Share Your #SmallBizSat Shopping Photos with Me!

It’s time for Small Business Saturday!!… I’ve been telling you guys about this for awhile now – why I love supporting other locally owned businesses, and how our plans for shopping small changed last week. But now that the day has arrived {well, tomorrow morning!} – I’m super excited to spend an afternoon checking out some of the amazing local shops I’ve been missing for awhile. {Hey, I love a reason to shop!}

Shopping Small - Yakima, Washington [Read more...]

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Do You Support Shopping Small? #SmallBizSat

What does shopping local mean to you? To me, it means supporting other families right here in my community. It means valuing relationships and quality over low prices and bad service. And especially at this time of year, it means giving other moms in business a boost to help their own holiday spending. That’s why I am such a supporter of Small Business Saturday, coming up on November 24th.

Pikes Place in seattle shoppingMy plan for Small Business Saturday had been to shop a little bit further than local – we wanted to head over the mountains, and do some shopping with the amazing small vendors at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. They have a Magic in the Market holiday event on the 24th, with tree lighting and a visit from Santa – and I thought it would be a great way to kick off some more unique and personal holiday gift shopping. But, the weather seems to taking a turn for the worse, and the passes have been being closed often, so we’re switching gears to shop locally here in town. We’ll start by getting coffee and muffins at this amazing little restaurant that’s just up the road, and owned by one of my neighbors. Then we’ll hit a few of the great holiday craft bazaars in Yakima, before heading to Glenmore Square, a great little shopping mall filled with small boutiques with local ownership. I truly believe that the difference in service you get when shopping stores owned by your friends and neighbors – versus your local Walmart – are worth the small increase I might pay in price. And if I ever have a problem with a purchase – they’ll always do what it takes to make it right. How often can you say that about the big box guys?

shop small and support local businessesBetween Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide. Last year, over one hundred million people came together to Shop Small in their communities on Small Business Saturday – will you be one of them this year too? Or – are you a small business owner yourself? You know that I’m a big supporter of women in business! If that describes you, use the online tools and resources available from American Express to promote your small business and rally your community!

{Disclosure: Photo one from cliff1066™, on Flickr. I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for American Express. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.

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Resources and Support for Women in Small Businesses – #SmallBizSat

“If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready…” – Will Smith…. Are you a mom with a mission? Are you a writer, a crafter, a blogger, an inventor, or a direct sales woman? If you’re a mom running a small business, you know that while your job might be one of those most challenging occupations there is – it’s also the most rewarding, right? I know that while I work harder now running my own business than I ever did in any of my management jobs before this – I absolutely love what I do.

Small Business Saturday - women in business quotes [Read more...]

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Bloggertunities: The Best Opportunities for Women Bloggers 10/18

I know these have been inconsistent again for awhile, and I apologize to those of you who were emailing me saying, “what the heck is up, Meagan?? Where’s the Bloggertunity post today??” The past couple of weeks. It seems like it’s just one crisis after another around here. The latest is that Abby has had more seizures. {You might remember me talking about it a few months ago? She had a seizure that they hoped was maybe a febrile seizure, but it turns out it’s not.} I’ve been so busy traveling to Seattle Children’s Hospital, trying to coordinate appointments between the doctors here, there, and the darn insurance company – Blogging kind of got pushed to the back burner for a bit.
bloggertunties blogger opportunities for mom bloggers

Welcome to another Week of Bloggertunities!

But, hopefully now that all of our appointments are set, and we’re hoping for some kind of answers, I can work a little more consistently. On that note – here’s the newest list of opps and leads. Hope you enjoy – remember to sign up for email updates so you never miss a new post! And here’s my opp that I’m MOST excited about for this week…. [Read more...]

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Bloggertunities

Bloggertunities, blogging opportunities for women bloggers

“If I’d observed all the rules, I’d never have got anywhere.” – Marilyn Monroe

When it comes to the wild, wild, web – there are a million rules. And most of them have reasons to be broken. It’s smart to study, read, and research – but just like when it comes to parenting advice, remember that your blog is unique, and what works/doesn’t work for someone else, may NOT be what’s right for you. And being as fully YOU as possible each week is the best way to be successful – for both your blog, and your own happiness! Enjoy the list this week of opps, leads, tips, and reads. Pick the ones that are best for you and your goals. And then be sure to leave your own helpers in the comments – event sign ups, linkys, hops, tips posts, fave affiliate links – whatever you think might help another blogger reading this post! Thanks for all you do – and have a great week!

Hey ladies – Want to win a full VIP Inner Circle Membership to the new Blogs to Riches Club? Enter to WIN today!

Networks and Linkys

  • Social Fabric: Many of you have probably heard about Collective Bias/Social Fabric – the’re the company that does the fun shopping trips and product post. Not really a typical review, and there are always tons of new projects to work on with them. They’re open to new sign ups again – the key to success with them is great quality photos, good content, and creativity. They have a really generous compensation plan, are very supportive of everyone in their community, and a great company to work with!Networks & Linkys to Join
  • Mommy Solutions: This is one of my favorite linkys to join each week. I get great traffic from it, I love that she features the previous week’s most popular posts to promote them, and whooooo boy – I find some awesome posts to check out each week when I go to link up! The Mommy Club: Share your resources and solutions!
  • POP Alerts: Sign up for these newsletters on the Mom Fuse site – Get POP Alerts – to get updates when there are new promotions, campaigns, review opps, and more. Mom Fuse POP (Post Our Pitch) alerts are targeted towards mom bloggers, but are diverse enough to work great for everyone.
  • She Heard: Are you a blogger looking to connect with brands for blogging opportunities like giveaways, reviews, sponsored posts & Twitter parties? Then sign up as a member of SheHeard today!

Freelance Writing

  • Social Media Direct: From their newsletter: “Do you have a social media tip you’d like to share? Or an online marketing strategy that worked for you? We’re looking for guest posts and would love to share your awesomeness on our site, promote your biz and show you off to our fans and followers as well! Just send in your guest post idea to prerna@socialmediadirectbiz.com and let’s get started!”
  • Examiner: I love the way that I’m able to use this local column to connect with cool local businesses. Everyone wants to be featured and promoted – it’s a great thing for those businesses to be able to share on their own social media – So I have so many people on my “To Cover” list, waiting to be posted about. It’s a super fun way to get to know people in your area, make new connections, and get fun freebies that help you write about local events. Find your favorite topic of expertise locally {I’m a Yakima Frugal Living Examiner} – then sign up to host your own column too.

Money to make

  • Business2Blogger: This is a great network filled with cool opps you can apply for – I was able to go on an all-expenses paid trip to Texas to work with an awesome company earlier this year, connected to me by an opp on this site. Very cool stuff. Blogger Outreach – Join today.
  • Monetize Your Blog: This is a post that I wrote a couple of months ago for the Bi-Annual Blogathon event. It’s my best tips on how to earn an income from your blog – most people can find at least one or two new ideas here. 5 Simple Ways to Monetize Your Blog.
  • Social Spark: Simple to complete campaigns, and really great payouts. Request a PayPal payment everytime you have $50 in your account {or pay a small fee if you have less but want your cash asap} – Love this site, especially during the holiday season. Join Social Spark.
  • Paper Coterie: I’ve told you before how much I adore this site… If you’d like to see their products yourself, and get pics to make it easier to promote their great stuff, get a FREE $40 worth of products until the end of the month. Seriously – $40 off a $40 purchase – how much more rockin’ can you get? If you love it, sign up as a member of their affiliate program too. You get free product codes monthly, access to great deals to promote, and more.
  • Escalate: This is one of the easiest affiliates to work with, and they have SUPER quick payouts each month, at only $25 minimum to get a check our PayPal payment. Sweet, right? Great offers for mom bloggers.
  • Logical: One of my fave things about Logical Media is that the offers they have available stay valid for a LONG time. So that I can get clicks and conversions on posts that I wrote a year ago, that still get random traffic. So great! Logical Media – Make Money!
  • Glam: This is my much-loved ad network. I do NOT suggest ever relying on Google Adsense, since they are known to strip people of their earnings at the drop of a hat {Happened to me, $11oo bucks. Ugh.} But a network like Glam does more than just provide you with ad codes to help you monetize your sidebars. They also have an amazing sponsored post program too. Apply to be a part of their network here {don’t let the huge traffic numbers scare you away- I didn’t meet that when I applied either!} – But do know that the biggest thing that Glam is looking for is bloggers with unique content.
  • Free Product: Ok, this isn’t a way to get paid cash {although one of the tips does include getting real checks…} – But, as a blogger, you have a huge network and sphere of influence. As a busy mom, you have a great eye for quality and what’s cool. As someone who’s online a LOT, you know a good deal when you see one. So combine those things, and use this list to share the best daily deals, and earn a TON of free credit to buy the things that your family wants most. 15 Awesome Ways to Shop for Free. I did this before I blogged, and have even more success now. I was able to do almost all of our holiday shopping last year {gifts, outfits, events and experiences, and food} for almost free, using these sites. LOVE.

Product opps

  • Sample Party: If you’re a member of Mom’s Meet {if you’re not, there’s a link to apply right in this survey} – apply to host a National Geographic Super Readers party for your moms group or playdate members. Learn more and fill out the survey to apply.
  • Twitter Tuesday: You definitely should subscribe to email updates on the Blogathon site – she posts tons of helpful content each week, and my favorite is this weekly Twitter Leads post.

Good reads, tools, resources

  • Affiliates: If you do any affiliate marketing – you might be interested in the new Affiliate Benchmark Survey results. It’s filled with best practices for making affiliate marketing work for you – Great info.
  • Blogging Checklist: This is a really solid basic checklist of things to check for on your blog, to ensure you’re successful. The Ultimate Blogging Checklist.
  • Website Down: Were you affected by the HUGE GoDaddy crash a few days ago? {I was. Ugh. So frustrating!} Young, Fabulous, and Self Employed has a great article with tips on what to do if your site goes down, and how to tell if it’s really down or not.
  • Facebook: Get 100 ideas to jumpstart your Facebook page – this list of 100 Facebook Page Posting ideas runs from basic to more creative – and will help you boost engagement with your fans by mixing up the way you share content there.
  • Smore: This is SUCH a cool site. I used it a couple of weeks ago to make an online flyer to promote my latest giveaways, and it got over 100 views in 3 hours. So cool. This free tool works great for so many things – school fundraisers, local events, birthdays, house parties, business promotions, sales, and so much more. Learn how to make a free online promotional flyer using Smore.com today.

Events & Giveaways:

FOLLOW ME FOR NEW WEEKLY UPDATES!

You can sign up to get my daily email updates – up there in the sidebar – if you want to make sure you never miss a weekly Bloggertunities post. You can also browse through all of the good stuff in the past Bloggertunities posts, and check out my big Blogging & Social Media board on Pinterest too. Have a great week!

If you love it then you shoulda put a tweet on it….

Have a fab week ladies! And don’t forget to share your news/opps/events in the comments!

{Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. But all opps and leads listed are things that I trust, and have used myself. I only share what I love with ya’all! Photo Credit.}

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Job Interview Etiquette for Women

Job Interview etiquette

The Proper Interview Etiquette… If you are looking for a job and have an interview, there are some key things to remember before going in for the interview. In terms of interview etiquette, you need to give yourself the best chance possible to get the job you are interviewing for. Having a good first impression is important and you want to make sure you set yourself apart from other potential employees.

Attire: No matter what job you are interviewing for, whether it is through a staffing employment agency or a company, you should dress professionally. This means wearing business attire no matter what job you are interviewing for. You should carry yourself with confidence and reflect that in your clothing. Since your clothes are the first impression that you make, you should make it a good one. While you want the interviewer to focus on your skills and personality, what you wear will be consciously or unconsciously judged.

Preparation: As you prepare yourself for your interview, it is important to come with the right knowledge and documents. This means first researching the company you are interviewing for. You should be familiar with the actual job and what it entails. You should also know the history of the company, the mission statement and any other information you can gain from its website or other media outlet. You should come to the interview prepared to ask some questions at the end. You will more than likely be asked if you have any and it is a good idea to have something in mind before you arrive at the interview. You might also come up with more during the interview, which is fine as well. Even if the company already has your resume, it is good interview etiquette to bring several copies of your resume as well as a list of references. You do not want to be asked for any documents and come up short-handed. You are in competition with other applicants and you want to set yourself apart as much as possible by coming as prepared as you can.

Essentials: As you make your way to the interview, you should make sure you have plenty of time to get there. It is recommended to arrive a few minutes early and to be friendly to the first person you meet. Usually it will be someone at the front desk and they will often talk to the interviewer afterwards about what they thought. This is a great opportunity to be professional no matter who you meet. Once you meet the interviewer, you should have a strong and confident handshake. You should always make good eye contact throughout the interview. Your nonverbal cues can be just as important as what you say. You should talk yourself up and focus on your strengths and why you are a good fit for the job. It is sometimes difficult to talk so positively about yourself, but it is crucial to do so.

Going in for an interview can be a stressful experience. To lower your stress level, you should come prepared by bringing the right documents and doing the research needed to feel confident during the interview. By following these tips, you are sure to land the job you want.

{This post was compensated as a guest post from Link Vehicle. Photo credit to bpsusf.

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Design Trends: Black & White, Zebra, and Pretty Prints!

“Just because it’s practical doesn’t mean it can’t be cute!” - Laurie Noel Meek of Office Candy… As a professional organizer, Laurie Noel Meek had a super tough time finding a the type of fun, modern, and totally functional office and home products that she needed for her clients. So finally, she did what so many other women do when faced with a challenge that has no good solutions available – she started her own company! Office Candy has seriously cool gear that will liven up your office space, or any kids back-to-school supplies.

Zebra office supplies

Hot this Fall: Zebra print supplies for home and office

How much do you LOVE this stuff, right? Black and white is always a winning color combo – every year, every season. And these fun zebra print accessories just give it a little more pizazz! I’m totally going to have to pick up one of these great file folders – such a sleek way to carry my files to meetings with clients, or even just to Starbucks to work {you know, without a bunch of kids running around the house wild while I’m trying to think….Lol}. And since I’m a bit of a clipboard junkie – I use ‘em for so many things to organize our home! – the pretty selection on Office Candy makes my heart smile a bit.

Office Candy designer office accessories

Life is too short to be boring!

One of my fave products from Office Candy is this stinkin’ adorable iPhone cover from Lilly Pulitzer. I am SUCH a big fan of Lilly Pulitzer prints – so pretty and feminine, yet still modern and right on trend. I adore this preppy color combo for summer – the pink and green are just so bright and fun. And it wears well – My cell phone goes through a ton of abuse, being thrown in purses and diaper bags, traveling, and being chewed on periodically by a toddler. {And yes, I have been known to spill a drink or two on my iPhone before. I claim that my phone is lush, and does it on it’s own. But that’s another story…} A few of the “pretty” covers I’ve used ended up looking worn out really quickly, so I had to stick with my industrial looking black rubbery cover to protect it. But – I’m very excited about this one from Lilly Pulitzer. Two months in, still perfect. {The pic above is what it looks like TODAY, after two months of use.} Rockin’.

Lilly Pulitzer office supplies

More Lilly Pulitzer Products

If you’re a big fan of Lilly Pulitzer too – check out some of the other fun supplies you can stock up on to make your office space a little prettier too! {And, wouldn’t a big basket of these goodies make an awesome gift for a new grad heading off to college this fall?} There are a couple of other prints to choose from too – all totally deliciously pretty like this.

Office Candy

For great tips on getting (and staying) organized, check out Laurie’s Blog, or sign up for her “Organizing Tip of the Day” weekly recap email on her Organizing site: www.LNMOrganizing.com. And you can stay updated on new products and promotions by following her on Facebook and Twitter too!

And for more awesome office inspiration and ideas – check out my board on Pinterest!

{Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary product from Celebrity Baby Trend Expert, Rachel Florio-Urso to evaluate for consideration on this site – Only the best products make it onto Sunshine and Sippy Cups! All opinions here are 100% my own.}

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