My Best WAHM Networking Tip

I am participating in a Blog Carnival with Suzanne at The Moms In Business Blog. Our topic, The Best Networking Tip.

My best networking tip is to actually get out and network- online and offline! Sounds simple, right? But so many work at home moms don't get out of their house and don't join online groups. They work hard on their sites and blogs, but they are not out there promoting what they have to offer.

First, online solutions are easy for work at home moms with internet access. You meet some great and resourceful people online by joining quality online forums or groups. Some mom forums are not the greatest for networking because they are about being a mom, not a work at home mom. Others are great for both. It is all about what you are looking for.

Two terrific online forums for work at home moms are the Smart Moms forum and Mommy's Helper Forum. Read more about making new online friends at my work at home mom blog.

Second, offline solutions are also easy but sometimes harder to find. Join moms groups or community service organizations. The local Chamber of Commerce is also a great resource to meet other business professionals. I think sometimes work at home moms don't see their business as a business and do not think they are worthy of a business group. This is so incorrect! Find a local group and meet some local contacts. They may not be the main source of revenue, but you never what might result. And they are a great source of ideas and support.

No matter how you network, you must network! Networking is one of the most important parts of your business. Make sure your incorporate networking into your home based business.

Magic Eraser Myth- Email Urban Legends

I have just finished a series of emails from another mom who forwarded the magic eraser email to anyone and everyone. Knowing it was false and how many people take those emails as fact, I sent the link (above) from Snopes as a "reply all". Now I may have been wrong in telling everyone the TRUTH, because the mom said I made her embarassed. I never intend to make anyone embarassed, it is not in my nature. It is my nature to speak the truth. And would she had ever told all those moms she made an error if it would have embarassed her?

So here it is- quit forwarding emails to other moms about things that MAY NOT BE TRUE! It causes fear and panic by anyone that does not do their research. The hand sanitizer email, TRUE! I looked it up before I believed it. And I did not forward it to one person- with all the media coverage, most everyone knew the facts anyway.

Do not believe everything you read. Check it out. And do not pass along incorrect information.

Better yet, do not pass along forwards... they are time consuming and mostly without validity. Do not waste your time reading forwards either. There are plenty of great websites with comedy, humor, and FACTS that we do not have to fill up our inboxes with forwards. Not to mention, the potential viruses you can be sending to your unsuspecting friend.

Now I am off my soap box!

Boys Will Be Boys- Extreme Stunts!

This is every moms nightmare- well most of these stunts on this youtube video are- some are not too bad, but they make me cringe!

Boys will boys! (The music is good, but I did not listen to the lyrics so there may be some inappropriate words.)

Alzheimer's Memory Walk for Charity- Be A Team Captain!

The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. This event is held annually in hundreds of communities across the country. They need volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder. More than 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer’s. It is a very common, but very serious brain disorder with a wide variety of symptoms ranging from minor forgetfulness to complete memory loss. And the symptoms only get worse over time and eventually lead to death.

Scientist cannot find a reason some brain cells are affected by Alzheimer's, but they do not some risk factors. Most people are over age 65. People with a family history of the disease are also more likely to have the disease. They need to do more research because there is no cure!

The Alzheimer's Association also provides information on symptoms, how the brain works, and how the brain is effected by Alzheimer's.

Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $225 million.

Team captains are needed NOW! Team Captains need to sign up early to ensure they have enough time to recruit a team so some fundraising for the cause! Being a team captain is a rewarding experience, especially is you have been directly affected by this terrible disease.

Dinner Planner Menu With a Shopping List!

I love to cook, but hate to cook dinner. I love to cook, but hate to plan the menu. A while back, I found a service that provided dinner menus with a shopping list and it was great! Until I started looking at the processed foods and calories/fat that were involved. Today, I found a new menu planner with a shopping list, called DinnerPlanner.com. You get your first menu free, then it is $10 for three months. You get a menu sent to your email each Friday before 10:00 am est!

I got this weeks menu and it looks great. The shopping list was already organized by category and was simple to follow. It looks like I will be signing up!

Zookoda- Email Marketing Tool for Bloggers

Zookoda is a new email marketing tool designed to specifically help bloggers increase their readership. You can drive more traffic to your blog through an email newsletter. Using Zookoda, you can give readers a daily, weekly, or monthly summaries of your blog. It also gives you the option to design your newsletter to match your blog with professional templates or design your own. They also help to manage your subscriptions and schedule reoccurring broadcast to your subscribers- that means your subscribers get an update with less work from you.

Best of all, this service is FREE! So many other newsletter services are labor intensive and cost per month or per subscribers. Zookoda is giving it away for free.

I am definitely checking into this service to use for my blogging newsletter. By sending updates to my readers I can attract those that do not check back often enough. This way, I can increase hits back to my blog with little effort.

And remember, you want your home based business, even if it is a blog, to be automated. If you want to take a vacation, you can and your readers will continue to get updates and continue to visit your site. Be the first to be in Zookoda!

Check out Zookoda and see how it can work for your blog.

Genius Denied

I have always taught students with learning difficulties, and now my new job is with advanced learners. For the past week, I have been learning about how the No Child Left Behind Act has so much focus on the lowest learners improving that they have lost touch with the advanced learners accelerating.

There are great options for students that are advanced or gifted learners, including a great site call Genius Denied. If you think you have an advanced learner, make sure to make your feelings of advanced learning known to school administration. Parents need to be advocates for their child to get the learning the need to success, even if it is ahead of the other students.

As I learn more, I will share more!