POKE.LY for Twitter

Do you like to 'poke' your friends over on Facebook? it's fun to show them you are thinking about them enough to send them "a cup of coffee" or "go kung-fu fighting" with them.

Well, a new application for Twitter called POKE.LY came out and it works just like the Facebook application. You chose an action, pick some friends and then send the poke. Easy peasy!

Live show here at 2pm EST!!!

My friend Katja Presnal is doing a live web show today at 2 p.m. EST and you can watch it live here on my blog! How cool is that!

What's even cooler?? She will be giving away 5 x $25 e.l.f. Cosmetics gift cards during the show.

Part of the show is an interview of her in NYC last week at the elf cosmetics. So, tune in at 2 p.m. EST !

Jyl Johnson Pattee: Changing the world one mom at a time

Me: Please tell my readers what your websites name is and what it's all about.

Jyl: http://momitforward.com/ (Mom It Forward). Mom It Forward is a community of women whose purpose is to change the world one mom at a time by helping each other out, building each other up, and assisting those who can not help themselves. Each member has the opportunity to interact with thousands of other members through blogs, Twitter parties, and other forums. What started as a Twitter tutorial in September 2008 has grown into a top-trending weekly “girl’s night out” (#gno) Twitter party and recently into momitforward.com, where women learn about topics and products that help them achieve success and greater productivity in their personal lives and in their role as a mother/influencer. This active community socializes, shares, and supports each other both on and offline.

Me: What inspired you to start Mom it Forward?

Jyl: In mid-September 2008, friend Carissa Rogers and I, were wanting to learn the Twitter ropes. We talked two other women into joining with us and we had a "girl's night out" to learn the Twitter ropes real time together. We had such a great time that we decided to meet the same time, the next week for another "girl's night out." The following week, we had 15 people. The third week, we applied the hashtag #gno and had 50 people. #GNO has happened every Tuesday night since then.

Me: Since starting MIF, what have been your greatest accomplishments and most challenging obstacles?

Jyl: The greatest accomplishments, other than the personal relationships I have formed (which absolutely takes first place), have been the impact I have learned from individuals or organizations. One girl recently told us how social media has made such an impact in her life personally and professionally and had it not been for #gno and the amazing community of women that take part in it, she never would have delved in as deeply as she has to the various social media spaces. Yehu Micro finance (http://yehu.org/) gained $15,000 in donations and tripled the traffic to its website because of online and offline Mom It Forward/#gno events. People in it Kenya branch as well as one recipient of a micro loan were able to tweet with our community. Bridging the cultural, socio-economic, and distance gap through Twitter has to be one of the greatest accomplishments to me.

The biggest challenge? Keeping the content relevant, the members feeling included and cared about, the energy high, the ideas fresh. I work very hard to ensure this. When a well planned out event falls through at the last minute, it is an exciting challenge to find replacements that offer the community a great evening.

Me: Tell my readers what GNO is and how they can get involved in all of the fun.

Jyl: #GNO is a weekly Twitter party that meets every Tuesday from 9-11 p.m. EST on Twitter. The parties give women a wonderful, virtual gathering place and allows Mom It Forward the opportunity to choose monthly themes, weekly topics, bring on guest panelists, and introduce products through giveaways that focus on strengthening and supporting women individually, as moms and influencers, and in their quest to make a difference.

Me: What events do you currently have going on? What's coming up?

Jyl: We are currently doing a summer event called The Summer of Service. It is a challenge to perform one act of kindness a week from June 2 to Labor Day. Each week has a different challenge with 10 suggested ideas for meeting that challenge. You can also come up with one of your own. Because every challenge should come with a reward, each week also has a giveaway. This week we are giving away a Kodak digital camera. Next week, we are giving away a $100 gift certificate to Alice.com, etc.

Me: What or who has inspired you the most in your life?

Jyl: I come from a long line of strong, service-oriented, and inspiring women. Closest to me are my grandma and my mom. They modeled the importance of taking care of self, being the best mom or influencer you can be, always with the goal to give back and help others when at all possible. They made me feel as if I were the most loved child and granddaughter and that their love for me extended beyond what I did in a moment, even if they disapproved of it. They also taught me to have confidence, be resourceful, ask for help, and be grateful. Hopefully, I can achieve all that some day ;).

Me: What is your favorite social media site:)? How can someone follow or find you?

Jyl: I love looking at our custom tweet grids. There are lots of great sites out there, but I feel like I've come home when I'm on the grid watching all the fabulous women in the community comment and share their lives. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else on a Tuesday night. OK... maybe at the beach once and a while LOL!

Me: Do you have a blog? If so, what is it called and how can we find it?

Jyl: I have a personal blog called http://mommygossip.blogspot.com/. I write about once a month. It's been a fun way to document personal and family experiences. I love that blog, because it is what got me into social media.

Me: Does Mom It Forward or GNO have a Facebook fan page?

Jyl: Yes... Mom It Forward has many Facebook Groups and one Facebook Fan Page. Here's the main group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45872861859&ref=ts. The fan page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mom-It-Forward/112902215537?ref=ts. You can also join the LinkedIn Group, the Flickr Group, the YouTube Channel, and connect with us on our site at http://momitforward.com/ where we update #GNO party information each Sunday evening.

Me: What advice would you give someone trying to start a charitable organization?

Jyl: Make sure you have clearly identified your mission, vision, values, goals, objectives, and milestones. All decisions will be easier once you have identified the building blocks! And also, don't discount awareness. Sometimes it feels like it needs to be all about the money or you're not achieving success, but awareness and personal investment other than financial is huge!!!

Ideal Bite delivered right to your inbox

I found this website called Ideal Bite and signed up to have their newsletters delivered by email.

Ideal Bite sends me tips on ways I can impact the planet and my community in a positive way.

"Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living - ideas for real people who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results."

I love the simple tips from baby food to organic frozen treats to which companies test their products on animals.

The mission of Ideal Bite: to create a more sustainable world by connecting enlightened companies with responsible consumers who are ready to make small changes that add up. Ideal Bite is a sassier shade of green.

Beauty and the Beat Dead

Michael Jackson (1958-2009) and Farrah Fawcett(1947-2009) died today. This is a sad, sad day.

Photo: Fawcett in a 1975 publicity portrait. Credit: Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Privacy on Facebook

Most people probably already know this, but if you don't I'm here to fill you in. When you are posting pictures of Facebook, each picture needs to be given a privacy setting. Now, if you don't care who sees what, then skip this post, but if you have children that you want to protect from what "could" happen, then read on.

Facebook launched a beta test that foreshadows new privacy controls coming to “Publisher” – the box at the top of your home and profile pages where you add content. The changes will let you easily specify who among your friends gets to see that specific photo, video or status update you’re sharing.

This is great for me because I have a mixture of people that are my "friends" on Facebook. I have old high school friends, mid-life crisis friends, online friends, business contacts and family. I really don't want certain people seeing certain pictures, like me right after giving birth to my third daughter, hugging all three girls...yes it's "sweet," but not everyone needs to see that personal moment in time.

I love Facebook because I can quickly share photos and videos of my girls to friends and family in California who are always whining for more, but others probably don't care as much about the kids as much as seeing me and knowing what I'm up too.

The test version is available to only “a small number of users” who previously set their status updates and profile privacy settings to be visible to “Everyone,” Facebook says in a blog post, but hopes to expand the group “soon.”

source: The New York Times

Tweet Boxx

Break.com, a Los Angeles based company, has launched TweetBoxx, a weekly online web series hosted by "Man in the Box" star Mike Polk. In the premier episode, Polk makes fun of tweets from Kim Kardashian, Soulja Boy, and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. Mike is definitely funnier than the tweets themselves. Check it out!


Tweet Boxx Episode 1 - Watch more Funny Videos

Share things on Twitter

Twitter is one of the best places to share stuff. You may be reading a great post from Mashable and want to share with others by using TwitThat. You may have found a fun song on Blip.com that is making your hips shake. Maybe you just made a necklace that you posted to Etsy or you may be having lunch with a celebrity or social media expert and want to post a picture on TwitPic. Whatever the case may be, Twitter is a great place to share things.

Twitter is like a information exchange hub. Information is being exchanged at warp speed through the power of social media and it's important you know what and when to share.

Personalizing your Tweets is important because it builds trust amongst your followers, but there is a fine line and you don't want to cross it if you would like to be considered professional and/or trustworthy. Basically, the rule of thumb is, if you don't want your tweet printed across the NY Times, don't share.

Would you want everyone in the United States to know you are going out of town for the weekend, leaving your home unoccupied? Probably not a good idea. Israel Hyman found out the hard way when he came home to a burglarized home.

Word to the wise... be careful, don't drunk tweet and share the sweet stuff!

Have you heard? Alice.com is LIVE!

I've been reading the Alice.com blog since it started and have really enjoyed the pairing of products, the cool contests and the sneak peeks into other bloggers medicine cabinets. They've kept me enticed and wanting more for months now.

Well, the wait is over and the official Alice.com website finally launched yesterday and it is so cool! What I love about it is that it's a shopping website and I love to shop, shipping is always FREE and I adore FREE and there are coupons for the everyday things I buy and there is no cutting involved or paper to throw away! Yippee! All my favorite things in one online shop!

Alice.com helps you manage your time better by eliminating the need to make a trip to the store to buy your household necessities. Also, how many of you go to Target with a list and walk out with bags of stuff you had no intention of buying? (raising hand) This happens more if I have my girls with me, but none the less, it ALWAYS happens!

Time to get what you NEED, when you need it by using Alice.com....did I mention shipping is FREE... I still can't get over that!

Almost forgot... if you go over to JessicaKnows.com, you can enter to win $ to spend at Alice.com! Woohoo!

Meet Trisha From MomDot: She says it like it is!

Me: What is your blogs name and what is it about?

Trisha: My blog is http://momdot.com/. We are a mishmash of collective bloggers all over the web submitting their best posts, uploading their fabulous videos, and interacting in a community. MomDot also is known for its MomDot Admin blog which consists of Alicia, Bridgette, and I . We write some racy and controversial stuff there.

Me: What do you think about the new Mommy Blogger title changing to Digital Mommy?
Trisha: I think its stupid. I also think 'social media' is stupid. Moms are single handedly creating and destroying the internet in one fail swoop. Are we bloggers or are we microtwitterers? I cant be in 5 places at once and also expect to put out good content. I am a blogger, not a social media star.

Me: What kind of cell phone do you own?

Trisha: A shitty one. I have a whole cell phone saga. My phone does not even text. Hell, it barely makes a call.

Me: What do you use your cell phone for besides talking on?

Trisha: Nothing. Its decoration for my desk. Like a paperweight...

Me: What is your favorite social media website?

Trisha: YouTube. I think nothing says interaction like a video. Text can be boring, misunderstood, miscommunicated, but when someone is on video, there is no mistaking a feeling or attitude.

Me: What are your three favorite blogs?

Trisha: The Bloggess, Barefoot Foodie, WombAtTheInnsane.com, and a 4th would be my own, MomDot.com

Me: Do you shop online? If so, what are your favorite online stores?

Trisha: On occasion. I used to have an ebay addiction obsessing over the newest Gymboree Line. I have since gotten over it. You will find me more often at mom boutiques nosing through the great products that moms create. I only wish I could afford some of the handmade clothing!

Me: What is your online schedule like on a typical day?

Trisha: Up at 7, bring Charlotte to gymnastics camp or school, working on site from 830-12, get Charlotte, she naps at 2, back to the grind till around 430, she gets up, DH comes home at 5, dinner, back to the grind from 8 till 11.

Me: What blogger do you feel you have learned the most from?

Trisha: It's a toss between Kim from http://accidentalmommies.com/ and Cat from http://3kidsandus.com/ . Both are incredibly knowledgeable on all fronts. They are also incredibly giving with their knowledge.

Me: What is the one piece of advice you would give to a mom that is just starting out in the blogging world?

Trisha: My advice would be to not get caught up in what you SHOULD be doing and just do what you WANT to do. Its ok to not want a Facebook, a Twitter, a page rank, a Ning site, a radio show, and 200 visitors a day. Its also OK to not get caught up in doing reviews and giveaways. Its very easy to feel competitive with what your not doing rather then focusing on what you are. Everyone is uniquely special online. Don't try to conform.

Me: Do you ever feel like getting back to the 9 to 5 work day?

Trisha: No. I could never stand working for someone. It doesn't matter what I am doing, Ill always be running my own show.

Me: How do you balance your online life and your offline life? (or do you?)

Trisha: Does blogging about your life count? I don't balance it well. I never have. I have always been someone with 20 projects going on at once. Before blogging it was forums, before forums it was photography, before photography it was building websites. I can just say my husband knew what he was getting into before he married me, so on some level, he must enjoy my entrepreneurial spirit.

Me: What kind of car do you drive? What are your favorite features?

Trisha: I drive a Ford Explorer and an Infiniti G35. I like the space in my Ford and I like the 6 CD changer in the Infiniti. I especially like to load it w/ all my CDs so when my husband drives it, its full of the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. I think he secretly enjoys it.

Me: Do you make money with your blog?

Trisha: Yes and I also teach others how to make money with theirs. We also give back by offering scholarship opportunities, free money making classes, and we helped over 10 women secure BlogHer sponsorships this year. Additionally we are really focused in giving back and have raised, along with the help of many people specifically Louise from www.MomStart.com, over $12,000 in products for The Center for Courageous Kids.

Me: You are always talking about Dooce . What gives? Are you a lover or a hater?
Trisha: I am an opportunist. When Dooce was on Oprah, it absolutely made sense to talk about her. I was number 1 on google for "Dooce on Oprah" and got thousands of hits those few days from people searching her. I even beat DOOCE on Dooce. But in all seriousness, I appreciate her. I cant stand that her comments get closed so quickly. I don't like not getting to know the bloggers I visit, so I don't visit her that often. If I cant have a relationship with you, or even pretend to have a relationship with you, then I don't waste my energy on you. I also don't think Dooce is a 'mom' blogger. Mom Blogging is a niche market that really means a social media blogger. Dooce is a blogger that happens to be a mom. There is a difference.

Me: Why do you think you influence so many people?

Trisha: Because I am not afraid of consequences. I do not care if I step on toes, if someone doesn't like my opinion, I don't worry about being tweeted or blogged about. In fact, If I have moved someone to respond at all, I think its impressive.

Me: What projects/events/contests do you have going on that you’d like everyone to know about?

Trisha: MomDot recently changed formats where bloggers can come on and submit their own work. We encourage the advertising of your company, reviews, best posts, and videos. Any way we can work together as a true community makes me smile. MomDot also has its one year anniversary coming up. I am happy we were able to push through for a year.

Me: What are your goals with your blog? What goals have you already achieved that you are proud of?
Trisha: I think I have recently accomplished a good majority of them so its time to write out some new ones. For me, the whole reason to get online was to create a place with a free exchange of information for women to grow and learn from each other. Who is more knowledgeable then a mom? No one. Combining all these wonderful women in one place has been a challenge, but a worthwhile one.
I was also invited to write a chapter in a book that comes out soon regarding work at home moms. That has been sent off to the editor. I'm looking forward to being a published author.
Coming up for me personally is that I am one of the newest professional bloggers for MySpace.com. That starts in July. They said they specifically picked me because they loved my content. I was very flattered. I put a lot of work into what I write so its nice to be recognized for it.

Me: What talk show host or news anchor would you love to be interviewed by?

Trisha: Its terribly sad, but I don't watch TV. I couldn't tell you the name of any news anchor or TV host out there. I would, however, love to be on Big Brother.

Me: What has been the coolest event, product , etc. that you've had the opportunity to review?
Trisha: The majority of items reviewed on MomDot I don't actually do the reviewing. I have long since learned that the energy and time you have to put into a product review is something I am not willing to do for a freebie. If someone wants my time, they generally have to purchase it.
However sometimes something peeks my interest and I get involved. Most recently I have really enjoyed the new mom t-shirt company The Bomb Mom and everyone I talk to loves how soft their shirts are as well. After I had worn that shirt in public, someone recognized me from it later on. I think that says a lot about a company. And its a mom running it...whats better then that?

Keep it or shred it?

Knowing what financial papers to keep and what papers can be shredded is sometimes hard to remember and then you've got a file cabinet full of papers and you get to the point where you want to shred it all.

Shred

• bank statements, once you've balances your checkbook, shred away.
• paid bills
• mutual fund prospectuses

File away

• pay stubs, until you've confirmed your W-2
• tax returns, keep for 6 years
• social security notices, until a new one comes

Save forever

• any loan statement that says paid in full
• mortgage settlement statement, even for a property you've sold

from Barbara Hemphill, author of Taming the Paper Tiger at Home

Barack Obama Jib Jab Video

The crew at JibJab have done it again! Here is their latest video staring our President...

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Last Minute Father's Day Idea- PigSpigot

So, maybe it totally slipped your mind that Father's Day is in two days and Dad lives all the way across the United States! Ooops! That's what happens to us Digital Mommy's running our blogs and taking care of our families...time just flys by!

Well, you are in luck! You may not have time to send a gift, unless you can get Mom to run out to the store for you, pick something up and then slap a card on it that says, " From, daughter." Not very personable... don't ya think?

Here's my plan, since I'm the one I'm talking about in the above statements...yes, forgot about Father's Day...my bad! I'm going to send my Dad an ecard from PigSpigot. They have really cool, unique cards unlike the ones you see at those other ecard sights. It's FREE to email the cards or $3.99 to have them print the card and snail mail it to the recipient. Thank heavens for the Internet...right!?

Welcome Dooce's Baby

Marlo Iris Armstrong

7lbs. 15oz.

21 inches long

born at 1:53 AM, 06/14/2009

If you haven't heard yet, Digital Mommy Heather Armstrong, of the blog Dooce, gave birth to a second daughter, Marlo. This is a big deal to "Mommy Bloggers" because Heather is a celebrity in the blogging world, blogging since 2001 she says it like it is and reveals her true self in her writings. She is ultra entertaining and will make you blush at her bluntness.

Congratulations Heather! Can't wait to read all about the birthing experience!

Mom Owned Home Based Business Thriving in Unsteady Economy

Me: Can you give my readers a brief description of what your company name is and what you do?

Janene: My company is Trending Solutions, LLC. Our company provides customer service and order fulfillment for small business. We become an extension of their business by handling the day-to-day activities which allow the business owners time to focus on growing their businesses.

Me: The economy is hurting, but some industries are thriving. Are you thirsty or thriving?

Janene: Our business is definitely thriving. During tough economic times, marketing is key and in order for small businesses to have time to market their businesses, they need to get some of the daily functions off their plate. That is where we step in.

Me: In 2008 did you make money or lose money? How are you doing in 2009?

Janene: We made money last year. In 2009, we are on track to seeing our business increases by 4 times over last year.

Me: Why did you decide to start your own company and leave the corporate world?

Janene: I was completely burnt out in the corporate world. I worked a tremendous amount of hours and traveled quite a bit, which took me away from family. I wanted to take my skills and experiences and create a business that I could start from home to be with my son. But my business has also become a family business where we are all involved and work together to help it grow.

Me: What are your favorite sites/forums for gaining information to assist you in your business?

Janene: The main site I used when I started my business was www.Mompreneursonline.com . The members provided very candid feedback when I bounced ideas off of them and openly offered suggestions. I still actively participate and many of the participants on the site have actually become my customers.
I feel it is important to find a site that works for you and not only provides support but is also a place that provides a lot of business insight, such as new networking sites, introduction of new technologies, etc.

Me: If you could give one piece of business advice, what would it be?

Janene: Be realistic in setting income expectations. Very few people start a business and become an overnight success. It takes a tremendous amount of work, long hours and very little income (if any) for the first year or two. Depending on your business type, overhead and start-up costs, it could take 3-5 years before you generate a profit and a steady income. As they say, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Me: Do you have a favorite book that has helped you in making business decisions or helped in answering important business questions?

Janene: It may sound silly, but the books I read were mostly for motivational purposes. “Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur’s Soul” is one of my favorites. It helps keep all of the hard work and hard knocks in perspective.

Me: What is your favorite social media site? How long would you say you spend "socializing"?

Janene: The first part of the question I think I answered above. I spend about ½ - 1 hour a day.

Me: What is your twitter id?

Janene: TrendingSol

Me: Why should someone follow you on Twitter?

Janene: (This question made me laugh. I haven’t had much time to be on Twitter lately, so people wouldn’t benefit much from following me J)

Do You ZooLoo?

I've been asked this question and haven't been able to answer it yet because I still don't know what ZooLooing is. I do know, that ZooLoo has been teasing me for quite some time and I also know that I really enjoy their blog because I'm a huge fan of social media (who isn't right?!) and they are on top of what's going on in the world of social media.

I'm getting pretty excited to find out what ZooLoo is because I just read that ZooLoo started with 8 employees and has grown to 24 employees in the past year. That means they are on the rise...one of the few companies that is actually hiring. Pretty exciting!

ZooLoo's core mission: "... to improve the Internet experience for everyone,” said ZooLoo CEO and founder Jeff Herzog."

This is way too exciting! Something that is going to improve the Internet experience makes me all giddy inside! I think I just might ZooLoo... will you?

Finding People to Follow on Twitter

So, you've set up your Twitter account and you are clueless as to where to find people to follow. You don't just want to follow anyone because you are not a robot, you'd like to actually use Twitter the way it was intended to be used... to converse with others, not spit out useless information.

Well, the are two websites I use to find people to follow that have the same interests or are in the demographic area that I am located and they are Mr. Tweet and Twellow.

With Mr. Tweet, you are recommended Twitter users that are relevant to you. All you do is follow Mr. Tweet and then you will get Direct Messages (DM) with a link to followers recommended to you by Mr. Tweet.

Twellow is like the yellow pages for Twitter. You can put in any keyword and Twellow will give you users that have tweeted that keyword, have the keyword in their bio or live in a specific location. I've used it to find people to follow that live in Michigan, specifically Rochester to help grow my local blog that posts things to do in the area.

Twitter can be very beneficial if you have a strong following. You just need to follow people that are in your same niche and have the same interests and more than likely, they will follow you back.

Instant Ways to Refresh Your Body and Mind

Do you have to have a mid-day coffee break to continue to function for the rest of the day? Do the circles under your eyes look like your 3 yr old painted them on you with a crayon? Your to do list consists of go to the bathroom, eat and get dressed because you can't seem to remember anything these days?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then it's time to refresh, recharge and regain your energy:

• Refresh: Take a deep breath. Before you are going to tackle your next blog post, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and focus on the here and now. Give your mind a time out.
• Recharge: Head outside. Go out in the yard and toss a ball around with your kids. Grab a glass of lemonade and sit on the front porch. Getting ten minutes of sun will wake up your metabolism. Make sure you do this in the early A.M. or late afternoon when rays are the safest.
• Regain: Workout. Take 20-30 minutes and do 1 minute of high intensity cardio followed by 2 minutes at a slower pace and then repeat. This will help your body handle stress by alternating between the short bursts of speed.

photo: stockvault

Jill Caren: Another Mom Thriving in Harsh Economic Times

Me: Can you give my readers a brief description of what your company name is and what you do?

Jill: My official company name is 2 Dogs Media, LLC. I actually do a variety of things, but my primary focus these days are my own personal blog at http://www.coolphotoideas.com/ and doing web design and SEO through my site at http://www.2dogsdesign.com/.

Me: The economy is hurting, but some industries are thriving. Are you thirsty or thriving?

Jill: I am currently thriving and feel blessed to be in this position.

Me: In 2008 did you make money or lose money? How are you doing in 2009?

Jill: This is a tough question because part of 2008 I had a retail store and photography studio to pay for. I closed that in May 2008, but am still paying off the loans and debt from that venture. The economy is the reason that I closed it and I do not regret that for a minute as it has helped me leap into new ventures. So for 2008, no I did not make money, but I definitely will for 2009 through my web design and blog.

Me: You recently got a full scholarship to BlogHer 09 from Kodak. Congratulations! Can you tell my readers how you secured such an amazing sponsorship?

Jill: This one was actually a bit of luck which is not something I am used to! I entered a contest on another blog to win a printer - and did not know until after the fact that that would enter me into the running to win the scholarship. So, no fancy footwork here, just luck!

Me: What are your favorite sites/forums for gaining information to assist you in your business?

Jill: Wow, there are probably too many to list. I love http://www.mompreneursonline.com/ for the social aspect of learning from women who are like minded, motivated and movers and shakers. I like http://www.abestweb.com/ for all of my affiliate marketing strategies. I also love http://www.webdesignerwall.com/, http://jimsmarketingblog.com/, http://www.alistapart.com/ and http://www.smashingmagazine.com/ rounding out the top! You want more?!?! :-)

Me: If you could give one piece of business advice, what would it be?

Jill: If you truly want to make money in your business and be successful, treat it like a real business! Be professional in all that you do, socialize with people who know more than you, learn to take constructive criticism and don't be afraid to fail and try again - ask me how I know this one!

Me: Do you have a favorite book that has helped you in making business decisions or helped in answering important business questions?

Jill: Not really...I rarely read these days! More of a magazine girl and even those I am only reading web design magazines! I find most books to be outdated in terms of the advice they give so I don't find them useful in regards to things I tackle on a day to day basis.

Me: What is your favorite social media site? How long would you say you spend "socializing"?

Jill: I am a Twitter girl through and through, but did just start using Facebook about 3 weeks ago and am learning to love that as well. I spend several hours a day socializing on average although lately it is significantly less due to workload. But I do find that the more active I am the better the results in terms of click throughs to posts I share or things I need help with.

Me: What is your twitter id? Why should someone follow you on Twitter?

Jill: My Twitter id is @coolphotoideas. I talk mostly about photo related things for consumers. I share truly unique photo concepts from wall displays to photo gift ideas - and we are not talking Snapfish or Kodak....my specialty is finding unique and distinctive photo items and services. I also give a lot info about web design and SEO tips as well...so I am a little bit of everything!!!

Me: You just recently did a SEO case study on a website you were working on and shared some valuable information. Why do you think it's important for business owners to share information when they could charge for the same information? What will they gain by doing this?

Jill: I did this because I was truly frustrated with everyone trying to make a $$ for every little thing. This was a way I could give back. I understand that not everyone can afford to hire someone, although I do recommend that for the best results, for everyone it is not practical. By doing the case study I was hoping I could help those who could not afford it, but also give them a glimpse into how time consuming and in depth the process is. I am not done with the case study yet - although I have not posted in a bit, but there are still many more steps to be taken. Also, we live in a world where everyone says they are an "SEO" expert and charge an arm and a leg to do so. Many times clients wind up worse off then when they started. I thought doing a case study of a very difficult niche market would help me solidify that I can achieve results thereby giving potential clients reassurance that there money is being well spent! I think if everyone could just give a "little" bit the world would be a better place!

Respond to Your Tweets

This is my biggest gripe when it comes to Twitter users. It irks me when someone tweets something on Twitter and I respond back to their tweet or re-tweet their tweet and they don't have the common courtesy to say thank you.

Even if you are a Twitter "celebrity" you should take a moment to say thanks or SOMETHING. I get a lot of my stuff re-tweeted and I understand that it takes time to tweet (a whole 2 seconds because, "Hello," you are only give 140 characters), but come on...have some class people.

How do you know if you've gotten any responses? On the right hand side where it says @username, under home if you click on that button, it will take you to responses that you've gotten from other Twitter users and re-tweets (RT) that your followers have tweeted of yours that they felt would benefit other Tweeple. Make sense?

I usually do a group "thank you" when I get a bunch of people that have re-tweeted something I have said. I mean how would you like it if you are always re-tweeting and responding to someone and they ignore you... kinda sucks right, so don't do it to your followers either.

How to Stop "Checking in"

As Digital Mommy's we are constantly "plugged in." Even if we aren't on our laptop or PC, we have our iPhone, Blackberry, Palm or whatever mobile device you carry EVERYWHERE with you. Is it an addiction? Could you, if fact, really unplug?

I ask myself this question because the other day I tweeted that I was going to unplug and take my girls out for a much needed day out with mom. Sure enough, while my girls were looking at toys, I found myself checking my email and tweeting. Geesh! Can't I get away from cyber space ever? Well, here are some helpful tips on how to unplug and not cheat you or your family out of much needed "me" time.

1. "Forget" your phone in the car. It will still be there when you are done with whatever family or "me time" activity you are participating in.
2. Treat yourself to a manicure. You don't want to mess up those freshly painted nails, do you?!
3. If you are out by yourself and Dad is at home with the kids, leave them alone! Dad needs quality time with the kids too.
4. Dad doesn't know where everything is in the house because you are the keeper of most things, so you are forewarned...he's probably going to ask where something is if you call. don't stress yourself out when he says," Where is the Goo Gone? So and so just wrote all over the couch." Arrgh!
5. Out for a much needed,"Girls Night Out?" Swap phones with your girlfriend and put the phones safely in each others purses.

photo credit: www.dvorak.org/.../03/no-cell-phone-sign.jpg

Friend or Follow

Ever wonder if the people you are following are following you back? Well, there is a site I frequent often called FriendorFollow.com.

I'm actually on this site at least once a week checking for people that I am following that are not following me back. It's kind of an obsession. There are only a handful of people that I follow that don't follow me back. It doesn't bother me in the least because they are either a celebrity of the Hollywood type or a celebrity of the internet type.

All you do is type in your Twitter username and hit submit. Then FriendorFollow.com will pull up all of the people that you are following that are not following you back. Easy peasy!

Tonight's the Night to Grab your Facebook Vanity Url

Tonight at 9:01 p.m. PST/ 12:01 p.m. EST there will be a frenzy going on on Facebook!

If you haven't heard yet, Facebook is offering vanity url's to it's users, so instead of your profile url being http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1047166675&ref=profile , it will be www.facebook.com/CourtneyVelasquez. Well, that's if you get there fast enough to grab your name before someone with the same name grabs it first. Yikes!

It's first come, first served for Facebook's 225 million users — unless you happen to be a Facebook employee, a journalist who regularly covers Facebook or have some other sort of pull.

Good luck!

photo: www.adpulp.com

Got parenting questions? This is the mom to go to...

Me: What is your blog/website’s name and what is it about?
Kimberley: http://www.thegotomom.tv/ is a dynamic "How to" show for families with young children (newborn to 6). The "Go-To Mom" is my parenting show that addresses parenting issues, discipline strategies, emotion coaching and much more… The show also presents cutting edge research about early childhood and brain development. Viewers can call in live to my TheGoToMom's Talk Show as well.

Me: What do you think about the new Mommy Blogger title changing to Digital Mommy?
Kimberley: I actually think it’s more appropriate. Not all moms blog but may have an amazing or influential web presence. I’m more of a digital mommy myself, I blog less than any other online activity. I’m known for my vlogs, radio show, and my tweets.

Me: What kind of cell phone do you own?

Kimberley: Iphone.

Me: What do you use your cell phone for besides talking on?

Kimberley: Surf web, as navigation tool, phone book, check weather, writing notes, tweeting, to buy apps, watch videos, take photos and text messaging.

Me: What is your favorite social media website?

Kimberley: Twittter (tweetgrid), Twittermoms.com and Whrrl.com

Me: What are the three blogs you read on a consistent basis?
Kimberley: Meredith O’Brien, from http://www.mommytrackd.com/
LAMomsblog.com
SVMoms.com

Me: Do you shop online? If so, what are your favorite online stores?
Kimberley: Oompa.com , Amazon.com , Ebay.com , Shutterfly.com

Me: What is your online schedule like on a typical day?
Kimberley: 6:00 am - 7:00 am Check Email and Tweet
Offline
9:00 am – 12:00pm online blog, vlog, email, social networking, marketing
Offline
1:00 – 4:30 online
Offline

Me: What blogger/web celebrity do you feel you have learned the most from?
Kimberley: Guy Kawasaki

Me: What is the one piece of advice you would give to a mom that is just starting out in the vlogging world?

Kimberley: Make a realistic schedule. You can lose touch with family and friends if you get hooked into the adrenaline of the online addiction. Also, do research about what works and doesn’t work in your vlog. No one wants to look at a door knob, they want to see you and hear what you have to say.

Me: Do you ever feel like getting back to the 9 to 5 work day?
Kimberley: NEVER.

Me: How do you balance your online life and your offline life? (or do you?)

Kimberley: It’s an every day challenge. I have to make a point to UNPLUG at 4:30 each day to be with my kids, eat dinner and be the good offline mommy. I have to also try to stop going online on the weekends as well. I make plans to meet friends or to date my hubby so that at least some of my life is still traditional. The digital mom life can be dangerous.

Me: What kind of car do you drive? What are your favorite features?
Kimberley: Lincoln MKX Crossover. I love it. The SYNC voice option is my favorite when making phone calls.
The back seat leans back too, so if the kids are tired, their seat reclines. Very cool I must say.

Me: Do you make money with your blog/website?
Kimberley: YES. I license my videos or have sponsors for my shows.

Me: Tell my readers what your professional background and why you started your website.
Kimberley: I’m a licensed child therapist and wanted to help mainstream American parents raise their kids in a humane way. So I created The Go-To Mom Shows where parents could hop on and off and watch short 2-minute segments on positive discipline.

Me: Why do you think you influence so many people?
Kimberley: Parents need resources. Moms need other moms. I think my friendly and resourceful nature attracts others.

Me: What projects/events/contests do you have going on that you’d like everyone to know about?
Kimberley: I have one book on amazon right now called:
Mommy Confidence: 8 Easy Steps to Reclaiming Balance, Motivation and Your Inner Diva.
http://www.amazon.com/Mommy-Confidence-Reclaiming-Balance-Motivation/dp/143921803X/
I have two more coming out, so please come to http://www.thegotomom.tv/ to see them at the end of the year!

Me: What are your goals with your website? What goals have you already achieved that you are proud of?
Kimberley: Goals are to help parents be better parents. I think my site does that. I wanted to also launch The Go-To Mom purse book series, which I am doing right now.

Me: What talk show host or news anchor would you love to be interviewed by?
Kimberley: Keith Olbermann.

Me: If you could only give out one piece of parenting advice, what would it be?

Kimberley: You have nothing to work with unless you start with emotions.

Now Available: Wordpress 2.8

WordPress, version 2.8 “Baker,” is immediately available for download.

The most notable improvements are...

• You can now browse the entire theme directory and install a theme with one click from the comfort of your WordPress dashboard.
• They completely redesigned the widgets interface (which we didn’t have time to in 2.7) to allow you to do things like edit widgets on the fly, have multiple copies of the same widget, drag and drop widgets between sidebars, and save inactive widgets so you don’t lose all their settings.

for more info: Wordpress.org

Moms Thriving in Harsh Economic Times

Me: Can you give my readers a brief description of what your company name is and what you do?

Holly: Her SEO is a search engine optimization specializing in women-owned businesses. Basically, I help other business owners grow the traffic to their websites. Many people have a website built, have a fantastic product/products, but then realize they aren't getting much traffic. I offer full-service SEO, but a big part of my business has been educating business owners in how to do their own SEO.

Me: The economy is hurting, but some industries are thriving. Are you thirsty or thriving?

Holly: I would have to say thriving. Up to this point, I haven't done much advertising, but have had a steady stream of clientele. I think it's because business owners are realizing that traditional advertising isn't working...why not rather pay someone to drive traffic to your site organically through the search engines? I think there will always be a need for SEO, particularly in hurting economic times. B2B is the place to be when the economy is hurting, because you are helping other business make money.

Me: In 2008 did you make money or lose money? How are you doing in 2009?

Holly: Overall I made money. I started Her SEO in January 2008, so even though it was my first year of business, I managed to turn a profit. This is largely because I work at home and have low overhead. My main expenses have been SEO software and childcare.

Me: Why did you decide to become an expert in SEO?

Holly: I love SEO, and I love helping people! When I started my first website (http://www.fussybaby.ca/) I was clueless about SEO. From the first moment I read a blog about it, I was hooked. It's like being a detective and looking for clues to grow traffic.

Me: Your ebook 50 SEO Secrets is great! How could someone get a hold of a copy?

Holly: People can buy it on my site, at http://www.herseo.com/seo-for-mom-entrepreneurs-book.html. It's an instant download, so people can begin optimizing their sites right away.

Me: If you could give one piece of SEO advice, what would it be?

Holly: To optimize your title tags. Even if you haven't done any keyword research, just deciding what the main topic of each page on your site is, and then putting that word or phrase in the title tag of your page.

Me: Do you have a blog? If so, what is your blog's name and what is it about?

Holly: My blog is http://www.herseo.com/blog

Me: What is your favorite social media site? How long would you say you spend "socializing"?

Holly: Twitter! It is the only one I really use for business networking. I spend an average of 30 minutes a day on it. I have found it extremely useful for making connections with people I would have otherwise never met.

Me: What is your twitter id?

Holly: HerSEO

Me: Why is SEO so important?

Holly: It is the cheapest way to grow your business, in my opinion. The return on investment is extremely high, and the results are ongoing. It is far cheaper than advertising, and people trust organic search results more than they trust paid search results (Google Ads) or paid advertisements.

Diagnosis: UpToDate.com

Ever try to diagnose an ailment by Googling symptoms? Sorry, stupid question... we all have at some point, right?!

Well, googling symptoms can be scary because it's hard to know what info is legit and what info is full of @#$%.

For reliable facts that are updated by a staff of physicians and that more than 360,000 doctors subscribe to try uptodate.com. This site provides the latest research and recommendations and has articles on hundreds of kids' health topics... all FREE. For more in-depth info fees start at $20. In surveys, 90 percent of doctors have said that after reading about a topic on uptodate.com, they have changed their treatment strategies.

photo: By veronicalesc

Keep Boredom at Bay This Summer With Smarty Card

If your child hasn't already started their summer break, they are soon approaching the 3 month hiatus and there is only so much you can do to keep your children from acting like apes when boredom sets in. Also, research has shown that children can lose nearly an entire grade level of learning during the summer months. Yikes!

One way you can prevent this misfortune from happening is to use SmartyCard to entertain, educate and reward your child.

SmartyCard helps children ages 7-12 stay sharp and earn access to the most popular virtual worlds. Here's how it works:

1. Go to http://www.smartycard.com/ and enter code CK to receive 2500 free points.


2. Your child will earn online rewards, books, dvds, games, music and other prizes by completing grade specific educational games and quizzes.


3. You can follow your child's progress by logging in to make sure they are on track for the next school year.

image: businessweek.com

Do you interact with your fellow tweeters?

The only way you are going to get a good following on Twitter is to interact with the people you are following. Being a robot and only spitting out information is going to get you nowhere. By responding to tweets, asking questions and re tweeting tweets you are communication with your fellow tweeters and showing that you are human too.

Responding to tweets that are sent to you is equally important. Even if you just send a "thank you" when someone re tweets one of your tweets it shows that you actually give a damn and makes people feel good. If people feel good that you appreciated their gesture, they are more likely to do it again and if their followers see that they are interacting with you, they are more likely to want to follow you too.

Scribnia- Rate and Discover Bloggers

I ran into this site thanks to Mashable and haven't gotten a thing done this morning because it sucked me in!

Scribnia is a new (beta) web community where you can rate, write reviews and discover bloggers! If you are an author of a blog, you can add yourself (it's easy) and then get others to rate you and add reviews. Then you can discover bloggers you didn't know existed and add more blogs to your RSS feed (if your anything like me...your feed list is a mile long with fabulous reads already). After you start adding reviews, you'll eventually get recommendations of blogs that are geared to your taste.

I seriously love this site and plan on moving my way up in the ratings via my readers of course!

Join the Fight Against Twitter SPAM

Hate Twitter SPAM? Me too! Now, I'm not talking about legit companies sharing sale info or linking to their latest creation for sale on Etsy, I'm talking more about the porn SPAM that is creeping around Twitter. I say creeping, because they are sneaky about how they are invading the Twitter stream

I was at a Site Warming Party using TweetDeck to follow the party and the spammers were using the parties #hashtag to stream SPAM to all the party goers, clever? I should say NOT!

At the time I didn't know how to report the SPAM so I re tweeted (RT) it and told them to bugger off because we were not interested. Luckily I wasn't suspended from Twitter by re tweeting (RT) their tweets because they have accidentally suspended folks trying to stop the SPAM, thinking that they are a part of it too.

Well, the other day I went to check my new followers and there was a picture if a lady licking a male unit. I was like, oh no you don't and reported them the right way. To report spammers on Twitter follow @SPAM. Then, send them a DM and report it. I reported the inappropriate photo and the user was gone immediately.

I think that if we all stand up to these spammers, we can protect our favorite social marketing site from becoming trashed and unappealing.


photo: weblogs.newsday.com/.../blog/2007-08-02Spam.jpg