffic to your website

One night my husband told me a coworker mentioned a way to use eBay to drive traffic to a website. After failed attempts to connect with this coworker to talk more about it I decided to try and Google my way to an answer.

Come to find out quite a few articles and blog posts have covered this unique--and affordable--method for increasing traffic to your site. I've read through quite a few and here are my three favorites so far. Keep in mind I haven't read them all!

• Use eBay Auctions to Send Traffic to Your Website -- an easy-to-read, brief yet informative article with tips besides the well known About Me page link
• Using eBay to Drive Traffic to Your Web Site -- covers the About Me, image, and more information "tricks"
• eBay Traffic: You Can Get Excellent Directed Traffic... -- not the prettiest page to read but he does give an example or two, which I always find helpful

Here is a YouTube video, "Using eBay to Drive Traffic," showing you how to drive traffic to your site solely using the About Me page. It has both dos and don'ts and I found it easy to follow and especially helpful for people who learn more by watching than by reading. I believe it even showed some great ways to spruce up your About Me page.




I'm currently in the process of setting up an eBay account for our business and will let you know how it goes! And feel free to do your own research. If you come across a fabulous and informative article, please include it in a comment below. Or if you've used this method or know of another one just as effective we'd love to hear about it!

While looking for more info on using eBay for traffic generation I found a ton of other articles and YouTube videos covering other ways to increase your site's traffic, so perhaps we'll feature a few others in a future mompreneur monday. Have a great week! --Emily

enchilada-style burritos and yummy fruit cones

Okay, so burritos and fruit cones don't really have a common theme for today's food for thought friday, but they are both pretty easy and definitely tasty, so we'll go with that! I'm making these burritos for my brother-in-law's birthday this Sunday and serving with a side of cornbread and salad--if we feel we need something healthy. No fruit cones for dessert--it's a birthday dinner so cake and ice cream are in order. With summer almost over you'll definitely want to try the cones before they're replaced with hot chocolate and marshmallows!

Zanny's Enchilada-Style Burritos
2-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 (8 oz) package Zatarain's New Orleans Style Dirty Rice Mix
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
10 burrito style tortillas
2 (10 oz) cans mild enchilada sauce
1 small can diced olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice using directions on back of box (minus the meat). Add shredded chicken to rice. Note: this recipe makes a lot of filling so use what you'd like and freeze the rest.

In a 9x13" pan pour a small layer of enchilada sauce. Put 1/2 cup rice mixture and 2 T cheese in the tortilla and roll burrito style. Repeat using all the tortillas. Arrange in pan and top with remaining sauce, cheese and sliced olives. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes. Top with sour cream (optional).

Optional additions (included in mix): canned green chilies, black beans, refried beans, tomatoes (optional)


Fruit Cone Cups
1 large banana, peeled
4 wafer cones
4 T strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup each blueberries and cantaloupe slices (or mango)
1 kiwi peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp honey
Whip cream

Cut four one-inch pieces of banana and place in bottom of each cone. Drizzle each with about one tablespoon of yogurt. Dice remainder of banana and place in bowl with remaining ingredients and toss. Fill cones with fruit and squirt a little whip cream on top with a blueberry and enjoy!

An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh. --Will Rogers

add a momAgenda planner to your school supplies list

I have been a fan of momAgenda's Desktop Planner since I first reviewed it on Boutique Cafe's Daily Dish in January 2007, and my back-to-school shopping wouldn't be complete without the new 2008-2009 Desktop Planner in their new leopard print. It's a definite fit for today's that's hot! thursday.

momAgenda's Desktop Planner is definitely the cat's meow, and that has less to do with its sassy leopard print and more to do with it's month- and week-at-a-glance pages, spaces for Mom and up to four kids, and a handy little spot at the bottom to plan the week's dinners. The days have enough space to keep Mom as organized as the kids; I can figure out the best time to hit the grocery store whether it's between the orthodontist and piano lessons or a playdate and preschool carpool duty. Plus my kids will only get pancakes once a week if I plan carefully.

The Desktop Planner also offers Mom more than a simple address book. You've got pages full of favorite websites, space for notes on books, movies, music and fashion, vacation and party planning pages. Plus the momEssentials pamphlet (included) comes with space for addresses, medical info, birthdays, websites and passwords. It's the ultimate tool for keeping you and the rest of the family organized and it ought to be on the top of your back-to-school list.

I just discovered momAgenda's chore chart and I'm thinking that needs to be checked off my list as well. I use their babysitter's notepad on a weekly basis (okay, maybe not weekly but I do require a date night at least bi-weekly!) and am thinking their clipboards are too cute to pass up! Make the transition from summer vacation to daily homework a little easier and pick up a Desktop Planner for yourself. You deserve something new for back to school too! --Emily

please pass the ketchup packet!

I'm not even sure how to introduce today's featured site for wonderful web wednesday. Perhaps it needs no introduction, so here goes! You must visit the Condiment Packet Gallery for what is quite possibly the largest collection of condiment packets the world has ever seen, or as the site says "an archive of flexible portion control condiment packets."

From Arby's famous sauce (packet #20) to Miele Praconi honey (packet #616...I think it's in Italian) you'll recognize a few favorites and discover toppings you never knew existed in packet form, or never even knew existed for that matter! Check out the Cheetos Chester ketchup and Disney's Minnie mustard packet. The gallery is up to a total of 724 packets so far.

The collection includes chili and soy sauces, salad dressings and vinegar. Who knew we were missing out on so many mini-me's of the condiment world! Sadly I didn't see a single chocolate sauce packet. Guess I'll have to continue chugging it straight from the bottle. --Emily

sweet deals for your back-to-school shopping

fashion trend tuesday is already half over but it's never too late to list some great sales going on for your back-to-school shopping. This is by no means a complete list so if you know of some other online and/or offline stores with some sweet sales please leave a comment with the details. Everyone can benefit from saving a little money on school clothes so we can spend a little more on school supplies (No. 2 pencils, anyone?).

• GAP's fall jeans event is going on right now; 25% off jeans in stores and online for 6 days only (ends August 17)
• Old Navy's Stuff 'n' Save is going on through August 21st. This 20%-off event is for Old Navy, GAP and Banana Republic cardholders only, but the perks of having a GAP or Old Navy card are SO worth it! There is a special code to shop online (STUFFSAVE). If you want to shop in stores you'll need the Stuff 'n' Save bag, which cardholders receive in the mail. (I've already got mine!)
• Aeropostale's tops for girls and boys are all 50% off and jeans are $20 off!
  
• Gymboree is boasting tons of new markdowns with savings up to 40% off.
• Express has their jeans buy one, get one half off.
  
• Crazy 8 (owned by Gymboree) always has great prices and tees, polos, skirts and denim. If you haven't visited Crazy8.com, check it out today!
• Carter's is having a 50% off storewide sale in stores only. Yes, Carter's caters to younger children but preschoolers should get to start school in style too!
• Bluefly is having their semi-annual Blue Sale, their biggest sale of the season. Not familiar with Bluefly? They have designer clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories at wonderfully discounted prices (Prada, Gucci, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Free People and Theory to name a few)
• Even Overstock.com has some great prices on designer clothing and accessories, plus with $2.95 flat-rate shipping you can afford to shop online.
• Let's not forget Famous Footwear's half price sale. Buy one pair, get the second half off plus free ground shipping!
  

Yes, this is just a partial list. Be sure and check your newspaper, especially on Sundays, for special sales and extra savings at stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, Mervyn's and Target. Happy shopping! --Emily

The Mogul Mom talks about 'How to License a Product'

I hope you don't mind when mompreneur monday features articles from the Startup Princess website. I promise I'm not lazy (unless it's Sunday afternoon); it's more that I find the articles on StartupPrincess.com extremely useful to mompreneurs and women business owners, so why not pass them along?

Today I'm highlighting "How to License a Product," an article written by Heather Allard, The Mogul Mom. (When not writing for StartupPrincess.com Heather offer coaching for moms like us to help get our products developed, distributed and licensed.) The article is short and sweet and chock full of great info on licensing. I was hooked after this statement: "It is a near-impossible juggling act trying to grow a business and a family at the same time–something or someone, always gets the shaft." Sound familiar?

I found "How to License a Product" an easy read for those unfamiliar with the process (that would be me) and a great starting point for learning more. Along with a brief intro on how licensing works Heather lists a a couple juvenile products companies currently accepting submissions and then gives five steps for how to go about pitching your product for a licensing deal. (The most important is probably step no. 1: Do your homework!) If you have a product that would be a good fit for a licensing deal, I encourage you to read Heather's article.

If you're serious about moving forward with licensing, consider getting in touch with this "Mogul Mom." With her wisdom and experience she is a valuable resource for mompreneurs. Just read her About page; Heather definitely "[knows] firsthand what it means to be a woman, a mother and a business owner all at once." --Emily

my two favorite (and super easy) "green" salads

And by green I mean pistachio pudding and Granny Smith apples. No lettuce in these salads and I highly recommend avoiding the nutritional facts. They aren't the healthiest of side dishes but they are super easy, really yummy and a big hit at summer parties. It's food for thought friday and you still time to fit a few more in before schools starts, so get tossin'!

Mom's Pistachio Salad
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1 (3 oz) package instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 to 1 (10.5 oz) package miniature marshmallows

In a large bowl combine the pineapple and dry pistachio pudding mix. Fold in thawed whipped topping and marshmallows until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator and serve.


Snickers Salad
6 Granny Smith apples
6 regular-size Snickers bars
1 (12 oz) container whipped topping, thawed

Core and dice apples. Cut Snickers bars into bite-size pieces. Toss apples and Snickers together in a large bowl and fold in whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator and serve.

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." --Jim Davis

Wheely Bug, another foot-powered favorite

Last week on that's hot! thursday I posted about the LIKEaBIKE, a foot-powered bike that is G's current chosen mode of transportation...outdoors. When it comes to going from living room to kitchen he prefers his Wheely Bug, which I reviewed in January 2007.

At the time of the review George was almost 1 1/2 and not quite old enough to fully enjoy all the Wheely Bug had to offer, but he has more than made up for it in the past year. G and his cushy bug on wheels has logged more miles from the front door to kitchen sink than last year's NASCAR winner. He used to simply roll forward and backward but his skills have recently improved to include twisting, turning and even sliding sideways (I think the official term is "coasting").

Yes, the sound of wheels on tile gets old rather quickly but the sight of him going back and forth on that thing makes me smile. That boy is now an expert at dodging obstacles (i.e. his little sister) and can stop his Wheely Bug on a dime. If he runs into the kitchen cupboards Mom gives both him and the Wheely Bug a timeout and then she shows G exactly where he's chipped the paint off the cabinets...again.

The Wheely Bug has won the "Best Australian Toy ITSA Quality Toy Awards for five out of the past seven years along with numerous other prestigious toy awards. It encourages gross motor skills "while having heaps of fun" and the designs are perfect for girls and boys. I love that it's easy to clean, nicely padded, and is surprisingly light. And its rollers, or casters if you want to get scientific, are multi-directional so this little bug goes every which way (kind of like the real thing). You can view photos of three Wheely Bug designs (bee, cow, ladybug) and read detailed information here. These little bugs even come in two sizes, small (ages 1.5+) and large (ages 3+).

Though our Wheely Bug is kept indoors it could easily handle some light outdoor use. At under $80 it makes the perfect birthday gift. Just make sure you have a good stretch of solid flooring and earplugs. --Emily

discover your child's language acquisition skills with a simple "quiz"

The Savvy Source, one of the most informative websites about preschools in the country, recently partnered with a gold standard non-profit with rock solid expertise in early childhood education to create a diagnostic tool for parents to discover where their children (between the ages of 2 and 6) are developmentally.

Based on results of this quiz, parents receive a customized list of recommend books, toys and free activities developmentally appropriate for their child. LeapFrog, one of my favorite educational toy companies, is sponsoring the widget that starts you on your way to learning your child's language acquisition skills. You can find the widget by scrolling down and checking out the right-hand side of our blog.

Savvy "loves the tool (as a company full of moms of young kids) because in the process of taking the quiz, parents become better parents and begin to understand what the different stages of growth are for their toddlers and preschoolers." I always enjoy learning a little more about where my children are when it comes to language skills. Just because I understand what my 2-year-old is saying doesn't mean everyone else does! --Emily

new boutiques carry our line!

If you subscribe to our newsletter then you may have already heard about the new boutiques carrying georgie tees, but in case you haven't we wanted to use wonderful web wednesday to feature these fab boutiques. Hey, it's our blog so we're allowed to toot our own horn (or tuba or megaphone) once in a while! We would love it if you'd take a minute or two and browse the boutiques listed below. We think they're all a great fit for georgie tees and even though we think our tees are the coolest things they carry, they do have a lot of other really cool stuff for mom and baby. Feel free to click on through!

Bella Jade specializes in designer children's clothing, chic furniture, baby gear, nursery bedding and wonderful gifts for mom. Love those metallic Mary Janes! (coming soon!)

Fashionistots (don't you just love the name!) brings you the latest in hip clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers. Have you ever seen anything like their eco-friendly yet oh-so-stylish baby bottles?

Madre Gear has a wonderful selection of clothing, accessories and skin care for Mom along with everything you need for life at home and on the go with baby in tow (rhyme not intentional). I think I'm going to purchase the Mama Mio Boob Tube. Heaven knows I need it after nursing four kids. Heck, I think I'm smaller now than I was before I hit puberty!

I love the women's boutique at ThePinkWindow.com. The luxurious robes and personalized jewelry remind Mom to take some time out for herself. Don't miss the children's boutique and unique home furnishings.

Speaking of shopping Great Inspirational Quotes has a great list of shopping-related quotes. Here are my top three favorites in no particular order:

1. "I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet." -- Carrie from Sex and the City
2. "Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase. -- Erma Bombeck
3. "Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. -- Bo Derek

And yes, shopping is definitely my preferred form of therapy. --Emily

Bandelle -- jewelry that's all about you

Because LeShan is taking a much-deserved vacation from blogging our fashion trend tuesdays have been few and far between. I've hesitated to post on Tuesdays for fear I will disappoint our readers with my limited fashion knowledge. Fortunately today's fashion-related site pretty much speaks for itself so I think I'm safe!

A Facebook friend recently posted about Bandelle, a site that lets you design your own custom jewelry. I'm not talking about a simple crystal bracelet you personalize with initial beads. Bandelle's design studio offers a beautiful selection of gemstones, Swarovski crystals, crystalline pearls, and chains. Simply pick a necklace style and then customize it by changing the color of the pearls, crystals, beads or chain. Once your happy with your design, click to add it to your jewelry box and you're ready to customize the next piece. (And I guarantee you'll want to customize more than one...it's that fun!)

The site offers necklaces and earrings for any occasion (bracelets coming soon), whether it be your bridal photos or girls' night out. My personal favorites are the Briana necklace and Sasha earrings, just in case anyone's doing some early birthday shopping. Prices range from $20 to $86 and all items arrive in a black & white vintage-inspired box.

My favorite part about being a custom jewelry designer is knowing the piece I design in Bandelle's design studio will truly be one of a kind. Sadly I can't say that about my favorite necklace from Aeropostale! --Emily

Gourmet Momma's Tuscan Tomato Soup

I have to give credit where credit is due, and an abundance is due when it comes to Gourmet Momma's recipe for Tuscan Tomato Soup in the 15 minute meals category. I have made this twice in one week and both times have had little to show for it...because the pan has been licked clean, even by my three-year-old! It's the perfect recipe for today's food for thought friday.

This Tuscan Tomato Soup is super quick, super easy, and it's one of those where you can easily buy double the ingredients so you can make it last-minute without an extra trip to the grocery store. (You will need that extra trip if you want to serve it with a side of fresh French bread, but that's worth it!) The first time I made it I served it with a multigrain, brown-in-the-oven baguette. The second time we paired it with grilled cheese sandwiches made with a fresh loaf of French bread. (Note: Wal-Mart's French bread is the BEST for this sandwich!)

One fun thing you can do is take one of those small medicine droppers (if you have kids then you have quite a few of those) and add a fancy drizzle of heavy cream just before serving. I used fresh basil the first time and freeze dried basil the second (just discovered this awesome product). Both were wonderful! You're definitely going to want to add this recipe to the front of the soup category in your recipe box, and if you haven't added Gourmet Momma to your blog reader, do so now. Her 3 ingredient meals are pretty awesome too!

Tuscan Tomato Soup
1 jar (24 to 26 oz) marinara sauce
1 can (19 oz) cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
1 jar (7 oz) roasted red peppers (I used half a 12-oz jar)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 3⁄4 cups chicken broth
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional (This is not in the original recipe but I like my soups on the creamier side. It probably changes the WW point value, so beware!)
1⁄4 cup thin strips fresh basil leaves (or freeze dried basil)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Put sauce, beans, peppers, oil and garlic in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan along with the broth and cream. (After I poured the tomato mixture into the pan, I added the chicken broth to the blender first and hit the button for a few seconds. Then I poured the broth into the pan. It was a great way to make sure I got all that yummy tomato mixture from the inside of my blender into the soup!)

Stirring often, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in basil and spoon into bowls (or spoon into bowls and then drizzle with heavy cream and top with basil). Grind pepper on top.

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." --Julia Child, 1912-2004