Wordless Wednesday ~ A Somewhat Rainy Day

We don't get too many rainy days around here lately, the kids wanted to take advantage of this one!

I've linked up at www.AngryJulieMonday.com, see some other wonderful Wordless Wednesdays there!

NYC and Holiday Roads, Here I Come!

In the next few weeks I have a couple of trips coming up. I will be attending Blogher 10 in NYC and doing a Roadtrip with the family to the mountains of AZ for camping. I always find myself scurrying at the last minute trying to get things done. I am determined to start packing at least 1-2 weeks early (which is right about now).

I have started making various lists on note cards including dates and categories of what to pack and what we need to bring. I tend to over-pack because I prepare for unexpected instances such as colder weather or the car breaking down. I'm hoping that for NYC I can narrow my choices down since we will be taking a train in but I will be true to form probably and over-pack! I'm also always nervous I will forget something!

My packing categories include:

• Snacks
• Clothes
• Toiletries (makeup, lotions etc)
• Camera Bag (you might not think this needs a category of it's own, but for me it does)
• Emergency
• Entertainment
• Doggy Travels

For our camping trip, our dog Star will be attending so it's important that we pack her items too! Treats, dog food, harness, bed etc.

The kids will be staying with Grandma when we go to NYC so there is another list to make! I'm hoping to make these next two weeks as least stressful as possible.

I'm not really a planner, I'm more of a spontaneous spirit so if you have any traveling tips, please share them!

Are you going on any trips soon?

What do you do to prepare for a trip?

What do you always have to bring when you travel?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Where Pet Rocks Come From

Check out other Wordless Wednesday posts and link up your own at www.angryjuliemonday.com

31DBB: Day 1: Elevator Pitch

I have joined up with SITS Girls to do the ProBloggers 31 Days to Building a Better Blog Challenge. Follow me through my journey of 31 days to a better blog through my personal blog, and my business blog. Today we are doing "Elevator Pitches".

What is an Elevator Pitch?
“An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds or 100–150 words).” —Wikipedia

In the Ebook ProBloggers 31 Days to Building a Better Blog , he lists out in bullet points how to write a great elevator pitch. He writes about how the elevator pitch can be everything from your tagline to "pitching" your blog to others. What do I say about my blog in around 150 words (more more or less) when describing my blog to others in about a minutes time frame.

A pitch, this goes back to "selling" and "branding" myself. I use "taglines" and pitches through out my blog and social media sites for www.supersavingsense.com I actually have a couple:

On www.supersavingsense.com "Helping Your Pennies Makes More Sense" and the one I use on Twitter is "I Love Being Cheap".

My elevator pitch on that blog is (or many bio if you will)

"Helping busy moms become more savvy with spending money and the products they buy. Showing you how to receive the latest deals, coupons, and freebies, saving you time and money!"

For today's challenge though, I need to create one for this blog. I came up with

"Mom to a spunky 10 year old daughter and an adventurous 6 year old son. Blogging about the craziness of a getting married while blending a family with 4 kids and whatever life brings, through words and pictures in the Sweet Land of Chaos."

My original elevator pitch lacked descriptiveness and uniqueness, let me know what you think of the one above!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Fire Truck Fun

This is actually from June, I am a little behind on my WW. These pics were too good not to post. We attended a birthday party in the park and the group had gotten a firetruck to come show off to the kids, they had a blast.

That is my daughter, making "foam" angels and my son making "foam" pies.

I can't even tell you what this was that the firetruck sprayed out, but my kids did have that clean car smell when they were done.

I'm linked up at http://angryjuliemonday.com/

Post Bloggy Bootcamp: 20 Things...

20 Things I wish My Mom Would Have Told Me Before I started Blogging
Important blogging lessons learned after Bloggy Bootcamp

No, my mom doesn't blog. But as I learn things through my blogging career, I can hear words I heard as a child and relate them to the life lessons of blogging.

1) Think Before You Speak
Have a clear plan of what your blog is going to be about. Think about what points you would like to cover in your blog. Have a blogging goal for over a certain amount of time, what you would like your blog to accomplish in that amount of time.

2) Be authentic. Be True. Be You.
Be original, do not try to be like your favorite blogger. No one likes a copy cat. Your blog should represent you and your "brand". Your blog should be consistent with what you want to represent, make sure you stay true to yourself! People are looking for uniqueness, something no one has done before!

3) Don't Be Shy
I am a shy person, especially when you meet me in real life. I've learned to put myself out there when talking to other bloggers and readers. Social Media has been a big help in "breaking" the ice, I love talking with other bloggers on Twitter, it's almost an addiction now.

4)Say Hi to the Neighbors
If you read a blog, especially faithfully and you enjoy the posts, make sure you comment on the posts. It really does show the blogger someone is reading, when sometimes they think no one is reading. Who doesn't like comment love?

5) Don't Gossip
Don't use your blog to air out your dirty laundry about something or someone you don't want everyone in the world knowing about. Even though the blog is yours, and you have the right to post your words, they can come back and bite you in the A$$. Think before you hit that publish button.

6) Don't Lie to Me
Be honest, readers can see your fibs, so just don't bother because it's not worth damaging your reputation. If you are going to talk about a "source", make sure your sources are accurate.

7) Do Your Homework
The "blogosphere" is always coming out with new things, make sure you research and stay in the know of what is what. Join online communities like Blog Frog to interact with others and learn about what is going out.

8) It's Okay Not To Be Popular
Don't let "numbers" determine who you see yourself as a blogger. Quality is what makes a great blogger.

9) Kids Are Going to Be Mean
Okay, we're not in school anymore so really I shouldn't even need to use the word "mean" but sometimes, the drama flows in the "blogosphere". When you have a large amount of women together in a world such as the "blogosphere", there is going to be disagreements and a difference of opinions. Just roll with it.

10) Suck It Up and Be Tough
Being a blogger, having "thick skin" is a necessity. Every blogger will have it happen, someone will say something to them that hurts their feelings or a person or company may have an issue with what you are saying. In the end, it really is going to be okay so it's better to just brush it off and move on.

11) Show Me What You Are Talking About
Providing pictures in a blog allows readers to relate to your post. You don't need a fancy camera, just some good lighting and maybe a tripod. A clean photo at the beginning of your post can help the reader determine in 3 seconds if they want to read your blog post.

12) Go Make Some Friends.
In Bloggy Bootcamp we learned about tribes, a group of blogging friends where you stay faithful in commenting, sharing and learning from their blogs. It's almost like belonging to a blog sorority. I now have blogging friends who blog about an array of things, and we are truly a "tribe" of friends.

13) No One Is Going To Do Your Work For You:
When it comes to increasing readership on a blog, it's the blog owners job, no one else's. I know I was guilty of complaining about no-one reading my blog, even a little pouty. Network and market your blog to gain readership.

14) Sell Yourself
Well, I am not sure mom would have said that but hear me out. I've learned that when I contact companies/PR reps and other potential sponsors, I need to have a good "pitch". It has to directly tell them what I am looking for, and also tell them how working with me can benefit them. Put together a media kit that entails who you are and what you represent in the blogging community.

15) Join Social Activities
Social Media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have been such a great networking tool for me. It allows me to promote my blog and interact with other blogging friends. Twitter allows me to search and see what companies and blogs are up to.

16) Mom Said No (But I'm going to keep asking)
When I ask a number of companies to work with me in my blog, I have to be prepared for 100 no's before I hear a yes. I try to not get discouraged when I do hear the word no or when I have not heard from a company. When you do hear a no, politely thank them for hearing you out and make sure you ask them to keep your contact info for future opportunities.

17) Clean Your Blog!
A clean layout is so important, less clutter the better. When I first started I had buttons everywhere, I have since created pages to host those buttons on to make a cleaner front page. Make it easy for your readers to concentrate on your blog posts and not the chaos going on in the side bar.

18) Turn That Music Off!
I've never had music, but I have seen others with it. The majority agrees, music should not be on your blog.

19) Stand Up For Yourself
You run the blog, the blog doesn't run you. Practice time management and other life balancing skills to make sure you are keeping confidence in your life, all around.

20) Location Matters.
The almighty ruling amongst bloggers when it comes to "Blogger VS Worpress", Wordpress is the best platform. When you self host on Wordpress, you own the blog and the contact. When you use Blogger, they own your blog and they can shut your blog down if they see fit. Do research before you "hop" on the wordpress train, make sure it is for you. If you are going to switch to Wordpress, take your time and if needed, it is worth paying someone.

Post Bloggy Bootcamp Pt. 1 ~ The Awesomeness That Continues

In May, I posted about my ventures to Bloggy Bootcamp, A Blogging Conference run by the Sits Girls. 2 months post the conference and I am still thankful at the opportunity to go. I learned an incredible amount of valuable information that it still rings in my ears. I can tell you each of the speakers names and what they taught me as valuable information. The passion at the conference was just in a word "awesomeness", and I still feel that awesomeness.

With the information I learned, the conference motivated me (extremely if I may say) to increase my blog posts on Super Saving Sense. Here are my numbers post conference (the conference was on May 1st):

• ► June (90)

• ► May (81)

• ► April (10)

• ► March (33)

• ► February (25)

• ► January (33)

My goal is to post at least 100 posts at Super Saving Sense blog in July.

Along with the information learned, being able to network with other bloggers was probably the most valuable thing I was able to take from this conference. I am currently friends in real life now with so many bloggers. In fact, we have formed into a local networking group. Before going to this conference I was having a hard time making "blogging" friends and tonight, I brought dinner to a blogging friend in need I had met at Bloggy Bootcamp. It has really turned into a "sisterhood" of bloggers.

If you are interested in finding a Bloggy Bootcamp in your area you can check here: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/bbc-tour-schedule/ . Bloggy Bootcamp is great especially if you have never been to a blogging conference. There was only 100 bloggers and the smaller setting allowed for less "chaos". But even if you have been to one, it is still an awesome experience. Sits Girl Tiffany is working on the details for a Bloggy Bootcamp for November in Utah which I would love to attend, yes again ;-)

Stay tuned, On July 19th, I plan on joining a number of the Sits Girls Bloggers in doing a challenge titled "30 Days to a Better Blog", influenced by the ebook from Pro Blogger. I am going to use this opportunity to not only work on Super Saving Sense but this personal blog needs a major motivator. A 30 day challenge with others is just what I need to help me get in touch with my "personal" blog.