New series: 56 My Ambiance Life things

Hello, long time, no see, rather no write.  I have been thinking.  They say that if you think too hard, something ugly might come up.  OK, I am the only one who said it, BUUTTT….

I just celebrated my birthday.  Yeah, that one.  July 21 is the date.  I am not one to reveal my age because I do not feel it and I do not think it.  Let’s just say that I am a Gen X, the forgotten generation.  They talk about the Baby Boomers and they talk about the Millennials, and they talk about the older folks (my parent’s age group) but they never talk about mine.  I guess that we are the people that others warn each other about.  So, if you were born between 1964-1979, you know exactly what I am talking about, but this is not that conversation.  Not here, and not on this blog.  I can explain further as I go through “56 My Ambiance Life Things on that blog, or not.  You never know until you read all 4 blogs.  Did I say 4?

So, today and for the next couple of weeks or so, I will have 56 Home Prep things on that blog, 56 My Ambiance Life things on this blog, 56 P. Lynne Designs things on that blog and 56 Miss Froggy Loves Traveling things on that blog.  Each series has no rhyme or reason except that it has to do with what each blog has in store for the reader.  In My Ambiance Life’s case, it is about writing, blogging, and inspiration to name a few. So here’s a start.

 

Today’s topic:  Writing during Covid

Today, I want to talk about being a writer during this time.  You can call your profession anything you want to help you sleep at night.  I call myself a writer.  I am not comfortable at the moment of calling myself a blogger, and the reason is I am not basically at the moment putting down my feelings.  I have 3 other blogs; one that covers home life (Home Prep), one that covers my business and crafting (P. Lynne Designs), and a new one that covers travel (Miss Froggy Loves Traveling).  I have enough content that can cover this blog (My Ambiance Life) and the other two blogs, but, as soon as I announced that I was putting the travel section into another blog, Covid-19 hit with a vengeance.  The only place I have been since that time is to my brother’s house in Dayton, which is an hour and a half from Columbus. 

Currently, if I were to go to Walt Disney World, I would have to self-quarantine for 14 days before going into the parks, since I am from the state of Ohio, which is now one of the high risks states in the country.  Yeah, idiots who refuse to wear a mask around here.  I hope you are happy about your right to not wear a mask.  Thanks to you, I cannot move freely throughout the country with one on.  You have impeded on mine.

Back to the subject….

As you can see, I am kind of sore about that, and thanks okay.  As a writer (blogger or not), you can write about your experiences with Covid.  There is plenty to write about, and you can put as much or as little details as you want.  After all, it is your article/post/novel.  You can have it fictionalized into something like the “Virus that Ate Manhattan”, or something that Robin Cook could only visualize in his mind.  Humm, I wonder if his book, Pandemic (2018) was about Covid in the future.  The virus in the book describes a “flu-like” virus invading parts of the world.  This is hitting to close to home.

How about writing about your personal experience with the virus, being “Stuck in the house and in the house bored” as the famous Tik Tok video suggests? I was thinking about trying some of the cute recipes that are on Tik Tok.  I already failed that breakfast sandwich trick.  I do plan on writing about it in my Home Prep blog and have a video on my YouTube channel.  Let me give you some other examples.

Examples for Motivational and inspirational type blog posts

First off, if you write motivational and/or inspirational type blog posts or want to start one during this pandemic (or any type of blog post for that matter), do not start on the negative side of it.  February and March 2020 was a shocker in the first place.  I cannot remember in my lifetime where I am ordered by the local or federal government to stay inside.  I also cannot remember a time where there is uncertainty throughout the country.  In fact, by the time I was born, the civil rights movement was almost over and by the time I started school, I was able to be in a classroom with children of different races.  I never experienced a time when I was told that I could not do something during my childhood unless my parents did not want me to do it. They tried to give me every opportunity to make a living, and have a better life. So, start with your own life.  Recall life before the pandemic. 

• Who are you and what is your background?   
• Where do you live?  For this, do not give out your exact location.  Notice at the beginning of this blog post, where I mentioned where my brother lives.  I said only the city and state.  Giving out your exact location can be bad for privacy. 
• What have you been doing during this time?  While you are in your home or if you are working during this time, how has it been? Have you been displaced in your job?  An example of this would be “that as a gig worker and entrepreneur, it has not been easy for me, but I have been trying to stay positive by improving on my skills and creating work for myself to do.” This is how I came up with the 56 blog posts idea for all of my blogs.”  You may have something similar or mention that you have been working remotely.  I am only mentioning things that are allowed in the United States, it may be different in your country.

Examples for “Home living” type blog posts

This is easier than the motivational and inspirational blogs.  The reason is it brings together something that most people during this time, working in the home.  I am not talking about your job, but renovating and doing little remodeling jobs around the home. 

• Have you an increase in your shopping habits? Talk about what you have bought during this time.  Haul videos and haul blog posts have become very popular during this time.  I have made a couple myself.
• Have you discovered a new way of cooking?  Food delivery has increased since we are still limited from going into a restaurant and having a sit-down meal. 

In my first “56 Home Prep things” blog post over on my Home Prep blog, I mentioned that Uber Eats has sort of becoming my BFF, and now I need to rediscovery my cookware and other things because it is eating into my budget. Yes, you can get carried away with the idea of someone bringing your food to you, and they can sit it in front of your door with you making contact.  A word of advice, have the grocery store bring you some goodies.  I gained 20 pounds in delivery prepared food and my Ipad has become my new timer, LOL.

• How have you organized and decluttered?  Talk about the space that you are trying to organize and what you want out of the space.  Come up with a plan and make it a journey. 

My craftroom, kitchen, and home office are three spaces that needed attention.  I am almost done with the kitchen and home office.  My main attention is now on the craftroom. For the craftroom, I mapped out my plan, the furniture pieces, which began before the pandemic, and now I need to order, build (most of it is from Ikea), and plop stuff in place.

• For parent eyes ONLY… how have your kids faired during the pandemic?  Does your school system have at least a partial plan for August and September?  What have you done to keep them occupied?  Are you considering permanent homeschooling your kids?  Pet Parents… how has your furbaby felt about you staying at home?  I have a niece furbaby, and I know she is wondering why everywhere she turns, I am right there.  In fact, she has hidden from me on several occasions during this time and tried to escape, LOL.  Most times, she has enjoyed my company, and I have enjoyed hers.

Tips on making writing work for other types of writing besides writing in a blog…

You do not have to write to keep others happy in this form.  If you are a novelist, this is a great time to start that novel.  Of course, if you have already written your first novel, you already know this.  This advice is for those who have always wanted to write one. 

So, what do you write about besides the pandemic around us?  You do not have to write about the pandemic as I previously mentioned.  You can go to another space in your head that speaks to your desires.  For this, there are some wonderful articles on how to start a novel.  I am not a novelist.  Sometimes I wish I were that person, or I can advise you better.

Do you like poetry?  Prose? A good non-fiction how-to book?  All of these would make a good book if you put your mind to it.

Well, it’s the end…

But not for long.  I have lots to say and not enough time to say it.  Some posts will be short and some long-winded, but never boring.  If you like this, stay tuned, there more posts to come.  If you have any comments, questions, and suggestions during this “challenge” (yes, I officially calling it that), please put it in the comments section of this blog or any of my blogs.  You may also address it to my email address, plogan721@att.net.

Until then, see you next time.

 

How to Keep on Writing when you have writer’s block?

Disclaimer: P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Hello, today I want to continue with this sort of, kind of series on starting a blog. 

Back in January, I started, sort of backward, the topic on “How to start a blog?” I went over the basics of picking a topic, a name for your blog, customizing it for you and your readers, and publishing your first blog.  In the next post, titled cutely, “What the heck is Well-nigh and other ponderings”.  I covered the dirty subject of using re-write software and another website that allows you to reuse a post over and over again without getting into trouble with the “copyright police” or Google with your own post.  This title came about when I was not pleased with the “How to write a Blog” post, tried to re-write the post using a program online, and confused when the software suggested that I use the word, “Well-nigh” throughout the piece.

Side-Note:  I found out from an article, “The First Blog Posts you Should be Writing as a new Blogger, by Beautiful Dawn, which she talks about deciding on what topics you cover in your new blog.  In the article, she suggests that “cover multiple topics.  The example she uses is that you can cover travel, organization, and cooking if that is what you want to talk about.  Do not start a string of travel blog post, then switch to a bunch of organizational posts, then finally to cooking posts.  You have to create a map to tie-in each little nugget of information for the reader. Another way is to have a common theme within your traveling, organization, and cooking themes.  For example:  If you are traveling to India, you can map out a plan to write about the trip and your travels, follow it by having an “Indian-inspired” organization container in your “Indian-inspired” bedroom, and conclude the trio of blog posts by cooking a posting your version of a Indian dish you had on the trip.  The point is in 2020 it is okay to have a blog, especially a lifestyle blog with multiple subjects in it.
I have more on these and other subjects as I try to prepare my blog for “move out of Blogger’s backyard and into the world of WordPress” day.  I figured that this whole process, which I am letting you come for the journey when be completed around May.  Yes, I am taking it slow and steady.  I will let you know of the official move out/in date soon. 

Today’s Topic:  I am stuck so I cannot write today (writer's block).

This happens to the best of writers. You get to the computer, you open up your word processing program, and WHAM! Nothing comes out.  No magical moment where the brain instructs the hands to form the words to a beautifully mastered blog post. Everything you had hoped for dreamed of writing and the message you want to give to the masses is stuck at point zero.  I am not talking about the computer.  It’s fine.  What I am talking about is that moment when you have everything planned to say, and you cannot think of a thing to say.
This is typical of me. I start writing on a subject, let’s say Disney trips since I have not used that in a while.  I have been talking about subjects, such as planning a trip, buying your tickets, making your reservations, and scheduling dining times.  Everything is looking good, and I am working up a sweat.  I want to keep this Disney trip thing going, but now I have run out of ideas.  What do I write about next?  Where does my thought process point to?  Another example:  You have a blog about owning your self-worth because you see that lacking in today’s society.  You have been at it for a while, having Motivational Mondays, devotionals (it is a Christian blog), affirmations, and dedications to name a few.  One day, a subject comes to mind that you really feel like it needs to be addressed, but you are not sure how to approach it with your audience.
What to do when that happens?
I am a believer in the art of “always have something to say”. Most of the time, it is a matter of knowing what to say.  When that happens, try these techniques to get your creative juices started…

1.       Freewriting

Rebecca Talley of her self-titled blog, Rebecca Talley says to just write.  Before you write, you must plan.  By planning, you are mapping out how the story must begin and how it must end.  This technique works best for those who are writing a book or a script, but points are taken from this technique also apply to the blog post and non-fictional writing as well.  She goes on to talk about, “Think about the scene. Who is in it? What is the goal of the scene? What is the conflict? Where is it set?”  I will further that sentiment by saying, “write it down in a notebook”.  That way, if something or someone takes you away from the moment, you can return back to that notebook, and pick up where you left off.

She also says to write anything, even if it has nothing to do with the story or in this case, the concept of an idea.  Sometimes it takes me two days to write one blog post.  It is not that I am conflicted about what I want to say, but more on I might change my mind and take the concept in a different direction. She further suggests that you use a timer and write about anything that comes to mind for about 5 minutes.  You would be surprised at the ideas you come up with for 5 minutes.

2. Change of scenery

Maybe a Change of Scenery-Pixabay

One other suggestion is to change your scenery.   By that, you are getting out of your comfort zone, that place where solitude and tranquility meet as one big pool of peacefulness, but every once in a while, the two do not go together.  To return to that space, consider writing somewhere different.  For example, if you like to write cuddled with a blanket and your feet up on your lounge in your bedroom, try the kitchen or the family room (make sure family members do not disturb you), or go to the library.  I do not suggest a place like Starbucks unless you can drown out the noise. 

3. Keep a notebook of ideas

This is a different type of notebook than the one I mentioned under Freewriting.  This is also more for the blogger who needs to come up with a topic for future references.  Keep this notebook with you at all times for when those creative juices emerge.  Yes, this includes keeping it by your nightstand.  You can keep a traditional notebook or a digital notebook.

4. Quora

Quora Website-

I love Quora. In case you are not familiar with the website, Quora is a place where people can ask questions and the general public answers them.  The way I use this little nugget of a website is I answer the question provided to me.  They are often to me through my email.  I can choose to answer because I am an expert in that area, or I have experienced it at one

time or another.  I will answer enough to give a good answer.  If I think that it is blog post-worthy, I will copy the answer before submitting it to the database, then in MS Word, I will pull up a blank document and copy the answer onto it.  This blog post I am writing, and you are reading now came from a Quora question.  I will sometimes omit the answer.  The original concept of this blog post had my answer to the question on it, but sometimes the answer does not fit the blog post.

5. Writing prompts

They are in the same category as Quora, where you are given a question to answer, and you provide the answer. My one example was a post I wrote in 2012 about my summer vacation.   I forgot where I found the prompt, it has been a while since I wrote.  Please excuse the typos. 

There is an online event for writers every year in November called National Novel Writer’s Month or NaNoWriMo for short.  It is for people who write novels, and in the past, they used to have writing prompts.  Now you can easily look them up on search engines, Pinterest, and Facebook even has some groups that allow you to get you thinking about writing.

Well, that’s the end.  Not by a long shot. I want you to have a successful writing career if that is your choice.  Writer’s block happens to all of us, from novelists to bloggers, journal writers, and journalists.  It is what you choose to do with that writer’s block when it comes, and I have given you 5 ways to conquer it.  The point is to recognize it when it comes. 

Call to Action Prompt:  Comment below if you have ever had this experience of writer’s block and how you solved your situation. 

Blogging is hard-Chapter 2: Making a schedule

Hello, and welcome to My Ambiance Life.

In today’s post, I want to take about blogging in general, not how to get started, not how to win at increasing traffic, but blogging in general.

Myths in blogging…

One of the myths I get when I am reading post from Pinterest, searching on Google, or anywhere else on the interwebs (Internet), is “blogging is dead”, “no one is interested in blogs anymore”, and phrases like that.

I am here to tell you that the way blogs got started might be dead, but the overall concept of blogs is not.  In fact, blogging is very much alive.  This is how blogging works for me….

You can do the following with a blog:

·         Use it as a follow up to a video

·         Offer products with the blog:  Talk about your subject, offer a free product (say a free guide), then if you are able, offer a course to further talk about your subject.  I have seen it a lot and it is something I am thinking about doing in 2020.

o   An alternative is to offer a service like freelance writing or graphic design service.  This also works if you are an organizer or party planner.

If you feel that your blog is dying a slow death, these ideas and many more can help bring new life into your blogging experience.  I not necessary say bring in traffic but help spruce up your blog.  Perhaps you are on a server that is limited, like Blogger.  Now I like Blogger and it is good for those who want to get their feet wet into blogging.  I have outgrown Blogger, as I have mentioned many times before.  I am also not a programmer, so Joomla, which is a website language that I would love to learn how to do, but WordPress is my go to language for the moment.  Maybe one day.  It is very easy to learn, and it takes no time to build up a website.

Scheduling a blog post, Part 1

I have learned something new in the past few weeks.  Schedule out your posts. There is a way for to do it on Blogger: 

1.       On the right side, you will see Post Settings

2.      Go down to schedule and click on it

3.      If you want the blog to post when you click on Publish, leave as it.  If not, click on Set date and Time.

4.      A calendar will pop up and you can click on a day of the current month or use two little arrows on the right side to advance a month ahead.  You can also click in the box for the current time or type in the time that you want.  Remember to highlight AM or PM.  Make sure you have the right time zone.

5.      Click Done when finished,

For WordPress:

This comes from WP Optimus (2014), but it still hold true today:

1.       Once you are finished writing your post, go to the right side of the panel of your post where the Meta-publish box is located. Click on Edit

2.      Set the date and time for when you want the post to publish.  The time will be listed as a 24-hour clock format, not 12-hours.  This is also called Military Time.  Ex. 1 PM is 13:00

3.      Click on schedule when finished.

Now you are able to schedule times for when you are on vacation, or too busy to write.

Scheduling a blog post, part 2

OK, the following was how to schedule when you blog post will publish to your blog.  Another thing I found out about scheduling is the art of writing when you feel the need to say something.  Christians call it, “God told me to tell you something that has been on my heart”.  Others say, “I have something to say, and I am not going to back down until I say it”.  Trust me, I do not have nothing to get “off my chest” (another saying).

We all have complaints.  In most Facebook groups I am in, it is having a rant, but there are tactful ways of complaining without getting chewed out by other.  I have learned the following.

1.       Do not say something just to get an audience.  In fact, do not expect for someone to respond with a “me too”, “I agree”, or “I feel the same way”.  Speak your peace and move on.

2.      If you journal, write the rant there.  You have gotten off your chest and you have left it in a place for you to see.

3.      Ask questions before you rant, especially if you are in a group setting. It is best to ask questions than to assume and get kicked out of the group.  You may still get kicked out, but at least you are not ranting blindly without all the answers.  Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question.

4.      Calm down before typing

5.      If you are in a group setting and you are still angry, do not announce that you are leaving the group.  Just leave and let go.

When situations are treated with kindness, you will have a better result.

Scheduling a blog post, part 3: know when to write

OK, confession time:

I have set up all these day the type of themes I want to put in this blog.  Some weeks it works out great, while others, not so much.  It is embarrassing, and I do not have any hard copies to remind me of what I am supposed to write about.  For example:  I write my journaling prompts posts on Wednesday instead of Thursday, Motivational Monday becomes motivational any day, and so on.  The only thing that has been constant lately is that I do not write and post on Saturdays and Sundays.  I have a solution for that.  I am picking two days out of the week to write, posting them on the days that I pick (probably Monday and Wednesday or Thursday) Friday may be a bonus day, and I am scheduling them so that they automatically post.  Everything has been edited complete with pictures.

Why am I saying this:

My schedule is full, and I need to take time to do things carefully. 

My takeaway for this is simple:  take time for you.  I know I have mentioned some portion of that to you in the past few posts, but I am serious as always. 

Yes, I need an audience, clients, and viewers, but I also need me, and I need to continue my spiritual journey with God.

If you do not have that, then what is life.  I am not saying that life is meaningless, but your life has meaning and a purpose.  We all need to find that purpose and it is not always about making money.  I know I push making money, but you are not going to die if you do not make a 6-figure salary.  Make enough to allow you to save and to live on the daily.  This means if you need toothpaste, make enough to buy it.  Same with your home.  Make enough to afford a decent home for you and your family.  It does not have to be a 5-room mansion with a 3-car garage, it can be an apartment with a parking space, but not a one-room boarding house where all 6 of your family members sleep in it.  If this means you have stay in that one -room for a moment, fine, but aim higher.

In other words, you can change your situation.

Have a good day.

I am not Organized-Blog Revamping and Niche Change to a Blog

What Are You Talking About-Intro?

Trying to Revamp Some Blogs
P. Lynne Designs

I had it all figured out.  I thought I could do it, 100% committed to this whole blogging thing.  I am ready, writing my posts and <tire screech> I do not.

I have been pouring my heart out with My Ambiance Life, stopping every couple of months to check on life (and my parents), and I forgot I have another two blogs I have totally ignored.  Yikes.

I thought I had closed one of them, Tricia’s Baskets, where all posts, sales, and news about The Longaberger Company lived.  It was the perfect place for someone to come, find out how to decorate with the product, and actually order from me. I started thinking, probably around 2016, that I should concentrate on my Facebook page, Tricia’s Baskets-Longaberger.  I have more to say on that for another day that does not have to do with Longaberger’s recent announcement.  As a consultant, you are allowed to run your business as you see fit, as long as it operates within the company’s policies.

The second blog, P. Lynne Designs is, of course, for my second company.  The idea of neglect there is concentrating on my Etsy shop by the same name, getting set up to move the whole writing portion to my WordPress store by the same name, P. Lynne Designs.  Life got in the way, or rather the whole idea of getting behind was overwhelming and doing too much too soon.  The store is still coming, but actual opening day sounds closer to Christmas 2018 than Summer 2018.  I have some kinks to work out, like when can life take a temporary backseat to me playing with the website to my liking and to potential customers.

Life tip: Sometimes, no matter how good you try to make things, you have to prepare to roll with the punches and adapt to the situation at hand.

What am I going to do about this?

I am regrouping these two blogs.  Due to recent events that I mentioned in two of my posts…. What are you fighting for…Prepare to Win and Motivational Monday: Self-Doubt, one of my blogs, Tricia’s Baskets is getting a regrouping and sort of a niche change.  The other, P. Lynne Designs, the blog needs a little updating. 

My thought Process-Tricia’s Baskets

As I said in the previous segment, I am regrouping and changing the subject (niche) on this blog.  At first, I was going to leave the blog as is, but again, due to Longaberger’s announcement to the Sales field, my future with them is up in the air for now.  I must think fast since I want to keep this blog open.  The best thing for me to do at this point is to change it to a home lifestyle blog, similar to the Simply Organized Crafts Blog I had two years ago.  I still have the name of “Simply Organized Crafts” on my Facebook page, so, I will officially change the name to Tricia’s Baskets-Home when I get the blog changed.  The name of the Blog will reflect that change, by me adding “Home” at the end of the name.  In case Longaberger decides to continue in the Direct Selling industry, I will keep this name, since I had planned on exiting the company at the end of June 2019.

My thought Process-P. Lynne Designs Blog

For this blog, I plan on updating it.  There will be no name change, and a simple, “Where have I been” post will suffice, for now.  I want to update it so that I can add it to the store portion when I get that part updated. Hopefully, I will not take too long to do it.

So, why am I Telling You my Plans?

To be honest, I am not sure.  Maybe I want to help you out in your blogging journey, and the only way it to give you my plans as examples.  Maybe it is to be accountable to not only to myself but to those people who have been reading my blogs (My Ambiance Life, P. Lynne Designs, and Tricia’s Baskets), subscribed to them, and waiting to see if I am going to post something new.  Or, perhaps I am admitting that I am human after all. I admit that I made mistakes in my businesses, and perhaps this is one way for all of us to learn from it.  I am glad that these mistakes are not the kind that costs me money or gets me in trouble with the law. 

My one takeaway from this is honest with yourself and your readers if you have a blog, a website, or any type of CyberMedia.  In fact, be honest, period. Admit to your mistakes, correct them, and move on from there. One of the things I admitted to in my “Self-Doubt” post is that I always blame my mistakes of the past on why I cannot get ahead.  I cannot go back to correct them, so, the only way to correct them is to learn and do not make the same mistake.  Regrouping and updating my blogs, P. Lynne Designs and Tricia’s Baskets is one way of correcting my mistakes.  I could have shut them down, but what good would it do my readers.  I am an influencer and I need to act like it.

I cannot speak for you.  I hope you learn from this exercise of becoming organized in your cyber life.  I want to take you all along for the ride of recreating these two blogs and in turn, learn how to update this one as well.  For this blog, I feel like I have outgrown Blogger, and have felt like that for a while, but that is another subject for another day since I had setbacks with this blog as well.  It is all in the process of being a writer in the 21^st century, as the writing industry has grown from the typewriter to what we have now, and do not get me started on that subject either.  I tend to have a “squirrel” mentality lately. (For those of you who have seen the Disney Movie,” Up” would know what I am talking about, LOL)

I hope you have enjoyed this post, and if you want to see more like it, let me know in the comments section.  

Attention All Trolls (Yes, that means Me too)

Attention:  If you say mean comments about someone’s post, comment, video, etc…. you are a troll.  I am not talking about those cute little things from the latest movie by the same name, those cute little dolls people were seen carrying in the 1970’s, or those trolls from Frozen, I am talking about those people who feel uncomfortable enough that they say mean nasty things about something that another person post in pictures, video, and in print on the internet.

Before I address that, note I said in the title, me too.  Yes, guilty as charged.  Why did I confess?  Because in the Bible, there is a bible passage (a group of scriptures) that points out that you cannot point out the actions of your brother without pointing out your own faults. (started to use the Old English word, and MS. Word would not let me), so I am not exactly the “Snow White” of comments.  In the beginning, especially, I have been known to have a tart in my comments about another post or video. 

Now, I am not against our country’s 1^st amendment rights of free speech.  In fact, sometimes I think we, as Americans take it too far.   Yes, while we do have the right to say what we want to say, we really do not.  I want to ask you (especially if you constantly the one doing the trolling):

·         When is it right to call another race of people names like Pocahontas (for Native Americans) -heard that was said by our lovely POTUS (President of The United States) about another senator in front of a group of Native American Veterans, or calling each other in the same race N****.  If you do that, not only are you hurting that race, but you also do not have any respect for yourself. 

·         Tell a Youtubber that they are fake because they advertise on their channel.  (Also known as having sponsorship).  Last night, I was reading comments on Cullen and Katie’s channel because I thought that the video, which was a sponsored video for Google Home, was cute.  They rarely do sponsor videos, but I had to be nosey, and peek at what others said about the video.  Most people thought that the video was cute, especially Gaines and Brookes (their children ages 3 and 1), but there were one or two who thought that Cullen and Katie were being sellouts, being fake, and other nasty little comments. Folks, I will address the real life as a Youtubber in another post, but this is their job.  Any job, from being an actor, an ordained minister, construction worker, a blogger, mortician, or a vlogger has it's not so glamorous moment.  If you want to make money in this business (blogging and vlogging), you need sponsorship.  Not only that, Youtube has forced advertising on our channels, mine included.  Next, these sponsors will require product placement in videos, which is what television shows do.  You need lots of viewership to see any type of profit, and right now, I have 125 regular subscribers on my Youtube channel, and 556 pageviews from the month of October without posting a single new post on this blog, My Ambience Life.  I would love to see the numbers that Cullen and Katie get on their channel.  They have consistency and cuteness on their side, and I vlog sporadically, and I took off for 3 months on this blog.  

·         When you basically point out how ugly, stupid, or a being an idiot that the person was for posting in the first place.  You do not like the content, but you decided to point out the person instead.  That is being plain childish in the first place.

Folks, I have one word and one phrase for you…. Delete, and don’t watch (read).  You do not like the content, move on. This should be that simple.  This goes for anything that shows up on Facebook and Twitter feed (I have yet to see that much control on Pinterest, Instagram, and SnapChat), but you are in control of your feeds.  I do it all the time.  If a friend posts something on Facebook or Twitter that I do not like.  I ignore it or delete it.  Facebook even has the option for you to receive fewer posts from that person or to delete that one post.  Sometimes, I delete it because I do not like the language or the content is not my taste.  You must remember that this is what that person is thinking at the time.

I wish that the blogger or vlogger would give some sort of announcement when their video is sponsored.  Some like Cullen and Katie or GabeBabeTV will do that, but a lot will not.  For the ones that do not, I do not watch as much.  I am like you, If I want to watch a commercial, I have my lovely television set to keep me warm, but I must bare through it.  This happened when Google bought both Blogger and YouTube. Unfortunately, the interwebs within itself have become one great, big commercial.  This world has become one, big commercial.   

Anyway, all I am saying is (and I am probably talking to the air at this point), that no one likes nastiness and when you spend a better part of your day trying to given information that may help someone, even if it to entertain a person for 10-15 minutes a day, like I do, the last thing a person needs is someone to comment on a person’s hair, weight, their children, or their decision on what they did or not do new on their channel.  For the most part, I personally ignore the comments that are nasty, but I hate it when it presents itself on other people’s channels, news feeds, and blogs.  It makes me wonder why a person would subscribe to a channel in the first place.  I understand that we as bloggers and vloggers ask for subscribers and “likes”, but it is our job.  Yes, I could be doing a 9-5 job, and I do have other jobs besides this, such as graphic designing for others, but I love the freedom that a supervisor at a company could never give me.  I have done it for over 15 years, and it is tough when you must request to get off and get frowned on when you miss work due to an illness. 

Don’t get me wrong, I loved every single one of my jobs, including the temporary ones.  There were the jobs that I hated, and there were jobs that I loved everything about the job, except a couple of tasks that were part of the job itself.  I will have to tell you about the worst job I ever had and why I hated the job.

Well, I am rambling now. 

So, your takeaway for today is real simple.

Please do not be a troll.  I and other bloggers and vloggers understand your opinions, and we welcome them all, but some comments spell out hatred.  There is a saying that I first heard on the movie, Bambi.  This is the part when Thumper was commenting on how small Bambi’s legs were and if he was going to be able to stand on them at all.  The saying goes; “If you cannot say something nice (Thumper pauses), don’t say it at all.”  It is a good lesson and one of many on how to treat someone, especially on the internet.  Most times and before I say something about an article, post, picture, or video, I try to put myself in that person’s shoes.  By that time, the mean thought is out of my head. I also check comments before I place mine because what I want to say may have already has been said.  No use telling that person the same thing twice.

Well, I have covered trolls twice this year.  I am done.  If no one gets it by now, then remember, it is a matter of respect for one’s art, even in writing.  What a person does on their videos, newsfeeds, pages, and blogs is their business.  If a person is wrong, I am sure there are plenty of people to get them banned from Facebook, Twitter, even Pinterest, and Youtube.  No use writing a nasty comment to stoke the ego.  Have a good evening.

How to stay relevant in writing

Stats for My Abience Life.

On this day, it is not wordless Wednesday, it is Writing tip Wednesday.  I am starting to become less sporadic in my topics, trying to stay on topic, and trying not to write about the current and sometimes stupidity of topics of today.  Yes, I have had my moments (Black Lives Matter, the current new administration, and so on).  I have not written about Ms. Abby Lee Miller either. I can tell you this, unless you enjoy current topics, writing and arguing about your opinions to others, and other things like this, stay away.

When did I notice that I needed to change the writing of this blog?  There were two things that that alerted me to the problems I was having with this blog. Actually, three, but I will tackle the third on a later date. 

The first was a physical notice.  I was feeling more stressful when I wrote on certain topics.  My body would tense up and I would start to get uncomfortable.  I have often said to write outside your comfort zone, but Black Lives Matter and other topics like that made me so militant, and I am not that type of person.  Yes, I am concerned, and I want what is best for my race of people, but there are other ways of doing this topic without yelling protest and marching (which the next march in my downtown area I plan on going), but not on my writing blog.  If I choose to start a blog on these topics, this is where the platform will lie, and as of this date, I have not plan on starting a blog with that in mind.  (Too stressful)

I was more relaxed when I did topics such as telling a couple that their wedding day is their day and do not listen to anyone else, being a Dutiful Daughter, the fun aunt, or my opinion on a writing prompt from BlogHer. 

Tip #1:  Write on topics that relax you, not stress you out.

Individual blog post
Numbers.

 

The second thing I noticed it is something that I will go more into depth, later on, is a topic called “By the Numbers”.  Blogger is not the best judge with this, nor do I recommend it, but if you are a blogger and you use Blogger as your platform, you can still see the numbers.  There are better programs out there, including Google Analytics, which can track your pageviews better.  If you care about them.  In a later post, I will get into the numbers, and why you should care about them. 

Tip #2:  These numbers will help you monetarize your blog, get sponsorships, and more traffic.

Tip #3:  Reading your favorite blogs and finding out how they make money on their blog will also help inspire you to try their methods, but only try one or two.  All monetarizing techniques do not work for everyone.  Find what works best for you and your situation.

The last thing that I noticed and it goes along with the numbers game is to find out what the trends are for your niche (topic or subject of choice).

I want to pick on my own blog for the moment.  This time it is P. Lynne Designs the blog.  I have not written in it for a while because I am trying to transfer it over to the WordPress platform and make it part of my e-commerce site, which I am in the process of creating, through the teaching of Renae Christine. 

In case you are new to me and my blog/website, P. Lynne Designs is a stationery website, and I also have an Etsy store which I will attach to as well.  In the store, itself, I create greeting and note cards, scrapbook albums and pages, Notebooks and journals, and freelance writing.  Among this is also the wedding, graduation, and birthday invites and party favors.  On the blog, I talk about the subjects that back these products.

With the blog (as well as the website), I need to be on top of what is trending, questions being asked, and address them head on.  Yes, that question has been asked some zillion times on the internet, but a client may like my answer, or they may like a better answer. It is just my opinion, but I may have also answered for my readers, who may not use the search engine for that answer.  They could be thinking about it as they are reading.  I may never know.

This is how you can bring people to your website/blog.  Well, at least one way.  There is still the marketing aspect of bringing people to your blog. It is also another topic to cover soon.

Before I close, I want to point out two websites that will help you answer life’s burning topics for your blog/video/social media platforms.

Answer the Public

The first one is called Answer the Public.  This is geared towards the answers people have when searching on search engine websites like Google.  I am trying it for the first time, and already I love it.  (This is not a sponsored site).  When you go on Answer the Public, you want to type a Keyword.  For this example, I typed in the word, Mini Book, which I am starting to replenish on my Etsy site.

The results look like this:

As you see, it looks pretty much like a brainstorming session.   So, I am sold on it.  You can use this for when you are stuck, need more views, or want to get to the top of a search engine page (#1).

Keyword tool.IO

The next one is called Keyword tool.IO.  If you are familiar with keyword apps, you know that this type of app is also used for getting your post or video top ranking, but if you want to know how to gear your post or video towards a specific problem they are having, click on the tab, Questions, instead of keyword suggestions, and you will know which direction to point your post.   

I will go into more depth on these two at a later time.  There are many more websites that do this sort of work, and you do not need to pay for it too.  In fact, if they want payment or some sort of registration and this is a one-time search, leave.  But so far, there isn’t a charge for these two or two others that I use for my handmade business.  Marmalade, which you can sign up without being charged, a one other keyword tool, which I cannot think of right now.

The bottom line is that these are helpful IF you want to make money off your blogs, writings, videos, and handmade goods.  This is for your information.  I am not an expert on this and I give out information on things that have been helpful to me and what I like. 

If you do find this post helpful, please share, like or comment on this post.

New Blog, New Style, Again?

(Warning:  Some of the links below may contain affiliate information.  I may receive a commission for that link.  Thank you.)

Blog Prep  (c) 2016 Adobe Stock Photo

It has been a while since I last post anything on this blog.  I had a number of personal things I needed to take care of, and I had no time to write.  This is the only time I am mentioning this.

Today, I want to go back to a topic that I covered in the past.  I did not do a very good job of this topic because this blog at the time was all over the place.  I did not have any clear direction for it.  I was torn.  I wanted to write inspirational stuff, trending stuff, controversial stuff, and wrap it up in a neat little bow. 

Tip # 1:  Have some clarity in your blog posts.  You will gain the right followers with this tip.

The topic I want to cover for the next few months is Blogging 101: Patricia Style.  This is not necessary a series, and I am not going to cover it like a series.  I am also not going to give it a specific day either.  I have learned from myself that I am not disciplined enough to be committed to, say “every Monday afternoon, posting it by Tuesday morning so you can read it by Tuesday afternoon” type of a blog post schedule.  It will be consistent, at least once a week.

Tip #2:  Consistency is the key to gaining and keeping new followers.  Your followers will know what to expect and when to expect it.  If it isn’t there, they will turn away, and move on.

I have learned some things during my time off.  I learned that I was killing my blog, all of my blogs.  As you may or may not know, I have had at one time or another been working on 5 blogs.  You can read my past posts to find out that I boasted on that continuously, and was very proud of it too.  They were a lifestyle blog, a writing blog, a Disney blog, a crafting blog, and a Direct Selling blog.  I was on my way to creating the 6^th blog when I became overwhelmed, and I was not keeping on schedule.  Here are some truths about why it was overwhelming.

With my lifestyle blog (Simply Organized Crafts), I felt like I had to cover everything from home to family to home decorating to travel to coupons and reviews.  It was too much and I was not focused on what I was doing.  Hey, after all, each subject worked so well together.  I will explain why in a moment why they did not.  With the writing blog (this blog), I explained earlier what I wanted.  You will have to read to the end to find out why it is not working either.  My crafting blog (P. Lynne Designs) is the most put together blog other than this one.  It is being moved to a WordPress format (as this one will be moved to in the new year).  It not only covers what projects I am working on, but it also covers products I have for sale on the website and in my Etsy shop.  Lastly, my direct selling blog (Tricia’s baskets) is all things Longaberger and how to decorate with their products and any items up for sale.  It has been my most disappointing blog because I list my sales, where to find them (which is on my website), and I have not gotten anything.  I think because Goggle stopped ranking it about two years ago (along with Simply Organized Crafts), and when you do not have a good ranking, people stop coming.  Now for the tip that leads me to stop being so overwhelmed:

Tip #3: stick to one or two subjects in your blog.  You know what to focus on, and keep from being distracted.  When you are distracted, so are your followers

Let’s look at my lifestyles and Disney blogs for a moment (they are both closed).  I mentioned that I covered everything from home to family, and everything in between.  This is one of the reasons for me to create the Disney Blog.  It was born from my love of Disney to traveling to Disney.  The problem with the Disney blog was I do not have money like that, meaning I could not travel to Disney World (the main Disney parks that I was covering) like I wanted too.  Where did I get all my coverage for Disney World?  The same as everyone else who travel every other year to the parks, through the internet.  I thought to myself, anyone who wanted to find out what was going at Disney World could look online or ask a travel agent.  I used to be a Disney Vacation Club member until 2006, but had to quit for financial reasons.  I may have to join again to cover my trip for next year.  I am in a better position to cover the expenses.

The second problem with the lifestyles blog was every time I would look at someone else’s well put together blog, I had to have it too.  The problem with that is you cannot go into a “me too” attitude when creating a blog.  The blog you want to create has to be a reflection of yourself, not others. When you see something that you absolutely think you need to make your blog spectacular, ask yourself this question, “is this a need or a want?”  It is the same question that organizers like Peter Walsh ask their clients in order to teach them how to declutter and not clutter the space again.  The blog technique you want, may look all nice and pretty and wrapped up like a present, but will it work for you?   Will you like your new blog at the end of designing it?

Tip #4: a blog does not need all the bells and whistles to bring in traffic.

In fact, you may be attracting the wrong traffic.  You may not like this audience.  You may be inviting trolls (people who write mean and nasty comments just to pump up their own ego or self-worth).  Starting off with a simple blog is just the ticket to gaining followers.

Also, ask yourself this question, “what are the top 5 things that attracted you to x blog?” (x meaning the blog you are looking at).  This will help you make a decision on what will drive your followers and keep them there.  You want engagement and you want comments.  Comments mean that someone is listening, even if it is just to say “hello, you gave me just what I needed to hear.”  This is not about you, but about attracting readership.  Not everyone is going to agree with you all the time, but you are also there to enlighten them and give food for thought, even if it is your grandmother’s 50-year-old recipe for homemade sweet potato pie.  Someone may write in the comments that it was the best sweet potato pie recipe they ever tasted and their family loved it.  

While you are at it, make it mobile friendly.  Not everyone  will be glued to a desktop computer.  They are on cell phones, tablets, and laptops.  These devices come in the form of Android, Windows, and iOS.  Your blog needs to be accessible to these devices.

Well, that is it for now and my updates.   One more note about how this is will benefit you:  I would love it if you take a look at all my posts pertaining to the subject of blogging.  Read other articles, watch videos, even go to the library and look it up.  Research before you start.  Do not just dive in, and find it a failure if does not work out.  It does not matter if you have a blog, want to start a blog, a seasoned pro at this, or dare I say it, scare to death about the thought of having one.  My mentor Renae Christine of Rich Mom University always reminds those of us, who takes her courses, and I am studying three of them right now (Rich Mom University, Ultimate Architect, and Pinterest Academy), that it does not hurt to try, what is the worst thing that could happen.  I urge you that if you have not taken the plunge to write a blog, but you have a desire to do so, just do it.  That’s an order, just do it.  You never know where this blogging thing may take you, and you may find it very relaxing and enjoyable.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I am not making money as a blogger

(c) 2016 P. Lynne Designs

At least not yet.   Why?  Well, it is very simple, and I will explain in a moment.  I think blogging is a wonderful way to communicate what you want a person to know about information and content is what people crave.  It does not matter if you are reviewing a product, selling a product, or even talking about the latest trending in fashion.  People are hungry for information, but you have to present it in a way that gets their attention.  Once you have that reader’s ear, you have to present it in a way that will keep them clicking. 

So, back to the reason why I am not making money on my blogs.   I had a chance to analyze why, and keep in mind I read lots of articles to come to this conclusion, as well as I am my own worst critic, so here is the truth about Patricia’s blogs (That me).

1)      Consistency.  I have not been consistent in about a year or more.  I do not have a schedule, and I do not have a set of topics that I have set aside to talk about.  The experts tell you that consistency is the key to anything in life.  In this case, I am talking about my blogs.   When I initially started out in 2009, when the term blogging was just an infant, I wanted to post something every day.  Even if that mean telling the world that I was awake and ready to start my day.  It worked for a while…. A. whole. three. Months.  Then I changed my schedule, because, The family got in the way. 

2)      Time.  You know for a single woman with no kids and no husband/ Significate other, it seems that every time I looked around, I was busy take siblings, nephews, and nieces places.  When someone came to town, I was summoned  to my parent’s house to see relatives, who I have not seen in months.  Oh, do not judge me, I enjoyed it, but it took me away from something that could make money, especially after I left my demanding job as a customer service associate in a scrapbook store for working at home.  I finally got that under control, taught my sister to take the bus (actually insisted she take the bus), my nephew got his driver’s license, and I was a free woman.  Oops, not so fast.  My mom got sick, and now she drives less than she used to, but, she is getting back to driving herself sometimes, but she does not drive at night.  I love driving my mother, because, it gives us time to talk.  Plus, it is about time that I take her places.  My dad drives her sometimes as well.

3)      Lost topics.  As I explained earlier, I need to schedule topics.  I operate on the subject of “If it feels right, you will know it”.  I guess I am like the Prince or Michael Jackson of blog posts when it comes to writing.  If I do not feel like the time is right to present a blog post, I will not publish it. RIP to the both of you.

So, that comes to the subject of comments.  I did not put it on the list, because, this is something that I have not had much on my blogs.  I feel like I am not reaching someone when I do not see a comment.  I am not sure if I should continue writing about that subject or not.  On this blog, one of my biggest amount of comments I have received was on my piece about Dance Mom’s star, Abby Lee Miller.  I received a total of 20 comments.   That made me think I have struck a chord when I talked about how much I hated her teaching these kids dance.  I still watch the show, and still hate her teaching methods.  Other posts that I have received a lot of comments on were when I wished everyone a happy Ballet Day, and when I posted them on linked sites. 

On two of my blogs, I am in transitioning them over to WordPress.  You can go back to see those posts, because, I am still in transition with them.  I decided to keep this one on Blogger for now, until, I have finished doing so. 

I hope I can give you a little insight into this first part of why I am not making money with blogging.  There is a part 2 coming soon.