Skimbaco Lifestyle | online magazine » blogging

Searching for What’s Trending (Bing It On Challenge)

Katja Presnal — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:47:03 +0000

Searching the spring trends

Would you like to know my secrets for knowing what’s trendy? I would like to say it’s just “a hunch” but predicting and claiming what is trending right now takes a lot more work than you think. It’s all about searching and going through a lot of information. In fact, searching for the trends is much more than a guessing game. In any given day I spend a lot of time searching for information online, and following what bloggers and other trendsetters in different countries are doing. I have a Hollywood stylist on a speed dial, and I get press releases from multiple fashion brands. I follow what is presented on the runways, what is worn on the streets and what’s in the fashion boutique windows, all are equally important when you want to know what’s trendy.

I follow, read and stay alert and make my own conclusions and have “hunches” what is up and coming, but on the end of the day when I am writing a larger feature, let’s say “the top spring trends for 2013″ it is the search engines that help me the most when putting together a comprehensive trend feature. Even when I know which trends I want to feature, I still want to find out the best products that got the trend spot on, or who is wearing the trend the best.

I admit, I always use Google when searching, but the nice people at Bing asked me if I’d like to take the “Bing It On” challenge and give Bing a try. Let’s see how it goes!

Bing It On Challenge

You have probably seen the Bing it On- TV commercials, and many choosing Bing over Google.
I was interested in doing the test at the BingItOn.com website, which puts Google and Bing to side-by-side comparison test. The catch – you don’t know which search results are from Google and which one is Bing when you are taking the test!

I typed in “spring fashion trends” and the site asked me which results I liked better, the ones on the left, or the ones on the right. I clicked.

I typed in more detailed “2013 spring fashion trends” and clicked which results I liked better.
Same with “spring shoe trends 2013″ and “printed shorts for spring 2013″ and “metallics for spring 2013.”

After I had done this 5 times, the BingItOn.com site gave me the results which search I had chosen each time.

Wow! Didn’t see that coming! 4 out of 5 times I had chosen Bing! I was very surprised by the result, and did a few other searches as well. While Google was still coming up as my chosen search engine in many of the searches I did, I was surprised how often Bing actually was on the top.

After seeing this result last week, I decided to put Bing for a better test. I didn’t want just this Bing-owned test site to determine which was better search engine for me, especially because I had been loyal to Google for so many years. After using both Bing and Google for the past week, I realized a few things… I actually did like Bing better for many searches. I am connected to so many people via Google+ circles and other social media networks that Google tends to push me information that it thinks is more relevant to me and comes recommend by the people in my social networks. That’s good – and bad. I also want to see things from non-biased perspective and not recommended by the people in my circles, and did discover many new sites and in a way “fresh” perspective from the Bing results. I don’t think I am ready to abandon Google just yet, but it was great to take a more in-depth look how Bing works for me, and I know I will be checking the search results with Bing as well for now on.

You give it a try too! Try the Bing It On Challenge yourself and see which results you prefer.

Thank you to Bing and Technorati for being sponsors of this article. All opinions expressed here are my own.

* Based on a comparison of web search results panel only; excludes ads, Bing’s Snapshot and Social Search panes and Google’s Knowledge Graph. Learn about the study.

Google Reader is Going Away – This is How to Move to BlogLovin

Katja Presnal — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:30:13 +0000

How to move your Google Reader feed to BlogLovin

Google Reader is shutting down on July 1, 2013. If you are following the Skimbaco Lifestyle feed via Google Reader it’s about time to think of an alternative way to stay in touch.

I personally have been using BlogLovin for the blogs I read for a few years.

BlogLovin let’s you categorize the blogs you read and it’s easy to mark off the posts you are not interested in and you can also like the posts you did read and like. I would love if you followed Skimbaco Lifestyle on BlogLovin and saw it yourself how easy it is to use. I am not a tech-savvy person, and I like how easy it is to use BlogLovin and see the headlines and only click to the posts you want to read or you can use the handy top bar like in the picture below to click through all of the latest posts from your favorite blogs. Only bad about using the top bar is that you can not pin any images to Pinterest when using it and you need to remove the bar before pinning any images.

You can also easily move your Google Reader feed to BlogLovin. Create an account first, and then go to Settings, scroll down the page and click “Import Blogs”, choose “Google Reader” and start moving your blog feeds to BlogLovin.

Here are a few alternative RSS feed readers you can also use:
Feedly.com
Old Reader
Flipboard

The best way to get your Skimbaco-fix is to subscribe to our emails.
Each day we send out one email, one topic per day, and our Monday email has the latest posts from all of the categories. I highly recommend the Monday email but if you are only interested in specific categories, we offer you them separately as well.

To subscribe to our newsletters, click on the links below:
MONDAYS Skimbaco Lifestyle Newsletter, all topics.
TUESDAYS Skimbaco Home Newsletter, only home posts.
WEDNESDAYS Skimbaco Food Newsletter, only food posts.
THURSDAYS Skimbaco Travel Newsletter, only travel posts.
FRIDAYS Skimbaco Fashion Newsletter, only fashion posts.

Travel Insight: 7 Reasons I’m Traveling with My Intel Tablet

Leigh Powell Hines — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:52:25 +0000

Thank goodness spring break is around the corner. My family is going to take a few days to explore the mountains of North Carolina. We’ll be stopping in Asheville for one night, then spending a few days in the mountain town of Highlands, where waterfalls are as abundant as the curvy roads. In addition to my children’s luvies, snacks, and spring coats for that cool mountain air, I’ll be taking our new Intel tablet on this trip. We didn’t have a tablet before owning the Lenovo ThinkPad 2, and after taking some time to get used to the new Windows 8 operating system, I cannot imagine not taking it on our spring break excursion.

7 Reasons Why I’m Traveling with My Intel Tablet

1. Travel Planning

I’ve done a lot of trip planning while watching TV on my tablet. I’ve mapped out the best routes. I’ve bookmarked things to see on my travels, too. I want to continue my research while on location. The tablet makes it easy for me to do so. I love my smartphone, but the larger size of the tablet makes it a lot easier to reserach destinations on the go or in the comfort of the couch.

2. Entertaining the Kids in our Room

My kids have basically taken the tablet away from me. They love it. With the built-in inking feature, the kids have so much fun drawing with the tablet. They write notes. They draw glasses on their dad. It’s provided hours of entertainment. We love the app Skitch. My daughter has also found some great preschool games, too. I firmly believe in seeing things when traveling, and I don’t allow electronics during our dinners, but the tablet will be great for some downtime in the hotel room.

3. Watching Movies or TV Programs

The picture on the Intel tablet is crisp. It’s been great for watching TV and Netflix. With free Wi-Fi, I don’t have to be limited to what is on cable while in a hotel room or rental house. My son has earphones, so if he doesn’t want to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse then he can watch something else while we get ready for our day’s adventure.

4. Easy Access to Email and Social Media

With the tablet, and the touch of the Windows email app, I have all my accounts right there at the touch of the screen. It truly makes it easier to stay in touch and on top of my email when traveling. My mobile phone is just too small for me to type well. Under the People app, I can view my social media updates and notifications. I can take a photo of us in our room at Old Edwards Inn and Spa with the tablet and share it with my friends immediately.

5. Easy Access to Restaurant Reviews while On-Location

The one thing that the Intel tablet truly masters is speed and easy transition from one thing to another. It’s so easy to go from one app to another, watch a movie, or surf the net. It’s going to be great to have while traveling to seek out restaurant reviews, search for things to do in a new area, or even to see what’s playing at the movies while I’m in town. If I feel like having a burger for dinner, I can find the best burger in town within seconds.

6. Recording Special Travel Moments

I truly need to do a better job of catching special moments on our travels. The built-in camera allows you to transition from video photography to still photography with ease. The camera quality is good. The dual-camera feature enables you to get the videographer in the shoot, too.

7. Catching Up with my Favorite Reads

The tablet is great for reading. I’ve not downloaded a book yet, but I love reading my favorite blogs on it. I despise reading blogs on my phone. In fact, I don’t do it. Now when I travel, I can keep up with what Katja is posting on Skimbaco while I’m away.

I’m looking forward to taking the Intel tablet on this trip. I’m sure I’ll discover even more great uses while on the go.

Be sure to follow @SkimbacoTravel, @SkimbacoFood, and @Hinessightblog on Instagram so that you can keep up with me on my travels. I will be staying at the beautiful Old Edwards Inn and Spa while in Highlands. This European boutique property recently received the honor of being one of TripAdvisor’s Top 25 hotels in the U.S.

Disclosure: We don’t do product reviews on Skimbaco, but I was given an Intel tablet to use on my travels. Opinions about the tablet are my own.

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Satu won the Travel Blogging Contest and meet her in Porto!

Katja Presnal — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:31:24 +0000

Chat with Satu of Destination Unknown

Join me to congratulate our travel writer Satu Vänskä-Westgarth of Destination Unknown, she won a travel writing contest “3 Things in the City I Love” hosted by Traveldudes, Velvet Escape and Wimdu.

Satu’s post City I (still) love: Dublin not just tells a lot about Dublin, but also about Satu and her passions. Read an interview with Satu – and follow her travels, as they happen. Satu will also be participating the Travel Bloggers Unite Conference this week in Porto, Portugal, if you are heading there, make sure to say hello.

Interview with Satu

Katja: Congrats on winning the writing contest, and thank you for featuring Dublin as the city you love. You’ve traveled in so many places and lived in several countries, was it difficult to pick one city you love, or was/is Dublin the clear winner?

Satu: Thanks Katja! I have visited and lived in many great places but Dublin does have a very special place in my heart. I spent my university study years there, and I think the student days do a lot in shaping who you are. I also still have many good friends in the city and all around the country, hence I “have” to return there once or twice a year. Next trip is actually coming up in couple of months, can’t wait!

Katja: Which other cities are in your top 5 to live or visit?

Satu: Let’s see, top 5 list feels so restricting but some of my favorites would be Vancouver, Bologna, London, Paris and Ljubljana.

Katja: You love the outdoors, is the biggest appeal of your favorite cities the proximity of nature (combined with city life)?

Satu: For some of them yes. Vancouver, for example is a paradise for outdoor lovers as a whole range of outdoor activities is accessible almost at your doorstep. When it comes to Paris then, well, I used to live there for a little while and later my now husband proposed to me there so I can not but love the city. Sometimes on a city holiday you can do something totally new and different from your daily life, I did this on my recent trip to Bologna, where I learned to make pasta the Italian way and I absolutely loved that. And at other times, it is just great to escape the outdoors for a moment and London to me is just that. You can eat some great food, catch a show and then return to the country for the outdoors. Last but not least I chose Ljubljana in Slovenia as it is kind of small cozy capital with both seaside and mountains within 1,5 hours drive. You can’t ask more than that!

Katja: We have gotten a small taste of Destination Unknown here at Skimbaco Lifestyle, and you have been writing in Finnish for years, and now you recently just started an English blog as well, tell what kind of travel posts you will be covering there.

Satu: In short, Destination Unknown covers life in Norway and active travels around Europe and sometime further afield, often with kayaks, skis, bikes or hiking boots packed into our packs. We were happy to welcome a new addition to our family last November, hence traveling with a baby is naturally featured a lot too. Often it has just been two of us, me and the baby traveling together and in fact, so far she has spent more time traveling than at home! But she seems to enjoy that so I think we’ll just keep going

Katja: What’s your “cocktail & dream” – what kind of drink and where you dream of having it right now?
Satu: I could imagine myself drinking a cold caipirinha on a beach somewhere in Brazil, preferably at sunset with the waves softly breaking on the shore. As that is not going to happen right now, I think I’ll just sit on my balcony, watch the sunset and enjoy my drink while dreaming of our trip to Portugal. It’s not quite Brazil, but at least the language is the same!

Picture of Satu in Helsinki, Finland, a few years ago when I met her the first time. Because this is what we travel bloggers sometimes do – we take photos of each others taking photos.

Follow Satu Traveling

Follow Satu’s travels as they happen on Instagram as ToDestinationUnknown and on twitter @SatuVW, and of course come back and read her Destination Unknown posts here at Skimbaco Lifestyle and in her own site Destination Unknown.

Satu won a 800 euro voucher to Wimdu from the writing contest, and is already using her winning prize this week in Portugal. Wimdu is an online platform with a wide range of private accommodation, whether it’s a room in a shared apartment in Berlin or a New York designer flat, Wimdu’s range of over 50,000 properties in more than 100 countries ensures that everybody can find exactly what they’re looking for – attractive, affordable accommodation in exciting places around the world.

Who are your social media influencers? How they reflect on your life?

Katja Presnal — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:32:58 +0000

This post is sponsored by BlogFrog.

What is a social media influencer?

Simply said, you are a social media influencer. We all are. Anyone who has a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest account (or insert several other social networks here) is a social media influencer and can influence the other users in the various platforms and contribute to viral marketing. PR agencies, large corporations and brands have been trying to crack the code for finding the most influential of them all, and how to put influencers in some sort of order.

This is where social media influencers become the 8th wonder of the world. Real influence doesn’t necessary have anything to do with how many followers, readers or fans someone has, or even how high someone’s Klout score is. Sometimes it takes to be in the right place in the right time, to reach a small number of the right people, and being the expert in that small group of people.

This is why when companies want to work with bloggers and social media influencers need help from companies who truly know the influencers who they recommend to work with.

When Skimbaco.com was a retail store and I used viral word of mouth marketing to drive our sales already in 2007, it was all very new, and I learned my lessons from early on. Once I was able to get a very large blog, one of the top blogs for moms at the time, with over million page views a month to write about our products, and I was sure our sales were going to sky rocket. Yes, we got sales, but they didn’t sky rocket. The sky rocketing started happening when blogs like Mamanista, and Adventures in Babywearing wrote about our store, blogs that back then had much smaller following but with a very tight community who trusted what Candace and Stephanie wrote.

That’s what social media influence is really all about, trust.

Trust is all we have

I would like to think that you turn to Skimbaco Lifestyle when you want non-biased and trusted info. I hope you know how hard we work to keep it this way, and keep your trust. We don’t take many product samples, and keep our sponsored blog content to the minimal, and only work with brands that we would recommend anyways (like BlogFrog, who sponsored this post, they get us).

We even turn down half of our advertisers, because we want you to know you can trust that we give a real stamp of approval to everything we promote, write or mention here at Skimbaco Lifestyle. We may be a part of the engine doing word of mouth marketing – but we are not part of any collective with biased opinions and our opinions can not be bought.

What you may not realize – this trust goes two ways. We also read every comment, suggestion and feedback given to us, and trust your opinion. I personally put so much trust on this, that earlier this spring I asked on our Facebook page, which country in Europe you’d recommend traveling. Remember this? You voted and recommended going to Italy.

Social Media Influencers Enhance my Life

Stacie of The Divine Miss Mommy recommend visiting Venice, and we did. She and Fadra of All Things Fadra were impressed by Pisa – so we made sure not to miss it. Pauliina of My o My said her favorite place was Lucca, so we stayed there for 4 days. I happened to see a pictures from Burano on Pinterest on someone’s board I followed, and had to add visit to Burano to our agenda too.

It was the social media influencers and the trust I had developed for them, that drove most of our travel planning decisions. Thanks to these and many other social media influencers (with big or small following), I am able to live life to the fullest. I hope we here at Skimbaco Lifestyle are able to offer you the same.

As a part of the BlogFrog Influencer Circle, I have the chance to create meaningful, authentic content for brands I love. If you’re a blogger interested in new opportunities, join BlogFrog’s Influencer Circle and check out some of the top brands already working with BlogFrog.

If you’re a brand looking to work with online influencers, learn more about BlogFrog’s Brand Solutions here.

What do you love most about blogs and blogging?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogFrog. The opinions and text are all mine.

Social Sunday: The Best Lifestyle Links from Social Media Moms

Katja Presnal — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:21:34 +0000

This is already our seventh edition of Social Sunday with Social Media Moms! The women in our group work very hard on our blogging businesses, and we have been able to combine motherhood and working in a very unique way via internet. Enjoy all of these great links from our group, and if you like them – show some support by sharing the links with others too.

Source: hipmamab.com via Skimbaco on Pinterest

Social Sunday: The Best Lifestyle Links from Social Media Moms

Katja Presnal — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 16:00:28 +0000

Welcome to the third edition of Social Sunday with Social Media Moms! These are some of our favorite posts from this week.

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

Family Favorite Activities at Beaches Negril at All Things Chic
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Girlymama

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

Squash Quesadillas with Chipotle Lime Sour Cream by Tonya Staab
Bananas Foster Milkshake: I’m Grown-Up and I Know It at Savoring The Thyme
Super Summer Ice Cream Pie at Party Bluprints.
Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Mediterranean Chicken Salad at Rebel Chick

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS HOME LINKS

Pinterest Adds to Our Class Gifts to Teachers at Just Precious
Set the Mood for Scandinavian Summer Party. Tips from the Interior Design Store Weranna’s at Skimbaco Lifestyle
How to Make a No-Sew T-Shirt Bag at Better in Bulk

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FASHION LINKS

Mix’n’ Match Prints at Fashionably Organized
Fashion Friday: Backyard BBQ outfit at Musings of a Housewife

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FAMILY LINKS

Why Summer is Going to Kill Me at Crazy Adventures in Parenting
101 Picture Books To Read Before You Grow Up at Feels Like Home
Adjusting to life with two kids. Now with more adjusting! at Lil-Kid-Things

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS LIFESTYLE LINKS

Yes, I posted it on Facebook first at Bantering Blonde
This is My Body. at Kitten a Go-Go
The Fastest Man on No Legs at Found the Marbles

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS INSPIRATIONAL LINKS

Live a little everyday at the Budge Bunch
Don’t let others define your limits at Skimbaco Lifestyle
Thursday’s Child at Freaky Perfect

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

What’s Your Message by Angela England
10 Things You’ll see in Blog Conferences at Super Exhausted
Online Conferences: Facebook Ad Training at the Blogging Basics 101

Social Sunday: Best Lifestyle Links from Social Media Moms

Katja Presnal — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:00:26 +0000

Hope you are having a great weekend! If you want to catch up some reading and spend an afternoon with some of my best friends – welcome to the second edition of Social Sunday with Social Media Moms! These are some of our favorite posts from this week.

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

Hiking at DuPont State Forest in North Carolina at Just Short of Crazy
Epcot (DisneyWorld) during the Flower & Garden Show 2012 at Just Precious
Omni Independence Park in Philadelphia at Musings of a Housewife
If you travel alone, you must read this at Lady and the Blog

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

A Passionate Vegetarian Tortellini Salad with Red Wine-Feta Vinaigrette at Savoring The Thyme
Super Delicious Stuffed Peppers – Friday Night Bites at Party Bluprints.
Mini Donut Muffin Recipe by Good’n'Crazy

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS HOME LINKS

DIY Wedding Idea – Wedding Card Drop Boxes! at Party Bluprints Blog
Home trends: Union Jack and London Calling at Skimbaco Lifestyle

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FASHION LINKS

How to Spruce Up Your Old Swimsuit at Charmed Valerie
Date Night: Summer Fashions at A Parenting Production
Maternity Fashion – Sleepwear at The B Keeps Us Honest

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FAMILY LINKS

Flashback Friday: Summer! at Crazy Adventures in Parenting <- If you read ONE post, let it be this one
What Happens When This Mother-Daughter Share Fashion…and Music? at School Family
Yeah. That happened. at Lil-Kid-Things

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS LIFESTYLE LINKS

Preventing Financial Infidelity at The Centsible Life
Why are so many celebrities adopting black babies? at Rage Against the Minivan
iPad 3 Giveaway at the Centsible Life

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS INSPIRATIONAL LINKS

I Hope You Dance at Musings of a Housewife
Laura Ingalls Wilder Inspirational Quotes About Life at Mamadweeb
What Mom Used to Be and What She Wants to Become at Crazy Adventures in Parenting

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

5-Year Anniversary of Type-A – 5 People will Win #typeacon Passes and Pinterest For Dummies at Type-A Parent
When your blog content is in transition/ at Ciao Mom
10 Ways to Tick Off a Blogger at Found The Marbles
Use Pictures to Get More Comments on Facebook at the Blogging Basics 101

Social Sunday: Best Lifestyle Links from #SMmoms

Katja Presnal — Sun, 27 May 2012 12:30:41 +0000

I am part of a great group of women called Social Media Moms (read the interview with the founder Kadi Prescott), and I thought I’d feature some of the best links from the great bloggers in our group on Sundays. Enjoy!

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS HOME LINKS

Memorial Day Plans at Lil-Kid-Things. Recipes, craft and more.
Dishes with Black and White Prints at Skimbaco Lifestyle
Top Ten Edited Pictures at Picaboo Blog

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

Fabulous Frozen Sparkling Kiwi Bellini at Party Bluprints.
Recipe: Lamingtons by Tonya Staab
Sticky Apricot Chicken Bites at Savoring The Thyme

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort at Girlymama
Connecticut Open House at The Budge Bunch
Key West Images: A Romantic Getaway to the Reach Hotel at Pure Natural Diva
Bucket List to Do: Monte Carlo, Monaco at Skimbaco Lifestyle

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FASHION LINKS

Easy Summer Style at Birthing Hip.
Favorite Maxi Dresses at All Things Chic.
Gold Sandal Digging at Fashionably Organized

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FAMILY LINKS

This is Important – Making Together Better by Rajean Blomquist
How old should your kid be to see Men in Black 3 at Colorado Moms
Teething Time Already? Make it Stop! at Untrained Housewife

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS LIFESTYLE LINKS

Mazda M3 i Grand Touring 4 Door: Sporty, Stylish, Compact and Affordable at Tech Savvy Mama
Work Life Balance and Keeping Your Sanity at Type-A Parent
My body is not my enemy at Uppercase Woman
Working Mom Spotlight: Eileen & Adrienne of @hipjunkybuckles at Hip as I Wanna Be

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS INSPIRATIONAL LINKS

Be Enough ME: 10 Things I Need to Be Enough at Just Be Enough
Blessings on This Side of the Fence at Mamadweeb
Find Your Why with a List at Ciao Mom

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Blog Conference Packing List at A Daily Pinch
Social Media Office on the Go – Windows phone at The Divine Miss Mommy
An Open Letter to Bloggers at Kitten a Go-Go

Interview with Lolli Franklin of Better in Bulk

Katja Presnal — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:00:56 +0000

I’m happy to bring you this interview with Laura “Lolli” Franklin of the blog Better in Bulk. Lolli is one of those bloggers who are able to balance social media and motherhood perfectly, with a discipline not to even check email before kids have left to school on the mornings. With this focus and determination to get everything in social media done by the time kids get home from school she has accomplished more than many others in the blogging space.

You can tell from Lolli’s blog and the stories she writes, what a great mom she is. I love how she shares her life and what she is passionate about in her blog. If you already don’t know Lolli, check out Better in Bulk.

Interview with Laura “Lolli” Franklin of Better in Bulk

Katja: How did you get started with your blog Better in Bulk?

Lolli: I started Better in Bulk (or it’s predecessor on Blogger) in October 2007, after hearing from my best friend and my little sister that it would be a fun way to share pictures and the things I was doing with my family. I never had any goals or aspirations for my blog during that first year. I really looked at it as a natural progression from my old scrapbooking hobby.

Katja: How has social media changed your life? Tell how social media is part of your life.

Lolli: Social media has changed so much for me! I have always been a shy person with only a small circle of friends – now that I am active in social media, I feel like I have opened up in so many ways, one of which is the fact that I count hundreds of bloggers as my friends. I have always felt more comfortable communicating through the written word, so have been able to focus on building other aspects of myself (where I otherwise would be focusing on “getting out of my comfort zone”).

Social media has also provided me with an outlet to explore my talents and do something for me (while helping to support my family of 7). I feel really good about the fact that I have found something that I am good at, that I enjoy, and that pays my bills.

Katja: You are a busy mom of 5, do you have any tips how you balance work and family, and what are some of the family values you have?

Lolli: I don’t think I could dedicate the same amount of time and energy to social media and blogging if it weren’t for the fact that my kids are older (my oldest daughter is in 10th grade, and my youngest is in 1st grade). Because they are at school all day, I have some time to work, and I love that I can do it all from home. It’s important for me to be available for my kids, and to be present. It’s still tough to balance everything – when the kids get home from school, I’m usually not done with my work, and it is challenging to stop in the middle of a task to devote some time to the kids. If anything, my house has definitely paid the highest price for my time issues (I tend to avoid cleaning my house lately).

Just this past weekend, my new sister-in-law (and brother-in-law) came to visit, and I ended up having to explain to her why we don’t go to movies or eat out on Sundays. We are a pretty traditional family and actually do observe the Sabbath day. We go to church and then spend the rest of the day napping, reading, and spending time with each other. It’s something I look forward to each week – it’s my way to replenish and renew and reconnect with my family. At the end of the day, my sister-in-law said, “You know, I kind of like your version of Sunday.”

Katja: Is there something new and exciting happening for you this year?

Lolli: On April 28, my husband and I celebrated our 17th anniversary. I consider that a pretty big accomplishment! Otherwise, this year looks like more of the same – a few trips, lots of writing, and two blogging conferences (Type-A and Blogher). The rest of the time, I’ll keep plugging forward.

Katja: What does skimbaco lifestyle mean to you? How do you live life to the fullest in your everyday life?

Lolli: These past few years have been some of the most challenging in my life. I feel like the trials keep getting poured on me. However, they have also been some of my best years ever. I consider it a great blessing that through the trials, I have been able to recognize the GOOD THINGS. And they are everywhere. I live life to the fullest by focusing on the blessings and letting the challenges roll of my back as much as possible. When my family looks back on these years, I want all of us to remember the beauty, the adventures, the friendships, the love.

Connect with Lolli online

Connect with Lolli!
Blog: Better in Bulk
Twitter: @1momof5
Facebook: facebook.com/BetterinBullk
Pinterest: pinterest.com/1momof5

Skimbaco Lifestyle | online magazine » blogging

Searching for What’s Trending (Bing It On Challenge)

Searching the spring trends

Bing It On Challenge

Google Reader is Going Away – This is How to Move to BlogLovin

How to move your Google Reader feed to BlogLovin

Travel Insight: 7 Reasons I’m Traveling with My Intel Tablet

7 Reasons Why I’m Traveling with My Intel Tablet

1. Travel Planning

2. Entertaining the Kids in our Room

3. Watching Movies or TV Programs

4. Easy Access to Email and Social Media

5. Easy Access to Restaurant Reviews while On-Location

6. Recording Special Travel Moments

7. Catching Up with my Favorite Reads

Satu won the Travel Blogging Contest and meet her in Porto!

Chat with Satu of Destination Unknown

Interview with Satu

Follow Satu Traveling

More great city posts to read

Who are your social media influencers? How they reflect on your life?

What is a social media influencer?

Trust is all we have

Social Media Influencers Enhance my Life

Social Sunday: The Best Lifestyle Links from Social Media Moms

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

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SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Social Sunday: The Best Lifestyle Links from Social Media Moms

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS HOME LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FASHION LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FAMILY LINKS

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SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS INSPIRATIONAL LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Social Sunday: Best Lifestyle Links from Social Media Moms

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS HOME LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FASHION LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FAMILY LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS LIFESTYLE LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS INSPIRATIONAL LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Social Sunday: Best Lifestyle Links from #SMmoms

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS HOME LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FOOD LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS TRAVEL LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FASHION LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS FAMILY LINKS

SOCIAL MEDIA MOMS LIFESTYLE LINKS

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Interview with Lolli Franklin of Better in Bulk

Interview with Laura “Lolli” Franklin of Better in Bulk

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