Guess what?  eBay just launched their new site at green.eBay.com and to celebrate and encourage people to shop green when they can, they are having a contest where a lucky eBay green member will win a $1000 eBay giftcard!  To be honest, I am totally digging the new site and the concept.  I like to be inspired to buy, sell and think green.  The possibility to win $1000?  Well, that just makes it better!

How Can I Go Green and Win?

1. It’s pretty easy!  Follow these simple steps and you will be entered.  Good luck!
2. Go to green.ebay.com and login with your regular eBay username and password.
3. Join the Green Team!  The link is at the bottom of the page.
4. On the home page, find the Greener Alternatives and Eco Shopping List areas.  You will see an option under Greener Alternatives to add and item and under Eco Shopping to add a list.
5. Go ahead – make your list and add an item or a few.  You simply select items from eBay that are greener in any way and the site gives tons of ideas.  Think organic cotton sheets, pre-owned toys or electronics or anything pre-owned really.  I made a list called Orange You Glad You’re Green.  12 awesome orange things that make you greener.  I had fun with this!  Once you have made your list and / or added your items you are entered into the contest!  You can have 1 entry for the list and one for adding a greener alternative.  Easy peasy!

Now that we all have a chance to win $1000 to eBay, settle back and check out the site!  There are options for buying or selling green and recommendations from other eBay members, real people who have submitted an item or a list.  If you are wondering what green is all about in a site for buying and selling, eBay makes it simple.  Items that are pre-owned, resource saving and / or sustainable all help us be greener.  See?  Me buying my kids used Playmobil all the time on eBay is GREEN!  Wahoo! Here’s what eBay says.

Prevention is Key: The greenest product is one that already exists. A pre-owned find has history. By bringing it home, you extend its useful life, keep it out of the landfill, and prevent the environmental impact of producing something new.

Do More With Less: Solar powered electronics, LED or compact fluorescent lights, water conserving faucets, Energy Star appliances. All are examples of products that tread more lightly and take less of our limited natural resources.

Materials Matter: New alloys vs. recycled metals. Fast-growing bamboo vs. old-growth hardwood. From shoe soles made of old plastic soda bottles to furniture made of FSC-certified wood, sustainable products make use of re-purposed or renewable materials.

The site is fun.  There are ideas for green decorating and babying and technology and everything in between.  They also have these brand new reusable boxes coming out for eBay transactions and they track the box as it travels and record how much we are saving by reusing.  Also – the boxes are adorable.  I sort of want to have all of them and leave them in a corner to look at.  The different sizes make one big, happy tree!

If you have never sold on eBay or gave up years ago, it is time to try again.  Not only is it better to keep things out of landfills and see them re-used as much as possible, you can supplement your family’s income by using the incredible platform eBay has built to sell your items.  That’s green for the planet and for your wallet!

Go ahead, check out the new eBay Green for your chance at $1000 and the knowledge that you are so being green.

And hey, if you want to shop orange and go green, check out my list by searching in Eco-Shopping at eBay Green.  Have fun!

Full contest rules can be found here.

Disclosure:  This post was written by me as a member of the eBay Parent Panel.  All opinions are my own.  And I honestly love orange.

Pin It

The problem is, for a site that is so big on sharing, it is not the easiest site to implement into your blog.  After a long time spent finding the code, I finally have the little PinIt button in my GetSocial plugin that floats in the left side of my page and I could not be happier! Now I do not have to worry about going to each individual post and choosing a URL and image.  Of course I still can choose to do this by using the Pin It instructions on the goodies page, but by having it right there with the other sharing options makes it available on each and every post I have ever written. Of course, I have added it to this post…feel free to pin!

I finally found the code snippet you will need at Chykalohpia and then I just changed it a little to get what I wanted.

The Magic Pinterest Code

If you want the PinIt button at the end of your post with other social media sharing buttons like twitter or facebook you have a few choices.

1. You can use a plugin like GetSocial as I have and add it to the additional options in the menu.
2. You can add the code to the end of each post or page in the HTML view.  This option is not preferred if you have other social media sharing icons here that will not match your new PinIt button.  However, it will work.
3. You can add the code to the loop of your post and / or page files.  Usually these are single.php or single-post.php.
4. If you are using Thesis (as I am) or another theme that has hooks you can use your hooks to add this code and the button to the bottom of posts or pages. I add code directly to my php files but you can easily break your blog this way so if you are using the Thesis plugin for hooks you would use the Thesis_Hook_After_Post.

Without further ado, the code!  Please note that this image pulls from one of my sites.  If you have a particular PinIt button you would like to use, make sure to replace the src portion of the code below with your own image file location.

<div><a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r=' Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img style="margin: 0 0 -5px 0;" onclick="doPinIt();" src="http://www.tiptopnest.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pinitbutton.jpg" alt="Pin It" /></a></div>

As a note, when you add this to the end of your post you can modify it’s placement using the margins in the code above and / or by applying specific css rules to it.

Using the code with Get Social

I chose to add this to my Get Social plugin because it puts them with the other sharing items.  If you use a sharing plugin and it allows you to manually add a site like pinterest, this should work. Get Social is awesome because it floats next to your posts and you have the option of easily setting in the menu where it floats, how far down it starts, what color it is and what icons you want to show.

The simple code to add for Get Social is as follows.  You simply add it in the box!

<div class="sharebutton"> <div><a href="javascript:void((function(){var%20e=document.createElement('script');e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8');e.setAttribute('src','http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinmarklet.js?r=' Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());"><img style="margin: 0 0 -5px 0;" onclick="doPinIt();" src="http://www.tiptopnest.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pinitbutton.jpg" alt="Pin It" /></a></div></div>

Here’s what my profile looks like.  It is full of things I love! I would love to share Pinterest with you so please check out my profile and of course, let me know if you have any questions! Let’s Get pinning!

After the holidays a lot of people are thinking about bills.  Many people spend more than they budgeted for to have that perfect gift or dress or party.  January comes and so does the bill.  Most people think about budgets for a new year.  Getting your finances in order might also cause you to look around your home.  Organization is on many a list for the New Year but it’s tough because most of us have so much stuff…and we just got more!  It is time to clean house.

Guess what?  Some 0f the most popular selling categories for used items are the same things you have too much of.  Name brand clothing, toys and technology.  You can take that cash and pay off debt, sock it away to pay for a great vacation or even donate it to others in need.  While it might seem easiest to give things away or sell things locally, you will get the most from some items on eBay.  If you have never used eBay or are wary about jumping in again, worry not.  There is now an awesome Seller Information page that can answer a million questions and help you get started and if you don’t get your answer, I will help you find it.

What did you give and get for the holidays?  What is building up in your closets? I am guessing there is at least one item from the big three.  Especially with toys and technology, now may be the time to say out with the old and in with the new!

The best place to sell clothing and electronics is on eBay where millions of people check everyday for items you can sell.  Maybe you got a new camera and could list your old.  Maybe your child got a new gaming system and no longer plays with his Leap Frog or her Nintendo DS.  Whatever technology you have grown out of, someone else is looking to try.  Check out the technology selling guide to get the best information on selling your gadegts for lots of moolah!  I like clothing and electronics because usually they are easy to sell and easy to ship.  While there is an option for local pickup only, ebay bids work best on items that you can ship.

If you totally want to make money fast you can check out the Instant Sale page on eBay.  If you have in demand electronics (think phones, cameras, computers, gaming systems) they will buy them right from you and plop cash right into your paypal account.  You print out a free shipping label and mail it in!  Easy peasy.  I got an offer of $166 on my iPhone4 in good condition.  Not bad huh?  I am thinking of sending in all of our old blackberries.  At $50 a pop they could add up!  And yes, this is incredibly green.  Don’t throw those old phones away!

Go ahead and grab a box.  Fill it with things you do not need or use anymore or things you now have 2 of!  Figure out what can be sold.  I do think by just searching on eBay for what is listed and what bids are on it.  Whatever is left donate, recycle or trash.  Look at your box and imagine how much nicer a little cash would be.  Then start listing!  Start slow while you learn the ropes and then become a regular at getting rid of the valuable things you no longer need.

I hope we can all start off the New Year a little lighter feeling like we have the tools to conquer the clutter and help our families.

Disclosure: I am an eBay Parent Panel Ambassador

Well, what if you could buy something and know that some portion was giving to others or sell something and let just a little bit of that profit benefit something you care about?

I was more than pleasantly surprised when I looked into joining the eBay Parent Panel and saw the incredible awesome eBay Giving Works program.

This holiday season, or any time you are buying or selling, you can also be helping someone in need.  That, my friends, is the kind of transaction I want to be a part of.  You can shop and give, you can sell and give or you can simply give using your PayPal account.  This is no small program.  While the percentages may not be high on individual items (amount ranges from 10% to 100%) it sure does add up.  So far those giving transactions have amounted to more than $234 million dollars.  It shows that every little gift counts towards something bigger and that we can all make a difference.

This holiday season I love that you can directly give to Toys for Tots and provide a child who has little with a toy of his or her own.  This is close to my heart as a mother of 3 kids 5 and under. I buy toys every year for Toys for Tots and this makes it easy for anyone to give this gift to a child.  Toys for Tots is the main children’s charitable outreach program of the United Sates Marine Corps.  Now that my little sister is a Marine, this program is even closer to my heart.

For Buyers:

Simply search for auctions that benefit your charity or go with a more generalist approach and search the charitable sales to find your item!

When you go to the site you can search by cause.  Want to save the animals, protect the environment, fight cancer, support our military or help children?  All of that and more is there.  You can search by general cause or specific charity.  Now it’s more than just celebrity auctions to raise money…you put the focus on the case you want to fight for.  There are more than 18,000 non-profits currently available.  Perfect.

If you are into celebrity stuff, you should totally check out the Giving Works Celebrity page.  Tons of celebs work with eBay to raise money and boy are there some cool things.  Like, um, you can totally bid to meet Colin Firth and see his new movie and get a picture and everything.  Yes please!  All of the proceeds go to Oxfam, which is totally cool and if you have the money, completely excuses the price, which starts at $1000.

For Sellers:

You can go about your regular business on eBay and give back at the same time.  Search the directory to find your charity!  If it is not there you can invite them to register.   There is a special section on your listing form for Giving Works transactions.  Decide what % you want to give.  Then list and spread the word!  Giving Works transactions show a special little ribbon and a special section devoted to your selected nonprofit and your donation commitment.  How cool is that?  Just as cool?  Whatever % you donate, eBay will take that same % off your insertion and final value fees!

For Non-Profits:

If you are a non-profit, you can use eBay to raise money!  Whether buying or selling for your organization or getting listed and having people’s sales benefit your program, this is an awesome way to increase your donations!  Check out the page on Joining eBay Giving Works.

eBay Giving Works is for Everyone

Whether you are buying or selling or raising money, eBay’s Giving Works is a great place to feel good about your transactions and know that while you are shopping or selling you are also helping others.  There is nothing better this holiday season…or any season for that matter.

I hope you try out the Giving Works program and experience getting what you want and giving others what they need.

Happy Holidays!

Disclosure: I am a member of the eBay Parent Panel and am compensated for this commitment.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

I had so many great online shopping mistakes and I wanted to share them with you with tips on how to avoid these disasters!  Many of the comments were similar and that is totally expected because when shopping online, it is easy to miss the details or get sucked in by that great deal or just make a mistake.  Without further ado…

Top 10 Online Shopping Mistakes (from the comments)

Mistake 1: I pressed “buy” button three times by accident when I was shopping online. My card was charged three times. it took a few weeks and a few calls to the bank to get my money back.

Shopping Tip 1: Be careful when you click!  Be patient and wait for the confirmation and if you have any doubts, call the company immediately to ensure you ordered what you intended to order!  I prefer companies that send an email confirmation as well.  That way you will know if something went awry with your clicking.

Mistake 2: I bought a Bedazzler. Need I say more?  In my defense, I was going to make some HOT Bedazzled wedding panties for myself….

Shopping Tip 2:  Think before you purchase!  Will you really bedazzle your panties or use that 5 second roaster you saw on TV?  I have to say, this was my favorite mistake by far.  I have a number of impulse buys around the house myself.  It is so easy to buy online so be sure you need and want what you are ordering and that it fits in your budget.  There is even less emotion typing in a credit card number online than there is swiping one in a store for me, so be careful and stay within your limits.

Mistake 3: I ordered an item with my debit card. Somehow my number was stolen and used to buy things overseas.

Shopping Tip 3: Always use a credit card when shopping online.  I use my American Express almost exclusively because of their awesome additional return allowance but the key is not to use a debit card.  That takes cash out of your bank account immediately.  While it might seem better for your budgeting, once cash is out it is very hard to get it back in.  With a credit card, you will be able to dispute a charge and find a solution that does not affect your cash position much easier than with a debit card.

Mistake 4: I thought I was buying 4 bathroom rugs but received 4 toilet seat covers.

Shopping Tip 4: Read, double read and read again.  It is easy to have this happen, particularly when websites show a collection of items and then you must select what you want from a drop down menu.  Always look carefully before you confirm and if you have questions, do not order until you can clarify.

Mistake 5: I once let my university’s bill pay service “remember” my credit card number, and they started charging me without notification, so I had multi-hundred or even multi-thousand dollar hits on my credit card bill that I didn’t remember paying.

Shopping Tip 5: Be careful who gets your credit card number. Ouch!  I do let certain sites remember my credit card information but only when I know what will be charged and when.  In my experience, bill pay services from universities are among the worst.  Once people have your number, it can be used.  Make sure you know when your card can be charged and always regularly review your statements so you can catch things before they become a problem.

Mistake 6: My online shopping mistake was not checking the size of the lamp I purchased. What I though would be a cute table lamp now takes up a 3′ x 3′ area next to my bed. I love it, but it wasn’t what I thought I’d be getting!

Shopping Tip 6: Read carefully and measure.  A picture is worth a thousand words, but when shopping online, read the full description to know what you are buying.  This is especially true for home decor items.  I know I have ordered little sculptures or vases thinking they were a certain size in the picture and receiving something much smaller!  It pays to pay attention!

Mistake 7: I ordered from a site based in the UK without realizing it, so not only did I pay more because the price wasn’t in US dollars, I also had to pay the currency conversion fee.

Shopping Tip 7: Read the total carefully and we careful ordering from overseas.  I actually rarely order outside of the U.S. these days unless it is very clear what the terms of the purchase are.  Checking the confirmation here and the currency is very important.  Shopping overseas is fun but shipping and conversion can be a nightmare.  Be cautious.

Mistake 8: My online horror??? Two Words: FREE TRIAL! When you see these words, RUN!

Shopping Tip 8:  Can I get an AMEN!  When you sign up for those free trials that require a credit card, put that cancellation date in 18 billion calendars or chances are you will forget and be charged for 18 billion months of service.  Yeah, I have been burned by this.  If it is not something you really need and want to try out, avoid the free trials.

Mistake 9: Ordered some things from a “second or third tier” retailer but neglected to read the return policy fine print i.e. a hefty re-stocking fee.

Shopping Tip 9: Buy from a site you know and trust and always read the return policy!  There are many smaller sites that have excellent customer service and stellar online shopping experiences.   Just because a company is small they are not unprofessional.  You will typically still find the best deals on shipping and the easiest return policy from major retailers because they have economies of scale on their side.  Just make sure to check out the reviews and the return policy before you buy from any store and avoid deals from sites you don;t know that look too good to be true.  They probably are.

Mistake 10: Not taking advantage of online shopping.  There were tons of comments on this!  You can find great deals online plus discounts!

Shopping Tip 10:  Search for coupons or discount codes before you make a purchase.  Just today I did this and got 30% off at Gap.  I t can’t hurt to try.  I have been very successful at getting everything from free shipping to 50% off from a simple search.

 I hope these tips helped and let you know that you are not alone if you have made one of these mistakes.  Usually my online shopping experience is wonderful and like I said, I have been an American Express customer for a decade and I love this card.  From the card protection benefits to the fantastic Membership Rewards, it is the best card out there.

Have fun shopping this holiday season!  Stay smart and savvy with your online shopping!

Disclosure: I am being compensated for this post as part of the American Express Savvy Online Shopping Program. The opinions expressed are all my own.

Pin It

How to Use the Weekly Blog Planner

The planner is simple.  There are 4 sections.

Post Information

The top of the planner is for post planning.  I use it to write down my topic and or title and attempt to think of something catchy for clicks and something savvy for SEO.  They are almost always different.  I always think about my category at the same time.  I want to make sure the post fits with what I want for my blog and if it really doesn’t I know I should look for a guest post at a blog that fits that niche.  I also use the category column for key words SEO.   Sometimes just thinking about how the post fits into my blog changes it a bit and makes it better before I even start writing it.

The promotion column is awesome for me.  If a post is meant for a blog link up or would be great to promote on a certain site or with a specific hashtag, I put it here.  For sponsored posts I use this column to record the required hashtag and promotion.  For instance I will write down #sponsoredhashtag, 2x post to twitter, 1x post on Facebook.  That way I don’t forget!  This is also a great column for thinking about your post’s audience.  The blogging community is huge and there are times when you really think a certain group would love your post.  In this case I think about where I might find that community online and look for forums or groups that fit that profile.

To-Do’s a.k.a. Maintenance

Part of a blog, especially one your are monetizing, is administrative.  These are the tasks I do weekly and simply check them off.

I backup my blog automatically but I check every week.

Going through and finding bad links and adding links to older posts is important.  I choose a few posts that I know I can link within to other articles based on their popularity. (As an aside, on my monthly tasks is finding good posts and analyzing them for SEO and updating them.)

A design check is a must for me.  I not only make sure that my links work (again) but I look at my blog and de-clutter.  For most bloggers this means looking at the sidebar and removing links that are old, useless and not important to you.  I wrote about designing your sidebars and navigation and I really try to keep up to date with this.  I keep a separate checklist of things I don’t LOVE about my design and totally try to make time to research a fix, but weekly it is more about removing excess and keeping your site clean.  You want your readers to find your best content, so giving consideration to your design and navigation regularly is important.

Replying to comments is important to me, particularly if I have asked a question or started an active discussion.  Making time to go back and respond to any missed comments is a weekly job.  I also like to explore a couple of new blogs through my comment section and I need to make specific time to do this.

Checking for updates is easy with WordPress.  I use this as a time to update and evaluate whether or not I am actually using the plugins that are updating.  I like to keep plugins to a minimum to keep my site loading fast.  I make sure to backup my site before I do a WordPress upgrade.

I keep an EXCEL spreadsheet for recording revenues and expenses.  Remember, as a blogger, products that you receive are revenue and are taxable.  Make sure you keep a record of what you spend too so you can offset that revenue.  I use this same spreadsheet to record information about the companies I work with so I can easily access it anytime.

I have blank spaces so I can write in other things I want to accomplish.

Communicate – Reach Out!

I like to have a list of the people I must follow up with each week and the people I want to build a better relationship with.  I write down their name and whether it is Personal or Business and why I want to reach out.  This is all a part of building community and of course, relationships with companies.  This is a great place to write down a company or blogger that you would like to work with and plan how you are going to reach out.  This has been a great resource for me and I know that when I have 10 minutes I can cross one off the list.

Notes / Shards of Brilliance

I just write things I think of here.  I also have a full page with this header and I jot things down regularly.  My hope is that some will become posts, some relationships and some projects.  And yes, I also end up writing phone numbers or the hex codes for colors I love in here.  It is for whatever brilliant thought comes to your head!

Download the Mommy Words Weekly Blog Planner

You can download the Mommy Words Weekly Blog Planner for free! I hope it helps you! I will be posting a lost more printables in the future so please consider subscribing via RSS or Email so you never miss one!

I would love to hear how you plan your weekly blogging too!

Guess what?  The night before I lost my voice.  I went to bed at 8 pm and woke up with a mere whisper.  I drank tea and tried to whisper.  By the time my session came I had a choice between the voice of a baby chipmunk or a deranged Kathleen Turner.   This was my first disappointment.  I have a strong speaking voice and I love to use a lot of vocal expression when I teach.  This session was videotaped so I will be able to hear my strange voice.  Yippee.

You know what?  At least my voice came.  I used what I had and I asked for help from Melanie when I needed it because I was literally choking on my own throat.  We knew our stuff and we shared it.  And you know what…we are good presenters.  We did our job well, even with my husky chipmunk at the mic.

We shared our presentation.  To 6 people.  This was my other fear.  That no one would come.  This, for me, brought the huge weight of disappointment down.  It made me feel small and useless and most of all, embarrassed.  I don’t know why so few cared about our awesome presentation on design with tons of useful tips, but man it broke my hard working heart.  I totally appreciate each and every person who came.  Thank you!

Well, we still gave our presentation and answered the few questions and after an hour, it was over.  My first speaking gig at a blog conference did not go at all as I hoped.

I left the conference center to call my husband thinking I would cry.  Yeah, I cry, sue me.  I started talking and he felt so bad for me and then I found my stiff upper lip.

Now I am sitting on a plane on my way back to Charlotte and I decided to share not only my story (I was almost too embarrassed) but also the lesson in it.

How can we deal with this kind of disappointment?  It happens all the time. We work hard on something, whether personally or professionally, and the result does not go as planned.  You know what?  Things happen.

Tips for Dealing with Disappointment

First, evaluate the situation.

Did you do everything you needed to do?

No:  Sometimes the answer will be no and you can figure out how to do better the next time.  Did you not leave enough time?  Did you over extend yourself?  Did you not give 100% because the project was not a big priority to you?  This has now become a learning experience.  Use it to your advantage and know that you will be better in the future.

Yes:  Most of the time disappointment is the hardest when something we really care about goes sideways.  In these cases I find that if anything, we have over prepared.  We are ready to rock a presentation, a social engagement, a party…anything.  Because we care so much we did everything we could.

We (Melanie and I) prepared for our session.  We worked on our presentation, we researched great resources and we promoted our session.  Still, it was a room meant for a hundred with only a few chairs filled.  Each of those people totally rocks, by the way!  We can be proud of what we did.

In this case, when there was no more you could do, you have to be able to be proud of yourself for what you accomplished and what you learned in the process and again, use it as a learning experience.

Can you identify the problem?

This is not about finding a scapegoat.  This is giving your situation an honest evaluation so you will be able to put it behind you.  It is worth it and may make the next situation better.  Maybe there is someone you should follow up with or maybe you just need this for yourself.

I don’t know what to say about my situation other than that we presented right after lunch in a huge expo center as the first panel in the first year of Type A Parent at Blog World.  I think that people weren’t sure these tracks would apply to them if they are not a parent blogger.  While they would be wrong, that is neither here nor there.  There were something like 11 other sessions going on at the same time.  Next to our room was a session on monetization.  Yep, making money.  Duh…people go to that.  Finally, for some reason people don’t really think blog design is that important or they think their blog is just fine.  I can tell you that most blogs need a regular shine and an annual cleaning and that design is extremely important. Especially if you want to make money.  I am confident that this session would be gang busters in a lot of places.

Second, find the silver lining.

I know I sound like your mom, but hey, I am a mom now.  Moms are smart cookies.  As I said above, did you learn something?  Was the experience still worthwhile?  Did you make a new friend?  Did you see something new?

I did all of these things this weekend.  I learned a lot about blogging and social media from the conference and I learned a lot about myself from this situation.  I am strong.  The experience was wonderful despite my vocal distress.  I still wish I was less shy, but I am not going to beat myself up.  I made new friends.  I now totally adore Melanie and I found some other amazing people too! I saw downtown LA and my first non-parenting blog conference.  Boy was it different. I spoke at my first blog conference!  Yay! Downtown LA was super awesome and I really hope to go back sometime and see some sights and hit the beach!

There is more than one side to every story and your situation is probably no different.  So maybe the main event wasn’t what it was cracked up to be but the peripheral stuff rocked.  Focus on that.

Third, allow your feelings.  They are real.

Disappointment is natural.  It is fine to feel this way.  Let yourself be disappointed, just don’t let yourself wallow in it.  That will keep you down a lot longer!

I am disappointed, sure.  I wanted to report amazing success to you, my readers!  It’s okay though.  You just wait.  Next time!

Fourth, Look forward, not backward.

I know we did well speaking and I am already planning which other conferences I can submit a speaker proposal to.  I am less nervous about submitting than I was before and I am ready to roll!  This conference is over now.  I don’t need to let it weigh me down.  I was also thinking of offering a local workshop or webinar on blog design for people (business or personal blogs) who want the information but will not be at a blog conference anytime soon.  See, I am letting go to let new and positive ideas in.  Try it.  It really helps.

Finally, give yourself a little treat.

This is not a pity party, or maybe it is.  It doesn’t matter really.  Grab a bowl of ice cream or a heap of that Halloween candy or a really full glass of wine and indulge yourself.  Take a bubble bath. Catch a movie.  Just because everything out there did not go as you hoped does not mean everything in your own space can’t be just as you like it for at least a little while.

Share Your Tips!

I am feeling a million times better today as I move away from the disappointment (both physically and emotionally) and I hope you are able to move on from some of the disappointing situation in your life.  If you have any other great tips please share them in the comments!

As you know from the series on design I have not quite finished, I think a good looking blog is all kinds of important and I can’t wait to present with Melanie from Blogging Basics 101 (@chilihead).  If you can’t wait for some design tips, check out my posts on Great Header and Navigation Design and Sidebars Design.  Anyway, I am totally pumped to speak on Blog Design and hope that lots of people come to our session Friday at 1:45 in Room 515a because we will be giving some great advice for niche bloggers of all kinds, parents included!  I also love to give advice and I am honest, so please come to the session and give me your card / blog.  I will be happy to set up time to take a look and make suggestions! 

So About those Nerves

I am not usually a nervous person.  I confront issues, attack problems, fix things, can figure out almost anything and love, and I mean love, meeting new people and public speaking.  It seems like I would have no nerves at all heading to Blog Word Expo this morning in Los Angeles.

I am not nervous about speaking.  I am cool with this.  I am not nervous about my topic as I discuss blog design all the time.  I am happy with my knowledge and know I have something to share with others that is of value.  It’s okay that I am self taught through years of reading books on graphic design and typography and googling everything design related.   I am good at it.  I should share what I know.

Still,  I am really nervous.

Primary Reason for Nerves

All of the above is true about me, but I more than a little shy at first.  I also get overwhelmed by large crowds that I am part of (not that I am performing in front of).  This all means that conferences and the parties can be hard for me without a side kick.  This time around I have no side kick.  And sometimes when I am all alone I decide to just sit at my computer and write instead of getting out and meeting people.  Just because I get so nervous that I will be to shy to introduce myself.  {Unless you have a baby, then I will be unable to resist introducing myself. And oohing and ahhing and hoping we get to know each other so you let me hold your little bundle of joy. Yeah, I am in the air and already desperately miss my hubs and kids.}

Those of you who have met me may be shocked as I am a hugger and a talker and I love a good party.  I just need to get my groove and find a few people I know or I become even more shy.  I have tried to change this.  It frustrates my husband and my friends.  I am working on it but if you see me please say hi.  I am usually singing to myself while checking out pics on my camera.  I am really uber friendly after all of 2 seconds.  Just give me a chance.

Secondary Reason for Nerves

I grew up in the theater.  Musical theater to be precise. My biggest fear was losing my voice.  My second biggest fear was a lack of audience.  It is hard to put on a good show to empty seats.  Blog World Expo is a huge conference with hundreds of phenomenal speakers and a dozen tracks and I just hope that people come to our session because I promise, we will do our best to totally rock it!  I am a part of the Type A Parent track organized by the phenomenal Kelby of Type A Parent.  This the first year for this track and these panels are dominated by parent bloggers but they are certainly not meant exclusively for parent bloggers.  So, I have performed for a very thin crowd and I am hoping that is not the case tomorrow.  I am okay if it is and will rock it either way.  Still, I am nervous.

Now you see where Nervous Nellie kicks in.  Still, I am excited for my first speaking gig at a blog conference, I am excited about LA and I am over the moon on attending Blog World.  There are going to be some awesome and totally knowledgeable people there to meet.  If I can just get up the nerve to say hi, everything else should be fine.

Any Advice?  Have you spoken before at a conference?  How did you market your topic?  Do you have a little shyness / social anxiety like me?   Is there a good way or trick to get yourself out the door and networking?  I would appreciate any advice!

Let me know if you will be at the session!

p.s. I am writing this in the air on my daughter’s teeny tiny netbook that I won at a conference.  The keys are tiny and there is turbulence.  Mistakes may be found in the above text.  Apologies!

I am ready to get started and hope that you will join me as we explore all the ways eBay can help boost your bottom line and pay for kids activities, family trips, new technology, fabulous books and toys and your love of fashion.  I have started an eBay collection in our guest bedroom and I am ready to list and sell baby!  This girl is planning another big road trip and needs some extra dollars!

There is now an awesome seller information page that gives you all the details from choosing items to listing to getting paid and shipping.  There are fantastic tools available now to make sure you list and sell so that you make money and feel confident in the process.  There is even an awesome Fashion Selling Guide that helps you know what to list and when to list it for the best sales.  They took a lot of the workout of your hands.

Think about all the items you have that other people could buy.  Outgrown clothes, toys, technology you have upgraded, those shoes that pinch your toes, your maternity clothes…buyers are waiting people!  eBay even has an awesome new eBay app that lets you list items in minutes right from your phone!  If you have a bar code you can scan it and it will even provide an image for your listing.  I am currently obsessed with this little feature.

Every month I will be sharing my experience with you along with some great tips for becoming a super savvy eBay seller.  I hope we can all clean out some closets and make a little cash.  We’ll probably buy a few things along the way too.  There are just so many great deals!  Please check out eBay and let me know if you have anything I can specifically address.  I want us all to have our questions answered and be total pros at this.

Disclosure:  I am compensated for my role on the eBay Parent Panel.  All opinions expressed on this blog are my own.

I must be old fashioned because seeing a Cosmo magazine makes me a little nauseous.  It is all sex all the time.  Is there even a relationship before the boom boom happens? I can’t imagine my babies doing it just to do it, and yet it seems that is where the world is going.  I must have something in me from my days of Sunday School that absolutely prevents me from seeing sex as just a physical act.  I see so much more and so much danger in treating something that is both physically and emotionally serious so casually.

I know I have a lot of time but I am already wondering how to prepare my kids for this world where everything is so out there and where they will know about things so very early and have to handle the challenges.  I know that I need to raise strong, confident kids who have the ability to be themselves even when the tide is moving away from them.  I am not sure I know how to teach them about sex and I know that the way I feel may be going out of style more and more each year.  Still, I think having sex comes with a lot of responsibility and a lot of potential consequences that I don’t ever want my kids to have to face.  An unwanted pregnancy, an STD or even  broken heart…I fear sex for these things and more.

I want to do more research and find some facts and figures and actually explore the concept of casual sex, but for now I am just pouring my thoughts out as they come to get the conversation started and get this off my chest.  So what if I am old fashioned?  I still think sex is a big thing.

What do you think about sex?

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I wrote for 5 minutes straight for Fadra’s Stream of Consciousness Sunday.  No edits, no re-writes.  Forgive spelling and grammar please.  Just what’s on the heart and mind.  It’s a great way to get it out!