While I still need to fulfill my agreement for product reviews I’ve already received, I am making it part of my plan. I have it written right in there what reviews I have left, when I will be making them live, and looking at it as a reminder of where I don’t want to be again.

So what else is on my ‘here we go’ plan?

• Refocus Content- as I mentioned before I want content that is respected and read because of the content itself – not because there is a giveaway attached
• Refocus Layout- for me it’s like getting a haircut, a new style can give you a whole new outlook on life and pump up your self-esteem
• Refocus Affiliates- it’s about building that network of income that can continue to grow, even while you sleep, take a vacation, or even head out to the playground
• Refocus Tools- how many times I have kicked myself for not using the tools available to me is just not funny, there are so many great places out there that I’m a member of that I just don’t utilize as I should
• Refocus Time- sitting behind the computer screen 24/7 playing on social networks may gain me a few ‘friends’, but it’s not going to get me anywhere on my path to profits. Being able to focus time and energy in focused places in the proper portions is where I need to be

Next time, let’s break down these refocus goals one by one and together see where we can go! Do you have any additional areas of refocus you are working on?

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I originally started my focus out to talk about healthy living, parenting, and turning our home into a green place to live on Dinker & Giggles. I then wanted to talk about my life and journey as a mom and business owner on my personal blog. I started out strong and focused with goals in mind. I was using tools from the affiliate programs I belonged to. I spoke about products and services that were dear to my heart and that I used and loved because I choose to on my own free will.

Then I started seeing all the wonderful places to join and network and even try free products in exchange for my words of recommendation. I’m not going to lie – it’s fun! It’s great receiving mail that isn’t a bill. However, when you get so caught up and start accepting things that have nothing to do with your focus then you have to realize you’ve gotten caught up! The first time I really was awoken to how caught up I had gotten was when I received a pacifier in the mail with a note thanking me for reviewing this.

Wait a minute! I’m very anti-pacifier – how did I get so caught up that I accepted a review for a pacifier?

I’m not saying that doing product reviews and being a mommy blogger is bad in no means. What I personally am trying to recognize is my original goals and how they need to grow with the new information I am learning. I want to be a profitable mommy blogger. I want to have content that is respected and not read just because there is a giveaway attached to it.

I don’t want to be caught up in the hype! If I’m reviewing a product it should be because I love it (and it meets the requirements of my focus and goals). I also need to accept that I’m worth more than a free product. My time and creative juices go into that review and I should get paid for it too.

So today’s Better Blog journey is all about stepping back and really looking at yourself, your blog, and your focus.

• Are you happy where you are going?
• Are you ready to say No?
• Are you ready to get your focus on and step out of the hype?

Let’s get back to basics and get focused together!

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StartupNation is having a competition to find the top 200 ladies in business for the year 2009. It’s more than just a competition, it’s a tribute to women. Sisters, friends, masters of craft, leaders in their community- Mothers!

The peer voting ends March 31st. So what does this mean for you? If you haven’t entered, you still have time to be in the running. If you have entered, get your link out there! Don’t be afraid to ask people to vote for you. With hundreds of mothers in the running how are we to know that you have entered yourself unless you tell us!

Here are some ways you can let people know you are in the running:

• Twitter – Use it! Love it!
• Blog – talk about what it means to you on your site(s)
• Icons – create some images others can use to promote your profile
• Signature – Get your signature love on in email, forums, instant messengers

Are you in the running at Startup Nation? Why did you decide to enter? Why is it important for you to be selected?

Don’t forget to leave the link to your profile page on Startup Nation so we can vote for you!

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It’s the same in the business world, and blogging can be a business. Just read through some of the posts here at Profitable Mommy Blogging and listen to the podcasts and you will understand that there is more to this then just typing and a nice looking blog.

So where do you go to ask for help in the business world? Me- I choose to consult upon the amazing brain power at Mom Masterminds. When I say brain power- I mean it. Some of the biggest names of work at home moms are Mastermind Graduates.

To me, Mom Masterminds is a priceless resource. Where else can I go and feel free to ask any question and get 15+ answers in a matter of hours from those that have been there right where I am now. They get me without the glazed over look. They understand when I say I don’t get it and can you hold my hand and guide me in the right direction. They even know how it is to find peanut butter under the couch cushion- cause the members are moms first!

Beyond the forum, there is a wonderful ‘learning center’ and it’s my favorite part of Mom Masterminds. Here is where I can download a number of tools that otherwise would take me hours to do or find for myself. From blog templates to ebook tutorials, time management tips to social networking, and my favorite, audios- all there to be put to use by the members. The learning center is vital for someone like myself- I understand how to change CSS coding but I am no expert in marketing. Thank goodness the learning center has a whole of slue tools just for marketing and a forum full of members who are experts at just the thing.

It’s a great place to interact with like minded moms an discover your business. Are you a graduate of Mom Masterminds? Tell me how the members area has changed from the original days to now. With it’s complete learning center and active forum- I’d love to know how it has helped you grow and prosper.

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Usually I wait about two weeks before clicking that button, but this time on my new business blog I decided to click that button. With all the talk about how different 2.7 was and all the amazing changes I was really scared to click that button.

Would it mess up my theme I had worked so hard to get just how I wanted?

Would my plugins be left tangled and the only option would be to deactivate them?

Normally after clicking the upgrade button there are really no major changes- both to the way my blog looked to the general public and to myself in the admin area. This time I was shocked. The admin area is totally different and changed.

Navigation is on the left in the and names of ‘tabs’ have changed. For example Design is now Appearance. My theme was fine- of course I am using one of the Revolution Two themes and they are ready for the new generation of WordPress.

So what are some cool features- now if a comment needs edited or replied to its super easy to do. The comments can also be threaded too. That may be one of the biggest changes to your readers. They’ll see the set up of your comments and be totally impressed! You can even do a quick post right from your dashboard too. So no more clicking “write”, anything that is right there waiting for me when I log in is awesome! Write from the dashboard, move all the boxes around, and do things your way.

I haven’t noticed anything dramatic in how my plugins function either. I do however have the latest updates on them and they are all 2.7 ready. I’m curious how many 2.3- users are out there. I’d love to be there to see the face and hear the thoughts of someone upgrading from a really ‘old’ version of WordPress to the new, latest and greatest version to come out of the minds of the programing team.

WordPress 2.7 proves that change IS a good thing!

Have you changed?

Have you taken the plunge and clicked that upgrade now link?

What’s holding you back or why did you jump in?

Tell us about it!

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Well now with the free plugin from Odiogo I can turn my posts into a podcast.

All that is required is you sign up for a free account. Input your feed and put the plugin up on your blog. Then from there you will have a “Listen Now” button on each of your posts. Worried about your bandwidth? Don’t fret- they also will host the MP3′s on their servers. Do you have a crop of readers? You may also then quailfy to earn income using the free service as well. The service is compatible with any blog that offers a RSS feed-for example our beloved WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, and Overblog.

It is a little on the animated side and I honestly I felt like I was listening to an answering machine recording from the 1980′s. However, they are working on adding a number of different voices that you will be able to choose from. There will be male, female and difference accents. So you will be able to customize your podcast to be as close to your own voice or as different as you wish. This plugin seems like it will help take the world of blogging into a whole new generation- much like Revolution did for WordPress themes!

So go check out the information on this great FREE service- try it out on your own blog- and let us know how you like it!

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Oh, how I love graphics. They add color and fun to any blog or website. Many stick to using only text links to send their affiliate traffic on their way. Not this mommy blogger. I use the best of both worlds- text links and graphics on my sidebar.

Actually, most of my affiliate sales originate from my sidebars. While I love all the pretty banners that are found with the affiliate programs- I do not wish to clutter up my blog with tons of banners and graphics that will cheapen my blog and the content.

So what is a mommy blogger to do?

Use one of the many widgets to manage and declutter the sidebar, of course!

My favorite widget/plugin is the Ad Rotator. This widget allows you to enter in your coding for all of your banners and with “<!–more–>” at the end of each it will rotate your banners automatically. Nothing else for you to do- truly simple! So now you can feel free to use all the fun buttons provided to you without the fear of distracting your readers.

Want to see the Ad Rotator widget in action (look at the sidebars!)

Life From My Laptop

Dinker & Giggles

Here are two other neat widgets for rotating content/graphics:

Random Ads

Quote Rotator

Are you using these widgets? Do you know of other rotator widgets? Please share!

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So what is BlogRush (…or should I say what was BlogRush)? In order to answer this question I had to do a little digging and I came across a older post that explained what I needed to know! Here are some of the highlights

“…Blogrush was developed by famed internet marketer, John Reese. It’s a simple and direct to the point widget. Nothing fancy, just a plain blog promotion tool.”

Seems totally awesome- right?

Well then I continued reading on and became confused and wondering how a little ole’ blog like mine could really get some traffic from this type of tool. Especially if it is pulling posts from all kinds of blogs then would I be helping to promote my own competitor sites.

This is how it was explained

“…Its usage is simple, you have to install the widget in your blog with which links to other blogs will be displayed while blogrush installed in other blogs would display links to yours. Each pageview your blog generates is converted into credit which will then be used to blast your links to other blogrush accounts. So the more popular your blog is, the more the chances you get of being linked. ” Mariella – WritersSpace.net

I really don’t know how ‘simple’ that may seem to you but it did answer my worry as to promoting competitor sites. In the software you are able to set ‘filters’ of the content you want to be shown. It really boils down to how popular your blog is as to how much it will be shown on other blogs that have the BlogRush plugin. So if you want to become popular I’m not sure how much that would help you.

In all my blog reading and visiting of sites I have to say I do not recall ever seeing a widget like this on a site. If I did I know I never clicked on it. So I asked around (a.k.a. tweeted) to see what others thought about this.

“Yes, I did use BlogRush and honestly speaking it worked pretty good for me.” @reginabaker

“I’ve never used Rush, but everybody that I know who has took the widget down. Slows load time and they saw maybe 1 hit per month.” @burghbaby

So some liked- others not so much. I will never know if it would have helped me as I came to the pass just a tad too late. However, it’s still interesting to learn of new/old blogging tools created to help us out… one click at a time!

BlogRush Is Shutting Down - direct from John Reese himself

Now I want to hear from you-

Have you ever heard of BlogRush before?
If so, did you use it?
How did it work for you or not work?

For those of you that had it running on your sites and had to remove it- do you miss it?

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If you missed our initial interview, catch it here. We decided to start from the beginning leaving the coding and actual setting up of the blog for later but to cover what and to whom you blog.

Forgive if we jump around in talking as my 8 month old son kept distracting us!

Berni: I have ideas of what I’d like to blog about…home improvement ideas, tricks and tips of ways to implement the tools…things like that

Alaina: So is it safe to assume then that you have determined your target readers?

Berni: I guess, but I can change it!

Alaina: Tell me- WHO are you trying to reach?

Berni: Women of course- ones that are the do-it-yourself types…I guess I never thought of who I was writing for in that way. I just wanted to put the information out there…

Alaina: Right, you should always keep your target market… a.k.a. readers in mind when you blog.

Berni: So how do the ‘readers’ find me?

Alaina: Well let me answer that with a question…how do YOU find blogs?

Berni: Many of the blogs I’ve come across will be ones that show up in my Google alerts. I have alerts set so when people talk about Tomboy Tools I know. There have been DIY blogs and different women targeted blogs that have mentioned them. So I’ll read those and comment on them of course.

Alaina: Did you notice when you put in your comment there was an area to enter a URL?

Berni: Uh…yeah. I just entered in my TT site.

Alaina: This is a great way to get links back to your new blog. When you find these blogs and are making comments link back to your own blog. If you are out there reading blogs and leaving comments, others will do the same for you as well.

So how else do you think people will find you?

Berni: I have no idea!

<baby stands on his own so of course we had to break to marvel and of course, we didn’t start back up where we left off!>

Alaina: Okay I have a question for you- Say you have blogged about all the tricks, tips, home improvement ideas that you can think of off the top of your head. Where can you turn for inspiration?

Berni: I’d probably turn to other DIY websites and blogs…Oh, many times when I’m watching TV especially the DIY network I’ll have my notebook and when they mention good ideas or their 5 minute tips I’ll write them down.

Alaina: Have you heard of PLR articles?

Berni: Uh…….

Alaina: Private Label Rights

Berni: I don’t think so…I know my one friend told me a while ago about writing articles and submitting it places….I read something in a email newsletter I received and that is ringing a bell but I’m not sure what it is.

Alaina: That’s different then PLR articles….but I’m glad you mentioned that. First let me tell you about the PLR then we can go back to submitting articles. The PLR articles are ones that you can buy or sometimes they are offered for free. It is prewritten content you can use to jump start your writers block….just do NOT use the articles as they are. You’ve got to edit them- make them sound like you.

Berni: So if you have to rewrite them then why use them?

Alaina: They are great as a starting point…something to get the juices flowing. They are great for ideas but you need to switch them up and give them a taste of who you are- don’t forget you aren’t the only one purchasing the articles so you don’t want to leave them as is- be different!

Berni: Gotcha…what about the submitting thing?

Alaina: Ah, yes! This is another great way to get traffic into your site. What you can do is write some articles up on topics that are related to your blog- so for you perhaps something on the stereotype that many people have on women, tools, and home improvement. You can even do a number of different versions of the same basic article. Then when you submit it to these sites your article will be published with a short bio at the end with links to you….and others can use these articles on their own sites as long as they keep the credits in tack.

Berni: Ah..okay that’s cool.

<baby is now cranky and we are yawning>

Berni: Okay my brain is on overload tonight!

Alaina: I need to get the baby to sleep. We’ll chat again some other day.

So ended our conversation. Lots to think upon. I like this information about using PLR articles that Kelly McCausey has on her website. It really explains things exactly as I would so no need to do that here. Another thing that I want to point out that Berni mentioned was her notebook.

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Berni has heard me talk of blogging, WordPress, search engine ranking- you name it. She wanted to pick my brain on how she could add ‘something’ to her Tomboy Tools website so that she could share home project tips and advice. So of course I wanted to share with her all she could do with a blog to help her business grow.

Before she could ask me questions I was ready with a list of seven questions to see what she knew of blogging and how it could help her accomplish her goals. Here is our conversation (minus a few off topic jabbering as you would find with friends):

Alaina: What is a blog?

Berni: “Honestly I’m not sure. I think it’s where you can tell things to the world…It looks interesting… I don’t understand the networking- I want to understand that’s why I’m talking to you!”

Cordey: “Oh I know what a blog is! Um……… It’s where you put pictures and stuff and it tells about you and stuff…..ummmmm”

Alaina: What do you think blogs are used for?

Berni: “Communicating and networking?”

Cordey: “Hmmmmmm….” <giggles>

Alaina: What are ways you can make money with blogs?

Berni: “I have yet to figure that out! It helps increase your ranking in search engines? I know you can do advertising on them like the google stuff but a lot don’t always do that.”

Alaina: Who uses blogs?

Berni: “Everybody”

Cordey: <raises hand> “Except for children!”

Alaina: Why are you interested in a blog?

Berni: “I started a couple and I have no clue what I’m doing, but I know it can help me somehow.”

Alaina: How do you think it will help you?

Berni: “If I had a really good blog I could probably increase the interest in the Tomboy Tools. I’d like to post fun things, environmental solutions using the tools and give ideas on home projects. So it would give me a way to share these things and perhaps get sales. I also want to have one to help people with Access/Excel. I love to help and I’m really good with those programs.”

Cordey: <has totally lost interest- don’t blame her the cinnamon roll looks delicious!>

Alaina: What concerns do you have about blogging?

Berni: “I want to make sure that if I go through the trouble of setting up a blog that if anyone is making money it’s me. How do I get people interested in the blog- like how do they know it’s there…….How do you make them look nice? How do you even post things on there and do the pictures and stuff……However else you make money with them I don’t understand that….”

She brought up a lot of interesting questions about blogging in general. In our next meeting we will begin to pick some of her concerns apart and help her to understand what exactly is a blog and how it can truly do all the things she is wanting to accomplish.

Stay tuned for our follow up meeting!

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The Mommy Bloggers that Lynn spoke with all mentioned they’d be happy getting $500 a month to compensate their time and resources blogging. Wow! $500 just for talking about things you are willing to talk about anyway- doing something that you are passionate about. Seems like a lot right?

Wrong. Lynn thought many of these woman could be making upwards of $5,000 a month. Yes, that is five thousand dollars a month for doing what you love. Why couldn’t these woman see the possibilities? Were they too concerned in their label- Mommy Blogger- hiding behind the stories of diapers, crayons, and juice boxes?

Oh how I wish I could have been there in the wee hours talking with Lynn, picking her brain. I’d love to be making more then $500 a month. I know I have been hiding behind the protective walls of Mommy Blogger. It’s easy to say I’m a Mommy Blogger but to have to sit and actually think about where my other niche may be- that takes work, that asks me to leave the comfort zone. How far am I willing to go? Lynn was looking from the outside in, she could see all they needed to do was take from their passion and their vast variety of backgrounds and carve themselves away from the pack of Mommy Blogger and become a “Niche Blogger”.

If you watched the video Lynn has of her interview with popular Mommy Blogger, Lizzie Keiper, you may be wondering the same thing as I am. Am I going to be selling out? Am I using my readers? I have more than one blog and one of them is very personal more of a way to connect with family afar. What if I changed this one around a little and monetized it- would I be using the readers? I really like what Lizzie had to say about this fine line between passion and pay-

“Its all about staying true to yourself, and to your vision.”

Where does this line fall for you? Have you found your passion? Have you chipped yourself away from the pack? After you answer my questions make sure you sign up for Lynn’s notices on the upcoming free webinar series taking you from personal blogger to professional.

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Now with help from Sparkplugging and Epson you can print from anywhere in the house! Talk about a sigh of relief for the upcoming days of winter when a snuggly bed is the prime area for blogging. When I saw this contest for a chance to win a Epson Workforce 600 I was blown away. Then I noticed it’s not just a printer they are giving away but a whole new branding opportunity with a custom logo from Randa Clay Design!

Here are a few ideas I came up with for using this prize:

• Business Cards: Design some stellar business cards for promoting your blog that you can hand out- leave with waitresses at restaurants, networking events, potential clients, etc
• Mommy Cards: Have you meet a wonderful mother while out and struggled to exchange contact information? Print up some colorful contact cards in just seconds with this beauty!
• Scrapbooking: Latest project lacking that little extra touch? Print out just what your layout needs in brilliant color and in record speed.
• Marketing: Just think of the new wonders you could create- the sky really is the limits. Newsletters, fliers, and postcards- Oh my!
• Education: Like things on paper– directions on how to use different features of your blog or a wonderful ebook- print it out and with the highlighter friendly technology you can color code with ease!

So these are by far no where near the capabilities of the printer and what you can do with your own custom logo. What other things can you think of? Let me know! Don’t forget to also post your ideas at Sparkplugging for you chance to win!

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Almost five years ago I decided to quit my corporate banking job to be home with my first born. The first months were spent adjusting to motherhood and not having a set schedule of any kind. As trying as new parenthood can be I wanted more- I needed to keep my brain active on a different level. I tried my hand at direct sales, three different companies to be exact. After valuable time and financial resources I came to the conclusion that it was just not for me. Then we moved from our small rural town to a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. – vastly different in lifestyle and cost-of-living. I began researching ways for us to save money so that I could continue being home with my kids- what I found was a whole work at home world and cloth diapers (yes, you read right!).

I started a online boutique selling many different natural parenting products. After two years of working on growing my boutique both online and within my local community I joined my peers at the Business and Learning Expo. During this expo I learned so much that my brain was on overload for at least two weeks! Many of the speakers talked of blogging and it’s importance to any business, so one night after the expo I installed the WordPress program onto my site. I am self-taught in all that I know how to do, proving you do not need any professional training. After just a few months of starting the blog to accompany the retail store I soon realized I could make more money in less time blogging then the store. I moved my inventory out, passed my mailing supplies onto another local business, and haven’t looked back. How else can I earn income from jabbering away in my pajamas from home? I have yet to find something as fun, profitable and satisfying as mommy blogging!

Currently, I am furthering my skills and knowledge with the wonderful ladies over at Blog Evangelists, starting a company to help local businesses get started, and about to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of my natural parenting blog. As I grow from my own experiences and those already ‘experts’ in the field, I hope to share with you what worked for me and for others.

Here’s to our journey together!

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