New Blog Created!

Well I got the new blog up and running.  I've located it at http://get-fit-with-berry.blogspot.com and I've given it a temporary name of "Health and Fitness with Berry."  I may or may not keep the name, it all depends on if someone makes a recommendation that I like better.  See previous post HERE regarding contest for new blog name!

You won't likely see any more general health and fitness postings here.  What I plan on doing is making this my personal blog (as it was intended all along), and branching off with other blogs, each focusing on a different topic.  Eventually I will have one for Real Food and assorted recipes, and maybe one for crafts.  Or maybe this will become the craft blog and I'll start a new personal one that isn't linked to all over the place.  Who knows.

In any case, changes are underway.  Please don't let that bother you!  Stick around, and see what happens!

Contest!

I will be starting a new blog separate from this one, based on Health and Fitness.  My interests are so varied, I need to have a specialized outlet for each one so people coming here for one thing aren't forced to read about another.  Of course, everyone who reads this blog is welcome to sign up to follow me on the new blog!  I'd love to take you all along with me!

Anyhoo, onto the contest.  Creative writing isn't my strong suit, except for the occasional haiku when inspiration strikes.  I'm having a hard time coming up with a suitable name for the health and fitness blog.  It needs to be fairly short (3 words or less), catchy, and relevant.  Here's where you come in.

Submit your suggestions in the comments section (or email me privately if you'd prefer) and, should I choose your name suggestion, you win a prize!  I haven't decided upon what the prize will be.  But it will be good.

Contest is open to residents of the world.  So have at it - contest closes Friday night at 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time.  Good luck.

***Edited to add:  Since I've had several people asking me to clarify what specifically will be discussed on the new blog, here's a list of things that will be included (and no longer discussed on THIS blog):
~fitness, fitness challenges, workouts, etc
~any alternative health issues
~discussions about chiropractic, massage, etc
~posts concerning Real Food, recipes, and how foods affect your health
~any reviews relating to any of the above topics (books, magazines, workout videos, reviews of specific practitioners, etc)
~I will be taking applications from advertisers within those fields, so if you or anyone one you know is a practitioner (registered massage therapist, aromatherapist, chiropractor, reiki, etc), talk to me.

How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

I wrote a super long article today (1600 ish words) and turned it into a HubPage called How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off.  I thought about selling it on Constant-Content, but I used first person POV and it would have been a pain to edit all that out.  I find I am much more comfortable writing weight loss articles when I can talk a bit about my experience and knowledge base in the first person.  C-C doesn't accept first person POV so that would have taken a lot of work.

In any case, I have compiled and expanded upon all my weight loss and fitness knowledge.  I don't go into a lot of detail regarding Real Foods, but that will come and get attached to this hub.

Here's the link, read it, enjoy it, use it.  And if you like it, click the buttons at the bottom that are most applicable, like "useful" or whatever.  And leave a comment - I love comments!

Hub Pages I've Written

As indicated in a previous post, I've created two Hub pages.  The first was based on the article, "When to Have Children and How Many to Have" and you can go HERE to check out the hub.  I plan on adding a poll to see how many children readers think is a good amount.

The second one I created is called "How to Make a Composter" and you can see it HERE.

I really enjoy creating hub pages.  I'm working on one now - it will be titled, "Ten Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids."  I'll come back and add the link as an edit when I'm done.

Edited to add:  HERE is the Hub page for the Halloween costume ideas.

Enjoy your reading!  If you like what you read, please consider leaving a comment or question, and click the button if you found my articles "useful."

2 Haikus

  Here are some haiku poems I've had published with Helium.

              ~~~ BUYER BEWARE~~~

"Caveat Emptor"

Buyer beware.  Read the fine

Print or get burned.

RAGE

Anger so blinding

It makes my vision go black

And spotted with red.

A Brief Review of HubPages

HubPages is one of those resources for freelance writers who want to use their writing abilities to make some money via passive income - aka ad revenue.  It's an extremely friendly site, especially for people who might be technically limited.  Basically the premise is this:  you write an article.  You create a Hub page, wherein you design (using super easy user-friendly click-to-select or drag-and-drop style design) and make a mini web page featuring your article.  If you have affiliate advertising membership with Amazon, eBay, and Adsense, so much the better.

You have the option to insert different "capsules" into your hub.  From easy-create polls, to quizzes, there are tons of fun add-ins you can choose.  Once you have people interested in your article, they can rate it up or down, or describe it as "useful," "funny," "awesome," or "beautiful." Depending on the ratings your hub receives, and how much traffic it pulls in, your hub is rated on a score of 1-100, with 100 being the top rating.

I've made 2 hubs so far, and honestly, it's kind of fun.  It's a nice change from writing for Constant-Content.  I've made it my goal to make at least one hub a day.  Let's see if I can keep up with that goal.

Here's a link to one of the hubs I made, so you can see what it looks like.  Keep in mind that the hubs are totally customizable according to the "hubber's" preferences.

Freelance Writing Takes a Lot of Work

Wow.  I've just totalled up all the writing I've done in the last 9 days.  Since June 12th, I've:

~submitted 18 articles to Constant-Content;
~had 4 articles published on Triond;
~had 8 haikus published on Triond;
~submitted 4 haikus to Helium ( a mistake, I think);
~submitted 7 articles to a private client thru Elance;
~submitted 1 blog post and 1 article to a private client thru Elance, and
~created 2 hubpages.

Keep in mind that, except for the four articles for Triond, all of the articles and poems were written in the last 9 days.   Although I'd love some day to work part-time hours for full-time pay, I think that the more work I put into this endeavor now, the more I'll get out of it (and sooner).  I'm not one for lollygagging around once I put my  mind to it-I jump in with both feet.

I am grateful that I have my laptop.  With the arrival of warm, sunny weather, D and I have been going outside into the backyard more often than not.  I take my work along with me.  The only downside to my laptop is that the battery is really crappy and only lasts about an hour.  I aim to improve that with a new battery purchased off ebay with my FIRST ELANCE EARNINGS!!!!  I've ordered the 9-cell battery, now I just have to wait for it to get here.

I've been staying up late (usually until 2 am) writing and researching.  These last few days, I've been reading about how to make passive income online.  Interesting stuff, but it takes a lot of work and can be confusing.  I'm still trying to wade my way through it all.

Needless to say, I won't be posting quite as often as I'd like, but I'll try to check in regularly so you all know what's going on.

Edited to add:  In case you'd like to read/buy any of my work, here are some links to my profiles for each of the sites (click the names of the sites):

Constant-Content where high-quality articles are purchased

HubPages where I create mini-webpages (hubs) on different topics centred around articles, recipes, and more

Elance where I bid on freelance writing jobs

Triond is a site where I submit articles and haikus for ad revenue, not sale.

I won't mention Helium, because I don't plan on submitting any more work to them.

A Haiku for My Husband on Father's Day

ROBOT LOVE

Robots are coming, 

Created to rule the world:

Are you friend or foe?

New Business Cards!

I'm so excited!

I wrestled with the idea of getting a new set of business cards printed.  I  mean, my biggest issue was, "Why do I need biz cards?  Aren't they pretty irrelevant for a freelance writer?  To whom would I give business cards?"

Well.  Self-promotion is a freelance writer's number one responsibility.  So business cards ARE useful.  I plan on writing a post on the usefulness of business cards and where you can post/hand out/leave them in order to grow your business.

This is the design for my new business cards.  I ordered them today from VistaPrint.  It's not the first time I've ordered from there-all of my business stationary and advertising needs are handled by VistaPrint.  

I got an email today from VP, offering 250 Premium business cards FREE.  It was a limited offer.  I spent about 4 hours last night scrolling through all the designs they offer, but I wasn't convinced to plunk down the money for cards, as I still hadn't convinced myself that I really NEEDED them.  So the email was pretty fortuitous.

If you order a free product, all you pay for is shipping and taxes.  This order for 250 cards came to a total of under $10.  I picked the "slow shipping", which is just regular mail.  Every other order I've placed, I've used the same kind of shipping and received my order within a week.  Officially, it can take up to 21 days, I think.  But I've never had to wait that long.

I'm excited and impatient.  I can't wait to open my mailbox and see the little white box sitting inside....opening the package is always thrilling, when you get to see your order for the first time in real life, in real colours.  I've been extremely satisfied with my other 2 business card designs and printing quality.  VistaPrint rocks!

If you're interested in checking out VistaPrint, click HERE and you will be offered 25% off your order.**  After that, you will receive regular emails offering lots of cool stuff and tons of free items.

* you can get regular (not premium) business cards for free ALL the time (you pay shipping) as long as you choose the option where they put a bit of advertising on the back of the card.  It's one line, and makes your cards FREE.  Try them out.

**this is a referral program and I will receive 3 VistaPrint bucks for each person I refer who places an order. 

Articles Published on Triond

In case you'd like to see how my Triond articles look on the page, here are some links:  (Please consider clicking, "I Like It" at the bottom of each article!)

Rules for a Lifestyle of Healthy Eating

Why Disposable Cleaning Products are Bad

Just Say No to Commercialism This Holiday Season

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot!

I'm trying to increase the number of visitors to my blog, too-so if you would, please pass on my blog addy to all of your friends-facebook or otherwise.  Obviously, if they're into crafts this would be a great blog for them.  But any aspiring writers could learn something here, too.  I plan on reviewing all the freelance sites I've been using, in a couple weeks.  Stay tuned.

Constant-Content

It has been a few days and I'm quite impressed with Constant-Content. Despite reviews to the contrary, it is NOT impossible to get articles accepted. Perhaps the reviewers who had such poor experience with the editor of CC should take some basic English courses and improve their writing skills.

I have written eleven articles so far for Constant-Content. So far, eight of them have been reviewed and accepted. Three are awaiting review. I've written on topics ranging from housecleaning to environmental stewardship issues to articles for a Christian publication. One of the Christian articles sold.

Right now I'm working on series on Wicca. I've completed three so far and plan to start on another today.

If you're interested in learning more about becoming an author with Constant-Content, click HERE and you will be taken to CC directly. This is an affiliate link provided to me for suggesting authors. If you become an author with CC, I will receive 5% of the sale price. The 5% is taken out of CC's cut, not yours! When you sign up, you will receive your own affiliate link to provide to your friends so that you too can benefit.

Writing

Sorry that my appearances here have been sporadic. I've started writing articles, and am pretty busy. I recently finished an Elance job where I wrote 10 articles on the topic of psychics. I'm a veritable expert on psychics, now!

I've place a few different bids, but I'm currently working on developing long-term business relationships with a couple people. It will work out well if I have a couple monthly jobs and write for Constant Content, too. Should pay the bills. In any case, check out the articles I've written by clicking on the links over there------->

Freelance Writing

It has recently come to my attention that rather than posting on my blog, I can write pretty much the same thing that interests me in article format and sell it online. So I've decided to do that and see if there is any income opportunity.

If you look to the right column, you'll see a few different widgets which have links to recent articles published my me. If you could do me the honour of clicking thru and reading the articles, that would be awesome. If you like what you read, click "I Like It" or share the article on Facebook, or link to it on your own blogs. Exposure for my writing would be very helpful.

Any articles I publish through Triond make an income generated by advertising revenue which is posted on the same page as the article. Any income garnered from there is on a passive, ongoing basis, as long as Triond and their sites are online. I also have become a writer for Constant Content, which is a site where you sell your articles and therefore receive a one-time income from each buyer. You can sell usage rights, unique usage rights, and full-usage rights. Usage rights basically means that the person can use your article but cannot change it and must give you credit. You can sell this type of article to as many people as you like. Unique usage means you can sell your article only once-but the person may not change it and must credit you as the author. Full-usage rights mean the person who buys your article owns it, may make any changes he wishes, and may claim it as his work. You may only sell your article once as full-usage, obviously, because as soon as you sell it you no longer own it.

Constant Content has the reputation of being very tough on their authors. Each article submitted for sale is proofread by an editor. If there is ONE spelling error, typo, awkward sentence, or grammatical error, he rejects the article. If you get three rejections, you're no longer allowed to submit articles. Ever. So you need to make sure the article you are submitting is PERFECT. This is good, because it keeps the quality high and the price you place on your articles (if realistic) is more likely to be met. Instead of receiving $3 for a 550 word article, you're more likely to receive $10 or more, depending on the rights you are selling.

I'm exploring my options right now. I've applied to be a writer for Factoidz.com and am awaiting their response. I have applied for another job for a website that does an audible dictionary. I also have bid on (and won) a couple jobs thru Elance. So I am currently working.

Freelance Writer. That's my new job. Fun, huh?

Fitness Challenge

Remember WAAAY back, in June last year? I and 2 friends entered into a fitness challenge. Each participant was to contribute a $10 gift card to the winner. Well, I won. And today I got my gift card from one of the participants!!! haha better late than never!

We went to church and then stopped in a Chapters in Cambridge as I was feeling the need for an iced cafe mocha from Starbucks and she reminded me she owed me the gift card! So she got me a pretty red one from Starbucks. The interesting thing is that if you register the card online, you get a bunch of free perks! (haha no pun intended). Like free refills in-store, free flavour shots in your regular coffee, free cream in certain drinks, etc! Bonus!

Now...here's hoping the 2nd friend reads this post..... :)

Oh, and by the way: that little 12 day illness I had? Yeah. I'm down to below my target weight now. I weighed in at 135 this morning. Here's to hoping it stays off. I'm going to start running this week in an effort to go down even more. So my new goal is 133, with muscles.

Dig Dig Dig

It's gardening time!

The last few days have been busy. I've ripped out about 10 square feet of evil hosta plants (terrible spreading things) that were choking the composter. Now on either side of the composter, I've planted a couple plants each of a sweet melon and squash. Fingers crossed the dog doesn't trample them!

Up the east fenceline, I planted canteloupe seedlings, watermelon seedlings, and 3 pumpkin seeds, hoping that at least ONE pumpkin grows. It would be nice to have a few for pies (which I totally don't eat, but it would be neat to make one from scratch, right?) and our own Jack O'Lanterns.

Up against the house there is a wild strawberry patch. We picked the first two ripe ones today and gobbled them up. Delicious! You should have seen Delilah's face when she tried it! Priceless.

In the same bed as the strawberries, I planted some "world's hottest" habanero pepper plants, and will plant a couple lettuce plants in front of those, so we can have fresh salad while we wait for the lettuce seeds to grow. I plan on planting lettuce seeds every 2 weeks or so, so we'll have lettuce all summer and fall. IF it doesn't get too hot, that is. I might have to make a shade cover for the lettuce.

Speaking of lettuce, I bought a 24" long window box planter at Walmart last night and filled it with a magic soil/compost blend and Delilah and I planted 3 rows of loose leaf lettuce into it. We planted Grand Rapids lettuce, Heirloom Red Lettuce (oak leaf), and Mesclun salad mix lettuces into the planter. We'll also be planting rows of mixed lettuce seeds in and among other plants. I MIGHT make a permanent lettuce bed up underneath the maple tree for shade, but we'll see how that goes.

I need to borrow a rototiller. I plan on planting a LOT of tomato plants this year, enough to can a bunch of stewed tomatoes, plus make salsa and tomato sauce. That means one bed dedicated to tomatoes. I have the room to do a 4' x 10' garden, which translates into 40 plants, if my math is correct. Or 20, if I give them 2 feet of space each. That is plenty. I want to plant romas (they're good for stewing), a few beefsteak, and some other variety that are good for sauces. And one or two cherry or grape for salads. mmmm tomatoes.

Around

I'm still around, I just don't have much to say lately.