How to Get 10,000 Real Followers On Instagram

It is no secret that Instagram has become a force to be reckoned with in the social media world. One of the things we must know is that by 2020 MediaKik is reporting that companies will spend 20 billion dollars in social media campaigns and marketing with influencer just on Instagram alone. That means that instagram IS a huge opportunity for those want to bring in an extra stream of income. I am currently sitting at a little over 43.7K following on my instagram page located HERE

I talk about generating multiple streams of income in The Mompreneur Online Bootcamp in detail, but I wanted to share with you all how I got my first 10,000 REAL instagram followers. You don’t have to buy them. Actually it is against Instagrams policy to buy followers so I highly suggest against it. So how do you grow on Instagram? Here are 5 strategies that you should be doing to grow:

1. Post at least once a day. The algorithm favors those that are active on the platform. If you are not posting every day then you are not going to grow or be engaged with those that do follow you in the long run. Commit to posting once a day.

2. Decide on your top three areas that you want to offer. (Ex: inspiration, food recipes, mom life, etc) What do you want to GIVE. It’s all about giving so people will see you as a resource.

3. Use Instastory  and/or IGTV as often as you can. Another key strategy that Instagram is promoting is the use of video. IGTV stays up on your profile while your instastory is only there for 24 hours. Chose a strategy and stick to one.

4. Find 30 hashtags that fit your target audience. Chose 3-4 different sets of hashtags and use them in different pictures to get optimal exposure. Also follow the top 5-7 hashtags that are in your target audience. Their feed comes up in your timeline, which is a great place to engage.

5. I go into further detail on growing on Instagram in the Instagram E-course here. If you want to use instagram to generate income or you want to become a social media influencer, I share all my secrets on how I work with major brands in the Mompreneur Online Bootcamp. Feel free to follow and share your instagram page with me in the comments section of this blog.

Growing on Instagram takes time. I started this process back in 2015. It has taken me all these years to get to where I am and I am still learning and growing. Don’t believe the lie that it’s too late. It’s not too late, it’s prime time for you to grow  social media. You will thank yourself in a few years.

How to Start A Wildly Successful Blog (and work from home)

I used to be so skeptical of those people that mentioned that they were making money with their blog. After years of trying it, I got super frustrated and just gave up. That was back in 2014, 5 years ago. I am happy to say that I accidentally picked it back up after having my daughter and wanting to connect with other moms. As my social media presence grew on Instagram, companies started reaching out for partnerships and collaborations. That when they started asking me about my blog. That is when I realized the potential I have now and the potential I had even when I did not have a large following.

If you’re reading this, you are thinking about or have decided to start your own blog. Your in good hands. I will give the step by step guidelines on how to do it and to make it look amazing! There are just way too many blogs out there that are just thrown together. As you can see from my blog, I like things neat and done right. So if you’re ready, let’s get started.

1.) Decided on what you want your blog to be about. I always say think about what your passionate about or even the stage of life your in. Are you a stay at home mom, a college student trying to find their way or a business corporate executive working their way up the ladder? Write about what you would naturally write about. Just start there along with the commitment to be consistent writing at least once or twice a week.

2.) Go to BlueHost.com and get started with setting up your blog. Here is why you don’t want to use blogger or another platform. Did you know that if you grow your blog to be successful and start making money that is actually against Google’s policies and if they find out they can shut down your site. You don’t own that blog, Google does so that why you need to set up your site using BlueHost and walk through the steps to set up your site and create an account. To own your site it’s only $3.95/mth which is nothing compared to the potential income you will be making soon. Be sure to choose a URL name and blog name that will grow with you. Go ahead and do that now and then return to this blog to continue.

3.) Now that you have your blog set up on BlueHost, go and make your header using Canva. Go to canva.com and sign up for their free service. Create a blog header and an easy logo that represents what your Blog name and URL. If you don’t want to make your own, you can go to Fiverr.com and get one made for $5. You can also go to Etsy and type in pre-made logos and get a logo there for around $10-$50. They have really great ones. (Hint: My logo for this site is an Etsy logo; I just customized it a little on my own)

4.) Find a blog template that you like on Etsy as well. Just type in “pre-made blog templates”. Once you purchase they will also show you how to download it on your site. This will set your blog apart from all those out there! (Thank me later)

5.) Set up your about me or bio page. People want to know the writer/author behind the blog. Do research on how to write a really great bio. (Hint: Start with your name and who you are at your core) This will set your blog apart as well.

6.) Commit to writing 5 blog post that is helpful, inspiring and authentic. When people come to your site, they want to see more than just one blog post. Once you have completed your 5th blog post. Start sharing it everywhere you can. On all your social media platforms and ask your friends and family to share.

7.) Are you ready to scale and make money? I have an e-course that will show you JUST how to do this. It truly is too much to explain in one blog post but this on demand course goes into details on how you can make money from your blog and really get your freedom and time back. If you’re serious about starting your blog and making some REAL money doing it, then this course is for you. The course is located here.

8.) I am always here to help. Feel free to reach out or comment if you have any further questions! When your done, post your blog in the comments section! I’d love to read your blog! I’m an avid reader and I love connecting with other bloggers! Enjoy!

Little Girls Guide: Potty-Training Tips & Tricks (Stress-Free & Fun)

We are here. The day I knew was coming but tried my hardest to put off until the VERY last minute. Olivia’s early childhood teacher told me at her Parent Teacher Conferences that she must be potty trained before going into EC3, which is her 3rd year of early childhood. Honestly, we were just being lazy about it especially since after long days and her coming home from school, we just wanted to eat and relax, send the kids to bed and be done. We finally decided (well, I guess you can say we were forced) to face Potty-Training HEAD-ON! Here is our tips and tricks for Potty-Training the STRESS-FREE way:

1. Set a date on the calendar that includes 3-consecutive days that you can be with your child in the home. Prepare read, or have food and movies to make it enjoyable for all parties involved.

2. Find their favorite color panties or underwear and them decide which one they want to wear and let them put them on.

3. Make sure to have the essentials ready in your home. We recommend a potty seat cover, instead of a fake potty. This encourages and trains the kids to go to the actually potty and get use to how it works and what it looks like. We like this Potty Seat Cover because it doesn’t throw off the decor in the home (we put one in the upstairs bathroom and the downstairs bathroom).

Image from Amazon.com

We also purchased a step stool that matched the seat so their legs aren’t hanging down off the seat. My daughter will sit in peace when she is comfortable and I found that this step stool helps for not only when she washes her hands but when she is sitting on the potty.

Image from Amazon.com

4. Find some rewards for when she really gets going to encourage her to continue. Instead of giving her candy, we saved up all the toys from the kids meals when we went through the fast food drive-thru. Mostly from Chic-Fil-A because they have the best toys. After a while, I had a whole bag full of “surprises” for when she went to the Potty on her own or told mommy when she had to go “Potty”. She loved it.

5. Be patient with her, be gentle. If you’re stressed out about potty training or yelling at her because you just want her to go, just imagine how she feels. Her whole life she’s had someone take care of this for her, now she’s having to figure it out for herself and how to communicate that to those that help. She needs to see you as a safe place. This is a major transition for her and a vulnerable place as well. Take it one day, one moment at a time. She will get it. Let her know that “It’s okay” “She can do it.” “I’m right here with you.” “We can get through this together.” “Mommy is proud of you.” “You’re mommy’s big girl”.

6. Every 15-20 minutes ask her if she has to go potty. Put her on the potty every 30 minutes. Some people say every 15 minutes, but I’ve found 30 minutes works for us. If you need to do every 15 minutes, I hear that works for a lot of people as well. Just plan on this being the focus for 3-days straight. You can do it mom.

7. Make sure you have help, either from your husband/spouse, or a friend/family. Just in case there is an accident or something happens, you will have someone to not only help with the clean up process but to talk to as you go through this process with your daughter. The support is much needed and maybe even their encouragement will help as well for her to hear it from two different sources.

8. Have lots of clothes and undies ready to go because accidents will happen definitely for the first day. As the second day comes, less accidents and by the third and final day you should be on your way. Some people allow the child to walk around with no undies on, but I want my daughter to feel what its like to go so she knows that she doesn’t like that feeling and will tell me when she has gone to the potty.

9. Change your verbiage. Olivia actually taught me this. Apparently at her school they have stopped saying “potty” and now say “rest room”. She said, “it’s restroom mommy, I have to go to the restroom”. LOL. This surprised me and made me proud. But she’s right, that’s what its called and is the the big girls way of communicating. Mommy had to catch up.

10. Celebrate each time she goes. In addition to the “surprises”, we gave her a high fives and made a really big deal about how awesome she did and how proud of her she was. Yes, it gets redundant after a while but THIS will forever be planted in her mind as a good thing to do.

11. Download the app Potty Toilet Training. It has resources such as setting interval reminder, tracking what happens when she goes, stickers, games and more! Definitely helped us.

Cheers to your journey with your little girl! She will get there and you will be excited, proud and sad all in one. Your baby is growing up! Good job mom! Feel free to comment any suggestions you have for Potty Training as well!

30 Self-Care Tips For Busy Moms (Introverted Guide)

(FYI: This blog post contains affiliate links)

I will never forget it. I was standing in my kitchen talking to my husband when all of a sudden I felt myself become dizzy and I started to get shortness of breath. Another moment happened when I was lying down on the couch and the pain in my chest was so intense I knew something was wrong. It was at this moment that I made an appointment with my doctor to get a physical. After talking things over with her, she explained to me that she thinks I am experiencing overwhelm and stress. Being that I am a nursing mom of two small children and my plate is super full, she thinks I needed to slow down and do more things that would allow me to rest and recover. That has been the inspiration behind this post. This is for all the moms that feel burn out coming or they are under the weight of burn out and do not know how to regain traction in their lives. This is for you. I know how you feel and I hope this helps.

30 Self Care Tips For Busy Moms

1.       GET A PLANNER. Plan time for you. Make sure you put your “me-time” on your schedule before taking care of everyone else. Click here to get a really great planner I highly recommend. I also love Erin Condren Life Planners as well. You get a $10 Off Coupon for that planner HERE.

2.       Figure out what ways cause you to really “rest” and unwind. Everyone is different so either choose one of these suggestions or be inspired to get to know yourself more and how you find rest.

3.       Take your vitamins. This is from personal experience but talk to your doctor about how nutrient replenishment can you manage your stress/anxiety and ultimately allowing you to feel fully rested. As I mentioned in my IGTV Show, not all vitamins are created equal. To get what I am talking about I would go watch that video, but here is a great brand that I recommend for a Womens multivitamin, definitely for new moms. (Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before taking any vitamins.)

4.       Give yourself a ton of postpartum GRACE. If you have just had baby within the last year, you may be experiencing hormonal imbalances while your body fully heals. That means your emotions often times can be hijacked and instead of feeling reality you may feel an intense feeling stress or worry. That will cause you to not rest. Once you realize that this is just from your imbalance of emotions, you will allow yourself to feel and to rest.

5.       Manicure / Pedicure : Spas in general helps in relaxing. Use Groupon to get a really great deal.

6.       Cooking Healthy Meals. This depends on what type of person you are. Honestly I use to hate cooking but after getting married and having kids, cooking healthy meals for my family actually relaxes me! Go figure!

7.       Use the END system. E: Energy N: Neutral D: Drain This is system that I learned about through the Best Self Company. They have these weekly pads that help you have more productive weeks. Again for someone that plans things out, this helps me to do a brain dump.

8.       Reading a book for fun. I like to find books that allow me to escape into the fiction world of a character. Or even biographies that helps me learn more about a particular person life. If you love reading it actually helps you to rest this is good. A lot of times, moms have a hard to reading so audio books are their friend. You can do that as well.

9.       Journaling. This has been on almost every post because I truly believe in journaling. There is something about getting your thoughts out on paper.

10.   Go To BED! I don’t think I need to go into detail on this one. All the mommas say…..amen!

11.   Find 15 minutes of rest throughout the day. Whether that is waking up 15 minutes earlier, that 15 minutes in the car alone or having 15 minutes after a shower. Really cherish those times and try not to multi-task moving on to the next thing. Try your best to just be in the moment and rest, even if its quick.

Here are few ideas from my friend Taylor Simon, mother of miracle twins and owner of Divine Desires graphic design company.

12.   Let go of mom guilt. Do the best  you can and let go of the rest.

13.   Try to work on keeping flawless skin so you don’t feel the need to put on a full face of make-up every day. That takes time! But if your skin looks great then you can have confidence in that and saving more time.

14.   Bath-time rest. She enjoys just relaxing in the bathtub with spa instrumentals playing or an audio book. She also enjoys doing her toes as well.

15.   Her time with God. Her time with God has been key in her self-care. She really believe self-care is healthcare. Amen to that Taylor! Time with God is where it all begins.

16.   Working Out! This is HUGE! Most people don’t realize how much working out makes you feel better. Definitely one I’m working on do more of this year.

17.   Drinking water. Essential to our overall health including our emotional and mental well-being! Thank you Taylor.

A few more to add to your list to try:

18.   Netflix and chill, by yourself or with your significant other. The reason I say by yourself is because you can chose the show without feeling like the other person may not enjoy it.

19.   Go get your favorite cupcake (or desert) and REALLYYYYY enjoy it.

20.   Go to a park and just sit and listen to nature

21.   Go to the lake and feed the ducks or watch the water. It is SOOOO relaxing.

22.   Start a blog. Just imagine you have a tribe of people listening to your every word and start writing. It’s super therapeutic and you just might inspire someone. A great resource to get started is here. 

23.   Go see puppies. Don’t buy them, just pet them, they are so cute and cuddly! (If you like animals)

24.   Go to the Farmers Market alone. I like to get all my favorite fruits and enjoy them later that day or week.

25.   Find your favorite Broadway show and enjoy!

26.   Go to the museum either alone or with  your spouse. Don’t think about anything…just enjoy.

27.   Worship concert. This is one new that I didn’t think I would enjoy as an introvert but when I went to a Hillsong United concert it was the BEST self-care ever!

28.   Shopping…retail therapy anyone!! Have a budget and try to stay within it to make it fun and responsible.

29.   Plan your next trip. This is something I love to do so it may not be relaxing for everyone but its relaxing for me.

30.   Visit an elderly family member. For me the elderly are super relaxing people to be around. They have great stories and the environments are just slower. Grandma’s house is perfect!

I hope that helped! Just make sure you do what works for you! Comment below any more ideas you all have for self-care!

Birthday Party Planning Guide: The Stress-Free Way

She’s THREE. My heart is filled with excitement, some joy, a little sadness (because she’s no longer my little baby), and a greater appreciation for time. Time goes by so very fast these days but as I prepared for her 3rd birthday, I tried to be in the moment, to not stress out over small things (like my husband getting the wrong cake) and I just tried to enjoy her and to be very present. It is for this reason that I wanted to write this blog. So here it goes!

PREPARATION: I usually start planning for my kids birthday about 6 weeks before, but I’m thinking about it 3-4 months in advance. That’s coming from someone that LOVES to plan. Most people aren’t like me so 6 weeks is enough depending on the age and size of the party.

DATE: This might sound obvious but think about your family dynamics and as much as you want to do it on the EXACT date of their birthday, try to think about what you have going on and if you have to do it a week early go for it. Every year our family celebrates our daughters birthday a week early because our church’s marriage conference happens on her birthday every year. We do take her out for ice cream on her birthday but the party happens early because that just works for us. No one says or thinks anything. Trust me it will be okay and you will be at peace. When mom is at peace, things just flow smoother.

VENUE: Should you have the party at a facility or home. Totally up to you and your budget. Don’t try to keep up with The Joneses (they’re broke), just do what works for your family. I’ve seen AMAZING birthdays done at home with just a few decorations and horrible birthdays that were done at an expensive facility. The parents were stressed out, the kids all over the place and it just seemed forced. So before you start…..make the decision that you will put your peace and your child’s peace as a priority. Then choose home or outside venue. If you choose an outside venue, lock down the venue asap. Get all the details of what they already provide. (This will make your job easier) Tie in what they provide with your decor and theme. It will also save a ton of money.

BIRTHDAY THEME: I know you have a grand vision in your mind and you saw this awesome theme somewhere, but just think, will you enjoy it more than your kid. If so, it’s for you. For some of you that’s okay with you (hey you paid for it). But for others that really want their kids to enjoy it, try to think about what THEY will enjoy. If it’s a WORD party theme, rather than a Princess theme….for it. My daughter have ZERO interest in barbie dolls or dolls in general. She like adventure, puppies and Moana. She like bubbles and balloons. So as much as I wanted her to have a cute little tea party, she turned three. The tea cups would have turned into throwing objects (with me praying no gets hurt) and she would have sat for all of 2 seconds then ran around until she found something of interest. I normally go for birthday themes that would allow me an opportunity to fill the day with activities that uses the energy she has.

ACTIVITIES: This is where all the fun happens. Choose 2-3 fun activities that will make your child cheese from ear to ear. It can be as simple as throwing balloons around or hiring a magicians. Just make it stress-free. Also, assign someone to be over the games. If you have no one then choose a EASY and yet fun game.

FOOD: Ok, I get it. This can be really fun. So have fun. But if you don’t have the energy to create those caterpillar grapes just go for a bowl of grapes. If you don’t have the time to make your meal look amazing, go for Pizza or something simple! Trust me, the pictures of the kids smiling while eating are worth FAR more than them not eating your dish that took a few hours to create.

FAVORS: Again, the theme is stress free. Let me share something with you. No one will be mad at you if you don’t provide favors. They usually throw them away anyway! So…if it’s too much to do, scrap it. If you must have favors (like me) Try to find something that you enjoy creating or go to Etsy and purchase the favors. Make it a one and one things.