Okay y'all might already know this about me but I love memes.  I share them all over my personal Facebook page.  Well because of that I tend to also see a lot in my feed from all the different meme pages I follow.

Over the last couple of months this one photo kept sticking out to me. It looked SO familiar....

It looked like a photo of all my junk after I did the KonMari method of tidying..... But I have a grey car. So I reasoned with myself that it couldn't be the same car.  And I was always on my phone on Facebook so I didn't feel like going to my blog on my phone and trying to find the post.   The only reason I thought it COULD be mine is because for a couple of years I was writing blog posts on different cars I would get to drive for reviews.  And I do remember that I had a few loaner cars during the time I was KonMari tidying my stuff.

Fast forward to now... I'm writing up some new blog posts and reusing some photos from my blog posts, and one is about tidying up.... as I'm scrolling through my blog post I came right to it... the red car photo.  I immediately began googling and Facebook searching for the meme.  Finally I found it and I about crapped myself. LOL!!!!!

It's from this post about tidying my closet with the KonMari Method.  I took it while I had a loaner car that was red. 

Seriously how funny is that????   Have you ever been circulated as a meme from a photo you took?  

Have you seen this specific photo?    Too funny! Made my day!

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Things I'm Doing Different in 2018...

Yes I know it's so cliché to have resolutions for the new year but who cares? You can always use some motivation to better your life, right?

So I think I just need an outlet to air these things out so I can be held more accountable.  2017 was great but it was also a whirlwind of activity.  I think the wedding really consumed my time and energy so I neglected other things.  So here are the things I'm doing different in 2018.

Blogging More and Better
I used to make a decent second income from blogging but last year I honestly put my blog on the back burner and I feel terrible about it.  My income took a hit and with Stella's health problems and Rocky's ongoing heart check up costs I really need to do better at blogging so I can create better content and make more income on the side.  All of my blogging income basically goes towards my dogs and some of it towards my long term savings.  I am going to be taking more blogging courses and webinars this year and I promise you'll be able to see an improvement in my content. 

Also, I think I always focus on how my content can benefit others (advice type posts, etc. ) and that's a great mindset to drive traffic to my site but also I realized I love reading about other people's lives so it's not a bad thing if some of my posts are just about me and my life.  

Paying Off Debts
So I know I was debt free before but now I have approximately $1,800 in credit card debt that I'd like to wipe out.  It's super frustrating because my extra money each month goes towards my dogs when I'd rather just pay off all my debt with it but I know that then I'll end up going back into debt if I don't have money on hand for the dogs.  So I'm going to be super strict with my budget.  If I have to be a hermit and give up my fun money allowance every other paycheck, so be it.  No more impulse buys at the store or shopping because I'm bored. I need to be happy again with what I have. That kind of goes hand in hand with my next point.

As much as I'd like to pay off my debt AND build up my savings I need to just focus on one goal at a time.  That way I think I'll have better luck and motivation to achieve it. So for now it's just the debt!

KonMari! Clear the Clutter!
You can read all my previous KonMari posts here and I bet it'll motivate you. Again, with the wedding last year it was very chaotic and I accumulated some more stuff I don't need or won't use again.  In early December I KonMari'd my closet and dressers again but I have to keep going down the checklist to do the rest of the house again.  They say KonMari is an entire lifestyle change and it is but sometimes the chaos of everyday life can set you back.  So since I feel stressed with trying to find room for all of my kitchen items, or I'm noticing I have way too much beauty supplies, I need to make sure I KM and keep in mind that although our house is only 1,100 square feet it's PLENTY big for us.

Home Improvements
We are going to use our wedding money for a patio out back! I can't freakin' wait!!!! We do have a basement we could finish and new flooring we want to do in the dining room but honestly the patio is the priority for this year! I can't wait!! We will be discussing it with the concrete company in March.  I can't wait to show it off to you guys!

Health and Wellness
I gained more weight, UGH and the struggle is so so so frickin' real so I really need to lose that weight. As much as I want to focus on my fitness routine, the real problem is my eating habits. So I'm going back to logging EVERYTHING I eat in my Fitbit app and no more snacking at night on junk food. It's so hard but I know I can do it.   I would also like to stop being so darn stressed but I know the things I stress about are the things I listed in my above resolutions so I think it'll all take care of itself.

What are your resolutions for 2018?

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FabFitFun Winter Box + Forever 21 Giveaway

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Another season, another box! I'm really excited to share my FabFitFun Winter box with you guys!

 Each box comes with a little newspaper full of fashion tips and advice and an explanation of what's in your box!

Homemade by Ayesha Curry Ceramic Mug// I love my mug! It's oversized which is perfect for the biggest setting on my Keurig machine and they all have super cute saying on them.  Mine says I'd Rather Be In Bed which is very true these days.  And these are perfect for tea and hot cocoa! It's valued at $16.

Pointe Studio Aloe Infused Cozy Socks// EEEEEP! These are so cool. They are super fuzzy and super comfy and if you wash them in cold water and tumble them dry they can last up to 30 washes!! They are great after a long day on your feet!  Perfect for winter, they have a valued of $19.

BB Dakota Poncho// Oh my gosh I was so hype when I saw I got a full size poncho from BB Dakota in my box.  It's perfect for staying warm in the office, it is reversible, and perfect for layering.  I am so glad I got the grey one because it will go with so much! It's valued at $70!  

AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream// This hand cream is formulated with Dead Sea minerals!  It's perfect for winter when my skin gets super dry and itchy.  I love the scent too!  I now carry it in my purse because I use it so often.  It's valued at $33.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment// With papaya, pumpkin, and pineapple enzymes this 2 minute polish works wonders to improve the appearance of my skin's texture and pores.  It's supposed to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles so it's definitely a new part of my nightly skin routine.  Valued at $75.

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray// I love this spray! It's got an amazing mixture of lavender, vetivert, and chamomile and when sprayed on my ty and improve sleep quality. So far so good!!   Valued at $29.

 8 Other Reasons Nine Lives Choker in Silver// This is a really cool layered choker that's elegant and dainty but still makes a nice statement piece.  It's perfect over a simple top or even a low cut dress! I love this style necklace! Valued at $58.

DOUCCE Freematic Eyeshadow Pro Palette in Nude// WOW! Eight matter and shimmer shadows along with a highlighter? Yes please! Smudge-free  and goes on smooth means you can't go wrong.  I needed a new palette so this was great timing! Valued at $70!!

Grace & Stella Anti-Wrinkly + Energizing Eye Masks// These are so fun!!! With gold ingredients, they help perk up your eyes and are super fun to use.  It's a great excuse to relax and pamper yourself for 20-30 minutes a week. Valued at $16. 

You can sign up for the Spring FabFitFun box here using my link! I appreciate it so much!

And now for the giveaway.....

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $150 Forever 21 Gift Card

Co-hosts: Endless Bliss // Sunny Sweet Days // Burning Moon's Inside Advice // Homeschool Insights // Craftyourself // Behind the Plates // Beautiful Touches //  Crayons & Cravings // Coupons and Freebies Mom // Kate Style Petite // The Mommyhood Mentor® // Mama's Mission // Surviving Mommy // Crayons & Cravings // Jenns Blah Blah Blog // Capri's Coupons // Lipgloss and Crayons // Mom and More // Inspiring Words from the Heart // Peanut Butter and Whine // Sparkles and Shoes // Getting Fit Fab // Misadventures with Andi // Beautiful Touches // Java John Z's // The Frugal Free Gal // SWEETHAUTE // Ottawa Mommy Club // Made In A Pinch // Musings of a Museum Fanatic // Homeschool Insights // A Labour of Life // Bill Hiatt's Education Site // Ms. Cat's Honest World // Sunshine and Sippy Cups // Mommies with Cents // English Tea Lady // Deliciously Savvy // Foxy's Domestic Side // Babushka's baile // Ask Away        

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 1/26 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tips for Bloggers working with Brands and PR Agencies

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As a blogger I can attest to the fact that working with brands and PR agencies is CRUCIAL if you want to keep your content exciting, new, and make some sort of income from your traffic and content.   There are many things I've done wrong before and while I've definitely learned from my mistakes, one of the most helpful things was the advice from other bloggers on how to best work with brands and PR agencies. 


If you're relatively new to blogging you may be wondering how you may end up working with a PR agency like Behrman Communications.  By the way, Nancy Behrman has a lot of great articles for bloggers that want to build their brand. PR agencies can really help you when you want to get your name out there and work with different companies.  They act as a middle man that connects you directly with brands that may benefit from collaborating with you.  In exchange, you may get exposure from the brand which helps to boost your traffic and it can even lead to long term paid partnerships.    


So without further ado here are some tips for working with brands and PR agencies.  


||1|| Pitch yourself.  Many bloggers think they can just wait for opportunities to come to them but that's not how it works.  If you reach out to brands or PR agencies you should do by sending a friendly but professional email that explains who you are, why you are interested in working with them, what you can offer them, and some basics on your analytics.   Don't send a generic email pitch to everyone because trust me they will notice just like we notice those lame boring pitches we get from companies that can't even spell our names right.  Make sure the pitch and introduction include personal notes like what products or services you are interested in or admire and get specific with how you could work with them. 


Brands and PR agencies want to know the benefits of even replying to your email so make sure you brainstorm ahead of time.  If you blog about fashion and there's a new line of handbags out from a brand, consider post ideas of how you would feature the handbags and how you would represent the brand/agency through your post. 


||2|| Interact.  As a blogger you NEED to engage your followers and the brands and agencies that YOU follow.  This means interacting on social media and sharing posts that you think would interest your audience.  Trust me, brands and PR agencies notice this stuff.  If you engage with them on social media enough and then end up pitching them, they may even remember you.  Make sure mention your previous interactions with them ("I'm the one that had a Twitter convo with you about rainy day fashion pet peeves"). 


||3|| Be responsive.  After you collaborate with a brand or PR agency make sure you send them the links to any posts or social media touts and then thank them for working with you.   Mark your calendar for a week later and then reach back out and ask them if they saw any increase in traffic or social media engagements from your collaboration.  It's a good idea to collect your stats and analytics so you can include what you saw on YOUR end as well.   This is also a good time to let them know you hope for a future collaboration and make a note in your calendar for a few months down the road to reach out again.


||4|| Re-share often. Just because your collaboration is over doesn't mean you should stop promoting your hard work.  Every month link to your collaboration in a new blog post and make sure to continue sharing on social media. 


These tips aren't that hard to keep in mind so make sure you practice them with every collaboration you have.  The key to boosting traffic on your blog is exposure and the best way to get exposure is by collaborating and having your content exposed to a whole new audience. 


What other tips do you have for working with brands and PR agencies?

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Red Sky Cafe in Camp Hill | A Review

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I wasn't even going to post about my New Year's Eve originally but I had such a great experience where we went that I just had to.   On New Year's Eve we had reservations for a rather new spot in Camp Hill, Red Sky Cafe. Their chef, Wes Stepp brings a taste of the Outer Banks to central PA.  I love the menu selection on their website and how they describe their restaurant. 

Our waitress was named Laurel (I believe) and she was so friendly and sweet.   She really helped make the entire experience that much better. 

There was a menu for New Year's Eve specials which was a select number of items from their main menu. 

James got the pork ribs and I got the NY Strip Steak with a Crabcake served over grits.   I could not believe how much food came.  It was $36 for my plate and $30 for James' plate and seriously there was enough food to give me 2 meals (but I was a pig and ate it all).  Now as most of you know, James is gluten free and it's impossible to find a place anymore that has a great selection.  We were ecstatic when Laurel explained to us that any dish can be made gluten free and that most of their selection is already gluten free.  James was in heaven knowing he wasn't super limited like usual.  

So before dinner came out we were served house artichoke dip with bread and gluten free corn chips.  It was so delicious.   The whole atmosphere was really great and it totally made me feel like I wasn't sitting in Central PA in the frigid cold. 

Dessert was a delicious slice of Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake.  I loved the presentation but I loved the taste even more. 

This was such a great date night for us and I can't wait to go back. 




If you are in the central Pennsylvania area make sure you check out Red Sky Cafe.

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5 Essential Customer Service Tips

Customer service is everything anymore whether you're a blogger, a business owner, or an employee of a company.  Customer service not can not only affect your reputation in your industry but it can also make or break a relationship with a customer.  

Below you will find 5 essential customer service tips that you should evaluate yourself on and make sure you are putting into action. 

Tip #1: Ask for Feedback
One of the best ways to get honest opinions about how well you're serving your target customers is by asking your customers flat out.  If you have a website you can ask them for feedback through surveys or pop ups and if you own a business you can check website reviews of your business as well as letting customers know how and where they can leave feedback. 


Tip #2: Put Yourself in Their Shoes
It's essential to stop and look at things from the opposite side when it comes to business and customer service.   Put yourself in the customer's shoes and imagine how they might feel.  Sometimes this is the best way to gain perspective on what you are or aren't doing right. 

Tip #3: Focus on What You Do Right
If you get more sales or better business with certain customer service practices then make sure you do those even more and even better.  If something's already working then it's crucial to evaluate how you can make it EVEN BETTER.
Put Yourself in the Consumer/Customer's Shoes

Tip #4: Pay Attention to Others
If other companies in the same industry are succeeding with certain practices, take notes!  If people are happy with certain things that other companies do, maybe it's time that you do the same.

Tip #5: You Can Always Do Better
Even if things are going perfect and business is booming, don't ever stop trying to improve.  It's okay to celebrate your successes but keeping things the same can sometimes have a negative effect over time.  Again, use the tips above to improve your already successful customer service practices.  



Again, whether you're a business owner or even a part-time blogger, customer service is always something that can be worked on and improved.

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