This isn't a topic I normally write about but I feel inclined to say something. I've been a blogger for over 10 years. I started blogging before sponsored posts were even a thing - when putting ads up on your blog was considered "selling out". I've watched the brand-blogger relationship grow and develop into something great, and now I'm watching it fall. Back in the day, brands contacted bloggers because they were good story tellers. Blogs were full of personal anecdotes, tutorials, coupons, recipes and other rich content. Bloggers could take a brand's product and organically weave it into an everyday post. Readers saw bloggers casually talk up certain products but didn't notice an actual advertisement. What readers saw was how products A, B or C fit into every day life. Bloggers created a personal connection with products. As the brand-blogger relationship grew, brands began to see bloggers as influencers. Stories of using products in every day life were leading to increased … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2015
Floating M&M Experiment
Lately the girls have been very excited to come home from school and show me the science experiments they've been doing in school. The DIY Lava Lamp was one Nutty did and today's Floating M&M Experiment is one Tottie did. For this experiment all you need is a glass of cold water and M&M candies. Drop one or more M&Ms into the cold water and wait... ...and wait...you'll see that the candy loses it's color and begins to turn white. Continue waiting (about 10 minutes or so). Do not disturb the water. You might see tiny bubbles beginning to form on the candy and you'll see some chocolate starting to peak through. Suddenly you'll see bits of shell start to break lose and the "M" will rise off of the candy! It's kinda cool! This Floating M&M Experiment works because of water solubility. The hard candy coating that contains the printed "M" is not water soluble. While the rest of the shell (the part that contains the color) dissolves … [Read more...]
Everyday Purse Essentials #BeHealthyForEveryPartOfLife #ad
Everyday purse essentials has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BeHealthyForEveryPartofLife #CollectiveBias I'm going to show you the contents of my purse. It's not to scare you, but rather to give you a little insight into my life. You see, I'm a nurse and people always joke that nurses are walking pharmacies. I'll let you be the judge... I'll start with the obvious in my purse ...my wallet. I won't open up the contents of that but know that it has the usual credit cards, limited cash, a note pad and a pen... It also holds my RN license card, my BLS (Basic Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification cards. Next comes my phone. It's my life line and I don't know what I'd do without it. You can kinda say I'm addicted to the technology. Along with my phone comes my external phone charger. I got it for Christmas last year and it too has been a life saver for me and a bunch of my friends and … [Read more...]
Family Game Night Wednesdays #RealCheeseRealLife #ad
This post is sponsored by Jack’s Pizza through a campaign with The Motherhood. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. A few weeks ago I told you about Pizza Thursdays, our family tradition since Hubby and I were first married. Today I'm going to tell you about Family Game Night Wednesdays, a tradition we started last winter. Hubby worked long hours last summer. Between working during the day and paperwork at night (he owns his own business) the girls complained that he wasn't spending a lot of time with them. The girls were also complaining that I was on the computer too much in the evenings. One Wednesday evening last fall Hubby started a fire in the fireplace and asked the girls if they wanted to play a board game as a family. After an enthusiastic "yes!" Family Game Night Wednesdays was born. Every Wednesday, starting the first Wednesday after school starts and going to the last Wednesday of school, we do something together as a family. Almost always it's playing … [Read more...]
We Day Minnesota 2015
Two years ago I attended We Day for the first time. I was motivated but completely overwhelmed at the end of the day. I had no clue what We Day entailed and no clue how it would change my life and the lives of friends. We Day is a day long celebration of kids doing good in the world. Inspirational speakers such as Chelsea Clinton, Marlee Matlin, and Henry Winkler and concert acts such as Ciara, Nico & Vinz, and Natalie La Rose make We Day a star studded event full of energy and dedication to change. You can’t buy a ticket, you have to earn it through service and making a commitment to take action on at least one local and one global initiative. WE is We Day, Free The Children and Me to We. Together, our three brands make up a family of organizations that work to empower each of us to make the world a better place. We are all connected. Together WE change the world. There are many different ways to get involved in the WE movement. One is through We Schools. The We … [Read more...]
