Home with the Kids Blog » Sunday Links

Sunday Links 1-11-09

Stephanie — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:33:30 +0000

The Essential Guide to Growing Your Blog on Minimal Time – A great post from the author of Zen Habits, a blog which hit the Top 100 in its first year.

Q&A: Should I Link To my Older Articles? – A question many people wonder about. I’ve always found the trick to be remembering the article to link to. It gets challenging after a while.

Personal Finance 101: On Ponzi Schemes and Other Things – An interesting read if you’ve been following the Madoff mess. Even the rich fall for Ponzi schemes sometimes.

Getting Out of the Work at Home Mom Rut – We all get stuck in a rut sometimes. The trick is getting out of it quickly.

Guest Post: It’s not about how much we save, it’s about how little we spend – A great point. Who cares how much you’re saving if you don’t pay attention to what you’re spending?

Sunday Links 1-4-09

Stephanie — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:42:49 +0000

Christmas is over and I’m back with this week’s Sunday links. A few from before Christmas too, since I skipped last week. I was too tired to deal with this last week, honestly, and many bloggers blogged quite a bit less anyhow.

Teach Your Way to Referrals – Once you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. Help other people to learn things you know, they will trust you. That’s when they’re likely to buy things on your recommendation.

Outrageous Credit Card Practices – Yes, credit card companies are continuing to be more and more outrageous as the economy gets worse and they face more problems.

The Limits of Frugality: What’s Next When You Can’t Cut Any More? – As more people get laid off, this is one of the things you need to think about. Frugality doesn’t solve everything.
The Affiliate Thermostat – Could you be keeping you from succeeding at the level you think you want? Many people do it and really aren’t aware of it. This applies to more than just affiliate marketing.

10 Surprising Side Effects to Money Management – Managing your money well has benefits for many aspects of your life, not just your finances.

The No-Cry Freelancing Solution – Freelancing is tough. How can you cut the frustration as you build your business?

How Much Money Do Bloggers Make Blogging? – Very interesting. Good to get a realistic idea as to what people really earn from their blogs.

This Year’s Theme Is Consistency – Not into resolutions? A theme for the year may be more your style.

Do you have a debt crisis or an income crisis? – Not a bad way to look at it at all. I generally recommend cutting back and looking for new income when debt’s a problem.

Hand-Me-Down Clothes in the Post Hand-Me-Down Era: Consumer Protectionism Gone Too Far? – I’d say yes. In short, this article points out how the new CPSIA regulation is going to impact resale and thrift shops, not just people who sell new things. Way, way overboard!

Update: New Hope For Handmade Industry in Lead Law Exceptions – On the plus side, a touch of sanity may be headed CPSIA’s way. We need to keep this up, folks!

Sunday Links 12-20-08

Stephanie — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:26:50 +0000

Beginner Basics of Affiliate Marketing – For those looking into getting into affiliate marketing and need help with the basic terminology or finding programs to promote.

Create A Media Kit To Attract Advertisers To Your Blog – I haven’t done this myself, but some blogs make very good money with direct advertising.

Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Holidays – It’s too easy to get caught up in working throughout the holidays when you have your own business. Take some time off.

Are You Insuring the Irreplaceable? – It’s an interesting point. Many sentimental things have high value to you, but cannot be replaced. Does insuring them do any good?

Embracing the Thrift-Store Ethic: 18 Top Tips for Buying Used Clothes – More and more people are seeing the value of shopping for clothes at thrift stores. Some good tips for getting it right.

Are you Responsible? – Good advice for anyone. SAHM, WAHM, parent, nonparent. It doesn’t matter. Be responsible with your drinking.

25 Ways to Save Money in a Tough Economy – Lots of little ways you can save money. So often it’s the little stuff that really adds up and pounds a budget.

10 Things I Have Learned Since Becoming a Parent – So basic and yet so true.

Beware of the Economic Report – Want to get your business on television? This isn’t the way to do it.

Three Family Games You Love to Play – Just think about it. Talk it over with the kids.

Making Memories While Balancing Holidays, Kids and Work – Don’t entirely neglect the holidays even if your work does have you really busy.

Will Holiday Habits Set You Back for 2009? – The habits you have during the holidays also come around at other times. Build habits that will keep you productive.

Top 10 Threats Parents Use During The Christmas Season – Have you used any of these? I know mention of Santa has been made a time or two around here, but not that much.

Sunday Links 12-7-08

Stephanie — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:13:20 +0000

Affiliate Commissions – Is Your Anti-Virus Eating Them? – This is something I’ve known about for a few years as an affiliate, but many people have never heard about. Your average customer has no idea that cookies are harmless, because their anti-virus program makes such a big deal out of eating them.

Request USPS Hold Mail Service Online – I hadn’t known this was available in some areas, but I love it! Getting to the post office to request that mail be held when you’re about to go on a trip can be a pain, so why not do it online?

Frugal strategies for tough times – Being frugal is about more than spending less money. It takes the right mindset to really do well.

When Time Out Doesn’t Work… – We all have those times when the kids just won’t listen. Parents share their alternatives to time out.

Cutting Down on the “Hidden” Costs of After-School Activities – It’s not just the cost of joining the activity that gets you. Snacks, transportation and so forth can add up.

Is Your Business Causing Relationship Problems? – It’s not just spending money on a business that can cause problems. Success can too. How do you cope with the issues?

Building an “Emergency Fund” of Food – This is something my husband and I have done, in large part because we live in earthquake territory and it just makes sense.

This Season’s Hottest Toys? Bah Humbug – Yes!

I Made $182.64 Profit Last Month – Even the successful entrepreneurs hit a rough spot at times.

Have a Vision Instead of Acting Opportunistically – This is a part of what it takes to succeed in any home business.

Face to Face Selling in a Face to Screen World – Direct Sales and the Internet – If you haven’t tried working your direct sales business online, why not? Some companies do make this more challenging than others, of course.

Do You Want to Be Fed or Learn to Fish? – I get these same kinds of questions. Learning how to find the information yourself is a highly valuable skill that will save a lot of time.

Sunday Links – 11-30-08

Stephanie — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:48:42 +0000

Is Your Personal Blog Working For or Against You? – A very good point not only for bloggers, but for anyone putting any personal information out there online. Think about what the impact could be on your future and your professional life. Teach your kids this too.

Is It Time to Drop Your Land Line? – If you just have to have your cell phone, maybe the land line should go instead. It doesn’t work for my case, as we have poor cell phone reception here, but it can be great for others.

40 Ways For WAHMs to Give Back This Holiday Season – We are the lucky ones in so many ways. Just think how many people would love to have the opportunities we do. Can you give back?

How to Manage Your Online Business During the Holidays – Great tips for this time of year. Also stuff I’ve been thinking about for when baby comes; an even crazier time.

Mom-powered Alternatives to Big Retailers – You don’t have to give your hard earned money to the big guys. Support your fellow Moms!

My Etsy Highs & Lows so far… – Have you considered selling on Etsy? It’s a great place to get noticed, but there are pitfalls along with the benefits.

The One Sure Fire Way to Fail Miserably in Your Finances – Especially important if your family is facing tight economic times, as so many are.

Meltdown fallout: some parents rethink toy-buying – How tight is money for your family? Some parents would like to see toy ads directed more at parents and less at kids. Personally, I’ve just gotten good at saying “no”. It’s a word kids need to hear anyhow.

Sunday Links 11-23-08

Stephanie — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:42:53 +0000

Are Your Kids Getting Enough “Dirt Pile” Play? – I love this. I’ve always found that my kids do better with more time outside and less television/computer time.

Go Offline for More Traffic – A great thought for all you home business owners. Even if you’re already marketing offline, you might find a new idea here.

Social Media and Marketing Lesson for the makers of Motrin: Don’t Mess with Moms! – Maybe you caught all the fuss, maybe you missed it. But a good point.

Ways to Beat Overwhelm and Give Thanks! – Some great thoughts on easing the stress at this or other times of year. You probably have plenty to be thankful for.

With Winter Coming And Money Tight, Consider Sharing Tools This Year. – If you’re on good terms with your neighbors, this can be a great idea.

Productivity in Wasted Moments – You don’t have to consider time spent in wait rooms as wasted. I get bits of work done during my wait while my son is in speech therapy, for example.

Letting Your Kids Watch TV So You Can Work – Lots of work at home moms do it. Should you, and do you feel bad about it?

5 Free Ways to Promote Your Online Home Business – While you’ll often need to spend money on your home business, some of the best promotion methods are free. The time cost can be a challenge, however.

Sunday Links 11-16-08

Stephanie — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:21:50 +0000

I read a lot of blog posts during the week. Haven’t done much with them in the past, but I decided that I should try sharing more of what I read. Hope you enjoy.

A Do-It-Yourself Christmas: 34 Great Gifts You Can Make Yourself – I love these ideas. My sisters and I are planning a simplified Christmas this year due to budget issues all around. Some great gift ideas that won’t cost much.

Walking Away to be a Stay-At-Home Parent – Great tips for those just wanting to get started.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Family’s Food Budget in a Tight Economy – Some of the tips are pretty basic, but worth reading.

Apology Marketing is Killing Your Sales! – Are you embarrassed to sell to the people who come to your site? Why?

Marketing Annoyance – Loyalty Cards – This is why my favorite grocery stores are the ones that don’t have loyalty cards. That, and they still have better prices.

Q&A: How Do You Spend Quality Time With Your Kids? – Some really great shared thoughts. You might get some new ideas for ways to spend time with your family.