Zero Dollar Reprints

How To Stay Motivated When You Feel Like Quitting

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
How To Stay Motivated When You Feel Like Quitting

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Back in 2005, I ran a monthly question and answer column. One of the questions asked was, "Sometimes I just want to quit my Internet business. Some days I do really great in sales and other days, I feel like I am getting nowhere fast. When the sales are low the depression sets in and I become highly unmotivated. What can I do to stay motivated?"

Have you ever felt the same way about your Internet business? I know I have! It's actually quite normal to have days where you want to throw in the towel, even when the sales are great!

Find A Support System
The key to surviving those down moments, or those moments when you think running your own business is too stressful, is to surround yourself with a good support system. A support system can help you stay focused, offer advice when you've run out of ideas, and provide a much needed pep talk when you've clearly run out of steam.

If you can't find anyone locally to lift you up, join an online group geared towards your business interests. Just remember to seek a private group so that your comments aren't widely shared on the Internet… it's the only way you'll feel safe enough to open up and discuss your frustrations, or ask for advice.

Remind Yourself Why You Started
A home business, or any business for that matter, is hard work. In the beginning you work long hours for nearly no reward and that can be draining on the psyche as well as the pocketbook. It's during these times that you've really got to stay focused on the whys…

Why did you start the business?
Why did you think this particular business was a good idea?
Why did you think working for yourself would be better than working for someone else?
Why…

Create a Vision Board and fill it with pictures that resemble the answers to your whys. If a picture cannot capture an answer correctly, choose keywords or phrases and attach them to the vision board. Then when your business begins to feel like it's too much, turn on some calming music, grab a cup of hot tea, and stare at your vision board.

Look at each of the images and envision yourself achieving those goals, see yourself living the life you know your business can provide you, and smile.

Tackle A Small Goal
When you have an unmotivated day, don't let your self-talk talk you into quitting. Realize that "this too shall pass", then find one simple, non-stressful, thing on your agenda, and do it. Completing that simple task may be all it takes to send those blues away and get you motivated again.

Take A Day Off
If, however, nothing works and you just feel overwhelmed and unmotivated, it may mean that you've been working too hard and have left little room for fun. It's at this point that you must throw in the towel and say, "Today I need a play date. Today I need to play hookie so that I'll feel better in the morning".

Find Your Motivational Tool
Another way to stay motivated, is to surround yourself with motivational tools. Motivational tools range from rags to riches stories to quotes on inspirational photographs to a reward system for accomplishing certain goals to winning industry awards. Figure out which motivational tool works for you, and apply it to your business plan.

If you can accept the fact that there will be days you no longer feel passionate about your business, days when sales aren't enough to keep you motivated, days when you long for shorter hours and steady paychecks, and accept the fact that these are all normal feelings… then the tips above can help you stay motivated, and focused, and working towards your business goals.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or buy her art. Then stop by www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

Why I Love My In-Laws And Why You Can, Too

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Why I Love My In-Laws And Why You Can, Too

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Over the years, I have watched many talk shows on the subject of in-laws and it has always amazed me at how horrific some experiences can be. I’ve often found myself scratching my head in disbelief and asking, “Is that for real? Or is that sensationalized for the show?”

I’ve been blessed, I suppose because I actually like my in-laws and when my mom was alive, she thought of my husband as “the son she never had”. That’s not to say that we haven’t had days where we disagreed with our in-laws or found ourselves not liking something about them and vice versa—because truth-be-told, you cannot get along with everyone all of the time. It’s simply impossible. We’re human beings who are selfish by nature and who tend to like things “our way” and sometimes that gets in the way of relationships—no matter how much you respect the person.

I still remember the day my mother informed me that she didn’t think my then “date” would make great marriage material. She prefaced the whole speech with how much she adored my husband, then broke out into the “but” speech. She swore my husband wouldn’t amount to much and that while he would make a great friend, he just wasn’t reliable enough. I disagreed. I saw so many wonderful things in my husband-to-be that I just ignored her warning—justifying it as ignorance. And sure enough, my husband put my mom’s fears to rest. And for years, I often told everyone that my mom liked my husband more than me! She’d address her gifts and cards to “the son I never had” or simply “to my son” and she’d tell anyone that would listen that he has been a true blessing to our family and in her life.

When my husband told his mother that we were getting married, she told him that he didn’t have to marry me. That took me off guard, even stung. Until I realized that my husband was her baby boy and she was only trying to “protect” him and give him a “safe out”. Today, she loves me just like I were one of her daughters. In fact, she often writes or calls by introducing herself as, “Alyice, this is mom.”

I think part of the reason we get along with each other so well is that we are honest and upfront with each other. We don’t hold grudges, and if something is bothering us, we talk it out. As my mother-in-law says, “If I don’t know what the problem is, I can’t fix it.”

From the moment I met my in-laws (21 years ago) I took the time to get to know them—which included finding out their likes and dislikes. Knowing certain things about them has allowed me to feel close and connected to them.

For instance, I know that my father-in-law loves unsweetened ice tea in which he puts a single pack of pink sweetener in; therefore I make sure to have that very item on hand for every visit. It’s a minor thing, but it makes an impact. I remember one time when my in-laws showed up for a “surprise” visit and I didn’t have any ice tea made. He teased me all day, “Alyice where’s my ice tea?” And I’d just laugh and say, “I didn’t know you were coming. I am making some now.”

My mother-in-law, on the other hand, loves to show her love through her cooking—and man can she cook! At first I felt awkward letting her buy groceries for the house and take over the kitchen, after all, she was supposed to be my guest and I never bought groceries when we visited her. But I soon realized that she wasn’t taking over but reaching out. It was her way of letting us know that she was (and is) proud of us and let’s face it, she cooks better than me—way better than me. So while I try to buy the foods they can eat, such as fish for Fridays, eggs for breakfast, and fresh fruit for snacks, I have no problem going to the grocery store and letting her stock up the refrigerator with whatever will make her visit more comfortable and more like home.

My husband and I have also learned to allow my mother to clean our house when she came for visits. At first, I thought it was just her way of “avoiding” some one-on-one time or perhaps, telling me that I’m not doing a good enough job but after a few talks with my mom we learned that cleaning our home, doing the laundry, and even cooking for us wasn’t about avoiding us, taking charge, or saying our way of doing things was wrong. She spoke through her actions, not her words and these were gestures of her love; these acts of kindness were her way of letting us know that she felt blessed that we were part of her life and family.

So the next time you find your in-laws taking over, take a step back and ask yourself, “Does it really matter who does the cooking and the cleaning? And can I use a break?” Then take advantage of feeling like you are at a bed and breakfast, in your own home. And when they go home, drop them a postcard thanking them for their gestures of love.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

How To Make Seashell Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:26:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following tutorial—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
leave the FTC disclosure intact,
do not alter the images or remove the watermark,
include the byline on the same page as the tutorial,
do not change the content,
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this tutorial you acknowledge that the copyrights of this tutorial belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
How To Make Seashell Ornaments

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
When my kids were little, we used to save clam, oyster, and mussel shells from our seafood dinners to create Christmas ornaments. Every once in awhile, we'd head down to the local tourist shop and pick up a few larger, more traditional seashells.

Sometimes we'd paint Santa faces on them, but more often than not, we'd create an assembly line that gave each child a responsibility based upon their age and abilities. The smaller child would paint the shells and add glitter while the older child would handle the hot glue gun.

It made creating ornaments for 8 aunts and uncles, 15 cousins, 2 grandmothers, 1 grandfather, 2 teachers, and a handful of friends so much easier!

If you like the idea of making Christmas ornaments with your kids, but hate the time and mess, give these a try.

Supplies:

Seashells in various sizes and shapes
Elmer's Glue
Hot Glue Gun
Hot Glue Sticks
Blow Dryer
Ribbon
Springs
Scissors

Instructions:

Wash and dry seashells.
Cut ribbon into 6 inch strips for hanger and 3 inch strips for bow.
Break springs up into smaller pieces.
Paint a coat of Elmer's glue (or Mod Podge) on the top of the seashell.
While the glue is wet, sprinkle glitter on top of the seashell.
Let glue dry naturally or use a hair dryer to speed up drying time.
Use a hot glue gun to adhere ribbon, sprigs, and a smaller seashell to the top of the seashell.
Let hot glue cool.
Turn the seashell over and place a dab of hot glue on the back of the seashell.
While the glue is still hot, place a small, looped ribbon on the hot glue, and let cool

That's all there is to it! Your seashell Christmas ornament is ready to hang!

P.S.
This Christmas ornament was created in 1994, and still looks this good!

About The Designer
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing OR to buy art, digital sheets, e-books, and more.

How To Make Doodle Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:54:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following tutorial—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
leave the FTC disclosure intact,
do not alter the images or remove the watermark,
include the byline on the same page as the tutorial,
do not change the content,
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this tutorial you acknowledge that the copyrights of this tutorial belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
How To Make Doodle Cards

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Have you ever found yourself with a bunch of scrap paper left over from a larger project and wondered what to do with it?

Hand them over to the kids and ask them to doodle away!

When they're done, you can turn them into quick, simple greeting cards…

Supplies:
Scrap papers
Blank 5x7 cards with envelopes
DecorArt® Acrylic Paint Marker
Embroidery Thread
Hand Quilter's Needle
Glue Dots® Pop Up Dots
Scissors
Ruler

Instructions:

Cut scrap papers into 2x3 and 4x7 rectangles.
Use the paint marker to create various shapes and designs on top of the paper.
Thread needle.
Coming up from the backside of the card, use a basic back-and-forth stitch to outline some of the doodles. This will add texture to the card.
Tie a knot on the backside of the card when done hand stitching.
Place Glue Dots on the back of the doodled paper.
Adhere the doodled paper to the front of your blank card.
Sign and date the back of the card.

If you want to add words to the card, use rubber stamps, rub-ons, or your children's very own handwriting. Personally, I like blank cards because then they can be used for ANY occasion.

About The Designer
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing OR to buy art, digital sheets, e-books, and more.

Promote Your Business With Articles

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Promote Your Business With Articles

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
You put a lot of time and effort into your product. You know the ins and outs of making that specific item better than anybody. But do you know how to use that knowledge to your advantage?

Marketing your business through articles, that's how.

I am an avid believer in using articles to market one's business. I've been doing it for years and I always notice a nice increase in sales when an article is published online via a website or blog. It's like free advertising and all it takes is a little time and effort.

The following tips will help you develop article ideas you can market with confidence.

Understand Your Product
Finding topics isn't difficult when you take the time to think about your product.

What makes your product better than others on the market?
What's unique to your product and why is that a good thing?
What's the best way to use a certain material?
What makes your customers happy?
What irritates your customers?
What's the best way to package and ship your product?
How do you deal with lost packages?
How do you deal with difficult customers?
What's the leading trend in your field?
How can your product help others "go green"?

Once you have your topic, create a general how-to article. Just remember that when you write your article that you focus on the reader and not your company or its products. Also, don't forget to keep trade secrets confidential and don't give out specifics about your customers without their permission.

Pay Attention To Your Stats
Another way to find ideas for articles to help promote your business is to pay attention to the way people find you in the search engines.

Put a stat counter on your website (statcounter.com is free) and pay attention to how people find you.

What words are they typing into the search engines?
What websites are they coming from and what was the topic on that website?

Can any of those words or phrases spark an idea for writing an article or even a blog post?

Pay Attention To Social Networks
A great way to learn what others are saying about your company and its products is by listening to what's being said in online social networks.

Sign up for Google Alerts (google.com/alerts is a free service) and monitor words or phrases that match your company's name, product name, materials used, or industry news.

Can anything being discussed spark an idea for an article?

Keep Up With The Publications
Another way to get the word out about your company is through print publications. Print publications are always looking for quality articles on a variety of topics and your byline could become your advertisement. It just depends on the publication's policy for bylines. Some publication do not like bylines that sound like commercials while others don't care as long as it stays under a certain word count.

Take a look at the publication's editorial calendar—which can often be found online. It can tell you a lot about the publication's needs and even help you tailor a press release towards a future issue.

Take Your Articles A Step Further
Once you've written the article and distributed it online or via a print publication, use it again and again and again…

Share it on your own blog or company newsletter.
Use it as a handout during a speaking engagement.
Use it as free “take away” material after they’ve left product shows and fairs.
Distribute a CD filled with your articles to every workshop attendee, as a free gift for attending a workshop.

Not a writer? No problem! If you don't feel writing is your forte, hire a good freelance writer. Look for writers who charge at least ten cents a word, any less and you're short changing yourself on quality.

The key to writing a good how-to article is to "not sale yourself" but to "entertain, educate, and inform" your intended audience about something they'd actually care about. Always think, "What's in it for them?"

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

13 Ways To Simplify Your Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
13 Ways To Simplify Your Christmas

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Did last year’s Christmas season turn into a big blur? Don’t let it happen to you again this year. Before your “to do” list gets too big, take a step back to decide what this holiday really means to you and how you want to spend it. Then, put the magic back in Christmas and celebrate Christ’s birth at the same time with these simple ideas:

1. Slow down.
Don’t be in such a hurry to get from point A to point B. Take the time to enjoy the magic of the season.

2. Read the story of Christ’s birth. Take time out to remember what the holiday is really about. Read the story of Christ’s birth and explain its meaning to your children, grandchildren, and/or friends.

3. Bake a birthday cake.
Help your children make a cake, decorate it, and then on December 24, sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus Christ.

4. Make a gift.
Instead of purchasing an expensive gift that you can’t afford, make your gift recipient’s favorite thing.

5. Stay home.
Make arrangements to visit friends and family the day before or after the holiday so that you can spend Christmas day at home, with your loved ones.

6. Play games.
What games do you remember playing as a child? Are there any games that an entire group of people can play together? Make time to be a kid again.

7. Light watch.
Is there an area in your town that goes all out with outside Christmas decorations? Nothing brings more cheer to the holiday than watching the faces of young children “oh and ah” at the beauty of the lights.

8. Christmas carol.
Take your family and friends Christmas caroling. You could even bring along a tin can and get donations for your local charity.

9. Donate your time.
Take a day, out of the holiday season, to give back to the community. Volunteer in an old folks home—some don’t have family visiting for the holidays. Serve the homeless a hot meal. Hold a drug-addicted baby at your local hospital.

10. Delegate tasks.
Don’t take on the responsibility of making everything work and look perfect. After making your “to do” list, break it up between family members according to age, maturity, and physical ability to get the task done.

11. Request kitchen help.
Sure, it’s your home. But it’s your family attending the celebration. Ask them to lend a hand cleaning up after the festivities are over. If you can’t get yourself to ask for help, leave the mess for the following day and hire a maid to come in for a day.

12. Pot luck the meal.
Just because the dinner is taking place in your home doesn’t mean you have to foot the bill or make all the dishes. Ask each visitor to bring a dish, and don’t be afraid to specify what you would like each guest to bring.

13. Prepare meals ahead of time.
Prepare one dish a day and freeze or refrigerate that meal. Reheated food really isn’t that bad and you’ll have more time to mingle and laugh with your guests, instead of missing out on all the fun.

Just remember: Creating memories is a priceless gift. Memories will last a lifetime; things only a short-period of time. What’s important is the time you share with those you love—for you never know what tomorrow holds.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

5 Steps To Jumpstart Your Writing Career

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
5 Steps To Jumpstart Your Writing Career

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Writing is probably one of the easiest and the hardest things to do. It is easy because writing is all about thoughts and ideas and we all have them. It’s hard because putting those thoughts and ideas down on paper can be quite scary; especially if you want others to read those words. And scarier, yet, if you want a publisher to pay you for those words because with payment comes constructive criticism and often, rejection.

There is no quick and easy way to get published, but it is possible if you tackle your goals of getting published in five steps.

Step One: Write Every Day

It’s true that life can be one huge balancing act and that you will often find you have less time in your day than you realized. So the first step should be to carve out some time in your day just for writing. Whether it is five minutes or one hour, make it a priority to write something every single day.

Write about what matters to you in a personal journal. Write a letter to a friend. Write a paragraph in an article. Write a page in a book. Just write. Actively working towards your goal of becoming a writer, by actually writing, will help build the confidence you need to begin the submission process.

Step Two: Join Writers' Groups

Join a local writers’ group. If there is not a local writers’ group in your area, look online. It is important to have an accountability group—having someone to be accountable to can help keep you from pushing your writing dreams to the sideline. And having a support system in place that truly understands your struggles as a writer can help you succeed when the rejections come in. And trust me, they will. Rejections are a huge part of a writer’s life. Writers get rejected for bad timing, lack of interest, and even poor writing. Writers get more rejections in a single year than most people do in a life time.

Step Three: Read About Writing

Subscribe to magazines and free newsletters geared towards writers. Receiving a weekly or monthly boost of inspiration may be what you need to stay on path. When I first began writing, as a professional, I found inspiration in the successes of other writers. I found inspiration in learning from other’s mistakes. And I found inspiration in many of the “you can do” how to articles. After writing became more natural, I cut back on many of the writing magazines, and now only subscribe to a small handful of writing newsletters. I find that they keep me on track and push me to succeed; especially when I see names in the industry that I recognize or names of writers I’ve personally met.

Step Four: Pitch Your Ideas

Purchase a copy of The Writers’ Market, or sign up for the online database (http://www.writersmarket.com/). The Writers' Market is filled with submission guidelines, addresses, and editorial information for magazines, websites, and book publishers. It’s a great place to start your writing career. Locate a publisher interested in what you have to offer and practice writing query letters that tailor to the needs of the publication.

Step Five: Submit Queries

Submit one query letter or article (based upon submission guidelines) a week. As you begin to feel more comfortable, step it up a notch and submit one query a day.

What are you waiting for? Jumpstart your writing career today. Check out the writing articles at http://thedabblingmum.com/writing

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

Buy Cards and Prints

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:49:00 +0000

You can find prints of Alyice Edrich's art sold on Zazzle.

You'll find affordable reproductions on products like: postcards, greeting cards, refrigerator magnets, sterling silver necklaces, and mousepads.

Halloween And Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Halloween And Christianity

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body

I can’t believe October is just around the corner! I love the fall colors, especially the vibrant oranges and yellows. I’ve always loved this time of year, especially with all the cute Halloween songs, like “Five little pumpkins sitting on a fence.”

Do you remember the Halloween specials long gone by? I’m probably aging myself here, but I miss the Donny and Marie Osmond specials. I miss the Halloween specials that had us laughing and glued to the television set.

Seems today’s writers think Halloween should be about frightening children, killing, and death.

Which got me thinking about the origin of Halloween…

How did Halloween get its start?
Why do some Christians condemn Halloween? and
Why did churches start Harvest festivals?

Tracing back the origins of Halloween can be tricky and confusing.

Each culture has its own reasons for celebrating Halloween... whether it’s to honor the dead, honor the saints, or celebrate witchcraft, Halloween has been celebrated for centuries. It’s said that the very first Halloween was celebrated by the Celts some 2000 years ago as a way to welcome the end of summer and the end of the harvest.

Doesn’t sound bad, right?

Well, the end of the harvest season came about the same time the Celts began to experience winter. The Celts believed the deaths that occurred during their long, dark winter months were caused by The Lord of Darkness.

The Celts further believed that on October 31st there was an open window for the dead to return to the earth and for the priests to learn of future events.

The Celts would often use this time of celebration to practice fortune telling. They would even leave food on their doorsteps in hopes to appease the dead, hoping the dead wouldn’t cause trouble during their short time back on earth.

Then along came a Pope who declared October 31st to be All-Saints day; a day to celebrate saints and martyrs.

Perhaps he decided too many Christians were taking part in the Celtic holiday or perhaps he hoped changing the meaning would steer many non-believers towards Christianity.

After a little more research, I learned that many practices taking place during Halloween all had some form of satanic ritual attached to it, including bobbing for apples.

Some Christians believe taking part in any Halloween celebration is a slap in the face of God and should be avoided at all costs.

Other Christians believe that by changing the origins of the holiday their children won’t be left out… and more importantly, they could turn a holiday meant for the devil into a time to worship God.

As to why today's churches are making a big deal out of celebrating this time of year… I would venture to say that they are following in the footsteps of Christ: Christ.

Christ went amongst the sinners to preach the good news. He didn't back down simply because it was awkward or different, He went where he was needed.

Do you realize how many non-believers you could win over by inviting them to a Harvest festival in your home or church? Not to mention the fact that you’re providing a safe environment for children to receive candies, dress up in silly costumes, and have a little old-fashioned fun. Consider using Halloween as a time to reach out to your community.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

Can I Effectively Maintain More Than One Blog?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Can I Effectively Maintain More Than One Blog?

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Several years ago, a woman approached me and asked, "I have several interests and have considered starting more than one blog. I understand that you blog for fun, for your magazine, and even ghost blog, on occasions, for small businesses. Can you offer advice on how to maintain several blogs and if it would be worth my time?"

My short answer was, "Yes, you can effectively maintain more than one blog. However, you need to really weigh this choice carefully as it's a time consuming task; especially if you are the only one promoting those blogs."

If you, like this lady, wonder if you can effectively maintain more than one blog, I have to ask… why are you considering blogging on more than one blog?

Is it for exposure?
Is it to practice your writing skills?
Is it to promote a product?
Is it to promote a service?
Is it to make money via affiliate links?

And finally…

Who will market and advertise those blogs for you?

Understanding why you are blogging is the first step towards developing a blog worthy of your time and resources… and worthy of your readers’ time.

Next, ask yourself…

Do I have the time to properly write, advertise, and market more than one blog?

Take the time to really weigh this answer because it will ultimately determine the success, or failure of your blogs.

The next step is to determine how often you want to post on each blog. You need to develop a posting schedule for each blog and stick to that schedule to see any type of reward from blogging.

If it's a personal blog, your schedule is as flexible as the news you have to share.

But if it is a business blog, setting a regular posting schedule is vital to the success of your blog. The more regular you post, the more likely your readers will return on a regular basis.

When determining your posting schedule, ask yourself:

What is the best time to post and why?
How often should I post and why?
What is the purpose of the blog and how many words are needed to convey that purpose in each post?
Which blog do I feel will become the most successful and therefore need more of my time?
Will comments be moderated?

The final step is to determine what you'll post.

The blogging community loves resource blogs. Provide active links within your text and on the sidebars. Use links to help validate a point, provide outside resources, to show offsite samples, and to direct traffic to a product or service you offer.

And remember, while your ultimate goal is to sell a product or service, nobody likes being pitched to every time they sit down to read so vary your posts with company news, industry news, customer stories, and how-tos.

Writing for more than one blog is easy. It's the promoting that's hard.

Before you decide to write, maintain, and promote more than one blog, make sure you have the time and the resources to commit to each blog. If you cannot give each of your blogs the attention they deserve, they won't reap the benefits you hope for.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

What Is All the Hoopla About Blogs?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
What Is All the Hoopla About Blogs?

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Even though blogs are fast becoming the norm, there are still many who haven't taken the plunge. In fact, I recently met a gentleman by the name of Bill who was quite perplexed by the whole idea of needing a blog.

"What is all the hoopla about blogs? Seriously, I don’t get it. A blog is just a website. What purpose does it really serve?" asked Bill.

Bill was right about one thing… blogs are just another form of a website. But blogs are also so much more than websites.

Blogs are fun. Blogs are personable. Blogs are viral. Blogs give back. Blogs keep you in touch with fans and potential editors and/or clients. And most importantly, blogs get picked up faster in the search engines.

A blog can serve many purposes; the key is to decide what your blog is going to do for you and your business and then set out to make your blog accomplish those goals.

Will it promote a product?
One gal I know writes 250 word blurbs related to a book she wrote, then links to what others are saying on that topic—one link per post—, ending with a four sentence pitch to buy her book.

Another gal I know posts a new painting every day, with a link to her eBay store while another gal I know posts helpful information on “art licensing” with a call to action to buy her book on the same subject.

I even know a gal who simply gives a 250 word blurb every day letting fans know what she’s up to. She tells them where she’ll be featured (t.v., radio, Internet, print), where she’ll be teaching (workshops, seminars), what’s in her new product line, and what she currently has up for sale (etsy, ebay, personal website).

Will it educate your readers?
My DM Speaks blog (thedabblingmum.blogspot.com) used to give back to the blogging community. I would answer questions often posed to me via email, forums, and chats.

Today it's a completely different kind of blog. Today, I use DM Speaks to both educate and entertain readers, while helping to promote indie musicians, book authors, up-and-coming artists, and small businesses. I share question and answer interviews, reviews, movie stills, and video clips.

Will it be a place to connect with fans?
Do you have a career that isn't reliant upon your constant pitching of a product of service? i.e. Are you a musician, actor, or writer who has a publicist to do all the grunt work? Then a more personal blog may be just what you need to connect with your fan. Just remember to be careful in what you share. Certain things should always remain private… and name dropping can become a bore real fast. Offer substance, be true to yourself and your fans, and your fan base will surely grow.

Will it lead to new business?
It can. I’ve met many people over the years who’ve been rewarded with writing assignments, licensing contracts, and sales because of their blogs.

A few years ago, I received two regular writing assignments because of a personal blog I had. One was a quarterly column in a parenting publication. The other was to edit the notes an editor took during interviews and turn them into readable articles.

And prior to that, I had received a temporary blogging gig to help a company build a following regarding a new product, and another gig to help company to jumpstart their blog, until the in-house person responsible for the blog could take over.

Blogging takes time to work, however. You must build a resource first, then you build relationships through your readers.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

Buy Original Art

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 01:49:00 +0000

You can find Alyice Edrich's original art sold on etsy.

You'll find original wall art, altered vases, art jars, wood canvases, and mystery art grab bags.

Advertise On A Low Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Advertise On A Low Budget

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
As a new business owner, advertising is very important—if people don’t know about you or your product, they can’t buy from you. But where do you advertise when your funds are limited?

Below are several simple, yet effective, ways you can begin marketing your business on a low budget:

Start Locally

It is always a good idea to pitch your new business locally, even if it’s an online business.

Call up your local radio shows, television stations, and newspapers and pitch your company from a local angle. How does your product tie in locally? How can your business help the local community?
Place a business-size card ad, in the same spot, every week, in your areas free weekly paper. In your ad, change the sale often, but don’t change the look. Let locals come to recognize the ad and depend on it for keeping them up-to-date about your product.
Visit local stores, in person, and ask to speak to the owner or the person in charge of buying. Set up a meeting to discuss selling your product in the store. Be willing to do a trial run for the first few months by selling your product on consignment, and always get a signed contract.
Contact area Chambers of Commerce and ask for a list of events going on in the surrounding area. Can you purchase booths to sell your product, gain customer leads for your newsletter, and build name recognition?
Is your product child-friendly? Can you give a talk to school-age children in the surrounding area to help bring awareness to your product? You can discuss being your own business, the entrepreneurial spirit, or what it’s like to become an inventor, then pass out a brochure that matches your speech but also sells your product. And don’t be afraid to have a drawing or two at each visit. (And if you play your cards right, you could even get paid for visiting the school!)

Hit the Internet

Start a blog on your retail site, but don’t just “shoot the jab” use your blog as a marketing tool to sell more of your product. But don't stick to advertising copy only…. make it chit-chatty so readers will want to come back.
Visit other blogs and choose to leave comments on blogs whose audience can relate to your product. When leaving comments, don't pitch your company and/or product, offer real communication and/or advice. Remember, you’re not commenting to sell your product in the comments area, you’re there to build relationships so keep your post related to the topic being discussed and when leaving a link, link to a product page that matches the comment you’ve left not your home page.
Write articles related to your product and distribute them to related websites. You can do this through free content groups or you can query publications and get paid for the article. If you can’t write, hire a ghostwriter to write the articles for you.
Send out press releases. There are several online distribution sites for press releases.
Advertise in the classified ads section of e-zines, newsletters, and websites.
Try pay-per-click advertising such as Google Adsense.

Above all, remember that it takes money to make money so for every dollar you take in, put at least 30-50 cents back into advertising until the product can begin to sell on its own merits.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

Advertise In Small Publications

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:14:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Advertise In Small Publications

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
With hard times, comes hard decisions. Spending money is at an all time low which means companies have some serious number crunching to do when it comes to when and where they spend their advertising and marketing dollars.

As a small business, you also have tough decisions to make. Do you continue advertising to reach new customers, should you only advertise to your current customer base, or should you strive to reach both customer bases and by how much of a percentage? Should you stick with the major publications and advertise less often, or should you seek out smaller, lesser known publications and advertise more frequently?

There's no easy answer.

But one thing is certain… repetition is key to advertising.

Consumers need to see your product on a regular basis if there is any hope of them remembering your product on shopping day.

If you can't afford to keep up with the major brands, seek small publications. They may reach a smaller audience, but they have a more loyal base of subscribers—and those subscribers make great customers.

Loyalty in small publications means trust and trust means feelings of allegiance and allegiance means support… which ultimately means that your ad is going to carry more weight in that smaller publication than it would in a large publication.

So where do you find small publications related to your target audience?

Start by looking at the publications you already read: print, email, blogs.
Ask colleagues, in the same line of business, where they advertise.
Search online for publications.

What should you ask when considering advertising in small publications?

Does the publication target my audience or compliment my product and/or service?
Would an ad, from my company, be a benefit to the publication’s readers?
How many ads can I afford to place at once and will the publication give me a discount for doing so?

Keeping in mind that it takes consumers up to 7 times to recognize your ad, consider advertising with the same publication for at least 6 months before you decide it is or isn't the right fit—and don't forget to use some form of tracking. (i.e. A discount code or web page designed specifically for that publication.) If, after 6 months, you don't see any rewards, try one of the following options:

Reword your ad and try again. There’s a good chance that the ad you wrote didn’t capture the attention of the newsletter readers or offer them any reason to click and buy or click and visit.
Move onto another publication because the publication you picked may not have been as good of a fit as you had thought.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next project or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing.

Geisha Wall Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following tutorial—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
leave the FTC disclosure intact,
do not alter the images or remove the watermark,
include the byline on the same page as the tutorial,
do not change the content,
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this tutorial you acknowledge that the copyrights of this tutorial belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Geisha Wall Canvas

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Did you know you could do more with digital stamps than just scrapbook and create beautiful greeting cards? Today I took an image from InStyle Stamps' anime line and created a fun piece of wall art--and you can do the same with these step-by-step instructions.

Supplies

8" x 10" Canvas
5x7" print out (Mykai from InStyle Stamps)
1 stamp - Japanese writing for the word "wisdom"
1/2" copper flower
1 tiny pearl bead
Copy Paper
Tissue Paper - white
1 sheet white cardstock
1 sheet suede cardstock
1 sheet of patterned scrapbook paper (from the Curio Paper Pad line)
Gesso - white
Acrylic Paints: Hooker's Green, Carbon Black, and Titanium White
Paintbrushes
Graphite pencil
Pen
Mod Podge®, matte
Micron Pen, black
Acrylic spray sealer
Paper towel
Printer
E-6000 Glue

Instructions

1. Download your purchased digital stamp from InStyle Stamps.

2. Resize the image to 5" x 7" in your digital software program.

3. Print to copies of the image out on regular copy paper.

4. Paint a thin layer of gesso over the surface of the canvas and let dry.

5. Rip tissue paper into various shapes and sizes, making sure you do not have any straight edges. Then use Mod Podge® to adhere the tissue paper to the canvas and let dry. This will give the illusion of waves and add texture when you paint your image.

6. Paint the canvas with a wash of green and let dry.

7. Dry brush Titanium white over the top of the green and let dry.

8. Cut out one of the Geisha girl images to create a template.

9. Trace the body (outfit) onto the backside of your patterned scrapbook paper and cut it out.

10. Use Mod Podge to adhere the body, right side up, onto the painted canvas and let dry.

11. At this point, you can freehand the lines on top of the outfit using a Micron black pen, or you can cut the template into pieces, then trace each piece onto the outfit.

12. Trace the head onto the backside of your white cardstock and cut it out.

13. Use Mod Podge to adhere the head, right side up, onto the painted canvas and let dry.

14. Flip the print out of the head over, and using a graphite pencil, shade in the area of the face.

15. Place the graphite side down onto the top of your head and using your pen trace the eyes and mouth onto the head. (To make sure your image is transferring, lift up the corner. If it's not transferring, remove and add more shading.)

16. Use a black Micron pen to go over the features of the eyes and mouth.

17. Using a narrow paintbrush, go over the lines of the outfit as well as the eyes and mouth with black paint and let dry.

18. Paint the eyes the non-black of the eyes white and let dry.

19. Trace the hair onto the backside of your suede cardstock and cut it out.

20. Use Mod Podge to adhere the hair right side up, onto the painted canvas and let dry. 21. Use a thin-tipped paintbrush to dab a little E-6000® on the backside of the copper flower, then adhere it to the hair.

22. Apply a little E-6000® on the backside of the pearl bead and adhere the bead to the center of the copper flower. Let dry.

23. Use a thin-tipped paintbrush to spread black paint on the Japanese stamp, then place your hand under the canvas to offer support, turn the stamp right side up and press the stamp down into the canvas. Gently lift the stamp and let dry. (If some of the paint did not adhere to the canvas, simply use a thin-tipped paintbrush to fill in the missing area.)

24. Seal the canvas with acrylic spray sealer, and let dry over night.

25. Turn the canvas over and sign. There you have it. A beautiful, simple canvas any Anime-loving little girl would adore!

FTC Disclaimer: Mykai anime was provided, free of charge, by Instyle Stamps. This post was written while I participated on the InStyle Stamps design team as a Chickie. www.InStyleStamps.com and www.InStyleStampsBlog.blogspot.com

About The Designer
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing OR to buy art, digital sheets, e-books, and more.

Inspiration Comes In Many Forms

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:48:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Inspiration Comes In Many Forms

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Throughout my life, I’ve been inspired by many people—people who’ve conquered all odds and survived to tell about it; people who’ve lived ordinary lives, yet stood out from the crowd; and people who’ve dared to step beyond their comfort zones to change lives—one reader, one viewer, one listener at a time.

It’s those people and those stories that I’ve wanted to capture in my writing and my photographs. But it’s those stories and those people that I continued to let slip away while I pursued things I knew would make money and pay the bills.

Then I met a woman, through a book I read this past week, who sounded very much like me. So much of what she said could be attributed to my own life and so many of her insights on living a more fulfilled life are how my husband and I try to model our own lives.

But what inspired me was the way Tasra Dawson, author of Real Women Scrap , kept nudging me—her reader—to get creative.

Somewhere, some how, I lost my creativity and while I had longed to get it back, I simply continued to put it on the back burner.

“One day when things settle down a little more, I’ll get serious about my photography and storytelling ideas,” I’d assure myself. Or, “I just don’t think I have another ounce of energy left to devote to anything else. I already run a magazine, freelance write, and spend my time creatively marketing my business. If it isn’t producing some form of immediate result, I just can’t give it the time of day. If I’m going to spend my time away from kids and hubby, I must make it count,” I’d scold myself.

Then as I read her words, I suddenly realized that God was speaking directly to me through her.

“I felt an odd mixture of defeat and relief. The feeling of defeat was expected, too much to do, too little of me to go around. The feeling of relief was that my list confirmed I was indeed stretched too thin and wasn’t inventing my feelings of being overwhelmed and always tired,” thought Tasra as she looked at her completed “to do list”.

I can’t tell you how many times I ended the day feeling depleted. I knew something was missing in my life, but I just couldn’t pinpoint it. I had a great husband, two wonderful kids, a thriving business, and a relationship with God.

“What more could I possibly want? Why am I not satisfied?” I’d gripe.

I’d browse the Christian self-help aisles asking God to direct me to a specific book that would help me understand what was going on with me, but no book appeared. After a half hour, I’d head over to the photography section where I’d browse the pictures and marvel at the artwork. And for awhile I’d escape the stress of my life and dream of doing something spectacular with my time. Sometimes I’d walk out with a book or magazine about photography, scrapbooking, altered art, collage techniques and the like, but most often, I’d put the book down; thinking, “Who am I kidding? I don’t have the extrovert personality to pull that off.”

But the more I read Real Women Scrap , the more I realized that God hadn’t been directing me to a book. He’d been directing me towards a creative life.

What kept me from pursuing art and photography was the learning curve—there’d be so much learning to do and so much time to commit that I didn’t think I’d have anything extra to give. But through Tasra’s words, God reminded me that I don’t have to tackle art or photography as another thing on my “to do list”. I simply have to take the time to breathe life into an area he’s calling me to explore and enjoy the process. If a professional photographer or artist comes from the process, great. If not, I’ve wasted nothing but found a hobby that fills my days with joy.

What about you? Have you slowed down long enough to hear God’s gentle whispers? What’s He trying to tell you?

Let’s make an impact!

Byline
Alyice Edrich is an affordable freelance writer specializing in how-to articles and Q&A interviews for the web. To hire her for your next writing project, to read her free eMagazine, or to purchase one of her e-books on how to work from home or create fun family crafts, visit AlyiceEdrich.net

Get Published The Traditional Way

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:25:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Get Published The Traditional Way Isn’t Easy Or Quick, But So Worth It

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
It’s easy to get caught up in the lure of instant publication in return for a few cents on the dollar via clicks on ads, revenue sharing, or even page views, but there’s one problem with this type of instant gratification: accountability. There aren’t any editors to tell you if what you wrote is print ready or in need of a little fine tuning. You pick a topic, write what’s on your mind, and then hit publish—all the while waiting for readers. Most readers, however, aren’t editors looking for crisp, clean copy. They’re everyday people simply looking for information or someone to connect with. And for the most part, that’s fine.

But what happens when you venture out into the traditional world of publication—where editors expect more? Will you be ready? Because getting published the traditional way isn’t easy or quick.

The freelance writing business requires hard work, discipline, patience, and the willingness to always be teachable. It requires the ability to set aside one’s own preconceived notions of what’s best for the article and go with what the publication feels is best for the article. And it requires hearing a lot of “no thank yous” before, or in between, hearing those “yeses.” That’s why when asked a question like, “I’ve been freelance writing for nearly a year now, but I can’t seem to make enough to quit my day job. What am I doing wrong?”

I can’t help but sympathize! I’ve been, and still am, on both ends of business.

If you’re ready to branch out from the world of instant gratification through instant publication and see what it’s like on the other end of the spectrum, I’d like to offer eight tips guaranteed to help you move towards the life of a paid freelance writer.

Brush up on your writing skills. Pick up a copy of The Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin and pick a paragraph or two to read every day.
Be honest about your writing skills. How good of a writer are you? After editing your own work can you honestly say that it’s free of typos and grammatical errors? Does it read smoothly and flow from one idea to the next? Does your work have a unique style or voice that you can call your own?
Take the time to get to know the publication you’re pitching. Do your articles match the publication’s style? Do you know how the editor is of the section you want to write for? Has that topic been covered in the past year? What is the publication looking for now? (Think editorial calendars.)
Send query letters out on a regular basis. How many times have you sent out a query letter? Are you sending at least one query letter a day, a week or a month? Have you sent the same query letter to 100 publications or have you tailored your query letters to meet the needs of the publication? Have you only tried to sell one idea or have you branched out into other ideas? (Check out these articles on query letters: http://thedabblingmum.com/writing/queries/index.htm.)
Remember that sometimes timing is everything. Are you writing for a market where thousands of freelance writers are competing for the same chance to be published? If so, how will you stand out from the rest of them?
When grammatical, structural, or other errors are pointed out to you by an editor, pay attention. Ask why those changes make it better via a writing group. It’s the only way those corrections will stick.
Pay attention to those rejection and acceptance letters. There’s key information there. Sometimes, a rejection letter isn’t the end all. Sometimes, it’s an invitation to submit another query. And sometimes, an acceptance letter tells you exactly what the editor wants to see in the finished piece.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Earning a steady paycheck as a paid freelance writer takes time. No matter how much you learn or how hard you apply yourself, it takes patience to be a freelance writer. After all, it can take a year from the time you send in your query letter to the time you see your paycheck. (Not always, but magazines do tend to buy articles months in advance of their actual publication date.)

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://alyiceedrich.net/emagazine/index.htm to read more of her articles.

Flora Modern Art Piece Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following tutorial—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
leave the FTC disclosure intact,
do not alter the images or remove the watermark,
include the byline on the same page as the tutorial,
do not change the content,
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this tutorial you acknowledge that the copyrights of this tutorial belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Flora Modern Art Piece Tutorial

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Something I've always wanted to try was creating a modern art piece using my love of folk art. So when I saw this cute Flora digital stamp from InStyle Stamps, I knew I had to give it a try.

I thought this would be a fun project to do with toddlers. They could create the background papers and mom, or older siblings, could hand stitch Flora onto the dried paintings. Once framed, they'd make lovely gifts for grandparents and garden-loving aunts and uncles.

The best part about this project is that if you don't like modern art, you can always use a different painted background, or use decorative scrapbook papers for that matter. The possibilities are truly limitless.

Supplies

9" x 12" Watercolor Paper
6.466" x 8" print out (Flora from InStyle Stamps)
Frame with 9" x12" matted opening
Gesso - white
Acrylic Paints: Blue, yellow
Matte acrylic sealer
Graphite pencil
Regular Ballpoint Pen
Micron fine tip pen
Eraser
Embroidery Thread: flesh (peach), red, grey, multi-colored strands
Needle for hand quilting
Threader
Scissors
Masking Tape
Printer
Digital software

Instructions

Download your purchased digital stamp from InStyle Stamps.
Resize image so that it is 8 inches tall.
Print it out on regular copy paper and set aside.
Tape the edges of your watercolor paper to your tabletop using masking tape. If you go in 1/8", you'll create a nice subtle border.
Paint the entire sheet of watercolor paper with white Gesso and let dry.
Splatter blue and yellow paint over the paper and let dry.
(You can create splatter by placing paint on an old toothbrush and then flicking the paint onto the paper, you can simply hold the paint bottle upside and allow it to slowly drip out, or you can squeeze a near-empty tube of paint over the paper.)
Flip the print out over, and using a graphite pencil, shade in the entire backside.
Flip the print out over, place it on top of your painted paper and using your pen trace the design onto the paper. (To make sure your image is transferring, lift up the corner. If it's not transferring, remove and add more shading.)
Use a fine tip Micron pen to trace the outline, referencing the original image to fill in any gaps that didn't transfer well.
Gently erase the graphite lines.
Embroider the outline of your digital image.
When embroidering paper you want to be very careful, if you poke holes in the paper too close together or you pull at the thread too hard, you will create rips so take your time. Start with one area, and one color, then when that color is completely stitched in, move onto the next color.
It's best to use a basic backstitch when starting out. Basically you will poke a hole into your design from the front of the paper, then come up from the back of the paper, pulling the threaded needle through the paper. Next, poke a second hole about 1/8" behind your original hole and pull the threaded needle back through the paper. Repeat this process, until you've stitched the entire image.
Handwrite "One must have flowers" on the bottom of the page using the Micron pen, sign and date.
Seal with acrylic spray sealer and let dry overnight.

FTC Disclaimer: Flora digital stamp was provided, free of charge, by Instyle Stamps. This post was written while I participated on the InStyle Stamps design team as a Chickie. www.InStyleStamps.com and www.InStyleStampsBlog.blogspot.com

About The Designer
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing OR to buy art, digital sheets, e-books, and more.

Little Mermaid Wall Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:40:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following tutorial—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
leave the FTC disclosure intact,
do not alter the images or remove the watermark,
include the byline on the same page as the tutorial,
do not change the content,
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this tutorial you acknowledge that the copyrights of this tutorial belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Little Mermaid Wall Canvas

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Did you know you could do more with digital stamps than just scrapbook and create beautiful greeting cards? Today I took an image from InStyle Stamps' anime line (http://instylestamps.com/category_68/Anime.htm) and created a fun piece of wall art--and you can do the same with these step-by-step instructions.

Supplies

6 1/2" Wood Circle
8" x 10" Canvas
4 1/4" print out (Ariel from InStyle Stamps)
1/8" Mirror Beads
1/8" Green Bead (with flat side)
3/4" Copper sign (mine says "Believe")
1/2" silk or paper flower • Copy Paper
Tissue Paper - white
Foam raisers
Gesso - white
Acrylic Paints: Buff Titanium, Navy Blue, Skyline Blue, Burnt Umber, Interference Gold (sparkly white), Transparent Gold, Cadmium Green Hue, and Titanium White
Paintbrushes
Graphite pencil
Pen
Wood burning tool
Mod Podge®
Aleexe's Jewel-It® bead adhesive (or Glue Dots)
Acrylic spray sealer
Paper towel
Printer

Instructions

1. Download your purchased digital stamp from InStyle Stamps.

2. Print it out on regular copy paper. (It doesn't need to be resized for this project, but you do have the option if you want a different size.)

3. Cut around the digital image to make sure it fits on your surface. In this case, the wood circle.

4. Flip the print out over, and using a graphite pencil, shade in the entire backside.

5. Flip the print out over, place it on top of your wood and using your pen trace the design onto the wood circle. (To make sure your image is transferring, lift up the corner. If it's not transferring, remove and add more shading.)

6. Use a hot wood burning tool with a pointed tip to trace the outline you've just created. When the design has been completely burned, use a wet paper towel to remove any debris, then repeat to remove any of the leftover graphite.

7. Paint a thin layer of gesso over the surface of the wood and let dry.

8. Rip tissue paper into various shapes and sizes, making sure you do not have any straight edges. Then use Mod Podge® to adhere the tissue paper to the bottom of the wood, surrounding the image and let dry. This will give the illusion of waves and add texture when you paint your image.

9. Use Titanium Buff for the flesh (unless you prefer a different flesh tone) and let dry.

10. Put a little Navy Blue into a dish and add some water to create a wash, then dab the wash around the image, and let dry. (Basically a wash is watered down acrylic paint.)

11. Dry brush Skyline Blue over the Navy Blue and let dry. (To dry brush, you put a smidge of paint on your paintbrush then you dab your paintbrush on a paper towel, then you lightly brush the surface of your design.)

12. Dry brush Interference Gold over the bottom half of your design. This should create a slight shimmer in your waves.

13. Dry brush white over the entire background, then paint the hair, tail and breastplate white and let dry.

14. Using a narrow paintbrush, paint the hair with Burnt Umber. If you brush in streaks, it can give the illusion of hair. (If you wanted to get really detailed, you could brush in some tan, some white, and some more burnt umber .)

15. Paint the breastplate and the tail gold and let dry.

16. Using a very thin tipped paintbrush, dipped in Burnt Umber, outline the image of the mermaid. While the outline is still wet, gently place a dry paper towel over the image and tap around the areas you outlined. This will pull some of the paint off the image and make the outline appear softer. (If necessary, go over anything may have smudged.)

17. Paint the eyes with Burnt Umber and white.

18. Use a thin-tipped paintbrush to dab a little Jewel It® on the backside of a mirror bead, then adhere the bead to the top half of your background. Continue to do this until you have covered the entire top half of the image and let dry.

19. Use a thin-tipped paintbrush to dab a little Jewel It® on the backside of the flower and adhere it to the mermaid's hair. Repeat the process to adhere the green bead to the center of the flower, and let dry.

20. Use a thin-tipped paintbrush to dab a little Jewel It® on the backside of copper sign and adhere it to the mermaid's hand, and let dry.

21. Seal with acrylic spray sealer, and let dry over night.

22. Paint your canvas Navy Blue and let dry.

23. Dry brush white streaks across the entire canvas.

24. Dab a little more paint onto your paintbrush and dab a line from the bottom of the canvas, to the middle of the canvas. Next, angle your brush to the left and dab single brushstrokes on the right side of the line. Angle your brush to the right and dab single brush strokes on the left side of the line. Repeat four more times to create sea plants and let dry.

25. Repeat step 24, on top of the white sea plant, using Cadmium Green Hue, and let dry.

26. Repeat step 25, on top of the white sea plant, using Navy Blue, and let dry.

27. Repeat step 25, on top of the white sea plant, using white, and let dry.

28. Dry brush Skyline Blue across the blue and white background, and let dry.

29. Seal with acrylic spray sealer, and let dry overnight.

30. Turn the wood piece over, sign, and place raisers on the back.

31. Turn the wood piece right-side up and adhere to the painted canvas. There you have it. A fun, whimsical mermaid canvas any little girl would adore!

FTC Disclaimer: Ariel anime was provided, free of charge, by Instyle Stamps. This post was written while I participated on the InStyle Stamps design team as a Chickie. www.InStyleStamps.com and www.InStyleStampsBlog.blogspot.com

About The Designer
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by www.AlyiceEdrich.net or www.TheDabblingMum.com to read her articles on crafting, parenting, home business, and writing OR to buy art, digital sheets, e-books, and more.

How To Mentor A Man To Be A Good Husband

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:42:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
How To Mentor A Man To Be A Good Husband

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
The pressure in today’s society to stay ahead of the game—in work and play—leaves little room to build or maintain good marriages. In fact, rumor has it that one in every two marriages end in divorce. Whatever the number, a quick look at a divorce court’s docket will have you wondering if getting married is even worth it. But I'm here to tell you that yes, indeed, marriage is worth it—with the right person.

The problem isn't in the getting married, the problem is in the staying together through difficult times, through times when you grow tired or bored of your spouse, or when you hit a personal crisis that you don't know how to share with your significant other.

It is my humble opinion, that the divorce rate will not drop until men with good marriages step up and mentor husbands with struggling marriages. It's not enough for women to be mentored, men need it, too.

If you're a man with a good marriage, and you see a marriage that is hurting, step out of your comfort zone and lend a helping hand. All it takes is fifteen minutes a day, one hour a week, or one day a month, for a set period of time.

1. Develop A Schedule

The key to guiding and nurturing another husband is to make a plan and stick with it. You don’t have to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but you do need to be available. You need to let your mentoree know that you will hold him accountable for both his words and his actions.

2. Be An Example

When mentoring other husbands, it’s important to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk”. In other words, you need to live by example. If you tell another man that it’s important to treat his wife with respect, then you must also treat your wife with respect. That means speaking highly of her in front of others, avoiding negative talk about the things that drive you crazy, choosing to take out the garbage even when you’ve arrived home late from work and would rather plop down in front of the television to unwind, and taking the time to romance your wife, even when the budget is tight.

Your mentoree need to see how good marriages work first hand in order to learn how to do it properly himself. If he see your wife respecting you because of how you treat her, then he will be more inclined to follow suit.

3. Share Personal Experiences

Your mentoree needs you need to show him that you understand how difficult marriage can be and how much work it can be. But he also needs you to show him how wonderful it can be. Go ahead and show him that you’ve been there, and that you know of which you speak. Share lessons you’ve learned throughout your marriage without giving away too much personal information. Give personal accounts, but do it without breaking the trust of your wife.

Share generalizations of when you fought over something trivial, when you went through personal hardships, when your marriage was struggling to succeed. Then share how your marriage has blossomed: share the things you’ve done to improve your marriage and the things your spouse has done. Remember, lessons don’t always have to come in the form of a negative.

4. Actively Listen

Teach your mentoree how to listen to his wife and show genuine interest in the things she says, even if he may have absolutely no interest in that particular topic. Show your mentoree how to be a good listener by actively listening to him. Show him that being an active listener is about engaging in the conversation, turning off or putting away distractions, and keeping his eyes directed on the other person.

5. Encourage Change

Be honest and real with your mentoree. If you notice that a different way of handling a situation or speaking to a spouse may result in better results, encourage your mentoree to try a new approach.

Don't allow him to get stuck in the “that’s the way I’ve always been” or “that’s the way my father was” or “that’s just how society is” excuse trap. Show him how his excuses are actually hurting the marriage, and how making difficult or time-consuming changes can actually improve the marriage.

Ultimately, all you can do is lead the way. It is up to the husband you mentor to decide what type of marriage he wants. Offer directions, then let him choose his path.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://thedabblingmum.com to read more of her articles.

Make Money Reselling Your Junk

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:29:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines
You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Make Money Reselling Your Junk

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body

You've heard the claims before: "I made $200 doing absolutely nothing", "I've made hundreds of dollars while I slept", "I made $500 in one week and there was no effort on my part", and lately, "The recession has been the best thing that ever happened to me! I make more money today than I ever did when I worked my full-time job".

But can you really trust such claims? The answer is no. The recession has brought far more scam artists out of the woodwork than I care to count. If it wasn't bad before, it certainly is now.

The truth is that a homebased business requires start-ups costs—even if it is just marketing and advertising dollars. A homebased business requires work— making contacts, selling people on your product and/or service, and actually doing the work promised, whether it's mailing a product or completing a service. And a homebased business requires time—time to build your skills, time to find clientele, time to turn a profit.

Yet, despite the claims that you can set up a website and watch the money start rolling in within a matter of weeks, or that you can "con" someone into purchasing a program that you've yet to succeed at, there are legitimate ways to bring in some quick cash when times get tough. And all it begins with you and your stuff.

That's right, you can earn money SELLING YOUR JUNK!

Step One: Detach.

The first step in selling your junk is to detach yourself, emotionally, from your items. Don't think about how much you paid for an item. Don't think about the wonderful memories attached to the item. Don't think about how much money you're losing by selling the item for less than you paid for it.

Think about whether or not you still get enjoyment from that item. Think about whether or not you have actually used that item in the last year or two. Think about how selling that item can help your family now—when times are tough.

Step Two: Sort.

Once you've come to terms with the fact that you need to sell off your possessions, you need to start sorting through your stuff.

Always start off with the easy stuff: books you no longer read, movies you no longer watch, clothes you no longer fit into or like, and those dreaded "elephant" gifts.

Next, move onto big ticket items that take up a lot of room: that treadmill that's become nothing more than a clothes hanger, that extra refrigerator that takes up electricity but never has any food in it, that canoe you bought when your kids were younger but now find "uncool", that oversized picture that hasn't had a place in your home since the day you redecorated, that extra set of golf clubs you're holding onto just in case a buddy shows up unexpectedly and wants to play a round or two, and so on...

Once you've gone through the big ticketed items, it will be easier to tackle the smaller stuff: the stuff you've packed away for rainy days, the stuff you've held onto for the past ten years because of sentimental reasons but has yet to find a purpose, the stuff you packed away during your last redecorating spree because you thought your kids would like it one day but now you realize their tastes aren't yours, and so on…

Step Three: List on Craigslist.com.

Craiglist is a great place to sell your big ticket stuff and it's free to use! Take 3-4 photographs of each item: full shot, side views, close-ups, and damaged areas. Write up a description of each item: name of item, current retail price, price you're asking, pick-up or delivery information, and detailed description including make, model, and size. And provide a contact number or email address. (But never give your home address!)

Big ticket items can take anywhere from one day to four weeks to sell, so be patient—and don't be afraid to unlist your item and relist it every week. It could also depend on the season you're trying to sell your item. For instance, most people aren't thinking about snow blowers in July, nor are they thinking about canoes in the winter.

The key to using Craigslist.com successfully is to be weary of scam artists who try to get your product without paying. Watch out for people who want to pay with a money order or check. Watch out for people who want to pay more than the price you're asking, then ask you to refund the difference. Watch out for people who ask you to sell your item to one person and deliver to another person, out of state.

Step Four: Sell to stores.

Locate places in town that buy used: DVD Resale Shop, Used bookstore, Nice As New Clothing Outlet, and Pawn Shops. Then take one day and devote it to visiting the "we buy used" shops around town.

Ask them what they're taking right now, and what their terms are. Then decide if you can live with those terms. If you can't, keep your stuff to sell another day. If you can, sell your items outright or sign the consignment contract.

You're likely to spend a good hour to two in each shop waiting for the clerk to sort, categorize, and buy your products so bring a book with you--and maybe a small picnic lunch. Whatever you can't sell, return home with you.

Step Five: Host a garage sale.

Contact the local paper and buy an ad, get a permit from city hall, and put out the signs.

Before you put your stuff out to be sold, consider what you'd actually pay for the item if you were the one hopping from garage sale to garage sale. Then price each item accordingly—and don't be afraid to raise the price a dollar or two to cover negotiations.

You can price individually or price by groups, the choice is yours. Pricing by groups would look like this: you place clothes in a box and label the box, "Each item in this box is just $1 each". Or you place items on a table and attach a sign that reads, "Anything on this table is $5 each."

Then look forward to spending an entire day waiting and negotiating with passersby. The key to a successful garage sale is patience. It also helps to set things up in categories, have plenty of cash on hand for change, and be willing to negotiate on the price because people will always talk you down.

Step Six: Post classified ads.

Place advertisements in the newspaper and place flyers around town.

Classified ads can get costly rather quickly since the newspapers usually charge per word so use your space wisely. Bold the name of the item you're selling, include a brief description, include words like, "paid $100, asking $35 cash" and don't forget your contact number.

Flyers are legal to post if you post in the correct spots, so find out where your town allows flyers to be posted and put up a few. Think in terms of laundry mats and grocery store bulletin boards; not telephone poles. Include a photo of the item, product description, retail price, and the price you're asking. Then include strips of paper with your name, number, and the name of the product for sale.

Step Seven: Post on eBay or other auction sites.

Write a product description that explains the history of the piece, along with product dimensions, starting bid (no less than $9.99), and shipping fees.

The key to using eBay successfully is to post rare and antique items and include plenty of pictures so think in terms of your collectible baseball cards, comic books, dishware, etc.

Step Eight: Start the process over again.

And continue to use the process until you've sold everything you've agreed to sell. (To avoid mixing up what you've agreed to sell with what you want to keep, set your saleable items off to the side—in the basement, in the garage, in the attic.

If you're wondering if reselling your junk really works, the answer is yes!

When my husband was unexpectedly laid off a few years ago, selling off some of our stuff kept a roof over our heads and our bills paid on time. We sold an old canoe for 1/2 the price we paid for it, we sold our second refrigerator for 1/3 the retail price, we sold wall art for 1/8 of the retail price, and by visiting three used shops, we were able to get $200 for several old books, VHS videos and DVDs. It was a wonderful way to de-clutter my home and do something good for the environment while earning enough cash to keep us afloat.

Byline

Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://thedabblingmum.com to read more of her articles.

How To Find Money When Your Income Is Tight

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
How To Find Money When Your Income Is Tight

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body

When the economic crisis first hit the United States I wrote a weekly column where parents could ask anything related to running the household. One question I was asked involved a family struggling to stay afloat. Their hours at work had been cut, their grocery and gasoline budget had nearly doubled, and now their electric company had informed them that their electricity was going up by 30%.

The wife asked, "How can I help my family survive this economic downturn?"

At first, I didn't want to answer the question. My husband had just been laid off and my homebased business was already feeling the effects of the economic downturn. But then I realized that the nine things my husband and I agreed to upon to keep our family afloat could very well help her as well.

Below is the advice I offered this wife, mother, and hardworking woman:

1. Sell The Large Stuff

Sell big-ticket household items through Craigslist, flyers around town, and classified ads. Craigslist is free. Flyers only cost a few cents per copy. And classified ads run from free to a few dollars based upon the publication.

The key to selling the large stuff is to sell stuff you don't need or anymore. Avoid selling items that you still have a use for until the very last resort.

And remember, just because you won't buy a used mattress from someone else, doesn't mean that others won't buy one from you.

When we moved into our new rental, it came with a refrigerator. Needless-to-say, ours sat in the garage either collecting dust or being used to store extras. When times got tough we sold that refrigerator for $300 to a couple that didn't have a refrigerator and couldn't afford one like ours—which ran about $1,000 new.

When writing your advertisement, be truthful. State how many years you've owned the merchandise and how often you used it. State the condition of the merchandise, what you paid for it at retail (or what the retail price for it today is), and what you are willing to accept for the piece.

2. Sell The Small Stuff

Sell small ticket items at garage sales, through social groups, through second hand shops, on your personal website, or through eBay.

Again, the key is to really think about what you own from an objective point of view. If it's a collectible, or has been passed down from one generation to the next, you might want to hold onto the item. But if it's something that you've simply outgrown, it's time to let it go. I'm not fond of garage sales. I hate the haggling. But when pennies get tight, they can be a true blessing. Just remember that the key to selling your stuff in a garage sale is to think in terms of bargain hunters.

The retail price of an item may be $100, but garage sale buyers are not going to give you $50 for the piece. They're looking to spend around $25 tops, usually less.

When I heard my neighbor was hosting a garage sale, I asked if I could join her. That day I sold an old video game station to a grandmother and her grandson for $55. It came complete with 10 different games. The game system was outdated. You could no longer buy spare parts and the games were no longer being made. But the system itself, still worked like a charm. Selling through social groups, provided the group allows it, can be great because you already have a targeted audience. I once sold several writing related books that were collecting dust to an online writers' group for 1/3 the price I paid for the books.

Being between paychecks, I couldn't give my son the spending money he needed to hang out with his friends. Determined to go, he visited a local second-hand shop where he sold several movies, books, and outdated video games for $100 cash.

3. Sell Your Services

Get a business license and business insurance, then start selling some of those services you are so good at.

Are you good with your sewing machine? Open a mending and seamstress shop.
Have you been making jewelry for the past ten years as gifts? Start selling your goods.
Can't get enough time with your pets? Start a dog walking or poop clean-up business.
Always had a love for children? Consider an after-hours drop-in daycare center.
Love to shop? Offer to run errands for those who don't have the time shop for themselves.

The possibilities are endless. All it takes is a little imagination, and lots of hard work.

4. Shop Second-hand

Visit used book, video, and clothing stores. Stop by the local Habitat for Humanity's Re-Store for household renovation and repair projects. You'll be surprised what you can find with a little digging. Though I am not fond of wearing clothes that once belonged to a stranger, my daughter has no problem buying used jackets. So on one of our recent trips to the local thrift store, she scored a nice leather jacket for just $5.

5. Shop Discount Outlets

Discount outlets, when used properly, can save you hundreds of dollars. I once got some really nice t-shirts for $5 each when another store was selling the exact same t-shirts for $25 each.

6. Cut Your Budget

Cut corners in the household budget. For one month, keep track of every dollar you spend. Where does that money go? Is it being spent on "wants" or "necessities"? And is what you once considered a necessity really a want in disguise?

Take snow removal, lawn care, or housekeeping services. When money was good, paying for these services freed up your time and allowed you more time for the fun stuff. But now that money is tight, it may be time to do these services yourself.

Take a look at how much money you spend out on utilities. Then call up those companies to discuss lowering those monthly bills. Drop your telephone service to the bare minimum. Disconnect cable or at the very least go with the basic service. If you have a cell phone package with all the bells and whistles, cut back to the very basics and only use the phone for emergencies, not social networking.

7. Lower Your Grocery Bill

Opt for eating more homemade items versus pre-packaged, pre-processed foods. Eat a vegetarian meal at least twice a week. Buy organic only if the food doesn't have a peel. Only buy meats that are on sale or purchase in bulk and separate into smaller servings yourself. And rethink those coupons. Often, we see a coupon or discount and we jump at the opportunity to "save" money only to discover later that it really wasn't that great of a deal or we just purchased something we never would've bought in the first place. If using acoupon will you actually come out cheaper in the long run, use it. If not, pass.

8. Seek Cheaper Insurance

When we first got insurance, we spent hours comparing rates and services and then we forgot about it. We paid our monthly premiums without a second thought. Then money got tight… After belonging to Allstate Auto Insurance for nearly 15 years, and becoming increasing frustrated by the fact that our insurance went up every year though we had no accidents or traffic violations, we finally decided to shop around. To our surprise, we found an affordable, reliable company at nearly half the price.

The key to switching insurance companies is to know what you're getting. Make sure you know what the regular rate will be after the introductory rate and when the new rate will take place. Then make sure you know what the fine print reads because it's easy for insurance companies to show you all the fluff, and forget to show you the nitty-gritty.

9. Stop Using Credit Cards

I know this may sound like a double-edged sword, but using your credit cards can actually hurt you. On the one hand, you need your credit cards to survive with money being so tight, but on the other hand you cannot afford the monthly payments.

The thing with credit cards is that the more you use them, the higher your balance becomes and the higher your monthly payment gets. And the higher your monthly payment, the harder it is to pay it.

On the other hand, when you stop using your credit cards, more of the money you pay each month will go towards the balance of your bill, thus lowering your balance and eventually your monthly payments.

And if you, like me, need to use your credit card between paychecks, make sure you don't charge more than you can pay off in any given month.

10. Stop Driving Your Vehicle With gas prices at an all-time high, you are probably paying an entire paycheck to car gas each month. Cutting back on how much you use your vehicle can save you a considerable amount of money.

You can drastically reduce your monthly car gas bill by carpooling with others, taking the local transportation, or biking to work.

If, however, that seems unreasonable, or not an option due to the distance between home and work, consider grouping your errands together. And whenever possible walk.

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://thedabblingmum.com to read more of her articles.

How To Create A Better Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:41:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
How To Create A Better Blog

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
Do you know what makes one blog better than the other? Is it the design, the content, the imagery? Below are ten tips to help you create a better blog using all three of those points.

Keep Posts On One Page

Don't break up a simple 800 word article into five (5) posts (or pages). It's extremely annoying and ridiculous. It's one thing to take a complicated subject and break it up into 5 articles, it's another thing to take a simple subject and break it up simply to create more web pages. If you have something to say, just say it.

Don't Keyword Stuff Your Post

Keyword stuffing is picking a word or phrase that you want the search engines to pick up on so that your web page ranks higher in the search engines. Stuffing your post with too many of these types of words can make it near impossible to read, let alone comprehend.

If you have a keyword or phrase you want the search engines to pick up on, use that word or phrase wisely. Use it in your post's title. Use it in the lead paragraph, use it somewhere in the middle of your post, use it at the end of your post. But don't use it for every other sentence of your post.

Think of it this way, if after writing your post, you read it out loud and you find it difficult to read, take out some of those keywords and phrases.

Include Photographs

Photographs, when they match the theme of your post, are attention getters. They break up the monotony of words, are visually stimulating, and can sometimes bring the point home better than any descriptive instruction.

This is especially true of sharing a craft idea. Think about it, how many times have you read a blog post that shared a tip on crafting, and you thought, "I sure wish there was a photograph to show how to do this?" Or "At the very least, the blogger could've shared a final project piece. Would've been nice to know what the project was supposed to look like."

Write Regularly

Nothing kills a readership more than going on constant hiatuses. You don't have to write a post every day, but you should, at the very least, write a post once a week. And if you only have time to update your blog once a month, put a note in the sidebar stating which day of the month you'll post and stick to it. That way, readers know what to expect and when to come back to your blog.

Stop Self-Promoting So Much

There is nothing wrong with telling your readers when you have a new workshop, product, or service. There is nothing wrong with drawing a little attention to your business or online shop, but don't make every post about what you can get out of your readers.

Share insights with your readers. Tell them something educational, inspirational, or just plain gossipy (within reason of course). Make your blog a two-way for communication.

Don't Skimp On The Post's Title

If you're writing a blog post every day, or a few times a week, it can be tempting to just date or number your posts, it may even be tempting to use a single word as the title. But don't do it.

Your post's title should give the reader some idea of what your post is about. If you're the creative type and can write attention grabbing headlines, go for it. If, however, you're like me and struggle in that area, just write something and descriptive. Like, "How To Create A Better Blog" or "My Time In Dollywood, Tennessee".

Stop Listing Posts By Month

Use your sidebar wisely. Instead of categorizing old posts by month or week, categorize them by theme. Seriously, how many times have you gone to a blog, saw the monthly archives and wished there was a simpler way to browse the archives on that blog?

Break Up Your Paragraphs

Make reading your blog posts easy on the eyes. Format your blog with plenty of white space. Break up your paragraphs into more manageable bits of information. Use bold sub-headings to draw the reader's attention to a specific area of the post. Use dot or numbered bullets when giving a list of ideas.

Hyperlink URLS

Don't be so afraid of losing traffic. If you're going to tell someone about a website or blog, make the web address clickable. If you don't want them to leave your page, then have the link open up in a new tab or web page by using the "target="_blank" code in the link's html coding.

Spell Check Your Content

Realize that every post will not be free of grammar and spelling issues. After all, our eyes sometimes gloss over things that are erroneous because our mind's eye knows exactly what we want to say and sees our content that way. So go ahead and accept the fact that not all posts are going to be 100 percent perfect.

But don't let that be an excuse to be lazy.

Take the time to read over your posts. Include proper capitalization and punctuations. And when in doubt over the spelling of a word, consult your dictionary. Or at the very least, go to Google and type "Define:Word" in the search engine's toolbar to see if your word is spelled correctly.

Earn Your Readers

In the end, your blog is only as good as the content you post. As Peter Rojas says, "earn your readers every single day" by providing content worthy of their time.

Byline
,br>Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://thedabblingmum.com to read more of her articles.

4 Places To Look For Financial Aid For Medical School

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:43:00 +0000

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You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

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include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
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Article Title

4 Places To Look For Financial Aid For Medical School

Author

Alyice Edrich

Article Body

Medical school is expensive. Even two year certification programs can cost a pretty penny. So where do high school students and returning adult students turn when money is needed to fund college education? Why programs geared towards giving college students financial aid, of course. Below are four places you can find financial aid for medical school.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) [http://www.fafsaonline.com/] website is the first place every college-bound student should visit.

According to the FAFSA website, “Submitting this vital financial aid application form determines your eligibility for federal financial aid as well as scholarships, grants, and other aid opportunities.”

Basically, you fill out the online form and the program does its calculations. A staff member looks over the form and calculations, then gets back to you with several funding options. If your income is low enough and your financial need great enough, you’ll receive offers for pell grants and scholarships as well as student loans. If your income is too high, you’ll only be shown offers for student loans. To learn more about how to properly fill out the FAFSA online form as well as lower your income to meet grant and scholarship requirements, visit the Free FAFSA Secrets Guide. (http://www.fafsaonline.com/s1-reduce-income.php)

The second place to locate money for medical school is through scholarship programs. Scholarships usually do not have to be paid back and are based on merit, not financial need. While students have a better chance of receiving funding through local scholarships, state and nationwide scholarships also offer chances to pay for college education. When looking for scholarships, check out the Student Scholarship Search website (http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/).

The third place to locate money for medical school is through student loans. Student loans work just like every other loan, you borrow a specific amount of money, agree to pay a set interest rate and late fee, and make payments to pay back the money you borrowed. By requesting a “student loan” versus a traditional loan, students can often prolong making payments until 6 months to 1 year after they graduate from college. To learn more about student loans, visit the Financial Aid Officer (http://www.financialaidofficer.com/).

The least likely place to look for money for medical school is through work-study programs, but they’re often a better option than student loans. According to the Student Guide (http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2004_2005/english/types-fed-workstudy.htm), work-study programs “provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses.”

Byline

Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://thedabblingmum.com to read more of her articles.

Why Hire A Real Estate Agent

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Publishing Guidelines

You may reprint the following article—free of charge—in a print or online publication, brochure, magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you:

leave the byline intact,
include the byline on the same page as the article,
don’t change the content (except for grammar/punctuation),
do not charge for the information, and
make the links clickable (if used online).

By publishing this article you acknowledge that the copyrights of this article belong to Alyice Edrich and you agree to these publishing guidelines and our legal disclaimer.

Article Title
Why Hire A Real Estate Agent

Author
Alyice Edrich

Article Body
With so many get rich schemes on the Internet and advertised on television, it’s easy to believe that we no longer need real estate agents to help us sell or buy property, but nothing could be further from the truth. Real estate agents are trained and licensed to help their clients get the best deal possible. They also work with lenders on a continuous basis which means they sometimes know about programs you’re not even aware of—programs that can essentially save you money in the long run. And they take the time to get to know their neighborhoods which means that they actually become experts at knowing what neighborhoods match your needs and wants, which homes fit both your budget and your dreams, and how to negotiate a much better price for your home!

So what does all that really mean to you? That means the real estate agent you hire has a vested interest in helping you receive the best deal possible.

If that’s not enough to convince you that hiring a real estate agent is a smart move, consider this:

1. Real estate agents are licensed.

Real estate agents are licensed by the state and if they are associated with the REALTORS® association, they are kept abreast all changes in the law—as they pertain to real estate.

2. Real estate agents do all the grunt work so you don’t have to!

If you’re the buyer, they’ll check out houses that look like a good fit for you, prior to asking you to view the house. That way, they can tell you if a house is worth your time or not. They’ll also check into disclosures on the property and other valuable information you should know before you by. And they’ll direct you to the resources you need to make informed decisions instead of throwing out statistics and information that may be misinterpreted or misquoted. And if you’re the seller, they’ll do all the advertising, networking to find qualified buyers, open houses, and whatever else it may take to sell your home—within reason. And they’ll deal with all those lookey-lous who have no intention of actually buying your place.

3. Real estate agents are knowledgeable.

While real estate agents cannot tell you what to sell your house for, they can tell you what the market will bear, what the house down the street sold for, what deterrents can prevent your home from selling at a good price, what things can be done to your property to increase its value, and then based on market supply and demand help you sell your home for as close—if not right on target—to your asking price as possible.

4. Real estate agents handle all the paperwork.

Real estate agents are trained to understand how purchase agreements work and what needs to be filled out where. This alone can save you thousands of dollars because if this is filled out incorrectly, it could prevent the sale of your home. And let us not forget those pesky disclosure agreements. Do you really know what all the legalese means?

Byline
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer and mixed media artist. Stop by http://alyiceedrich.net to learn how you can hire her for your next writing project or http://thedabblingmum.com to read more of her articles.