Advertising and Some Changes

I'm not a technical or design genius. This fact makes experimenting with this little blog a little bit scary. I was in the mood for some change, so I went for it. Before I knew it, an entire hour had passed and all that I had managed to accomplish was switching from three columns to two! But, I was anxious for change, and determined, so after a couple of all-nighters I think it's safe to say that things are coming along around this place......I'm still working out some kinks and have a few more changes planned, but I'm liking the new colors and simpler layout. Phew!

Now, with a change in layout comes some other little changes. I want to be better about keeping things fresh and new on this blog, including sponsors, ad swap participants, and hopefully some fun new stuff like reviews and giveaways. So below are listed my new ad sizes along with their prices, and limits on the number of ads I can take each month. I hate to limit my ad swap spots, but I feel like I need to at this point. If I find that I have way more than 8 people interested each month, then I will re-think things......I just thought I'd try something new ;)

Large Sponsor Spot includes: large 400*200 ad near the top of blog. Feature post during the month of March, and the opportunity for guest posting and/or product review/giveaway. Multiple shout-outs on Twitter.

Medium Sponsor Spots include: medium 400*100 ad just below the Large Sponsor. Group feature post during the month of March, and the opportunity for guest posting and/or product review/giveaway. Shout-out on Twitter. 

Ad Swap Spots include: small 200*200 ad below the Medium Sponsors. Group post with links, and the opportunity for guest posting and/or product review/giveaway.

Again, I'm open to new ideas. I would love to do a review or giveaway for you in exchange for a month of advertising. I would love to have you guest post here if you are an ad swapper. I want my relationship with my sponsors to be real......I've made so many connections with people through this blog, and I want those ads on the right side of my blog to be a reflection of those connections.

Email me to secure your spot for March. uwmomma {at} gmail {dot} com

I look forward to representing my friends and supporters on this blog!

Sponsor Pretty Little Life in February!

I've sort of slacked off with this whole Ad Swap thing over the last couple of months. I had such a great response to it that I was actually a little overwhelmed! I mean, it's free and it's fun, but keeping up with 15+ swappers and exchanging info for sponsor features can be a bit much! 


In February, I will still be hosting my usual ad swap. Eventually this might go away, but for now, it's staying ;) 
It's a lot of work, but I love being able to just trade ad space with others. So, if it's something you're interested in, just let me know!


However, I also offer featured sponsors each month. These are paid ads that are reserved for blogs, Etsy shops, and other small businesses.

 These spaces are larger than my ad-swap spaces, and each paying sponsor will have their own feature post once during the month. 

Paying sponsors will also receive twitter shout-outs, and the chance to be featured in product reviews and giveaways.

Here are our current sizes and prices:

Please e-mail me to reserve your spot!
uwmomma at gmail dot com

Sponsor Spotlight: Life with the Baxtrons

I mentioned a few weeks ago that December would be my first month hosting paid sponsorships on my blog. Courtney, who I met through blogging and now consider my friend, took me up on that offer. Today I'll let Courtney introduce herself to you. Please, stop by her blog and show her some love! And, if you'd like to sponsor Pretty Little Life in the coming months, please check out the Sponsors tab above. Thanks!

Hey friends of Amanda! I'm Courtney: wife to Jerry and mama to Zion. 

While I have learned to thrive on the witty sarcasm and hustle-bustle of NYC, my soul longs for the Pacific Ocean, organic fair trade coffee and laid-back crunchy granola of my home in Seattle, my spirit belongs neither here nor there, indulgently abiding in the love of my savior.  I love meeting new people, experiencing new things and overcoming obstacles in life.  Life with the Baxtrons is my place to share life, encouragement and the day-to-day adventures of our family of three living in New York City.

Visit Courtney here:

Life with the Baxtrons (blog)

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Courtney, thanks so much for your frienship, and your support of this blog!

Hello, December!!

Oh gosh, I can't even believe it's December!!! I'm as excited as Buddy the Elf, I tell ya!

Seriously, I'm like a little kid!! Eeeeee!!

I just love this time of year......friends and family, cocoa, Christmas lights, 

decorations, carols....the whole nine yards.

The things I'm most looking forward to are:

Santa Pictures for the tot tomorrow!!!!

Finishing up our Christmas shopping (this close!!)

Wrapping presents

Visiting The Lights of Christmas (seriously, so fun!)

A cookie/pajama/movie night with good friends

Sitting quietly by the tree

Putting together handmade Christmas gifts with Ellie

A Welcome Home/Surprise Homecoming party

Christmas Eve with all of my family

And a quiet Christmas Day with the ones I love

Seriously, if we could just cut out Monday-Thursday for the next few weeks, I'd be a happy girl ;)

Anyways, I want to take a quick second to introduce to you the sponsors that will be joining us for this lovely month! 

First up, is the lovely Courtney! I began offering paid Ad Space this month, and I'm honored that Courtney jumped at the chance! I've gotten to know her and her adorable family through blogging, so it seems fitting that we represent each other on our blogs. We'll do a full introduction later this month, 

but for now, go stop by and say hello!

Life with the Baxtrons

And now, our lovely Ad Swap ladies. I'm blessed that most of the sponsors I started with last month (my first month doing an Ad Swap) are choosing to stick around! It means a lot to me! And to a few new sponsors, we say "Welcome"!! 

Remember, doing the Ad Swap is free.....so keep us in mind next month!

Stop by and show these ladies some love, won't you?

Alright, I'm off to do some December-ish things! Ta ta!

December Sponsors!!

Hey y'all!! Can you believe that it's almost December?! Yeah, I can't, either!!

This week is Thanksgiving, and then it's all pretty much downhill from there. 

I remember when I was a kid, I thought that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was SO long. Now, as an adult and parent, the month of December needs at least another two weeks added to it. Seriously.

But, with each new month comes opportunity, activity, memories to be made.....lots of fun stuff! 

If you'd like to be a part of our fun stuff, then please consider sponsoring Pretty Little Life in December.

If you're already one of my ad-swap sponsors, I want to thank you for being here this last month! 

I've loved getting to know each of you and being ad-swap buddies has been so fun! 

If you'd like to continue your sponsorship, please drop me an e-mail letting me know. 

We can extend our swap by the month, or if you let me know that you want to be a "continuous" ad-swapper, we'll plan on an on-going relationship ;)

Next up, I want to give an opportunity for blogs, etsy shops, and small businesses to advertise here. 

In December, I will be offering a limited number of paid ad spaces. These spaces will be larger than my ad-swap spaces, and each paying sponsor will have their own feature post during the month of December. 

Paying sponsors will also receive twitter shout-outs, and the chance to be featured in product reviews and giveaways.

Here are our current sizes and prices:

Please let me know if you'd like to sponsor Pretty Little Life in December.....we'd love to have you!

E-mail me to reserve your spot, or for more details.

Guest Blogger: Every Girl Like Me

Hi!  I'm Amanda over at Every Girl Like Me.  I "met" Amanda back when we both were expecting our little ones.  We both had joined WTE's (What to Expect When Your Expecting) January 2010 message board.  However my little Miss came a few weeks early in December 2009.  Definitely not what I was expecting.  I am the wife to Travis who works for a manufacturing plant and mother to two awesome stepsons, Ben 12 and Jake 9, and mom to our daughter Brynleigh Paige, almost 23 months.

I am a working momma and so I cherish every moment I get to spend with Brynleigh.  Recently we've had a few weeks of illness and finally we're past it.  Now since it's an extremely busy time at work for both Travis and I we really don't get much family time in the evenings so I have definitely let the housework slide.  Something's gotta give right?  We're working on some potty training now.  And since birthday's are right around the corner, I started doing some major birthday party planning.

Party planning is not easy when it comes to having a birthday 6 days before Christmas.  There has to be a lot of thought on how to have the best party, little stress and inexpensive.  I say inexpensive because well Christmas is within a few days and plus Brynleigh's birthday is the day before mine.  Some factors I have to take into account are my dad is a GM for a retail store and Travis's dad does Loss Prevention for a different retail store.  For them to both be able to attend we have to coordinate what weekend day and time works best for their schedules.  Then living in the Midwest, there is no telling if there will be frigid temps, mild temps, freezing rain and even snow.  Last year Bryn's birthday party was great but it was stressful.  I have only put on a few parties and am not a big party planner.  Thankfully I have an awesome mom and mother in law to help out with things.

Last year we did the basic "1" birthday party theme.  This year I wanted it to be different.  Bryn has shown a huge interest in owls.  I really am not sure where she decided she loved them so much but owls is the theme I was set on.  Yeah, it's pretty easy to find the Whoo's turning 1 Owl party theme.  Not as easy when your looking for just basic owl prints in pinks for a 2 year old.  I am getting extremely excited though because I have found an owl theme I love over at Etsy.  Haha, yeah it's pretty funny though because I am no longer creative.  I used to be.  Now I feel like I am diving in head first into a very creative birthday party.  But when it comes to doing something inexpensive, I am definitely willing to give it a try.  Locations for winter parties usually cost $$ because you can't just have an outdoor party at a free location.  So we have opted per my mom's suggestion to do an Open House style birthday party.

I am totally looking forward to it.  Picture this, appetizers, vegi tray, cupcakes and a Sundae bar.  Guests can come anytime during a 3 hour block and they can have some yummy food, get to watch Brynleigh open their gift and we'll be able to be casual and get to spend time talking with our guests.  I'm sure in my head it sounds smoother than will actually happen, but a girl can dream right?

Back to the whole creative thing, I found the invites on Etsy and fell in love.  I am so excited to get it ordered and the best part is I'll be the one doing the printing.  So I'll take the file over to the local UPS store and get copies made, same goes for a banner, cupcake toppers, thank you's and maybe some other things.  Head on over here and check out our invitations.

Stop by my blog and keep up with us as I plan out the perfect "2nd" birthday party and also keep track of our Elf on the Shelf Christmas Tradition we are starting this year.  Grab a button if you like and I would love to have you as a new follower through GFC or Twitter.

Thanks Amanda for letting me guest post on your blog!  I hope your family is having a wonderful and much deserved vacation.

Thanks to Amanda for this fun, crafty post! You can visit Amanda and the gorgeous Brynleigh over at her blog, and follow along with the party planning! I know I can't wait to see how it all unfolds!

Meet Our Sponsors!!

I put it out there that I would like to have an Ad Swap on this blog.

The response that I got was immense. Fabulous. Overwhelming even!

I am so very excited to share with you our sponsors for the month of November.
Some of these ladies are old friends, some I've met through blogging, and others are brand new friends of mine!
Please, go visit each and every one of them and check out their blogs.

A huge thank you to my November sponsors!

 I hope the month brings you lots of blogging fun, as well as time with family and loved ones!

Next month I will be accepting paid sponsorships, along with continuing this Ad Swap. The paid sponsorship will include a larger ad spot, as well as an individual sponsor spotlight feature and several twitter acknowledgments! Sounds cool, right? Let me know if you're interested.....my prices are reasonable ;) We'll be back later with more details, mmmkay?

And finally, if you're new here, go ahead and click the blue "join this site" button on the left. That lets me know that you're reading and you'll get my posts in your Google reader. If that's not your style, you can follow up with us via email, and make sure to check out my Etsy shop and my Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook pages! (those buttons are the grey squares at the top right of my blog)

The more the merrier!