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The January POPSUGAR Must Have box has arrived and I am really loving it this month!   The theme of the items seems to celebrate the fact that it's a new year and we need to make the most of the cold weather!

Before I show you what was in my box, for those of you wondering, the POPSUGAR Must Have box comes each month and costs $39.95 with free shipping.  You'll get a nice selection of items delivered right to your door and there's usually one or two items that you get to customize like choosing the color of jewelry for instance.  

Nuun Hydration || The Nuun Strawberry Melon Vitamins are perfect for this time of year when we need to keep our immune system in mind and take care of our body with vitamins.  These tablets are fruity and have 10 calories.  They hydrate better than water alone does and they are packed with electrolytes and vitamins! The retail price is $7.

RXBAR || I've been dying to try one of these bars so I was super excited to see this in my box.  The Chocolate Sea Salt was delicious! For a protein bar I was very impressed.  The ingredients are always very simple and listed on the front.  Egg whites, almonds, and dates.  These bars are gluten free, soy free, and dairy free and are perfect when you need a snack after a good workout. The retail price is $1.99.

KeepCup Clear Edition || The KeepCup is so cool! It's an eco friendly way  to enjoy coffee.  This isn't made of glass so if you drop it there's no worries.  It's a great size for my morning coffee at my desk! The retail price is $19.

Hat Attack Lightweight Ribbed Hat || This hat is so adorable and I love the faux fur pom on top.  The color is neutral which means I can style it with many different outfits and outerwear.  I love wearing it slouchy like I did over the weekend but you can also cuff it if you want.  The retail price is $44.

Ban.Do Wall Calendar || To celebrate the new year, this is an awesome calendar that is full of bright colors and catchy phrases to keep you going throughout the year.  There is even a page of stickers to decorate the calendar.  The retail price is $20. 

Farmacy Beauty Honey Drop Moisturizer || I've heard of this brand before and I was excited to see I would finally get to try it out.  The winter can wreak havoc on my skin and this lightweight moisturizer has superfood ingredients, honey, and hyaluronic acid.  I actually started wearing it under my makeup too since I hate when I have flaky skin at work.  The retail price is $45. 

Of all the subscription boxes out there I like the selection of items and the affordable pricing of this box the best.  To sign up and get the February box click here.

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What Expenses Should I Claim As A Blogger at Tax Time? || FREE PRINTABLE

Tis the season for taxes! Right about now, all of the bloggers out there are sifting through expense receipts, waiting on 1099's and hoping that they get a decent tax return. Whether blogging is your full time job or just a side gig that gives you some occasional income, it's important to keep track of your expenses and income.

You may be wondering what expenses a blogger may have and that's exactly what I'm writing about today. There are lots of things you may be able to write off as an expense when it comes to blogging. My best suggestion is to not worry about what percentage of certain expenses will get counted because that's for your tax preparation person or software to do. From what I know, for things like utilities, they take the square footage of your home office and use that to calculate what part of your utilities goes towards that room.

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5 Tips To Be A Better Entrepreneur

As a blogger I consider myself an entrepreneur because my blog is basically my brand.  I am responsible for it's success or it's failure.  For me, blogging isn't just a hobby but a way to get extra income.  Whether you're a founder or co-founder of a company like Andrew Charlton or you're just a blogger or small business owner, there are several tips that can help you be a better entrepreneur. 

[1] Know Your Audience

Depending on the protect or service you put out you will need to determine your audience and then focus on them.  Is it millennials looking to become first time homeowners?   Maybe it's middle-aged Americans that are struggling financially that you need to focus on but whomever it may be that needs to be what you focus on.  Some people try to branch out too much too soon.  It's smart to see how you do with your original audience before thinking of ways to expand. 

When I started as a blogger it was to give advice.  That was a broad audience and I had to determine the topics people wanted advice on.  8 years later, I'm able to focus on different audiences based on the content.  Sometimes it's new homeowners looking for decorating tips or maybe it's college graduates that are trying to pay off debt.

[2] Market Your Brand

Unless you hire someone to do your marketing work, you need to be able to sell yourself.  There are several ways to market yourself whether it's simply networking in your region or social media promotion.  Some people collaborate with others in their field to help get their name out there.  Sign up for conferences and trainings to mingle with others and meet other people in your field.   Their audience could easily become your audience as well.  

[3] Invest In Yourself

That old saying that it takes money to make money may seem very cliche but it's also very true.  You can't expect to turn a profit without investing in your brand.  Don't be afraid to spend money to invest in a professional logo or website and don't be stingy with paid advertising.  The better quality your brand reflects, the better impression it will give potential customers.  

When I first started blogging I did everything myself which was fine but I wasn't really growing so I had to invest in a professional web designer to make my blog layout and logo.  I've purchased advertising blocks and paid promotion on social media as well as investing money in conferences and training opportunities.

[4] Take Notes from Others in Your Field

Some people view everyone else in their field as competition and while they could potentially be somewhat of a competitor, you need to pay attention to their advice and what they seem to be doing right especially if you think you are failing at a certain aspect of your business.  As a blogger, I'm friends with lots of other bloggers.  I see them as friends and mentors because I always reach out to them for advice and they do the same with me.

[5] Think Like A Customer

At the end of the day you need to think like your target audience because that's how you can critique your brand. If you think your website is hard to navigate when you visit it like a customer, then you need to consider improving it.   When you go to put your product out ask yourself if YOU would find it useful if you were the customer.  This seems like very basic advice but you would be surprised how many people forget about this. 

Hopefully, these tips help you look closer at what you may be doing right as an entrepreneur or what you need to improve.  

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Win A Cuddle Clone of Your Pet!

 

Cuddle Clones are the perfect gift for any pet lover. Do you, or someone you know, love their pet so deeply that they cannot image life without them? With Cuddle Clones, you can have a stuffed animal clone of your pet created. Using their amazing technology, time and love Cuddle Clones can use images which will provide and create for you a stuffed clone of your pet.  I have big plans to get Cuddle Clones made of my 4 pups and I have to say it's an amazing idea no matter how old your pet is.   Eventually I know I'll love cuddling with their clones when I can no longer cuddle with THEM.  

 

Use code MamatheFox for 10% off any order

   

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Dogs, Cats, Horses, Large Birds, Donkeys, Cows, Deer, Goats, Monkeys, Pigs, Reptiles, Sheep, Spiders, Small Birds, Chinchillas, Ferrets, Fish, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Mice, Micro Pigs, Rabbits, Rats

 

Enter for your chance to win (1) Cuddle Clone! Valued up to $250

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Sponsored by: Cuddle Clones

Co-Hosted by: Ask Away, Homeschool Insights, Parenting Healthy, & Miki's Hope

 

Entry-Form

  MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.




 

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What You Need In An Emergency Preparedness Kit

It used to be a thing that you only saw in movies where a family was rushing to escape the natural disaster coming towards their home and they had to stuff as much as they could into a bag and head to some sort of bunker or safe ground.   The older I get however, the more I see those things happening to average people just like you and me. 


Whether it's a blizzard, a flood, a hurricane, a wildfire, or if you live in Pennsylvania you may hear people speak of when they evacuated because they thought Three Mile Island was going to leak/explode, it's ALWAYS a good idea to have an Emergency Preparedness Kit at the ready. My Patriot Supply is a great resource to use for more information regarding preparedness and also a great place to purchase supplies to stock up.  


So here is a list of what you SHOULD have in an Emergency Preparedness Kit.


||WATER|| They say you should have approximately one gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days.  This water would be used for sanitation and drinking.  We currently keep a few cases of water in the one room in our basement for emergency situations.  Water isn't expensive so stock up sooner than later because whenever a crisis occurs that's when the stores start running out of the basics.


||FOOD|| You should have a few days worth of food and make sure it's stuff that won't spoil.  This means stocking up on canned goods like vegetables, stews, beans, etc. Make sure you have a manual can opener, too.


||RADIO|| If you have a small radio you can use in case of an emergency, that's great!!   It's an excellent way to keep in touch with the news and what's going on out there.


||LIGHTING|| In the event that electricity is out you will certainly need flashlights and even battery powered lanterns. 


||BATTERIES|| Always have spare batteries on hand because you may need them.


||CLEANING SUPPLIES|| Garbage bags and wet wipes will be crucial when it comes to waste management and personal sanitation.


||CELL PHONE CHARGERS|| Make sure you have cell phone chargers and a backup battery (Charge it on a regular basis if necessary) so that in case you don't have a car to charge your phone in or the power is out, you will still have power for your cell. 


||MATCHES, CANDLES, & LIGHTERS|| Always keep matches and lighters as well as a supply of candles.  Make sure you have them in a waterproof container. 


||UTENSILS & PLATES|| Stock up on paper items like napkins, paper towels, paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic utensils for eating and food preparation.


||FIRST AID|| The easiest way to have a first aid kit is to just purchase one from the local drug store but if you want to make your own make sure you have bandages, antibiotic ointment, allergy items, basic pain reliever medicine, gauze, and tape. 


||BLANKETS|| It's always smart to have extra blankets and towels in your kit for hygiene and obviously keeping warm.


||PET SUPPLIES|| If you have pets, you want to make sure they are prepared as well so have a supply of canned food and extra water for them.  If you have portable bowls and water bottles for them, put those in your kit. 


||PAPER & PEN|| It's always good to have something to write with and it gives you something to do if you have kids that will get bored.  Coloring books are a great thing to add to your kit as well as games and puzzles. 








If you have some of these items around your home already that's great but if not, make sure you stock up from a company such as My Patriot Supply. 


You can keep your items in a plastic container but make sure you go through it each year to replace expired items and keep a running list of what's in your kit.  If your household changes over the years, update your kit to reflect those changes.   And of course if you are keeping your kit somewhere in your home make sure all family members know where it is.

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13 SUPER EASY Organization Hacks

I love hacks, whether it's life hacks, food hacks, or organization hacks.  So since it's a new year and a lot of you have resolutions to get your life and your home more organized, I figured you could use some of my favorite organizing hacks.  Some of these are awesome because you can do it with stuff you already have!

Trust me when I say that an organized home is a happy home and can also help you have an organized mind.  I can't remember the last time I couldn't find something or I got frustrated with the way something in my home was set up.  I think I've mastered the art of hacking my organization!  Enjoy.

|Use a Mug for Pens/Art Supplies|
I don't know about you but I have so many mugs and I don't always use them all.  In fact I tend to use the bigger sized mugs because then my clumsy butt doesn't spill coffee on my laptop when I bring my filled to the top cup up to my mouth.  So what do you do with those adorable smaller sized mugs?  Duh! Organize and store! Mugs are great for holding pens, pencils, and other writing supplies.  They make a cute display and if you want to get even more creative you can wrap washi tape around them.  This can also help you free up drawer space.  I seriously have an entire drawer of writing utensils! Time to use those spare mugs!

|Display Jewelry on Hooks|
So I had these extra coat hook bars laying around and years ago I decided that since I have a closet for coats, I should use these for my jewelry.  No more cluttered jewelry box plus it's gorgeous to see them all on display.  You can even hang scarves and belts on them to free up closet or drawer space!

|Use Cardboard as Drawer Dividers|
Sure it may not be the prettiest thing but guess what?! No one ever sees it and if I really wanted to I could put washi tape on the cardboard dividers.   I like to keep my drawers neat and orderly so whenever I had extra shipping boxes that came to my house I cut them up to fit in my drawers so that my clothing stands up neat!

|Shelves for Shoes|
So I actually went out and bought these but you can also use those similar particle board shelving units and just place them in your closet.  Then you use it to hold your shoes.  It's basically vertical storage which means it frees up floor space and it makes it much easier to see what you have and reach in and grab it.

|Tiny Boxes for Hair Accessories|
Whether it's a jewelry box or a small box that business cards come in, it can be used for organizing barrettes, clips, and pony tail holders. I use these little boxes and bins in my vanity drawer. It makes it so easy to grab whatever I need in a hurry. Even the iPhone boxes come with little trays and sections in them so you can use them right away!

|Lay Clothing Vertically in Drawers|

This seriously frees up SO MUCH space! After I started the KonMari Method this became the only storage method for clothing I keep in my dresser drawers.  It came in especially handy for my sock drawer.  If you aren't sure how to fold just google the KonMari Method of folding or check out the illustrated guide here.

|Use Binder Clips for Cords and Cables|

This one is great when you have a drawer full of charging cords and cables.  When you go to pull one out normally about 5 will be yanked out with it. A binder clip like the one above gets the job done and you can even write on a piece of washi tape what the cord or cable is for.

|Nest Food Storage Containers and Lids|

I've seen some people put all of their food storage containers in a drawer but I like nesting it all within itself in a cabinet and then all of the lids that won't fit go inside a big container.  It saves space and stress!

|File Holders for Cutting Boards|

These dang things are so messy to store so I found a file holder I had and I just used that to hold my cutting boards.  It works like a charm!

|Shoe Slotz for Shoes|

These Shoe Slotz are AMAZING! They free up space by taking shoes and stacking them vertically so instead of 2 shoes taking up space it's basically only 1. 

|Stackable Clear Bins for Toiletries|

We have a small house and small medicine cabinets.  We even have small linen closets so I need to maximize storage space.  I use small clear plastic organizing bins to stack and label all my toiletries.

|Keep Manuals in Bins|

Using the same type of bins as I did for toiletries, I store manuals in stacking bins.  This way I can place them wherever I want whether it's in a utility closet or underneath a bed.  This is great because these things can take up a lot of space in a drawer and I'd rather utilize the drawer for something better.

|Label Outlets|

The worst part about trying to unplug a cord is when you don't know which cord is which.  Then you have to sit there and wiggle the one end and see where the other end is that wiggles.   So instead, use a label maker or washi tape to label what every cord is that goes into an outlet.

So I hope some of these organization hacks help you. Let me know which ones you try or leave a comment with some other ones below!

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