Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Sore Loser
I'm embracing that I'm a sore loser- at least when it comes to our latest Facebook contest we entered into.
Rachel and I got voted in as a Top Ten Finalist on the best way to use dish mat product. Here's the full story if you want to read it. For 10+ days we got faithful friends and family to vote for us (thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!) only to be beat by a contest scammer. Boo.
But seriously, this person who won was part of a large group whose mission is to enter into contests and then all vote for each other. I went to the lady's facebook page and saw that she was entered into TONS of contests and informing her scheming cohort on when to go vote for her.
I can tell you this, I will no longer waste my time or my friends' time by trying to win a Facebook Contest. As for you, scammer lady... well I'm not sure what to say to you but it isn't nice.
I guess I'm just going to have to stare at this cute face to help me get over my bitterness :)
Rachel and I got voted in as a Top Ten Finalist on the best way to use dish mat product. Here's the full story if you want to read it. For 10+ days we got faithful friends and family to vote for us (thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!) only to be beat by a contest scammer. Boo.
But seriously, this person who won was part of a large group whose mission is to enter into contests and then all vote for each other. I went to the lady's facebook page and saw that she was entered into TONS of contests and informing her scheming cohort on when to go vote for her.
I can tell you this, I will no longer waste my time or my friends' time by trying to win a Facebook Contest. As for you, scammer lady... well I'm not sure what to say to you but it isn't nice.
I guess I'm just going to have to stare at this cute face to help me get over my bitterness :)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Spring Time and Wagon Rides
I am LOVING this spring weather. We've found all sorts of excuses to be outside. In light of summer approaching, I thought it would be appropriate for Adelyn to have her first piece of watermelon. We learned quickly that clothes needed to be removed for this endeavor. She LOVED it. Especially when she figured out to eat the pink part, not the green.
We embarked on a little outing with our friends Kyle and Noelle to the Rocheport winery. We sipped wine, munched on fruit, cheese, and crackers, and just enjoyed the day. Adelyn was happy as a clam in her wagon.
Like everything else she encounters, she of course need to get a taste of it.
Good friends, Kyle and Noelle.
A family picture. We haven't had one of these in a while!
Adelyn just chillin in her wagon. Why is it she always finds the non-toys to play with!?
And here's what happens when a baby tries to roll around in the wagon.
For those of you wondering, she still isn't quite crawling yet. However, don't under estimate this girl's mobility. Through a series of rolls, scoots, and army crawls, she can get from one side of the room to the other pretty stinking fast! She is loving her new found independence!
We embarked on a little outing with our friends Kyle and Noelle to the Rocheport winery. We sipped wine, munched on fruit, cheese, and crackers, and just enjoyed the day. Adelyn was happy as a clam in her wagon.
Like everything else she encounters, she of course need to get a taste of it.
Good friends, Kyle and Noelle.
A family picture. We haven't had one of these in a while!
Adelyn just chillin in her wagon. Why is it she always finds the non-toys to play with!?
And here's what happens when a baby tries to roll around in the wagon.
For those of you wondering, she still isn't quite crawling yet. However, don't under estimate this girl's mobility. Through a series of rolls, scoots, and army crawls, she can get from one side of the room to the other pretty stinking fast! She is loving her new found independence!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Got Skills?
Blogging takes skill. Lots of skills in fact. Too many in my opinion.
I think A LOT of moms in my generation dream about the idea of blogging about their family or hobby and getting paid for it. It's a dream job for a stay at home mom! The unfortunate problem is, a blog with great content will rarely get discovered unless they have other skills. Since starting Thriving Home, I have learned so much about what it takes to create and maintain a blog.
Here is my running list of skills that are pretty handy to have if you want to ever start your own blog for revenue:
Web Design/HTML Coding: If you want your blog to stand out among mommy bloggers, it needs to look different than the standard templates. You'll eventually need to know some basic coding (or pay someone to do it for you).
Graphic Design Skills: Want to get your stuff pinned? It's pretty handy to know how to add titles or words to your photos. There is also a ton of stuff on your homepage that you'll need graphics for. A large amount of my time was spent on this in the beginning days of our blog.
Photography: Pictures are so important! It's unfortunate that so many good bloggers get missed because they can't afford to invest time and money into photography.
Business Skills: You have to research and know how to advertise, how to market your blog, where to spend money, etc. It really takes a business mindset to get things going.
Discipline: Sometimes you just don't feel like writing a blog post or messing with the funky design problem you are having.
Creativity: It seems like we are always scheming up new ideas for posts, titles, graphics, advertising, and more. It really takes out of the box thinking.
Good Writing Skills: If you're spellling and grammar is darn bad, its dog-gone destracting to the readers, ya know?
Networking: It helps to know the right people and to be willing to ask for help.
Patient Husbands: Yep- a blogging mom needs a husband who is willing to encourage the hobby and be willing to pick up some slack when mommy is stuck on the computer dealing with a website crisis.
Whew! Seems like a lot, doesn't it?? As we continue to grow our blog, I'm sure this list will continue to grow. This is one of the many reasons I am glad to have a partner in my blogging adventure at Thriving Home. We have found that our skills differ in certain areas so it's helpful to not carry all of the weight.
As I learn more and more of what it takes to be a blogger, I am AMAZED at how many moms out there who can do it all. Well done, mom-bloggers, well done.
I think A LOT of moms in my generation dream about the idea of blogging about their family or hobby and getting paid for it. It's a dream job for a stay at home mom! The unfortunate problem is, a blog with great content will rarely get discovered unless they have other skills. Since starting Thriving Home, I have learned so much about what it takes to create and maintain a blog.
Here is my running list of skills that are pretty handy to have if you want to ever start your own blog for revenue:
Web Design/HTML Coding: If you want your blog to stand out among mommy bloggers, it needs to look different than the standard templates. You'll eventually need to know some basic coding (or pay someone to do it for you).
Graphic Design Skills: Want to get your stuff pinned? It's pretty handy to know how to add titles or words to your photos. There is also a ton of stuff on your homepage that you'll need graphics for. A large amount of my time was spent on this in the beginning days of our blog.
Photography: Pictures are so important! It's unfortunate that so many good bloggers get missed because they can't afford to invest time and money into photography.
Business Skills: You have to research and know how to advertise, how to market your blog, where to spend money, etc. It really takes a business mindset to get things going.
Discipline: Sometimes you just don't feel like writing a blog post or messing with the funky design problem you are having.
Creativity: It seems like we are always scheming up new ideas for posts, titles, graphics, advertising, and more. It really takes out of the box thinking.
Good Writing Skills: If you're spellling and grammar is darn bad, its dog-gone destracting to the readers, ya know?
Networking: It helps to know the right people and to be willing to ask for help.
Patient Husbands: Yep- a blogging mom needs a husband who is willing to encourage the hobby and be willing to pick up some slack when mommy is stuck on the computer dealing with a website crisis.
Whew! Seems like a lot, doesn't it?? As we continue to grow our blog, I'm sure this list will continue to grow. This is one of the many reasons I am glad to have a partner in my blogging adventure at Thriving Home. We have found that our skills differ in certain areas so it's helpful to not carry all of the weight.
As I learn more and more of what it takes to be a blogger, I am AMAZED at how many moms out there who can do it all. Well done, mom-bloggers, well done.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Ups and Downs and Round and Round
Lots of random things are happening around our house as of late...
Some things I am excited about...
First, the thing I am most excited about is that Rachel and I have stumbled into a contest in which we can win $1,000 towards Bed, Bath and Beyond. Right now it is up to a vote so we are begging and pleading our friends, family, and readers to vote for us.
What will I do with my half? Our house is in desperate need of some new pots and pans. So if the idea of Adelyn eating the flaking teflon off of our skillet makes you uneasy, cast a vote for us. Stop by Thriving Home to find out more details and how to cast your vote.
Buying this: A Canon EOS Rebel T3.
Well, I haven't really bought it yet and it is contingent on how much money I make at our upcoming garage sale. Our guest room is currently full of priced items just waiting to be sold. If anything, it's been nice to have an excuse to clean out the closets, drawers, and garage in hopes of making a little money off of our unwanted stuff.
Easter weekend! First, because my garage sale will be that Saturday. Secondly, because my whole family is coming to Columbia. It's going to be a full house but I love a little controlled chaos.
Adelyn is army crawling. See for yourself.
httpv://youtu.be/kBNETgAboFI
Things I am NOT excited about:
Ants, ants, ants. We finally caved and called an exterminator. Even after spraying the dude told us it would take up to 2 weeks to see them go away. The next day I discovered that they were not only infesting our bathroom but our tool closet as well. I attacked them with 409 and white vinegar but I'm beginning to believe that my efforts to kill them only make them stronger so I am going to let the poison do it's job.
House work. We have a lot of maintenance we've fallen behind on. When you have a 50+ year old house, you have to stay on top of repairs or the list grows fast. I made a list last night of things we need to do. It's a bit daunting- particularly for Austin since he is the one who will be crawling on the roof, digging up stumps and other manly jobs.
The cost of windows. We have been looking into replacing our 55 year old windows only to be punched in the gut by the prices quoted. One company told us it would be close to $350 bucks PER window. We have 19 windows. You do the math. Needless to say, we probably won't be getting new windows anytime soon.
I think that about sums things up. I think I hear my little lady waking up from a nap. I probably should get our of my pajamas and ready for the day, huh?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
"Giving Love"
Adelyn has a sweet way of "giving love" as we like to call it.
It involves a slobbery-open mouth "kiss" on the cheek. However, she sometimes attempts to sneak a bite in there so we have to be careful.
See for yourself.
http://youtu.be/ZlergTNQQLg
It involves a slobbery-open mouth "kiss" on the cheek. However, she sometimes attempts to sneak a bite in there so we have to be careful.
See for yourself.
http://youtu.be/ZlergTNQQLg
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