Here's the app I wish more women knew about...

 

How many times have you wanted a cool woman friend to vent to or go to the movies with? Have you ever moved to a new area where you did not know many friends? I know just from working at home; I have to remember to fit in time for socializing. Besides; it is a wonderful way to also network genuinely. That's why I highly recommend this app for women.

This app has some groups you can join to connect with like-minded women; mainly moms. I have even found groups I enjoy for recipes, fitness, play dates, girls night out, crafts, and more. There is even virtual-only book clubs and a podcast-style feature. Even if you are shy and not into meeting up with new friends; you can read or post in support forums for advice, tips, and conversation virtually. 

Too bad this app was not around when I was an eighteen year old. When I was a new mom I did not know of it; I wish I did. There are tons of parenting chats, breastfeeding, and potty training advice. With the mom groups alone; I would have enjoyed coffee chats with other moms going through what I went through such as co-parenting. You can try the app out now; I use the free version so there is nothing to lose.  

How I balance businesses + babies

   For the longest time I wondered how to actually get work done as a work at home mom. Seriously! As soon as I would sit down at my desk...I'd hear "mommy!" If the house was quiet for a second or as soon as I'd get on a phone call...the house was suddenly a circus. 

   I was baffled on how to have time for myself, make time for gymnastics and soccer classes...then build an online business. For years I would even do various gigs hoping I'd find the perfect opportunity eventually if I keep being consistent in hobbies I enjoyed or researching various businesses ideas. Then I'd feel guilty being on my phone so much...or investing in businesses I did not give my all too.

  

My favorite planners

   To work outside the home would mean paying daycare costs and I really did not want to put my little one in daycare daily...although the break would be nice I thought at times. There is nothing wrong with a parent not wanting to be a work at home parent. Each family should do what works best for them. Besides; we need doctors, teachers, bank tellers, accountants and lawyers. There are plenty of people who love their jobs outside the home.

   I do not agree with anyone bashing a parent for not being a stay at home mom or dad. That is not for everyone but I had wanted to be a stay at home mom since I was a little girl. I had business ideas and career goals galore but deep down I dreamed of having children and being able to stay home with them while they are little at least.

Find fitness classes for moms

   Making this "work at home mom thing" run easily was harder than I thought. I did have support and help galore but I also felt like a burden or mom guilt when I would accept the help. I noticed I'd only want to sleep when I was home alone when I had a sitter. Then I felt lazy; as if I was not doing enough to provide for my family. 

Children's Tinkergarten Classes

   Now; I am here to help you out. First; stop caring about what others think. Focus on your happiness and you will hopefully become a happier parent overall. When you wake up; stretch if you cannot fit in a work out. I have learned to adjust my sleep schedule where I get up hours before anyone in my household so I get alone time to even get computer work done or just quiet time.

FREE fitness app with workouts included

   Working at home can require a lot of self-discipline which I struggled with. It is so much easier to take a quick nap when your children go down for a nap instead of working on your business if you are self-employed for example. Maybe turn on a motivational video each morning or listen to positive affirmations to get some motivation. 

   This is the step that took me years of hearing before I finally began doing it on a daily basis. I would always hear personal development was so crucial yet I felt too busy to actually do it. Take care of yourself first both mentally and physically. Drink a glass of water when you wake up or try meditation daily to relieve stress. 

Outschool has plenty of classes for children

   Are you eating healthy to even feel energized? Many people do not work out much and wonder why they are so tired. They blame it on having toddlers but I wanted to feel more present. I cut out a lot of things I was not using moderately. This included sugar and chocolate...trust me...I was cranky for weeks but well worth it in the long-run. 

   Plus; you are setting a good example for your children if they notice you eating healthy, exercising and taking care of yourself. I am not saying use diet pills or get beauty sleep all day. You can use 20 minutes in the morning to do a fitness video or just learn some yoga poses and practice them often. 

   There are workouts you can do from home home that are under ten minutes. You can do it! I like just taking the stroller and my baby for a walk around downtown or artsy areas where I live. I like walking but am not so much of a huge gym person. I go to the gym for the baby-sitting my gym offers...

   Going to the gym was helpful for me as a new mother. Some fitness centers offer childcare; the two hour break to just take a shower in peace at the gym was so relaxing for me. Things have changed in my life so I do more home work outs these days but I cannot wait to get back into the gym more. Fitness center trials for moms to try

Cute work out clothes from Pollypark

   Sometimes getting a thirty dollar gym membership is way cheaper than a sitter for two hours a week. One fitness center I joined had an area to work on your laptop while your children played in supervised child care. 

                        FREE fitness app with workouts included

Teachers needed! 

Want to teach online from the comfort of your own home office? 

No experience is required!

A lot more parents are hiring help since they are working remotely and still need task done such as homeschooling their children or doing house cleaning. If you are able to; hire a housekeeper once a week or when you feel overwhelmed. 

Does your city have drop-in childcare options? Places such as those were very helpful when I had last minute appointments or wanted to attend meetings without all the sippy-cups and entertaining a toddler at the same time. 

You may want to find local baby-sitters in your area to come over while you work or if you need to go have a cup of coffee alone to get some work done. I love working at coffee shops, parks and libraries to get a change of scenery. I choose places that are busier so I feel safer and bring my lap top. 

If you cannot afford a nanny or baby-sitter; perhaps see if you could only hire one once a month or once bi-weekly versus not at all. Sometimes a home day care owner may offer you a drop-in rate if you visit seldom when your work flow gets out of control. They may like the extra money!

I love doing more slow-cooker meals and salads versus spending hours in the kitchen each week. You may also want to learn how to do meal-prepping once a week for easy meals and time saving for the upcoming week. 

I love cooking but meal-prepping helps me with not stressing about what to cook each night; and I save money by not just swinging by a restaurant when I am too tired to cook. Do you ever prepare family freezer meals? Some can be done in the crockpot; find tons of recipes and ideas for freezer meals here.

If you have relatives nearby who offer to help; maybe ask if they would like to take your children to the park one day a week while you work from home in peace and quiet. 

When you are at home working; you may want to consider getting a noise-cancelling headset if you have pets or children in the background. I like working in a quiet area but if you can have noise in the background or do a non-phone job; try the clubhouse app for some motivation or chatter in the background. Maybe there is a motivational podcast or one covering the industry you are in for money-making tips.

I like to work for 25 minutes; then take a five minute break. This keeps me more focused and I learned the trick from TikTok.

Join mom groups so you have more support and advice from working and stay at home moms. I like going to mom groups so my child can get more social interaction in play dates. You may meet another mom who would want to swap baby-sitting with you to save money for you both. One week you can watch the children for a few hours; the next week the other mom can. I love this idea!

Be sure to treat yourself weekly to perhaps indulge in a great desert, meal or spa treatment. It is so important to make time for yourself and do things that make you feel great. Even if it's a quick hair cut.

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Affordable Makeup Bag Must-Haves

For makeup application with liquid foundations; I like using a Super Blender. It is a sponge I can blend my foundation in with. 

COULOURPOP has a liquid foundation I like using called Pretty Fresh. It has a blendable medium coverage. I find it for under twenty USD at my local beauty stores.

Another Affordable liquid foundation I love is by Revolution. I feel it has a light-weight finish and I love the price point. I find it under fifteen USD often at my local beauty stores.

The L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder is something I have been purchasing for quite awhile with no complaints. It is around ten USD so that is not bad for beauty products on a budget. 

Maybelline Great Lash mascara has been out a long time. I have been using it since my teens and usually can find it for under ten US dollars. I always have a couple in stock because they are so affordable and I think work very well. 

I have another awesome mascara suggestion for when you do not mind splurging on beauty buys...

Too Faced has a mascara called Better Than Sex. It is the best mascara I have found thus far. I like that it is waterproof; double win! This mascara is double the price of what I usually find drugstore mascaras for; but it is well worth it.

I love a good makeup case that is durable enough for travel. My favorite are Caboodles. 

I prefer the non-plastic ones; in fact I have used this silver one below for years. 

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How to start a mom blog and monetize it!

   

    Do you love writing or are interested in blogging about being a mom? There are plenty of adventures in motherhood; that is for sure. I have learned so much since I had a baby and I love sharing it with others. Sometimes our stories help and inspire others.

   I was always curious on options as to how to make money from home. Blogging has been so much fun for me and I have been able to even monetize my writing. This blog post is to show you exactly how to do that. Some mom blogs earn thousands per month; some earn hardly nothing. It is a lot about consistency as this is not an overnight get-rich-quick scheme. 

   There is a lot more than writing that comes into earning income with blog. Bloggers often earn their income from affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, ads and selling products on their blogs. It is important to stay consistent throughout your blogging journey and find a niche you can deliver topics people want to read or learn about. For me; it was parenting. 

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    Sure; there are many mom blogs out there so you want to be unique and stand out. I also talk about business in my blog as it is a topic that I could go on and on about. Maybe your niche is not mom blogging but food or crafts instead? Regardless; think long and hard about your niche you want to cover and a blog name. 

   It is easier for people to find your blog when searching if your blog name and social media handles are the same. Plus; it looks more professional I feel. I think wordpress makes blogging easier but there are other options if you want to look into it.You will want to get a blog domain name and hosting. Both can be pretty affordable compared to other home businesses; and they make your blog look less like a newbie site. You also want to research how to blog legally. For example when you do post sponsored ads; you have to disclose if you have affiliate links or it is a paid post. I also make it visible on my blog that it contains affiliate links.

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   For me; Pinterest is where I tend to get most of my blog traffic so I use it as my main social media marketing platform for my blog. I do have Instagram and Facebook but I focus on the platform that works best for me. I do not stress myself out trying to do many other platforms although later you may want to look into hiring a dedicated social media manager or virtual assistant to help grow your social media following if you are struggling.

 

   Pinterest is a whole ball game and story in itself. There are actual dedicated pinterest managers that help business owners grow their business from the search engine. To get blog views; I create content linked to my blog post using Canva and pin it to pinterest. When people search topics; they see my pins and visit my blog. That is one way I get actual views to my blog but I would not use that as my online marketing method. 

   A lot of content creators and bloggers enjoy using Tailwind to schedule their pins. This tool allows you to create pins and schedule them at certain days or times. This beats pinning items each day. More serious bloggers research the best times to post on certain social media apps. I prefer to pin organically; but many bloggers swear by this tool.

   Once you launch your blog; post it everywhere you can. Your own social media pages, share it with friends, go to networking events and create content you are proud of. I think it is better to have quality blog posts with plenty of words and photos so you start earning better rankings eventually on search engine searches. This takes time. Research trending hashtags, reach out to brands you are interested in and be creative.

   Do not get overwhelmed as we all have to start somewhere and there are still plenty of tools to get started on your own. I blog now full-time and I enjoy it; how I knew I would is the fact I did it free for years as I gradually grew my social media following organically. People can tell when someone is buying fake followers and it causes many influencers to get reported as spam and shut down. 

  Once influencers start noticing your pages and reaching out; some will offer free products or paid partnerships. Some bloggers charge around $100USD per 10,000 followers they have on instagram for example. I made a media kit using canva with my stats to share to people interested in working with me. At first I did some posts in exchange for free products that went with my brand and I was curious about; such as baby products. I would not suggest saying yes to all brands; especially if they do not really fit your niche. It may confuse your audience.    

   When writing your blog posts; I suggest using nice images which still can be done from a camera phone. You can always upgrade your camera once you are making more income. I like to proofread images before I publish my blog post as well. A great tool for proofreading can be found HERE.  Having a newsletter is very important.

    There is no point in getting views on your blog once when readers could keep coming back with the help of e-mail marketing. Landing pages also help capture e-mail addresses for those interested but you can offer a product, e-book or something of value in exchange for them joining your newsletter. Many bloggers earn money anytime they publish a newsletter. Another reason you need a newsletter is because I have heard of bloggers losing a social media site, getting hacked or something odd. Thousands of followers lost! So with a newsletter; they can still get in touch with their followers. 

    Many bloggers like adding a fancier or more professional looking theme to their blog. Once you get going blogging; this may be something to look into. If your blog is more pleasing and easy to look at; obviously you could get more traffic and interest. I would make the font easy to read and use a color scheme to start branding your blogging business. 

   Blogging can be a business so once you start generating income; talk to a local tax professional in your area. I started blogging for fun; mainly from my smart phone. I would create blog posts and insert affiliate links that matched the topic I wrote about.  You can do things such as give-a-ways to attract more people to your blog or newsletter. You can join groups of like-minded people and talk to them about your blog. 

File Storage + Sharing

   Be proud of your blog and keep writing; people search for topics you probably know a lot about. For example; I homeschool so I could write a blog post about homeschooling ideas and tips. When I create a pin for it; more people see the post. When people visit my blog; they may click on an ad that I make income from if they purchase. It is a lot of fun for me and I get to have a positive outlet of creativity. Happy blogging!

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