3000 Followers Event ~ Q & A, the ANSWER edition

 ~ The Answer Edition ~

Pricing stuff

 Hi Sommer!

I'm not accustomed to selling DIY items yet as my business (vehicle graphics and graphic design) is VERY different. However one way I've always determined price is:

#1. What the market for your type of wares will bear.

#2. Is yours the same as others or are your goods unique?

#3. The quality of your goods/talent.

In a nutshell, if you create something no one else is creating, you can nearly name your price. However, pump out the kind of work 101 others are doing around you, and you suddenly need to work with the market value of your given item.

Where you choose to sell your items appear to affect what you can charge for certain things too. I know first hand that garage sales are geared to get rid of your stuff, not make you rich. I attempted to sell a painted table at one and I got UNDER what I originally paid for it. Without the new paint. So... forget that! :)

Miss Mustard Seed wrote a wonderful post on this very topic. I highly suggest to give this a read HERE.

On Dating

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Dearest Kolein,

I have NO idea what blind date I've been on but if I said I was, I must have been sleep walk blogging. I've never been on a blind date in my life! I've done an itty bitty bit of online dating a few years back and that was blind enough thankyouverymuch.

This chick is rollin' single these days. Why? I'm not even sure why. It just became habit and now it's normal to be on my own. It took me a long time to reach this place of contentment solo, so I'm enjoying life just the way it is, kickin' around with just my son and I. We have close friends, family that's tight, so we're content as is.

Now... should cute Mr. Right come wandering by, in complete welding gear, (any building kinda gear would do) toting a big box of Purdy's dark chocolate covered cherries,  is young at heart and has a sense of humor without turning comedian on me (kwim?), uses rusty gears as door stops, is a pretty decent cook, (bonus round if he has a younger daughter cuz my son desires a sister LOL) and falls head over heals in love with my son, I'll know it. And maybe even blog about it. Maybe... :)

Lori, me too! LOL

 What am I REALLY like?

 Well, I read this response from my iPhone on my lunch hour, so I got right with it on this little mission. Bad camera quality setting and all. (whoops!)





Seriously,  I don't do anything crazy out of the norm of anyone else.

I go to work, come home, parent, blog, then go to bed.  Friday nights I hit Starbucks (for a pumpkin spice latte) with my laptop while my son is in basketball camp. I shop for groceries at the nearest store available because I can't stand shopping for groceries.  I hate tiling but love the look. I adore my pets but adore my son even more. I take parenting seriously but also don't forget to have fun while doing it. I've got waaaay too much on the go at the same time but I wouldn't have it any other way. Because when things are at a standstill, I fret about dumb things. I'd rather be busy and happy. I'm indecisive with myself, yet have no issues with offering advice to others. :)

In a nutshell, when you have as much on your plate as I do, it doesn't leave alot of time for friendships and outings outside of this little world of mine. That's something I hope to change over time as more of my time becomes my own.

And if you aren't too sick about me me me yet, I did  an ALL ABOUT ME post HERE just recently.

Post wise, I'll attempt to fit in abit more on what I do during the course of my days to address Polly's inquiries.

 Time Saving Blog Tips

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Hey Becky and Julie!

I suppose the only way to really answer this is, I'm as short on time as anyone else here. However, I love to write. I love photography. I love to stage and decorate. So all those things are passions that become completely painless to do. And I gravitate towards them before I gravitate towards stuff less enjoyable to me.

So how do I pull it off?

I blog when I shouldn't. (whoops!)
I stay up too late. (I'm working on that!)
I blog when the inspiration hits (not always great for the 'ol schedule)
My computer is VERY nice and VERY accessible which makes blogging even more enticing.

And yeah. Something has to give. I have weeds in my garden. My house is generally a 'cleanish messy.' I forget about dirty dishes when the writing mood strikes. And on it goes. It's simply all about choices and balance. Which I continue to work on.

Blog saving time tips?

Start drafts when the mood  strikes and finish them later.
Schedule some posts so you can enjoy your life too and not stay up all night to meet self inflicted deadlines. (I do SNS's this way nearly a week in advance)
Train yourself to blog only when it's a good time. (ie after kids are in bed)

Post inspiration on juggling blog time

I also wrote a post titled How Do You Juggle Blog Time HERE. Check out the 49 comments too! You are not alone. :)

 Advertisements 

It's nice to make abit of money on the side of our hobbies. The advertisers help me to be able to be here. I appreciate them very much!

And at some point, most of us entertain the idea of opening up our blogs to advertising.

My suggestion is, try it! Just remember to keep your own voice because that's WHY your followers visit you. The Sponsor Store helps me keep advertising in that area, and Funky Junk, just Funky Junk.

But do keep in mind, if you wish to try, it's important that you're driving traffic your way first so your advertisers get the most exposure. Link parties, frequent new posts and growing followers all help. Offering something unique on your blog also REALLY helps.

However, blogging alongside advertisers does slightly change. You now have new responsibilities and paperwork.  Taking a blog hiatus when the mood strikes doesn't jive well with a paying sponsor, and rightfully so. So make sure you LOVE blogging first, THEN entertain the idea of taking in advertising. NOT the other way around.

Post inspiration on making money on your blog

Thrifty Decor Chick wrote a great post on this topic called Shake Your Money Maker. It's a great read!

Staying motivated and juggling family time

Hey Jamie,

Surprisingly enough, I don't find anything I work on boring. ( Except for my tile floor... bleah.)  So, I generally have no issues with staying committed to a project on the go.

My trouble is FINDING the time to 'gitter done.' I have to stop constantly because life takes over. My time is really tight. So more times than not, my projects may sit because I can't get back to it. Yet.

However, if you do find you're growing unmotivated with your given projects, I suggest to work on something you DO love. It helps! Passion takes over and carries you much further and the task becomes virtually effortless.

How to do this with a 2 yr old in tow? I wish I knew. I stopped my passions when my son was that age because I slept when he did. (including naps) So I commend any of you with young ones that even FEEL like doing stuff. I didn't have the energy.

But I will say, even with an 11 yr old son, it's tricky. I want to go go go on the weekends but I have to remember the boy needs clean clothes and food in his tummy as well as mom time. So I'll divide the day up. I'll work on something while he helps or works on his own thing, then we'll go for a walk to the store for a slushie afterwards. It's all one can really do if your kids don't have a sibling nor other parent handy.

And I do escape. We love to camp and went a few weekends this past summer. I highly value our little getaways from real life!

Something that also helps me tremendously is, before you start your project, write a list down of all the supplies you require. Then next time you go shopping, ensure you pick up EVERYTHING on that list. You are now prepared to work even 10 min at a time if need be. There's nothing more aggravating as having to run into town for sandpaper, when all you have is 10 min to sand, period.

Post inspiration on staying motivated

I've written a post on staying motivated, titled 10 tips on staying motivated, positive, and productive HERE. I think it ties into this inquiry nicely.

Staying ahead of the game

Hey Dogsmom!

I'm 48 years old so I am not exactly a spring chicken any longer. And I DO get tired and exhausted and all those things.  But I also believe in my health. What helps me stay the most energized is getting enough sleep, going for walks, combined with eating properly. Do that and the rest gets easier.
 
How do I prioritize? By order of demand. :)

If we need to eat, I make dinner.
If it's my son's bedtime, nothing else matters, it's time to settle him in.

Yup, I run late on some tasks at times. And then I get angry at myself for messing up yet again, and vow to do better next time. Rinse and repeat.

Multitasking does help to stay ahead of the game of life. I will at times remind myself I need to accomplish more than 1 thing at a time. If the laundry is in the washer and another load drying on the line while I'm cooking dinner, I'm getting 3 things done at once! Unfolded laundry gets plunked on my kitchen island so it's handy to fold and put away while I'm cooking or watching a show. You get the idea.

And being tough on oneself is important too. Set limitations on blogging. "I have to get the kitchen cleaned up 100% before I'm allowed to sit down." is one I play on myself alot.


How do I keep from getting exhausted? I sleep more when needed. 

It's as easy as switching off the computer by 11pm and just going to bed. That's been my new mantra of late and I'm not doing too shabby at it! It wasn't that long ago I'd play until 2am and the odd time, 4am when I've discovered a new program and can't stop because it's too much fun! Crazy crazy.


Well friends, that was alot of fun! I hope I've addressed all that you desired to know. If you have any other questions about most anything, feel free! I'll either answer in comments or in a new post.

And feel free to follow along on Facebook. I personally feel it's a wonderful way to address any questions you may have so others can enjoy the answers as well!

As part of the 3000 Followers Event, stay tuned for an upcoming junk giveaway you WON'T want to miss!

Thank-you for all your wonderful votes thus far in the One Project Closer Before and After event. While I'd love to win, it really isn't my style to request votes. I want the most deserving project to win.

And just so you know what I'm talking about...

My shower wah wah post was HERE.

And you can vote once a day HERE

I'll get my shower surround one day. You just wait and see. :)

(voting ends Sat at noon)

Thanks again! You're awesome.