funforkids

   Well, you have your foot in the door, you have your blog up and running.  You are posting your new content daily as you should to keep your links fresh and to attract new readers.  Your blog shows up in the Today.com feed but you STILL aren’t seeing the number of visitors you are supposed to be seeing.  I had this problem too.  I was only getting maybe 40 visits a day and those were mostly my friends who felt bad for me.  I lost the $1 per post that Today gave me to start with because I wasn’t bringing in the readers, and deservedly so.  I have a blog elsewhere too and those numbers were not as bad but they were slow too.  I decided to do some research, I visited the other bloggers who show you how to grow your numbers, many of them were great.  Including a few people here on Today.com, but I found that I had to keep waiting for the next post and the next post to learn it over time.  I just wanted it all at once you know?  I found it all in one guide through Mom’s Talk Network.  The guide is called 101 Smart & EASY Web Traffic Strategies and it cost me only $12.97.  I made that money back within a week through the adsense revenue I began seeing after utilizing the strategies the guide taught.  It was definitely a great investment!  While I have not utilized the strategies for my Today.com blog, I have enjoyed a great BOOM in my traffic at my other blog, Becausemomsaidso.com.  I put a counter up about a month ago (maybe a little less than a month ago) and it is already getting close to 4000 hits for the month–compare that to the 100-150 I was getting before I started utilizing the guide tips.  I don’t normally SELL things on this blog, but I do think that many of you would benefit from this guide.  You already love to write and maintain your blog, so whynot make more money with it?  

     Here are Three Tips to Help Bring Traffic to Your Site that I found useful from this guide:

“One of the biggest problems internet marketers face is getting traffic. So many people believe the myth ‘if you build it they will come’. Believe me, that’s far from the truth!

Here are three tips to help bring traffic to your site:

1. Article marketing. This is one of the easiest ways to generate traffic to your site. Not only will you genearte traffic writing articles is a great way to distinguish yourself as an expert in your niche.

If you aren’t a great writer, don’t have the time to write or just simply don’t want to do it you can hire a ghost writer to do it for you. And of course there is always PLR (private label rights) as well.

2. Forum Marketing. Also known as message boards. This is another useful tactic in generating traffic to your site. Make sure you are joining forums that are relevant to your niche and where your target market is likely to be hanging out.

Don’t join a forum and immediately post a ’sales pitch’. In fact before you even post a link sharing about your services or product you should become ‘known’ around the forum. It’s all about building relationships first!

3. Video Traffic. The idea of creating a video can be a bit scary but you need to step out of your comfort zone and create a compelling video that will be beneficial to your target audience. Make something that is going to grab people’s attention and keep them interested and end with a call to action. Don’t forget to put a link to your website in the video where people can see it clearly.”

Those are only three tips to get you started on bringing more traffic to your site. If you would like 98 more tips and a deeper explanation of the tips listed above you should definitely pick up your copy of this really helpful guide.  

To order your copy you may visit this link: http://www.quicksales.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=lovemyryan702@msn.com&u=www.momstalkbiz.com/traffic-tips-ebook.html

I love Lands End clothing.  With summer fast approaching you may want to check out this sale and stock up on swim items.   

My Good Friend Pinky over at CUPCAKES.today.com has started her own Button-making, Header-making, everything making store online.  She made this great button for me!  Want to exchange buttons?  Grab Mine and then let me know where I need to go to get yours!  Don’t have a button?  No worries, go over to Pinky’s shop and have her make one for you.  They cost less than a dollar!  Compare that to some other sites that charge $20.  Her site is: http://x0xpinkyx0x.multiply.com
        Here’s the code to grab my button:

 <xmp><a href=”http://funforkids.today.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g147/alebaby20/funforkids.gif” width=”125″ height=”125″></a></xmp>


  To make your own fingerpaints: combine 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 cup of cold water and stir until smooth. Then add 3 cups of additional cold water. Cook mixture over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles. Once the mixture bubbles, reduce the heat. Continue to cook one minute more and then remove it from the heat and pour it into three heatproof bowls. Use food coloring to tint the mixtures in the colors you desire. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp. until cool. Place mixtures into sealable plastic containers for storage until ready for use.

Read more: “Something for Everyone on PNN” - http://cherylannenelson.pnn.com/6587-parents-page#ixzz0ClJ90LQz&A

I recently asked the principal of my older son’s school when Pre-K registration letters would be coming home so that I could register my 3 and 1/2 year old.  She informed me that parents no longer register their children at the individual schools and told me to log on to the Board of Education’s web site for more details.  I was glad that I asked; I would have missed the registration period had I waited for a letter from the school.   Here is the most recent information regarding Pre-Kindergarten registration for the school year 2009-2010 as outlined on the New York City Department of Education’s website:

     “Children born between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 who will turn four years old between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 and who reside in New York City and are eligible to participate in UPK (Universal Pre-Kindergarten) programs that are offered by the New York City Department of Education are eligible to file an application for consideration with regards to pre-kindergarten placement. 

The following are important dates regarding the application process:

Friday March 6th  2009–  Application process begins; directories and applications available

Friday April 3 2009–  Application period ENDS

Week of May 18th 2009–  Families notified regarding assignment offers

May 18th -May 29th 2009–Families PRE-REGISTER at schools.

For more information or to download a registration application go to the New York City Department of Education’s website.  I have provided a link for you here:

http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/default.htm   

The Hot Wheels Jurrasic Starter Set, is it Worth Your Money?

     My 3 year old and I were browsing the toy section of our local store this morning looking for something new and fun to bring home and play with together. After about 20 minutes of looking at ALL of the toys, he decided that he wanted the Jurassic Starter Set by Hot Wheels. I had seen the advertisement for it on television and decided that it looked like a good choice. He sat so nicely in the wagon in awe of his soon to be new toy and we of course purchased it and brought it home.

When we got home we opened up the box and started to set up its contents. The diagram was descriptive enough for me to assemble the set and it went together pretty quickly. I am not, however, happy with the set for several reasons.

First, the tracks don’t all snap together. Some slide together into a groove, but others just lay or overlap one another. The places that overlap easily slide apart when children try to drive the cars over that section. The whole set separates in three places. Who wants to drive their car over a track the keeps separating?

Secondly, the cars don’t fit correctly into the track. It is almost as if they made these tracks without even measuring the width of the cars. The wheels drive on the ridge of the track instead of securely inside of the track–the way one would think they should.

Third, the chain reactions that are supposed to be set off when the car hits into the trigger points do not set off the chain reactions as promised. The first trigger does push the car onto the track, however, the car never reaches the second trigger point because the tracks separate and the car is sent rushing across the living room floor and under the couch rather than acroos the track.   My son was completely frustrated with this set. I brought it back to the store and allowed him to pick out another toy.   I do not recommend purchasing this toy at all.

A while back my husband and I decided we were going to reward the boys with a toy that they had been asking for.  We promised them that if they were “very good” all week, that on Saturday Daddy would buy the toy on the way home from work.  That Saturday my husband called me from Target and informed me that they didn’t have the toy that they wanted.  He checked a second store and they didn’t have it either.  Not wanting to spend a day looking EVERYWHERE under the sun he and I decided that he should just buy them something else so they wouldn’t be too disappointed.  He hung up the phone and I left him to pick out a replacement.  A few minutes later he runs an idea by me:  How about I buy them the Hulk fists?   “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” I said.  “They already have the Star Wars light sabers that we hid because they get crazy and carried away with them–now you want to bring big fists into the house?”  “Yeah, you are right.  I guess I will get them these Power Rangers figures instead,” he said.   The kids were disappointed that the toy that they originally wanted wasn’t found, but they were content enough to enjoy the Power Rangers until we could get the toy a few weeks later.  Fast Forward to a few weeks later when I began working in the city.  My husband decided to take the boys to the store to pick up some things we needed and while there he purchased them another toy each.  I called him from work to check in and to see how the day was going and he informed me that they had a great day, they had lunch and went shopping.  When I got home from work the boys were excited to have me home and anxious to show me their new toys.  Lo and Behold they pointed toward the top of the entertainment center where (far out of their reach)  the HULK Fists that I had warned my husband about a while back were strategically placed.  They had already been taken away because the boys were getting too wild with them—-What a huge surprise.  I took them down so that the kids could show them to me.  The fists were bigger than my three year old’s head!  The boys put them on and began to punch the hands at the couch.  With each punch you heard the sayings:  “DONT MAKE ME ANGRY–YOU WON’T LIKE ME WHEN I’M ANGRY!”   and “HULK SMASH!”.    I knew instantly that they were just as I had said:  bad news.   The boys quickly  began to throw punches at one another and at my husband.  The fun quickly escalated and soon someone was crying.   I suppose I could have taken the high road as I rocked the wounded child.  I could have said nothing at all…… but instead I said proudly:  “I TOLD YOU SO!”  Every now and then the boys remember that we have them (and the Star Wars light sabers too) and we take them out of hiding so that they can play with them.  Things usually end with someone crying or with mommy yelling:  “You guys are playing too rough” and me taking them away, but I still like to give them the benefit of the doubt and let them try to play without the threat of maming or rendering one another unconscious.   

     I happened to stumble across the Kidzui browser while reading one of my own posts on HUB PAGES and decided to try it out.  What is it?  I am so glad you asked.  The Kidzui browser is a tool that you download from Kidzui.com which GUARANTEES that while your child is logged onto your computer using the Kidzui browser that only those sites that are suitable to children will be accessible to your children.  Kidzui is a kid-friendly browser that is stocked with tons and tons of parent and teacher approved sites for your little ones to discover either on their own or under your direction.  Every site is inspected by the staff of Kidzui which is comprised of parents and educators so that you can breathe easy while the kids surf freely.  Signing up was easy.  I signed Ryan up in a flash and he created his own AVATAR (which is a computer version of himself —he got to pick the hair, clothes, eyes, etc…) and we picked a password for him.  I also picked a password for myself and gave my email address so that they can keep me posted via Emails as to what my little boy has been viewing through their site.  The browser is really quite nice,  it links you to things like Alvin and The Chipmunks, Emily Yeung, Daniel Cook, Playhouse Disney, Scooby Doo, Music videos, and all sorts of educational sites and it is FREE.   You can upgrade your service by paying a fee, but I didn’t feel the need to upgrade as they offer so much with the free package.  Your kids can also make friends on the site and they can comment on what they like and don’t like by attaching labels to the sites.   The browser is so easy to use that even Mikey can use it (he’s 3).  I definitely recommend that you give it a try.  Let me know if you like it.

Don’t you love those non-slip socks and slipper booties?  Here is how you and your kids can create your own.

What you will need:  Socks (old or new), something to cover your work-space with (to keep it paint free), and fabric paint

Cover your workspace with newspaper (or other protective covering) and place a pair of socks on the covering.  With a brush (or using the squeeze applicator that comes on some fabric paints) create a design such as hearts, stars, polka dots, squiggly lines or even a name on the bottom of the sock.  Allow it to dry for the amount of time listed on the paint’s instructions. 

Creating matching designs also makes it easier to match the socks later when you have a ton of them coming out of the dryer and need to create the matches.