Warning: bizarrely random post ahead. I’ll sum it up: melancholic musings, link love, and a bunch of ways you can make me smile.
First up: melancholy. Today sucked. Day four of solo parenting. Hubs had a last-minute opportunity to fly a 172 (that’s a 4-seater airplane for you non-aviation-folk) to Florida, and get paid doing it.
Long story short: solo parenting 3 kids age 5 and under sounds all crazy in the cute and adventurous sort of way until you do it and you hit the wall on day four and from the moment you wake up until the moment they are all asleep in bed you feel like your eyeballs are going to burst from the blood vessels that are popping outta your head. You do some stuff and say (yell) some stuff you’re not proud of and you have a constant refrain in your head of ‘failurefailurefailure’ like a damn woodpecker that makes you even angrier and makes you want to throw your head out the window, but that would be bad so you don’t. Then you find this and you’re all #butmicrowavesarebad #sorrynotsorry.
Also: experiencing some major road blocks in the creative spaces of my brain. Holiday treats week became a holiday treats two days and the Honey Hot Chocolate post sits in my drafts, mostly finished, but without the gumption to finish and press publish. I don’t know why yet. I totally suck at being a professional blogger.
(Ps. You people that snickered at that term? “Professional blogger, teehee, that’s cute/hilarious/stupid. What a total joke”. Y’all might wanna check out this post, then mosey on back over here with your sorry face on).
OK, melancholy over. Writing is cathartic – thanks for indulging me.
Giveaway Winner!
I have a lucky giveaway winner from the post/giveaway on 50 Uses for Essential Oils [And the First 3 Things I Tried + GIVEAWAY].
Drumroll please………… The winner is Stephanie ([email protected]). You win a Holiday Gift Set of Oils and a Spa Mist Diffuser from the awesome and inspiring Bre at Nourishing the Home!
If I don’t hear from you in the next day or two I’ll shoot you an email (probably once my hubs returns tomorrow and brings my sanity back with him. I think he accidentally packed it in his luggage because it seems to be missing).
Now, the real point of this post (as per the title)…
Top 5 Best Christmas Gifts for Your Favourite Blogger (for Free!)
1. Click their amazon links!
First up (because I’ve never officially talked about it on this site), you know that bloggers can earn significant money through their work, right? And that that’s ok, right? It’s like a part-time job, only it’s your passion and you’d do it for free if you had to (and most of us did exactly that for like two years before ever seeing that first dime roll in). I’m not even close to even a full-time job income now, but would love for it to be a viable family business down the road.
Now, the important part: I *just* hopped on to the amazon affiliate bandwagon a few weeks ago, and I have been pleasantly surprised at the potential. I mean most of my peeps here at Red&Honey are probably already buying stuff from amazon. So if you wouldn’t mind a tiny slice of the pie going in to my pocket instead of amazon’s (same price for you), why not, right? Except not if it’s literal pie in my pockets – that would be sad.
Here’s my magical portal to amazon, sure to result in pocket pies
What’s that? You want it again, only bigger? Ok, if you insist. Go ahead. I’ll wait here.
*FYI – same deal for all affiliate links… bloggers love when you make a purchase through their site! Share the wealth pennies, peeps.
2. Share their stuff
Share it far and wide. Share like your kindergarten teacher taught you, only more. Then again. And double that again. Share like it’s going outta style. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Allthoseothersocialmediasitesineveruse… you know, those other ones. Email, telegaph, carrier pigeon – whatever floats your boat.
Um, but only if it’s awesome. #disclaimerduh
3. Follow them in social media
Click the like and follow buttons and interact on their various pages. A happenin’ FB page helps it get seen by more peeps, which is, again (if I hadn’t already made this clear) a win. Pinning their stuff on Pinterest is a HUGE fave these days because Facebook is being cantankerous.
4. Visit often
Visit the blog. Again. And all the days of your life forevermore.
Overkill? Meh.
5. Comment and email
Ahh, my favourite. Bloggers have very delicate egos. Soft and breakable like a robin’s eggs in the spring (<– hello, random simile?!). They need lots of affirmation and lovin’ and hugs. Virtual ones, though. (No one wants a stalker. In case you were considering it).
Comments (nice ones, duh) are a blogger’s hugs. Hug often.
So that’s it: five ways you can give your favourite blogger a Christmas gift this year, and it won’t cost you a dime.
(Ok, my ‘literal’ brain is telling me to tell you that yes, affiliate links would indeed cause you to spend a dime or two, but hopefully not ones you weren’t already gonna spend. Capiche?)
And lastly, my gift to you (besides my crazy awesome life on display for all the interwebz to see) is some of my favourite reads from my fellow bloggers.
This concludes the world’s longest intro ever to another edition of…
Weekend Links
The Christmas Conundrum | Jen Hatmaker
Nearly 25 Years of Fathering and All I’ve Got Are These 3 Lousy Tips | Huffington Post
Proving the Risk of Harm in Early Sleep Training | Evolutionary Parenting
The Bully Too Close to Home | Hands Free Mama
Paleo Cinnamon Rolls | A Girl Worth Saving
Where Is the Love? | New York Times
Wanna give me a comment-hug? Tell me about a quirky/fun/unusual Christmas tradition you do in your family.
(PS. I hope you stick around to wade through the crazy with me – I have so much more to share with you in 2014, and I’m getting pumped. Some big life shifts are happening that I shall share about soon!)
top image from beatnik photo
Beth
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atYou know they are FINALLY going to get the companies to stop making the volume on TV show commercials blow you out of your chair. Maybe the technologYcan be adapted for videos too – HOPEHOPEHOPE …..
Carlee
atI’ve been lonikog for a post like this forever (and a day)
Ammy
atHi,
Amazon is a good market place for all product. Thank you to suggest that site and your gift offer is awesome. Its pleasure to describe every thing. Thank you for your nice post.
Rusty solomon
atWhether you would like to ease your selling behavior. Initially you should know how respectable the opportunity you’re looking at is.
Lastly, look out for a business listing that offers exhaustive categories of the business types so that one
can register in the most appropriate category.
Kelly @ The Nourishing Home
atYou are so awesome! What a great post! Merry Christmas, sweet friend!! xoxo
Sara Shay
atI’m with you on the single mom! Hubby’s new job keeping us afloat has him gone 1-2 weeks out of the month.
AND loved this post!
picture
atI used to be suggested this website by way of my cousin. I’m now not positive whether or not this submit is written via him as no one else realize such distinctive about my difficulty. You’re amazing! Thanks!
Stephanie
atWOW! I won the giveaway?! It’s my first time ever winning anything! How should I get in touch with you? (And take your time getting back to me, I don’t want to add to your stressful week!)
Rachel Hurst
atOkay. Take a deep breath. Now wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a big hug. If that doesn’t work: eat chocolate (the good kind- you know, the stuff that you would never give the kids because they couldn’t possibly appreciate it as much as you do.) I’m a married single mom. In other words, my husband has pretty much abanded most of the parental duties to me. He’s more of a pitch hitter, only getting up to bat when absolutely necessary (but still shows up for all the team pizza and icecream parties.) I try to tell myself that it doesn’t bother me that much because he really does appreciate that I do most of the parental grunt work and that he is there when something happens. The hardest part thoigh is exactly what you said. It’s incredibly difficult to stay sane when you can’t tag out every once in a while. And then there is the enternal bully always pointing out your mistakes. As far as blowing it with your kids. Who hasn’t? Even Mary and Joseph did. I just thinnk of it as an opportunity to show your children that you are imperfect to. That everyone sins. That everyone needs grace from God and to teach them how to be really sorry and also help teach them how and why to forgive and how to show grace. If you need specific examples of how to do this with young kids, I’m an expert (as in I’ve had more than my share of messing up with my kids.) You can email me. Secondly, you didn’t mention it; however, there are usually feelings toward your spouse that emerge during these times (we’re women. It’s complicated.) How can a person miss their spouse, really appreciate them, and yet harbour some vague whispering feelings of resentment and envy all at the same time? Ummm, I don’t know, but it happens. I love how hard working my husband is. He has never missed a day of work at his job. He somehow supports us on $335/week. He has a schedule that is always changing. Some days he has to get up for work at 4am and other days he doesn’t get off until midnight. And yet, when he comes home and is checkes out emotionally and physically (i wish i xould just check out for a while), or says the kids are driving him nuts after watching them for an hour (really? An hour? And you expect me to be miss peachy after all day every day,) or when he sleeps in on his day off (what’s that?). Or my favorite, when he says, “I work. You don’t work.” Yeah. But i know that God made us parents together for a reason and it’s vecause of our differences. He may not be able to do what I do, but with my epilepsy it’s difficult for me to have a full time job. It’s all good, because God’s got this. He’s the third in our marriage and in those moments that I feel alone or overwhemed as though I’m a married single mother, i remember I’m not. God is with me and He knows exactly when to give H the nudge he needs to help me. .
Lauren
atAh Beth. You are no failure friend! That’s the enemy whispering lies into your ear! So maybe you lost it a little, but God’s grace is much bigger. Make it right with the little ‘uns, they’ll love you all the same! Bring it to the cross and ask God for the strength… I know you know all that :0) Oh and get some help! I’m around tomorrow and Wednesday if you want me I can come and help entertain / lighten the load if Chris isn’t back yet! Love you lots and sending hugs and prayer for you! PS YOU ARE A GREAT MOM!!!!