Blogging | The Mommy Maven

5 Tips To Keep The Momentum When Blogging Gets Overwhelming

Posted on January 28, 2018January 30, 2018 by LaTersa Blakely

Have you been blogging for some while now but you have hit a stand still? Does coming up with new material seem very frustrating? It’s been 9 years since I started blogging and I will be the first one to say that it has its highs and lows. Well, I want to share with you a few things you can do to keep your blog updated with new content and most importantly, valuable content for your readers. Continue reading “5 Tips To Keep The Momentum When Blogging Gets Overwhelming” →

How To Start Blogging Easily In 2018

Posted on January 5, 2018January 13, 2018 by LaTersa Blakely

How to start your blog with five easy steps. Blogging to me is the new rave and it’s been around for years and years and years. I do believe that it will continue to be around for many more years to come. I have been blogging now for nine years and I can tell you, I wish I had known some of the things I know now then. I started blogging to speak about the many ups and downs of being a stay at home wife/mom. When you are a stay at home mom, sometimes the only communication you have with adult humans are in the form of social media. Besides, having your little people running around the house, you pretty much just feel like a big kid and a worn out mama, right?

I want to give you the simplified version of how to start a blog in fifteen minutes or less. You can also watch my how to start a blog video tutorial here! I’m going to share with you five ways to start your blog today in no time. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Choose your hosting company. I recommend you go with a hosting company where you can host your own blog. When I began my blogging journey years ago, I started with blogger and while they might be free, they own your content and if something were to happen to their site, guess what, all of your content is gone as well. So I recommend you get started with WordPress.org and go with Siteground. You want to have a place where your audience can come and learn more about you. Your blog is like your brick and mortal except it’s virtual. You can sign up with my affiliate link for only $3.95 per month.

2.Purchase your domain. If you haven’t already purchased your domain, you can get ono right with Siteground. You can get a domain name for $14.95/year. I always purchase for two years so I won’t forget to pay it when it’s due.

3. Install your WordPress. With Siteground, it’s as easy as eating pie. It’s a one-click install WordPress step. Their customer service department is 24/7 and they usually respond within the hour. I love their chat support because I want my help right now. LOL

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4. Pick your theme. I like to keep it simple; especially when just starting out. Once you have installed WordPress, you will go to appearance and click on add new theme. WordPress has hundreds of themes already preloaded, so just choose one that will have the beautiful look that you desire and you are ready to go.

5. Choose your plugins. In order for your WordPress blog to work, you must have certain plugins to make it function to the fullest. You can see a list of the plugin at how to start a blog with Siteground.

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Question: What are some tips you would share with newbie bloggers? Comment below:

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6 Helpful Tips For New Bloggers

Posted on January 4, 2018January 6, 2018 by LaTersa Blakely

Are you new to starting a blog? Blogging can be a rewarding and exciting way to build your tribe online. I started my blogging journey back when my kids were still in diapers and pull-ups. I will admit, I was clueless when I started my blog and to be honest, I started as a way for me to talk about my experience as being a new mom and wife. I needed an outlet to talk about my frustrations and everyday struggles with balancing it all. Even though I have been blogging since 2009, I have recently within the last few years started making money from blogging.

If you are new to the blogging world, I would highly recommend that you take into consideration whether or not this will be an entertaining or money-making blog. I will share with you five easy and helpful steps that you can do when starting your blog. Also, if you are interested in learning how to start a blog, I created a list of very useful tools to use especially the exact hosting company that is working wonders for me and with Siteground, you can get started with only $3.95 per month.

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5 Helpful tips for new bloggers

Be True To Yourself. I can’t tell you enough about how important it is for you to be authentic. With the social media world and the microwavable world, it’s easy for people to be fake and wear various masks. I think being authentic is the best and only way to be. I always say that the people who you are meant to serve will gravitate towards your personality and information.

Respond back to your readers. I have seen it time and time again where I or someone else will respond or leave a reply to a blog post and you wouldn’t hear anything from them. I can tell you first hand, I won’t return to their blog. I think it is plain right rude, to ignore your followers.

Have a sign-up form. Have a place where your readers can get to know you and keep in touch with you. Also, make it visible and easy for your readers to find it. Start with above the fold, right at eye level or at the top of your sidebar.

Pick a niche/theme. Decide what your blog will be about and stick with it. Don’t say your blog is about shoes and fashion but when your followers come to your blog, it’s about exercising.

Be consistent. If you are going to make your blog stand out from the rest, you must blog on a consistent basis. Don’t blog this week, and then disappear for an entire month. Allow your readers to get to know you and get in the habit of visiting your blog for great content.

Have Fun. Whatever you decide to blog about making sure it’s something that you love and something you can easily share knowledge about. But most importantly, have fun and let your personality come through. Pretty soon, your readers will begin to get to know and love you!

QUESTION: What tips would you share with a new mommy blogger? Comment and let me know

How To Save Money Quickly

Posted on January 1, 2018January 3, 2018 by LaTersa Blakely

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links used throughout this post. But rest assured, I only suggest things or services that I used or been referred to.

Hey Hey, lovelies! Are you looking for ways to save money quickly? Well, You are at the right party.

It’s the new year and it’s a great time to start some new habits surrounding your money.

It’s always a great idea to live below your means so I’m going to share with you some quick tips to save money very easily.

There could be a number of reasons why you want to save money this year: maybe you are saving up for your new home or maybe you just need to save your first thousand dollars for your emergency fund; whatever the case may be, it’s never too late to start a new habit.

Learning how to budget and saving money quickly will never get old and to start your kids while they are young with how to save money is always a plus in my book. Today I’m going to be sharing with you some of the tips that have been working for me.

So are you ready to learn how to save money quickly, great let’s have some fun!

15 Ways To Save Money Quickly

Don’t eat out much. If you do, try to go when kiddos can eat free
Take your lunch to work. Avoid spending crazy money on vending machines and restaurants.
Eliminate your cable bill
Get the lowest plan on your cell phone company
Use coupons to grocery shop
$5 Meal plan. You can get meals sent directly to your house. Get more details here!
Carpool to work and split the gas bill.
Stay home with your kids instead of paying a sitter
Sell used items on eBay
Have a garage sale. Sell your gently and used items
Sell your items on craigslist
Shop online through ebates and start earning cash back. Sign up through my affiliate link here
Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees.
Cut back on your hair appointment
Eliminate your monthly business expenses. Check to see where you are spending monthly payments but not getting a return on your investment
Put 10% of your weekly earnings into a savings account where you can’t get to easily.

5 Ways For Busy Moms To Get Healthier

Posted on December 31, 2017January 1, 2018 by LaTersa Blakely

It is less than one day before it’s 2018 and I’ve made up my mind that I’m getting healthier! Can I be honest with you? This year has been super amazing and adventurous and not to mention starting a new journey in my life. I have got on track, then I fell off and I started working out, then a week later I quit. It’s something about when you turn forty! I remember the days when I would kill to workout and jog around the trail. Now, the thought of working out, makes me cringe at the stomach. I know you as busy moms, stay at home moms, or mompreneurs, can relate to this emotional roller coaster? Well, I have a few tips that you can try going into the new year: Sit back and have a glass of wine and get ready for something new!

5 Ways for busy moms to get healthier

Get honest with yourself. The first thing to do is admit to yourself where you are on your health journey and figure out how you got to where you are. Now, this is not a time to beat yourself up, but it’s a time of reflection.
Move your body. I’m not saying you need to run a marathon, but a simple jog around your neighborhood or a little jump roping might not be a bad idea.
Eating healthier: I know those wings are hard to put down, but instead of frying them, try baking them with a little lemon pepper. I found this great deal on healthy meal planning and I can’t wait to dive into it. I thought you might be in need of some new and easy recipes! Grab your meal planning bundle here!
Drink lots of water: I know you would rather have your coffee and soda, but at least make sure you get 8 glasses of water. My favorite way to drink water is by adding a few slices of lemon in it.
Put you on the calendar. We as moms get so busy taking care of others that we leave ourselves out of the equations. Start your new year off right with a new discovery of things you enjoy doing

I hope these few tips get you going in the right direction in the new year. Let me know some tips you will be incorporating into your life in the new year.

BONUS: If you purchase the healthy meal planning, I will gift you a FREE copy of my Extreme Couponing Ebook so you can learn how to coupon and get more healthy foods! Learn about the ebook here!