Blogging Resources

Stumble Tumble Tuesday – 2/7 – #BloggingTips

Stumble Tumble Tuesday

This fun weekly event is hosted by Acting Balanced, Sunshine and Sippy Cups and Wyoming Girl Turned Coastie Wife! The goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your blog posts and get more traffic. It’s fun, it’s a big boost to your best posts, and you can find new great friends to follow too!

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please read this post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren’t showing up, thanks!

TO TAKE PART IS SIMPLE

Add a link to a blog post that you would like people to stumble to the linky below. It *must* be a link to an actual post and NOT your main site. Please do not list giveaways.
Stumble as many other posts as you care to, check to make sure that your stumble went through by clicking on the “Info” icon. If you’d like to, you can leave a comment on their post saying something like, “I’m stopping by from Stumble Tumble Tuesday and just stumbled you – great post! My post is _____(add link)”. That makes it easier for them to return the love! The great thing about Stumble Upon is that it is fast and easy to do with the Stumble Upon toolbar.
PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR LINK IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO STUMBLE ANY POSTS.
Remember, link directly to the actual post, not your home page.
PLEASE – Don’t list any giveaways. StumbleUpon is for Evergreen posts.
PLEASE – Only one link per blog.

Feel free to post about Stumble Tumble Tuesday on your blog and help us spread the word – The more people are stumbling, the more traffic we’ll all get, and, hey – the more, the merrier, right?

HAVE FUN WITH IT AND LET’S DISCOVER AND STUMBLE SOME POSTS!

The first person to “like” a post on StumbleUpon assigns it a category. If your post has not been discovered yet, please leave the category you would like, in your link to help the discoverer assign it correctly. Example: Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (food).

If you have ANY questions on how this works – remember to read the post above, which covers some great basics. If that doesn’t answer it, leave me a comment here or on my Facebook wall – and I’ll get back to your right away. StumbleUpon can be an uh-MAY-zing new way to increase traffic to your site – and this is a fun way to use it!

STUMBLE TUMBLE TUESDAY LINKY

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 8, 2012 Filed Under: Blog Hops | No Comments

Weekly Bloggertunities – 2/1

New Weekly Blogging Opportunities

I’ve had {another!} crazy week around here. My dad had emergency surgery, my dog went to the vet for surgery too, and I’ve had a million out-of-the-house appointments. But like I always say – Better too busy than too slow! I haven’t come across too many specific opps this week, so I’m sharing some great sites, resources, and networks that I use to find fun opportunities and earn my own income. I hope they’re helpful! And as always – If you have a fun event that’s open for sign-ups, or know of a great opp to share, please leave a comment with the info!

If you’re a brand that would like to reach more bloggers, please email Meagan at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com to have your campaign shared in next weeks post!

Writing Jobs & Sponsored Posts

Blogger Link Up: Sign up for an account, to connect with writers and PR reps, find guest posting opps, and more. Blogger Link Up Sign Up.
Constant Content: I find a lot of great opps on here. Sign up for the newsletter, and they’ll send you a list of new things to apply for each week. The topics have a huge range, and the pay runs from $20 bucks for a short post, up to $200 for longer articles. Writing Job Sign Up.
Sponsored Posts: One of my favorite sites is doing very limited recruiting – Collective Bias is searching for African American bloggers from the Charlotte, NC are. They are also recruiting bloggers in Mexico, specifically Guadalajara and Mexico City. If you fit either of these, email me at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com, and I can send over your info!
Examiner: Get your own column, and get paid to post local content. {See mine – Yakima Frugal Living Examiner}. Get started by applying to be an Examiner today.

Blogger Newsletters

Mommy PR: She sends out a great email newsletter with new opps that you don’t want to miss! Visit Mommy PR, and click on the Blogger Connections tab in her navigation bar to sign up.
Eli Rose: Great weekly newsletter with tips on blogging and social media. You can also get a free template to build your own Media Kit, or a pitch letter template, by emailing them. Find that info here – Free Blogger Media Kit & PitchTemplates.

Events to Join

KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway: 30-35 bloggers can join this big event – should be super popular! Sign up here.
Birthday Bash Giveaway: You can join by paying a cash fee, or by having your own giveaway item. Additional links can be purchased too! Find details and sign up here.
Netbook Giveaway: Event starts February 15th, and they’ll be giving away a Netbook PC and accessories. Find details and sign up form here.
Kindle Fire Giveaway: There are 3 different levels you can join, to get your blog maximum exposure! Sign up here.
Extreme Cash Giveaway: This was a big success last time – and February’s event should be awesome too! $1 admin fee, $2 per link you want to add! Learn more and Sign Up Here.

Fun Blogging Linkys

Stumble Tumble Tuesday: Each week we link up our favorite posts to Stumble – This can be an amazing way to drive new traffic to your site. Just make sure to write content your readers will love – Don’t write posts just for StumbleUpon. Join the party here!
Click, Color, Capture: This is a brand new event – Each week will feature a different color, plus some helpful photography tips. Take a great pic that captures that color, share it in a post, and link it up with us! This week is Red, and you can join the Photography Challenge Here!

My Favorite Affiliates:

Social Spark: The longer I’ve worked with them, the better opportunities I have been getting! It takes a little bit for each post to credit to your account – But once it does, and you hit $50 – when you cash out to PayPal it credits there right away! Love that. Social Spark Sign Up.
Escalate Media: Another of my favorites. Great support staff, easy to use, quick payouts. Join Escalate Media.
Integrate: Love this site! I really love the way that they track offers – I seem to get more accurate results with them. Integrate Sign Up. Already signed up, but having trouble getting started? Read – How To Get Started with Integrate.com.

Recent Favorite Resource:

ProBloggers 31 Days to Build a Better Blog: This is the most helpful book I’ve had in a long time! Click here to view more details.

Wrapping it up

I hope that some of these sites, resources, and networks can help YOU grow your blog, reach your goals, and find more success as a blogger! Remember – Feel free to share this post with your own bloggy buddies and networks. And please add your fun event sign ups or other opps in the comments! Thanks for reading – I hope you’re all having a great start to a new month!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 1, 2012 Filed Under: Weekly Opp's | 5 Comments

Stumble Tumble Tuesday – #BloggingTips

Welcome to Stumble Tumble Tuesday!

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please readthis post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren’t showing up, thanks!

TO TAKE PART IS SIMPLE

Add a link to a blog post that you would like people to stumble to the linky below. It *must* be a link to an actual post and NOT your main site. Please do not list giveaways.
Stumble as many other posts as you care to, check to make sure that your stumble went through by clicking on the “Info” icon. If you’d like to, you can leave a comment on their post saying something like, “I’m stopping by from Stumble Tumble Tuesday and just stumbled you – great post! My post is _____(add link)”. That makes it easier for them to return the love! The great thing about Stumble Upon is that it is fast and easy to do with the Stumble Upon toolbar.
PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR LINK IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO STUMBLE ANY POSTS.
Remember, link directly to the actual post, not your home page.
PLEASE – Don’t list any giveaways. StumbleUpon is for Evergreen posts.
PLEASE – Only one link per blog.

Feel free to post about Stumble Tumble Tuesday on your blog and help us spread the word – The more people are stumbling, the more traffic we’ll all get, and, hey – the more, the merrier, right?

HAVE FUN WITH IT AND LET’S DISCOVER AND STUMBLE SOME POSTS!

If you have ANY questions on how this works – remember to read the post above, which covers some great basics. If that doesn’t answer it, leave me a comment here or on my Facebook wall – and I’ll get back to your right away. StumbleUpon can be an uh-MAY-zing new way to increase traffic to your site – and this is a fun way to use it!

STUMBLE TUMBLE TUESDAY LINKY

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 1, 2012 Filed Under: Blog Hops | No Comments

Click, Color, Capture – Photography Challenge Linky – Week 1: Red

Click, Color, Capture Photo Challenge!

Welcome to Week 1 of the Color, Click, Capture photography challenge hosted byEast9thStreet, A Helicopter Mom, Nap Time Is My Time and Sunshine and Sippy Cups! Our color this week is RED.

“When life gives you lemons… just bake some lemon cupcakes.” – Unknown

I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. It’s never really been a good experience for me. But – there’s nothing that a great cupcake can’t fix, right? These little beauties started with the new Fun-da-Middles mix from Betty Crocker, with a little bit of extra creativity thrown in. Recipe will be posted later today – so stay tuned!

Weekly Photography Tip

Our first photography tip comes from Rebecca Cooper who blogs at Simple As That. A professional photographer, Rebecca has written a eBook called, 40 Top Tips for Better Photos that contains easy-to-follow instructions with lots of images to guide you! Since most of want to capture images of our children, this first tip is one that is easy to apply.

No More Cheese Please. While it may seem to do the trick, asking your child to ‘say cheese’ will yeild a smile that is just that…cheesy. Try engaging your child in a conversation about something they are interested in (ie. an upcoming birthday, their favorite tv show, a recent family trip, what you’re going to do after pictures) and be ready to catch that winning smile. While it may take a little more time, that beautiful smile is always worth the wait!

Want to participate in our challenge? It’s super easy! Here’s how It Works:

Take a picture the represents the color of the week.
Write a blog post that features your picture and link it up.
Visit other people’s posts and hopefully find some inspiration!
You can put the button and link code on your blog if you wish but it’s not a requirement.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 1, 2012 Filed Under: Blog Hops | 9 Comments

Stumble Tumble Tuesday! 1/25

Welcome to Stumble Tumble Tuesday hosted by Acting Balanced, Sunshine and Sippy Cups and Wyoming Girl Turned Coastie Wife! The goal of this hop is to use Stumble Upon to help you promote your blog posts and get more traffic.

Even if you think you are stumbling correctly, please read this post on how to check and see if your stumble was successful. Some stumbles aren’t showing up, thanks!

To take part is simple

Add a link to a blog post that you would like people to stumble to the linky below. It *must* be a link to an actual post and NOT your main site. Please do not list giveaways.
Stumble as many other posts as you care to, check to make sure that your stumble went through by clicking on the “Info” icon. If you’d like to, you can leave a comment on their post saying something like, “I’m stopping by from Stumble Tumble Tuesday and just stumbled you – great post! My post is _____(add link)”. That makes it easier for them to return the love! The great thing about Stumble Upon is that it is fast and easy to do with the Stumble Upon toolbar. PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR LINK IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO STUMBLE ANY POSTS.
Remember LINK TO AN ACTUAL POST, NOT YOUR MAIN SITE.
PLEASE DON’T LIST ANY GIVEAWAYS.
PLEASE ONLY ONE LINK PER BLOG.

Feel free to post about Stumble Tumble Tuesday on your blog and help us spread the word – The more people are stumbling, the more traffic we’ll all get, and, hey – the more, the merrier, right?

Have fun with it and let’s discover and stumble some posts!

The first person to “like” a post on StumbleUpon assigns it a category. If your post has not been discovered yet, please leave the category you would like, in your link to help the discoverer assign it correctly. Example: Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (food).

If you have ANY questions on how this works – remember to read the post above, which covers some great basics. If that doesn’t answer it, leave me a comment here or on my Facebook wall – and I’ll get back to your right away. StumbleUpon can be an uh-MAY-zing new way to increase traffic to your site – and this is a fun way to use it!

Stumble Tumble Tuesday Linky

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 25, 2012 Filed Under: Blog Hops | 2 Comments

Weekly Bloggertunities – 1/25

Weekly Bloggertunities

I love the feedback I’ve been getting from you guys on these weekly posts – and I’m so glad that they’re helpful! As always, feel free to share this post with your own blogging friends, and if you have a great contact, event sign up, or other blogging opportunity that you’d like to share – leave it in the comments!

Reviews & Sponsored Posts

SITS Girls: Fill out their application to get matched with exciting opportunities to partner with sponsors. Learn more and sign up – SITS Girls Blogging Opp.
Kids Learning Program: Check out K5 Learning’s site for an open invitation to review their learning program for grade school kids, plus an opportunity to earn $25 for each customer who signs up for the program from your review. K5 Learning Blogging Invite.
Shoplet.com: They’re looking for new product reviews. You’ll be checking out new office products. Sign up on Facebook – Shoplet.com Review Bloggers.
Mom Select: They’re looking for Midwives, Doulas, or Pre-Natal Coaches to share some new product information. If this is you, or you know someone who is a good fit, here is the sign up form – Pre-Natal Program Sign Up.
Peer Index: If you’re a blogger, enter your info here, and they’ll see if your eligible for a fun free chocolate bar for Valentines Day! Peer Index Influencer Perk.
Sabino Haircare: Write a blog about how you use Sabino products, or share a review on their Facebook page, and email your links to gift@sabinohair.com. The first 50 posts will receive a $22 Gift Code to their online store.

Networks to Join

Giveaway Blogs: If you run giveaways on your blog, you’ll love this site! {I got super lucky last summer, and won a Wii from them – how awesome is that?} And if you’re already a member, or sign up today – stop by my profile page and say hi.
Mom Central: One of my very favorite networks to work with – Cool opportunities, easy to follow directions, and great compensation! Open to US and Canadian bloggers – Join Mom Central.

Love to Write?

Parent Palace: They’re looking for new writers to join their team! This is a great way to get some new exposure, and maybe bring some new readers to your blog too.
Examiner: I have a new local column – I’m the Yakima Frugal Living Examiner – and you can have your own column too! I know you all love to write, so you’re the perfect fit for this. You can connect with more local businesses and fans, while earning a steady income too. Check out my column, and then apply here – Examiner.com Sign Up.

Twitter Leads:

Looking for #coffee bloggers/lovers to review our roast! Any interested #bloggers? https://twitter.com/#!/getcoffee/statuses/162212504943083523

Blogging Events

Spring Fashionista Giveaway Event: I’m not joining this time, since I have a lot going on – but this looks like an amazingly fun giveaway to join up with! – Fashionista Sign Up.
Will You Be My Valentine: Join this sweet {pun intended, of course!} giveaway event just in time for Valentines Day. Limited amount of sign ups allowed, closes in a couple of days – Valentine Giveaway Event Form.
Blogging Conferences for Women: Find lists of all the cool conferences coming up this year, and plan to attend your favorites! Women’s Blogging Conferences 2012 schedule lists.
Stumble Tumble Tuesday: Link up your favorite “Stumble Worthy” post anytime this week! It’s an awesome way to get more SU traffic. Find it here.

Resources:

8 Wildly Effective Ways to Promote Yourself Today: Free ebook you can request from Grow with Stacy. Get your free guide to promoting your blog posts.
31 Days to Build a Better Blog: I’m working on through this book right now – and LOVE it! Totally recommend checking it out, to get your blog rockin’ in this new year. Click here to view more details.

Business Owner?

Mompact: Free listings for Mom Businesses in their community of thousands of moms. List your blog, your store, your services, or your company on Mompact.com for free. I’m a member of this community and love it!
Social Buying Circles: Business Among Moms has a very cool new feature – Join this, and you’ll get to try out cool new products, while guaranteeing new sales for your business! Social Buying Circles Sign-Up.

Posted by Meagan Paullin on January 25, 2012 Filed Under: Weekly Opp's, Blogging Resources | 3 Comments

Blogging Conferences for Women – Event Schedule for 2012

Who else is excited for some cool blogging events this year??

Last week I shared my exciting news – That I’m going to be speaking at Reviewer’s Retreat 2012 – in North Carolina this June. I am super excited about it! There are so many great friends that I’ve made online – and now I’ll get to meet some of them in real life. Plus, it’s going to be fun having the chance to share some of the tips I’ve learned along the way during one of the sessions.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I’m also planning to attend a couple more events this year – The BIG one – BlogHer in New York City this August, and then Bloggy Boot Camp in Las Vegas in October. I was soooo bummed to find out that Bloggy Boot Camp is coming to my area – Seattle – but it’s the same darn weekend that I’ll be speaking at Reviewer’s Retreat! So instead, we’ll be heading down to Vegas – which will be a great time, since we’ve never been there.

Which Event will You Attend this year?

If you want to take your blog to the next level, attending an event or two is a great way to do so. Not only will you learn SO much, but you’ll also get to meet and connect with some amazing new people. I’m in the process of finding a sponsor or two to partner with on these trips – {if you’re reading, and think we’d be a good fit to work together – I’d love to hear from you! Email Meagan at sunshineandsippycups@gmail.com} – but I’m willing to fund them myself if needed, since I know that it’ll be worth it. I’ve heard so many incredible stories from other bloggers, and can’t wait to jump into some fun events too! If you want to start planning for YOUR events this year, Jennifer James put together an awesome list over on Mom Blog Magazine –

2012 Mom and Social Media Conferences

And The Blog Stylist has a similar list, with some great contact info for each conference. This list includes a lot of fashion and beauty style conferences too, which would be a ton of fun –

2012 Women’s Lifestyle Blogging Conferences

If you’ll be attending any of the events I’m going to – I’d LOVE to connect with you while we’re there! And if you have some great tips to share for preparing for a conference, please leave some comments – I’m excited to attend my first events, but not totally sure what to expect. What events are YOU hoping to attend this year?