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Tips on Streamlining Your Life and Business

Mamas!

Do you feel overwhelmed at times? Whether you work or stay home, having kids while maintaining a house, cooking, cleaning, running errands, keeping up with school functions and more can take its toll. Add in working full-time or working for yourself, and you’ve most certainly got your hands full.

I’m a working mom of two toddlers (and one on the way!). While I’m incredibly thankful that my schedule is flexible and allows me to mostly work from home, I do still put in a good 40 hours per week at the ‘ol office job. I also try my best to keep up with this blog, make sure my kids have clean laundry and get food on the table each night. If I were to be completely honest, the dinner part is my biggest struggle. We always eat, of course, but I don’t always have a plan and we sometimes have eggs, chicken nuggets, yogurt, or a combination of the aforementioned.

Eventually, I would like my blog to become my full-time business. With a baby on the way, this probably won’t happen for a few years, but I’m hopeful nonetheless. I wanted to provide anyone who might be in the same situation with some tips on how I am currently streamlining my life and my business for future (and current) success.

March Online Income Report

You guys, I am so excited about blogging again!! While this month’s blogging online income was lower than last month’s, April is on track to be my highest blogging income month yet! And March wasn’t too shabby, either 🙂

But, before I get into that. I wanted to let you all know that I have a surprise announcement coming next week! My newsletter subscribers will know first, and then I’ll make an announcement on my blog 🙂 The news is definitely going to mean some changes with the blog and for my family, but we are excited.

If you want to be the FIRST to know, make sure to sign up for my newsletter here!!

Now, let’s get onto my online income report for March!

Rodan + Fields and Other Multi-Level Marketing Companies

I’m sure by now you’ve all seen Rodan + Fields products blasted all over Facebook, along with It Works, Isagenix, Shakeology, Avon, Mary Kay, Scentsy and others.

I wanted to get your input on what you think of these products (if you use them) and what you think of multi-level marketing companies in general. Have you tried it before? Were you successful at it? I have a few friends on Facebook who seem to be doing really well, but you never really know (I don’t know them close enough to ask them!).

I have never personally attempted to sell any kind of product or service, other than through my blog and all of those products are blogging and freelancing related. I will admit, though, that I am tempted by some of these companies, most specifically – Rodan + Fields.

A blogging friend sent me some samples of the product and it made my skin extremely soft. My skin isn’t necessarily “bad,” but I do have some acne scars, some uneven spots, a wrinkle in between my eyebrows, etc. I definitely wear foundation every day, and I’ve heard Rodan + Fields can make your skin so good that you don’t even need to bother with foundation. I currently spend $50 every six(ish) months on either Naked or NARS foundation. Yes, Rodan + Fields is significantly more money than that, but if it did actually improve my skin and make it so I didn’t need foundation, I’d be stoked.

So, I am actually placing an order later this week. I plan on posting some before and after shots (assuming the product works) about a month after I start using the product.

Another question for you readers – Would you personally find it annoying if a blogger started trying to sell a product like that on their blog? Or would you just dismiss those posts and move on? I’ll be honest – if I DO like the product and decide to sell it, I would definitely want to use my blog as a way to connect with others interested in the product. I don’t use FB too much, so I wouldn’t post much on there. This blog would basically be my means of selling the product, but the last thing I would want to do is turn off my current readers.

Thanks for your input! I’d appreciate any feedback I can get! 🙂

My Weekly Blogging Duties

As a blogger, I always wonder what other bloggers do throughout the day, so I thought I would share what my typical week looks like in terms of blogging. If you’re a blogger, feel free to write a post on your daily or weekly duties and link the post in the comments! I would love to read it, and I’m sure other bloggers would, too!

With blogging, no week is exactly the same, but they are all pretty similar. One of my favorite things about blogging is that I can do things whenever I want. I can schedule posts on Tailwind a few days in advance, a week in advance (that’s my goal) or go crazy and schedule a full month out. If I’m having a particular busy week at my full-time job and at home, I can skip some duties. I really love this blogging thing 🙂

So, here is an inside look at my weekly blogging duties to grow my blog month over month.

How to Make Money Online

Are you wondering how to make money online? If so, you’re at the right place. I’ve been making money online now for four years! I first got started freelance writing when my first daughter was born and have been doing it ever since. I don’t think a month has gone by that I haven’t made money online.

Right now, I make my money by blogging, which I’ll show you below how you can do that, too.

This post is for those of you who want to change your life. Whether you need a couple hundred extra each month or you want to quit your full-time job so you can stay home with your kids, you have to get started.

This guide will show you exactly how.

8 Truths About Blogging

I will be the first to admit that while I LOVE blogging, it doesn’t come without it’s downsides. My biggest challenge lately has been deciding where I’m going with this blog. Today, I wanted to discuss 8 truths about blogging that some people may not realize. If you’re considering starting a blog or just started one, you won’t want to miss this 🙂

January Online Income Report

I have now been publishing my online income reports for a solid one and half years. To be completely honest, I debated skipping this month’s report. But, in an effort to be extremely real and open here on the blog, I knew I needed to publish this.

When you work for yourself, you’re going to have slower months. I’m hoping this report is encouraging to those of you who may be experiencing a downswing or are “stuck” at a certain number. I typically bring in between $1200-$2200 per month in side income, which includes both freelance writing and blogging. Last month, however, I decided to eliminate most of my freelancing clients so I could focus more on my blog. The results are not good, which you’ll see below:

The Benefits of Having Two Blogs

Hi everyone!

First, some exciting news: I launched Coffee Talk for Mamas yesterday evening! You can check it out here 🙂

That blog has been a labor of love. Some of you may be wondering why I decided to start a second blog when I still plan on blogging on this one. The first reason is that I had been wanting to write a book (which I did, The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging), and in order to create a guide for new bloggers, I wanted to actually walk through the steps of creating a blog rather than trying to remember. Remembering is one thing (doesn’t it always seem easier?), actually setting up a blog is completely different.

And, truth me told, I had been wanting to start a second blog for quite some time. As much as I love the frugal millionaire and all that it’s become, I felt (and still feel) a little limited on what I can write about. Coffee Talk for Mamas will encompass everything I want to write about and, because the name is general, I can add new topics as the blog (and me) grow.

I’m a few months in to this whole managing-two-blogs-thing and I have to say that so far it is going better than expected. While I don’t necessarily recommend everyone having two (or more) blogs, here is why it’s working for me.

18 Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump and Be Productive

Whether I’m working from home or in the office, the afternoon slump is inevitable. It also doesn’t seem to matter how much sleep I’ve gotten the night before or how much caffeine I’ve had.

Even though I would love nothing more than to take a nap come 3:00 pm, that’s just not an option on the weekdays. So, I’ve been experimenting with different ways to beat the afternoon slump and be productive. And I found 18 of them. Hopefully, at least a few of these will work for you 🙂

10 Ways to Stay Social if You Work From Home

I worked from home for three years before getting my full-time job this past summer. One of my favorite parts of having a full-time office job is the socialization. I have two toddlers, so it’s really nice spending some time with adults every day. Working in an office made me realize just how important it is to keep up your social skills even when you work from home. While I did a pretty decent job with this during the time that I worked solely from home, I would make a few changes if I ever did solely work from home again.

Even though I love alone time and could spend all day completely by myself, I will admit that I feel happier when I have at least some socialization through out the day (and I’m not talking about with my kids). If you work from home or are looking to make some new friends, here are 10 ways to help you stay social.