How Can I Make My Blog Giveaways Better?

Jessica is the founder of MomFuse.com a popular site for moms that features product reviews, awesome giveaways and so much more. When she started Mom Fuse she mainly wanted it to be a place where moms could come and get honest reviews on the products moms might use, this soon turned in to companies offering to host giveaways.

Giveaways are becoming very popular, especially with the way the economy is. Now, more than ever, people are getting online to find the best products for the lowest price or even for free.

Why do companies sponsor giveaways?
Companies sponsor contests and giveaways in order to get their products in the hands of consumers. Why? Because if you like a product you’ve tried, you are likely to tell someone you know. Hence, word of mouth marketing. This is also why companies want to get their products reviewed. Companies are seeking out more and more mom and family related blogs to do product reviews and giveaways.

If you’re hunting down companies to sponsor a giveaway or have been approached by a company that is interested in hosting a giveaway on your blog here are some simple tips to help make that giveaway a successful one.

1. Tell your readers why you would want the product.

Your readers trust you, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t read or subscribe to your blog. So, if the product you're giving away isn’t something you would want, why would they want it?

2. Make it easy to enter the giveaway.

I know when I visit blogs and enter giveaways, if the process of entering to win is too complicated or there is too much stuff to do, I won’t enter. —I am a stay at home mom to infant twins, I run MomFuse.com and the BartingMomsClub.com, and I like to spend time with my family. I don’t have the extra time to do a ton of extra stuff!

3. Promote, Promote, Promote

Promoting a giveaway is the only way people will know you have one. There are tons of free sites out there to list your giveaway (just do a Google search). There are also other blogs, like Mom Fuse, that allow you to list your giveaway. You would be surprised at how much extra traffic and giveaway entries you receive from these.

Twitter, which has become very popular, is also a good way to promote your giveaway or anything else terrific on your blog. Be sure not to come off as spammy. People don’t like spam or those who spam them.



Another great way to promote is to offer additional entries to those who post the contest info on their blogs. This not only helps spread the word about your giveaway but also gets people linking to your website and in turn getting you more visitors and better stats.

The bottom line, write a story, not just a review... companies will appreciate your creativity, and so will your readers!

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Don’t Leave All Your Love on Twitter

Today's post is brought to you by the amazing Twin Turbo charged team from 5 Minutes For Mom! Janice and Susan are the duo dynamo behind th fabulous phenomenon known as The Ultimate Blog Party. Have you SEEN it? THOUSANDS of participants!

Written by Janice:

I ADORE Twitter. I should be a Twitter Evangelist!

Anyone have blogging questions? See if I can help? #gno

It is one of my favorite social media tools. Through 140-character-or-less masterpieces, which are fast and fun to write and get instantaneous responses, I can develop my social media footprint, drive traffic to my sites, and, most importantly, connect with an ocean of people, many of whom I might never otherwise get the chance to meet. I can talk to Darren Rowse. (@problogger) And you never know – he might just talk back! THEN a whole lot of people would see him talking to little old me!

But even if Darren Rowse doesn’t follow me back or even answer my tweet, there are thousands of other wonderful tweets that are waiting for me. There is a vast world of twitter friends and I am on my way to finding each one of them, one tweet and follow at a time. Yes, that kind of interaction and opportunity is just plain exciting.

But there is More...

Twitter is a networking party, a chance to mingle and connect. We chat, catch up and even introduce one another. We laugh and have fun. We cheer each other up and cheer each other on. And sometimes, in the middle of it all, we drop in some self promoting links.

But, I have found the most valuable rewards of Twitter come when my Twitter friends and I leave TweetDeck or TweetGrid and delve into deeper relationships. Through visiting their blogs and websites, commenting and engaging in these different forums, I get to know my Twitter friends better. We develop stronger bonds and a better understanding of each other. Through events like Tweet Ups, conferences, and parties, we are able to establish “In Real Life” connections that solidify our online connections taking us to the next level of friendship and loyalty.

What are YOU doing with your Twitter Love? A reply comes in from a stranger. Wow – a new friend! Someone heard my tweet and cared enough to tweet back. It is a magical feeling really. It makes the world cosier and certainly more fun. It is connection – the nature of Twitter. We tweet back and forth. We follow each other. We are Twitter friends. And that Twitter friend might just become one of my best friends and my most loyal ally. But I will never know if I don’t take that connection to the next level.

So what do you need to do to ensure you get the most out of Twitter?


Take a minute and take a chance. Jump over to your new followers’ blogs, leave comments on posts, and get to know them beyond the 140 character format. Chances are, if you like them in short form, long form will be a great fit too! Get out to Tweet Ups and other IRL events. As wonderful as technology is, nothing can replace meeting in person. It is a wonderful feeling when an online friend becomes a real life friend. Support each other. Promote each other. On Twitter and off, there are so many ways to help each other. Just like at Christmas, it is better to give than to receive. (But don’t worry - you will probably have your share of receiving too!)

Yes, following up on Twitter friendships takes time. And you probably don’t have time to invest in every Twitter reply or follow you have. But it will serve you well to take all that love you have found on Twitter and let it grow both on and off your Twitter app.

Photos from flickr and flickr.

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What Is Composting, And How Can I Start?

Daisy's garden is still under a blanket of snow, so she satisfies her gardening itch by blogging at Compost Happens, A Mother's Garden of Verses, and Mid-Century Modern Moms -- that is, when she's not at her day job as an elementary teacher.

Hi, I’m Daisy, and I compost in my backyard.

You could call me an urban composter, although my home city is more suburban in size and style. I have a bin in the backyard, a bucket in the kitchen, and a small pitchfork and shovel in the garage. These are my tools, and this is my story.

I gather more kitchen garbage than I ever thought possible and dump it in the bin. Layered with grass clippings, weeds, and the occasional pile of leaves, the mixture, well, rots. Slowly but surely, it decomposes and becomes again one with the soil. I stir it once in a while with a pitchfork or turn the layers with a shovel, but that’s about all. Compost, as they say, happens. And it often happens not because of my efforts, but regardless of what I do.

My bin is simple. It looks like a large black garbage can, but it has no bottom. The lid is easy for me to take off, but somehow the raccoons haven’t gotten into it. Husband bought it for me several years ago, assuring me that it is made from recycled plastics.

Regular ingredients in my compost include coffee grounds, banana peels, apple cores, potato peelings, and melon rinds. Children prefer not to eat the heel of the bread? Compost. Bag of chips down to the crumbs? Compost. Shucking corn on the cob from the farmer’s market? Put the husks in the compost. Some of my more unusual ingredients have included wax paper covered with cookie crumbs, the paper wrapper from a fast food sandwich, and paper towels used to wipe up a spill. We’ll add small amounts of grass clippings because large layers tend to mildew and not mix well with the rest. The contents of our pet rabbits’ litter boxes can go in the compost on occasion, but again, not too much or it simply won’t decompose completely. In the autumn, the fallen leaves will provide the final top layer before winter sets in and it‘s too cold for the process to work.

There is very little that can’t go in the compost. Eggshells might work in warmer climates; here, they still look like eggshells months later. I use them to fertilize my tomato plants instead. Meat, dairy, and seafood are not good ingredients because they decompose slowly or because the smell will attract wildlife you might rather not host in your backyard.
There are specific "recipes" a home composter can use, but I'm pretty easy about it. If the compost is too dry, I add more wet ingredients (and I use the term ingredients loosely). If it's too wet, I start adding dry ingredients like dried grass clippings. But sometimes the decomposition doesn’t go smoothly.

Imagine the following: Husband added a batch of wet grass clippings after he mowed the lawn last. Usually grass clippings in small amounts work great; the heat of the pile increases, speeding up the process, and the grass itself decomposes quickly. This time, though, the Week of Constant Rain hit the Midwest. The additional moisture made the grass clump together, develop mildew, and stink. The continuous rain made any other dry ingredients that were set aside, well, just as wet as the grass clippings. The result: a very malodorous compost soup.

When this happens, I add the usual kitchen waste and stir what I can to separate the clumps of green and, um, grey-green. If the sun stays out, sometimes there is hope for a few dry stacks from the beyond-bloom daylilies and other past-their-prime perennials. If all else fails, there’s always shredded newspaper.

I was chatting with a teaching colleague, discussing the fast pace of our jobs and how weeding and composting give me such pleasure. An environmental science teacher, she understood completely. She knew that sometimes, we just have to sit back and let nature’s cycles take life at their own speed. In this fast paced, oft-wasteful world, it feels good to take action on a small scale. Composting does that for me.

In our climate (northeastern Wisconsin), composting only works for about half the year. Every spring we spread the previous year’s compost on the garden, and then the whole cycle starts again. No matter how much or how little I work with the contents of my bin, each spring I have a pile of luscious, deep brown compost to mix with my garden soil. Compost, no matter what I do, will happen.

This post is a combination of two posts written previously. My yard and garden are still covered with snow, but I'm ready to spread the spring compost layer as soon as the white stuff melts.

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Can You Survive Without a Grocery Store?

Jean Ann has an organic garden coaching business in the Portland, OR. She teaches people how to grow their own food on her blog, Gardener to Farmer and in her GYO groups on Facebook and MySpace . Recently, she partnered with Susan Harris of Garden Rant fame to develop a collaborative directory that would serve as a starting point for people searching for Garden Coaches anywhere in the world.

There are several reasons why now is the right time to learn to grow your own food...

• Cost savings
• Certainty of production methods
• Supporting your local community

Lots of writing and conversation has come forth about the return of the Victory Garden…and I don’t mean the TV show.

There was a time when we knew how to take care of ourselves in this way. We could grow and harvest our own fruits and vegetables, care for our own chickens, and milk our own cows. Even in the past 50 years or so, the family veggie garden was a common part of life.

Then we went and got all “citified”. Stopped relying on ourselves and started buying into the myth that getting our produce from the grocery store was a better idea. And the more we purchased, the more big agriculture grew, finding new chemicals and genetic modification practices to increase yields and length of storage.

Looking back on it, I can understand why we were eager to embrace “progress”. It was an amazing time saver, particularly for women who were raising a family and working full time. I mean, who had time to put in a full garden?

But in embracing this cultural shift, we’ve lost our respect for food. We have lost the understanding of what it means to value the earth and the bounty that it provides. We’ve lost touch with small farmers, now struggling to survive. We’ve lost the ability to provide for ourselves. And this is a bad time to not know how to provide for ourselves.

The biggest hurdle we face in returning to some level of food self-sufficiency is overcoming the notion that buying produce at the local grocery is a good strategy for healthy living. As we hear report after report of harmful bacteria in our fresh and packaged food supply, consumers trust mass production less and less. Toxic sprays and other inorganic farming methods can harm the environment and our bodies. And we have no idea of the long term ramifications of modifying our food through unnatural genetic manipulation.

The good news is that it takes very little to reclaim our past. Anyone can grow their own food, even if it is in pots on a balcony or in a sunny window, you can grow some portion of the produce you need to sustain your life. Seeds, soil and pots can be found for little to no cost. Taking small steps as an individual can make a big difference and by choosing to grow your own food and frequenting local organic farms, you help strengthen your community.

By not buying produce from big agriculture, you are using your money to vote for change. Together, we can make a difference.

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How Gardening Saves Lives

Shawna Lee Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, energetic speaker, and environmental and health correspondent. Her book “Gardening Nude” is focused on health improvement by exposure to nature, greening, and community building and can be purchased on Amazon.com. Find more about Shawna through her website – The Casual Gardener.

The Healing Benefits of Gardening

Over 10 years ago, I was very ill of health. A single Mom, I had endometriosis, combined with stress, lack of outdoor exposure, poor eating habits, severe allergies, high blood pressure, asthma, sugar and chemical sensitivities. This escalated to severe upper respiratory problems. I was always sick with bronchitis triggered by allergies as well as non-stop woman issues such as yeast and bacterial infections, and I frequently suffered migraines and head and back pain.

All these things and many other pressures began to build in my life. Before I knew it I looked like a skeletal stick figure and weighed only 96 pounds. My back would go out often and I would be left unable to walk for days or even a week at a time. I worked and came home and rarely went out doors. At one point I took over a dozen prescriptions a day just to survive. It was a grim existence.

One day a surprising thing happened that changed my life; I got the genius idea to build a garden on the city easement area around my front mail box. That experience was the beginning of an incredible journey for me both emotionally and physically. It was a revelation and within a few years, “down-sized” my career, became a professional garden designer and full-time writer. I feel better and look better than I ever have – I am thirty pounds heavier than I was ten years ago, but I look healthy and feel well. It is still necessary for me to take prescriptions, but now I only take three per day instead of over a dozen.

Many gardens later, I am still gardening heartily. As I became exposed to the outdoors and increased my physical activity, I started feeling relief with all my health ailments. Better diet, exercise, and outdoor exposure truly helped me to recover and feel as if I am alive again. Although far from perfect, it was such a tremendous change that I still feel it could be called “a miracle.” Building my health back through gardening had become such an amazing experience for me that I decided to write about it and published “Gardening Nude” in 2008. It is a book about better health through environmental exposure and greening.

All thanks to a garden and one determined woman.

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How Can PR Help You Get Coverage for Your Blog and Your Business?

Rachael Herrscher guest posts today. Rachael spends her time managing TodaysMama as co-founder and President. TodaysMama, LLC, is a fast-growing online marketing and publishing company for moms of all ages. TodaysMama is currently in 19 markets across the United States and has more than 75,000 handbooks in circulation with more to come in 2009.

My approach to PR has always come from a "wingin' it" perspective. I am not a PR pro - but have done a lot of the public relations and strategic planning for our company and we've had some good success with the tactics we've used.

Thanks to everyone for such a rockin' GNO Tuesday night!

One of the biggest things for anyone is just getting out there, asking questions, and networking with the right people - a.k.a. making friends. I was asked to blog for Entrepreneur.com from that perspective - here are a few of the posts that might be helpful for those of you without a big budget who are looking to jump out there to get some coverage for you and your business but who are a little hesitant!

• Local, Local, Local!
• Being an "Expert"
• Quick PR Tips
• Build Your Network
• Perfecting the Pitch

The bottom line? Just get out there! You'll get shot down a lot - but you'll refine your approach at every step of the way. There is low hanging fruit out there that is yours for the picking!

Also - TodaysMama.com loves to highlight women and mothers doing cool things - whether you have an interesting blog, an inspiring story or if you are interested in being a guest contributor feel free to pitch US! Contact us at info@todaysmama.com

• This week our featured blog was Cafe Johnsonia - seriously watch out when you go there you will get hungry!
• Our Dream Big story is amazing about a women who "made over" women's shelters -
• Our featured "mompreneur" on Support Your Local Mama is Modern Mommy
• and we've even got a good "crafty" blogger roundup!

We'd love to highlight you too! Tips for pitching our editor? No need for a press release - We LOVE short, direct emails with links for more info. Good luck in ALL your pitching!

What is PR?

Krista Parry guest posts. She was born a communicator, speaking from an early age, but professionally she's been passionate about it for over 10 years. She has learned that PR is not public relations it's personal relationships. Currently she work as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Park City Mountain Resort, a top-five rated ski resort located in Park City, Utah, and is the resident mama of www.snowmamas.com . She is joining the Mama ranks in May when she and her husband welcome their first child.

This post is for bloggers looking to reach out to companies or media that align with their brand. I believe PR = Personal Relationships because that is what it is. You may be saying “but I’ve never done PR, I don’t know what to do.” My response would be “Have you ever engaged someone in a conversation?” That is what PR is. It is about engaging a company/journalist in a conversation.

As a PR professional for over 10 years I have had a lot of experience and I must say, that I have had to evolve with the times. 10 years ago I wasn’t reaching out to bloggers, as they really didn’t exist. Now, I mostly focus on outreach to bloggers because I know that they have a big “Sphere of Influence” (more on this later).

How do I start a conversation? Seek them out in the community’s where you are. Let’s say you love to ski (as I know you all do!) and you would like to reach out to ski resort to see how you can work with them. Use the search.twitter.com tool and search your favorite resort. Say you type in “park city” and find @snowmamas @reply and say how you love Park City. Build up that relationship first, because remember that is what PR is.

Why would a company want to work with you? Because you can help them share their story. I have shared this before, but it’s worth sharing again. David Armano, a genius in my mind, created an “Influence Ripples” chart. Basically, you as a blogger, have a sphere of influence that has a ripple effect. You may have 10,000 followers or you may have 10 followers, either way these people trust you. And if they trust what you are saying, they are going to share it with their “sphere of influence” and so on. The ripple effect keeps going and going.

How do you prove your ripple effect? First, it is true that some companies are not as “educated” on social media and they may just want your #’s like Unique Visitors. Yes, number are nice, but this is your chance to educate them. First, Google Analytics is a must. If you don’t have it, you must get it. It’s free! There is so much great information that you can track with it and it creates really cool graphs/charts. You can get your unique visitors, page views, etc. But you can also drill down into your readers engagement. What’s the Avg time on site? Are people staying for 10 seconds or are they engaged with your content and staying for 10 minutes?

Second, comments on posts show engagement. I heard it tonight, and I’ve heard it before, but please leave comments on someone’s post that you’ve enjoyed. It’s ok to twitter them and say how you loved their post but complete the circle and comment on their post as well. Comments show that your readers are engaged in what you say and that they trust you and your opinions, which is important for our third point.

Use ”corporate” jargon like ROI but don’t use it in the “Return on Investment” sense. Use it in the “Return on Influence” speak. Show your ROI to a company. If a company sees that your readers/listeners are engaged in what you say they will want to work with you.

But what is the most important thing? Be authentic! Work with the brands that are true to you. If you hate dogs (not that you would) don’t agree to do something for Purina Dog Food. Your readers know you, which is why they love you, and they want to see your opinions on brands you really would use!

Have fun and make new friends! PR people are no different than the ladies you meet at #gno every Tuesday night (ok maybe our fangs come out at night)! Start a conversation, you might be surprised what could come of it.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have. DM me at @krista_parry anytime.

How Does Stationery Inspire Your Relationships?

Gabrielle Blair (@designmom) guest posts today. She is in love with Ben Blair for lots of reasons. One of them is because he reads her blog Design Mom devotedly—even though 99% of the content doesn't interest him in the least. Together, they have 5 kids and live in New York.



This is the 14th year that Ben Blair and I have celebrated Valentine’s Day together. Our family tradition: putting together a special breakfast for the kids on February 14th. Our couple's tradition: to forgo gifts and exchange love letters instead.

Love letters are wonderful to receive and a challenge to compose. It’s often hard to put feelings into words and the exercise of recording your deepest emotions for your lover is both intimidating and exhilarating. (I mean it. It will get your pulse pounding). Plus, the idea of being an old lady and having a box filled with stacks of love letters tied up in fading ribbons is so charming. How could I not get on the love letter train?

We were really good about our love letter tradition for many years. And somewhere I have a file with those heartfelt notes waiting to be found and reread. But for the last few Valentine's Days, we’ve totally slacked off. Resolution: start it up again in '09.

Why not join me in writing out your devotion to the one you love? To get us started, here’s a roundup of sweet and super sweet Valentine Stationery to get you in the mood for love. Personally, I find it’s much easier to put my pen to paper when the paper is delicious.

















Sources (from left to right):
Biking Together by Kindred Knit.
Little Angel by Craft Pudding.
Coffee Love by Little Brown Pen.

Love in Cabbage by Armato Design .
You and Me by JulieAnnA.
Valentine Vespa by Winifred Studio.

So Very Happy Card by Dazey Chic.
Crush by Bloom Art Design.
Birthday Numbers by Sweetbeet.

Modern Mom Challenge to Reach Your Fitness Goals

We'd like to thank Lolita AKA @ModernMom for Guest Tweeting at MomItForward's #GNO, she Guest Authors today.

When I first started ModernMom.com in 2001, I envisioned the site as 100% editorial – our writers and experts would dole out advice on a variety of topics relevant to moms without much two-way interaction. This was when I could pretty much count the number of mom sites out there on one hand and long before “social media” was the talk of the town.

Fairly quickly, however, I saw our site change and grow based on the power of our readers: they gave us feedback that we could instantly incorporate; they interacted with one another on our forums and shared advice; they helped us discover topics of interest that became our editorial features. It was the moms – our members – who directed our content and shaped what ModernMom.com is today.

The Modern Mom Challenge has always been a fantastic example of women supporting each other towards their goals. When we ran our first Modern Mom Challenge a few years ago, we brought in leading fitness and nutritional experts to guide the Challengers, but it was really our members and their support for each other – be it on our message boards, personally via email and instant messages, or through meetups in their cities – that really made the goals attainable. So this year, we’re embracing the power of our moms and social media to take the Modern Mom Challenge to a new level. The experts are the moms participating in the Challenge – through common goals, struggles and successes, we’re steadily making progress and getting fit and healthy in 2009.

My favorite quote so far from the over 100 blog posts (in just our first week!) came from Miss (of JustMiss), who said,

“The power of women... it's amazing what we do when we aren't at each other’s throats.”

Truer words have never been spoken!

How Social Media Caught Up To Me

Written by Carissa
Co-Founder, MomItForward
Owner, ApricotAlot.com
Blog, Good N Crazy People

I started blogging in February of 08. I began my online business in March of 08. I met hundreds of people in just a few short months...! I've even figured out Facebook, (Jyl forced me!)

I began writing for the community site BoutiqueFlair in July of 08. I think I had submitted a single article when one of the other contributors there sent me a nice email and was so welcoming to the network! Wow I thought... people are so sweet and I felt all warm and squishy inside.

After I replied to this author I got a zippy email back....

Hel-LO!! Carissa, this is ALYSON! You know, your college roommate? The one you set up on a blind date. The one who MARRIED that same blind date! The one you faithfully exchange Christmas cards with yearly and haven't seen in 13 years!!






Alyson of 3Ps In A Pod fame (and the Blind Date)!

Oh my crazy.
THAT Alyson?
Are you serious!

Turns out she's a Blogging Fool and writer extraordinaire and I didn't know it? I hadn't come across her site in my bloggy travels and it took our membership and eventually our contributing to a social media networking site to catch up our real life friendship to our virtual friendships!

Wow? What has Social Media done for you? Do you catch up with high school friends via Facebook? Do you Blog and meet new bloggy friends daily? Is Twitter your social poison? How many Networks do you belong to and if someone asked you how many people do you talk to on a weekly basis... can you answer 4,000!?

Let's take it up a notch and combine it all here at MomItForward. Where mom's are making a difference one social media network at a time!


PS I was just talking with Alyson making sure I could borrow that lovely Tutu pose of her husband... and guess what? She will be heading to Nashville for BlissDom 09! I get to catch up with her in real life... are you going?

Topic Talk—Michelle Kostya Recaps MomItForward's GNO

We'd like to introduce Michelle Kostya our Guest Author. She is a relative newcomer to MomItForward's #GNO. She says she is trying to find a balance between Toys and Twitter at MEGOAgain.com. She guest posts for Mom IT Forward today!

MomItForward's #GNO with @jessicaknows from Jessicaknows.com was a brilliant discussion on how Social Networking can help you promote your blog or web based business. If you missed Tuesday's #GNO, or had trouble following it with the hundreds of Tweets (as I did) – not to worry I created a little #GNO compilation for you of @jessicaknows tips. For your reading pleasure (!) I also added by own two cents. This is a slightly abbreviated version, with a focus on Social Networks to “social network”!

To set the stage: Social Media (which would include Social Networks) is all about helping others – through sharing, collaborating or connecting with like-minded individuals. We have always networked off-line - cultivating contacts for business or social endeavours, but with new online communities we can network in new ways to learn, share and find new opportunities. The same rules apply online as in the “real” world as @jessicaknows says "I establish relationships by learning about other ppl's goals & what they're all about & then introduce to each other". This includes helping to promote blogs she believe in the most through her sites, and sharing content on Social Networks. She takes this to heart in business: "it's so easy...the key word is SOCIAL...use the "have a friend, be a friend" mantra in business and you can't go wrong".

So how can Social Networks help you network:

• Attract PR people to your site

• Drive traffic and encourage engagement and community

Attracting PR Peeps for your Blog

@jessicaknows: There is no magic number regarding traffic to attracting PR. While she noticed she received a lot of attention once she had about 20,000 monthly visitors, it is more important to write about your passion – and the PR folks will follow. She uses LinkedIn to connect with PR folks and other mom owned business she can partner and work with in the future.

My two cents: She is absolutely correct, while the PR people will look for an engaged community the numbers may not matter as much if you are passionate and are considered an "influencer". An influencer will tend to spread "word of mouth" throughout a variety of networks online and off-line -giving a lot of added value to the campaign - beyond the blog post.

Drive Traffic and Encourage Engagement

@jessicaknows suggests that you pick 3 social media tools & be consistent use them everyday. She uses three social networks: Twitter (obviously), Facebook and LinkedIn. She also uses StumbleUpon for bookmarking regularly.

Michelle's two cents: Social Networks like these are fantastic for promoting your blog or website. But, keep it “robot” free when possible and reciprocate!

• I post all blog posts to Twitter and Facebook. I try to avoid using the robot when I have the time by personally summarizing the newest post in my status/tweet.

• On Facebook you can share your latest post by using “Share on Facebook” button on your browser, or manually in your profile.

• Twitter is also a great place to promote DIY or How-To Posts to people who are looking for specific help. For example: I have a beginner post on SEO, so if I have notice a tweet from someone looking for help on SEO – I could send them a note with the URL.

• If you are a professional in a particular area – consider following keywords in Twitter Search or use Tweetdeck search. This will help you find people with similar interests and possibly locate individuals your posts or website can help.

• I use Tweetburner to track click-through, which can give me an idea of how successful the tweet or Facebook status or link was.

• Remember Twitter is “social” first. Your tweets cannot and should not be all about yourself. If you find a great site, article or post on the WWW share it with your followers, have a deep thought – tweet it, or see a great tweet by one of your tweeple – re-tweet it! (do this by RT and then the tweet; or you can automatically do it from Tweetburner)
  

For the full MomItForward's #GNO Summary from Tuesday, or more Social Media (and mommy) pondering visit Michelle's site MEGOAgain.com.

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Topic Talk—Final Installment You RAwK!

So many amazing stories, so many amazing women. Mom It Forward wants to thank everyone who participated in the Happiness Headlines Challenge. We think you all RAwK! Here's five more:

Debra at 9 to 5 to 9
Shannon at Shanno Sez So
Michelle at Wanderlust and Lipstick
Jyl at Mommy Gossip
EcoMom at You Can't Diaper Their Faces

9 to 5 to 9 tells how her little boy crashed into a Christmas tree at the grocery store. And how when he realized it was a giving tree and that there was a little boy named Rigo who needed warm clothes and a few toys, she couldn't say no to helping out that little boy.
Here's what she said:

I'm quite good at telling the guys "no." I even have an international string of "no" in several languages that I break out when they can't grasp the concept in basic English, and they've heard it a lot since September.

But there was no way I could say "no" to that. Not when Big Guy had just given me a glimpse of a heart of gold buried beneath alternating layers of Sam Zell and Hanibal Lector.

After getting those gifts for Rigo, Deb was the grateful one:

Merry Christmas, Rigo.

And thank you, Big Guy, for giving me a glimpse of your light.

Shannon Sez So was worried she missed the challenge. But since we are moms with crazy schedules our deadline changed about 3 times, so if you told us your RAK we are thrilled to have it! She commented:

I wanted to let you know that I did give an elderly woman a ride to the Metro so she wouldn't have to wait in the cold for a bus. Does that count?

And I've said before. Ain't it the small things that make the season bright? Thanks Shannon.

Wanderlust and Lipstick has been hosting a fabulous Passports with Purpose the whole month of December. What is it? Well, it's awesome for one thing. It's also a fundraiser. With the proceeds going to Heifer International. And there's all these great items! Amazing travel deals and travel books, even a travel related scrapbook supply basket. But here's the twist. It's a virtual raffle! For only $10 you get the chance to 'win' hundreds of dollars of great stuff!

Michelle says:

I am a sucker for Christmas. I love the lights, the presents, the trees and the celebration in general. But, as I shop for gifts for my friends and family, I can’t help thinking of the deeper meaning of this season of goodwill: of this urge to reach out and help others.

The Raffle fundraiser for Heifer International is going on until the end of December! You can still qualify! There were so many items, I lost count at 40+!


Our very own Jyl at Mommy Gossip made some cookies, and not just any cookies. These are Reindeer Cookies people! (She's very proud). She and her kids gave away the cookies and some candy canes to neighbors this year. And this video of hers is great. It's worth the few minutes of watching it I promise! If nothing else watch long enough to see her little boy sitting up on the counter helping with the M&Ms! Precious.




You Can't Diaper Their Faces says All I really want for Christmas is.... nothing. But she then points out...

Okay… I want world peace and an end to famine, war, discrimination, pain, suffering and the other usual fodder of beauty pagent contestants.

She goes on to say:

Beauty pagent jokes aside, what I want, what I really, really want (are you listening, Spice Girls?) is a better world for my children. That’s kind of hard to stuff in a stocking or put in a bag under the tree. But when I sit and think about what I want… that’s it. A safer, cleaner, healthier, more intelligent world.

Ecomom has come up with an innovative way to give back this year. She hosted a contest and each day right up until Christmas Day, she picked a winner and donated $$ to Christmas Future! This organization lets the 'winner' choose the place the money will be sent to and both the donor and the recipient get to see where the money is going. I love this method of kindness. Using Random Generator probably to create a random act of kindness!

What a great time of year, to look back and think about the good things you did for others. We truly believe women make a difference. Moms. Daughters. Grandmothers.

In the coming year we want you all to help us Mom It Forward.
Help us change the world, one mom at a time.

Topic Talk—December Do Gooders

We bring you Four more Mom It Forwards. These women have proven that Random Acts of Kindness are worth it. They bring big rewards. Thanks to all of them for their ideas and example.

Renee at Cutie Booty Cakes
Connie at My Chronic Life
Rhonda at Mother to Mother
Heather at I am Feathermaye

Cutie Booty Cakes makes a few suggestions for good deeds and give backs. She shares the partnership between Fererro Chocolates and
www.sharesomethingsweet.com The chocolate company partnered with Share Our Strength a leading hunger relief organization. And when you use the share something sweet site to send a simple ecard they donate $1 to help feed the hungry. Now that's sweet! And so is Renee and her son!
















My Chronic Life says she broke the rules for the Happiness Headlines Challenge. But I'm afraid I have to disagree. Instead she points out what some other good doers in her online community did for her. I think she got it just right.

The power of the blogging community is strong. Sure there’s some drama every now and then. Just stay clear of it. I’ve learned my lesson about that. But please don’t let feeling like you don’t know enough about blogging prevent you from starting. Join Twitter, GNO and other groups. Get to know people and watch those acts of kindness, random or not come your way.

Mother 2 Mother is shipping packages to troops in Iraq and Rhonda is still taking donations up until Jan 1st. She says the guys have submitted a list:

Their list includes hard candy, homemade cookies, chips, envelopes & writing paper, pens, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste, food powder, lotion, sun screen, chap stick, batteries (AA, AAA & D), gum, sports and/or automotive magazines less than 2 months old, disposal razors, white socks, cheese & peanut butter crackers, ramen/cup o noodles.

It's a great way to help and some items won't cost you a thing, just donate some old magazines or pantry items! Contact Rhonda for details.


I AM Feathermaye had to get a little bit creative to Mom It Forward this holiday season. See. She found herself with an extra tree and all the trimmings when her husband came home with a new tree! Heather thought and thought about how to find a family in need of a great tree with all the ornaments to boot? She called some churches, got no answer, and then...

Yesterday, I got over myself. I made one call to the local elementary school's main office, who quickly transferred me to the guidance counselors' office, who was thrilled to hear from me! It turns out that the guidance counselors are working with social workers to match donors with families in need, of which there are many.

In less than 24 hours my little tree and bags and boxes of decorations were promised to a single mother with two elementary-aged kiddos who otherwise might not have a Christmas tree. I was so touched, imagining this family, because it was just a short twelve years ago that Jonathan and I were not so different from them. And if not for the generosity of others, we might have had some sad holidays of our own.

She asked herself:

Is it wrong of me to feel good for being able to do this? Not in an I'm-so-cool kind of way, but in an I-made-a-difference moment, for sure. Because sometimes we're not sure if we are making a difference, you know?

And, as far as I'm concerned, making even a little difference makes all the difference in the world.

What do you say? Mom It Forward women, is it worth it? The small things that help make a difference?

Topic Talk—Enjoy the Simple Random Acts

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Jyl and Carissa here at Mom It Forward!

We hope you are enjoying your holiday-- whether you celebrate Christmas or some other winter holiday! Seems like such a perfect time to find ways to Mom It Forward! Check out the Random acts these women created, from the simple to the heartwarming.

LindaS at Short Pump Preppy
PantryGirl at Now What?
Kristen at The Sassy Mom
Duong at A Cup of Tea

Short Pump Preppy came up with possibly the most creative random act of kindness. Early in December I asked Linda if I could have a great Santa hat on my twitter avatar like she had... and in only a few minutes (and a little snark) she created my masterpiece! She said she was stuck home a lot this month after her daughter's surgery, so this was something she could do for the Twitter world! Check out her handywork!















PantryGirl wrote a really amazing article about how the small and simple kind acts are the kinds of things she wants her child to grow up seeing and learning. Her simple act? In NYC she hailed a cab for an elderly lady while she herself was 'hoofing' 23 blocks!

She wrote:

How many times have I been uplifted by a simple smile from a stranger or watching someone on the bus give to a stranger a tissue to dry their eyes or blow their nose. That’s the world I want my child to see and live in. It’s a world of kindness and compassion. It’s a world where we’re not insulated and self serving. In a city where we can be total strangers to people sharing a wall with us, you can forget how important it is to be a part of the biggest society out there, humankind.

The Sassy Mom took on the RAK challenge and baked up some cookies and delivered them to an elderly neighbor. Keeping with the simple theme here it reminds me that the joys of the season are not always things.

Kristen wrote:

My kids had so much fun and it made a HUGE difference to our neighbor.

A Cup of Tea shows us that while it's a good idea to keep your little acts of kindness a secret, you can still be genuine in your giving attitude whether folks know about it or not. She uses her husband's example of 17 year's worth of random giving!
Duong created two giving moments in one shopping trip.

First. She surprised 10 lucky people behind her at a local tollbooth and paid all of their fares! Wouldn't you have liked to see their faces when they found out!?

Second. She was at Trader Joes and had decided to purchase a gift card which she would then somehow secretly hand to the cashier or something for the person behind her... but it turned out to be a busy day at Trader Joes and she gave up being very secretive, maybe the next time she thought. But just as she was leaving the store she found the perfect couple to Mom It Forward on! She handed this elderly couple the gift card and explained that she was giving it to them, they were shocked, and I think Duong got the bigger blessing...what do you think? I got teary reading this one!

Their eyes both lit up with amazement and responded with such gratitude! The woman's eyes looked like it was starting tear up. I'm a sensitive person; therefore, before they could see my glossy eyes turn teary, I wished them a Merry Christmas and headed to my car.

My heart was so overjoyed and all though I may have made their day-it 'Made My Day' all the more! Why? Because I've learned that it is always more blessed to give then to receive!

Topic Talk—More from the Happiness Headlines

Mom It Forward brings you 4 more Forward Moms. One saving for giving, one cheering you on, one making me laugh and one simply serving others. Amazing what everyone does everyday. Thanks for being part of the
Mom It Forward Happiness Headlines Challenge:

Brandy at Not Your Average Soccer Mom
Noreen at Crispy Dragon
Carissa at Good and Crazy
Janine at @twincident

Not Your Average Soccer Mom has made savings into a game.

For pennies Brandy has been able to gather some goodies and then figured out a great way to give back on items she got for nearly free! She took 10 baskets packed with these items to a local home for the elderly, where her own grandmother had lived.

Many of these people don't have family in town or family that can be bothered to visit. So we thought it would be a good idea to share some of what we have with these ladies.

You would be surprised how a little bag of soap or candy can brighten someones day. The fact that someone thought of them means the world to them.

And to me.

Crispy Dragon cracked me up. It would totally be my luck. To attempt a RAK and then have to come home and write up a post entitled: RAK Fail. That's what Noreen did.

Well, it wasn't too great, but I went and bought a McDonalds meal and gift card for a forlorn looking young woman I saw on a street corner holding a sign. By the time I bought the stuff and went back she was gone!

It's the thought that counts right???


Good and Crazy asked: Do You RA(w)K? Carissa thinks you all do.



Photo generously allowed by Jill Stafford @ JillAllyn

Imagine the difference you make with all the small things you do each day. For your family, your neighbors, your friends and your world.
YOU are more important than you realize.

Twincident commented on the GNO--Cares page. Janine has the right idea. Keep it simple and think about the people no one thinks about.

My special RAK project has been to return and/or collect shopping carts left out in the parking lots as I shop. Some poor guy is always stuck collecting them out in the cold and every one I can bring back is one less for him to have to do...I hope :).
Great idea and loving the RAKs.

Mom It Forward will be bringing you three more days of Happiness Headlines. Have you signed up for the newsletter? That box at the top? Don't miss any of the exciting plans and changes coming up in '09. Come on. Mom It Forward with us!