Guest Post: The Joy of Pinning by Ashley Hardway

I can not remember how I got started pinning, I have been pinning for a couple years now. At first I thought it was kind of weird. Why would you want to sit and look at other people’s pins and then re-pin them on your computer? I found out why and also found that I am extremely fond of pinning; at times in excess.

It does not really matter where your interests lie, there is something for everyone on Pinterest. I started out pinning all the wonderful recipes, and even went so far as to try out a new recipe on my family at least once a week. As a matter of fact I used a new recipe I found a couple of days ago for supper tonight. It was a hit! Sometimes I have a success and sometimes a failure, but always an adventure. The desserts range from healthy treats to decadent, rich, and gooey hinging on almost sinful. If you love to cook or bake this is definitely the place to find great new recipes.

I love flowers and vegetable gardens even though I do not have a green thumb. You can find gorgeous pictures and the names of beautiful flowers, some you have never even heard of. Some of them just take my breath away. There are also so many helpful hints for gardening, and a lot of information on green gardening using all natural fertilizers and remedies. My son has taken an interest in boxed gardening lately and has built some in our back yard. I have learned so much from Pinterest that I can share with him. He is actually surprised at times that I have so many interesting tidbits of information.

My daughter follows a lot of fan fiction boards because she is an avid reader and has a few shows that she really loves to follow. The boards she follows lead her to different websites and interesting news she might not otherwise see. People pin books they love, movies, and all different genres of entertainment.

If you are planning a wedding the pins are endless on ideas for that special day. You can get all kinds of ideas about where to stage your wedding and so many clever decorating ideas if you are trying to do much of it yourself. I just came across an idea yesterday that I thought was really great. Setting up a guest book and letting each guest have a page of their own. Invest in a Polaroid camera and have someone take a picture of each guest or couple. Fasten the picture to the page and get the guest to write a message to the bride and groom. Excellent idea in my opinion!

I personally have all kinds of boards and have branched out in my interests since being on Pinterest. I have a nostalgia board because I love to pin things that bring back memories from my youth. Every era is covered so no matter how old you are you can find something to relate to. And if you have a desire to find something from your youth, nine times out of ten you can track it down through a pin!

If you want ideas about crafts for kids or crafts you can do yourself, all the ideas are there. If you want to do some home improvement, there are how to articles to help. If you want to redecorate your home, there are volumes of ideas and helpful hints along with pictures. I love looking at pictures of beautiful homes and rooms. It allows me to take one or more ideas and put them in place in my home. There is no end to the decorating ideas you can pick up from Pinterest.

There are gorgeous pictures of places around the world to see, so if you are a travel buff you can plan your next trip on Pinterest. If you are like me and don’t get the opportunity to travel much but would love to, you can practically travel vicariously looking at all the beautiful pictures of places to visit from around the world. The world is just full of natural beauty and there are places you probably have not even imagined. I know I have discovered destinations that I did not know existed.

Whether you are looking for a new hairstyle, photography hints, creative things you can do with your children, art, film, or sports and exercise there is something for everyone. The list goes on and on. You should give it a try just to check it out. There are so many really interesting pins no matter what you are into that you could spend hours looking and not even realize it.

Always curious, Ashley Hardway is constantly learning and passionate about sharing what she learns with others. Based in Houston, Texas, she loves to help families grow stronger, help their environments and communities, and keep moving forward! Check out @NannyLady on Twitter to connect and find out more.

Competing with the Big Guys

When it comes to blogging, there are days I still feel like a baby. While I don't suffer from blog envy, I still wish there was an easier way to attract sponsors. I remember my friend, Ellen, over at Confessions of an Overworked Mom getting frustrated over being a little fish in a big pond. Now, she's the whale in a vast ocean. She knew what she wanted her blog to focus on, made some tweaks here and there, and is now a social media expert whose opinions are sought after and respected. She also proves the term "Mommy blogger" isn't just for those with kids in diapers. Both her children are teenagers.

I've struggled to define this blog. Originally, I was thinking it was going to be another book blog, but I found myself wanting more and more to talk about other things. Then I started reviewing more products, so the original name didn't fit. I changed the title to Books, Products and More! I was so sure I would stick with that, I created social media accounts at Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I've joined different sites like BlogFrog. Then the doubts came in again and I wondered if having "mom" in the title would make more sense. Most of my life centers around being a wife and mother.

I seem to be stuck at a certain number of followers everywhere I go. Even when I spend time retweeting other posts and commenting at other blogs, the uptick is miniscule. Offering giveaways hasn't helped much because I can't afford to offer the types of giveaways the bigger bloggers do. I've reached out to potential sponsors, but they aren't great about responding.

I would appreciate some advice. What have you done to make your blog more attractive to readers and sponsors? What do you look for in a blog? Do too many ads make you unsubscribe? If you're a regular reader here, what do you like most?

Thanks for your help. It is greatly appreciated.