Smart Tips On the New FTC Endorsement Guides for Bloggers

Blogging Tips

Are You in Compliance?

Many new bloggers might not be aware of the new FTC Guidelines that are now in place as of December 1, 2009.

As a WAHM blogger who offers work-at-home tips, blogging resources information and also reviews and giveaways, I’d like to share some information with you that may help answer any questions you may have regarding product reviews, giveaways and endorsements.

On my product reviews, you’ll see a banner linking to my site-wide Disclosure Policy that’s prominently featured on my Navigation Bar:

For More Information Visit: FTC Endorsement Guidelines

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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Thanks for visiting! Comments are always appreciated! This blog is Do-Follow Links!

Spotlight On PR

Spotlight on PR

Spotlight on PR for Mommy Bloggers

Tara from Feels Like Home has partnered with Adrienne of Adrienne’s House to introduce bloggers who are interested in connecting with PR Representatives and getting started in the field of Product Reviews and Giveaways.

This is an excellent opportunity for WAHM moms to learn about and become noticed by PR professionals as well as gain some valuable connections.

I’d like to introduce myself to those PR professional who may not know me.

About Moomette’s Magnificents

As Moomettesgram, I’m a Baby Boomer and thrifty Gram from New England. I’ve been ‘Around The Block‘ awhile and am familiar with many products, both household and child related. I’ve seen what were the “hottest trendy household and baby products” when my daughters were little in the ’80s, and I know what the “hottest trendy household and baby products” are now that I have my own grandchildren.

My Baby Boomer status qualifies me to have an opinion on just about everything – which I’m more than willing to share!

The Internet is quickly becoming the medium of choice for marketers and statistically proven that Mom Bloggers are increasingly influential in getting the word out to decision makers ~ Moms and Grandmoms ~  about the newest and hottest products on the market.

As I’m a big supporter of Work-At-Home Moms ~ here’s a great way to gain exposure and get the word out for your WAHM unique hand-crafted items and online website.

I have an established presence since 2007 throughout the Internet on many social networking sites, including Twitter, Facebook and many social Ning forums.  My interest include childrens clothing and toys, health, beauty, as well as eco-friendly products for the family and home.

Please use my “Contact” button if you would like to get in touch with me or request my Media Kit.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Look For Me On The Veranda In August – I’ll Be Sipping Iced Tea

Time Out To Smell the (Beach) Roses

Look for Me On the Veranda in August

During the 4th of July long holiday weekend, I spent 5 days camping down the Connecticut shore with my oldest daughter and her family, as well as my youngest daughter.

It was marvelous to get away, and although I wasn’t tethered to my computer’s lifeline, I did manage to sign into my email and Twitter via cell phone on occasion.  I didn’t want to make it too obvious to the family though, because they think I’m somewhat “obsessed” you could say, with blogging.

I’ve been doing a bit of introspective thinking lately, and Trisha, over at MomDot must have read my mind, or at least gave me reason to pause and  realize I had to step back and take a deep breath, if just for one week.

Many of you know I wanted to take the early retirement from my day job, but couldn’t.  I have so many blog posts written in a journal that I’d like to put up here, but there isn’t enough hours in my day to type them up, as well as do all the administrative work that goes along with maintaining a blog.

I didn’t start out as a Product Reviewer, but created my blog, originally called “Moomettesgram’s Musings” to offer just that – Musings of a Baby Boomer Grandmom from New England.

The “musings” part has sort of fallen off, and been overtaken by product reviews, and all the associated administrative work that goes into it.  When you add into the equation I still work full-time, take care of the grandkids after I get out of the cubicle, have a DH, house and The Cat to take care of – besides keeping up with social networking and a PR4 blog – it’s overwhelming.

Those of you who know me see me on Twitter until 3 am many nights.

If you haven’t read Trisha’s post about the  PR Blackout, please do.

We want to see your blog naked, raw, and back to basics. Talk about your kids, your marriage, your college, your hopes, your dreams, your house and whatever you can come up with for one week.

I thoroughly enjoy working with the PR reps who contact me, as well as offering my readers insight into new products from the perspective of a “Baby Boomer Grandmom Who’s Been Around the Block.”

My husband and I sent our daughters to a private all-girls high school.  Several times during the year, all the students would go on a “Retreat” and reflect on life and whatever else was the topic of the Retreat.

I will be taking my own “Retreat” and respite from posting product reviews during this time – stepping back to take a breather, clear my head  and get all those “musings” that are in my precious journal up for you all to read.

So I’ll be on vacation, but it’ll be a “working vacation” – a vacation for my mind, body, spirit and soul – a chance to rejuvenate.

Look for me on Veranda Chit Chat during August 10-16.  Come join me as I’ll be sharing about family life; adding to my 101 Things About Me tab; offering up some favorite recipes, and maybe sipping a Long Island Iced Tea.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Laundry Mom Shirts and More by LTDchix – Review and Giveaway

Living the Dream – Laundry Mom

Back when I was my husband’s “First Wife” I was the chief cook & bottle washer around here.  The kids came along, and like most of my readers, I was in laundry up to my ears!

Over the years, (35, to be exact, today, as a matter of fact!) I’ve become my husband’s “Second Wife” and now everybody around here does their own laundry!  Of course, one daughter is married now, and my youngest is almost launched.  Emphasis on “almost.”

I’m delighted to have the opportunity to review an adorable line of clothing by LTDchix, which stands for  “Living the Dream” chix.

LTDchix created the cutest illustrated tops that show a mom laughing at the less than glamorous aspects of raising a household!

Sometimes you just have to have a sense of humor to get through the day!

Two former corporate “suits” traded in their jobs to form LTDchix:

Back in the days when being a Mom was still just a dream for many of us, little did we know about the true realities of motherhood.  We didn’t know that along with the beauty and rewards of watching our children grow, we’d also have to contend with the daily mind-numbing tasks that go along with it!  But we’ve got to keep on smiling and persevere!

LTDchix has ten illustrations with the tagline “Living the Dream.”

I received the “Laundry Mom” top!  It’s just perfect for casual wear, and certainly gets plenty of looks when I have to run out to the grocery store!  People just usually smile when they see it.  The shirt is 100% cotton, but feels like there’s a little extra “stretch” in it … which is good for me!

Besides Laundry Mom, you can find shirts for Cooking Mom, Mini Van Mom, Referee Mom, Shopping Mom, Working Mom, Workout Mom, Beach Cart Mom, Multi-Tasking Mom!

Shirts are available in short sleeve and long sleeve versions!

We all talk about “changing our hats” when we take on yet another task.  Now, why not just try changing your shirt!

Brighten someone’s  day for a Bridal Shower, Baby Shower, birthday, or “just because.”

For More Information Visit: LTDchix

Moomette’s Magnificents is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win one (1)  Laundry Mom Shirt from LTDchix!

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule: (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)

a)  Sign up for my Free Newsletter updates to  my blog through my Feedblitz link (RSS feed subscriptions will not be counted as an entry).

b) Just visit LTDchix and leave a comment about one fact about the LTDchix Moms that wasn’t mentioned in this post, and WHY you’d like to win this shirt!

Now for extra entries (each task will get you 1 extra entry):

~One Extra Entry: Add my banner button to your sidebar or add me to your blogroll, and come back here and leave the link (I will be checking)

~One Extra Entry: Blog about the contest on your blog linking to my blog and the site

~One Extra Entry: Become a Fan of Moomettesgram on Facebook and leave your Facebook name (I will be checking) in a separate comment

~One Extra Entry: Favorite Moomette’s Magnificents  in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment  (the link is on my left column if you scroll down) or both.

~ One Extra Entry: Follow Me on Twitter and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.

~One Extra Entry: Tweet about this contest (Retweet button at bottom of post), and come back to this post and leave the URL link to the Tweet so I can check. You may Retweet once per day until the end of the contest, but please leave a separate comment for each Retweet, along with the permalink

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until June 22 at approximately 11:00 pm.

Winners are chosen by Random.Org, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

*Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

*Include your email if it’s not enabled.
*Open to USA and Canada Only
*Rules for each entry must be followed to be valid.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Contests and Giveaways Linky Roundup

Please take my banner and display it to add your contests/giveaways here. Displaying my blog banner helps to promote my site and your Contests and Giveaways. You may also sign up by email to receive my free Newsletter for updates.

Please also follow me on Twitter – I am @Moomettes

I have an extensive following on Twitter, and will tweet my post multiple times over the course of the week, as well as post and promote it on the various ning and other social sites I belong to.

Here’s a listing of the latest Contests & Giveaways from my friends around the blogosphere! Please visit their websites for details, rules and ending times.

Would you like to have your contest listed? Just add your Contest or Giveaway to the Mr. Linky listing!

Entries Must be in the following format:

• Link up the NAME OF THE CONTEST- NOT YOUR BLOG NAME.
• LINK DIRECTLY TO THE CONTEST, NOT JUST TO YOUR BLOG
• Ending Date

All entries will be deleted that don’t follow this format. Contests/Giveaways that have ended will be removed each Sunday evening.

I also am available for Product Reviews and offer affordable Advertising rates. Please contact me for info.

Listings are offered here as a courtesy, Family-Friendly only.

<a href=”http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog” mce_href=”http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog”><img alt=”Moomette’s Magnificents” src=”http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u221/mattci/banners/mmbanners125.jpg” mce_src=”http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u221/mattci/banners/mmbanners125.jpg”/></a>

Be sure to Visit Connie’s View to add your listings to another great Giveaway Roundup!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Dream Team: Mommy Bloggers and PR Reps

Read the latest on the new Pitch Bloggers website for Reviewers & PR Reps:

Recently there has been quite a bit of press about the ethical implications of Mommy Bloggers doing product reviews.  I believe in transparency and  have always had a Disclosure Policy on all of my blogs.Pitch Bloggers ~ Ethical Standards for Mommy Reviewers | Moomettesgram’s Musings, Apr 2009

You should read the whole article.

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

Follow Me on Twitter
@Moomettes

Pitch Bloggers ~ Ethical Standards and Mommy Reviewers

Recently there has been quite a bit of press about the FTC and ethical implications of Mommy Bloggers doing product reviews.  I believe in transparency and  have always had a Disclosure Policy on all of my blogs.

Fortunately, Trisha over at Mom Dot has developed Pitch Bloggers, a partnership between moms who do product reviews, host giveaways and contests and the PR Advertising Representatives for companies looking to promote products.

Pitch Bloggers is a comprehensive resource to help PR and marketing professionals connect with mom bloggers and get up to speed on best practices for implementing blogger outreach campaigns.

There’s a lot of advice out there from PR pros about how to pitch mom bloggers and there’s an equal number of bloggers doling out advice about how to pitch them. But often these well-meaning groups lack something critical: a true, stand-in-my-shoes understanding of how the other half works.

Our dynamic team is made up of moms, seasoned PR professionals and long time, experienced bloggers. We provide the ideal combination of expertise and experience to help you effectively engage with bloggers.

In order to be considered as a Pitch Blogger member, mom product reviewers must fill out an application and sign and agree to an Ethics Agreement.

All those accepted will proudly display the banner showing that they meet the Ethical Blogger Professional Standards.

Whether you’re a mommy blogger trying to work at home and break into product reviews, or a PR  advertising rep for a company looking to have your product reviewed, check out Pitch Bloggers today!

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

Follow Me on Twitter
@Moomettes

How Mommy Bloggers Can Increase Their Technorati Authority

One of my favorite groups to get info on all things Blogging is Mom Bloggers Club, the latest Web 2.0 Social Networking site.  I’ve been a member since the very beginning.  There’s plenty of smart Moms and Baby Boomers who blog about Parenting, Recipes, Product Reviews, Fashion, Photography, Pets, Frugal  Lifestyle, Contests  & More!

There’s quite a bit of useful information that’s been posted to help Mommy Bloggers and others increase and gain Technorati Authority ranking on their blogs.  One of the benefits is, the higher your ranking and authority, the more likely that PR advertisers find your blog beneficial to them.

Technorati Ranking relates to the number of sources that point to your blog relative to other blogs. The more sources referencing your blog, the higher the Technorati ranking. The Technorati Ranking for a blog is displaying in URL Search results, Blog search results, and is displayed in the account profile for all claimed blogs.

Make it easy for your readers, and grab a Technorati button or chicklet and place it where your readers can see it.  You can then go back into your account and see which of your readers have Faved you. It looks like this ~ go ahead & click it!

Here’s a list of many of the wonderful blogs that can be found who belong to Mom Bloggers Club.  Please visit my friends, and Favor them to Technorati if you’d like!

For More info, visit Mom Bloggers Club, and don’t forget to Friend Request me when you get there!

If you found this post helpful ~ Fave me to Technorati (Button on sidebar or at bottom of post) I’d appreciate your leaving me a Comment!  I love Comments!

More Info:   How to Start a blog

http://heritageremedies.com/serendipity/

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

Moomette’s Magnificents Reviews ~ Grand Launch!

I’d like to invite all my readers of Moomettesgram’s Musings to the launch of my new Review Blog ~ Moomette’s Magnificents Reviews.

Since I began my online career in 2007, I’ve taken my twists and turns and finally settled (for now) on a path I’d like to take as my retirement goals.

When I first started writing Moomettesgram’s Musings in November, 2007, my intent was

… to encourage other Boomers and SAHMs how to go about opening up a store, create support networks and overcome any obstacles you’ll encounter along the way.

I felt that I accomplished many of those goals, plus more. Recently Moomettesgram’s Musings was awarded the honor of being among the Top 10 WAHM Blogs Award for 2008 by Sparkplugging.

Along the way I became involved in doing Product Reviews from the perspective of a Baby Boomer who’s “been around the block.”

My family and I have used many childrens’ products, toys and household products over the course of my 34+ years of marriage, so doing product reviews was a “natural choice” for me to pursue.

In order for me to maintain the original intent of that blog and devote ‘quality time’ to each individual niche, I decided to break off the Review aspect from the main portion of Moomettesgram’s Musings. By doing so, it will allow me to focus on and prioritize each blog individually.

My goals for Moomettesgram’s Musings in 2009 are to continue to bring great work-at-home content, Networking, Web 2.0, eBay and eCommerce tips as well as suggestions that will help you make informed decisions.  I’ve learned many things the hard way, and as always, will let you know what I think!

I hope you’ll visit me at my new Product Review site, Moomette’s Magnificents Reviews.  I’ll be offering quality reviews for the whole family, covering Baby, Infants, Toddler and childrens’ items, Toys, Educational Toys, Clothing, Health, Beauty, Cosmetics, Food, Homegoods and more.  As always, the reviews will be covered from the perspective of a Baby Boomer “Who’s Been Around the Block.” If you like what you see, add my new blog to your List of Favorite sites!

Check out:  http://moomettesmagnificentsreviews.com

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

My M&M’s ~ A Review

Many of us struggle to find the perfect gift around the holidays. And, when it comes to last minute shopping, we tend to choose something standard, rather than spending more time and stress searching. However, some holiday gift options offer last-minute convenience as well as a little personal touch, which will go a long way with your family and friends and let them know you put thought into their gift.

The personalization offered by My M&M’s allows you to customize your gift. Simply visit mymms.com and pick your colors, messages, and upload your photos, making your order special for all occasions.

My charming son-in-law is very athletic and is a huge sports fan. Each birthday and Christmas I try to add a little something to his collection of memorabilia, as eventually he and my daughter would like to move to a new home that has either a finished basement or a family room. It’s fun to pick out unique sports-themed gifts for him.

I found the perfect gift for charming son-in-law on My M&M’s! Do you have a sports fan in your household? My M&M’s has a MLB dispensers with your chosen team’s logo. Each comes complete with three 7oz bags of MyTeam M&M’S®.

Another terrific idea ~ imagine how much Grandma would love her grandchild’s face on her birthday M&M’S. The ideas are endless!

Wedding season will soon be upon us and if you’re a Mother-of-the Bride looking for unique ideas, suggest to the bride-to-be how great it would be that she and groom would look on their own wedding favors!

The site also offers dozens of gift options to accompany the My M&M’s, such as candy dispensers and decorative tins.  And new this year, My M&M’s has even teamed up with Martha Stewart for ideas to make personalized gifts even more special. Each of Martha’s My M&M’s personalized gift options provide easy step-by-step instructions.

For more information, visit: http://www.mymms.com

Copyright 2010 Moomette’s Magnificents – All Rights Reserved

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@Moomettes

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