Always, Alli

I have no idea what the cause is, but for some reason this week I have been exhausted. Yesterday I thought I was going to fall asleep on my feet, and it was only 2:30. Because of our schedule, I couldn’t take a nap.

Today, our schedule was staying at home and watching the rain. When the afternoon’s quiet time rolled around, Fuller was cranky (he had been up since 6:30) and I pounced on the chance to turn quiet time into nap time. It worked out. Fuller took a nap and woke up happy. And I took a nap and woke up happy.

I really prefer not to nap, using Fuller’s quiet time to complete things like emptying the dishwasher or take a shower. Tonight the dishwasher is full of clean dishes, and I didn’t shower until 5:30. But it didn’t matter, because I had rested.

Our family has been a “free stuff” kick lately. We had free ice cream last week, free comic book day, free samples at Sam’s, and I got my new free CamelBak.

Today, the streak continues. I stopped at a Starbucks drive-thru in Fort Oglethorpe. If you are familiar with the area, you know this is kind of a big deal. Fort O doesn’t even have a bookstore (independent or otherwise) but it has a Starbucks. It is a few months old now.

I pulled up to the intercom to make my order and wait for some greeting from someone.

And I waited.

And waited.

I even pulled out my cell phone to twitter about it. I was about to drive away (I had places to be people), when someone tentatively asked, “May I help you?” I gave my order, the voice gave me my total, and I pulled up to the window.

And waited.

Finally a young lady handed me my tall, iced, vanilla latte. As I extended my arm to hand her the money, she said, “Since you had to wait so long, you don’t have to pay.” She then went on to apologize and tell me no one had their headsets on to know I was out there.

Now, this seems like a crappy thing, and getting my drink for free did make up for it, but I want to let you know, this kind of thing happens to me at Starbucks all. the. time.

Once they made too much of the drink I ordered so they gave me two of the same drink. I didn’t want to drink both of them, so I gave the second one to a friend who was watching Fuller that afternoon. Another time they made two of the same drink for someone else and gave me my order PLUS the extra drink from the customer in front of me. And then there was the time I was up on Lookout Mountain and it was obvious they were very new, because no one knew how to make my drink. And when they did it wrong, I got my new one for free.

I don’t go to Starbucks that often, so to me, Starbucks is kind of like the “free drink” coffee shop. I just have to watch myself and not get my hopes up that it happens more often.

Technorati Tags: free drink, Starbucks

Back in March, I joined SocialSpark, the new pay-bloggers-for-posts product from Izea.

I first learned about SocialSpark when I went to Postiecon last November. At the time Izea’s flagship product was PayPerPost. What I took away from the unveiling was SocialSpark was going to turn paid blogging on its side in three areas:

1. More interaction between bloggers and advertisers (that would be the social part)
2. Disclosure that each opportunity taken was paid
3. All required links would be “no-follow” (a big deal if you understand Google and search engine stuff, which I don’t)

When I created my profile in March, SocialSpark was still in Alpha. There was mainly a lot of social going on- adding friends and checking out profiles. Izea set up a few opportunities, full of bugs, but they worked them out and eventually I was able to take an opp. It was easy- I clicked a button, wrote my post, and filled out their required fields to submit the opportunity.

Then Izea turned on some of the “features.” And I started to wonder if I liked having paid blogging be turned on its side.

1. Dynamic Pricing. This is something I really don’t understand. According to the really long blog posts on the Izea blog, advertisers can create opportunities and indicate the highest and lowest price they will pay for a blog post. When the opportunity generates interest, the price fluctuates based on demand. The more bloggers interested in the opportunity, the more the price drops. Bloggers really don’t get paid what they are worth in that way. I have requested slots for opportunities when they were listed at over $27. But by the time I got my reservation created email, I was told I would only be paid $5.50. I didn’t do the opportunity. My time is worth more than $5.50.

I really don’t like this fluctuation. I also do not like taking an opportunity at 8ish dollars and then seeing it later climb it over $16. (Unless I can take the opportunity again, which isn’t allowed.)

2. Reserving an opportunity. When you see an opportunity you are interested in, you click on the “request slot” button. Your profile is added to the queue and you wait for a reservation to actually be created. And wait. And wait.

Again, depending on the interest, you can wait for several days. And when/ if (you aren’t always guaranteed a slot) you get your slot, the amount you will be paid might be less than what it was when you requested the slot.

I’m used to deciding what time to blog. When I decide to do a paid post, I usually want to do it as soon as possible. With Izea’s PayPerPost system, when I click on “take opportunity” I have six hours to complete the opp. I don’t click on the take button unless I know I can complete the opp in six hours.

Waiting for an opportunity isn’t how I really like to blog. At least, I haven’t been liking it lately. Especially since Izea sends out “Reservation created” emails around midnight (Eastern time) which leads me to the next “feature” I’m not happy with…

3. Reservation created, twelve hours is really five. If Izea sends me an email at 12:01 a.m. telling me I have twelve hours to complete an opportunity, when do you think I actually see that email? Usually around 7:30 or 8 a.m. And do you think I will be able to complete it by noon? Probably. But not always.

And if the opportunity is a video assignment and I have company coming at 11, but the house is not clean, what do you think I am going to spend my time doing? A video? Nope. It comes back to I need to blog on my time. If I had a longer reservation window, I would be thrilled.

But I can’t be all bent out of shape about this reservation system since it does help me in another way. PayPerPost allows me to click on “take opportunity” and start blogging right away. I have to keep their window open on my browser while I blog. SocialSpark does not require I keep their window open. If I am working on a PPP opp and my internet goes down (like last night), I lose the opp. If I am working on a SocialSpark opp and my internet goes down, I don’t lose the reservation. (I do have to hope my internet comes back before my reservation window closes, but that isn’t PPP or SocialSpark’s fault.) Apparently I have been doing this wrong and several people have just corrected me. Fortunately I haven’t lost a lot of opportunities in this way.

Here is a real life example that covers all three of these issues:

Last week I requested a slot for an opportunity called “I signed up for SocialSpark!” It was listed at over $27. I received the email yesterday morning that my reservation had been created. The price I was going to be paid for the opportunity was $5.50. The email was sent at 6 a.m. so I had until 6 p.m. to complete the assignment. This would be difficult to do, because I had to clean my house for company at 11. When the company left it was after 1 and I had things to do with Fuller and had to leave the house later. When 6 p.m. came and went, I was out of the house, away from the computer. And I wasn’t sorry about losing out on $5.50.

When I came home, I was able to be on the computer. I checked PPP and guess what? There was this opportunity to write about SocialSpark. It was for $9. So I clicked “take opportunity.” I had six hours to complete it, and I knew I would be able to. I was interrupted several times, but I was almost done with this post. And then my internet went down. I saved my writing in Word and went to bed. This no longer matters, since I was doing it wrong.

This morning, I logged into PPP and there was the opportunity again! So I took it and used my writing from last night as a starting point. When I complete this post, I know I will be paid $9 for writing it (in 30 days) because that is what the system said when I took the opportunity. (I was also giggling because this is exactly the post I would have written if I had had the time to complete the opportunity on SocialSpark that would have paid me $5.50.)

I didn’t take it hoping the price would stay at $9, I didn’t have to wait for an email telling me to start writing, and I was able to take it at a time I knew I could complete it.

One of the things I like about Izea is they really listen to everybody. I know I am not the only blogger who has a problem with these “features” and I expect changes to be made to make people happier. I hope too that Advertisers are educated on paying bloggers what they are worth, and creating opportunities that will really meet their needs. And I hope some good relationships between bloggers and advertisers will be forged in the social arena of SocialSpark.

Remember, it is still in Beta. I am sure there are still some changes to be made. And I am sure there will be opportunities I request a slot for and I don’t take because the price fell below what I am willing to take.

Technorati Tags: SocialSpark, Izea

Disclaimer: The product I am about to rave and gush over was given to me with no expectation that I blog about it. But really, how could I not? It just isn’t who I am!

On Thursday, the mail man gave me a sweet present: a new CamelBak water bottle.

If you recall, I once decided to go BPA free with the plastics I use. This meant a really difficult decision to throw away my precious CamelBak water bottle. I linked to a website I really respect when it comes to information about companies who are BPA free. And if you check out the comments on my post, you will notice they left me a very nice comment:

Great blogging research! We gave you a hat tip for the planned Camelbak transition of their Bite Valve bottle, which we hadn’t noticed ourselves.

I thanked them for the “hat tip” (link back to my post) and had a warm and fuzzy feeling for the rest of the day.

Then a few days later, I received an email from Jeremiah stating CamelBak wanted to send them some of the new BPA free water bottles and send me one. I was no longer warm and fuzzy, I was over the moon!

Of course I sent them my mailing address and of course I haunted my mailbox looking for something from CamelBak. And then on Friday, there it was.

It came with the bite valve I really like and has been my constant companion. I am better hydrated since first filling it up, and I feel great knowing I am not ingesting a chemical that could potentially harm my reproductive hormones.

And it helps that it is a product I really, really like.

Technorati Tags: BPA free, CamelBak, water bottle

Speaking of mother bribery, next month is the mother of all holidays- Mother’s Day. Since my anniversary was on Thursday and my husband’s birthday is next week and then I’m leaving at the end of the month… well, Mother’s Day hadn’t crossed my radar until yesterday when I stopped in the grocery store.

I have to start thinking of something Fuller can get me. In the past we usually go out for dinner (not lunch! lunch is tooo crowded!) or get ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. But gifts, unless I am specific, are usually lacking. And I end up with the responsibility of getting the “loving and thoughtful” gifts for the grandmothers.

You know, I would even be appreciative of a gift of flowers. Since spring has sprung, I have enjoyed having pretty flowers brighten my home. If Fuller gave me some mother’s day flowers, I would be thrilled. If he was older, I would even encourage him to enter 1800 Flowers’ “Celebrate Mom for Who She Is” contest. (I guess I could enter for my own mother, duh).

By uploading a picture or video, along with a story or essay, your mom could win one of the prizes (all prizes together total $30,000). And 1 800 Flowers didn’t leave out dads, either, allowing a category for Mr. Moms (please don’t cringe).

I’ve received flowers from 1 800 flowers before and they are always gorgeous, and last quite a long time. I think seeing my little guy’s chubby little hand grasping a bouquet of flowers is just what this mom wants this Mother’s Day.

Technorati Tags: Mother’s Day, 1800Flowers, flower, Mother’s Day contest

Dear Spring,

Welcome to Chattanooga! I hope your stay here is pleasant and fruitful. Please let me know what we can do to help you enjoy your visit more. So far we have enjoyed the blooming flowers, cut the grass, played with bubbles, flown a kite, and enjoyed gatherings of friends in various outdoor spaces.

I know your arrival was a bit rough, as if you didn’t really want to get here. Or maybe you were being bullied by Winter, which is having a hard time stepping back and letting you take the spotlight. But April 1st is here, and I have decided you are here to stay.

Welcoming you with open arms, doors, and windows,

Always,
Alli

This picture made The Daily Click:

I have been picking through my pictures from last week, trying to come up with a Best Shot Monday picture. I have quite a few favorites. The one above is a sweet shot of my boy in a rare quiet moment, even though we were pretty busy this weekend. Tracey asked us to share pictures of our family, so I guess it fulfills her request. And I took a lot of pictures of our family yesterday. But then there is this one:

I love taking pictures of Damon and Fuller together. They wrestle, they hug, they hold hands, and they show each other the world in such fun ways. And it is why I pick this as my Best Shot Monday.

Technorati Tags: Best Shot Monday, family

Self Timer Portrait

I ironed a large table cloth today. I heated a ham. I steamed peas. I made mustard sauce. I went to church. I hugged my son. I talked to my sister. I took a nap. I held my husband’s hand. I yelled at a dog for trying to get the ham. I took pictures. I ate chocolate. I worshiped God and gave thanks for the gift He gave in His son.

It was a Happy Easter.

Self Portrait Sunday is hosted on Cass’s Midlife Musings. Please play along!

Technorati Tags: Easter, Family Portrait, Self Portrait Sunday

I don’t normally deprive myself of coffee on purpose. I might not make it until I have been up for a few hours, but I’ve never gone longer than four hours after waking up without coffee. (And yes, I did drink coffee while I was pregnant and breastfeeding. I’m not going to stop drinking coffee any time soon.)

This morning however, I woke up at 5 am. I didn’t get any coffee until about 2:45.

I didn’t want to deprive myself of a car nap on the way to Atlanta, and I knew even a small amount of coffee would hinder that. And once we got to our hotel, I didn’t have immediate access to coffee. We weren’t able check in immediately so we walked around Decatur for a little bit, finding the MARTA station, and then looking for a coffee shop. The little independent ones we passed on our way were too far to walk. And by the time we were able to check into our rooms, I didn’t have time to make coffee.

I was developing a doozie of a caffiene headache and it was interfering with my ability to talk and organize. I had to return to the hotel room for forgotten things, and I still didn’t get everything I needed. When Damon brought me a Starbucks coffee (proudly served at the Georgia Dome) it brought me round to feeling right.

As we walked back to the hotel around 10:30, the joke was on me. There was a Starbucks right across the street from the MARTA station. Right where we walked this morning.

Tomorrow, I know I’ll be able to think straight again.

Technorati Tags: coffee, caffeine headache

Fuller has been really into playing with play dough this week. At the end of one of the seesions I was diving up the clumps to put back into the containers. And this heart just presented itself to me. “Take my picture!”

What a great way to represent Love Thursday and Valentine’s Day, the love I have playing with (and sometimes cleaning up after) my son.

Love Thursday is hosted by Shutter Sisters.

Technorati Tags: Love Thursday, Shutter Sisters, Play Dough, Love, heart