Do you run giveaways on your blog regularly (or once in a blue moon)? A couple of helpful (free) tools that might prove helpful include true random number generator Random.organd giveaway management site Rafflecopter.com, which allows you to set criteria for entries. You could simply require a blog comment for entry, or ask that blog visitors subscribe, like your blog’s Facebook page, follow you (or a brand) on Twitter… the options are endless. Remember to not overdo it, though – unless your giveaway is highly desirable, it’s often best to set just one required entry. Rafflecopter will allow you to offer additional optional entries for those who wish to increase their odds.
If you do run giveaways on your blog, make sure you are in accordance with FTC regulations, for more info, go here.
Tuesday Tech Tips are not intended to reinvent the wheel and may not always be cutting edge to all of you – we just want to share some of the nifty things we run across on the blogosphere. We’re doing that uppity thing – curating – which in our minds is just a fancy interpretation of the mission of AWB to gather, grow and connect: gather you here, grow your voices and your lovely blogs, and connect you with one another and some helpful tips from time to time. If you run across an item you think would be worth posting, send it with subject “Tips” to beth@arkansaswomenbloggers.com. You can follow our “Tools & Tips” board on Pinterest or #AWBTips on Twitter. Share your fab finds and let us know what you think!
Have you heard of MomLife Bootcamp? Oh sistah’s, if not, I am so excited that I get to tell you about it. It is a retreat for moms ~ a place where you will find women that will encourage and equip you in your role as a mom in an honest and transparent way. I get goosebumps just thinking about all the kindness and love that will surround you.
It is a 3-day, 2 night getaway held April 12-14 at Pinecove Camp in Tyler, Texas. It will be a weekend full of teaching, connecting, free time and a lot of fun things like horseback riding, ziplines for you wild and crazy gals, crafts and more. The cost is $140, yes ma’am, you read that right, only $140 buckaroos baby.
Here is the cool thing, those sweet gals are giving one lucky Arkansas Women Blogger a FREE registration. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
And, we will make entering easy because seriously, we are moms, we have to go to soccer, cook dinner, wipe noses, and play Candyland for the tenth time today.
Yes, it is that easy. We will randomly draw a winner on Tuesday, March 19 ( next week, so enter now)!
If you have any questions, just email me at theparkwife@gmail.com and if I do not know the answer, I will ask the fabulous Be the Mom gal, Tracy Eyster.
What a wonderful opportunity moms, do not let it pass you by!
An Arkansas-based, family owned company, Petit Jean Meats has tirelessly supported, yes, I mean fed us ladies, at EVERY meet-up and conference that we have had since AWB began.
They only use the best quality meats and the best quality ingredients. So if you’re looking for a great hot dog, delicious ham, a smoked sausage with great flavor, they have got it. Oh, have you tried their bacon cheese hotdogs? All I have to say is sweet mercy, yum!
Yet again, they have stepped up to show some bloggy love this holiday season. They would like to giveaway one of their fantastic gift boxes. Ham for Christmas dinner, um, yea! So many to choose from ~ the Ultimate Meat Lover, The Cook, The Bacon Lover, The Sport’s Fanatic, or the Out-of-Towner.
To WIN one of these fantastic gift boxes, follow these simple steps: Required:
1. Click here and submit your email address to Petit Jean Meats (you will receive occasional emails from them, maybe even a coupon or two, yes ma’am)
2. Comment below on which Petit Jean Meats Gift Box above you would choose, and who you would give it to.
Extra Entries (please leave a comment that you did these so I will know!):
3. If you post the Holiday Gift Guide graphic (the big red one on this post) with a link to this giveaway on your blog, you get FIVE entries.
Also, Amanda over at AmandaJaneBrown.com is giving away some Petit Jean deliciousness too. Go over to her blog and enter for more chances to be dining on some Petit Jean Meats this Christmas!
Contest ends at 11:59 pm CST on December 15 and a random winner will be selected on December 16, 2012 and announced on Arkansas Women Blogger and via the email address provided. Then, they will ship it to you in time for the holidays.
We’ve got an assignment for you, should you choose to be brave enough to accept the challenge. It’s a tough one: we need you to read a magazine. We know, overwhelming.
Not just any magazine, though: we want you to pick up a copy of ALL YOU. We are crushing pretty hard on this great publication. If you were at the Unplugged conference in August, you received this advance copy:
How cute and fun is this magazine?
And if you were not at the conference, you can pick it up for well under five bucks at your local Walmart! (Plus, if you subscribe – which you will totally want to do – you’ll receive a $5 Walmart gift card!) Our friends at ALL YOU were the speaker sponsors at the conference for Lela Davidson – author of Blacklisted from the PTA and the forthcoming Who Peed On My Yoga Mat? Check out the links below for a chance to win a copy of Blacklisted plus an Arkansas Women Bloggers t-shirt! (Already got yours at #AWBU? We hope you love our phenomenal sponsors like ALL YOU – who we really want to join us again in 2013 – enough to support them anyway!)
Here are a few things we just had to tell you about ALL YOU:
We love that this magazinepays for itself through giveaways, money-saving tips, deals, more than $50 in coupons in every issue and (gasp!) fashion that is actually affordable.
ALL YOU has a blogger affiliate program that knocks the socks off other similar programs – sign up here!
The magazine is produced by Time Inc, publisher of magazines such as People, Southern Living, Real Simple and Cooking Light. Long story short: their content is top-notch.
ALL YOU has a super cool community called Reality Checkers. You can sign up to become one, too – your feedback might be featured in the magazine, and you’ll have the chance to test products, participate in surveys and more. We can tell you with certainty that the ALL YOU editors truly value and listen to the input from Reality Checkers.
Best of all, ALL YOU loves bloggers, social media and real women – just like us! Trust us – this is one cool brand, y’all.
To win a copy of Blacklisted and a fabulous AWB t-shirt (which you may keep or give away on your blog), simply visit and explore the ALL YOU website and leave us a comment below. Tell us if you are new to the magazine, have read it regularly, what you love about it and how their content resonates with you. Are you going to sign up for their affiliate program or become a Reality Checker? Do you completely love ALL YOU and Time Inc. as much as we do and want to see them at our future events and conferences (hint, hint)? Give us your feedback!
P.S. If you were at the conference, you’ll be getting a personal email soon from the ALL YOU director of PR – their team has been reading all of your blogs and they are very impressed. You may even have the chance to receive giveaways or sample products if you are interested – we think you’ll love hearing from them!
P.P.S. If you missed it, read this previous post about ALL YOU and share your thoughts in the comments!
Or, What I Wish I’d Known About Parenting and Ancient Sea Monsters Circa 2003.
Details on an Arkansas Women Bloggers Twitter Party tonight (Tuesday 8/14 at 8p CST) AND a free conference registration giveaway in this post!
When I was pregnant for the first time nearly a decade ago, I went through what I’ve learned is a common ailment affecting many new mothers-to-be: behavior best defined as psychosis.
First, I grabbed copies of What to Expect When You’re Expecting and, naturally, What to Eat When You’re Expecting. In case you’re unfamiliar, these are massive volumes. I began reading and nearly had a mental breakdown. I bookmarked pages for my husband (which he dutifully ignored), informed him I was giving up sugar in all forms (which caused him to laugh out loud) and made copious notes on all my findings (which only increased my certainty that I was incapable of parenting).
At some point early in my pregnancy, I remember hearing that as a future Arkansas mom I could order my very own copy of the Happy Birthday Baby Book, and I pounced on the telephone (mounted to the wall) to dial what is known as a “toll-free number.” Foreign concept, I know. I waited for it to arrive in the mail, and found that it was pretty full of resources for parents in Arkansas as well as a quick, easy read.
Fast forward to today (that kid is entering the third grade on Monday, by the way): I’ve had another daughter who has cemented my belief that while I’m capable of parenting, I may barely survive the childhood of the Kraken. Yes, that’s what we call our second-born, in reference to Liam Neeson as Zeus in Clash of the Titans (2010) yelling “Release the Kraken!” in reference to a threatening monster from Hades.
A likely Kraken: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870). And yes, this is how I often feel with my little Kraken.
Here’s the point of that diatribe (sometimes I have one): just like my intelligent and helpful older daughter, the Happy Birthday Baby Book has grown up. And, I’m far more likely to somehow emerge unscathed from the Kraken’s childhood thanks to the assistance of that intelligent and helpful older daughter AND the intelligent and helpful new Happy Birthday Baby Books.
There are now TWO super useful editions: Book One (Pregnancy through Age 1) and Book Two (Newborn through Age 5), and they come in either ebook form (hallelujah!) or a very useful purse or diaper-bag size hard copy (click here to check them out and order copies!) We shared recently that we were exceptionally excited to have Healthy Families as the Presenting Sponsor for the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference (click here to read that post!) next week.
Click here to read online or order your free copies of the Happy Birthday Baby Books!
Thanks to these books, I’m receiving the counseling I need to raise a good little Kraken. For example: Plan play dates, but remember that your 1-year-old is too young to be expected to share (Book 2). Oh. Right.
Also: regarding the comments I’ve made to several of you about the Kraken being very OCD: Your 2-year-old may want to eat the same thing every day. WHAT? I’m telling you – the Happy Birthday Baby Books people know everything there is to know about parenting.
Now, don’t check out on me if you are a) not likely to have kids anytime soon, if ever b) SO DONE with pregnancy and childbirth, and wondering why we don’t sponsor a nanny giveaway already or c) enjoying feeding sweets to your grandchildren on a regular basis as revenge for the wrinkles their parents caused you.
Here’s the thing, bloggers: Healthy Communities Are Every Blogger’s Business. That’s why I am making note to start ordering copies of these books for every mom-to-be I know. I may even keep some extra copies in my car – I’ve been known to accost people who talk about politics with voter registration forms, reminding them they are welcome to share their opinion with me by visiting the polls. I’m thinking I may start giving copies of these gems to random pregnant women. That should help me win friends and influence people – right?
All kidding aside – we want you to join us in our enthusiasm at working with Healthy Families. Put very simply, they get it, ladies. We all want more healthy moms, healthy pregnancies, healthy babies and healthy communities – it’s good for all of us. So join the fun: place the badge above on your own blog, tell everyone you know about this phenomenal program, click the links to check out the website and the books, and… (drum roll please):
Join us tonight (Tuesday, August 14) for our FINAL pre-#AWBU Twitter Party! It’s a short one, and it kicks off at 8:00 p.m. CST. You may want to click over before then to http://www.HealthyFamiliesNow.Net/ebooks to do some checking it out, because we will have some questions for you to answer tonight that just may win you goodies or a FREE conference registration! Join us even if you are already registered (we’ll let you give the last spot away!) or even if you can’t come to the conference, we promise it will still be worth your time! Just set up a Twitter column to follow #AWBU and #HFNow, and be sure to use those hashtags in every tweet so we can keep up with you!
On Saturday, April 28, bloggers will take over the universe!
Well, not really. But at least Arkansas. Sort of.
On that day, Arkansas Women Bloggers will hold their Spring Meetup at Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. At the exact same time, bloggers across the United States will be taking part in the third annual Food Blogger Bake Sale, benefiting Share Our Strength in their fight against childhood hunger.
Christie Ison of Fancy Pants Foodie is chairing the event for Arkansas, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6th and Main Streets in North Little Rock, adjacent to the Argenta Certified Arkansas Farmers Market.
Organized in 2010 by Gaby Dalkin of WhatsGabyCooking.com, the national Food Blogger Bake Sale features food bloggers from across the country who unite to support the cause by holding bake sales in their states on the same day.
Last year, the Arkansas team raised over $1,000 with our first sale ever, and every dime went to support awesome Share Our Strength programs such as No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters.
“Oh, no,” you say, “I’ll be at the AWB conference all morning and can’t participate.”
Au contraire, I say! You can double your blogger prowess that day by doing one or more of the following:
Bring some baked goods (smaller, individually-wrapped items work best) to the conference. We’ll have a runner bring them to the sale. No, a runner in a car, silly. Contact me (christie@fancypantsfoodie.com) first so I can add you to the list and give you some tips on labeling and such.
Stop by after the conference and buy some goodies. You can take the Blue Line River Rail trolley from the museum ($1 if under 65, 50 cents if over) and get off at Stop #1 in the Argenta area of North Little Rock. Have lunch at Argenta Market or Starving Artist Cafe, then come by and see us.
Post something on your blog about the Food Blogger Bake Sale. I can provide copy and/or badges to help you promote this important event.
You don’t have to be a food blogger to participate. If I get your food donation confirmed by April 2, your blog name will be included in news releases about the event.
Thanks so much, and happy world-ruling on April 28!
Donation Packaging Instructions:
Donations need to be individually wrapped, preferably smallish things like cookies or cupcakes, or smaller cakes. Full size cakes are OK but don’t sell as well, and are harder to wrap. Packaging should be clear and ready to go with the buyer.
Pretty tags, labels, ribbons, etc. are encouraged. We may even do a get-together sometime before to make pretties.
Computer labels are the easiest. Label needs to have what it is, who made it, and any blog address. It can link to the recipe if it’s on the blog.
Additionally, there is no need to price your items. They will take care of that for you!
WORKSHOP GIVEAWAY WINNER: Sweety D.!
Please contact me by noon on April 5th at julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com to varify that you will be able to attend!
CONGRATS!
Arkansas Women Bloggers is pleased to offer you an exciting opportunity to participate in a beginners photography class hosted by two of our members: Ruthanne of Eclectic Whatnot and Melissa of Melissa Stover Photography and A Familiar Path. Spend just a moment on these blogs and you will see that these ladies CLEARLY have a handle on all things photography.
Together, they have put together a day-long workshop that will help the beginner photographer grasp some common photography tips and techniques we need to start taking those wonderful photos we see on other blogs ourselves! The workshop is designed for the digital SLR user and will cover topics such as Aperature, Shutter Speed and ISO as well as tips on shooting angles, how to get in the picture and more!
If you are interested in attending you can email them to register.
electicwhatnot (at) gmail (dot) com
or
mail (at) melissastover (d0t) com
The GREAT news is that Ruthanne and Melissa will be giving one lucky member of Arkansas Women Bloggers a FREE registration to the workshop! That’s a $150 value! You can read more about the specifics of the workshop here.
The contest will run through March 31st and you will have several chances to win. We do have a few “RULES” though!
In order to win you must:
1. Be a registered member of Arkansas Women Bloggers.
2. You will be required to write a post for Arkansas Women Bloggers about your experience. (The winner will be sent specific instructions regarding this post.)
Now…here’s how to win!
NOTE: ALL ENTRIES WILL BE COLLECTED THROUGH THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET BELOW!
REQUIRED
1. Register your blog with ARWB.
2. Leave a comment and write a few sentences about why YOU should get to attend this workshop. Include a link to a blog post if you like.
DAILY
1. Leave a Comment somewhere on ARWB’s Blog. (Do this once daily!)
That is a total of 38 possible entries during the course of the giveaway! To help us keep us with all of these entries we will be using the Rafflecoptor widget below. Please be sure to fill out the widget completely or your entry will not count. Depending on your browser you may or may not see the word MORE listed below. If you do, click it and the widget should appear.
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let each near year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
As you stride boldly into 2012, you’ve no doubt given some consideration to resolutions. According to The Barna Group last year, more than 60% of Americans have made resolutions at some point in their lives (although only 1 in 4 cited success and long-term change). As you consider losing weight, getting control of your finances, being healthier or other traditional resolutions, why not add some green to your goals?
Happily, it’s no longer considered strange to care about the environment, and it is certainly no longer a preference aligned with a particular political party. We’re even moving past sustainability being considered a fad or a trend that the general public, i.e. consumers, subscribe to without careful examination. There is still plenty of “green-washing” out there, but now it is perfectly normal for a family to make greener choices that have positive impact on the natural world and make practical sense for your bank account.
Best of all, we’ve got a giveaway to help you get started on your greener path! Blue Avocadois a nifty company making eco-chic products for shopping, lunches and more, and they are the real deal. Their products are reusable and washable, and come with an eco-label (and substantial information on the website) to help you understand all the steps they’ve taken to make their products truly sustainable, practical and dependable.
First, ARWB would like to thank Gina of Desperately Seeking {Gina} for writing us a really great tutorial on how to make a Pinterest inspired wreath and offering to give away one of her beautiful creations!
Secondly, we want to remind you that in order to keep this site fresh and interesting we need YOU to write content for us! Be sure to check out our posting guidelines and email julie@arkansaswomenbloggers if you have any questions!
Next, we want to remind you to take a few minutes to register your blog with ARWB. If you are a women blogger in and around Arkansas we’d love to have you join us. We will not spam you with email or share your info with anyone without your permission. We’ll do most of our contact via facebook and twitter and will only email you with important and necessary information and we will keep that to a minimum.
