Tammie's Take~

Mistakes All Blogger Make

Reviews · December 18, 2017

There are over 440 million blogs on the internet. Two million posts are published every single day, by people all over the world. Blog niches exist in every subject imaginable, and even large businesses are adding blog sections to their websites as they’ve realized how effective they can be. Bloggers can build trusting relationships with their readers, which allows them to create successful businesses, and more people than ever are proudly listing “blogger” as their profession. A serious blogger can work with huge brands, meet celebrities, get to try some of the best products and earn serious cash.

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In spite of this, new bloggers continue to make the same mistakes. Whether they want to blog as a hobby or turn it into a career, these mistakes can hold them back and hinder their progress. Let’s take a look at these errors and ways to avoid them if you are starting your own blog.

Thinking it’s Easy

This has got to be the number one mistake new bloggers make. They see others running successful blogs and getting great opportunities and assume it’s easy. They imagine that they are constantly getting approached by brands and that they get sent free things. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

These bloggers work for hours every day, writing, taking photographs, editing and publishing their work. They then spend even longer promoting the posts, growing their social media followings and giving the appearance of being online all of the time. To work with brands, they have to put themselves out there and pitch. To do this they need to find the right contacts and initiate relationships, and even then, they may find that most of their pitches are rejected or ignored. When a company send them a product to review, they have to put hours and hours of work into completing this review and claim the worth of the product as earnings on their tax return. Far from getting something for nothing.

The mistake of thinking that it’s easy sees up to 95% percent of bloggers give up within the first year, as soon as they realize that it’s not as simple as they thought.

Thinking People Will Read It

The second mistake, even for those that get past the idea that it’s easy, and are willing to put in the effort, is assuming that people will read what they write. They won’t. Without promotion, you may find that absolutely no one reads your content. Even with constant social media promotion, as well as finding other places, such as forums, to show off your work, you may find that the viewers trickle in and that most of them spend around 15 seconds on your site, without actually reading anything.

It takes time. Don’t stress over your stats. Write well, take your time, enjoy it and eventually, those numbers will start to increase.

Not Having The Right Help

When you first start your blog, you have to choose your platform. This determines how your blog will work, what you’ll need to do, and how much control you’ll have. You can migrate to another service later, but this can be tough, and you may lose some work and more readers. So, it’s a good idea to get it right in the first place. You could blog on Blogger or WordPress, build a website on Wix or start an ecommerce store with Shopify. Click here for more information about website builders, and try to think about what you hope to achieve with your blog and where you want to take it in the future before making your decision.

Not Creating a Brand

Many new bloggers spend the first year constantly changing their Logo, color scheme and theme if they choose one at all. This is one of the main reasons they struggle to grow; people just don’t know who they are. To be taken seriously and get remembered, you need to create an instantly recognizable brand, and it’s worth doing this at the very beginning. Spend some time thinking about how you want your site to look, make sure it fits your niche, style and writing voice and that it clearly defines you. If you struggle with the creative side of things, hire a freelancer to help you.

Writing Like Everyone Else

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It can be very hard to find your voice as a writer. Especially if it’s something that you’ve never done before. Bloggers often start out reading other blogs and trying to write like them. But, it’s important to realize that with millions of blogs, most things that you write, are already out there. What makes your blog different, and your content stand out, is you.

In Control of Your Home: How to Get Your DIY Career Under Way

Reviews · December 16, 2017

Everyone loves the idea of being handy at home DIY. If the sink is leaking, they want to be the one that fixes it. When it comes to redecorating the living room, they want it to be their handiwork that turns the room from drab to fab. Alas, there’s a reason why there are so many profession handypersons out there: most people are not able to do these tasks! If you’re one of these people, then don’t worry: just because you can’t do these tasks right now, that doesn’t mean they’ll be beyond your reach forever! Below, we take a look at how you can ease yourself into taking control of your DIY projects and, as a result, your home.

Source: Pexels.com

Shadow Helping Others

Later on down the line, you’ll come to understand that there isn’t all that much to DIY: anyone can do it! But to begin, you’ll have to spend some time in the DIY world, without any pressure on yourself. If you have friends and family who are completing their own projects, ask if you can shadow watch them, and have them talk you through the process of what they’re doing and why. There’s a wealth of information out there, and much of it lives in the heads of people we already know.

Learning to use the Tools

Of course, you can’t be an innocent bystander for your entire life. Eventually, you’ll need to get in the trenches and start helping out! If your friend that’s working on a project that involves tools, ask if they can show you how they work and when to use them. It can be intimidating to pick up a power tool for the first time, but it’ll be more straightforward if you’re picking up when you have an experienced handyperson next to you. Once you’re used to them, you’ll be able to start thinking about the own projects you can start.

Getting the Right Equipment

A worker is only as good as his or her tools, or so they say, and as a result, it’s important that you buy the ones that are right for you when you begin building your tool collection. If you don’t know where to start, take a look at Tool Nerds. There, you’ll find an overview of the tools that you’ll need to have, as well as advice on which ones will be the best for you to purchase. It’s crucial that you get the specific tool for a job because otherwise, you might find that it’s botched – and through no fault of your own.

Picking a Project

Now that you’ve got a grounding of the essential skills you’ll need and a set of tools at your disposal, it’s time to start thinking about getting your DIY career truly underway by tackling your first project. What this will be is up to you – and the needs of your house – but there is a word of warning: it’s essential that you start small. If you try to take on a project that’s too big, you’ll only end up in a confusing mess. Indeed, you may put yourself taking on any more projects before you’ve even completed your first one!

Online Resources and Other Help

Just because it’s called ‘Do it Yourself,’ that doesn’t mean you have to think of yourself as the complete handy person. There are many resources out there that can help you every step of the way during your project. Indeed, here’s a well-kept secret: a lot of the people who claim to brilliant at DIY projects actually get a lot of help from YouTube channels! This will be especially useful for you, a person in the early stages of DIY, as you’ll be able to walk along with someone else and will know pretty quickly if you’ve made a mistake.

Priority on Safety

You might be excited to get your hands on tools and start work, but remember that DIY projects, no matter how small, have the potential to be dangerous. And of course, this danger is only amplified when there are heights or powerful tools involved. As such, it’s important that you’re taking all the necessary safety precautions. Before using a tool, read up on the best practices. When you’re working in a room, make sure all obstacles and other hazards have been well cleared away. The rest is common sense: always keep an eye on safety!

More Ambitious Projects

It’s always important to think clearly about any major changes to your homes. It’s even more essential when you’re in charge of the task yourself! Some projects will have the potential to add value to your home, but some will actually make it harder to sell in the long run. As such, it’s worthwhile to look up the long-term effects of your project before you begin anything too ambitious.

Source: Pexels.com

Meticulous Planning

No matter if it’s the most DIY task or a more complicated project, arguably the most important step of the whole process will happen before you’ve even got to work. Everything is in the planning stages. Simply put, if you walk into a project with just a vague understanding of the result, you won’t end up with something you’re happy with. Make sure all your measurements are the like are watertight: it’ll be difficult to correct when you’re too deep!

How to Fix Errors

And talking of making mistakes: you are going to make them. Don’t worry, everyone makes mistakes in DIY, especially when they’re just starting out. If this happens, take a step back and assess the situation. Is it something that you can fix yourself, or will you need to get the professionals to help?

Smile on the Face

Ultimately, it’s important to remember that DIY isn’t supposed to be stressful, even though it can often like it. Try to have a relaxed attitude to the whole thing: it’s not that serious! Have fun, and you’ll be putting yourself under a lot less pressure to get everything right the first time.

Innovative companies in the binoculars industry

Reviews · December 13, 2017

Who makes the best binoculars? If this question has ever crossed your mind, you’ve ended up in the perfect place. I have made a list of some of the most popular manufacturers of binoculars out there, most of which are constantly working on developing their products in such a way so as to ensure they’re user-friendly and come with cutting-edge technologies.

Something I do have to note right off the bat is that, should you be in the market for a new pair of binoculars, the first thing you have to do is decide on a purpose. Not all such optical instruments are created equal, which is to say that they differ both in terms of the quality of their components, but they also differ when it comes to what you can actually do with them.

What I’m trying to say is that some magnification settings and objective lens diameters work better for surveillance purposes or marine observation than they would for hiking and safaris, for instance. So, even before you look at the company that manufactures the unit you have set your eyes on, it is a good idea to understand your own needs and preferences. Without further ado, let’s move on to some of the most innovative companies in this industry.

Bushnell

If you have ever entertained the idea of taking up hunting, hiking, or birdwatching, this is the first brand name that should cross your mind. Bushnell binoculars are excellent on all accounts as they boast quality components and are specifically designed to serve their users as best as possible. The brand also produces a wide range of other items varying from riflescopes to trophy cams.

Nikon

Nikon is mostly known for its amazing DSLR cameras, but that doesn’t mean that the company isn’t involved in the manufacture of binoculars and other types of optical instruments. The neat thing about some pairs from this company is that they come with a unique feature called StabilEyes, which makes it possible for the person using the binoculars to benefit from superior magnification, and yet visualize a less shaky image even when they’re on the move.

Celestron

Because it doesn’t specialize solely in making binoculars, Celestron units might be less popular compared to others. However, the brand does manufacture an excellent series made specifically for birding and hiking purposes. Plus, the best thing about them is that since they don’t cost a pretty penny, these units can be used even by rookies whose budgets don’t allow them to make any lavish expenses.

Steiner

If you’ve been searching for a quality pair of marine binoculars, Steiner is your best bet. This company manufacturers top-notch products and has been praised time and again for specifically designing its binoculars to increase usability and to ensure that the owner gets as much performance as possible. Most of the Steiner binoculars I’ve come across are rugged and made to withstand the test of time.

Seven Things You Need to Know Before You Start Your DIY Kitchen Remodeling

Reviews · December 12, 2017

So you decided that it is time to fix that broken sink and get your kitchen plumbing sorted. You might be thinking about letting more light in your kitchen, or designing a breakfast bay that will make mornings more enjoyable. No matter if you are a beginner at DIY or want to show off your skills to your family members, you will need to be prepared for things to go wrong. Below you will find seven tips to make sure that your DIY kitchen remodeling will go smoothly.

Image by Pexels

Get an Online Design Tool

If you want your kitchen to be both practical and beautiful, you might want to get an online design tool or use one provided by your local DIY store. Take measurements and make sure everything fits perfectly in its place, so you don’t get unpleasant surprises. An online design tool can help you get the idea of how much flooring material you need, and avoid bumping your head in cabinets around your new kitchen from time to time. Allow enough space to open doors and drawers, and walk around the islands.

Compare Prices

Even if you are likely to complete all the work yourself, or with help from friends and family members, you will need to create a budget. Choose your kitchen design and check out the prices for modern ceramic butler sinks, taps, work surfaces, chairs, and refrigerators. Once you have selected the items you need, you can set a budget and prioritize your project phases. It is likely that your new floor and light fittings need to be installed first, followed by the units and appliances. If you need help with any plumbing work, ask for a price from a local professional to install your dishwasher, sink, and other items.

Choose Natural Materials

To reduce your home’s carbon footprint, you might want to choose long lasting materials that naturally occur in nature. Choose granite and stone, instead of plastic based surfaces. Find a flooring supplier that has real hardwood materials. You might think that a kitchen made of chipboard looks the same as a real wooden one, but it doesn’t last that long, and is full of chemicals that were used to keep the sheets solid and strong. If you are good at carpentry, you might get some reclaimed wood to build your cabinets or upscale kitchen units.

Allow Room for Adjustments

While you might have a clear vision of how your dream kitchen should look like, things can go wrong. If it costs too much to take your pipework to the other end of the kitchen, you might need to make last minute adjustments to your design. Stay flexible, so you don’t have to pay twice for the materials and units. If your kitchen is too large for the space, you will need to get it adjusted, and this can cause delays in your home improvement. Whatever your plan is, stick to it, but if it doesn’t work, have a Plan B in place.

Get Professional Help

Image by Wikimedia Commons

If you are not confident enough in doing the plumbing or electrical work, don’t risk your safety, but get help. A few hours work from a professional can save you a lot of headache, and help you keep your schedule.

Think Safety First

It is important to read safety instructions when working with electricity and water. Turn off all supplies before you start working in sensitive areas, and let your family know about the distraction. You don’t want them to turn the switch on and give you an electric shock. Never leave power tools around, or you will risk one of your family members getting seriously injured.

Take Care of Recycling

One of the things DIY people often forget about is recycling. You don’t want your old kitchen sink and oven staying around longer than necessary. Get in touch with companies that recycle home electrical and get your local recycling center to take your units. If you think that there are items that can still be used by other people, donate them locally through advertising online or get in touch with a local non-profit organization to help others less fortunate.

Getting a new kitchen installed is exciting. If you want to reduce the stress that comes with your DIY project, make sure that you design and plan everything carefully. It is not embarrassing to ask for professional help when you need it, and you can save a lot of time and hassle by getting the job done right the first time.

Sweet Heat #Giveaway{ends 12/20}

giveaway · December 12, 2017

Welcome to the Sweet Heat Giveaway!

One winner will win a jar of Decadence Southern Chow Chow Sweet Heat Relish valued at $30. Read A Small Village’s Review HERE.

Hosted by: A Small Village

December 12-17, 2017

Open to U.S. Residents 18 years +

Winner will be contacted via email December 20th.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Entry -Form

Disclosure: Decadence is responsible for prize fulfillment. Please contact A Small Village here with any questions or concerns.