Small Talk Six: T-Shirts I’ve Read and Loved

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Today’s topic is “6 t-shirts you’ve read and loved.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

Ack! This week really calls for pictures, but I know some of you are already looking for this post as I type this on Friday night.

Here are my six for this week:

1) ”Come to the Dark Side . . . We Have Cookies” (Star Wars reference, Kids Shirt)

2) ”If you can read this, then you’re invading my personal space.” (In a tiny font)

3) ”Pee All That You Can Pee” (Army slogan reference. This was an infant t-shirt, but I think it would make a great shirt for dogs.)

4) ”Recently Evicted” (Newborn onesie)

5) ”I survived The Big Dig” (Click on the link if you don’t know what that is.)

6) ”Real nerds don’t write html. They code a script to do it for them.”

~Karen

Now go post your own list on your blog (don’t forget to grab a button) and then leave the direct link to your post on Mr. Linky. Then go check out everyone else’s Small Talk Six lists and leave them a comment so they know you stopped by. If for some reason Mr. Linky isn’t there, just leave your links within a comment.

Small Talk Six: What? Spoiled? My Children?!!

25 Jun By KarenC 6 Comments

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Today’s topic is “6 ways you indulge or spoil your children.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

Well, this is a really broad topic, isn’t it? Let me see if I can narrow it down to just six.

Here are my six for this week:

1) We reward them for finishing their lunch and dinner with a snack that sometimes is not so healthy.

2) 75% of the time, when we visit a retailer that sells toys, we will leave with something small (a $2 or $3 toy) for each child.

3) I review a ton of cool toys, so they get new toys too often . . . faster than I can donate the ones they no longer use.

4) Sometimes our children do not go to sleep right away and we can hear them carrying on. We sometimes just let them continue in the hopes that they’ll tire themselves out.

5) Sometimes we cook or order separate dinners for them because they are such picky eaters, rather than forcing them to eat what is available and learning to be grateful that they have food to eat.

6) We allow them to watch too much television on some days because it is the only way we can have a few moments of peace and quiet.

~Karen

Now go post your own list on your blog (don’t forget to grab a button) and then leave the direct link to your post on McLinky. Then go check out everyone else’s Small Talk Six lists and leave them a comment so they know you stopped by. If for some reason Mr. Linky isn’t there, just leave your links within a comment.

Filed Under: Memes Tagged With: Indulgent Parents, mom bloggers, Parenting, Saturday Blog Memes, Small Talk Six, Spoiled Children, Weekly Blog Memes

Small Talk Six: What My Dad and I Have in Common

18 Jun By KarenC 10 Comments

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Today’s topic is “6 things you and your Dad both enjoy.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

This week’s topic makes me think that my Dad and I do not spend enough time together. My list is mostly based on what I know about him, but these are not necessarily things that we do together.

Here are my six for this week:

1) Martial arts films

2) BBQ potato chips

3) Staying up late

4) An excellent meal

5) Dogs and puppies

6) Seeing his grandchildren smile

~Karen

Filed Under: Memes Tagged With: Dad, Father's Day, mom bloggers, Saturday Blog Memes, Small Talk Six, Weekly Blog Memes

Can’t we all just get along? No. No we cant.

17 Jun By trisha haas 52 Comments

I have been enjoying the fun little volleyball game in the blogosphere recently. Mainly because this time, I didn’t start it. If you have missed it, it goes something like this:

NonReview/Giveaway Blogger #1: You’re fooling me with your fake blogs on products. You don’t put out real content like those of us that talk about our baby poop and crappy husbands and spread our opinions on something real.

Review/Giveaway Blogger to Blogger #1: Don’t read it then and suck on this egg I got from Egglands Best.

NonReview/Giveaway Blogger #2: You’re ruining the blogosphere with your fake, sticky-sweet positive free product content.

Review/Giveaway Blogger #2: I’m going to mow you down with my John Deere mower and then use a Hefty bag to take you out like the trash you are!

I’m going to let you in on a little known secret:

This article has moved. Read the rest of it here

Mom Blogger Fights

Filed Under: Blog Resources, Questions And Controversy Tagged With: fighting, get along, mom bloggers

Small Talk Six: Six Signs of Stress

11 Jun By KarenC 12 Comments

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Today’s topic is “6 sure signs that you are stressed out.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

Hmmm . . . should I go the serious route or the humorous route on this one. That is indeed the question.

Here are my six for this week:

1) Your sweet little angels start to sprout horns and tails.

2) You suddenly have the overwhelming urge to drop the mound of dirty dishes sitting in the sink onto your husband’s head while he is napping on the sofa.

3) Someone is tightening the vice around the top of your head without your permission.

4) Your hair starts to shed more than the family pet’s.

5) You are starting to wonder if someone replaced your bottled water with hydrochloric acid because your stomach sure is burning.

6) Your husband starts looking at the calendar, wondering if PMS is suppose to last two weeks.

~Karen

Filed Under: Memes Tagged With: Anxiety, mom bloggers, Saturday Blog Meme, Small Talk Six, Stress, Symptoms, Weekly Blog Meme

Small Talk Six: Refreshing Summertime Beverages

4 Jun By KarenC 5 Comments

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Today’s topic is “6 of your favorite cold beverages.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

Since it is hot and humid in my neck of the woods today, this topic was an easy one for me. I can imagine myself drinking any number of these cold drinks right now.

Here are my six for this week:

1) Pepsi

2) Vanilla Milk Shake

3) Orange Julius

4) Pink Lemonade

5) Aquafina FlavorSplash or Fruit2O

6) Strawberry Daiquiri

~Karen

Filed Under: Memes Tagged With: Beverage, Cold Drinks, mom bloggers, Saturday Blog Meme, Small Talk Six, Weekly Blog Meme

Which is it?

31 May By trisha haas 53 Comments

Do you want mom bloggers to work for free so they are not “lying” or do you want them to get paid for their worth?

Cause I can barely keep up with the drama, drama, drama that encompasses the blogosphere every 3 feet and its easier for you to just tell me what the new “rule” is so I don’t break it.

Or do the opposite of it just to be a b*tch.

*cough*

I can tell you a few things about how I feel however.

1) I do NOT like to be taken advantage of. I build a site, I bring the people, I keep it going by advertising, making friends, and spending my days trying to capture an audience that I will never meet. I am the one in the system, required to use facebook and twitter and forums and chat rooms. I am the one that takes the pictures, builds the site, and begs friends to fix up the graphics. It’s exhausting to be me. And if you are reading this, it’s probably exhausting to be you too!

2) Sometimes I work for free, sometimes I work for fee. Do you really think I sit here all day with my thumb up my ass hoping to make a 50cent CPM so I can buy a cup of coffee? Uh. No.

Blah, blah, I love my blog and I do it for friendship and fun. I really do. But I wouldn’t dedicate as much time as I do to this place unless it was worth it me.

My worth is based on the value of the opportunity that is being presented to me. Is it something I love? Something I want to share with my readers? Something that isn’t some big fat spam on my bloggy walls? And yes, I should be receiving something in return for it because massaging my shoulders for my time only works for my husband.

For the record, just because we are all ‘mom bloggers’ doesn’t make me feel like I owe my visitors some explanation of my online paychecks. Would you trust my opinion less if I was paid? If so, then stop coming here.

(But before you go can you please refresh the screen a few times?)

I consider myself a contractor. I don’t go by a pre-printed media kit. I go by what are you offering me and how much is my space worth to you.

Isn’t capitalism great.

3) Mom Bloggers used to be this organic way to spread word of mouth and gain product loyalty and branding.

STOP LYING TO YOURSELF.

That’s like old la la land.

Do they still spread word of mouth and branding. Sure they do! But is it organic? That’s a tad more rare. Mom blogging has turned into a business.

If it wasn’t, do you really think we would be in the main stream media limelight? If it wasn’t, would anyone even want their products on our pages? Would Team Mom and Mom Select and Mom Central be working with huge companies to get their products distributed amongst us? That’s a big fat no.

Make it a HELL no.

Mom bloggers are creating review networks, hosting classes, running webshows and talk shows and radio shows. Mom bloggers are the public relations voices of today.

We have become so savvy with the consumer and transfer of information that companies are stuck sending us product or buying our time in order to get on our sites.

Moms are brilliant. Case closed.

4) Do I think its OK mom bloggers work for free?

Well. Yes.

Yes, if THEY want to. And I used the word “work” cause its WORK to run a website. And far it be for me to dictate if someone takes a box of Mac n Cheese in exchange for a blog advertisement. They may be in love with Mac n Cheese. Mac n Cheese may give them an orgasm and it was the best day of their life when the Mac N Cheese company offered a box.

Do I think its OK to be paid or receive kick backs for a blog advertorial?

Well. Yes again.

Do companies really really think a blogger should put up a product on their site just…well…because? Try that crap with ABC and see how far you get.

“Uh, I was calling today to see if you can put my can of ju-ju juce right between Greys Anatomy and So You Think You Can dance…huh? Its NOT free? SCAMMERS!!!!!!LIARS!!!”

If a company truly wanted my opinion on something, they could send it to me and ill email them back my opinion. It’s called a “test panel”. The 90′s were full of them. They don’t want that. They don’t want my opinion, they want my site.

My link juice.

My attentive audience.

My creative spin that they don’t have to pay a 6 figure salary and stick me in a cubicle to get.

You know I am right. I am right so often it’s starting to hurt.

What bloggers need to start realizing is we have moved from editorials to advertorials. Let’s stop defending the organic happy go lucky posts and embrace it for what it is. Companies may not be buying our opinion, but they sure as hell are buying our time.

I am OK with that.

It’s the consumer that has to decide if they are willing to put up with it. And if their audience is turning away, will the bloggers still find worth in working with the companies. Be it with a product, a coupon, a free trip, or a good old paper paycheck, no one is sitting on their thumb and spinning for joy over a fruit cup.

Unless, again, it’s giving you an orgasm.

Here is a thought:

How about we all just take a vow to stop the bickering on who is getting paid what and how and where and we all collectively demand Ads to be purchased.

Not reviews. Ads.

Wait, I’ve got it!

Ill dedicate this spot here to advertorials. You send me a press release and $50 and Ill leave it right there all week long.

This sounds like a brilliant plan.

That way there are no ifs, ands, or buts about how everyone “feels” or who has a review or who has been “bought” or who is honest. Ill label the category “My Fun Money” and you can put whatever you want into it for the low, low price of an economical $50.

And I think if I hear the acronym “FTC” one more time I’ll poke out my eyeballs.

~Trisha

Filed Under: Blog Resources Tagged With: controversy, ftc, mom bloggers, mom blogs

Small Talk Six: 6 Favorite Flowers

28 May By KarenC 13 Comments

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly Small Talk Six topics for 2010.

Today’s topic is “6 of your favorite flowers.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

Okay, I have allergies, so my list will consist of which flowers I think are the most beautiful because I rarely smell flowers voluntarily. :P