Guest Post: Something About George Clooney!

Recently I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for my dear friend Sharon from Moms Madhouse Advice Blog~A Blog W/ Sprinkles of Truth!

She was having issues with her eyesight at the time and wasn't able to post on her blog.  So our Exalted Sisters Tribe on Triberr got together and sent her a handful of posts for her blog.

Her four year old daughter happened to be talking about Italy on that particular day so I decided to send her my post about George Clooney!

I met Sharon on VoiceBoks this past year and we have become quite close.  We have had our Lucy and Ethel moments on Twitter and Facebook, she cracks me up all the time! 

Sharon is a mom of 6 children and writes about all the fun that happens at her house.  She is a riot and I recommend that you take a peek at her blog!  Here is her Blog Button:

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Did Triberr Give Me Klout?

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What is Triberr?


Triberr was created by Dino Dogan and Dan Cristo.  For the "mom and pop" or new blogger it is a great tool to increase reach on Twitter and exposure to your blog.


For Triberr to benefit you, you must have a blog that you post on regularly and also have an account on Twitter.


To join Triberr you would receive an invitation, which will be sent to you via direct message on Twitter by somebody you know.

To Find Out More About Triberr Click Here!

How Has Triberr Helped Me?

I was invited to Triberr at the end of August 2011, however I wasn't blogging due to an illness. 


At the time the tweets were automated so it looked like I was somewhat active on Twitter!  This feature is no longer available at this time. Once I returned and started blogging again I began to see all the benefits of using Triberr.


Each time I wrote a post on my blog my "Tribe" members were tweeting them and of course I was doing the same for them.  I created my own "Tribe" and joined other "Tribes" too.  My Twitter reach began to increase.


I control which posts I would like to tweet out and before deciding on joining an already established "Tribe" I visit their blogs as well. 

Where Are Your Posts Going?


Not only are your blog posts being "Tweeted" on Twitter, they can also be "Liked" on Facebook, "+1'd" on Google+, "Stumbled" on StumbleUpon and shared on LinkedIn!

Remember I Had Stopped Blogging?


To measure how Triberr has increased my reach, I am going to use Klout scoring as my example. To learn more about Klout please visit their Website Here.  During the time I stopped blogging, Klout also changed their algorithms.  When I returned in October, my score had plummeted.


Here you can see that 30 days ago when I wasn't blogging, my Klout Score was only 31.  On October 28, 2011 I started blogging again.  As of today, November 27, 2011, my Klout Score has increased to 43 and my True Reach increased by 568!

Visit Klout Here!

In Review


I recommend Triberr to any blogger that would like to increase their exposure in the blogosphere! I feel that in the past 30 days, being a member of Triberr was what helped me get back on my feet so to speak!  I also have been able to connect with other bloggers and visit their great blogs too. 


Please refer back to Triberr's website for more information and to see if you would like to join this very active community.


If you would like an invitation to Triberr I have a few requirements! Send me your blog link  and request to @LisaLadrido on Twitter!

Triberr

Thank you Dino and Dan for this great community of bloggers called Triberr!

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How Are Your Social Media Profiles?

Property of Lisa  Ladrido

Early on when we began using Social Media, Myspace was the go to site for many of us. Today there are so many social media communities and networking opportunities available that it is hard to keep track of them all.  New ones are being created what seems daily, like the new Google+!

However, they all have one thing in common, building relationships.  Relationships with people you most likely haven't even met yet!  Whether you are trying to build a business or are just starting out, how you communicate with the people on Social Media is so important.

Will they eventually join your opportunity, purchase your product or even read your blog?  It is hard to say, there are no guarantees.  However, as in life we must follow some simple rules if you are looking to build relationships on the web.

Whichever site you have joined, whether it is Facebook, Twitter or Google+, to name just a few, there are some basic steps that you should consistently follow. 

·       

     
Profile Picture

Your profile picture is so important to be the first thing that you personalize as soon as possible.  Do not leave the default avatar up for very long.  Try to post a professional looking picture as soon as possible.  Studies have shown that you will have fewer followers if you do not have a picture on your profile.  That doesn't mean that you need to spend money on a photo shoot, but picking a decent picture of you is important.

Your picture is the first impression people will have of you. If you are in a bikini, that pretty much sends the message of the niche market you are targeting, whether it is intentional or not!

You will be recognized on other sites if you use the same picture on all the Social Media communities you belong to.  

    
Information About You

On Twitter you have to be creative since they only allow 160 characters to write your Bio, however make sure you add one.  When your following request is received it will just show your name if you have not taken the time to attach a Bio.  The keywords you choose for your bio are very important.  Most people will not follow you until they read something about you!  

Facebook and Google+ offer enough space to write a little about you and your business.  Try not to push your business opportunity right from the beginning.  There is room for you to add your links to your sites if you so choose to.  On Facebook that would be on the Contact Information section. 

Add as much information about you as possible.  You can always come back and change your bio later.  Like your profile picture, having a complete bio will offer your potential followers an opportunity to learn a little more about you and your business.  

Photos

If a location is available to do so, add photos to your profile. The more you offer to potential followers to learn a little about you the better. You become a real person to a stranger, and that is what we want isn't it?

On Google+ and Facebook there is a section on your profile to add pictures. If you use an aggregator like Tweetdeck for Twitter you can add videos and photos to your tweets! 


This also gives you the opportunity to add your website information as part of the description of the photo.  For example, if you were a photographer you could also place your company website as part of the description of this photo.  

Interests

If space is offered try to add your interests as well. This helps you relate to more people who are searching to add more followers.  


For example, in some of the networks you have a location that you can add movies, books and music that you enjoy on your profile.  We recommend that you add as much about you as possible. 

Privacy Settings 

All of the networking sites have an area designated so that you can adjust your privacy settings.  If you are looking to increase the size of your business and exposure then we recommend not keeping your profile too private. If you are in the Witness Protection Program please ignore this information!

Under the Account Settings on Twitter you will see “Tweet Privacy, Protect my tweets”.  It is best not to select that option.  This does not allow your tweets to be public; they will only be visible to your followers. 

Most people will not spend much time trying to see your profile, many will not even try.  You can choose who sees what; we recommend at least your posts, contact information, interests, bio and websites to be open to everyone. That decision is a personal one of course.

Take advantage of all the opportunities each site offers to you to complete your profile as much as possible. It is the first impression your new followers will have of you. Have fun networking!

The photos used on this post were either created by Lisa Ladrido for the purposes of this blog or stock photography from Dreamstime.  Please request permission prior to using any photos or information on this blog. 

Martha Stewart said You Can't, but I Found a Way!

Washed and ready to be pared, cored and cut!

As a native of Florida and the Caribbean I didn't know much about growing apples! However, when we moved to Seattle it bothered me that most of the apples from our trees were being wasted or given to our horse and Labradors as a snack.  I would pick the apples I needed for my pie, but what about all the rest?

A few years ago I was watching Martha Stewart and one of the audience members asked her if  you could freeze the apples for pies and desserts.  Martha said no, however, I knew better.  After years of seeing them go to waste, I decided to see what would happen if I froze them already seasoned ready for each pie.  Here is what I do using my mom's Perfect Apple Pie recipe!

Recipe Card Maker

Get your freezer bags dated and ready to either mix directly in each bag or in a bowl. Mix the sugar, flour, spices and salt.

Mix those seasonings either in each bag or bowl!

Mix enough for each pie separately.

Pare, core, and cut 6-8 tart apples for each freezer bag. There are several types of coring tools on the market, like the one you see pictured here.

Apples seasoned and ready for the freezer!

The apples do not need to be defrosted prior to being placed in the pie crust.  Just take the bag out of the freezer and pour the contents into your crust of choice and bake!  The apples have been as tasty year-round as when they were freshly picked in the Fall!

Enjoy!

Gordy's Plight

Gordy

We had a wonderful trip while visiting my dad and family in Florida.  As much as we would have liked to have seen everyone, time was just not on our side!  Hopefully our next trip we will be able to spend more time.

My husband and I love the beach and Florida has some of the most beautiful white sandy beaches around! We stayed on Treasure Island, right on the beach. We love waking up and having our first cup of coffee on the shore.  The Dolphins and Manatees are usually out that early and it is fun to watch.  During our stay we did end up meeting a sweet bird named Gordy.

Gordy ended up being my husband's fishing buddy!  His family can be found in North and Central America, however Gordy lives on Treasure Island, Florida.  I am not an expert, but I think Gordy told me he was a Great Blue Heron.  We met Gordy while my husband was trying to...fishing!

Last time we were here, Gordy's cousin Eucalyptus stole my husband's bag of fish.  So Rick was very watchful of Gordy, although this time Rick's bag was empty, so I am not sure what all the fuss was about!!

Gordy stayed right by Rick and I while he fished. It was so sweet how he stood there patiently waiting. As the sun grew higher in the sky Gordy got hotter! He started to pant a little and pull out his wings to cool down, I was starting to get worried. I didn't want the poor thing to pass out while waiting for Rick to finally catch something!

Oh wait, Rick caught a fish!! Gordy was so excited, he started to pace back and forth, waiting for Rick to give him the fish.  Rick was so proud of his catch, I was hoping he was still going to give it to Gordy.  After all he waited all this time.

But wait, oh no... I can't believe it, Rick dropped the fish and he got away. You should have seen Gordy's face, poor baby. Rick tried to explain that his hands were too slippery, that maybe it wasn't a good fish anyway for Gordy to eat, that the sun got in his eyes, that the wave almost knocked him down and what else could he do?

Gordy was so disappointed.  He had been waiting for hours there.  He started to walk towards the rocks. I didn't think he would jump, but would he? Was he that upset?  Was he now thinking that just maybe he had picked the wrong fisherman man?

I begged him to stop, that it wasn't worth it.  I told him that there were other fishermen out there that would gladly share their catch with him. He just looked at me and flew away!

He did come back later.  I am not sure, but I think he must have been watching from a shady spot, because Rick did catch a few fish.  Gordy was right there ready for his treat.  This time Rick was careful not to drop them!


Rom 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.