Blogging Resources

How Busy Moms Use Skype to be More Productive

“All one needs is a computer, a network connection, and a bright spark of initiative and creativity to join the economy.” – Don Tapscott… My life has changed so dramatically in the past couple of years. The switch from a fast-paced job in retail management, to the even faster-paced life of a work-at-home mom has brought a lot of unique challenges. While the unpredictable nature of the work I do makes it tough to create a daily schedule, I do my best to keep up with consistent routines. I build in time for snacks, naps, housekeeping, and of course – working. And, with all of the awesome technology that exists, I’m able to work almost anywhere that my busy day takes me…

“The phrase ‘working mother’ is redundant.” – Jane Sellman

I usually get up with the sun – I start my day around 6am, grab a BIG cup of coffee, and head out to the patio with my laptop to start working. I check emails for anything urgent, then get out my planner to see what I have scheduled for the day. I try to do as much of my serious working as I can in the morning before the kids are up – things like phone calls, articles to write, or Skype chats with potential partners. Abby’s afternoon naps are kind of sporadic, so I can’t count on nap time to be a quiet time. And it can get awkward trying to have a phone call with a brand rep while you have a toddler screaming for another cookie in the background. {I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, right? Ah, the joys of motherhood.} Once the kiddos get up, I take a break to get them all dressed, fed, and set up with an activity – like a cartoon, puzzles, or coloring. I love that I finally splurged on a new laptop – so that as we move into summer afternoons, I can work on the patio while I keep an eye on the kids in the pool, or pack it up to take with me when we head to the park. Between blogging, freelance writing, campaign projects, and my social media addiction – I’m connected pretty much 24/7 by either computer or my iPhone. Crazy, I know.

Productivity Tools for Busy Moms

Since I’m online so much, most of the tools that I use each day to help me stay on track are techy-type solutions – I love, love, LOVE using Google Calendar to manage my family’s schedules. I use Mint.com to help me track my spending and keep good records. I couldn’t live without all of the amazing apps on my iPhone. And, when it comes to keeping in touch with business contacts – Skype is a lifesaver for me! We use Skype to connect with our extended family that live far away – {Abby loves to chat with her Papa} – and I just love the ability to get time face-to-face with people, instead of just speaking over the phone. I’m definitely a people person, so using Skype is a perfect solution for me. And when you’ve got a group of people who need to run a project together, there is just nothing better than getting them all together on a Skype group chat to bounce ideas off of each other. Crazy how productive those can get. So – if you’re ready to give Skype a try, here are a few tips for a successful chat:

Connection: Obviously you need access to the internet to use Skype – but you also need to make sure you’ve got a connection that’s high speed enough that you’re chat can be smooth and seamless. A slow connection can make your call really choppy and frustrating.
Location: You want to set up your computer in a quiet location, without a lot of background noise. If possible, find a room with good natural light – maybe near a window. Try to have a “clean” background without a ton of clutter, so that it’s not distracting the attention away from what you have to say.
Appearance: Ok – I Skype in my pajamas with no make-up all the time when talking to my family or friends. But if it’s business time – even with my blogging buddies – I bump it up a notch. The camera can kind of wash you out, so make sure to add a little blush and lip gloss. Some eyeliner and mascara will help your eyes stand out better on the screen too. Find a top in a solid color or small print, and a couple of great accessories. Not only will you look better on the Skype screen – but you’ll feel more confident too.

Once you think you’ve got these all down – practice! If you’re planning your first Skype chat as an interview or business connection, I totally recommend trying it out a couple of times with friends first, to make sure your volume settings are good, the lighting looks great, and your equipment all works fine. Don’t worry – a couple of times using Skype, and you’ll be a pro!

It’s time to say more and stay human. It’s time for Skype.

{Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Skype via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Skype. Photo credit by Anastassia.}

Free Corporations for First Time Entrepreneurs #eminutes

eMinutes is on a mission to help 500 entrepreneurs form companies for free… If you are a first-time entrepreneur in California or New York, and you have a passion for your business, then they would love to learn about your business, and help you give it a boost. And when they say free, they mean FREE – they are even paying for your state filing fees. This pretty much rocks.

This Week In Startups Sizzle from Jeff Unger on Vimeo.

So who is Jeff Unger, the guy giving this all away free?

Jeff Unger is a graduate of Babson College where he was awarded the Economics Letter of Achievement. Then in 1997, he founded eMinutes, a corporate law firm that forms corporations and LLCs for some pretty awesome people – like A-list movie stars, Grammy award-winning musicians, and athletes. Jeff is admitted to practice in both California and New York – giving him the ability to split time between Los Angeles and Manhattan, and help entrepreneurs on both coasts.

Why is he giving this away for free?

Jeff explains “I had the idea to form free corporations for 500 first-time entrepreneurs. I thought it was a great way to build my brand and to meet some really interesting people, but I had no idea how it would impact me on a personal and emotional level. Corporate lawyers usually don’t get thank you notes and now I have bunches of them. We love the enthusiasm and passion that each entrepreneur brings to our lives”. A few quick facts about eMinutes, and why it rocks:

10,000 Trees: As lawyers, the team at eMinutes knows first hand how much paper gets wasted each day. So they have a goal of planting 10,000 trees by 2013, and have switched to mostly paperless options in their business.
Operate like a Business: They study metrics like crazy, and operate more like a business than a traditional law firm. That means they have the same entrepreneur type mindset that you have.
Flat Fees: They don’t have time clocks that tick along, adding up more and more minutes of time that you’ll get an unexpected bill for. They have a flat rate of $1,250 to form a corporation or LLC – but right now, you can get it done for FREE. Amazing, I know.

So – if you’re an entrepreneur in California or New York – the states that Jeff does business in – you have got to check this out today before it completely fills up! And while you’re on the site, click around a little and read the stories of the other business owners he’s already helped out for free. So cool.

eMinutes: A law firm like no other.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 8, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Blogging Tools | No Comments

Bloggertunities: Best Blogging Opportunities for Mom Bloggers 7/3

“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.” – Christopher Morley

As an online media producer – which is what you are as a blogger, right? – you have to be constantly striving to learn new things. The web changes daily. Heck, maybe even hourly! There is always a new tool to discover, a new tip to learn, a new plugin to check out, a new way to earn money to try. The moment you think you’ve hit the big time, get comfortable, and stop yearning for more… That’s the moment that the competition passes you. So – I totally agree with this week’s quote: Learning, Earning, and Yearning are what will drive you towards success when working online. And hopefully you’ll learn some new tips in this post to help you earn more, and motivate you to keep yearning for the next new cool discovery that will boost your blog up another notch. Got tips to share? I love comments – and the more great tips, resources, and links you leave in the comments of this post, the more great content there is for everyone who stops by to read this week’s post! I look forward to seeing what types of cool stuff you guys have to share {and if it’s something ongoing like a linky, let me know so I can feature it here next week.}

Tools and Good Reads

Facebook App for WP: This article will show you step by step how to add and set up the new Facebook app for WordPress. I’m still deciding if I’m going to use it… You know how much I hate adding new Plugins, but this does have some cool features. If you’re using it, leave me a link to your site so I can see it in action!
Monetize Your Blog: This week, instead of sharing all of the links to monetizing, I’ll just share this post that I wrote a couple weeks ago for the Blogathon – it has 5 Simple Steps to monetizing your blog, with resources to check out for each one.
Prize Confidential: This is a totally free way to get your giveaways promoted – simply fill out the form with your giveaway details, and get your best giveaways shared with a bigger audience – Prize Confidential.
Website Guide: This is a pretty cool tool – fill out the questions on the form, with info about your blog. You’ll then get a personalized set of recommendations for improvements to make. Free, and only takes a few minutes to fill out.
Dictionary.com: They are offering a free trial on their service right now – But even if you sign up later, it’s only $4.99 a month. Check it out, see how it can help proofread your writing… If you struggle with effective writing skills, this will MORE than pay for itself by boosting the quality of your writing. Dictionary.com Free Trial.
Finding Your Niche: While not everyone agrees, I do truly think that as the blogging world has gotten more crowded, and brands are getting more wary of choosing bloggers due to a few bad apples who fail to deliver – having something that really sets you apart is getting more important all of the time. Read tips on why Finding Your Blogging Niche is Important.

Giveaways and Events to Join

Mom Blogger Scholarship: They are looking for one lucky mom blogger to award with a $1,000 scholarship. No catch – they just want to use it as a case study, to show how a little extra funding can make a big difference. Easy to apply – check it out here: Apply for $1,000 Mom Blogger Scholarship.
Ultimate Blog Challenge: This runs through the month of July. I just got done with the Blogathon Bash {which I totally recommend you check next time – loved it!} and I’m excited to take on this new challenge now too. If you’d to join, check out the info here – Ultimate Blog Challenge.
Mission Giveaways: Madame Deals – a total blogging rockstar – has an app you can fill out to join her Mission Giveaway group. She’s a super smart cookie, and definitely worth working with! Apply here.
Baby Shower Event: This will be a series of cool giveaway events, with the amount of bloggers added to the entries depending on the size of the prize package. Learn more and fill out the form here: Baby Shower Blogger Event.
Travel Tuesday: This is super fun – send in a pic of a cool place that you’ve been, with a tip. Mama Goes Bam will feature some of them each week, with a link back to your blog. Love it, right? Fill out the form here: Travel Tuesday.
Giveaway Linky: Add your new giveaways to the Giveaway Gurus linky – Love linkys like this that show the photos. Check it out and link up your giveaways this week.
Birthday Bash: Join the Summer Birthday Bash giveaway event on Woman of Many Roles – $5 bucks gets you your choice of 2 great links into the giveaway. Get details on this event in the post.
Back to School: Yep, it’s hard to even imagine back to school when the kids are JUST getting into their summer groove, but it’ll be here before you know it. If you like to plan your events in advance, there are a few great ones to join: Back to School Blast, Back to School Bash, and Back to School Bloggie Boogie!
Baby Bash: Join Makobi Scribe and MomVantage in the Bloggers Giving Back Baby Bash to celebrate everything baby! Sounds like a great hop and is free to join with a post about the event!
Stack Your Stats: Link up your blog in this blog building hop to increase your stats! Find it here on Mommies Point of View.

If you love it then you should put a tweet on it…

I Love #Bloggertunities! The best new list of opps for mom bloggers – sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/07/blogge… #RockYourBlog2012

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) July 3, 2012

Lol, sorry, that was pretty dang cheesy. {You got the Beyonce reference, right?} Anyway, what I’m saying is, if you love this post, make sure to give it a quick tweet so your bloggy buddies can get these sweet tips too. And again – make sure to leave your best tips in the comments: Favorite linkys, event sign ups, cool hops you host, blogging tips or tools that you find super helpful – whatever! I learn a ton reading your comments each week.

Want More? CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER WEEKLY BLOGGERTUNITY POSTS TOO, OR BROWSE MY BLOGGING & SOCIAL MEDIA BOARD ON PINTEREST.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 3, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 14 Comments

Calling All #RevRet12 Bloggers – Want to Join Our Promotions?

Ok, you guys all know by now that I attended this year’s best conference for review bloggers last month – Reviewer’s Retreat, in North Carolina. It was a total blast, and I’m SO glad that I was able to make it. Not only did I learn some super helpful tips and tricks during the sessions, but I also enjoyed the chance to meet so many awesome bloggers all in one place. And one place where I got the chance to meet a ton of you ladies was at the Mompact table during the second Sponsor Speedway!

Connecting Brands with the Best Bloggers

There were a ton of really amazing mom-invented products on display at the Mompact table – and I know that a lot of you ladies were able to get a few fab freebies to take home with you. Well, we’re hoping that you loved the Smart Solution products as much as we do, once you got them home and had a chance to try them out with your own families. If so – I’d love to have you join our blogging campaigns over the course of this summer! During the commotion, I don’t think everyone was able to leave their contact info, so I don’t want anyone to miss out on being a part of our great giveaway events and cross promotion during each campaign. Here’s the current summer schedule line-up:

SUMMER MUST-HAVES (June 18 – July 8) – Going on now!

NoBlo
Accessory Connectz
SwimZip
Koverz

HAPPY, HEALTHY BABY (July 9 -29)

Appeteether
Juju Band
Happi Tummi (need to reconfirm this one)
Cuddlecloth
Babee Covee
Paciplushies
(Maybe Bunvelope too)

EVERYDAY SOLUTIONS (July 30 – Aug 19)

Everyday Chair Covers
Crayon Bungee, Paci Bungee, Toy Bungee
TwoothTimer
Tidy Tots
Parking Pal

BACK TO SCHOOL (Aug 20 – Sept 9)

Wrapeaze
Liv and Lily
Belle Bottoms by Buti-Bag
(Checking on Today I Ate a Rainbow, EasyLunchboxes and some organization ones)

Want to Join the Mompact Summer Campaigns??

We’re missing some of the contact info for you lovely ladies – in all of the crazy commotion, I think that some people weren’t able to find the correct forms. And I definitely want you guys to be able to get involved, get some traffic, and get your reviews promoted too! If you have any of the products listed above, then I’d love to get your into the right campaign – Here’s how it works:

You let us know you’ll be participating, so we can get your entry onto the group Rafflecopter that will be promoted across all of the campaign blogs. We’ll also send you out a super helpful email with the Rafflecopter code, links and keywords that you can use in your posts, and any other info that you’ll need to join in the campaign.
Post at the beginning of the campaign – and promote your post at least a few times using the #Mompact hashtag, so that we can retweet your posts too! Then fill out a quick form letting us know that you posted – and you can leave any other feedback on the product that you didn’t want to put into your post. This is SUPER helpful for the business owners.
Report your review post in a doc, which gives you a chance to win Amazon gift cards too – just as a little thank you to you guys for being awesome!

Sounds good, right? So – if you have a product or two, and want to get in on this sweet blogging action, here’s what you can do now: Email Nicole at mompactpromo@gmail.com, or me – Meagan, at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com. Let me know which campaigns you’ll be joining, which products you have, and your blog link. I’ll get you added into our Mompact Writers Group on Facebook, and get you connected to Nicole for all of the campaign details, so you can get linked up on the Rafflecopter form too! I can’t wait to work with you all…

For more information on how Mompact Supports Moms in Business, visit their website. To opt-in for future review opportunities, join us at Question Moms!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 25, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Events | No Comments

Blogathon Bash Wrap Up: What I Learned & Accomplished #Blogathon2

This weekend was a jam-packed, crazy-bloggy few days for me! I participated in the Biannual Blogathon Bash – that means that in between trying to complete all of my usual sponsored posts, scheduled writing, and spontaneous ideas that come to me and HAVE to written about right away – I also tried to fit in a ton of the mini-challenges for the Blogathon too! Oh yeah, and a Blogathon Twitter party too. Busy busy – but good times.

So – what did I learn during the blogathon?

I read some really great tech tips, including HTML for Bloggers, and SEO basics for Bloggers, from Geek with Style. Her posts are super easy to follow, love it. I discovered some super helpful new Twitter tools in Making Twitter Work for Your Blog. And I definitely was reminded of the importance of double checking my writing in each post during the How to Improve Your Writing challenge. Seriously – all of the challenges were great. The only disappointment that I had was that I wasn’t able to complete them all this weekend, since I had so much other work to get done! But – I plan to continue working on them throughout this upcoming week. If you’d like to join in too {even though it’s too late to win prizes, the site content is still available!} – check it out here: Blogathon Bash Mini-Challenge List.

What did I accomplish during the Blogathon?

Well, I was able to get all of the posts on my list completed, meeting all of my deadlines. That’s pretty awesome, since we’ve had a rough week around here, with Abby’s seizure scare, and the boys out of school for summer break. Here are the posts I’ve completed since Friday night:

Just looking at this list makes me feel SUPER accomplished, since I normally don’t get too much blogging done in a weekend!! Plus – I was able to complete 13 out of the 21 Blogathon challenges – and meet some new ladies at the Twitter party Saturday morning. I’d estimate that I put in an average of an hour per post – some with lots of pictures to edit took much longer, and some of the quick ‘n funny posts were way faster. Then it’s an extra 15 minutes at minimum to get each post promoted across all of my social networks and groups. So, that’s about 15 hours of work on JUST the blog posts. Another couple of hours for the challenges. An hour for the Twitter party. And about an hour to connect with all of the other great Blogathoners on all of their social media accounts too. I’m no good at math…. But that’s close to 20 hours of blogging work this weekend!!!!

Whew!! Is anyone giving me a cyber high-five yet? :)

If you want to get in on the fun next time, you can join the next Blogathon Bash happening on January 25 8am EST, to January 28 8am EST, 2012. Hope to see some of you there!!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 24, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Events | 3 Comments

No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com! {Updated and Upgraded} #Blogathon2

I’m participating this weekend in the Biannual Blogathon Bash, a semiannual blogging marathon. This summer’s blogathon will take place from June 22 to June 25. If you are signed up for the blogathon, completing mini-challenges {like the challenge I put together, called Anyone can Monetize their Blog: 5 Simple Steps} – give you chances to win prizes, in addition to improving your blogging. Fun, right? This post is for mini-challenge #3: Improve Your Writing. Join us – It’s not too late to get some blog-boosting work in this weekend!

Blogathon Bash: Mini-Challenge #3

After reading the tips on how to Improve Your Writing, for mini-challenge #3, I needed to choose a recent post that I’d written, go back and re-read it, and make corrections. I was a bit embarrassed to see that when I gave this post a second look, that I had quite a few spots where I wanted to change the way that things were written. My usual writing process is to sit down and quickly get my ideas out… I’m so uber duber busy that I don’t always have time to proof read every post. But clearly, I should get more consistent with it! So, drumroll please….. Here’s my updated and revised version of my post. You can see the original post here – No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com! The main things that I noticed is that I tend to use the same descriptive words too often in the same paragraph, and that sometimes I don’t describe things as clearly as they seem in my head as I write, lol. Let me know what you think of the changes…

No Budget to Hire a Nerd? Try Smore.com! {Updated and Upgraded}

In the age of Facebook and Twitter, is the good ol’ paper flyer a thing of the past?… If you need to get the word out about an event, you may feel inclined to type up something in Helvetica and head to the photocopier, but we have a better idea…

MEET YOUR NEW EVENT COORDINATOR— SMORE

Imagine… You (yes, you!) can create a beautiful web page with no coding experience and no design chops. Whether you’re spreading the word about a book club event, a small business, a networking event or a bake sale fundraiser for your local theatre, Smore is a great way to create a compelling online flyer! You can fill it with all the information needed to promote your event, easily share it through social media and email, and even see how many people it’s reaching. Creating a flyer is fun, fast and it looks so professional everyone will think you have a design nerd on staff.

Smore makes pretty web pages… no coding required

I am seriously in love with this site. I’ve been playing around with it all morning, and it is so simple to use – very intuitive. {And if you know me well, you know I’m NOT a techy type. Yes, I run a blog, but what I’m good at is taking pretty pictures, writing stories, and telling jokes. The tech side is much more challenging to me. Which is why I LOVE that my girls at Digitwirl teach me these great tips each week. Subscribe to them – Seriously, they’re so smart.} Anyway – back to talking about this sweet new site: If I can use it, anyone can. And it truly does make it quick and oh-so-easy to create incredibly professional looking pages – no coding needed at all. Learn more:

Get Options: Choose Event Invitation, Product to Sell, Personal Flyer for a Person, Flyer for a Business or Shop, Informational Newsletter Style, or just use “other” if nothing really fits. {Coupon or Ad Promotion, and an App are coming soon too.}
Get Inspired: Check out the sweet online gallery of cool examples of what you can create with their online templates, to help you think of new ways to create buzz for your event or promotion. All of the templates to share a similar style of template – but they all still have custom feel, using different photos, fonts, colors, and styles. Love it.

I’m definitely going to be using this a lot – and I am SO super grateful to the ladies at Digitwirl for sharing this tool with me. Their video made it SO easy to jump right in and get started. {For more tech made simple tips, services, and products – browse my board on Pinterest.}

What Ideas do You Have for Fun Ways to Use this Free Service?

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at @digitwirl.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 24, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Events | 2 Comments

Build a Better Blog During the Blogathon Bash! #Blogathon2

The Blogathon Bash is ON!! I’m super excited to devote some time this weekend to improving my blog – learning new skills, connecting with new people, and pushing myself to complete some challenges that will make my blog a little better and brighter. If you’ve never heard of the Blogathon Bash before, here’s a quick rundown of what it’s all about…

The Biannual Blogathon Bash is a twice yearly event designed for bloggers to get much needed work done on their blog. All bloggers are welcome. The event is 72 hours, do as much blogging as you can during this time. Aim for 24 hours total but we are flexible! We will have mini challenges (fun, easy projects that will better your blog) and prizes to be won. In between blogathons, watch for posts about blogging.

Sounds pretty cool, right?

Many of you know that Abby was in the hospital with a series of seizures last week – which means I’ve once again, been knocked off of my schedule. The past few months seem to have just been one thing after another… The hard drive crashed on my computer, taking with it my mostly-completed ebook, every picture I had of Abby as a baby, and tons of programs and info. Then my site got hacked, and I lost an entire week of access to my blog. {What I learned getting hacked.} But that’s the glamorous life of a rockstar super mom blogger, right? :) Since I’ve been so off schedule the past few months, I know that there are a few upgrades I need to make, so the mini-challenges are perfect for me. Challenges like “Boost Your Blog Design with No Budget,” and “Tools to Make Twitter Work for Your Blog” are totally going to help me, and are worth cutting into my weekend time to accomplish.

Will You Join Me?

I hope to see some of you ladies {and gentlemen, if you’re reading too!} at the Twitter party tomorrow morning. And if you’d like to get a jump-start on the mini-challenges, you can check out mine here – How to Monetize Your Blog: 5 Simple Steps #Blogathon2. Make sure to click through that one to the Blogathon site, so you can sign up and be entered to win some pretty sweet prizes.