Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Tips for hosting a successful giveaway on your blog

Here are a few things I learned from running my first eight giveaways on my blog. I'm still new to this, so don't be fooled into thinking I'm an expert! But I did learn a few things (and form a few opinions,) and I figured I'd share them. Let me know if you have any more to add to the list!


1. Don't rely on your blog's Facebook page as your only method of spreading the word about your giveaway(s), especially if you don't have a gigantic Facebook following. Facebook wants you to pay to promote your posts, so it doesn't show them to everyone unless you pay or get a lot of people to like or comment on each individual post. Every day of my giveaways, the posts were shown to fewer and fewer people, even though I got more new fans each day. So for my sixth giveaway, when I had 207 Facebook fans, I posted the link, and in almost two hours, Facebook showed it to one person... me. It wasn't until I was whining about it on my personal Facebook page and a few friends intentionally went to my blog's Facebook page to look at and like my post that it was made visible to more people.

And I had more than one Facebook fan online at the time. I checked.

2. Do submit your giveaway to as many giveaway lists as you can! Some of the lists that got a good amount of traffic for my giveaways were:

     - Money Saving Mom
     - Online-Sweepstakes.com
     - Tightwad in Utah (Only posts giveaways with fewer than 200 entries that end in one week or less.)

3. Don't host a giveaway for something that you wouldn't want to buy. Sometimes it's tempting to host a giveaway because you want more traffic and you can get a free product for yourself, but if it's not something that you'd want to spend money on, it's a hard sell as a giveaway. I've been contacted to do a handful of reviews and giveaways that I turned down, even though I would have gotten free stuff if I'd said yes, because I didn't feel like I could be honest and genuine when encouraging other people to buy the products. One company contacted me to do some reviews and giveaways of office supplies, but... I'm a stay-at-home mom. I don't buy office supplies, so I'm not going to try to convince anyone else to buy them or even enter to win them for free. When I set up my eight non-toy gift giveaways, I searched on Etsy for really cool products that I would genuinely want to buy, checked the reviews to make sure they were good, and only then did I ask the sellers to participate.

4. Do realize that it's going to be more work than you think it will be. It sounds easy: you're giving things away for free. Everyone likes free, right? But getting people to find out about the giveaway and actually take the time to enter takes work. And writing quality posts, taking good pictures, and setting up the giveaways all take work, too. That's another reason you don't want to host a giveaway for something you wouldn't buy. You don't want to put hours of work into a giveaway if all you're going to get in return is a free can of creamed corn and one Facebook like. (Unless you really like creamed corn, I guess.)

5. Do stalk other blog giveaways to see what works and what doesn't.  This will give you a chance to check out the different options for having people enter your giveaways (I used Rafflecopter, but there are other great options out there, too.) Plus, you can get a feel for how people run their giveaways and what you like or don't like about them. Which brings me to my next point...

6. Don't offer too many entry options. While I was checking out other giveaways, I came across a giveaway that had 139 entry options. (Yes, I counted.) 30-something of the entry options were "liking" the Facebook pages of the people who contributed products to the giveaway. And I seriously, seriously doubt that many people (if any) liked all of the Facebook pages. Which means that the participants at the bottom of the list weren't really getting any exposure in exchange for the product they provided for the giveaway. Plus it's kind of overwhelming. I wanted a gift card and some free products, but not enough to do 139 different things to get them. Plus, some of the giveaway lists (like Tightwad in Utah) only allow you to list your giveaway if there are less than 200 entries (regardless of the number of entrants), so if you give people the option of getting lots of entries into your giveaway, you run the risk of not being able to list your giveaway on the low entry lists, even if you only have a handful of entrants. This is just my personal opinion, but I think you should try to keep it below 10 entry options.

7. Don't make liking a Facebook page the only entry option (or a mandatory entry option.) Believe it or not, there are people who don't have a Facebook account but who do want to enter online giveaways. One of my friends doesn't have a Facebook account, but she has three young kids and she still entered all of my giveaways. Several other people whom I don't know also entered using some of the options but not the Facebook ones, so it's possible they don't have Facebook accounts either. If you require people to have a Facebook page in order to enter, you're preventing some people who might be interested in the product from entering for a chance to win it. Even if one of your main goals in hosting a giveaway is getting more Facebook fans, you can still do that without requiring it.

8. Do have some friends enter your giveaway and provide you with feedback. Especially if you're new to giveaways and don't have a tried and true system yet. My friend Teri entered my first giveaway while she was on the phone with me and gave me feedback as she did it. Thanks to her, I realized that I needed to add a "Pin it" button to my photos (since pinning one of them was an entry option) and that some of my wording was a little confusing.

So there you have it. My non-expert advice on hosting a giveaway. For those of you who have done blog giveaways before, what advice would you add? And if you've entered blog giveaways, what do you (or don't you) like about some of the giveaways you've entered?

Wanna click the smiling lady to keep me in the top 25? Please and thank you!
Top Mommy Blogs - Click To Vote!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Ways to entertain your toddler inside when it's ridiculously cold outside

Alternate title: Baby, it's cold outside.

Winter has always been my least favorite season. If it weren't for Christmas, my anniversary, and the birthdays of a few of my favorite people (and, you know, the fact that it's not really an option,) I would go into hibernation the first time it went below 40 degrees and refuse to come out until late April. Added on top of that is the fact that now I have a toddler, and taking him outside involves dressing him up like this:

Complete list of the clothing he is wearing in this picture: short-sleeved onesie, long sleeved shirt, corduroy overalls, fleece jacket, snowsuit overalls, snowsuit jacket, fleece-lined hat, mittens, socks, shoes, diaper.
So now I'm on the hunt for ways to entertain him indoors. This list is as much for me as for anyone else (maybe more). On days that we're both a little stir crazy but I don't have the time/desire/energy/clean clothes required to leave the house, I can refer back to this list before I resort to an episode of Sesame Street. My son isn't quite two yet, so these ideas are appropriate for young toddlers (like mine) and older toddlers, too.

(I hate when I read lists of ways to entertain your child and they say things like "build a tower of blocks" or "roll a ball" because, um, I already know how my child's toys are supposed to be used. So I'm going into this list assuming that you've already played with all of the toys and read some books, ok? Ok.)

I'm also going to assume you've already dressed your kid up like a giraffe
and then given them a coloring book. Obviously.
(No, this picture isn't from Halloween. It was just a giraffe suit kind of day.)

1. Super-Sized Coloring

Take a large cardboard box, then tear or cut it at the seams and unfold it so it's flat. Add crayons, and voila! Giant coloring surface! I was going to explain why toddlers like it, but that's pretty self-explanatory. (If the box is big enough, you can also let them color inside it without tearing it open.)

2. Dance Party
Crank up the music and bust out your best dance moves, because dancing is a million times more fun for toddlers if mommy or daddy is dancing too. (Just make sure you close your blinds before you start showing off your dance moves. Trust me, I know this from embarrassing experience.) An empty plastic bottle with some rice or beans inside makes a great maraca so your kid can shake along with the music.

3. Crafts

You might think your toddler is too young for crafts, but chances are there's something (s)he can do. Lucas loves decorating things with stickers. (Large foam stickers are especially easy for toddlers to handle.) Lucas and I did that painting above together when he was 16 months old, but to be fair, he kind of hated it because he doesn't like getting messy. If your kid is ok with mess, you can read the instructions (including the recipe for homemade, toddler-safe finger paint) here. And next week on my blog, I'll show you a Christmas craft that Lucas made for our family.

4. Magazines
I get a few magazine subscriptions in the mail for free, and I pretty much just skim through them once and then leave them in a magazine rack until I need them for something. Like a craft or... entertaining my child. Lucas loves just flipping through them and looking at the pictures, and unlike with my books, I don't mind if he tears them. To prolong the entertainment factor, ask your toddler to find a picture of something that you know will be in the magazine (For example, I'll ask Lucas to look for a picture of a baby in a parenting magazine.)

5. Fun in a Box

I never get rid of boxes until we've played with them first. What's so fun about boxes? Honestly, I have no idea. But toddlers like to play in them. If you need some exercise and want some extra toddler giggles, push your child back and forth across the room or down a hall in the box. (Warning: once you start, they will never, ever let you stop. Ever.)

6. Play Stop and Go
I can't take credit for this idea - my friend Rebekah suggested it when we were talking about teaching our kids to obey. She'll have her toddlers stand still, then when she says "go," they walk or run until she says "stop." They have to stop immediately and freeze in place until she says go again. To them, it's just a fun game, but it's teaching them to obey the word "stop" so that if she ever needs to shout it before they run in front of a car or something, they'll have had practice. Until Lucas gets a better handle on this one, I hold his hand, and we both run at the word "go" and freeze at the word "stop." He thinks it's hilarious!

7. Clean

I know, this doesn't sound fun at all. But toddlers will often enjoy "helping" you clean if you give them something specific to do while you're cleaning. Give them a rag and let them "wash" the windows or kitchen floor. Lucas loves the vacuum cleaner and will very diligently follow us around the whole house vacuuming with his toy vacuum while we vacuum with the real one. Toddler tip: paper towel tubes or wrapping paper tubes make a great substitute for a child-sized vacuum.

8. Homemade Toys

Ok, so this is kind of a shameless plug for some of my other posts, but in case you missed them, I've written three posts of homemade toys that you can make in about five minutes or less. So when the real toys aren't cutting it anymore, let your kid play with jar lids or an empty oatmeal container. Click here to see the homemade toy posts I've written.

9. Call Grandma (or other relatives)
Lucas loves the phone. So occasionally when he's bored with everything he owns, I'll call my mom, put my cell phone on speaker, and let the two of them chat. Lucas's half of the conversation consists mostly of "Hi! Hi! Gramma! Hi! Gramma! Hi! Hi!" but my mom loves it, and so does Lucas. We also Skype with my parents and my sister every once in a while. Guaranteed entertainment, and my family members (none of whom are local) get face time with Lucas. It's win/win!

10. Give them a bath

I'll be honest. I kind of hate bath time (I mean, not my own bath time. I love bathing myself. Please don't back away - I promise I don't stink.) So bathing Lucas is usually Dan's job. But Lucas loves baths, so when all else fails, half an hour of playing with toys in warm water is a great way to kill time and make him a happy camper.

What else would you add to this list? How do you entertain your kids indoors when it's cold outside?

If you could click this, I'd be ever so grateful! 

Please click! A visit a day boosts my blog ranking at Top Mommy Blogs - The Best Mommy Blog Directory Ever!

Non-Toy Gift Giveaway Winners List!

Whew! The last giveaway has ended, and I need a nap! (Although I pretty much always need a nap, so that's nothing new.) All of the winners have been contacted, but if you're wondering who won, here's the complete list. Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

Click below if you're ever-so-slightly jealous of the winners. 
Visit Top Mommy Blogs To Vote For Me

1. The winner of The Perfect Toddler Pillow is Karen P. Didn't win? You can still get 10% off a purchase of a Perfect Toddler Pillow (or any purchase of $33 or more from Sew Cinnamon) with the coupon code MORENAPS!



2. The winner of $20 in art from The Meek Boutique is Emily P! If you didn't win but still want some art, you can buy it from the Etsy shop here. Most of the art is only $5, and she designs Christmas cards, too!


3. The winner of the black and white cat ornament from Heart of Clay Girl is Billsn B! If you didn't win, but you want an awesome Christmas ornament, visit her shop here! She even makes custom ornaments if you want a specific breed or color of pet!


4. The winner of the personalized story book from Let's Read About Me is Kim B! Right now, Let's Read About Me is offering 10% off of all of their books for new customers, so if you didn't win, you can still go buy one at a discount for your little reader!


5. Jeanne D. won the personalized bookplates from Strawberry Street Designs! But everyone else can save 15% off of their entire purchase from Strawberry Street Designs with the coupon code HOLIDAY21013 from now until December 8!


6. The winner of the super hero cape from Pipsqueek Bowtique was Erica H! But if you didn't win, you don't need to cry! You can save 10% on your purchase from Pipsqueek Bowtique using the coupon code MORENAPS10. And it's good through November 1 of next year!


7. The winner of the Minion hat by Bonnie is Brandon-Sabra M! If you still want a minion hat, you can email Bonnie at bonniemaematthews@gmail.com. They only cost $15 and are available in sizes infant through adult. And if you tell her you heard about her through my blog, she'll ship it to you for free!



8. The winner of the fabric chalkboard mat is Sarah G. If you didn't win but still really want one, Tammy's Sewing is offering free shipping through December 31 with the coupon code CHRISTMAS2013. Plus, they're only $12!


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Monday, November 18, 2013

Extremely Important Question

Ok, so... my question of the day (week?) is this: should I do giveaways on a semi-regular basis? I actually already have the potential to do three more, and I'm trying to decide what to do. Because people (including me) like free stuff, but I also don't to be a blog that ONLY does giveaways. In large part because I have so many other random things to share. Such as...

- There's going to be a yoga class at my house tonight. I've only ever done yoga while watching a yoga video, never with live people. Will I get stuck in a weird position while surrounded by my friends? Only time will tell.

- I decided to write one post for every day in November, and then I quit after eleven days. Frankly, the only reason I made it that far is because I had pre-written most of my posts for my giveaways in October.

- I will be flying alone with a toddler next month. It's probably going to stressful, but I have a feeling it's going to make for some great stories.

-Lucas's new favorite toy is a paper towel tube that he pretends is a leaf blower. Come on guys - that's blogging gold.


- In a fit of frustration about my ongoing difficulties in finding good sippy cups, I recently sent an angry email to a sippy cup manufacturer. And then I immediately felt foolish and over-dramatic, and when someone from their customer service department called me, I was too embarrassed to call them back. Because who gets that riled up about sippy cups? Me, apparently. 

- A partial list of celebrities I've met: Chad Kroger from Nickleback, assorted Pittsburgh Steelers, Greg Brady (I mean Barry Williams.)

Do you really want to miss out on this kind of randomness? I think not.
- For my birthday, I got new art/decorations for my library and a new camera. You might think that I immediately used my new camera to take pictures of my new art, but you'd be wrong.

So as you can see, if I spent all my time doing giveaways, you'd miss out on a lot of really amazing stuff. And I'd never do that to you. But I could always do a giveaway every now and again. What do you think? And if I did them every so often, how often should I do them? Your input is of vital importance to me. And Greg Brady.

Think I should do more giveaways? Click below. 
Think I shouldn't do more giveaways? Click below. 
Basically, just click below.
Just Click To Send A Vote For Us @ Top Mommy Blogs

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A letter to my son, at nearly 21 months

At least three times a week, I think "I need to document this in the baby book!" And then I don't. So, here's a letter to Lucas... just so I don't forget how precious he is at this very moment.




11-12-13

Dear Lucas,

Oh my goodness, baby boy! Never in my life did I think that I could be so impressed by someone who can't even put on his own socks yet.

You are hilarious and creative and oh so smart. Every time we're out in public, at least one person comments on how well you speak - how clearly you pronounce your words, and how many words you know. Out of all of the many, many words you say, some of my favorites are:

    "Sure!" (and when you're very emphatic, "Yeah-kay! Sure!" as in, "Lucas, do you want some cheese? "Yeah-kay! Sure!")

    "Huggin!" Said any time you want a hug, which is very often. You even love hugging me from your high chair with one arm while you feed yourself with the other.

    "Cryin." You always announce to me when you've been crying, even if it's a fake cry and you're doing it in front of me. It's like a play-by-play of your emotions. As your emotional mommy, I can appreciate that.

    "Toot!" You also announce when you, well, toot. It's kind of hilarious.

    "Misi!" Lucas for "excuse me."

    "Fun!" Any time you are having fun, you let us know. It's adorable.

    "Cited!" Lucas for "excited." Which you are, often! Like the other day, when you were on the phone with your grandma. She asked you what you ate for dinner, and when you said "noodles," she responded with "I'm having noodles, too." Your eyes got wide, and you said "Cited! Cited!"

You can count to ten, and I have no idea if that makes you advanced or not, because I refuse to look it up; I know I'm going to think you're a tiny genius no matter what the "experts" say. You love Elmo and kitties, lawnmowers (and pretending that any box large enough for you to sit in is a lawnmower), other kids, talking on the phone (for real or for pretend), and jumping. You are definitely a mamma's boy, but you also love your daddy like crazy and try to be like him in ways that make me laugh and smile a little bigger than my face can handle.

You love books. If you are quiet for long periods of time when left to yourself, it's almost always because you're looking at books (often while sitting in a box or basket.) I'm sure that this will get me into trouble someday because I'll assume you're reading when in reality you're throwing things in the toilet, but I love that you already love to read... just like mommy.

You (finally) enjoy bedtime, and you talk to yourself in your crib long after I put you to bed. You have more energy than you (or I) know what to do with, and you love to walk back and forth across the living room while holding my (and/or Daddy's) hand. You will reach towards our hands, say "walkin? walkin?" and then when we put out our hands for you to grab, you will speed walk and intentionally fall over while laughing.

Some days you make me realize that I really need to learn to have more patience, but I couldn't wish for a more lovable teacher. I'm so glad that I get to be your mommy, little love. I'm looking forward to seeing all of the amazing things you'll do in your life.

I love you. Always.

Love,
Mommy


If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Monday, November 11, 2013

8 More Non-Toy Gifts for Kids!


My post 12 Non-Toy Gift Ideas for Kids is my most-visited post of all time. So here are eight more ideas, just in time for Christmas!

1. Pillows
A few years before Dan and I became parents, we had a Super Bowl party, and some of our friends were bringing their kids. Since we didn't have toys laying all around the house (like we do now,) we were kind of scrambling to find some things for the kids to play with, so we filled a basket with some random things like balls, crayons and coloring books, and two small pillows. Nobody even bothered to open the crayons or coloring books, the balls were thrown once and ignored, but the pillows never got put down. I think a few fights actually broke out over them. Kids love pillows. It's just one of those things. Need help finding a good pillow? Check out the Perfect Toddler Pillow from Sew Cinnamon. Plus, through December 12, you can get 10% off of a purchase of $33 or more by using the coupon code "MORENAPS."



2. Stuff for their Walls (aka - Art)
Everybody likes to have something fun on their walls. Especially kids! For awesome, creative word art for your kids' walls, visit The Meek Boutique!


3. Christmas Ornaments
Dan and I have a tradition of buying Christmas ornaments from any vacations or major events that happen throughout the year. Since Lucas came into our lives, we've added to that tradition by buying him a Christmas ornament and giving it to him every year on Christmas Eve (you know, for the one Christmas Lucas has been alive.) This year, we're giving him an awesome cat ornament from Heart of Clay Girl. Check out her shop for an ornament of your kid's favorite animal.


4. Personalized Books
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there's no such thing as too many books! And what's better than a book with your child as the main character? Reading books to your child is one of the very best ways to increase their language skills and vocabulary, and even children who don't typically like books will be interested in a book with pictures of themselves with their favorite things, people or places. Let's Read About Me allows you to easily (very easily) customize a book with pictures and words about your child.


5. Bookplates (aka - Labels to put in their books)
So you've gotten them books... now get them adorable labels to put inside of them! Either wrap these to give as a gift on their own, or keep them and attach one to every new book you gift your child. For most kids, there's just something special about seeing their name printed on something (I can't be the only one who vividly remembers searching the racks of personalized license plates/magnets/keychains/ridiculously tiny mugs for her own name. Why was there always "Beth" and never "Bethany"??) Plus, bookplates look much nicer than writing their names in their books in pen. Check out Strawberry Street Designs for some adorable personalized bookplates and other personalized items.



6. Super Hero Cape
You already know your kid is super. Why not make it official? Capes are great for imaginative play AND for encouraging your kid to get some exercise (you can't wear a cape without running really fast to get it to billow out behind you. That's a well-known fact.) Pipsqueek Bowtique makes all sorts of super hero capes for less than $20, and they're offering 10% off of your entire purchase through November 1, 2014 using the coupon code MORENAPS10.


7. Hats
It's almost winter. If you live somewhere that it gets cold, you're going to make your kid wear a hat anyway, right? So it might as well be one that they love and actually want to wear! Bonnie makes all sorts of custom hats, including the fabulous minion hat below, and she's offering free shipping to all of my readers!


8. Chalkboard
I can't speak for your kid, but mine loves to color. And occasionally that means that we get crayon on the floor, the wall, the cabinets, and various pieces of furniture. So chalkboards are great. And fabric chalkboards that are light, portable, and won't break if your kids jump on them are even better!! You can buy one from Tammy's Sewing (with free shipping through December 31, 2013 using the coupon code CHRISTMAS2013.)


What non-toy gift ideas do you have??

Top Mommy Blogs - Mom Blog Directory

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Things I said...

...when I wasn't talking incessantly about my AWESOME GIVEAWAYS!

Whew! Hosting eight giveaways turns out to be more work than I anticipated (but also totally worth it, because, seriously, have you seen how great the stuff is?? Check it all out and enter here.)

Anyway, believe it or not, I sometimes was talking about non-giveaway things. Important, thought-provoking, uber-intellectual things. Like...






Maybe I will actually say something new tomorrow, but in the meantime... enter all the giveaways!! And also, maybe click this...?

Just Click To Send A Vote For Us @ Top Mommy Blogs

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Great Non-Toy Christmas Gift Giveaway #8 - Chalkboard!

It's the last non-toy gift giveaway (for now!), and it's my birthday!! (I'll pause for a moment, because I can only assume that you're all singing "Happy Birthday" to your computer screens... Thank you! That was beautiful.) And now onto the business at hand...


Lucas loves to color. So we often have crayons and paper strewn about our kitchen (and we have some crayon marks on our kitchen floor.) When we were at a friend's house, Lucas discovered the joy of drawing outside with sidewalk chalk, and I thought that a chalkboard would be perfect for him (and me, because chalk is easier to clean up than crayon.) Unfortunately, he likes to throw things, and I wasn't sure a chalkboard would stand up too well to being whipped across the room. And then I found fabric chalkboard mats from Tammy's Sewing!!

Each chalkboard comes with chalk and a little sponge in the built-in zippered pouch!
I wasn't sure what to expect when I read on the Etsy page that the chalkboard needed to be seasoned before use, but it turns out that all that involves is running a piece of chalk on its side over the whole thing and then wiping it off. Even I can handle that!

Let's all admire my chalk skills. Ooo. Ahh!
After I "prepped" the chalkboard mat, I gave it to Lucas and...

He loves it!!
I can't say enough good things about this chalkboard mat! It's quilted, so it's definitely designed to stand up well to little kids. And since it's heavier than a piece of paper or small coloring book, it's perfect for young toddlers who haven't yet mastered the skill of holding the paper still with one hand while coloring with the other.

Lucas thinks erasing it with the damp sponge is every bit as fun as drawing on it. And when it inevitably ended up on the floor and was subsequently jumped on (jumping is one of Lucas's favorite activities), it didn't crack or shatter like a regular chalkboard would've. After only the first day of using it, he switched his normal request of "Cowor? Cowor?" (Lucas for "color") to "Chock? Chock?" (which I first thought meant truck and then Chuck, which was confusing because he doesn't know anyone named Chuck, but it ended up being "chalk.")

Lucas really likes putting the chalk back into the little zippered pouch, too. He's not exactly gentle (he's a toddler boy, after all), so I was a little worried that he would tear the plastic of the pouch, but so far it's holding up really well!


This would be perfect for kids of any age on a long car trip (or flight); it's soft and light, and if some chalk ends up on the car windows, doors or seats, it's much easier to clean up than crayons or markers. (I think it would also be great for homeschooling moms who have younger, non-school-aged kids at home, too, especially if the older kids are using dry erase boards and/or markers, and you want the littles to feel included without you having to clean marker off of anyone's face.)

The chalkboard mats come in a variety of fabric colors and patterns, and they sell for only $12, so they're an inexpensive (and seriously awesome) gift for your own kids or for nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or any other child for whom you want to buy a nice gift without breaking the bank. And Tammy's Sewing is offering free shipping now through December 31 with the coupon code CHRISTMAS2013

And one of my great readers is going to win a chalkboard mat of his/her very own! (Although I imagine they'll probably want to share it with a child.) After you enter, remember to enter my seven other giveaways that are currently running!

Enter below the smiling lady, but if you want to click her first, go for it!
Just Click To Send A Vote For Us @ Top Mommy Blogs

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US only, 18+  Please see complete Terms and Conditions above.

I was provided with a free chalkboard mat in exchange for my honest opinion.