I am 2000% so happy that I found Collective Bias.

Before I met Collective Bias I was like any other blogger.  I got free stuff with the company hoping that I would write a review.  It was pretty exciting, at first, and then the excitement started to fizzle once I realized all the time I was spending reviewing and writing. When the companies started hounding me on when they would see my review, it felt like I was an employee, but I wasn’t because there was no money involved.

Then, I met Collective Bias and found out my time was worth more than free stuff and my opinion actually counted for something.  I started making money when participating in campaigns.  I made money for my time, ideas and participation.  Yes, I may have gotten the traditional badge, but along with the cool badge of honor came money for participation… not a mug, some coupons or a t-shirt like this article suggests companies give to bloggers (influencers).

Then, I made even more money running the campaigns.  Again, I wasn’t given a measly $20 product for my time.  I was making enough to make the car payment that month or enough to help out with the house payment.

My time spent online was finally worth something

I was actually making money, not from my blog, but because I was a blogger that had a following and a reach.  Collective Bias realized my potential and then instead of using me, by sending me on a trip to some companies headquarters that could then be written off and then slapping me on the back with some promotional materials like this article suggests, my time is compensated.

I am happy and my family is happy and in the end, that is what matters.

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Guest posts are nice and fine and dandy on some blogs, like informational blogs, but if you have a blog that is about you and your life and your adventures, please don’t have guest posts.

I hate it when I go to my favorite blog by my favorite blog writer and find a guest post from some writer I have never heard of…it’s kind of disappointing.

For example, I went to this blog and was disappointed.  I would rather anticipate and wonder what is going on in her life and get excited when a new post popped up than read about someone else.  No offense to the guest blogger, but I went expecting one writer and getting another.

If I see a guest post on this blog, no biggie.  But, this one, this one and this one…. might make me pull my hair out!

The best advice I can give… keep it real.  You don’t need to post every day to have a great blog…this gal doesn’t and I get excited when she does post something.

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If you are a mom, which I know most of you are, then you’ve experienced a night of little or no sleep.  You’ve probably also experienced one of those nights where you thought you slept like a log only to drag around the following day in a daze.  This can be quite frustrating and irritating at times and when your surroundings (ie children) interrupt your sleep, it can cause stress, exhaustion, irritation and ultimately cause health issues.

Sleep is so important!

I was given the opportunity to review a sleep machine called the Zeo which has filled me in on what’s really going on when I’m sleeping.

My eyes are wide open!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found out that when I am sleeping, I am waking up an average of 8 times a night!  I also couldn’t believe that some of the nights I woke up the most, the next day I felt better than on the nights I woke up less.  Go figure!

I have changed my sleep routine.

After learning a few things about myself while I’m sleeping, I have changed a few things about my bedtime routine.  The first thing I have changed is I no longer have a caffeinated beverage past 3pm.  Yesterday, 3 pm was rolling around and I felt totally exhausted.  So, since it wasn’t 3 pm yet, I indulged in a cappuccino and a couple of Oreos.  It didn’t affect my sleep and I was able to enjoy the rest of my evening without uttering the words, “I’m sleepy.”

Then, I have been setting the timer on the tv to go off after 30 minutes or I just turn the tv off completely.  I have been falling asleep within minutes of placing the Zeo on my head and putting my head on the pillow.

My biggest challenge is the interruptions.

My kids are the culprit.  Every night like clockwork my 16 month old wakes up and every night I have to get up, pick her up out of her bed and then hold her till she falls back to sleep.  Then,  I either put her back into her bed or let her fall asleep in my bed out of my laziness and selfishness of wanting to get some much needed sleep.  I think if she would stay asleep and I had a mattress that was comfortable and not ancient, I might have a better night of sleep and actually feel energized when I wake up in the morning.  I might also be able to function throughout an entire day without relying on a cup of coffee to keep me out of the “fog.”

I’m really enjoying the Zeo because I’m learning more about me and finding out why I function the way I do and what factors are interfering with how I feel throughout the day.  Now that I know more about what’s going while I’m sleeping, I can make the necessary adjustments to my time awake in hopes that it improves my overall well being.

Disclosure: A Zeo sleep machine was provided to me for review.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone and are not influenced in any way by anyone.

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For me, there was no way I could go out of the house to find a job.  I have 3 little girls, (one baby, one toddler and one about to start kindergarten)  times were getting tough and the online boutique I was running was costing more to run than worth running, so I turned to blogging and gave up the online boutique.  I thought that it was better for me, since I had to stay at home with my children anyway, to not have money going out, but to feel the support by other mothers that were at home with there children as well.  At the same time I had already used the Twitter handle that was associated with my website, so people knew me as @theappleofmyeye.  I had branded myself, so even after the boutique closed, I kept the handle.  I ended up turning TheAppleofMyEye.com into a brand page housing all of my social media outlets.

So, I was on Twitter making all kinds of really great mommy blogger friends and doing product reviews.  I would contact companies to do reviews of products that I needed and then do the review.  Doing this helped our family during a time when every penny counted and feeding my family was my first priority.  Then things evolved and other forms of social media started to emerge, like the popular location based iPhone app Whrrl.

Whrrl made me money.  Not a ton, but by creatively using the iPhone app companies, large and local, have paid me and it has kept us afloat.  Then companies started contracting me out for various projects.  If I hadn’t branded myself, tweeted, facebooked, gone to conferences (which have been completely sponsored), I would have not had the opportunity to contribute to my families income which has kept us afloat the past year.

All I can say is, “Don’t knock the mommy blogger that is trying to “brand” herself because she might also be trying to keep food on the table and bills payed on time for her family who might be struggling to make ends meet…”

This is in response to the New York Times article “Honey, Don’t Bother Mommy, I’m Branding Myself“

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I’ve been watching Danielle Smith from Extraordinary Mommy for over a year now.  She’s a wonderful speaker and a great video editor…she has a knack.  More recently, Danielle has been sharing vlogging tips with her readers to help “you” be a better vlogger.

I just stumbled upon Meridith from Hoo-dee-Hoo and I like her simple approach to vlogging.  She doesn’t have any special techniques when editing…she just turns on her camera, speaks into it and then uploads her video…raw and unedited.  Plus, I love her living room…makes a great backdrop!

Lizzie from Lizzie B TV is a wonderful speaker!  She is so natural and poised behind the camera.  I loved her behind the scenes video about setting up and getting ready for a news segment she was taping.  I have been doing news segments for our local Fox Detroit station, so her tips helped me when preparing for my segments.

Jen Hinton from JenHinton.com is always on the cutting edge when it comes to trying out new techniques in video editing and new technology.  She is definitely “one to watch” when it comes to what’s new in video editing!

Jendi from Simple Vlogging Tips is a great resource for everything you need to know about vlogging!  I subscribed to get tips via email and she has something new to share practically every day!

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Today, my 15 month old would not stop crying/whining which, in the end, cause a bad case of “Mommy Guilt”.  I could not figure out was wrong.

First I thought she was hungry.

*crying*

Then I thought she was tired and wanted a bottle.

*crying*

Then I thought she wanted to be held, so I cuddled with her.

*crying*

Then I put her down and she found her pretend phone and brought it to me.  I tried to turn it on and the batteries were dead.  She kept fussing, so I thought she wanted me to make it work, so I went and got fresh batteries and changed the old ones out and gave the phone back to her.

*crying*

Then I picked her up again and remembered how hard it was for me to get her shoes on this morning because she kept curling her toes.

*crying*

I took off her shoes and touched the foot that I struggled with…she let out one more little cry and then there was silence.

It was the, pardon my French, freakin’ shoe!  My poor baby!  I just had “Mommy Guilt” in a major way!

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I have never posted a job offer/description here on The Digital Mommy, but a friend of a friend mentioned this job opening to me and it is awesome AND it’s in sunny Arizona, so I thought I’d share the wealth with all of you!

JOB DESCRIPTION / BACKGROUND

Prizelogic is a full-service interactive promotions agency. We work with national agencies and brands to create marketing microsites around sweepstakes, instant win games, contests, etc. In the last 6 months we’ve worked with Subway, Royal Caribbean, KFC, Disney, and Ubisoft among others. In addition to microsites, we create extensions using other platforms such as widgets, kiosks, and mobile. We also create advertising materials such as banners. Most projects are completed within two to six months of initiation.

Visit www.prizelogic.com for more information and examples of our work.

JOB SUMMARY:

We believe that a solid plan is the only way to give the client what they want (an on-time launch) and our resources what they need (the room to produce a quality product). So, as a Prizelogic Project Manager you must define and document the requirements of a project in cooperation with a Salesperson and Agency Director. Then you will develop a project plan that ensures we launch on time. Once that plan is set, your job is to guard it with your life. This approach requires tenacity, experience, and good judgment above all.

We offer competitive compensation and a strong benefits package. We produce great work for national agencies and clients alike. Personal growth, creative contribution, and teamwork are agency-imperatives.

If you’re interested, please send your resume to careers@prizelogic.com. No phone calls please.

KEY FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Planning Phase
• Works with salesperson and directors to document site requirements
• Creates Sitemap/Userflow: templates and training will be provided
• Creates Wire-frames: templates and training will be provided
• Attain tracking requirements
• Develops project schedule
• Coordinates creation of creative deliverables

• Coordinates creation of analytics deliverables
• Coordinate all meetings: all phases
• Provide meeting notes on client meetings: all phases
• Maintain schedule: all phases
• Attains approvals: all phases
Pre Production Phase
• Briefs internal team: Creative Development and Production
• Coordinates the creation of all final page layouts
• Coordinates the creation of all production docs
• Attains all assets and required content
• Deter scope creep and schedule violations
• Attain approvals

Production/Development Phase
• Coordinates production of art with internal and external resources
• Coordinates development of site
• Test site in different phases
• Attain all approvals

Post Launch Phase:
• Manage Launch/Deployment of site
• Test site
• Manage all updates
• Close job and move project to demo server

QUALIFICATIONS:

For consideration, candidates must possess the following qualifications:
• Significant experience developing interactive projects (e.g. websites, microsites, banners, widgets in Flash and HTML). Online promotions experience preferred.
• Excellent communication skills with clients, project team members and management regarding project status

• Highly Organized
• Proactive
• Strong-willed
• Self-Disciplined

RECOMMENDED:

• Experience in the project planning phases including creation of sitemaps, user flows, wireframes

• Experience managing projects using Microsoft Project

• Experience with coordinating various project creative and development team activities to complete a project

ADDITIONALLY BENEFICIAL:

• Experience using Basecamp

• Experience using Axure

• Experience with coordination/implementation of Flash project deliverables

• Experience with coordination/implementation of Social Media project deliverables

• Experience with coordination/implementation of Analytics (specifically Google Analytics) deliverables

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I’ve noticed that through the years I’m having a harder time managing my patience and I think that technology is playing a huge part.  My phone is always with me and it alerts me of a new email on one of my 3 accounts, a response on Twitter, a new text message, ect.  I can be anywhere at anytime waiting for a response to an email message and waiting can feel more like 2 weeks when only two days have gone by.

I think that because there are so many “real time” social media sites like Twitter, Whrrl, Wave, Buzz and Skype and so many ways to instantly connect with someone, somewhere that instant gratification is almost expected.

Have a question?  Get it answered instantly.  There is no need to leaf through a book or even do a Google search anymore.

Shopping without a friend to help you decide on a purchase?  Not anymore!  You have hundreds if not thousands of “friends” right at your fingertips to help you pick out that perfect pair of shoes or that perfect Oscar worthy cocktail dress…just Whrrl about it and get the help you are looking for.  It’s way too easy to get a response, instantly.

The other day I sent a question to someone via email  and was eager for a response.  I sent the message on a Friday and got a response on Monday.  It seriously felt like forever waiting for the response and the fact that email was my only way of communicating with this person, made waiting incredibly challenging.  The response was great, but waiting was excruciating.

Have we fallen into a low tolerance of patience in a highly digital world?  You know my feelings…what do you think?

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We all have a story to tell of how we have persevered in life, which to be honest, if you haven’t, you can’t be human.  The only difference between you and me is that your story is more than likely different than mine or even less or more daunting, but each of us has that story that makes us unique and who we are today.

Whether you feel the need to tell your story to the world via blogging, is your choice, but I do feel that letting go can do wonders for the soul and sharing can bring lives together that could use the  familiarity of circumstances.

People love to relate to others…it’s what brings us together as bloggers and what triggers trust amongst each other.

To be honest…I’ve dabbled in opening up and sharing my circumstances in life, but haven’t gone full throttle.  Sometimes it takes time.  Sometimes it’s easier to read about others situations than to face our own.  Sometimes it’s not the place.

You’ll know when, where and what the right time is to share your story and if you already have, leave me a comment.  I’d love to learn more about YOU!

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I have always found the topic of staying or returning to a positive state to be interesting because there are so many different ways of approaching feelings of negative.  I feel that although being a part of some of the most social  networks via the internet can be fulfilling,one can also feel kinda empty when there isn’t a lot going on, so to say.

I go through spurts of depression, sometimes just for a day and sometimes for a few days.  Luckily I haven’t gone longer than about a week, but even a day or a few days can seem like a much longer period of time.

I have found that when I feel this way and it is internet related, the best thing for me to do is shut my laptop and either get out of the house or occupy myself with an activity unrelated to the online world.

This helps, but I thought I’d ask a few online compadres what they do to stay positive or what they do to return to a positive state.  This is how I came up with 10 ways to stay positive:

1. Blog about it. Some are more comfortable doing this than others.  I do have an air of discreteness that I convey and I use discretion, but sometimes opening up via a blog post helps in a huge way.  Doing what is comfortable for you is most important.
2. Talk about it with an irl (in real life) friend.  This may be an online friend or offline friend that you talk to on the phone, but sometimes an offline conversation helps.  Hearing that voice, with immediate response can be very healing.
3. Surround yourself with positive people. This is easier said than done sometimes.  Sometimes, there is no way to get around this one, but in general, you can control some of the relationships you keep in your life.  I had a friendship with a gal who was very negative and always complained, so I distanced myself from the friendship, so her negative vibes wouldn’t rub off on me and get me down.
4. Read positive books. Reading positive books helps us to revive that positive feeling that sometimes gets lost during times of stress.  We know how to be positive,but sometimes our memory gets foggy and we need to be reminded and refreshed.  These books were recommended to me:                     The Secret by Rhonda Byrne                                                                                                      A Purpose Driven Life: Rick Warren
   A New Earth: Finding Your Life’s Purpose: Eckhart Tolle
   Cure For The Common Life: Max Lucado
5. Drink some positive juice. Dr. Lindsey suggested  Sam-e tablets found in health food stores crushed up in  Goji  Berry  juice.  I haven’t tried this yet, but going au natural is more appealing than taking pills, but always talk with your doctor before taking something you aren’t sure about.
6. Relax. Some people meditate, some take a hot bath and others drink a glass of wine.  Taking time for yourself, away from distractions is very important.  I’ve been told before, by a doctor, that I NEED to make time for myself even if I have to schedule it in and even if it’s just a half hour at the gym.  Taking time for yourself is great for clearing the mind and unwinding from the stresses of life…even for just a moment.
7. Reflect. Taking a moment to think about all the positive things in your life.  Think about blessings, friendships, children, ect.  Try to stop the negative thoughts by counting your blessings.
8. Search for inspiration. Reading inspiring stories is hard NOT to do these days.  There are so many stories about how someone turned their life from really bad to really good.  Stories like that are inspiring and motivating.
9. Think about how hard life COULD be. Everyone has some obstacle they are dealing with and everyone has a story.  Realizing that your life could be much worse than it is can turn that smile right side up.
10. Play with your kids. Kids have a special ability of just living life to the fullest.  I often refer to this when I am stressed out, saying that I wish I could go back in time and be without financial stresses because those seem to be the hardest to deal with.  Turn on some music, dance around, shake your arms around and just let.it.go.  Watch how much fun you and your kids have doing this exercise.  Their faces will light up, the sounds of giggling will fill the air and for a moment in time, those negative thoughts will dissipate.

What do you do to stay positive?

Thank you to:

John
Connie
Toni
Sara
Erica
Sandy
Zippy
Katja
Amy
Naomi
Kadi
Elizabeth
Jerri Ann
Cat

For sharing ways to stay positive:)

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