Archive for the ‘Problogging’ Category

I got the itch to change the look of this blog the other day after I gave my FilipinasInShowbiz.com a really pretty makeover. It took a while though to find a theme that I really like. I wanted something streamlined but with enough space in the sidebar. After working out, chores, kids, and while the braised chicken in wine dinner was simmering in the stove, I went about searching for a new theme. I found this from the same site I actually found the old theme. I like the old one but it was too busy and I just wanted something simple this time around.

Unfortunately, this theme didn’t come with a category menu so I had to use a menubar plugin which took me forever to figure out. Of course, it turned out to be as easy as scanning a box of cereal on usb barcode scanner at a grocery store cashier line. I was hitting myself once I finally had the light bulb moment. DU’H. Well, it’s finished now so I can go to sleep in a few minutes to get up early for our Yard Sale tomorrow morning. I sure hope it’s really not the end of the world on Friday.

But just in case, glad to have known all of you. I wish we could’ve had a chance to drink Tequila shots together. *Mwaaaah*

After losing the problogging jobs I loved so much from that network I’d rather not mention coz I think I’m still heartbroken about it, I decided to look at other options online. Besides blogging, I know there is money in advertising. I applied to a few, got accepted, did some jobs and 1 of them never paid me. Blog Advertising Store still owes me $113. Scammers!

One place I joined quite a few times was PayU2Blog. I wasn’t accepted the first time. Neither on the second time. For the 3rd time last May, I decided to try again and told myself, eh, you never know. A few days after that 3rd try, I finally got the e-mail that said I was approved. A few e-mails here and there, and then I sent in the necessary tax documents. Then I received my first blog opportunity. The process was really quick once you’re approved. My first payment was $5 because 1 opp made it just on the pay period. My second payment was higher. $90, woohooo. That’s $5 for each opps. My 3rd payment was today which totaled to $60. So YES, PayU2Blog works.

What I love about it is I that the assignments are freeform so I can easily incorporate my opps into my daily life. There are probably specific product review opportunities but I haven’t gotten those yet. Hopefully someday. The pay is scheduled bi-weekly so it helps a lot in having that extra cash every 2 weeks for groceries and such. This blog is the only blog under PayU2Blog for now. I have 30 more days (I think) to add my other blogs in their system. I hope they’re approved as well. Cross my fingers. And I hope to get more assignments from The Sheriff. The more I get assignments, the more I discover how much I’ve missed blogging A LOT. Plus the payment of course but if you’ve known me for years you know that I could blog and blog and blog, so bring on those assignments .

I finally had time to update my portfolio site, DexieJaneWharton.com, this weekend and it probably only took me about 2 hours or so. It would have been shorter if not for the screenshots. It’s been a long time since I did a WYSIWYG site with the help of Dreamweaver. These days, WordPress is the quintessential format for everyone to go to when building anything online. I run a lot of blogs under WordPress but when it came to my portfolio site I opted to use the old school Dreamweaver when I realized that branding is important for my identity in the problogging world a couple of years ago. Although I’m mostly functioning under the umbrella of  “FeistyMomma” and “Feistycook”, just like anyone in the problogging community, it’s nice to own your name as a domain. It’s an accepted form of narcissism, heh .

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Last month I was part of a mass-firing that happened with a blogging network I’ve worked for since 2007. I lost 2 jobs from that. Last week, I was once again part of another mass-firing from the same network for the remaining 2 problogging jobs. So yes, try getting fired 2 times in a matter of weeks.

I got mad, even cried coz the jobs I lost were practically my “babies”. I was also sad for my colleagues. We didn’t just lose our jobs, we lost our sense of community as well. But the truth of the matter is, that sense of community went missing when some changes happened a year ago. Interestingly enough though, that community is now back because like they said, there’s always a rainbow after the rain.

As for me, after taking the time to react as calmly and professional as I could and reflect on the whole situation, I had to do something. Looking for new opportunities was the first step. Doing job searches on a web directory is part of the first step. Fortunately, there are a lot of free web directory out there that helps out in searching for blogging jobs. From Google, I found the Blogging Jobs twitter which posts various blogging and writing job opportunities online. Another place I’ve been searching at is of course the Yahoo directory. I’ve discovered from these directories that  there are a lot of opportunities there waiting to be clicked and considered. My former colleagues and I are also helping each other out by passing along any information we could gather in our searches along the way. We’re all experiencing the same thing and taking this new journey in our lives one day at a time so.

We may have gotten our pink slips twice, thrice, 4 times, 5 times, or more (1 blogger usually have 3 or more topics they write for), in a manner which leaves a sour note, but we are driven, knowledgeable, and hard-working people so we’ll definitely be fine. Most of us have now  ventured into striking on our own by building our own blogs. Nothing is going to keep us down. This whole experience has empowered us to strive for something better and greater with our head held high. So Watch Out Folks……

So not only am I a bad bad girl for not working out yesterday, now I suck at blogging in my personal blog too.

I really miss the days when I could blog about all sorts of things. Those were back in the days. Where did it all go? It’s so hard to sort of open up these days. That and my mind goes into some kind of overload by these time so I can’t think anymore of what to write. Actually, my mind overload started by noon today.

Well, maybe I should write in here first thing I wake up in the morning. We shall see….

I feel like another another challenge is coming on. A challenge to talk about more substantial stuff in my personal blog.

Tomorrow is another day!!

Pardon the mess in my office. Just when I finally got my blogging mojo back and started blogging here more often my hosting server went down. For almost a month now. Figures. I was so worried I was going to lose all my archives and start all over again. I discovered I could import entries that I’ve written using Live Editor so I started doing that and then the old server came back so I rushed to get all my entries from the different blogs. Exept for 1 blog which is probably my biggest blog since it’s about Filipinas In Showbiz. So for the past 3 days I’ve been up until 2 am in the morning re-posting posts into that blog. Dammit. Thank goodness for having more than 1 computer. I was multi-tasking to the max using the laptop that I took from the corner office in the living room to my desk in the main office. See, I write some stuff in the living room while watching TV. My husband thought it would be cool to have the laptop there for that purpose.

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It just occurred to me a few minutes ago how much I blogged today. I was about to twit/plurk/facebook about it but It’s a little long so I figured I’d utilize my blog by writing it here instead. Which makes this mky 2nd post for the day here.

MY OWN BLOGS :

FeistyMomma (2) : Capiz Candle Holdres, and this one.

Feistycook (1) : Mostaccioli With Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Style & Flair (1) : Kim Kardashian Wears Eva Culture Necklace

Food Luscious (3-food photoblog) : peanut butter cupcakes & chocolate frosting, pork roast stuffed with mushrooms & onions, and Mostaccioli With Spaghetti Meat Sauce.

Filipinas In Showbiz (1) : So Jewel Mische, Whatcha Been Up To?

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Before everything else, I said “Less Stress” instead of “Stress Free” because there will never be a week when I’m not stressed about something. I’m stressed about all sorts of things. Some of them don’t even pertain to my life, like the Jon & Kate developments, but yes, “Less Stress” are more appropriate words.

After working at home for almost a year now, my Husband went back to the grind of a regular job. It’s actually the same company he used to work with. The professional blogging jobs between the two of us had been really good. My husband was able to quit his old job before to work at-home through professional blogging, which helped with spending more time with the family, and believe it or not, saved A LOT of gas.

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