Overcoming Blogging Pitfalls

I don't know how many times I've made absolutely ridiculous mistakes and spent an entire day just to fix them. Sometimes more! I always look at it as a learning experience. Which it is. However, when you're trying to meet a deadline and Twitter decides to change your "following" list from 8,000 to 4. Or facebook decides to notify you of several posts they decided may be tied to a sponsored post or a paid ad and you have to explain yourself. Or if you're like me, you spent an entire day trying to remove the period from a link because an advertiser asked you too. (That was one of my most favorite adventures!)

I have a couple of blogs and have social media accounts. Just like every other blogger. I have days where I log on and have an hour to myself to catch up, only to find that somebody has been applying for credit through my Amazon account or that somebody hacked Yahoo emails and my email account has been compromised. Of course, that ends up eating up that quiet and cozy hour I had with just me, my laptop, and a fresh pot of coffee.

List Your Priorities

One of the easiest ways for me to attack the constant pileup of emails and what I call "tidbits" (check-ins, blogger groups, Tweets, little things.) is to make a list of 5 separate parts of my business. 

For instance, I will have emails/filing/replying/connecting in its own group. Next will be social media. Tidbits, networking, and posts. It took me a few years to find a system that would work. I think I must have ordered and used and gave away at least 2 dozen agendas and blogger planners I've found until I realized that somebody else's system may not work for me. There are a lot of great planners and agendas out there! I love being organized as best I can and I love having a planner I can keep notes in. If only I could create and produce my own...

Keeping notes on paper and in an agenda of some kind has proven to be the best way for me to make sure I don't miss a deadline or a possible connection for an upcoming gift guide. We all have our own ways to stay on top of the world. We just have to find it and stick with it! 

Health And Emergencies

This is something I struggle with a lot! If I ever have the opportunity to hire somebody as an assistant or train one of my older children, I will be jumping at that chance! 

Owning and running your own business is so fulfilling and rewarding. But, who do you call when things get rough? (I usually text or call my mom.) Things can start to become overwhelming and you feel like you're drowning and can never keep up at times. When an emergency happens or you have a disability or an illness of any kind, there may be times that you have to "shut down due to emergency". I've had to do this a lot, due to disabilities and illnesses and it's a terrible feeling. I try to at least always have my cell phone with me so I can contact super important contacts about posts or anything that needs to be done. Times like this are where a virtual assistant would come in handy! 

How do we overcome this type of pitfall? I don't know just yet. But, if you have any ideas, please share! The only thing I can come up with is to hire somebody, ask somebody for help if it is only temporary, hope to be able to get home from the hospital or out of surgery soon enough to apologize to everyone, or hope to have good WiFi in the hospital. If you are working with a client you have worked with in the past, they are most likely aware of any disabilities and/or illnesses you may have already and are a bit more forgiving than others may be. Just know that you're not alone in this! 

Family And Kids

It happens to everyone. There will always be something that just pops up out of nowhere. Whether it's a fall and a quick trip to the ER, a day filled with appointments, the dog got loose, somebody forgot to tell you they need a white 3 ring binder with pockets on the inside and a black lead pencil by tomorrow and you live 30 miles from the closest store, something always pops up. This always makes it hard to plan and get everything done when it needs to be done. 

It seems that every time I wake up, something new happens that has never happened before and you just have no choice but to make it work somehow. That's just life and I wouldn't change it for the world! But, there are times I feel like ripping all of my hair out of my head! This is where some aromatherapy, an entire pot of coffee, or whatever it is that you do to help yourself relax would come in handy. Much like the above dilemma, I don't have an answer for you. Other than to find somebody to be on call or go through the steps in the previous section, you just have to deal with it, accept it, and learn to love it. Running a business is tough but it can still be so rewarding! (Always remember that because sometimes, that is all you have to get you through!) 

Technical Issues

I know I already touched on this earlier but, this is an important part of blogging. You're going to have to learn a little bit so you can fix some of your own problems. I usually try to read up on everything when I see something new about SEO or any guides I find about how to do well, pretty much anything. I'm a big fan of eBooks and how to guides. 

When an expert writes an eBook on how to better organize your blog or how to use plugins, I'm there! If you haven't already had any concerns about whatever it may be about, you probably will in the future. So, go ahead and download until your heart's content! You may be relieved one day in the near future! 

I like to try my best to remain positive and to understand that I can't possibly do it all. One thing that really helps is when I find somebody like, Grace Lever reviews, who is a positive role model for many female entrepreneurs. 

You could always network and find somebody to barter with or somebody to hire to be on call for tech support. Commenting on other blogs, sharing some posts, Retweeting, these are all ways to find some good, trustworthy blogger friends. Besides, we should all be supporting each other out here! 

Periscope Addiction

So, I have this new addiction and I can't even begin to imagine life without this new app.
I was only recently made aware of this app and immediately just had to grab a new Android, so I could grab it. Yes, I had an Android but it is a very old one. (Maybe 4 years or more.) It had a pull out keyboard and I tried to hang onto it as much as I could. I am just not that great at this new touchscreen stuff. Although, I guess I will be texting a lot less.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an invite for a webinar, all about Periscope. I was still a bit confused but figured I should try this out. You know, at least claim my blog name and try and make a few "Periscopes". So, I got this nifty, Sony Xperia, activated it, installed Periscope, and that's where I have been since.

I met a cool guy from New Zealand, who makes grilled cheese sandwiches on a George Foreman type grill, with butter, "American Style" mayo, cheese, and bread. He also drinks tea while he waits for his morning grilled cheese sandwiches and he says he is, "from the future" lol. (Once, he said it was Tuesday and somebody couldn't believe that, since it was still, Monday, in Vegas.)So, he very cleverly, explained that he is from the future and not to worry because the future looks bright :)

This morning I met, Isaac, a young gentleman from Ghana. He holds daily Periscopes, called, "Learn everything about Ghana". He told us that there are 24 million people in Ghana, they have 14 regions, (some countries call them, states.), and he has a cool, 2 bedroom apartment and for fun, he goes to the beach and likes to hang out with his friends.

When you install, Periscope, it will tie in with your Twitter if you have one, and takes your profile picture and description right from your Twitter account. From there, it will take you to a list of about 100 people that you already follow on Twitter. Hurry up because, after that, you will see a map of the world with little red circles all around. Some circles will have numbers which will show how many people are on, broadcasting live, right now. Some won't have a number. This just means that there is only 1 broadcaster on at the moment.

No worries if you miss a Periscope! You will be able to replay them. (Unless the broadcaster decided to delete the replay.) But, you can find recent broadcasts on their channels. You won't be able to "talk" and it won't be live, but you can still leave some hearts for the videos that you do like.

Usually, a common thing to do when you first connect with a live broadcast, is to say, hello and maybe let them know where you are from. The broadcaster can read your chat messages and will often reply and answer any questions you might have. The cool thing is that you get to see the world through other people's eyes.

I have always been very fascinated with The Netherlands, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. So, whenever I see a red circle pop up in any of these places, I click to see who's on. Periscope doesn't get to full just yet but I am figuring on this being a fairly big social network in the very near future. But, for now, it is easy to connect and you can chat unless the broadcaster limited the feature to only people they are following.

I have been putting Instagram as my favorite social network but Periscope is really climbing high up there and is quite possibly at a tie for first, next to Instagram. I love both networks for different reasons. I also believe that Periscope will end up helping a ton of brands and bloggers with their businesses. I would advise to at least claim your name and start a account if you can.

If you happen to get on Periscope, please come visit my page and follow me :) I will follow back and would love to chat with you!

What am I Doing Here?

I started this blog, and my 2nd blog, (www.momscrazyday.com), a little over a year ago, and had big giant plans for both of these sites.
What started as a blog on, momscrazyday, to help others learn the art of coupons, finding deals, freebies, samples, discounts, recipes, (the recipe part is being worked on every day), and how to earn money online, and well, I guess all that other good stuff that mommies like to share.
ell, that blog pretty much is what I wanted, I have some reviews over there, and some other content. I also wish I had more time to share personal stories about my family and all the funny things the kids say and do. I don't get to post that very often, and as soon as I am organized a little better, have a better schedule, and figure out what days are best for what, that part is still going to happen.
This blog however, was supposed to be a little bit about me and my little ones, and all of our favorite stuff, our reviews, and most importantly, BOOKS. So, I think I have been accomplishing this part of it and I am fairly content with it.
My next main goal was to help small businesses, direct sellers, crafters, companies that are owned by stay at home moms, families, and even brands that I personally use and love. So, I do have a lot of companies and people like this, that I help promote and share with my readers. I love small business and I love standing behind the brands i use and truly adore, so if you do see ads and links for places like this, rest assured, I am not just linking to places I know nothing about.
That being said, I am a firm believer in helping others who are just starting out with blogging. I started out with nothing and am still fairly small and I learn new and fun things each day! I am blessed with many friends and family who stand behind me and believe in me!
So, just in case you are wondering, yes, I will also have blogs and websites on my blogs and social networks that I love to read and will help any newbies out:) I still consider myself one, so any help I can get is always appreciated and in return, I love to help others and share any success stories with them.
I also really enjoy those sites and programs that will pay you to take surveys and open emails, shop, and all that other fun stuff! I do share and post most of that on Momscrazyday!
One thing I would have liked to have done by now, is a site that I can help people earn gift cards, one that doesn't send spam, and one that everybody can trust. (I am still working on obtaining proper info for this project!!)
So, for now, I guess this blog will always be for reviews, book reviews, helping to advertise and promote others, and help authors with their books and reviews! We also have giveaways from time to time, usually posted on Momscrazyday as well:)
If you are a brand or a small business and you would like to have an ad posted here, links, or reviews, you can contact me! Same for blogs, site owners, and services, products you would like promoted, I will do my best and offer backlinks, social networking, and lifelong relationships! If you need somebody to help host giveaways, email me! I also run a "Moms group", and we are also available for samplings and reviews with pictures and soon videos! (This is also a new blog that will soon have all the content filled in and will be posted on regularly by our mom members:)
My next project, on top of all of this, is to make a mom planner that is useful and cheap! I have no idea how to make eBooks, (another plan I have), or how to attempt our lip gloss and lip balm brand, or how to gather the best pages, covers, ideas, and where do I go to get these made to sell??
I have been shopping for one that would have all I need in one, and have had no luck, so I decided I will learn how to make my own.
Any suggestions are appreciated:) As usual!! Lol!
In any case, this is what I am doing here, and I plan on being here for a very long time!

Social Networking and it's Swift Growth (Roadrunner-digital.com)

I seriously have a new addiction, and of course it has to do with reading, and networking, social media, social marketing, lol, but my addiction is this site that carries all of the books and guides I have been looking for!
Roadrunner-Digital.com
I am so happy to have been given a chance to download some books from this site! This one, in particular, Social Networking and it's Swift Growth, is just the beginning of many more just like it available for immediate download on this site! It definitely fell right into place with what I have been trying to get accomplished online.
This is a very, straight to the point guide, it isn't overbearing, great for a beginner, and teaches you right off the bat, what social media is, and it's benefits.
Of course we have all heard of Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and so on, but for those of you who don't know very much about what you can gain from networking and how to actually network in the most beneficial way possible, this book is definitely for you! (It was also a book for me, as even though I have heard of these places and have the accounts set up) there is valuable information that could prove to be quite helpful!
Are you a stay at home mom? A blogger? A small business? Do you want to learn how to get the most from all of the advertising and networking that is available to us? Then, I would highly recommend this book!
I will be doing several series of book reviews for books on this site, because it is my most favorite place to gather reputable books, guides and legitimate information that will hopefully help me throughout my blogging and networking career. So, if you have any experience with this site, Roadrunner-Digital.com and any of the books, please always feel free to comment!
I am looking into which one to read next anyway, so any help would be greatly appreciated!! Understanding SEO is the one i just started next. Well, with the exception of a few recipe books:)
Stay on the lookout for 30 Lip Balm and Gloss Recipes and many more along those lines as well! I think my youngest daughter , Genevive and I will be working on this in the next week or so, so we will have to post pictures and share our recipes and outcomes!!