Blogging Tips for WAHMs

Before becoming a professional photographer, I've been a WAHM (or work at home mom) for 3 long years, and one of my hobby as a WAHM was blogging. 

Credits: beautywithmary.com

Blogging is one of the best ways to start a WAHM business because it is so easy to get going. However, that does not mean that it is easy to make money from your blog. Don’t start a blog and expect to see money rolling in immediately. Blogging is an activity that will take time to build up to a profit level. It’s a good thing to start while you are working on other WAHM opportunities to let it build to a profitability level. With time and attention, your blog (or blogs) will grow into a business.

When you are blogging for profit, you’ll want to pay close attention to how you present yourself in your blog. There are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, and there may be several hundred blogs that are related to your topic. If your readers can’t understand your blog and have trouble reading it, they’ll just move on to the next one. The following tips can make your blog more user-friendly and help you gain consistent readers.

First, pay close attention to the format of your blog. Readers want to understand how your blog works right from the start. Most blogging platforms have similar formats, with links and tags on the left or right margin, and the most recent post on top. Make sure to use the links wisely. Only put links up for blogs or content that is truly related to your blog’s topic. The point is to give your readers additional information on your topic. Keep the list short and sweet. There is no reason to overwhelm them with links to other sites.

Also, take careful consideration when choosing your blog’s background and font color. Although there are a lot of color choices that blogging programs offer, its best to stick with a light background and dark text. Studies have shown that the human brain can process this type of format better than light text on a dark background. Think about this before you commit to a black background and white text. It might look striking, but readers might not want to stay there for long. Also, use a solid background color instead of trying to use a pattern or design.

Proofread your entries before you post them to your blog. There is nothing that reduces your authority in the eyes of your readers’ more than bad spelling and grammar. The online world is a world of text, so take some time to learn commonly misspelled words and grammatical errors. 

Keep your blog fresh and interesting by posting at least once per day. With so much information available on the Internet, your readers may go elsewhere if you aren’t supplying daily content. If you aren’t sure what to write about, try posting a poll, a link to another blog, comment on a news story or post of list of helpful tips. Not every post has to be long and complicated, but you do need to post something everyday.

These tips will help keep your blog readable and interesting to your visitors. The more visitors you get, the more your blog will grow in profitability and importance. Just make sure to present yourself in a professional way and keep your readers coming back for more new content each day. In no time, you’ll have a profitable blog and then you can move on to create two or three.

Time And Tattoos

Last week, I decided to had my cover up tattoo. It was an impromptu decision. Good thing there's a real good tattoo artist around town. Session was long and a bit painful. Took 3 hours to finish. From preparation to stencil marking and everything. 

The moment that I wanted to backed out, cause the pain was already killing me.

 So, let me tell you something about tattoos and for how long have it been around. Did my research and found some infos that I am sharing with guys right now.

Throughout the course of time, tattoos have been used to personify and represent someone’s affiliations, personal preferences, and their creative outlook on life.  Tattoos are gaining in popularity these days as well with both men and women.  Research has shown that nearly 1 in 4 people have at least one tattoo on their body.

By definition, a tattoo is a permanent marking on the skin.  The ink is injected by needle under the skin, creating the image of the tattoo.  The needle moves very fast, puncturing the skin and depositing the ink into the epidermis.  As the ink is depositing into the epidermis, the skin captures the color of the ink.  The artist will continue to clean the tattoo as he works on it, wiping it off with antiseptic and disinfecting the wound.

Over time tattoos will chance with the skin on a constant basis due to the wind, sun, regeneration, water, and other things.  The way a tattoo looks and the design must also chance with the skin as it shrinks, stretches, and ages.  The pigment that makes up the tattoo must remain the way it is over time, although tanning and wrinkles can affect the color and clarity of the tattoo.

The overall length of time that a tattoo styles healthy and vibrant in color all depends on how well it was taking care of after it was completed and how the skin is taking care of.  Even though infection is always a concern with tattoos, you must also promote healing in the sense of retaining as much ink as you possibly can.  Most tattoos will heal completely within a few short weeks, although they must be kept moist to prevent scabbing.  If allowed to scab, the scab that forms will remove some of the color from the tattoo.

The number one enemy of tattoos is the sun.  Just like other colors that are exposed to sunlight, the pigments found in tattoos will fade.  Yellow and red are the hardest colors to maintain over time, blue and black are the easiest and most stable to maintain.  Tattoos are considered to be part of the organism of living skin and need to be maintained to keep the color alive and fresh.  If you are going to be out in the sun, you should always cover your tattoos and wear a quality sunscreen as well, just to be on the safe side.  

Tattoos that have been properly applied, properly healed, and protected from the rays of the sun can remain their best for years and years.  Although the colors will remain vibrant as well, time and the sun are definite enemies for tattoos.  No matter how well you take care of your tattoos and protect them, there really is no escape from changes that come as a result of time itself.

Well, there goes something about Tattoo. And let me show you the by-product of the painful session, but i tell you, it's all worth the pain. 

The before and after photo. :)

Back to Working At Home

Aside from being a 24/7 mom, and a full time professional photographer, I am now back to working at home as a Virtual Assistant (again!).

I stopped working online when I got pregnant with my youngest daughter. Since then, I had a hard time getting an online job until I stopped applying.

Only last November 2014 when I was asked to submit my voice recordings to update my profile at some online job portals, then I got an email from the said online job site, informing me that I got hired. :)


Thank God that I was able to pull it through the interviews and all, for it's been more than a year that I've been "idle" as a VA.

Now, I am almost a month working again. :) Thank God for all the blessings.

My Sideline Tea Shop and Bar Experience

Been hearing this place for quite sometime now and I am intrigued with what others were saying.
So I decided to make this as one of the venue for my pre-nuptial photoshoot with one of my clients for December wedding.

Collections of teas were present at the Bar, with different kind of teas. :)

Added factor of a must-see gallery of artworks made by the local residents. You'll love the paintings and canvas hanging on the wall.

 A new place in town that offers yummy home-cooked tasting food!

They offer a very affordable beer!

I love their concoctions of teas fused with fruits and other flavors..

My clients were late that day, so i decided to try ordering some. food, backed mac and cheese and lemonade fused with lemon grass were what I ordered

A closer look of this flavor-full baked mac and cheese, personally made by the owner of the place, Miss Patty Bagano.

Oh by the way, their pastas are freshly made by the delicate hands of Miss Patty.. :)

I hope you guys can visit this place too, when you visit Puerto Princesa, it's just a few blocks away from the airport. :)

"Clean Your Plate" Is Not Always The Way To Go For Healthy Kids

According to obesity researchers, the United States obesity rate has more than doubled for preschoolers and adolescents-and more than tripled for ages 6 to 11-over the past 30 years. Obese children are at greater risk for health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, and often carry these problems into adulthood. 

So, how do parents help children, and the entire family, eat healthier, both at home and away-from-home?

"Talk to your pediatrician, family doctor or registered dietitian to determine the healthiest weight goals for the entire family," said nutrition expert Jenifer Bland-Campbell, "then make a plan to tackle the issue."

She offers these tips to help parents help their families eat more healthfully:

 Eat at least one meal together daily, at regular intervals to discourage snacking. 

Prepare healthy dishes for the whole family, not just special foods for an overweight child.

Don't use food as a reward, comfort or punishment.

Watch portions. "Clean your plate" is not always the way to go. 

Eat slowly. It takes almost 20 minutes for the brain to register that the body is full. 

Encourage water or skim or 1% milk instead of high-calorie, sugary drinks. 

 Getting kids to eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day will not be easy, but focus on the colors to make it more fun. Visit www.5aday.org for more tips.

Use low-fat or fat-free dressings, mayonnaise and dairy items at home as if they are the full-fat versions. Kids will take your cues. Ask for the same items on the side when eating away-from-home.

 Take the stairs. When you go shopping, park the car farther away from the store and walk.

Limit television, video games or computer time.

Replace mayonnaise and cheese on burgers or sandwiches with catsup, mustard or barbecue sauce.

Stick with items that are baked, broiled, steamed or poached-not fried.

Ask for nutritional information when eating out. 

Look beyond the children's menu, often limited to fried, high-calorie, high-fat foods. Split one healthier adult entrée between two children.

Ask for a takeout container and put some of the food in before you eat.

Ask that bread, beverages and tortilla chips be served with the meal, not beforehand.

"Parents can help children reach wellness goals by first making healthy changes at home, then teaching kids what to do away from home," said Bland-Campbell. "Healthy eating does not happen overnight, but children take cues from their parents and will learn behaviors over time."