Huge thanks to Lexie Lane for giving me a complimentary copy of The Blogger’s Survival Guide to read and review.

I wonder how different my blog would be if I had a Blogger’s Survival Guide when I started blogging all those years ago. I had nothing. Well, I had Pro Blogger’s book, but to be honest, much of what was discussed was a little over my head. There wasn’t one source that would answer all my questions. Google wasn’t being very helpful back then, probably because nobody was actually writing about how to start a blog or how to make it successful. For those of you wanting to start a blog today… there are plenty of resources that can be found, but the one source that I wish I had is now a reality… THE BLOGGER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE: Tips and Tricks for Parent Bloggers, Wordsmiths and Enthusiasts. Okay… no, you don’t have to be a parent blogger. You can be a fashion blogger, a food blogger, a travel blogger… or you can still be trying to figure out what your best route to blogging success will be. THIS book will not only answer all your questions, but it will help you find a name, a niche and a catch you up on all the social media lingo. In a word… it’s a MUST for any new (and even seasoned) blogger!

If you have mentioned to me that you wanted to start a blog but had no idea how to do it (and you know who you are, my dear friends) then I absolutely recommend you get yourself a copy of this book. You want it all? It’s here.

The book is broken up in super easy chapters that you can either read through in it’s entirety, or you can pick and choose what you want to know. What is pretty awesome is that the chapters are designed so that if you read a chapter a day, you will be ready to forge ahead into the blogging world after a week.

DAY 1: THE SETUP

DAY 2: THE DESIGN

DAY 3: THE LEGAL STUFF

DAY 4: THE CONTENTS

DAY 5: THE TRAFFIC DRIVERS

DAY 6: THE MEASUREMENT OF TRAFFIC

DAY 7: THE MONEY MAKERS

From chapter to chapter, the authors not only write about what you should be doing, but they give you examples of how it should be done with screen shots that clearly show you what to watch out for. I’m a visual person, so I learn from actually seeing things… not just reading about them. I also love that they have given you the actual links so you can easily access the websites they are referring to. I know a lot of people have written blog posts about this or that, or published e-books and pamphlets teaching you one aspect of blogging… but this book is the mother-lode of blogging. It will become your right hand. I think it’s pretty safe to say you WILL be a blogger after reading this book.

Now, you all know how in awe of writers I am. Writing a book is no easy task… having a manuscript actually published is HUGE! Lexie Lane and Becky McNeer, co-founders of The Social Media Panel,  have really blown me away with all the content and details this book contains. I’m certainly not a novice blogger, but even I didn’t realize how much goes into creating a blog. It’s not easy… but it’s SO worth it.

Still unsure if blogging is right for you? Shoot me an email and I’ll talk you into it.

I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are entirely my own. Go buy the book… it’s all kinds of awesome!

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A big thank-you to AEG for providing me with Bon Jovi concert tickets.

I have to admit that there is a lot of great music out there today. Those of us who grew up in the 80′s always like to claim it as one of the best decades for music, but the songs my kids are listening to are pretty fabulous and I wonder if they’ll still be listening to them 30 years from now. Will they remember them fondly as the soundtrack to their childhood?

Lucky for me, many of my favorite 80′s bands are STILL producing new music and are STILL touring! Of course, it brings back memories of oh so long ago, but it also says something even more profound… good music is good music. It lasts. It lingers. It makes a comeback with each subsequent generation.

Last month, I was able to relive my youth once again by going to see Bon Jovi at Staples Arena in Los Angeles. It wasn’t my first time seeing them, and hopefully it won’t be my last, but even after 30-something years… they still put on a hell of a show!

The last time I saw Bon Jovi, I noticed that most of the concert-goers were middle aged women (like myself). Totally understandable since WE were the ones who grew up listing to them. This time, I was really surprised to see so many young kids and teens at the show. That was amazing to see, knowing that Bon Jovi is reaching a whole new generation of fans. Yes, my own kids will listen to them too – of course, it probably helps that I yell “Bon Jovi” every time a song of theirs comes on my iPhone.

I have to say, when we got to Staples to pick up the tickets, I got all kinds of giddy when the ticket counter woman told me I was in the wrong line. I was supposed to go to the ARTIST WILL-CALL! ARTIST????? Yep! My ticket has “JBJ” on it (Jon Bon Jovi). Of course, it’s not like he actually put the tickets in the envelope himself and said… “Give these to Carolyn West.” But… I can still dream, right?

Actually, I was provided the tickets from AEG. Just one of the perks of being a blogger… and a HUGE Bon Jovi fan!

Bon Jovi is still touring and there might even be tickets available in a city near you. If you haven’t seen them live… GO! I guarantee you’ll have an amazing evening. And maybe… you’ll even remember what it was like to be back in your teens and hearing them for the first time.

AEG provided me with concert tickets in lieu of tour promotion. No compensation was provided and all opinions are entirely my own. And may I just add that… I LOVE BON JOVI!

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Our Disneyland Adventure

May 13, 2013

Disneyland is about an hour away from my house. You’d think we’d go often, but we don’t. Disneyland is also really, REALLY, expensive for our family of 5, so if we go, you know it’s for a special occasion. This past Saturday, we made the trek down to Anaheim because Temera’s Junior High Show Choir [...]

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Getting Organized with Staples

May 7, 2013

Disclosure: I was sent a complimentary box of Staples office products for review. No other compensation was provided and all organizing ideas are entirely my own. If it wasn’t for the box of office supplies Staples recently sent me, I’m pretty sure I would still be sorely behind and unorganized. Suddenly, I have gone from a [...]

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Mother’s Day Wish List + Giveaway

April 30, 2013

The only product listed in this post that was sent to me complimentary was the Leonardo’s Dogs drawing mentioned at the bottom of the post. No monetary compensation was given and all products listed are entirely my idea.   Yes… it’s time again for my annual Mother’s Day Wish List. I have to admit, I [...]

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Pledge to End Bullying NOW!

April 23, 2013

Bullying effects our children, our families, our neighbors, our society. It’s wrong, it’s got to stop and YOU can pledge to make that happen! It happened in elementary school. I rode the bus to school and back every day with all the other kids who lived on our street. Most of them were friends. One [...]

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Leonardo’s Dogs Made My Husband a Happy Guy

April 22, 2013

There is a company called Leonardo’s Dogs that takes two of my favorite things – art and animals – and turns them into something magical. As a design student, I studied Leonardo DaVinci in depth and have a huge appreciation for the artistic process he helped to create. The first time I saw one of [...]

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Are You Playing Genetic Roulette?

April 17, 2013

I recently watched Jeffrey Smith’s new documentary, “Genetic Roulette“, an eye-opening film created to educate the world about the dangers of GMOs. Jeffrey Smith is the founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology and author of several best selling books on this issue. For those of you who have heard the term but aren’t sure [...]

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Let’s Talk About Underage Drinking – April is Alcohol Awareness Month

April 16, 2013

If you don’t think underage drinking is a huge problem in our society, you really should take a closer look at what our teens are doing with their free time. We talk to our kids about sex. We talk to our kids about drugs. We talk to our kids about bullying. But, how many of [...]

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