Make a Blog Media Kit During Nap Time

Just like any stay-at-home mom, the kids' "quiet time" (aka nap time for MP and play quietly in bedroom time for LP) is a couple hour time frame that I try to get things done without four extra feet running around me.  Today I decided to focus my "quiet time" towards creating a media kit for my blog.  This is something I've been thinking about doing for probably over a year but have never sat down to do it.  And guess, what?  I was able to create a media kit in just one "quiet time"!  And - I did it using the free version of PicMonkey.  This is how I did it:

#1:  I researched what I needed in a media kit and decided I needed to include:

• Information about myself
• Description of my blog
• Review, giveaway and sponsorship information
• Companies/brand relationships
• Blog Statistics
• A fun profile photo
• Contact information
• Special project information

#2:  I created a PicMonkey collage placing my profile photo where I wanted it, so I could then use the rest of the blank template to edit.  (If you have a blog logo or header, you should place that in your collage as well before going to the edit screen.)  I used the free "Biggie Smalls" layout and changed the size of the collage to 1800x2400.

#3:  Under the edit PicMonkey function I then added overlays and text to create a fun and simple layout for my media kit.  I used banner overlays and Chelsea Market and Shadows Into Light Two fonts.  Use whatever layouts and text associate well with your blog.

#4:  I saved the PicMonkey collage as a jpeg and uploaded it to a tab on my blog!  Then under the PicMonkey image, I made sure to link my contact information and my Comments for a Cause information (because I also decided I wanted to share about special projects I'm working on).  Now whenever a company contacts me I can direct them to my media kit on my blog and hopefully it'll help them know and understand me and my blog.

Here is a look at what I created for free through PicMonkey:

If you have a blog I recommend you take your next "quiet time", or a couple free hours, and create a media kit for your blog.  It is a great resource for companies that want to collaborate with you.  If you have a blog, do you have a media kit for your blog?  What do you recommend including?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Farm Progress Show Wordless Wednesday

Today My Farmer and I loaded up our van with LP, MP, my Father-in-law and one of our neighbors and we headed to the Farm Progress Show, the nation's largest outdoor agriculture show featuring the world's best seed genetics, equipment and in-field practices.  AKA a one-stop show for a farmer to look at the best of the best and get their questions answered by experts.  Before calling it a night I just had share a couple photos of our adventures today!

I enjoyed some GMO sweet corn at the Farm Progress Show today.
It was sweet, juicy and delicious!

Both of the kids had a lot of fun checking everything out
Here is LP checking out some drainage tile

I also took some time to attend a #FPS14 Tweet Up
It was a lot of fun to meet other Tweeters, including @JPlovesCOTTON
(Also, thanks Janice for letting me borrow your photo)

We had a great day and got to see a lot of great things and visit with a lot of great people.  Did you go to the Farm Progress Show?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Falling out of Summer

I don't know about you, but I'm loving this time of year!  The busyness of summer has ended and at the same time, the harvest pace of fall hasn't begun.  It is the perfect few weeks to just stop, relax and reflect.  One thing I got to thinking about this week was our family's Summer Bucket List we made at the beginning of the summer.  So with a few weeks left before our family gets into harvest mode, let's check out to see how we did!

1. Go Camping at Beed's Lake or Pine Lake - We didn't get this accomplished but we did do a lot of backyard camping.  So I'm calling this one half-way done!
2. Host a Baconfest on our farm - This didn't happen and won't be happening.  I guess we'll just have to go to area Baconfests this winter to make up for it :)
3. Check out RAGBRAI Bicyclists as they come through North Iowa - We didn't do this either!  We saw RAGBRAI support teams but decided to stay away from as much RAGBRAI traffic as we could.
4. Have fun at a Surf Ballroom Rock "n" Tots lesson - We not only had fun at one Rock "n" Tots class but the entire summer's worth of classes.  This was a great program that we look forward to participating in again next year!

   

   LP channeling his inner Buddy Holly
   while playing his rubber band guitar
   on stage at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake

5. Watch one of the Fireworks Shows during the Pyrotechnics Guild International (PGI) convention - We had good intentions to go up and watch a show but never made it!  Next year!
6. Go to an Iowa Cubs Baseball Game - We didn't get this accomplished either!  Maybe I shouldn't have looked at our bucket list...
7. Shop the Des Moines Farmer's Market - I got to do this with my Mom and one of my sisters earlier this summer!  I enjoyed everything from my breakfast burrito, to picking up some salsa, to purchasing some cute clothes and toys for the kids.  The Des Moines Farmer's Market really does have a bit of everything!
8. Visit a Science Center or Children's Museum - I am happy to say that we have gone on a couple two-day getaways this summer and one was to Des Moines a couple weeks ago.  We visited the Iowa State Fair, the Blank Park Zoo and the Science Center of Iowa.  The entire family had a great time!  There were so many hands-on activities at the Science Center.  We will definitely be back and will be sure to check out more science centers on our travels.

   

   LP testing his Lego car at the
   Science Center of Iowa

9. Go on an Iowa Ice Cream Trip - Throughout June's Dairy Month we traveled to an Iowa ice cream destination weekly.  We had a lot of fun visiting Decorah's Whippy Dip, Hudson's Hansen Dairy, LeMars's Blue Bunny, and Mason City's Birdsall's.  I think we might just have to do this again next year! 

   

   MP enjoying her own ice cream cone at Blue Bunny in LeMars

10. Continue our Tradition of going on a Family Vacation - And this is going to be happening soon!  We are excited to get away for a few days in South Dakota.  I'll be sure to post about our trip afterwards!

So, we didn't do as well as I thought we did, but nonetheless, we've had a great, fun-filled summer.  Did you make a Summer Bucket List?  How did you do?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

August Comments for a Cause - ELCA Malaria Campaign

July and August, and well really, all this summer has been busy and I'll be making an announcement soon as to why I may have been a little preoccupied with other things then blogging this summer.  But anyways... let's talk about Comments for a Cause.  In the month of July I had a total of 18 comments, equally a $9 donation to the international Little Free Library program.

In the month of August I'm looking forward to donating $0.50 for every comment to the ELCA Malaria Campaign, that I got to help support at the beginning of the month through my local community's Vacation Bible School (VBS) program.

Part of our VBS youth practicing their songs

At the beginning of the month three area churches came together to teach the community's youth about Jesus's ministry and about malaria in Africa.  Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted through female mosquitoes.  After being bitten, the disease works through the circulatory system in the blood and initially causes fever and headaches, eventually causing coma and death.  Children are easily susceptible to the disease.  In fact, it is estimated that a child dies from malaria every minute.

Through the ELCA church, we raised dollars to help combat this preventable and treatable disease.  One way to prevent this disease is to sleep in mosquito nets.  The female mosquitoes are nocturnal, so if families sleep under mosquito nets the infected mosquitoes can't bite them.  Each net costs $10, where half of the dollars goes toward the actual net and half towards education of how to use the nets.  During VBS we raised over $450, or 45 mosquito nets, and through August's Comments for a Cause I'm planning on adding to that total.

What world-wide efforts do you support, either individually or through your church?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!