Owning your own home is a major achievement on the stepladder of life. Maintaining this investment takes money and sweat equity because household chores won’t get done by themselves. Some tasks are relatively easy if you’re the do-it-yourself type, but when it comes to the more technical tasks, it is best to hire a professional.
Which home services should you pay a pro to do, and what can you add to a DIY list? Check these out.
$pend the Money
HVAC
Heating and air conditioning are nothing to fool with if you’re not professionally trained and certified. Technicians understand heating systems and know what to look for — and what NOT to touch. In furnaces, pipes transferring toxic gases may become rusted, causing them to leak. Duct systems gather dust and debris. The combustion chamber develops residue, which might cause a system to shut down. When it comes to furnaces, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you may cause more harm than good.
Same thing for central air conditioning systems. The AC’s coils, filters, and fins need regular checkups. Maintaining window air conditioners is a bit easier for DIYers, but for a central air system, certified HVAC techs will:
Test for refrigerant (and the correct amount of it)
Measure airflow through the evaporator coil
Inspect seal ducts for leakage
Make sure the heating and cooling systems work simultaneously
Clean and tighten electric terminals and connections
Lubricate motors and check belts for wear and tear
Adjust the thermostat.
Don’t know what this stuff means? Hire a professional. Have the AC serviced in winter, so it’s ready for hot spring and summer weather.
Electrical Work
Electrical circuitry varies, especially in older homes that may use low and high-voltage systems. Before hiring an electrician, get a cost estimate in writing. The actual job may be more or less, depending on what the electrician finds, but there are ways to save on the cost of labor.
Be specific as to what problems you’re finding so the tech can go right to the source.
Make sure the electrical panel box is easily accessible.
Be ready to pay the bill at the time of service (or make prior arrangements).
Fixing a water faucet screen or toilet innards is a DIY job (for some people). But extensive plumbing issues like broken pipes, heavy clogs, no hot water, sewer smells, and water leaks are not a job for the weekend warrior fix-it crew. If you want to know when to hire a plumber, that time is now.
Downspouts and Gutters
Yeah, you could do this one yourself but climbing ladders and cleaning out gutters isn’t an easy job, especially for houses higher than one level. One solution? Purchase a protective system to keep fallen leaves and debris out of the gutter alleys. With various types of gutter products on the market, consider the costs and decide if they’re worth it. Otherwise, you can hire a handyman for the job. (Or, if you’d rather DIY, make sure your health and disability insurance is current — just in case).
Roof and Chimney Repair
Unless you are a bonded and insured roofing professional, even the slightest tasks can be dangerous. Roof inspections include checking (and repairing) missing mortar, loose rubber, damaged flashing, and shingles. Hire a chimney sweep to clean soot and ash buildup.
DIY
Depending on how big the property is, lawn and garden upkeep takes just a few hours to do on weekends. Yes, you can hire out for lawn care to enhance the property’s curb appeal, but save some money and DIY these tasks:
Weed flower beds. Prune trees and bushes
Plant trees, native shrubs, and flowers on your property
Paint or stain woodwork
Clean indoor carpets
Replace furnace filters (that’s one furnace task you can do by yourself)
Clean out the attic and crawlspace. (Check for bugs, mold, and leaks)
Inspect smoke and carbon dioxide detectors (change batteries twice per year)
DIY with the design! Your home décor awaits.
Organization
Keep track of all the projects you do. Good record-keeping is helpful for future maintenance needs and useful when it’s time to put the house on the sales market. Buy a couple of notebooks and an alphabetical accordion folder to store repair receipts, insurance documents, and other paperwork about your house. Having it all in one place is a convenient way to keep track of everything.
Lee Campbell is a house flipper, landlord, handyman, and freelance writer. He loves to remodel and refurbish older homes and, like most aspiring writers, is working on his novel.
This post is sponsored by Weston Moving and Storage, a family-owned and operated moving company that has been serving South Florida since 1999. Though I have been paid to write this post, all opinions below are my own.
Moving can be a stressful and arduous undertaking for us humans, never mind our animal companions. As people prepare for a move, they also need to think about their pets.
As people prepare for a move, they are generally concerned with things like packing boxes, hiring movers, and changing addresses. But another very important thing to consider is the well-being of your family pet. Moving from one home to another can be traumatic for a pet if not handled properly, and there are several important steps to take in order to make the transition an easy one.
Moving with Pets – Before the Move
Image courtesy of Weston Moving
Plan transport – Ensure that your pet becomes acclimated to the actual act of transportation during the move. If your dog or cat is not used to being in a carrier or a car, plan accordingly and expose it to several short trips before moving day. Place its toys or blankets in the carrier or car with it so that it is surrounded by familiar objects.
Pack a bag – Gather enough food and water for the duration of the trip, and some extra in case of emergency. Bring bowls for feeding, toys, treats, and blankets, and a disposable litter box for cats if needed. Also, it’s handy to have a pet first aid kit on hand.
Print paperwork – Print copies of your pet’s license and vaccination certificates, and ensure that your pet’s identification tags are up to date and show the correct contact information for your new address.
When I moved from Florida to Kentucky, I was so grateful we had gotten my doggos used to the car because it made them less afraid of driving with me. And, we had gone on several trips that were extended road trips – think 10-24 hours long, so they were completely okay with the long haul of 800 plus miles.
Had they not been used to car rides however, we would have spent time acclimating them to the conditions they were about to experience beforehand!
For our long trek to Kentucky, we packed a bag with enough food to last a couple of weeks because we didn’t know how long we’d be living out of boxes. We also packed toys, blankets, their flea and tick meds and shampoo and other essentials to keep them comfy for the trek and first couple of weeks in Kentucky. We arrived in January, so it was important to have plenty of blankets for them to avoid getting too cold.
Moving with Pets -During the Move
Image courtesy of Weston Moving
Provide space – On the day of the move, ensure that your pet is in a safe, secure place away from the heavy moving traffic. It’s best to leave it with a friend or sitter, but if you must have it at home during the time of the move, place it in a quiet room with its bedding. Ensure that others know not to leave the door open, as the animals may spook easily during this stressful time, and open doors can provide a quick exit for scared pets.
Monitor behavior – Check in on your pet often to see how it’s doing and to provide it with food and water. It is normal for your pet to be stressed by the move, and any comfort you can provide it with will go a long way.
Ensure safety – Once in transit, make sure that your pet is safely confined and restrained, and make frequent stops to allow it to go to the bathroom and provide it with food and water.
Moving with Pets -After the Move
Explore together – Walk around your new home with your pet to monitor its reaction to and comfort within its new surroundings, and be sure to keep it restrained when near any open doors or open fencing, as it may be tempted to run away if frightened.
Set up camp – Pick out a spot for your pet’s stationary belongings, such as the food and water bowls and bed, and try not to move them from that spot. Signs of stability are very important at this stage, and this will provide it with comfort if its belongings are in the same place consistently.
Moving with Pets – Don’t Make Our Big Mistake!
Unfortunately, my doggos didn’t have stability when we first moved in. Had we been smart about our move and chosen a reputable moving company like Weston Moving and Storage, all of our belongings would have arrived safely. Instead, we foolishly went with a bad company that made it impossible to have any stability for a while due to broken furniture and goods. This didn’t have to happen to us, and it doesn’t have to happen to you either.
Instead of a lovely bed, we slept on blankets on the floor for about 4 days:
We held them close to keep them and us warm, and to make them feel safe while we slept. We also gave them plenty of walks and assurances that everything would be okay. Other than the fact they acted like they weren’t potty trained for a couple of weeks, they finally settled down and settled in to our new home.
I’ve mentioned it several times on this blog, but I sincerely wish we had used a better moving company. Check out my postsA Survival Guide To Movingand my recent post, 10 Things to Look for In a Moving Company as you’re considering the moving company you will use to transport your belongings. Let my cautionary tale motivate you to do your homework and hire a professional rather than choosing based on cost alone!
About Weston Moving and Storage
Weston Movers has been proudly relocating families and businesses for almost 20 years now! Whether you are searching for residential moving, labor only, packing services, or even commercial movers in Broward County, Weston Moving and Storage has you covered. They like to say that they simplify moving, and after looking at everything they offer, I can see why.
Image courtesy of Weston Moving
I didn’t even know packing services was a thing moving companies offered! I always thought you had to get a personal concierge or assistant to do that! To learn more about their company, and the areas they service, click here.
This post is sponsored by Infinite Moving, a moving company serving the central Florida counties of Polk, Orange, Lake, and Osceola. Though I have been paid to write this post, all opinions below are my own.
Anyone who has ever moved before can tell you that moving is hard enough to accomplish without all the little things that seem to go wrong at the worst moments. Luckily, there is hope. Below is a survival guide filled with advice that may help you have a less stressful transition from one space to another.
The “Pre-Move”
Far too many people seem to be under the impression that moving starts the day the mover trucks show up. However, if you start packing a couple of weeks (or even a couple of months) beforehand, when moving day rolls around, the stress of packing and transitioning from place to place can decrease immensely. One study documented that, on average, it takes a college student 4-5 hours to pack up an entire dorm room. This is a general guideline as most people intend to move their entire house, not just one room. So for a four bedroom home, you may want to give yourself as many as 20 hours to pack up those four bedrooms, and then an additional 4 to 5 hours for every additional room (i.e. kitchen, dining room, den, sun room, etc…)
It’s also a good idea is to pack a suitcase. In it you should include all the things needed for roughly three to five days after the move. That way, you won’t have to be digging through boxes when you need a change of clothes.
p.s. – for my recent move earlier this year we created a meal plan to use everything we possibly could in our fridge, freezer, and pantry prior to our departure. This way we had less to transport from place to place. The further you move, the more critical it is to avoid bringing things that need to stay refrigerated/frozen. In our case, we moved 800 plus miles, so bringing anything cold just wasn’t feasible.
Pro Tip: Try to make sure you don’t need immediate access to your kitchenware and utensils right away.
We created a box of essentials that included paper napkins and plates, as well as disposable cups and utensils. Our meals for the first few days were heat and eat meals or sandwiches so we wouldn’t need to scrounge the kitchen boxes looking for pots and pans and plates. Planning ahead for this saved us from a lot of expensive takeout food!
We also had a “As soon as we arrive” bag that had things like hand soap, toilet paper, and other essentials we knew we would need at the ready for immediate use. If you only read this far, you’ll thank me if you use these tips.
Packing
It is a good idea to clearly mark all your boxes to save yourself time and confusion. Aim for two “open me first” boxes per room in your new space. Like it sounds, these boxes will hold all the things you will most likely need first in your new home.
Padding – A good space saver idea (and one that is green to boot!) is to use all of your fluffy towels and pillows to cushion delicate and fragile items such as china, DVD players, and even computers. We even used shirts, shorts, and socks for extra padding because the stuff had to be moved anyway, and saved us serious coin on that overpriced styrofoam cushioning we could have used! Of course, whichever boxes have breakables should be labeled as “Fragile” and always put them on top when stacking with the heavier boxes on the bottom.
Weight – Try to keep each box below 30 pounds whenever possible. Heavier boxes have a tendency to get dropped, rip, and generally hurting the people trying to move them.
Electronics – If you have a lot of complicated electronics in your house, try taking a picture of how they are hooked up before moving them. Then when the time comes to re-hook them up, you only have to look at the picture, and voila!
Heavy items – If you have things like a pool table, piano, or other heavy and bulky items, do yourself a favor and choose a moving company that can help you with things like this! For example, if you need pool table moving in Polk County, it’s best to call in professionals like Infinite Moving that are trained in heavy lifting.
These items are not only heavy, but they typically come with a large price tag. And, if you don’t want them damaged, using pros is key. Besides, promising pizza and beer to your friends in exchange for helping move these items is not going to go over well when cousin John or neighbor Alice pulls a muscle or throws out their back helping you move something far too heavy for amateurs!
Labels – Never label your boxes with a pencil. Instead, use a thick black or dark-colored marker, and always label your boxes on top and bottom. If one gets turned upside down, you will still know what it is. We also labeled ours on the sides so we could leave them stacked and easily see what was where.
The Movers
Finding really great movers can be tough, but it is not impossible. If you choose to go with professional movers, don’t be afraid to look around and ask questions. Talk with friends who have used this company or that business. Research the companies that catch your interest and never trust one simply because it is the “easiest” or the cheapest. Feel free to vet these companies by logging on to the Better Business Bureau and US Department of Public Transportation websites.
Once you have survived the moving process, and you and all you hold dear is now safely located at your new house, take a deep breath and relax. Give yourself a moment before you get back up and start unpacking. Although your move is technical “over,” the unpacking process has just begun. Like with the packing process, you will need to have a plan before you begin.
Priorities First – Always concentrate on the “Open me first” boxes for the bathroom and kitchen. These are usually the items you will truly “need” soon if not sooner.
Timetable – Set a specific number of boxes to be opened each day, and don’t stop until you have accomplished the task. Do yourself a favor and take the boxes to the recycle bin as quickly as possible so you don’t have to deal with a bunch of clutter on top of trying to unpack the rest of your belongings.
Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to have a plan for where everything will go before you unpack any boxes
Clean as you go – Trash bags should be kept on hand at all times for any newspaper, packing tape, and general trash. And, sanitize the area before you start filling it up.
A Few Tips To Make Moving Day Less Stressful
Having moved quite a few times myself, I know first hand how stressful moving can be. In my opinion, the packing and unpacking are the worst and most stressful.
Oftentimes, I would find myself standing in the middle of the room, spinning in circles while surveying the room, and wondering to myself, “Where do I begin?” That overwhelming feeling that comes over you when preparing for the big move can be daunting at times.
After the first few times I moved, I realized that I needed to become more organized. I had to find a better way to do it, and here’s what I came up with….
First of all, if you are planning on using a moving company such as Infinite Moving, or renting a moving truck to do it yourself, make your arrangements as soon as possible to reserve your time slot.
The easiest way I found to pack was to do it in “rounds.” What I mean by that is, start in one room and, doing each room individually, pack away the things you know for sure you will not need until after your move. This is round 1. Then, each week leading up to your move, do a sweep through of your house and pack away the things you know you can live without for the time being.
Not only will this help to lessen the stress of moving, but at this time, you can also decide to sell or give away the things you don’t ever use instead of moving them with you.
If you will be using cardboard boxes to pack your things, use a permanent marker and somewhere on the box, write the name of the room that the items in the box belong in. Then when you move, you can put the box in its designated room right away to make unpacking that much easier. If you are using plastic storage containers instead of boxes, pick up some cheap, easily removable labels to place on the containers and write the names of the rooms on the labels instead of writing it directly on the containers.
Another idea would be to mark each box with a number according to necessity. For instance, if the items in a box are personal toiletries, those would be something you would need to be unpacked right away, so you could mark that box with a “1” so you would know to unpack that box first. Then follow suit with the other boxes using the number “2” for items that you wouldn’t need to be unpacked right away but would need soon, and so on and so on.
If you have children, give them a box or two and have them pack up their own toys and personal belongings. This always works great with my kids. They love to help me out in any way they can, and they’re always so proud of what they’ve accomplished when they get their packing completed. Then when your move is over, and it’s time to unpack, the kids can then unpack and put away their own things.
Hopefully, the moving tips I’ve listed here will help to make your moving experience a little more pleasant, organized, and less stressful.
The award-winning party card game that started it all. Find out why Apples to Apples is still one of the best games for mixed groups of all ages.
Players: 4-10 | Time: 30-75 minutes | Age: 12+ | My Rating: 4 out of 5 cupcakes
What Is Apples to Apples?
If you’ve played Cards Against Humanity, you basically owe Apples to Apples a thank-you note. This is the original matching card game, and it keeps things totally family-friendly.
It was actually named Party Game of the Year back in 1999 by Games magazine, and it won the Mensa Select award that same year. That’s a pretty solid reputation.
The game supports 4-10 players and plays anywhere from 30 to 75 minutes depending on how much everyone has to say about their cards.
How Does It Work?
The game has two decks. Red apple cards feature people, places, things, and events. Green apple cards feature descriptive words like ‘disgusting,’ ‘ancient,’ or ‘charming.’ One player is the judge each round. They flip a green apple card and read the word out loud. Everyone else picks the red apple card from their hand that they think best fits the description, then plays it face down on the table.
The judge flips all the red cards, reads them out, and picks their favorite. That player wins the green card and keeps it as a point. The role of judge rotates, and whoever collects enough green cards first wins.
The Secret Skill: Knowing Your Judge
Here’s where the game gets sneaky. It’s not really about finding the best match. It’s about knowing the person who’s judging. If the judge loves puns, play for the laugh. If they’re super literal, go with the obvious choice. The same card can win or lose depending entirely on who’s holding the green card that round.
That’s what makes Apples to Apples so fun at family gatherings and big mixed groups. The lobbying is allowed and encouraged. You can absolutely make a case for your card.
Family-Friendly Fun
This is the game I’d pull out at Thanksgiving or Christmas with relatives of all ages. It’s clean, it’s quick to explain, and it scales really well. Ten people can play without the game dragging.
There’s also a junior edition for younger players, which is a great touch if you’ve got kids at the table.
My One Small Note
The game can feel repetitive if you play it a lot. Once you’ve gone through the card deck a few times, the novelty of certain red cards wears off. Picking up an expansion pack helps with that.
Do I Recommend It?
Yes, with enthusiasm. Apples to Apples is a staple for a reason. It’s accessible, funny, and perfect for groups of people who don’t all know each other yet. If you’ve got a mixed crowd and want something everyone can play, this one belongs on the table.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Cupcakes
A classic party game that holds up. Loses one cupcake only because repeated plays can feel a little familiar, but that’s what expansions are for.
This post is sponsored by 24/7 Logistics Services, a moving company, in the Florida area. Though I have been paid to write this post, all opinions below are my own.
For those of you who don’t know, I moved to Kentucky from Florida at the beginning of 2021. I have a lot of regrets about how I chose to go about hunting for a moving company to transport our belongings from state to state. If I had it to do over, I would have been much more careful in selecting our movers rather than trusting blindly.
I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did, so with that in mind, below are 10 things to look for in a moving company. Hopefully, they will prevent you from experiencing some of the woes we had when we moved.
What to Look for In a Moving Company
1. You need a trustworthy company
Whether they are packing your stuff for you, or just transporting it from point A to point B – you want a trustworthy company who won’t throw your crap around like the company I used did.
They had no qualms about dropping boxes, scratching my furniture, or dropping my entertainment center stair by stair down the stairs – which caused it to break by the way. Ugh. Do your homework people! Use a trustworthy company so they don’t do shoddy work!
2. They gotta be reliable
If your movers say they will be there between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., they sure as heck better do it! While my movers did show up early, they spent most of the time taking turns in the bathroom and not really working while running out the clock and then demanding extra pay for overtime. Sigh….
3. You want folks that are experienced
Oh, how I wish I had known about 24/7 Logistic Services when we were preparing to move from Florida to Kentucky. They not only have award-winning, nationwide movers, but they have four years of experience and a great reputation. But I digress…
4 and 5. They should be licensed and insured
One of the problems with who we booked…you guessed it – they weren’t licensed. So, when they broke my entertainment center and scratched my furniture, I really didn’t have any recourse. They had no way to pay back the damages
6. You want PROFESSIONALS
It sounds obvious, but janky websites and missed calls should be a key indicator to you about unprofessionalism. I should have paid attention to the red flags instead of pressing onward and getting screwed. I guess I’m just grateful most of our stuff arrived in one piece. But, I’m certain if I’d gone with professionals like the folks at 24/7 Logistic Services, all of my pieces would have arrived intact and there wouldn’t have been any negative issues.
7. They should be honest and transparent about pricing
While pricing will vary depending on demand and time of the week, there should be transparency about prices. In other words, no surprises! For example, we didn’t realize there were surprise fees to be incurred with our shady movers.
8. Prices should also be affordable
If someone is charging a fraction of what the average is, or multiple times more than the average – it’s a red flag. That said, I can understand charging more based on quality – just not a crazy high price that doesn’t seem justifiable!
9. Services should be customizable
Even in clothing one-size-fits-all doesn’t actually exist. That’s another thing I like about 24/7 Logistic Services. Their services are customized based on your unique needs. Its not just residential moving – they also offer apartment moving, packing services, long distance moving, special assistance for senior citizens, piano moving, and so much more!
10. Finally, they have to have amazing customer support
If customer satisfaction isn’t their number one priority – move on to someone that does hold that in the highest regard. You don’t have to use crappy movers. You deserve to have movers that will treat your belongings like you do – with care!
About 24/7 Logistics Services
24/7 Logistic Services is one of the leading moving companies, working on both local and long distance moving in Hollywood, Florida. They strive to provide customers with the top quality local and long-distance moving services. Their main objective is to provide speedy delivery and efficient support even in long-distance moving. Therefore, they offer first-class and well-maintained trucks and tractor-trailers. Moreover, all of their vehicles get 24/7 roadside assistance. And to become even more reliable partner to customers they have GPS-devices installed in each of their trucks, which enables the company to track your belongings’ whereabouts in 24/7 mode.
Roll dice, pick a monster, and try to be the last creature standing. King of Tokyo is fast, fun, and perfect for any game night crowd.
Players: 2-6 | Time: ~30 minutes | Age: 8+ | My Rating: 5 out of 5 cupcakes
What Is King of Tokyo?
King of Tokyo is a dice rolling strategy game where every player picks a giant monster and fights for control of one city. That’s it. You’re a massive creature with one goal: be the last one standing.
The game supports 2-6 players and most rounds wrap up in about 30 minutes. That’s one of the things I love most about it. You can squeeze in a full game while you’re waiting for the pizza to arrive or before everyone else shows up to game night.
How Do You Actually Play?
Every player starts with 10 life points and zero victory points. On your turn, you roll six dice up to three times, keeping whichever results you like and rerolling the rest. It’s a lot like Yahtzee in that way, but way more chaotic.
The dice faces let you deal damage to other monsters, heal your own life points, earn energy to buy power cards, or score victory points. The twist? Only one monster can be in Tokyo at a time. The monster in Tokyo earns bonus points each turn but can’t heal with dice. And every other player is gunning for them.
You win by either reaching 20 victory points first or being the last monster alive. Both paths are totally valid strategies, which keeps things interesting.
The Cards Make It Even Better
After rolling, you can spend your energy cubes to buy power cards. These cards do all kinds of fun things. Some give you extra dice. Some let you heal while you’re inside Tokyo.
Some just let you deal a ton of damage. There are always three cards face up to choose from, and you can spend two energy to sweep the whole set if none of them work for you.
The power cards are what really set this game apart from a pure dice game. They give you something to build toward and keep the gameplay fresh from round to round.
Why I Love King of Tokyo
I get a kick out of this game every single time we play. The gameplay is quick to understand, and I love that you can explain the rules to someone who has never played before and have them fully up to speed in just a few minutes. No one gets left behind at the table.
It always makes for good laughs. Whether you’re taunting the player in Tokyo or making a desperate last-ditch attack when you’re down to two life points, something funny or dramatic always happens. It’s one of those games that creates stories.
Who Is This Game For?
Honestly? Almost everyone. Families, friend groups, game night regulars, and total beginners all do well with King of Tokyo. The art is fun and cartoony, the theme is silly in the best way, and the pace never drags.
If you’re looking for something you can pull out as a filler while folks are still arriving, or just want a game that doesn’t require a two-hour rules tutorial, this one is for you.
Do I Recommend It?
Without question. King of Tokyo is one of the best quick games out there. It hits the table regularly at our game nights, and it always delivers. This is a game I’d happily play again and again.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Cupcakes
Quick, fun, easy to learn, and endlessly entertaining. King of Tokyo earns every last one of those cupcakes.
Is it time for you to go pro as a blogger my bloggy friend? Perhaps! In this episode, I’m sharing my key indicators to look out for that will tell you when it’s time to take the leap from hobby blogging to professional blogging.
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is when it’s time to take the leap from hobby blogging to professional blogging. Although this answer is different for everyone, I thought I’d share my key indicators that it’s time to jump off the hobby blogger train and into the glorious world of professional blogging.
You have more than a love for writing.
When you go from enjoying the act of writing to living it, breathing it, not being able to imagine a day without it, you’ve found that sexy, passionate kind of love that tells you this is something real. Perhaps you and writing started dating casually; suddenly, everything in your life is giving you reasons to write more. So you bump it up to seeing each other on the regular. Before you know it, you can’t stop. You don’t want to do anything else but write. You’ve totally found the one and you can’t go back.
You catch yourself making a plan.
You used to post on your blog when the urge struck, but for some reason you sat down and created an editorial calendar in Excel. You started thinking about what topics would get your readers attention, and you even pondered what the best headlines were for clickability.
You’re making enough money from your blog to quit your day job.
Seriously? If you’re already making enough to pay the bills, why are you still working that pesky 9-to-5? It’s quite possible that you could just do this full time — and perhaps make even more money!
You have to claim blogging income on your taxes.
When you start making serious money and accountants have to get involved, you’re a pro, dude! Just make sure you don’t blow this chance to work for yourself doing what you love — be smart about bookkeeping.
OK, this might not mean it’s time to go pro, but a viral post could be the perfect catalyst to shift into being a pro blogger. You know that saying, strike while the iron is hot? Well, do that!
You ooze expertise.
What happens when you become an expert on something and start posting a bunch about what you know? You’ve found your niche, my bloggy friend. Good for you! If people are picking up all that knowledge you’re laying down, then I think you might be flirting with professional blogger status.
Ideas flutter from your brain like migrating monarchs.
Even though it might not seem like it, the fact that your mind just keeps churning out blog ideas is HUGE! Some of the best professional bloggers can go into any situation and come out with one if not five different blog post ideas.
Self-starting is no problem.
As a professional blogger you have no real boss telling you what to do. Your only boss is you. You have to have the self-discipline to create a schedule and then stick to it — or your readers will tire of your inconsistency and head over to some other blog.
You’re good at interacting with your readers and other bloggers.
The more you engage with your community, the more traffic you’ll drive to your blog. Period.
Words like branding, marketing and reach are in your vocabulary.
When you start treating your blog like a business, you’ve definitely gone pro. Before you know it you’ll be creating spreadsheets of income and expenses, buildings lists of potential sponsors and reviews you want to pitch, thinking of guest post ideas for other blogs, and even having meetings with people to develop your blog into a household name.
Obviously, this is by no means a complete list of indicators that it’s time to take the leap from hobby to professional blogging — but these items scream pro to me.
I once saw bloggers as one of two people: They were either geeks hiding behind a computer writing desperate prose and sending them out to the abyss in search of other life forms or they were stay-at-home moms and ex-journalists begging for sponsorships and free products to review while slaving away at their computers hoping to get fame larger than a Kardashian’s rear end. Regardless of why they were blogging, I saw all bloggers as self-promoters; free spirits; Jacks-of-all-subjects, masters of none.
Since becoming a professional blogger myself, I know that anyone can be a blogger, many are seeking some kind of income from this trade and the lucky ones do make money from it…
I’ve spent an entire week at a computer only to find that I made a paltry $50 and that more than half of that was blown on large iced coffees to keep me awake long enough to keep writing. I’ve sent copies of my posts to “traditional” media outlets hoping they would find my writing amusing enough to give me a decent paycheck and although some did the gigs didn’t last long. I have even accepted assignments about “personal care” products and naughty conventions that made my mother’s Baptist skin crawl so that I could pay a bill. I’ve tweeted, I’ve facebooked, I’ve pinned, I’ve begged for shares and likes and even bribed a few folks to repost some of my posts – I’m not proud of that last one, but one thing has remained:
I wouldn’t trade any of this! Why? Because I love it! Blogging allows me to be myself with all of my quirks, and passion for writing and my ADD and… Squirrel! Hmm, I wonder what will be on the next episode of Blacklist. I think I could really use some more sequins on this shirt I’m wearing but I’m also kind of craving pizza right now. Oh wait! Blogging! Let’s get back to discussing that…
The truth is I am one of those pesky ex-journalists I spoke of earlier. After two magazine internships I was suddenly a newlywed, unemployed graduate with a journalism degree unsure of where my path would take me. Unwilling to accept that my career as a writer was over before it officially began and definitely not willing to move in with my new husband to my parent’s house I stumbled into a part time blogging job and suddenly I was the pot calling the kettle black. The profession that was once a punch line in jokes was now my profession!
Now, I was making some money that was nothing to sneeze at, but still not earning enough to completely abandon my 9 to 5 job office temp job I had taken to make ends meet. I don’t know about you guys but it really frustrates me having to wear pants every day and I prefer blogging from home in my pajamas.
Luckily, at the beginning of 2014 I found the book “The Art of Freelance Blogging” and had an epiphany. Since I couldn’t earn enough money with my own blogs I figured why not start blogging for others? Before I knew it my first client landed in my lap. It was a travel agent that had a blog but didn’t have time to write it and I had the time and the need for income.
Some of my other blogging clients I’ve landed have included real estate agents, shrinks- er I mean psychologists, a golf company and a diamonds company. I’ve covered topics such as how to prepare for the best sex on your honeymoon, how to stage your home to sell it for more money, even what should be in your golf bag.
Between you and me – I know NOTHING about most of these subjects. It’ll be our little secret right? I research the topic and then write a post and voila- money in the bank! It’s like high school- memorize, regurgitate, forget! Only instead of trying to get an A on the final, I’m trying to pay my rent.
In my spare time I still work on my personal blogs but the important thing is I’m making money doing something I love. In fact by the time you read this I will have left my 9 to 5 office job to focus on writing full time!
Do you want to be a professional blogger too? If so, I’d like to invite you to join me on my journey. You’ll see the highs, the lows, the good and bad, the freebies and the fun of this exciting adventure. Maybe together we can both figure out ways to get rich using our gifts of writing these web log thingies that no one ever thought would last. So, let’s throw some words on a screen and send them out into the abyss in search of life forms, or at least making a living.
Add flair to your boxed cakes by adding ingredients into the mix. Check out this boxed cake remixed post for some ideas to uplevel your boxed cake.
Now, if you’ve never thought to do a box cake remixed, you’re not alone. I personally can’t believe of all the things I add extra flair to, I never thought to church up a boxed cake mix.
You see – one thing my husband and I love to do is add different things to pre-packaged items to give it some flair. After hearing Collen Ballinger refer to this practice as “churching it up,” we started doing the same thing.
Remixing or altering recipes adds a little something special to the otherwise status quo.
A common thing we do this with is frozen pizza. We buy the cheapo pizzas and then church them up with extra pepperoni and cheese and whatever else tickles our fancy. Recently though, I learned about churching up boxed cake mix. Say what?!?
Here’s the first boxed cake remix I’m sharing – Orange Vanilla Cake.
I think you will find the additions are damn tasty! I’ll add more ideas to this post as I learn about them
Orange Vanilla Cake – Boxed Cake Remixed
Ingredients
1 box vanilla cake mix
1 cup orange juice
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
2 boxes vanilla instant pudding (3.5 oz each)
2 cups milk
1 oz Grand Marnier or orange extract
1 8 oz container of Cool Whip – thawed
1 tbsp orange zest
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F
Spray 2 round cake pans with non-sticking spray for baking
Mix the cake mix, orange juice, eggs and oil for approx 2 – 3 minutes until thoroughly mixed. You can do this by hand or with a mixer.
Pour the cake batter evenly into your cake pans and bake according to box directions.
Cool in a wire rack before inverting and removing from pans.
While cakes are baking prepare the frosting.
Whisk milk and pudding mix until the pudding begins to get thick. Add the Grand Marnier (or orange extract) and mix.
Then fold the Cool Whip and orange orange zest.
Place the frosting in the fridge to set for about at least an hour.
When the cake has cooled completely, remove the dome of the cakes so they are leveled with a serrated knife, if you would like, this will allow it to sit a bit more level but it is not required.
Place one of the cakes on the serving plate or platter. Spread about 1/4 of the frosting on the cake. Make sure it covers all the surface of the cake, add more if needed.
Top with the second cake.
Use the remaining frosting to coat the top and sides.
Decorate with orange slices or strawberries if desired.
Keep refrigerated until ready to enjoy.
Additional Ideas for a Boxed Cake Remix
Take a plain yellow, chocolate or white cake and add your favorite nuts
Add coconut to your frosting
Add a splash of your favorite liquor to a yellow, chocolate or white cake mix and then repeat with the frosting.
Throw in chocolate chips to your favorite cake mix
