As bloggers, we spend a lot of time talking and worrying about self-promotion – where to find the time, how to best promote, where to get the most mileage out of social media. It’s often un-ending. If I’ve learned anything over the past year and a half of being a virtual assistant, it’s that continuous, all encompassing self-promotion is nearly impossible. Sorry, that’s the truth. It’s just not feasible to be on every social media platform every hour of every day. At least not by yourself. So, how do bloggers much bigger than I handle this? They have friends and they promote each other. This is not an industry where you can exist on a island by yourself. You need friends. You need people who are willing to share your projects and ideas. Frankly, there are just too many social media outlets these days. You can’t rely on just one -…
My Minted.com Art is Here!
You guys! Remember a couple of weeks ago I had you help me pick out some artwork from Minted.com? Well it’s here! And it’s in a frame and hung up! (I’m not always the best at getting things done right away so I’m counting that as a big win.) Seriously, I couldn’t wait to get it on the wall and show you. It is so awesome. (They aren’t asking me to do this, I just really liked it in person and couldn’t wait to share. I love it that much. No lie.) First though, let’s talk about what you chose. In my very non-scientific accounting of your votes, it was a three way tie for C, D, and E! Even you guys had trouble choosing. And while I loved all of the options…well, I went rogue and chose a different one than all of you. So here goes. I chose… …
On Neglecting Fringe
Sometimes #fringehours means a snack and Netflix A photo posted by Christina L (@christinaplainandsimple) on Mar 24, 2015 at 12:11pm PDT Truth time. I’m going to admit that as much as I LOVED Jessica’s book The Fringe Hours (you can see my review here), old habits are hard to break. I’ve been really busy with the VA thing and the blogging thing and the taking care of puppies and spring cleaning things and I’ve just been kind of overwhelmed with it all but…I’m still not taking time for myself. I know that I need to, but I don’t. Tell me I’m not alone in that. Sometimes life just happens and I think we just neglect ourselves in exchange for a To Do List. Kinda depressing if you think too long about it. So, this week I’ve tried to make a concerted effort to at least get some downtime at lunch. It…
Top Secret Blogging Tip #3 – Staff
Of the bloggers that I work for, many have staff. I can hear you already, “Well that’s nice for them, but I can’t afford a staff!” I get it. I can’t really afford staff either. But I think we have to look at this from a different perspective. Maybe you can’t hire someone like me, but I’m betting you have people in your life who can help you run your blog, schedule social media or gather links for a round up. Maybe you have a teenager at home who could help with Facebook. Maybe you’re in a group of bloggers who could all use some help? Is one of you great at social media management? Is another awesome at using PicMonkey to create graphics for posts? What about someone who might be a CoSchedule expert? Could you pool your resources or trade services? Staff doesn’t have to mean a virtual assistant (or two)…
Getting Rid of Hair Product and Oils from Pillow Cases
I’m a self-confessed hairspray-aholic. No lie. I totally blame my mother, who I can vividly remember standing in the bathroom with her cigarette in one hand and a can of Aquanet in the other. She was completely encasing her brown football helmet of hair in a cloud of hairspray. I guess it stuck. (No pun intended.) How she didn’t manage to blow up our house is a mystery to me even to this day. Thankfully, I only picked up the hairspray and not the cigarettes. Anyway, for all my love of hair product, I’m also kinda lazy and don’t always feel like washing my hair before I go to bed, which means I end up getting a yucky build up on my pillow cases. I do wash them regularly, but the oil and product doesn’t always come all the way out even with the expensive HE detergent and oxygen cleaners. So, of…
Finding Coupons When I Need Them – WITHOUT Clipping Everything
So lately, I’ve shared with you how I’ve managed to simplify the couponing process for myself. You can find those posts by clicking the photos below: My Simple Coupon System Making the Binder Work for Me But if I’m not clipping everything, and lugging that binder to the store with me, how do I find the coupons I need quickly? Let me show you. When I first started couponing, there was no real way to find a specific coupon in a specific insert, but that is no longer the case! We now have really nice coupon database systems that you can search to find both printable and newspaper insert coupons. Here’s how I use them. First, I make my shopping list. Say I need Olay Body Wash and I want to make sure I have a coupon for it. I go to Hot Coupon World and type in Olay.…
Top Secret Blogging Tip #2 – One topic, Multiple Posts
I’ve begun sharing some of the things I’ve learned while working as a virtual assistant. This is the second in that series. You can find #1 here Last year, I had the pleasure of attending Online Blog Con – a blogging convention entirely online. And as a bonus, I was assigned a mentor to help me address some of the things I struggle with as a blogger – like say, posting consistently. Especially when the depression/anxiety stuff kicks in. My mentor Kayla from Say Not Sweet Anne suggested that whenever I could, I should split posts into more than one. Got a bathroom remodel? Give each step/part it’s own post. Want to share spring cleaning tips? Give each tip a starring role in a separate blog post. It was a really eye opening thought for me, and I can say that as I’ve been working to be more consistent, it’s…
Top Secret Blogging Tip #1 – Link Parties
You guys, in case you don’t know, in addition to this blogging thing I’m also a virtual assistant to other bloggers and small business owners. Now, I won’t say who I work for, but I can tell you that over the last year and a half, I’ve had the pleasure of working for some of the best in the “business” and along the way, I’ve picked up on some of the things that make them the “best”. In order to give back to the blogging community that I’ve been a part of since 2010, I thought I’d share with you some of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up while working for these awesome men and women. Let’s get started. Tip #1 – They promote a single post for at least 10 – 14 days initially and then re-promote it over time. Now, I hear what you’re saying, “Wouldn’t people get sick…
Choosing Artwork from Minted.com
I have been compensated by Minted.com with shop credit in exchange for this post, but all opinions are 100% honest and 100% mine. You guys! I’m so excited! Minted.com approached me earlier this week and asked if I would like some shop credit to spend however I wish. I couldn’t jump at the chance fast enough. I really wanted some nice art (click for their collection of limited edition art) for our guest bathroom reno (that I swear I’m almost done with…) but it wasn’t really in the budget. I knew right away that that’s what I would spend my credit on. There’s only one small problem – I can’t decide what to get. Would you guys mind helping me out with that? First, let’s talk about what colors I’m putting in the guest bath. You can see them below. I was inspired by this paper collection from Basic Grey last year…
Inside My Coupon Binder
There was a time when I loved the coupon binder system for organizing my coupons. I actually went a smidge too far (as I usually do) and bought a binder that had two binders in it. It was at least 6 inches thick and fully stocked with coupons, dividers and all the other “stuff” I thought I needed it weighed a lot. I don’t even know how much, but I know lugging that thing to the store grew old and fast. Last week, I shared with you my simple couponing system that literally takes me 5 – 10 minutes a week to keep things neat and tidy and ready for use. This week, I’m going to give you a peek into my binder now (hint: it’s not 6 inches thick, it’s not heavy and I don’t take it to the store with me – ever) and how it’s essential to my money saving habits. Now, my binder serves…