How to be a Successful Blogger?

Are you self-confident? As a blogger we all need to develop this very skill or the least already have it when you started a blog. Being a blogger for more than 6 years has taught me that we all need to be unique and different. By that I mean we need to embrace that unique self of ours. Being in a vast world of bloggers in the blog-osphere can be taunting especially if you are only starting.

The question still remains, how do I become a successful blogger? What will set my blog apart from the rest of the blogs? Is it the pictures that I am taking? Maybe. Is it the frequency of my posts? Maybe. My Popularity on social media? Maybe. I mean there are a lot of doubts and questions that really bother me when I started blogging. 

When I started blogging around 2009, I only blogged to rant. I blogged to document my joys. I blogged because I want to share something out of my personal experiences.

Being a blogger requires hard work, persistence to push ourselves, and believing in ourselves no matter what. Whether no one cares to read our post to whether I feel like sharing this story or not.

The key to successful blogging are these things (for me) :

SELF - CONFIDENCE. Yes! Believe in yourself. For me, blogging is an art. And Creativity takes courage. Develop that skill and continue to believe that you can do it. You can be a successful blogger.

CONSISTENCY. Post as much as frequently as possible. Readers will read blogs which are always updated. That is what keeps them coming. You can start by making blog series. I got this idea from other bloggers too. And really that is quite effective. The key here is to find blog series topics which are engaging and somewhat intriguing so you readers will keep on coming and provide that sense of excitement to come back.

PERSISTENCE. When I was starting out, I had zero followers. No one reads my post and my lay-out was bad. The key to this is to be persistent in visiting other bloggers webpages, giving sincere comments after reading their blog posts and putting your blog link. Asking for a follow was not bad as long as you maintain a healthy relationship with your blogger friends. This way your following will grow eventually and people will visit and read your blog. The tools I used before was the Google Friend Connect since they automatically adds our blog feeds to the person's blogger dashboard. That way fellow bloggers are updated of our posts. And may actually catch their attention to read our posts. Simple as that.

FINDING WAYS TO IMPROVE. Never settle. Always find ways to improve. Seek help from the internet on how to improve. Before my blog lay-out was very bad and I had no idea about HTML and editing my blog skins. Through the years, I have developed that skill. And i loved changing my layouts on my own. The key to blog layouts though is not to overdo it. Use only widgets which you think are useful and helpful for your blog. A mistake I have learnt over years in blogging.

CONNECT WITH OTHER BLOGGERS. As I have already mentioned, blogging would be boring if you blog alone. You need a community where you can grow. Start by joining or continue building a community of like minded bloggers. One is joining facebook groups and posting or sharing relevant blog posts or even your own blog posts.

SHARING USEFUL INFORMATION. Sharing is caring as everyone says. So share your content. Remember to share only information that will somehow be relevant to your readers. Share. Share. and Share. Timing is also relevant especially with the social media platforms nowadays. Schedule sharing optimally to make sure you catch the right individuals at the same time.

HONESTY. As much as possible be honest. You can never go wrong with this. Build an online reputation where your readers, advertisers and the like will trust.

TAKE GOOD PICTURES. And last but not the least take good pictures. Make an effort to provide your readers the visual learning as they say. Reading long blog posts can be boring so use engaging and great photos with your posts and your blog will go a long way!

Hope you learned some helpful tips as you go along with your blog. Blog about the things you love and love what you do and the rest will come along. Good Luck!

-xx-

Mommy Talks: Pregnancy Tips

Hi Mommsies!

Welcome back. I hope you had a great vacation with your families.

Today, Adi has been really behaved and more of a grown up boy already. He has been showing signs of independence and wants to do things on his own. He has grown a lot. I'm happy and grateful for yet another year coming our way. Having a child is exciting and to me it is but a blessing. 

Having a child is never a joke. And being a mom is never an easy task. I keep on saying that cause it has been 2 years and the times got more and more hectic nowadays. Planning for your family is the best way to outdo it.

Having baby number 2 is well part of it. But both hubby and I decided to have another addition hopefully by the time that we already wed in front of the Altar. Church wedding is on top of our list after we were civilly wed last July.

If you are in your baby planning phase now and wanted some help, well here is the answer to pregnancy woes. 

Some couples who are in their trying to conceive journey may have a hard time getting pregnant. Some of them just don’t know where to start. Pregnancytips.org has a few steps you can do in order to boost your chances of conceiving. 

1. Track your ovulation. For women, it’s very important to get to know your body. Ovulation is a small window of opportunity that you have where you are most fertile, that could last for about 2-4 days only. You may want to be able to make sure the sperm is able to catch the egg on that short window of opportunity to boost your chances. You can use an ovulation predictor kit, a basal body thermometer or an online ovulation calculator to help you pinpoint your ovulation days. 

2. Protect your sperm. For men, it’s important to keep your sperms healthy by making sure you avoid the sperm killers such as Jacuzzis, saunas and hot tubs as well as using laptops on your lap for a long time. 

3. Stay healthy. Make sure you and your partner get rid of the bad habits like junk foods, smoking and alcohol. Make sure to have fruits and vegetables in your diet, they play an important role in boosting your fertility.

You might want to check out their site for more info and tips including Pregnancy Symptoms, Baby and Toddler Care and much more. They also have tools such as Pregnancy Calculator, Due Date Calculator and Ovulation Calculator to help you track your journey.

Isn't that a breeze?

Happy Planning mommsies! 

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How to Invest Your Time Wisely ( a Repost )

“If only I had more time!” How often have you said that? In a sense, time is a universal leveler, because the powerful and rich have no more of it than do the lowly and poor. Furthermore, neither the rich nor the poor can accumulate time. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. The course of wisdom, then, is to make good use of the time we have. How? Consider four strategies that have helped many people to invest their time wisely.

Late Post: Life Lessons from the Teleserye The Legal Wife (a repost)

1. Trust your woman’s instincts.

Monica had long been suspecting Adrian of being unfaithful to her, but she chose to trust him and became the last one to know about Adrian’s extra-marital affair.

Any wife should trust her husband before she doubts him, but it’s a good thing to remember that a woman’s instinct is oftentimes a great built-in alarm system.

2. Being a mother doesn’t stop, even when a marriage crumbles.

Monica could have gone to pieces after knowing that the two most important people in her life—her husband and her best friend—betrayed her. But Monica shows us that even if she’s struggling with so much pain, she stayed strong and continued with her life. Uppermost in her mind is her son who needs her and is dependent on her.

3. Even if a man fails as a husband, do not take his children away from him, especially if he has been a good father.

Monica did not communicate with Adrian for two years. During those years, Adrian didn’t have communication with Bunjoy and their baby Martina. When Monica and the kids came back to the Philippines, Adrian had a hard time bonding with Bunjoy and his daughter. To them, their daddy had become a stranger.

The Legal Wife, in a roundabout way, teaches us that no matter the differences between a husband and a wife, the children should not be taken away from their parents. When they went to America, Monica could have allowed Adrian to maintain communication with his kids.

4. Distance does not always mean “escape.”

Monica leaves for the US because she knows that staying in the Philippines, where she is near Nicole and Adrian will affect her sanity. Putting as much physical distance between her and Adrian also makes her emotionally stronger and help her heal and pick up the pieces of her life.

She said, “Kailangan kong lumayo, para maging malakas.”

5. Forgiveness is a balm that fixes a broken family.

Before Monica tells Adrian that she will have their marriage annulled, she forgives him first.

Forgiveness is a balm that fixes broken relationships and puts a family back together. If forgiveness creates something beautiful out of something ugly, doesn’t Adrian deserve another chance from Monica? Will Monica find it in her heart to forgive the man she still loves and who loves her back?

6. Avoid falling in love with a man who is romantically linked to your best friend.

When Nicole fell in love with Adrian, she forgot about her friendship with Monica. Her concern has become how to get Adrian for herself.

At some point, she stopped caring how her love for Adrian is affecting her best friend’s family and marriage and how it is ruining their long time friendship.

It is a lesson that a best friend should avoid. In this situation, place your friendship above any guy.

7. The greatest revenge is a successful life.

Monica comes back after two years more beautiful and more established in her career. Her independence and the positive changes in her life make a stronger statement than if she sought negative ways of getting revenge on her husband and her best friend.

8. Be a best friend that speaks the truth, like Rowena.

From day one, Rowena (Nicole’s best friend) never made Nicole believe that she has any reason to fight for Adrian and their relationship. She tells her upfront that she is only the “mistress, number two, andquerida” of Adrian.

This teaches us never to lie to our best friends if ever they are erring in their ways. The truth will hurt them big time but it is the only way to “set them free.”

9. There’s more to the mistress than just being the other woman.

In The Legal Wife, Nicole is not just a cardboard character. We get to know her as someone who has never felt truly loved.

Her father was close to Monica and not her. When she loved Max, Max loved another woman. In Adrian, ironically, even though Adrian has a wife and loves Monica, Nicole feels whole and loved. And once more, she clings to a man who is never truly hers.

source: Abscbnnews.com

My God Speaks to Me: Why I should read the Bible

Mommies!

photo taken during my stay at Creekside Hotel in Makati

This is my new series here in Yo Momma. God Speaks to me.
I have been living on Earth for already 28 years to be exact, and I am raised by Catholic Parents.
Being in Cebu my whole life has been a blessing, I would like to call it.

Cebuanos are very religious people.
We go to church on Sundays, and celebrate fiestas of our Patron Saints. Evident in those is the Sinulog,
the grandest festival in the Philippines.

Being a Cebuano always reflects being a good Christian , following Christ teachings and being able to show it to others. Being able to share it with the rest of the world.

As a working mom, I often feel the need to hear God's words. I feel the need to reflect and heed his purpose for me. I am not a perfect person. If I tell you all the mistakes I have committed, It would sure take up most of your time reading and perhaps doing it on another blog.

When we seek to enjoy communion with the Lord — and not to be led astray by the ambiguities of religious experience — we read the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s words and God’s deeds reveal God himself for our knowledge and our enjoyment. Of course, it is possible to read the Bible without enjoying communion with God. We must seek to understand the Bible’s meaning, and we must pause to contemplate what we understand and, by the Spirit, to feel and express the appropriate response of the heart.

God communicates with us in many ways through the Bible and seeks the response of our communion with him.

• If God indicts us (2 Cor. 7:8–10), we respond to him with sorrow and repentance.
• If he commends us (Ps. 18:19–20), we respond to him with humble gratitude and joy.
• If he commands us to do something (Matt. 28:19–20), we look to him for strength and resolve to obey with his help.
• If he makes a promise (Heb. 13:5–6), we marvel at his grace and trust him to do what he says.
• If he warns us of some danger (Luke 21:34), we take him seriously and watch with a thankful sense of his presence and protection.
• If he describes something about himself (Isa. 46:9–11), his Son (Mark 1:11), or his Holy Spirit (John 16:13–14), we affirm it and admire it and pray for clearer eyes to see and enjoy his greatness and beauty.2

Reading the Bible from cover to cover in 2013 is a noble goal. And it’s a goal that positions us well to commune with God. Keep communion as your aim, and remember the words of Scripture are there for us to know God’s heart, to commune with the Living Christ, and to respond appropriately to his beauty and to his voice. 

Bible reading is meant to deepen our personal relationship with Christ. - http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/why-we-read-the-bible

Has God spoken to you today? Tell me your thoughts.

Stay Blessed mommsies!