8 Easy Tips to Increase Productivity for Bloggers

1. Start Each Day with a To-Do List     Having a list of tasks that need to get done will keep you from wasting time figuring out what to do next. Create the list based on your own preference – some choose to rate the tasks from most to least important. Others arrange them from easiest to hardest, so by the time they get to the more difficult items they have some momentum going. 2. Take Breaks – and Take them Seriously     Give yourself a few minutes to relax for every hour of work. Move away from the computer and try not to think about what you need to do during the break. Go outside and get some fresh air. When you come back to the work, you’ll be rejuvenated and ready to get more tasks knocked out. 3. Figure Out Your Most Productive Time of Day     Some bloggers work better early in the morning, fresh out of bed. Others may need to wait until the evening, when they have been able to spend time with family and friends to really knock out their to do list. Experiment with … [Read more...]

Monday Mingle Blog Hop #136

    The time has come for another Monday Mingle. It is always a pleasure to meet those of you who are linking up for the first time and to see those of you back who have been linking up for a long time. It is so exciting to link up with you guys week after week!     Many of you have been emailing me and asking me to continue to post the Monday Mingle every week.  I love networking with you all and will make sure I post it every Sunday evening from now on.     There are always exciting things going on here at Tough Cookie Mommy.  We discuss important topics, try out new products, attend great events, travel with the family and conduct exciting giveaways.  Please make sure you don’t miss any Monday Mingles and remember to subscribe via email. This blog hop continues to be for everyone with NO RULES. Personally, I hate having to follow a bunch of rules just to connect with all of you so this hop will continue to be RULE FREE! I hope you are all ready for a great week of networking. So … [Read more...]

Protect All Of Your Gadgets With Speck Cases! @SpeckProducts #Ad

*I participated in a campaign on behalf of Speck Products. I received a promotional item to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating.  All opinions are my own.       I am one of those people who is constantly worrying about making sure that all of my electronic devices and gadgets stay in good condition.  There are many reasons for this including the fact that they are very expensive and that I rely on them for a lot of things that go on in my life on a daily basis.  After all, I'm a blogger and an educator and both of these professions require constant Internet access along with the ability to communicate with others quickly and easily.      Speck’s smartphone and tablet cases are protective and stylish at the same time.  I love that I don't have to worry about bulky plastic encasing on any of my gadgets! They have tons of designs that are perfect for everyone on your list – from jetsetters to techies to parents with young kids.  We now protect almost … [Read more...]

Bloggers Don’t Just Get Stuff For Free!

    This past week, I read a colleague's Facebook thread where someone commented that bloggers are really lucky and that they just get stuff for free.  They went on to say that all of the reviews that we write are doctored up just to get free items and that they are not honest and authentic.  Short of having my head blow up and confetti come out of it when I read this, it's safe to say that it really struck a nerve.     Let me begin by saying that yes, bloggers are in a unique situation where brands seek them out to try out their products.  However, this arrangement is not without its strings attached.  If only we could be so lucky that companies just jump at the chance to throw rose petals at our feet... There is a reason why they want us to review their products, because we have an audience.  So, when brands send products for review, the hope is that bloggers will share their experiences around the products with their readers.  You see, there is an exchange of services.     As far … [Read more...]

Dear PR Person

    Today as I was going through my emails I had at least 10 emails from PR companies asking me to "spread the word" about their products or services on Tough Cookie Mommy.  Those of you who are bloggers and are reading this post already know where I'm going with this.  Of course, I have time to spread the word about your product because this blog is just a hobby and I have no other responsibilities besides providing free advertising and promotion to every company that asks me to.  Insert sarcasm here.     Let me begin by saying that it takes a tremendous amount of work, time, creativity, and money to run a blog.  Yes, I said money.  It costs money to pay for web hosting, blog design, owning a domain, etc.  I'm sure those of you who are not bloggers are probably incredibly shocked to learn this information.     Also, if you follow me on social media, you know that I rarely go to sleep before 2 AM.  That is because I am busy writing posts, answering emails, fielding conference calls, … [Read more...]

The Secret of Blogging Sucess

    This week, I received an email from a fellow blogger asking me about something that I had implemented related to my blog.  She thought it was a great idea and wanted to know how I had done it.  I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised because there was a time when I was on the other end of that email trying to learn as much as I could about everything having to do with blogging.  As soon as I had a chance, I promptly responded to her email and explained to her the steps that I took to implement that new idea.  That evening, she emailed me back thanking me for the information and for taking the time out to respond to her and to explain everything.     Since this fellow blogger was so grateful, it got me to wondering if there is a sense of secrecy to this whole blogging thing.  I can recall that, during my early days as a blogger, there were many veterans who were eager to answer my questions about a variety of topics related to which blogging platform to use, blog design, … [Read more...]