”I am learning all the time.  The tombstone will be my diploma.”  ~Eartha Kitt

Tara writes in a way that makes it easy to understand and to follow up on her suggestions. She provides examples and links to blogs and other sites so you can see what she means. Everything is broken down into small steps. Set yourself a goal and work on one step a day, or one a week. Even better, buy one eBook for yourself and one for a friend. Then go through the steps together with accountability. You’ll inspire each other to do even more!

25 Simple Steps to Make Money Blogging is 52 pages filled with timely information and the action steps you need to earn that extra money in your pocket. Learn how to bring in more traffic, create a media kit, and use your blog as a platform to get other types of work. Instead of searching for these topics, they are all in one place. Much less expensive than a book and always handy on your computer, why not take advantage of the low price – $4.99?

I received the eBook for review. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are included.

1. I talk to myself out loud. And answer.
2. Volunteering and making donations are important to me.
3. My daughters are 12 years apart. My sister and I are 11 years apart. My husband and I are one year and 5 days apart, a few social security numbers apart and pretty much opposites.
4. I forget everything unless I write it down, add it to three calendars and set an alarm clock.
5. I love going to conferences just to meet new friends. I’ve been to a few including Disney Social Media Moms, so I wrote about how to get ready  and make the most of your time there.
6. Chocolate is one of my favorite food groups. So is cake, cookies, potato chips, ice cream and fast food.
7. I’m a cheap date. Just ask my husband.
8. One of my favorite quotes is “If you are too busy to laugh. You are too busy.” – unknown
9. I am a strong mother.
10. My life is a jumbled, mixed up chaotic mess, but it’s always centered around my family.

Photo of Me:

This is me about 17 years ago. Hey, this is my party post and I can do what I want!

Wanna Comment?

Tell me something about you. I’d love to get to know you and your blog better.

You can still join and take part in of Mom Bloggers For Social Good. Once you do, you’ll get weekly emails about new charity partners and what you can do to help. It can be as simple as sending out a tweet or writing a blog post. There are a number of social causes that you can choose that interest you including:

• Children
• Maternal Health
• Women & Girls
• HIV & AIDS
• Environment & Climate
• Malaria & Tuberculosis
• Fair Trade
• Workers Rights
• Food Security
• Communicable Disease
• Water Issues

Working together as a network of bloggers and using our social media voices, through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. we can make a huge difference for people in need and the nonprofits that aim to help them. Join us by signing up. Right now there are 500 Founding Members! You can also follow Mom Bloggers for Social Good on Twitter at @socialgoodmoms and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mom-Bloggers-for-Social-Good/124385917679260. The hashtag is #socialgoodmoms.

Being involved in this network is a dream come true for me. I’ve been an advocate for nonprofits and social causes for a while now on my blog, but working along with other amazing bloggers with Mom Bloggers for Social Good will make the difference by gaining a bigger audience. Thanks to the other Founding Members and those to come and of course to Jennifer James for her inspiration and putting her thoughts into action.

I know that doesn’t seem like a long time, but to someone addicted to blogging, and someone with a scheduled workload, it was quite stressful. Brain Foggles is like my baby, one that I get to cuddle with every day and no other distraction was going to take her place.  I tried my best not to email Astacia because I knew she was working on the issue, but my impatience would get the best of me. Poor Astacia would get either a frantic email or a sugary sweet one to make up for the one that made me sound like a wild woman.

It’s best to let things work their course, especially when you have a reliable tech support person working her butt off, but label me “on the verge of hysteria” and tech me coping skills.

Promise, I’ll do better next time if this ever happens again. I’m fortunate enough to have 2 other blogs to write on. Guest blogging is also a good way to keep my need for writing going. And instead of staying offline, I’ll be more active on Twitter and Facebook. (Hear that Klout?)

I’ll be celebrating today by bombarding you with blog posts right here on Brain Foggles, So be warned!

What have you done when you couldn’t write on your own blog because of technical or other reasons?

I know I should count myself as lucky because there are so many bloggers who haven’t attended any conferences.  But once you get that high of meeting bloggers that you only know online in real life, getting to hang out with blogging friends, learning how to blog better in sessions, meeting the PR people you work with and attending parties, listening to inspiring speeches, there’s no turning back.

Ever since my daughter was diagnosed with health problems last November, I’d only go to a conference or event if she could attend. Last year, she and I went to New York City for the Crayola Pop Art Pixies event. This happened just a few weeks after her being diagnosed with sinus tachycardia. I only went because her doctors said it was OK, but I was a nervous wreck the whole time. Of course we enjoyed ourselves and I treasured the time I spent with her.

This past March, I was able to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration with my husband and daughter. Again, my decision was based on the fact that I didn’t have to leave my daughter home. By that time, my daughter was diagnosed with narcolepsy, so when she was tired, things came to a halt. Another wonderful time even with those restrictions.

My plan to attend the Type-A Parent Conference were forgotten this summer. I ended up selling my ticket. The same with SheCon’11, which I baked out of. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve already bought my ticket to Type-A for 2012! My husband and daughter will be with me and we’ll try to make vacation out of it.

I have to get over the fear of not being close to my daughter, even with the health problems that she has. My husband is capable of taking care of her. I have friends who can bring her back and forth to school, etc. So, after her tonsillectomy on September 27 and other tests that will follow in October, my goal is to get back on the conference bandwagon. It’s important for me personally and professionally. And I just can’t wait.

If you’re unable to attend conferences, what do you do about connecting with fellow bloggers, PR people and to continue to learn about social media? What suggestions can you give me about the fear I have concerning my daughter?

affiliate link included

They’re a playful group of geeky guys laughing about Astrophysics. Yup, Astrophysics can be funny, didn’t you know? When Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz and Raj get together it sure is because of their obsessions and odd way of looking at things. Any time I watch The Big Bang Theory, I know I’ll be in on the jokes and actually laugh out loud.

Now my type of work is done at home (writing blog posts and taking part in social media). And while it seems that I don’t work with anyone, I’m actually part of a big community of other bloggers. We stay in touch on Twitter and Facebook most of the time. And we know how to laugh while we’re working too. We make up hashtags on Twitter and keep them going for back and forth for a while. For example I may write a tweet about being busy and add this hashtag #buriedundermyblog. Then a few other bloggers will pick up on it. Maybe we’ll try to be get one up on each other by tweeting about who actually has the most work. I guess you have to be there! But, it breaks up the day and helps us to laugh instead of stress about work.

I do meet up once a month with local bloggers for lunch and a meeting too. And let me tell you, you never know what to expect when we’re all together! Most of the time, we talk about serious things, but we do end up laughing a lot too as we talk about our work.

Even though you may enjoy laughter at your work place, who doesn’t want more?  The 4th Season of the Big Bang Theory is ready for pre-order now.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Big Bang Theory Season 4 on DVD.

I also want to thank my readers who have been patient while my blog has been undergoing maintenance while I switched to a new host and then to another host. There are still images missing on many of my posts and some other problems that I will be working on as quickly as possible.

My thanks goes out to Astacia Carter, of Expand Social Media, who has done the redesign of my blog and then came in quickly to transfer Brain Foggles to a new host. She’s been so patient with me as I email with problems that come up. If you need help with blog design, blog migration, tech support or other services, hire Astacia! Be sure to let her know that I sent you.

If you’ve blogged about life changing events or are considering it, you may have some questions. How do I do write about negative events without being a Debbie Downer? Do I have to change your niche when there’s a long lasting life changing event? Will my readership change?

Writing About Negative Life Events

Even if you don’t write a personal, family or parenting blog, sometimes something happens in your life that turns your world upside down. Writing about it can be therapeutic. You may need to explain your absence, want to reach out for support, or share to help others. (The only exception to writing about any life event would be a business blog that is professional in nature where personal posts are not included.)

Most people understand the shock you go through when you are facing a life changing event, so a post sharing your emotions is accepted and often commented on with well wishes, offers of help and advice or suggestions. If you chose to continue to write posts as the event unfolds, keep in mind that someone else is going through something similar, so you are doing a service. Begin to thank those who comment and stick by you, anyone who has provided help of any kind and if possible, share any positive news.

Change My Niche?

If you life changing event is in the area of becoming a widow, moving to a new country, going through cancer treatment, having a baby after being childless – something that shapes you as a person – you can consider changing the niche of your blog. The main question to ask yourself, “Is this what I want to write about?” And I’ll add, “for the long run”. In other words, you and your life have changed, but will this be a topic that you’ll be interested in writing about for a long time? Will it get depressing or boring? Will you run out of things to write?

On the other hand, perhaps, your life changing event has helped you become an expert or an advocate, and it is your passion. Then changing your niche seems like the right thing to do. Instead of changing your entire blog, you can include a main category about the topic on your blog, or even start a new blog.

Where and Who Are Your Readers?

As you write about your life changing event, do you still have the same readers? Are you gaining or losing readers? Use your stats program to see what posts are popular and if your traffic has changed. If you are monetizing your blog, this is important information. You may still feel the led emotionally to write about your life and that’s OK. Even if your traffic takes a dive for a few months. However, if your blog is your main source of income or a large part of it, then consider another blog for these type of posts. You can easily start a free blog and share your feelings there. Invite your close friends and readers to it.

Blogging about life changing events can be beneficial to your well being. Sharing your feelings, even if they are negative allows you a way to release them. It can change the focus of your blog or create the need for a new blog. You may gain or lose readers. And you may make a difference by helping others going through similar circumstances and providing necessary information.

This post is part of the BlogHop Blog Conference at Home. To see the full agenda of learning sessions visit Blog Conference Newbie.

There are a number of free social media measurement tools that are commonly used by PR agencies. I’ll notate which these are with an asterisk.

Traffic Tools

• Google Analytics – provides traffic stats, tells you where the traffic comes from and the keywords that bring in traffic
• Compete – provides unique visitors and visits with a free account *
• Quantcast – provides traffic stats and frequency, demographics, categories that are most visited *
• Alexa – provides traffic stats, rank, reach, pageviews, pageviews/users, bounce percent, time on site, search percent. Also provides search analytics, demographics, contact information, reviews, related links and clickstream. *

Reach Tools

• Klout – “The Klout Score is the measurement of your overall online influence.” according to Klout.com. There are many factors taken into effect to get your score, including your Twitter followers, the number of lists your Twitter account is included,  how likely your tweets are to be retweeted, and how influential are your followers. *
• PeerIndex – measures your reach according to the accounts that you link, such as Twitter, Facebook, your blogs, etc. Somewhat similar to Klout.

I also have the SEO Book Toolbar installed which includes a great deal of information on my blog stats, incoming links, and direct links to some of the tools listed above. Are there any other free social media measurement tools that you use?

Blogging Information

I’ve been blogging for 4 years, but there’s always something new to learn. Blogging is evolving along with social media. I try to find groups that will keep up with the knowledge and share it with members. Mom Spark Media offers that support to bloggers. Along with groups and the forum, where you can ask questions and get quick answers, Mom Spark provides monthly blogging courses. If you can’t attend the course, the material is always saved in written form for you.

Campaigns

Mom Spark Media provides information about product reviews, sponsored posts and ambassadorships. Everyone in the group is invited to apply, unless the brand asks for specifics from a blogger.

Promoting Bloggers

At MSM, we are given lots of opportunities to support other bloggers. We help promote our blogs, Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, etc. We’re a tribe at Mom Spark Media, but our tribe is called Sparkles! Take us seriously because we treat our blogs as businesses.

Referral Program

I’m able to refer other members to Mom Spark Media and have a chance to get gift cards. When you join, please use CONNIEROBERTS as your promotional code to help me out. You can do the same when you’re a member.

The Kindness Factor

There’s no bashing bloggers in MSM. In fact, everyone is kind and considerate. The rules are set to keep things under control, but there’s a general feeling of wanting to help each other out. We want other members to succeed. I know this sounds like utopia, but it’s not, it’s the real deal at Mom Spark Media.

I was compensated to write this post by Mom Spark Media. All opinions are my own and I really do love it at MSM!