Blogging can be a hobby, a career, or both. Blogging can be enjoyable, a chore, or both. Blogging can be healthy, stressful, or both. As bloggers, writers, and photographers we occasionally need to ask ourselves, "What is my motivation? What is my direction? Am I happy?" Self-Examination I have been blogging on a regular basis for 3 1/2 years. This isn't a long time, but I learned more than I ever imagined about the Internet, about myself, … [Read more...]
About Tina
5 Awesome Affiliate Networks for Bloggers and Lots More to Keep You Busy!
Who wants to make some money with the best affiliate networks on the web? Yeah, me too. I mean I love blogging for my own enjoyment but a little extra money on the side is always welcome. I would put it in my travel fund :-) Disclosure: We may receive a commission if you decide to use one of the companies in this post. See full disclosure here. Three Affiliate Networks to Get You Started With affiliate links on the brain let's jump right … [Read more...]
Need to Find Your Blog Niche? 10 Bloggers Tell You How!
First, let me explain what a blog niche is. In simple terms, your blog niche is the main topic you blog about. That's it. Easy-peasy, right? Not always! How Did I Find My Blog Niche? I blog about my life in Mexico with four kids, our Bible ministry, homeschooling, travel, ADHD, and my husband's brain injury. I also am a photographer at heart, so there is A LOT of photography as well. You might think this is too many topics... but honestly, … [Read more...]
Why I Hate Follow 4 Follow and You Should Too!
I hate follow 4 follow and if you don't... you might want to rethink that. (Normally I would be posting Let's Make Your Blog Awesome but we are going to postpone that till the first Wednesday in December.) Why do I hate follow 4 follow? What is a big deal? Why should you care? Let me tell you and then you can decide for yourself. Follow 4 Follow is Cliché Follow 4 follow is NOT interesting, it's NOT original, it's a commonplace, and at least … [Read more...]
7 Plus Unique Ways to Promote Blog Posts After You Publish
We all know the usual ways to share our blog posts. There's Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the other major social networks. These are the first places our new posts are sent when we hit publish. There are other options, though, and they are worth taking into consideration. If you are anything like me, you are always looking for new ways to grow your blog audience. One day, I hope I can only focus on photography and writing, but until I hit it … [Read more...]
Clearissa Coward’s Command Center – Let’s Get Organized!
I am all for being organized. When you have a spouse, a bunch of kids, a dog, and two cats... you need to be organized! Being organized makes your life run so much smoother, don't you agree? Clearissa Coward's Command Center is a blog about organizing, redesigning, upcycling, crafting, and DIYing. In this busy world, all those things are super popular. We are all looking to make our life easier and prettier, at the same time! Let's talk with … [Read more...]
The Best Tools for Scheduling Blog Posts and Social Media Content
Do scheduling blog posts and social media content overwhelm you? If so, you are not alone. It can be exhausting. Sometimes I imagine myself taking a social network hiatus... But alas! I still need to schedule and share my posts. Social media is heavily intertwined with blogging these days. If you use it right, you can profoundly increase your audience. Since scheduling and sharing are so important, the next question should be, "What are the … [Read more...]
Take a Trip With Svetoslav Dimitrov – Travel Blogger
Who doesn't like great travel photography? We admire someone's images, wish we were there, in another world.... Then we pin it to our bucket list on Pinterest. Well, that's what I do ;-) I followed Svetoslav on Instagram after admiring his cool travel and lifestyle pics a few days ago. I didn't realize he was going to be our next interview for the IBA ;-) Meet Svet, a Bulgarian travel blogger, and lifestyle blogger, at Svetoslav … [Read more...]
Negative Comments – How Do You Handle Negativity About Your Writing?
No one wants negative comments on their blog posts. Most of us put time and effort (and sometimes sweat and tears) into our writing, and when someone gives us negative feedback it can be very upsetting, to say the least. Maybe we deserved it.... I wrote one article on my blog, which I then syndicated on BlogHer, and it was not well received. In fact, most of the readers hated it! I chose not to respond to the comments but instead I wrote … [Read more...]
One Epic Travel Nightmare
Have you ever had unexpected problems while traveling? This family had one epic travel nightmare, to say the least! Read along to see what happened over three days! Our Epic Travel Nightmare originally appeared on Los Gringos Locos by very own Tina Marie Ernspiker. Leaving home for six weeks to visit family over 2000 miles away by car is HECTIC, to say the least. It is NOT a vacation. Despite our love for our family and friends and the … [Read more...]