Entrecard

About two months ago, or more, I came across the Etrecard site. I'd seen the little "get one" on boxes on some sites and wanted to know what it was. When I did my investigation, I realized it was a site to help get more traffic to your blog. Great! I signed up, and dived right in.

Now, a few months later, I'm finding that I've let the "frenzy" take hold and I've worked to drop more and more cards as the days have passed. I've commented on various sites and I've listed in the marketplace. It's all worked well except for one thing. . . I don't really have time to spend browsing that many blogs, dropping that many card and getting that many "credits" when there is so much more I need to do with my time. I've tried doing it only when I'm eating, my son is playing around me and I can't focus on something significant or late at night. However, my craft can be done at two of those three times and when I'm eating, I have lots of sites to visit already.

So, after a long deliberation, I have freed myself of the frenzy. I am no longer worried about how many people "drop" cards on my site, because I want to focus on the "quality" of my visitors rather than the "quantity" I want to leave time in my day to peruse sites of those who've visited my and left comments or joined a contest I've started. Therefore, I'm not going to run around "dropping" as many cards as I can anymore. However, I'm not taking my box off the site.

The things I will do are the following:
- I will drop on anyone who advertises with me on the day their ad is shown. And I will make every effort on that day to take a good assessment of the blog to see if it's one I'd like to follow on a regular basis. Then I'll do what is necessary.

- I will use the credits I currently have to advertise on very focused sites where I think their audience would be served by visiting my blog

- I will drop on boxes that I encounter on my regular surfing, and leave a comment if appropriate.

With so many things going on in my life, tying myself to a system that requires such a time commitment with mixed rewards is not high on my list of priorities. I still love the "idea" of Entrecard, but I think in trying to gain as many credits as possible, people have lost the essence of what it was created for. I'd like to use it in the way it was intended.

Juggling!

Every week I work on developing, creating and scheduling my blog posts for the week. Sometimes I get up to three days and by myself some time. Other times, like this week, things get incredibly crazy and I miss my scheduling. So, instead of letting it go any further, I thought I'd give you an idea of what's going on in my world.

In December I got laid off from my regular "day job" so ever since then I've been looking for a job and working on my yarn connections and projects. However, when looking for a job there are listings to peruse, placement agents to meet with and resume's and cover letters to update and adjust as necessary. I've been doing a bit of that this week.

Since I've been unemployed, we've taken our son out of day care for three days of the week, so on those days, I have less time to focus on other things. After all, he is 2.5 years old and has lots of energy to burn!

I'm working on new items for the Etsy shop and I'm working on new patterns for a book I'd like to have published. I think in every change there is opportunity and with the extra time I have to play with my yarn I'd like to seize the opportunity to change the course of my professional life.

We'd like to have another child, but it hasn't happened on it's own, so we now have doctor's appointments to make sure all is well and see if it can't happen in the coming few months.

Then, last, but not least, we're keeping a hand on the pulse of the housing market because we'd like to purchase a home in the next 6 months. . . needless to say, there is a whole lot going on at the same time. However, I promised myself that I'd put the time in for my yarn business, and that means regular blog posts, so I'm going to make sure to stick to that. . . but if I slip now and again, I hope you'll forgive me and come back anyway. I do have lots of great stuff planned, I just need the organizing time to get it to you in a sensible way! I'll be back tomorrow.

Kreative Blogger Award

I'm never quite sure what to say when I receive an award on my blog. After I've thanked the givers, I'm always at a loss for words as to what to say to the rest of my audience. It's almost like being up on stage, looking out into the crowd and going completely blank!

So, before I completely crap out on you, I'd like to say thanks to the two bloggers who so kindly bestowed this award on my blog: Lenox Knits and Life in the Zu. It's so great to be recognized by others who know what it takes, and they say "you're doing great!" What's even better about these ladies is that they are both in the fiber arts and so they have a better idea than anyone what I do. Thanks ladies.





The rules for the award were different on each of the blogs that I received it, so I'm going to improvise.

1) List 5 things that you're thankful for
2) Pass the award along to the same number of people

Things I'm thankful for:
- Being unemployed and having more time to spend with my son, hubby and working on changing my professional direction
- Being healthy
- Having wonderful family on both sides (mine and hubby's)
- The ability to continue in our trajectory, despite my unemployment status
- A fabulous online community

I now pass this award on to the following fabulous bloggers!
- Steam Punk Rings
- Biku Designs
- Indie Sista's
- You*niquely Chic
- Always Amy

Congratulations bloggers!

Top Droppers for January

With the new year I started a few new programs on this blog and one is the Entrecard program. Entrecard is a way to find and have others find your blog more easily. When a member comes to your site, they "drop" their card on you to let you know they were by. Well below are the top 5 droppers to my site in January. Thanks for stopping by!

Youniquely Chic 20
Limitless Adventure 18
Mu-Yin Jewelry 16
bikudesigns 12
Lenox Knits 9