How Do You Start a Blog?

When I talk about blogging with my friends that are not bloggers I always get a lot of questions about it.  I have had a few ask me what it is because they are not sure what a mom blogger is.  They are usually older and no so internet savvy. Some of my friends that are familiar with blogs ask me how I did I get started in blogging. I tell them that I have always loved to write; even when I was younger I kept journals and wrote poems in a notebook. I have had a blog since 2001, I was on Live Journal. I wouldn’t really call it a real blog. It was just random thoughts about things.  When I told my aunt and uncle about blogging, they were kind of skeptical at first, but quickly realized it was legit.  I have friends that ask me how do I get in to blogging.   I always tell them, first start a blog. Write as much as you can about what you love. If you want to review products, start writing about things you use at home that you love. It is important to show your writing style and personality. The brands you will possibly be working with, will want to know that you are a great writer. I had never been big on spelling and grammar, I would try and use good grammar and spell things correctly, of course but other people’s spelling and grammar didn’t bother me all that much, until I started blogging. I am not sure why that is, probably because I am more aware.

The most important thing to learn when you decide to start a blog is, it takes a lot of time. You have to start small when asking for products for review. You will be doing most of the grunt work when it comes to finding reviews. You will eventually start receiving emails once you have been noticed by companies and PR reps. It can be hard in the beginning. I remember that I cried when I started blogging. I was afraid I wouldn’t get anything else to review and what I had on the list was it. Once I built up my Brand experience working with many companies, the emails keep coming. The more you blog the better you will get. Blogging is fun, but it is also hard work. You really have to have a passion for it.  There will be times you will get overwhelmed or told no, but if you keep trying and keep blogging you will get past it.  You will meet some of the most amazing people through blogging. It is such a great job.

Keep Your Electronics Protected with Pelican Cases

In this technology oriented society more and more people rely on expensive electronics like laptops, GPS devices, digital cameras and smartphones than ever before. Not only are these items expensive, but they are usually also very delicate, needing careful handling and safe storage. One of the best ways to safely secure these items and many others is by storing and transporting them in Pelican cases.

For those of you not familiar with Pelican cases, they are the most popular method of providing waterproof and shockproof protection for delicate items of all shapes and sizes. Whether you have a digital camera you want to protect while outdoors, or you need a good, sturdy, waterproof case for carrying your laptop in, Pelican has a case solution. Pelican’s cases range in size from very small, for protecting items like cell phones and pocket sized cameras, to very large cases, for bigger items like rifles, computer monitors and tools. Additionally, each Pelican case is backed by the famous Pelican guarantee, You Break It, We Replace It…Forever.

In addition to the extreme protective qualities Pelican cases provide, they are also very handy for keeping organized. Each case model has available accessories like lid organizers and re-configurable padded divider sets, perfect for conveniently arranging lots of smaller items. Features like these make Pelican cases very popular amongst professional photographers because of the large number of lenses, batteries, flashes, etc that they must carry at all times.

Much like technology in general, Pelican’s case offerings are evolving. Some of the most recently developed case models Pelican now offers include the Pelican 0450, a completely waterproof mobile tool chest, and the Pelican 1510, an FAA approved airline carry-on case.

If you need protection for your smartphone, camera, laptop, or any other valuable gear, I recommend investing in a waterproof hard case from Pelican. It will last you a lifetime, and will increase the longevity of whatever you put in the case as well.

Tremendous Tote Bag Giveaway from Bea's Gift Baskets and Gifts

Bea’s Gift Baskets and Gifts not only sells gift baskets but they also sell a bunch of adorable baby items. They have baby gift baskets of course but they also sell tote bags in pink trim or blue trim. The tote bag is called the Tremendous Tote Bag.

It would be a great gift for a new mom to carry around all the baby’s items in. I know my son’s diaper bag was always stuffed when we were going out for more than a couple hours. These are extremely spacious and they can hold a lot of stuff. Of Course you could also get this tote bag for your child or a friend or yourself.

From the Bea’s Gift Baskets & Gifts website:
The Tremendous Tote Bag is Big, Tough, Great Looking, with Great Features, you'll want one for yourself even. You may want to give one to all your friends. 21" Wide x 14" High x 7" Depth. Colored Straps Bottom & Top, Lined Interior for Easy wiping, Key Clip-No More Digging, Front Outside Pocket, Inside Zippered Pocket.

The tote bag would be a great beach bag or as a carry on bag for your next flight. Think of how many groceries you could hold in it. If you or a loved one does a craft such as knitting it would hold all the yarn and knitting needles. They are so cute. For only 40 dollars, it would be a good inexpensive holiday gift for a loved one.

Thank you to Bea’s Gift Baskets & Gifts for providing this Tremendous Tote bag for a giveaway. I did not receive anything for this giveaway.

One lucky winner will win a Tremendous Tote Bag from Bea’s Gift Baskets & Gifts in the winner’s choice of pink or blue trim. You can also get this tote bag personalized (up to 8 letters) if you would like.

Mandatory Entry: Go to Bea’s Gift Baskets & Gifts look around and tell me something else you would love to own. Please be specific.

You must do the mandatory entry for the bonus entries to count.

Bonus Entries:

Subscribe to my blog via email

Follow my blog

Follow @sheilacakes7 and tweet about this giveaway. Please remember to include the link to this post. You may do this entry once a day.

Tell me who you would give this to or if you are going to keep it what you will put in it

Please remember to put your email address in your comments

This giveaway will end November 30, 2009 at 11:59 pm ET

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. ONLY

Shopping at TJ Maxx!!!

I love TJ Maxx. My family has been shopping at TJ Maxx for as long as I can remember. I would go with my mom when I was younger and I would sit in the chairs by the door when I got bored or when she was checking out. I am definitely a bargain shopper and I love a great deal. It is so much fun to see how much stuff you can get for a set amount of money.

I am always amazed at the prices of quality brand names that they sell at TJ Maxx. I think that some people don’t shop there because they think that the clothes are defective. That is not the case at all. It isn’t some knock off brand. It’s just that they might have had a surplus so they passed on the deals to us. One of my favorite past deals was a Ralph Lauren tank top. It was originally 40 dollars and I got it for 5 dollars. I have bought a lot of my son’s clothes from TJ Maxx. They have most of the normal brands of kid’s clothes that big department stores have just at a much better price. TJ Maxx also has a nice little toy selection too. Some of Noah’s favorites came from TJ Maxx or Marshalls.

TJ Maxx isn’t just clothes. They also have house wares and décor items. TJ Maxx carries bedding, picture frames, fragrances, even hair dryers and flat irons! The selection changes frequently. You never know what kind of treasures you will find each time you visit TJ Maxx. With it being Back to School time, TJ Maxx and Marshalls is a smart place to shop for your kid’s new clothes. You really get more bang for your buck. Your kid’s can look great without it emptying your pocket book.

I went shopping today at TJ Maxx as part of the Back to School Event. They were having a store wide Clearance sale. There were lots of great deals. This Back to School Event commemorates 25 years of TJ Maxx working with Save the Children. Save the Children is a wonderful charity that helps children in the US and all over the world. Keep a look out for the 99 cent reusable bags that they have at TJ Maxx. For every reusable bag they sell TJ Maxx will donate an article of clothing for a child in need. With just 99 cents you can help clothe a child which no doubt is a wonderful much needed gift.


My pajama pants are really cute they look really comfortable too. I didn’t realize that they were Nautica until I got home. I paid $12.99 for them they were originally 34 dollars.

I really love my new box grater. I have a thing about cheese graters. I have one that I have had for as long as I can remember and it is really hard to use. Now I have one I don’t have to hold while grating. It has a little Tupperware bowl on the bottom that you can use to catch the cheese. No more escaping little pieces of cheese. You can put the lid on the bowl when you are done and store the cheese and it stays fresh. Freshly shredded cheese is delicious but as you know it has a really short shelf life. I paid $9.99 and it was originally 20 dollars.

As some of you may know Noah’s Birthday is next Sunday so I thought I would take the opportunity to get him another present. I got him a really cool John Deere Tractor toy. When you wave your hand over the cab it moves forward. When it bumps in to something it moves on its own backwards. I think that is really cool because my son tends to crash cars, trucks, and trains in to walls. My plan for the tractor to be a Birthday present was a short lived one. He saw it in the cart and I told him he could hold it but it was a birthday present. Yeah didn’t happen. When we got home I went ahead and let him have it. It’s open and he has been playing with it since we got home. I paid $7.99 and it was originally 12 dollars.

The last thing I got was gourmet COFFEE. TJ Maxx sells gourmet food items. They carry different things than the grocery stores. The stuff you would find in a gourmet food store for a fraction of the cost. I got some Hazelnut coffee. It smells so good. As soon as I put it in the car and got in I could smell the coffee.

I am very happy with my purchases. I got some really cute Nautica pajama pants, a big box cheese grater, a John Deere Tractor toy for Noah and a bag of gourmet coffee all for 38 dollars.

Shopping at TJ Maxx has always been an important part of my life. I always save a bundle by shopping when I shop there. I hope you all go and check out the treasures that they sell at TJ Maxx. Don’t forget to pick up a reusable bag as well.

Thank you TJ Maxx for letting me be a part of the Back to School Event!