WordPress Basics For The Non-Techie Moms

It has almost been a year since I bought my very first domain and started using WordPress for my blog. It’s so easy to start a blog on wordpress, due to companies like Certa wordpress hosting who can help you get your blog up and running (there are loads of other companies that do this though). I was quite hesitant to do so as I had nary an idea about how to create a website. Aside from the potential earnings I could make from blogging, the support of the wonderful moms of Pinay Mommies Community was what made me decide to purchase my own domain and have it self-hosted.

Here are some of the steps I did to create my very first blog, The Tottering Mama:

  1. Get a domain.
    1. Choose a domain that can easily be recalled and preferably one that would stand out from the rest. My initial blog title was Two Totally Terrific Tots which had the domain www(dot)2totetots(dot)blogspot(dot)com but it sounded more like a tongue twister than a blog title so I changed to something that would be easier to recall (and say!) – The Tottering Mama.
    2. Register and buy your domain name. I waited for a $1 domain sale on goDaddy before I purchased mine you may also opt to do the same to save a couple of bucks. Some of my blogger friends bought their domain from Name Cheap. You may also want to try it out.
  2. Avail of reliable web hosting. My blogs are all hosted under SAHM Hosting. My primary reason for choosing it was that I personally knew the provider and could contact her easily when the need arises. Another reason would be the affordability of SAHM Hosting‘s packages. I only shell out around $30 a year for my blog. Bluehost and GoDaddy also offer reliable web hosting services.
  3. Choose a platform. I was advised to use WordPress which is, I was told, the best platform for building websites. My host provider graciously set up WordPress on my cPanel so I didn’t have to deal with the codes and all. If you fear the codes like I do, you may choose autoinstallers such as Fantastico and Installatron.

After doing those three steps, all I needed to do was provide quality content for my readers. I do try to keep it as informative and interesting as possible though, being a stay-at-home mom, my topics are often limited to the toddlers and home matters.

Well, it has been almost a year already and my blog still exists. I seriously doubted that I would be able to sustain my so-called blogging career but am very proud that I am now able to help with our family’s finances through it. The best part it, I get to watch our kids grow while earning from blogging.

Creating your own website and building it well may seem to be a daunting task. However, with all of the different companies out there, similar to the canadian web hosting companies, you can find all the help you need to get up and running. There is also plenty of information on the net that could make it easy for you to create one. If I was able to do it, I’m sure you can too.

Early Christmas Gift from the Pinay Mommies Community

After Google most recent update, the Tottering Mama now has a page rank of 3 and Foodie Momster a page rank of 1!  Aside from that, for the first time in my blogging history, the Sheriff just showered me with nine stars – nine stars!  Everything is going so well I’m really hoping that this streak continues well into 2012.

For all these and everything else that is happening in my so-called blogging career, I give credit to the Pinay Mommies Community.  Other bloggers may think that I’m being overly excited for what I deem “achievements” as a mom blogger.  I am aware that I am nowhere near their stature yet.  Nevertheless, I am still ecstatic over how far I have gone since I started blogging this year.  As I have said many times before, everything I know about blogging I learned from the wonderful (and gorgeous!) moms of PMC.

So, thank you, PMC mommies for the increase in page ranks, blog traffic, and earning opportunities. Most of all, thank you for the friendship, love and support!

Weekend Blog Follower Caravan #11

I absolutely loved the idea for the Weekend Blog Follower Caravan#10.  I got to know more of the wonderful people behind the blogs that I follow. And I got to follow new ones too. Now WBFC#11  has started and I am looking forward to meeting new bloggers, discovering new blogs, and of course, visiting the blogs that I love.
If you are here through WBFC, I’m hoping you’d take time to go through my other posts and know more about this tottering mama.



“Weekend Blog Follower Caravan is a simple online blogger-helping-blogger weekly meme. It was designed for bloggers to help each other in terms of blog followers either through Google Friend Connect and email subscribers.”

All About Scrapbooking: Scrap ‘n Tell

When my son was born, I bought two scrapbooks and scrapbooking accessories and had pictures of him and my older daughter printed. I had in my mind this vision of pages oozing with creativity, teeming with memories, chronicling my toddlers’ first years of life. If you are interested in starting a scrapbook, then one thing that you might want to consider is getting something like these svg cut files to really help improve the way your scrapbook looks.

Now my daughter is turning 3 and my son is turning 2, yet the scrapbooks I bought are still in the storage box – unopened, unused, virtually brand new. The vision remains as it is. Well, all that is about to change! Inspired by the Scrap n’ Tell: Bloggers’ Scrapbooking Event, this Mom has resolved to turn that vision into reality.

I was fortunate enough to have scored an invite for this event through Jennifer Aspacio of Pinay Mommies Community. The event held at the Filstar Distributors Corp Office at Kapitolyo, Pasig was truly a delightful afternoon. The organizers prepared well for it as everything was oozing with their creative juices, from the invitations, to the name tags, and the demonstrations and the hands-on activites. Here are my fun memories of this awesome scrapbooking event:

I never got to actually starting my scrapbooks for my toddlers mainly because I knew how time-consuming it would be. Let alone, the mess I would have to clean up after I’m done. But after experiencing scrapbooking, I found it to be a very relaxing activity, somewhat therapeutic. I didn’t mind cleaning up the mess at all when I was done. I still have much to learn as my creative juices are equivalent to that of a five-year-old. But I do know one thing, Scrapbooking is an art and to be good at it, you must have the passion for it.

(*pictures courtesy of All About Scrapbooking Facebook Page)

Mommy Moments: Purple-less

I missed joining Mommy Moments twice so I was very eager to join again this week. But, alas, the theme for this week is not one of our favorite colors. It’s now Saturday night and I still have not found any picture of the kids wearing purple. Now I’m making a mental note to get them some purple stuff to complete their rainbow colors.

After scouring our picture folders, I found these pictures which I’m very reluctant to share but would post anyway just to be able to join this week’s meme.

Last year, this 33-yr-old mom became an instant ramp model.  We went to Skydome to swap a couple of empty boxes for gift packs from Olay Age Defying Bar and to buy some shoes for my father-in-law.  Well, we ended up staying longer at the Swap as I found myself being made up in the backstage and being briefed for our walk on the ramp.  It was my 7 Minutes of Fame (or Shame as I would call it).  It was nerve-wracking, somewhat embarassing, but it is definitely one for the books.

with Jackie Lou Blanco and the other Olay Ladies – I’m easy to spot as I’m the only one who’s under 5′

my ever-supportive hubby and our little Jade who still claims until now that “Mama is a model”

 

Check out other mommies’ PURPLE stuff at mommy moments.