WHILE trying to build our new (non beer carton) doll’s house – I stress “trying’’ because we’ve run out of sticky tape, which is like trying to build a mud house without water – I asked Ella what colour we should make the door. Her response: “yellow’’. Not just “yellow”, but twist your fingers at the top of your forehead Auslan sign language “yellow”.
She then proceeded to teach me black, blue, green and pink in Auslan. Did you ever doubt pink would be included? “Wait, I’ll get the camera,’’ I say and off I canter with the idea for another blog post. On my return, I find she’s gone all shy. No, please, not again. You’re never going to make it in Hollywood at this rate. *sigh*
After some pleas, begging and chocolate bribery, we filmed “the news”. (Watch for her saying: “goodbye to the news”). So, finally, here’s a heavily edited version of a once-again shy Ella teaching the colours of the rainbow in Auslan. Please, leave your payment at the door after you leave. Ella said: “That’ll be 100 20 50 dollars, please.’’ Good luck figuring that one out.
Whether you are just starting a blog or have been running one for a while, you are important to online business. Specifically WAHM businesses need your assistance. Most mummy businesses are run on, as my dad says “The smell of an oily rag”. There is little, if any, room for a marketing budget. There is, however, almost always an item or two that can be given to you to use as a prize for a competition to help promote the business.
So bloggers and businesses can help each other. In fact I think we have a great synergistic relationship.
Businesses can provide bloggers with:
A featured post that you didn’t write yourself
A guest post on a related topic to your blog
Products to give away
Money through banner ads
All these things can help to both fund your blog and create interest for your readership.
Blogs provide businesses with:
Third party recommendations – your readership trust you. As a business we know that word of mouth sells better than any other marketing tactic you can name. If you honestly like a product and recommend it you will help drive sales.
Links – Links are vital for a webpage to rank well in search. Using my website as a case study for illustration; let’s suppose I want to rank on page 1 of Google for the key-phrase “cupcake stand”.
Now for Google to believe that this cupcake page is in fact about cupcake stands, they look for links that have text in them that substantiates this. There is nothing better than a link that says.. “you can buy this fabulous cupcake stand from Cupcake City. AND the words “cupcake stand” links to the page that is about the cupcake stand.
This type of link is gold, so if you find yourself working with a business make sure to ask them what the anchor text should say and refrain from the old “click here” link. It also helps if the link is in the standard “link” blue that we are all used to and if it is in a slightly larger font size.
I really encourage you to be open to working with more businesses. Be brave! If there is a business on facebook you’ve used or noticed then approach them. Let them know you’re a blogger and you’d like to.. run an article on them / do a product spotlight featuring an item / have a giveaway… whatever suites you.
It will help if you have a media kit that tells the business a bit about you and your websites statistics, but don’t be put off if you’re just new. It might mean that you really can only ask $5 to run a feature article instead of $25. It’s a start and your price can always go up as your readership does.
Glenys Power is a wife, mother to two small boys and the proprietor of the online cupcake supply store, Cupcake City. Cupcake City can supply you with lovely cupcake decorations, wrappers and more. She has also been helping other businesses with their search engine optimization for the last 2 years. If you would like any information on either Cupcake City or help with your own SEO, please contact her at admin@cupcakecity.com.au
WE’RE trying something a little different this week. Instead of text links, we’re having a go at picture links for the Aussie Giveaway Linkup. So for bloggers and business owners with giveaways, that means your wares will be shown off here and over at Tina Gray {Dot} Me.
For those entering, it means you get a sneak peek at what’s inside the post before you click. It’s kind of like window shopping, except that you get to step inside and it still won’t cost you anything. Unless you are really taken with the product and are compelled to go out and buy one. In this instance, I hold no responsibility for your actions.
If you’re a blogger or business wanting to take part in the Aussie Giveaway Linkup:
Only link directly to the giveaway post/s and include the prize and end date in the linky tool below. Link each giveaway separately.
Giveaways must be open to Australian residents.
Grab the button to add to your post.
A new list is added each Sunday so bloggers need to add their links weekly.
Start entering the giveaways!
This linkup is a combined project with the wonderful Tina Gray. You can link up your giveaway on either of our sites – it all goes into the one linky.
My arachnophobe husband taking care of the particularly large spider in the bathroom this week, even if it did mean there were lots of jazz hands and Tassie two-step moves from him in the process.
One little girl getting the giggles in the bath tonight and setting off the other one. Which, of course, then led to me getting the giggles. I love our little two-child family.
It’s lovely when grandparents buy the girls raffle tickets, even if the first prize is a defensive driving course and second prize a trailer load of wood.
I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.
BEFORE kids I imagined motherhood would look something like this:
Credit: Dale Cumming Photography
Yes, a serene setting, an irresistibly cute child, everyone in their place and my hair perfect.
However, I know the reality is this:
Credit: Dad
That’s right, the eldest child’s hair is scruffy, there’s a bassinette still not packed away, a doll’s cradle lying around, a bit of Weetbix on my shoulder, the *ahem* same top I was wearing two years ago, a baby pulling at my once-perfect hair and I think there’s a little something poking out bub’s nose.
You know what? I know I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m linking up with Yay for Home as part of Things I Know.
A FELLOW mum has started going solo of a night now her hubby is working a late shift. She wanted some tips on how I survive witching hour on the nights The Bloke in The Shed is at meetings ‘til late. That time of night when supernatural creatures are particularly active. Oh, sorry, wrong witching hour.
I was sure I had plenty of tips and magic spells to turn little ferals into perfect, patient angels. Like, move to another time zone when 5pm hits. Seriously. I thought our nights ran less like battling peak hour traffic and more like a ballet dance. I might add, not Ella’s ballet, where last week the teacher asked them to “sit there, girls” and every one of them got up and followed her to the instrument cupboard.
As I was in the midst of trying to juggle everything tonight – a teething Baby Holly biting my shoulder while I jiggled her up and down on one hip, stirred food with the other hand and pushed pencils in the direction of Princess Ella via a foot as she complained she was “huuuungry’’ – I wondered if maybe I could be doing it better. Or is that called coping?
Here are some of my witching hour coping strategies and suggestions:
Put young babies into a baby carrier or older babies into a Jolly Jumper. Not unlike bike riding, going “hands-free” can still end in tears for someone. Especially if your door opening isn’t very wide and you have an overactive jumper.
For preschoolers and older, get them involved in cooking the meal. Children are more likely to eat the main meal if they’ve had a hand in preparing it. Yes, sometimes even broccoli.
Give them a new toy. Which really just means something stashed in the cupboard that they’d previously become bored with. To them, it’s new.
Set up an activity they’re able to do themselves for 20 minutes – drawing, play dough, craft or dancing (concerts are a highlight here). It’s just enough time to peel the spuds and get the meat into whatever appliance it needs to go into.
Press the action button on the Zhu Zhu pet and watch them go silly. It causes giggles (and ear piercing squeals) for a good 20 minutes.
Have lots of leftovers and freezer food. We tend to do big cook ups on the weekends now and freeze some of it or have it as leftovers early in the week. This helps make mealtime preparation shorter.
Feed them sultanas. I know, I know, never eat before dinner time. It doesn’t appear to have affected either of their appetites I might add. Yes, big eaters. Plus, sultanas seem to take forever to chew.
If all else fails, just keep pedalling.
Then it’s onto the nightly routine:
6pm: Dinner time
6.30pm: Bath time (also known as “let’s see how wet we can get the bathroom floor’’)
6.45pm: All pile into Ella’s bed for books, songs and milk. If Baby Holly is so tired she can’t stay awake for books, I leave Ella to read to herself, feed and put Holy to bed, and come back and resume the routine with Ella.
7pm: Everyone tucked up into bed. Hopefully asleep. Yes, wishful thinking.
How do you cope with witching hour? What are your tips for surviving each night?
WHILE trying to build our new (non beer carton) doll’s house – I stress “trying’’ because we’ve run out of sticky tape, which is like trying to build a mud house without water – I asked Ella what colour we should make the door. Her response: “yellow’’. Not just “yellow”, but twist your fingers at the top of your forehead Auslan sign language “yellow”.
