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Momdot’s Mid-week trip around the Blogosphere:

10 Sep By 3 Comments

First I would like to point you in the direction of Dramatic Mommy who has adopted a soldier and would like your help to make her package the best it can be for him so she is trying to get a postcard from all 50 states to send to him. We all know this means so much to those over seas fighting for our country so please take the time to be a part of such a wonderful cause…brightening a soldiers day and making them feel a little closer to home.

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Feature Blogger: Trying to be Greener

6 Sep By 7 Comments

Please welcome “green” blogger, Kirstin, of Trying to be Greener to MomDot!

1. Congrats on being a MomDot Feature Blogger! Why don’t you start by introducing yourself to our readers!

For 14 years, I was a 5th grade Special Education teacher where I worked with children who had learning disabilities and behavioral difficulties. This past December, I had my first child and now have a “classroom of one.”

2. How did you arrive on the blogosphere? What got you interested in blogging?

When I became pregnant, I started doing a lot of research on products I felt my daughter would need once she arrived – soaps and lotions, baby bottles. It was then that I learned about harmful chemicals, such as parabens and phthalates, that are often found in popular baby soaps and Bisphenol A, a questionable component in some plastics that can be found in some baby bottles. I found out so much about safer choices for children and adults that I decided to put it all together in the form of blog posts so that others could learn from them and use them as as references.

3. What are some of your favorite posts, ones that you’re the most proud of?

I’m especially proud of the posts I’ve done on “How Safe Is Your Shampoo and Conditioner, Deodorant, Bar Soap, Baby Shampoo and Mascara.” The Environmental Working Group has a Web site called Skin Deep. This site is an excellent resource for consumers in that it lists thousands of personal care products in an organized way and rates them on how safe their ingredients are. I put together safer choices based on ingredients from Skin Deep’s site that can easily be found at your local drugstore. I also list some common items with high (not safe) scores as comparisons.

You can read those posts here:

http://tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/how-safe-is-your-deodorant/

http://tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/how-safe-is-your-babys-shampoo-and-soap/

http://tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/how-safe-is-your-shampoo-conditioner/

http://tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/how-safe-is-your-mascara/

http://tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/how-safe-is-your-soap/

4. How did you come up with the idea of “Trying to Be Greener”?

I decided on the name of my blog because I felt it described what so many of us feel. Many of us know we should make some changes in our lives to help the environment but we think only the big changes count. I wanted to show readers that small changes, over time, can make a big difference.

5. What are some of your other favorite “Green” blogs?

I have quite a few favorite “green blogs”. They are:

www.greenandcleanmom.org

www.safemama.com

www.thesoftlanding.wordpress.com

www.treehugger.com

6.Can you give the MomDot readers a “sneak peek” into what’s coming up next for your blog? Any new events, giveaways, interviews, etc.?

Readers can look forward to more posts on safer personal care products, simple changes to “green” your home, and giveaways.

Thanks for the interview Kirstin!  Go leave her some comment love and tell her you saw her interview on MomDot!

Interviewed by MomDot Feature Writer, Christy aka The Write Gal

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Feature Blogger: Restored 316 Designs

29 Aug By 12 Comments
For those of you looking for a blog makeover, look no further!  Lauren from Restored 316 Designs is here to tell us about her blog and boutique design business!
1. Congrats on being a MomDot Feature Blogger!  Why don’t you start by introducing yourself to our readers!
My name is Lauren and I am a wife to a wonderful hubby and mother to a 15 month old little girl!  I’m a WAHM and enjoy so much being able to stay at home with my family while also providing income.
2.  What got you interested in website design?  When/how did you launch your store?
Well I have always had a creative spirit but I didn’t really get into digital design until after the birth of my daughter.  I just started off doing digital scrap-booking to remember little moments in my daughters life and quickly grew into more of a passion of mine.  Being an entrepreneur at heart I knew that I needed to find my market and go for it.  One of the key things I wanted was to help other mothers like myself, who are just starting their business, be successful and have a wonderful web presence (which I think is a huge deal!)  So I just dove in and launched my site in March of this year.
3.  Can you give the MomDot readers a “sneak peek” into what’s coming up next for your blog?  Any new events, giveaways, promotions, etc.?
I am always posting different freebies on my blog.  As a designer I am always creating different things that will help me in the future so I want to pass those things along to other designers and people just simply doing digital scrapbooking.  Also at the end of every month I post a desktop calendar that you can download and just insert your images.  Most of the time they are scrapbooking style but this month I have something else up my sleeve so stay tuned!
4.  I absolutely LOVE the design you created from Mommy Goggles!  How do you come up with your design ideas?
You know when I start a design, I always have a general idea of what the customer is wanting, but nothing past that.  I normally sit and just start doing things and it just starts coming together.  With Tanya from Mommy Goggles, she wanted to use that image of the girl with all the shopping bags and I just went from there.  I may be totally different than other designers but I love to be unique and try new things.  I’m always up for a challenge!
5.  Do you create designs for both boutiques and blogs?
Yes!  I have a wide selection of premade boutique style templates for someone just starting their business as well as offer custom blog designs.  I also do custom website design for someone not interested in a template style boutique.  I do currently have a premade blog design that can be found on my blog.
6.  What is your favorite aspect of your business?  What do you feel sets you apart from your competitors?
Well I have 2 favorites! First would be the actual designing.  It’s an outlet for me to just be creative and focus.  I typically do a lot of my designing while my daughter is taking a nap so the peace and quiet when I’m designing is wonderful! I also love when my customers are so happy with their new look.  I’ve been on the receiving end also so I know how exciting the process is, so I love to make my customers happy and feel their excitement through the process!
I feel like what sets me apart from my competitors is my style.  Every designer has their own unique style that sets us all apart.  Another thing that sets me apart is I pride myself in communication.  I work one on one with my customers to make sure they receive everything they are wanting.
7.  What is one mistake that a blogger can make when designing their blog?
I would say these 2 things that I see quite often:
1.  Having a design that doesn’t match the personality of the blog.
2. Trying to edit the HTML of their blog and don’t know 100% what they are doing.  I see this alot.  My suggestion is to have a test blog to test anything out before actually saving it on your existing blog.  The last thing you want is to loose everything or mess up your template and not be able to edit things.
Thanks so much, Lauren, for sharing your talent with us!  Lauren has also generously offered the MomDot Readers a 10% discount!!  Click here to redeem the coupon!  Offer expires 9/15/2008.
Interviewed by Contributing Writer, Bridgette, Check out my blog that 316 Designs did!
Leave a comment and tell us what your blog design would look like if you had it redone……..
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Feature Blogger: Parent Reviewers

19 Aug By 14 Comments

Over at the MomDot Forums, several members are interested in learning how to do product reviews (including myself).  So, I think that it is appropriate to feature our next MomDot Blogger, Elina from Parent Reviewers!

1. Congrats on being a MomDot Feature Blogger!  Why don’t you start by introducing yourself to our readers!

My name is Elina Ho, a FTWM with two hyperactive little chatterboxes and a loving hubby, whom I’ve nicknamed the Big Kid. I love blogging (obviously!) but since I started doing product reviews on my blogs, I’ve enjoyed it so much that I decided to start a community to share the fun. Thus, the birth of Parent Reviewers.
2.  How did you arrive on the blogosphere?  What got you interested in blogging?
It was in Year 2005, when blogging had just started to pick up in my home country and I thought I would try it out to see what the rage was all about. I started IMMomsDaughter to journal my family life and have not stopped blogging since.
3.  Can you give the MomDot readers a “sneak peek” into what’s coming up next for your blog?  Any new events, giveaways, interviews, etc.?
We will be featuring Book Blog Tours more frequently and we are also planning for a Mega Giveaway Bash – so be on the lookout for both!
4.  What does it take to be a Parent Reviewer?  What advice do you have for new bloggers interested in getting into the world of product reviews?
It doesn’t take much :)   - Firstly, you must have a blog with some decent traffic. Secondly, professionalism is essential. By that, it simply means : Timely Delivery of Post and A Good Quality Review is a must.
Advice? I really consider myself a novice in this area. However, based on my experience,  I have encountered members (now ex-members) that have received our sponsor’s products, do not post their reviews and do not reply to emails. So, I would advice bloggers to NEVER do this. Always keep your sponsor informed in case of delay and DO NOT ignore your sponsors. It speaks volume on your professionalism.
5.  What are the challenges of running two blogs?
Errr….actually I run 6 blogs. Yeah, I’m kind of addicted to blogging. TIME is never enough for me.
6.  What type of products do you review? How many Reviewers do you have on “staff?”
We review all kinds of products that are family friendly and we especially love to support parent-preneurs. Right now, we have slightly over a 100 reviewers but are currently closed to admission of new reviewers. However, those interested may submit their application via our contact form and their contact will be kept in our mailing list. Once we are open to admission, we will send out a notification to all.

Thanks, Elina!  I am looking forward to the Mega Giveaway Bash!  Go check out the latest reviews at Parent Reviewers here!

Interviewed by Contributing Writer, Bridgette

Do you do reviews on your blog out there?  What do you like or dislike about reviews? If so, leave your blog so Elina can check you out! ~trisha

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Check out these new Blog Listings !

11 Aug By 3 Comments

Nunc Scio Quit Sit amor: My blog is mainly about raising my two fun daughters.  How parenting them goes, funny occurrences, an occasional review.  Just everyday life as a mother.  It’s partially to keep family updated, and the other part just for me.

Mommy, Just One More Minute!: Life is silly.  Life is fantastic. Most importantly life is for living, and here in our home we absolutely seize the day!  I love to live and learn through the eyes of my daughter Sophie.  I am a stay-at-home mom, a wife, homemaker,  toy shopper extraordinaire, and each day is an adventure to us that I just love to blog about. I almost enjoy ‘kid’ stuff more than the actual kid in our home!  Welcome to Mommy, Just One More Minute!

Mombshells: Just another day in Momb’s Hell.  What happens when you are a stay at home mom and your kids keep getting older?  What do you do when you live in a swanky, expensive place and you aren’t swanky20or expensive?  We are three stay at home moms writing about life.  We think we might have had IT once, and we want it back–but finding it, keeping it and remembering where we put it is a daily mom challenge!

Mom of 3 Girls: I am 37, married for 7 years to my hubby, Ron, and we have 3 beautiful daughters, ages 7, 5 and 2. Oh yes, and 2 cats as well. I (normally) work full-time out of the house, so between work, daycare, school and life – things can get crazy and hectic! I blog about my family, our lives and anything else that’s going on in my life. Join me in my current journey to figure out life as a SAHM (or WAHM?) after being laid off from my job in July of 2008.

All About Kimberly: This is my personal blog about life as a single mom to two daughters in a rural East Texas town. I’ve been advised over and over to find a niche, but my life is not a niche. So our blog covers a wide variety of topics including our love of travel, websites and products we find useful, recipes, online money making, and much more. I also love blogging contests and learning to blog effectively so I frequently share my blogging lessons with my readers.

SimplyanonyMOM:  I am your average suburban SAHM to two adorable kids aged 3 and 4. Our days are filled with lots of laughs and occasional tears. I started this blog so I could have an outlet, a way to maintain my sanity and have a persona separate from “mommy”. My tastes are simple. My kids are average. I am the mom you see trying to make it through a shopping trip with two screaming kids. I am the mom cheering from the sidelines, even though my child is on the bench. I am the mom offering my shoulder and needing yours. I am simply anonymom.

SquishyBuggles: My blog is fairly new, I am documenting my journey with my two daughters. What we do around the house, fill our days with. Crafts, cooking, playing, etc

Mommy Brain Reports Mommy Brain Reports: I’m a SAHM of twin girls, married to the love of my life. I love to try new toys and products with my family, and let everyone know what we think! We review everything from toys and kid gear to cleaning supplies and restaurants. We love to check out eco-friendly products and offer weekly projects and ideas on how to “Go Green”. Come check out Mommy Brain Reports and see how those products you’ve been wondering about do when put to the test!

Just a mom’s take on things: Balanced and honest product and book reviews by a mom of 3 girls – with fun giveaways as well! Come and find out what I think about the latest and greatest of the products out there to help make our lives as parents easier.

CityStreams: My blogging adventure really took off when I decided that I didn’t want to be a doctor. So, I dropped out of medical school and became a high school Science teacher. During my first month as a teacher, we started trying to have a baby. I will never forget the look of joy on Hubster’s face when I told him that he was going to be a Daddy. Fast forward nine months. While I was still in the hospital recovering from 36 hours of labor and a C-section, Hubs got the call that he’d been accepted for his current job as a local police officer. Surprise! Our lives have never been dull. But hey, you don’t have to take my word for it, read for yourself!

Mommy Moments: Great moments in motherhood, brought to you by Monkey See and Monkey Do. I am a SAHM of twin girls, married to the love of my life for the 10 + years. These two girls are my life, and I love to share some of the most fun and craziest moments in our lives as a family. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder “what the heck is she thinking?”… All the while nodding your head in agreement.. that motherhood is the best thing that could’ve ever happened to you!

Miss Priss Tutus: Gorgeous Tutus for the Little Princess in your Life!

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