Tag Archive for bloggers

Recapping the Canadian Personal Finance Conference: Lessons for Any Blogger

September 30, 2012 / Common Cents Mom / One comment

What a crazy insane week this was, I had planned on recapping last weekend at the Canadian Personal Finance Conference on Monday but then this week got away from me, ever have that happen? Between working 2 jobs, 2 events this week and a sick daughter…well this week got the best of me. I am ready for a vacation but I will take a few days next week for Thanksgiving.

First my journey to the Canadian Personal Finance Conference began the night before the event as well I went shopping for the perfect conference dress. I have wanted a maxi dress for a long time and I asked my readers to help me pick a dress well your votes were divided. So it really was up for me to decide so I headed back to Sexy Plus Clothing. I picked the Celebrity Maxi (the grey one) as I thought it offered me the most versatility. Stephanie, the owner was there this time, and it was great to meet her. If you are a plus and live in Toronto this is one store you want to check out and I so loved their sales rack I even bought a beautiful blue top for $20 that will go great with the black pants I got for $9 a few weeks ago.

060 Recapping the Canadian Personal Finance Conference: Lessons for Any Blogger

meeting Preet and wearing the dress from Sexy Plus Clothing

 

Now for the conference recap

First on the Friday night we had a pre-conference event. It was at the ballroom and was supposed to be bowling and food but I am not sure anyone got downstairs to bowl as we were all happy just to talk and get to know each other better. I was super excited as 3 of my absolute favorite  personal finance bloggers were in the room. First there was Preet Banerjee, and I am glad I can say I knew him when, as he is about to be the host of a new show this January on the OWN network. Look for it. Then I was excited about finally meeting Krystal who was the wonderful co host for the conference. She has co hosted a few of my #cdnmoney chats on Twitter and I was so grateful to finally meet her in person. Then there was Kerry from Sqwakfox, I have read her blogs faithfully for years. It was great to meet her as well.That night I also got to meet several other bloggers and it was great to touch base and get to know each of them.

The next day I got to sit in between two of my favorite ladies, Marcy and Angele as we listened to the speakers.

So what were the lessons I took away? Lessons that ANY blogger can use:

1. If you are using facts in your blog. Know your numbers. Check your FACT! Find out from the source. Don’t trust the internet to be your source..not when it comes to facts you want to cite as gospel Truth.

ie when I did the infographic on Mental Health here in Canada, I was citing a Ministry report. I was citing facts that were in releases. These are known as primary sources, have a primary source.Thanks to Glen Cooke for this lesson.

2. Learn to self Edit. Adam Mayer the editor from Moneyville, is known as a harsh editor for a reason-he wants readers to be engaged and read the  story. A well written post that has been edited well will get readers who come back. Write, write some more, and then edit and edit again before publishing. Get rid of words you don’t need.

3. A great blog is built one good post at a time- there are no secrets. Put your heart into each post. Great creative look at common issues we all have a solve them in ways that will connect with your reader.That was Kerry’s advice.

4.Want to be noticed by the media? Be prepared was my take away from the Media session with Preet. Have a plan with each opp you get. Know your stuff, and know what you want your sound bite to be.

5. When it comes to SEO, get to know your stuff it will help you. I was very thankful for Alyssa from RateHub’s lessons and her handout which just happended to be printed at Print Three where I work. Mine now hang in my office.

0661 225x300 Recapping the Canadian Personal Finance Conference: Lessons for Any Blogger

6. When  it comes to be building community. Engage those who come. Make it easy for them to stay around and want more.  Steve from Grocery Alerts showed us how this was done. It was great to hear his perspective on this.

There were so many great take aways from the conference and I am already looking forward to the one next year.

What did I love most? Getting to meet those who write about money day in day out, for this frugal mom it was a pleasure to get to know each person I met on a more personal level. That was the best. For you who were at the conference what was your take away? For those who weren’t what lesson do you think you can work on for your blog?

 

 

 

Category: Money / Tags: , , , , ,

The Great Canadian Blogger Bash –Party On.

June 25, 2012 / Common Cents Mom / 67 comments

TGCBB2012SM The Great Canadian Blogger Bash Party On.

Let’s get this party started Canadian style, eh! My friends  Whispered Inspirations, Mom vs. the Boys, Positively Pampered Patty, Good Girl Gone Green and Kat’s Confessions are our wonderful hostesses for this blog hop that celebrates everything Canadian, Canada Day and our wonderful array of Canadian bloggers.

So some interesting facts about me and Canada:

  • I am proud to say I am a 10th generation Canadian. Some of my family members were some of the very first settlers who traveled to Canada
  • I am the first in my family to change religions..we have such an array to learn from in this great land and we can learn from each other’s faiths.
  • I have attended 2 Canadian universities: Dalhousie and the University of Manitoba. One East, one west! Can you guess what my degrees are in.
  • I am proud to say since Canada became a country every generation of my family has had a military connection of some sort. So proud of my cousin who is currently serving, and the service of my mom, grandfathers, great, great great and great great great great great. All served on behalf of Canada.
  • I have travelled coast to coast, seen the southern tip of Canada and have been as far north as Flin Flon, Manitoba.

Now of some of my favorite facts about Canada:

  • The east coast of Canada was settled by Vikings around the year A.D. 1000. Archaeological evidence of a settlement has been found at L’anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland. My family were one of the first settlers in nearby Carbonear.
  • Hockey (our national game) has been around since 1877, after Canada became a nation.
  • Ottawa was NOT always Ottawa, originally named Bytown after John By.
  • Canada contains 9% of the world’s renewable water supply. That is a huge amount of water.

Now since this blog hop is about celebrating Canada, Canadian bloggers and all things Canadian I wanted to do a small giveaway to the largest Athletic store chain in Canada: Sportcheck. I have a $25 gift car I will be sending one of you. If you follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you know one of my goals for this year is getting fit, so for me it seemed like a good match for my giveaway.

Are you ready to win?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Category: Reviews and Giveaways, Uncategorized / Tags: , ,

For 2012: 30 Canadian Money Blogs to Read to be Money Smart

December 29, 2011 / Common Cents Mom / 5 comments

Three years ago in 2009 I wrote a list of Canadian Bloggers that help you be money smart. Well that post is my most read post each and every year.It is also on the front page of Google when you search for Canadian money blogs or Canadian frugal blogs. With that said I decided since there have been many new entrants since I wrote this list in June 2009 I would list who I read now.  These bloggers help me be money smart. I have learned from each of them. Each of them offers a different take. Some are investment bloggers, some deal with Mortgages, some are frugal bloggers, some know a great deal. All of them are worth reading and knowing. They say here in Canada, 2012 will be another hard year for many a Canadian family so I wanted you my reader to prepared by giving you a great list of bloggers who can help you chart your financial course.

These bloggers are shared in no particular order. Some are moms just like me, some work with money day in day out, some are bankers, some are investors, and all are money smart. If you are like me and always wanting to make the most of your dollar here is a list of great reads that will help with that:

1. Gail Vazoxlade- We all know Gail from her hit TV Show Princesses, but her blog gives us a regular dose of money medicine. I have been blessed to had dinner with Gail and a gang of other bloggers this year. Getting to know her a bit better has only made me want to read her blog more.

2. Sqwakfox-Kerry is one of those old time (meaning she has been blogging for years) personal finance bloggers. Her blog is on a number of best read lists. She is practical which is why I love her.

3. Marcy Berg -Marcy is a mortgage broker, and the owner of Mortgages for Women, I first met her in person, then started following her blog, she is smart and knows her stuff, and great woman to read.

4. Fabulously Broke in the City- is another older personal finance blog. She has gone from being broke to now have a net value of a cool $250,000 all in just a few years. She also lives simply and has another blog that talks about that.

5. Simply Frugal- Taya started her blog about the same time I started mine, so we are both almost 4 years old. She posts deals, money saving tips and even some great recipes.

6. Give Me Back My 5 Bucks. I love Krystal and her blog. She has been debt free since 2007. She also writes for Moneyville and you can even find her talking money quite frequently with me on the #cdmoney chat stream.

7. Where Does All My Money Go Preet is an investment guy. He knows his stuff and has even won a spot as The W Network’s money expert. He also let me guest post over on his blog last year so a good guy in my books.

8. Money Smarts- This blog used to be Four Pillars and then Mike started this one. Its focus is on personal finance with an emphasis on investing topics. Another long time blogger who knows his stuff.

9.Canadian Dream:Free at 45- Tim started this blog as he dreamed of retiring at 45. Well I am there now and no where near retiring. One can dream though, but this guy is showing how it can be done.

10. Ellen Roseman- is a columnist with the Toronto Star, and one of the writers on their Moneyville blog, as is Krystal. She has been writing about money for years.

11. Moneyville- The Toronto Star started this blog just over a year ago and it has some great writers who I have read all before they came to Moneyville.

12.Peter Aceto- as CEO of ING Direct, he is a voice in the banking industry that I read and listen too.

13. The Canadian Personal Finance Blog- Big Cajun Man has been blogging as well for years and simply put he talks about everything money. I love how personal he is in some of his posts.

14.Canadian Couch Potato-Dan is a journalist who knows investing. If you want to know about index investing this blog is a must read.

15. Retire Happy Blog-Jim has been talking and teaching money for 20 years. He offers money talk that is timeless.

16. Boomer and Echo is a fairly new find of mine. They are mother and son team who want we all want to retire knowing we can manage. Really I am enjoying discovering this new read to me.

17. The Asian Pear- Is a young woman I love to read, she writes about day to day what she is doing to save, and lives in a very practical way.

18. Bargainista- I love Eden. She doesn’t write a lot about money, but she does know how to find a great deal, and is actually very money smart as I can attest because I know her in real life now too.

19.Smart Canucks is another blog that helps you find a great deal, or freebie, for me it helps me to be frugal.

20. Canadian Mortgage Trends is a blog all about the Canadian Mortgage industry. If you need to know what is happening and how it can effect your mortgage this is a blog to follow.

21. Canadian Capitalist is a blogger with Moneysense. Ram has been writing about about money for years and is well worth reading, he truly knows Canadian money.

22. The Wealthy Boomer is a blogger and writer with The Financial Post. He is also an author of get this a a financial romance. That alone is reason to read what he writes.

23.Million Dollar Journey-also writes about investing, he is a young man on a journey and on the way he shares everything from best credit card to have in your wallet, to index investing.

24. Thicken My Wallet- This blog written by the president of an investment company offers much in the way of personal finance talk and investing.

25. Bank Nerd Need to know anything about banking, then this is the blog you want to be following.

26. Financial Uproar Nelson is young, just starting out, but I love his wit, and for a young man he is very smart.

27. Mrs. January is another frugal mom like me, who is trying to be money smart. She shares deals and some great practical posts on saving money.

28. Sustainable Personal Finance-this blog written by a couple shares the story of meeting money goals while being eco friendly and green.

29. Nickel by Nickel- Another new find of mine, an east coast gal who wants to keep track of her money nickel by nickel

30.Common Cents Mom- Of course I want you to come here and learn, and grow with me as I move forward. For me this blog will be about having real money conversations and sharing things that help me day to day, whether it be frugal, or finance I will continue to share my journey here.

And don’t forget you can connect with many a Canadian money blogger on Wednesday nights on Twitter 7-8pm EST for the #cdnmoney chat. Come and join the conversation and may you get the insights you need to be money smart.

Category: Money, Opinion / Tags: , , , , ,

Spheres of Influence and Lists

May 16, 2011 / Common Cents Mom / One comment

224690 10150226235710498 636835497 8898730 7583530 n Spheres of Influence and Lists Yesterday  Zach Bussey posted a list of the 150 Toronto Top Twitter Influencers.  When I first saw this list several thoughts came to mind.

First, was oh no not another list. Whenver I see a list thoughts come to mind like who really decides who is on the list. This list is supposed to be based to Klout scores. So it is supposed to be objective.  If you don’t know Klout does-it measures your influence on Twitter, Linked In and Facebook, and gives you a score. I happen to think there method of giving scores is a little off but that is my opinion, after all it is simply one measure and in no way shows a person’s value or real clout.

I have a Klout score of 64 today. That puts me in the top 50 influencers in the city. I am in the top 1/3 of Zach’s list. But there is a huge problem with the list. It is missing several influencers. All who have major Klout scores and clout in real life.

Does this list matter? No in reality it does not. Unless you want something to talk about or want to compare yourself to others. This list could of also been broken down into niches. Many who are on the list work in social media so one would hope by now they know how to play the number games. Several bloggers – especially Mom Bloggers were left off the list. According to Zach’s list I would be in the top 10 of Mom bloggers in the Toronto.  I know I am not. I would also be the number 1 Muslim Twitter personality in the GTA. I know neither of those things are true. I am good just not quite that  good yet. Klout you see measures just part of the picture. It does not measure the whole picture so we really need to take this list with a grain of salt.

Who’s missing from the list? Who has Klout and clout, especially with me. They influence what I read, and talk about and I have learned much from each of the 21 that should of been on the list. Many over my years on Twitter have become personal friends meaning for me there influence matters just a we bit more.They are those that really have an impact and can move me to act, share, talk about.

1. @unmarketing (pictured when I finally met him after Tweeting with him for 2 years). Scott has the highest Klout I can find in the GTA. Scott started on Twitter not as a brand but as a listener and conversationalist.His score is 81 today. (*I have been told that Scott doesn’t qualify for the list because he is a celebrity-meaning he has a verified account with Twitter-although I think it is important to note he does have the highest klout score I can find in the GTA)

2. @ThatEricAlper- Eric Alper leads those I listen to for music tweets and job leads. His score is 73.

3. @YummyMummyClub- Erica leads the great Mom Bloggers that make up the Yummy Mummy Club. Her tweets are all her own. She is a great gatherer of women who rock this city.Her score is 70.

4. @Journeywoman. Evelyn is the CEO of largest online travel resource for women. Her tweets are mostly about travel. Her score is 68.

5.@herbadmother – Catherine is a great Mom blogger who know social media and blogging. I have listened to Catherine for 5 years now. Her score is 67.Yes that means I listened to Catherine before Twitter.

6. @WonderMoms_CA- I have really gotten to know Tamara the last few months as we have met up at events. She is a sweetheart who happens to own a website. Her score is 67.

7. @Clippo- Alexandria is another sweetheart who gives to the Mom blogging community big time showing that she cares on a regular basis. Her score is 66.

8. @ChickyMara- Mara is a great friend who I happened to sell my Blissdom Canada ticket to last year. She is also one of few people in the blogosphere who have met my daughter in person. Her score is 65.

9.@KelliDaisy- Kelli is another mom blogger who gets the social media game as well. Her score is 65.

10. @nummiesbras- Alison is another mom blogger who owns her own biz, and shares great info and insight online as well. Her score is 65.

11. @lovelaughshop- Sarah’s blog is Wall Candy. Just the name makes me want to shop with her.

All the above have higher scores then me and would knock anyone with a score of lower then 59 off Zach’s list.

Let me go on to note there are another 9 that I follow who all  live in the GTA and have Klout scores of  60 0r above.

They are @joannewallace, @moeturner, (both who have scores of 64-the same as mine), @soulwhispers, @marcyberg, @joshmatlow, @partymummy, @aurielacotta, @TeacherMomofTwo, @SandraEMartin, @ivanvector. They are all real people who tweet for themselves. I have been influenced by all of them. Each has a different niche.

Does the list matter or is it comprehensive? No it is not, nor can be as Klout does not keep a geographic locator so we who try and make lists are at the mercy of knowledge. But we all know knowledge is limited. Where I may know alot about saving money, Aspergers, IT support, and being a mom I do not know every Twitter Influencer in Toronto and either does Zach so the list will always have some biases and some who should be on the list will be left off each and every month he decides to do this.

Does any list matter? Yes and No, a list of any sort will always have biases, and there will always be people left off. I think of Globe and Mail’s list of the best Canadian Money bloggers and I think they have not shared enough options to vote for. Many good money bloggers were not on their list. Yet, It does give a blogger an idea though of where they stand in the community. It also can give those who wish to engage influencers an idea of what they can get for their dollar.

For me yes being on the list strokes the ego. Does it matter when I go to bed?No. Should it matter to you-I think not. But do let me know what you think.

Category: Social Media / Tags: , , , , ,

My Day At the CBC

April 10, 2011 / Common Cents Mom / 3 comments

A couple of weeks ago I got an email in my inbox, it was the CBC inviting me to be part of a very special day at the CBC. They were bringing Social Media Moms in from across Canada to discuss children programming and the CBC. I was excited to be included in this group of women as we have watched the CBC and are huge supporters in our house.

Well my day at the CBC actually began the day before when I got to meet up with Jody from Mommy Moment who had flown in from Manitoba ( my old stomping grounds in my youth). I was able to show her a few sites like the CN Tower and St. Lawerence Market, and we grabbed a bite to eat and got to know each other.

Then Thursday began bright and early as I headed down to Union Station to meet Shannon from who as she says is GPS challenged. then it was off to the Intercontinental to gather up Jody and Tammy from My Organized Chaos and Lynnette from My Wee View. From there it was off to the CBC. We grabbed a quick coffee and breakfast in the building where we met up with several other bloggers.

My Day At the CBC

On the set of Steven and Chris

First on the agenda. We got to spend some time watching a taping of Steven and Chris. Guess who the guest of honor was? Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser. She has written a new book and is currently on a book tour promoting it.  Her new book is called Unlimited How to Build an Exceptional Life. She even answered some questions and one was about a 13 year old girl who was being bullied, sound familiar? What she recommends for girls just like my Rachel: take a stand and use your body language to say NO.  One of the other segment I really enjoyed was about creating a salad bowl ( a mini garden for small spaces-I think my mom would love this for her new small balcony). We came home with Jillian’s book and skincare from Amway.

After that we were whisked to the kids area of the CBC, where they had a wonderful lunch of sweet sandwiches, veggies and fruit, and the cutest cake. We got to mix and mingle with the staff behind Kids CBC. I had a great conversation with Kim Wilson Creative Head for Children and Youth Programming. We talked about the cuts and the lack of after school programming for school age kids.  She shared with me a project they are hoping to get funding for: a 24 hour CBC kids channel! Could it be? At that time school age, age appropriate programming would be available for our older school age kids as well. I really do hope they get the funding.

As well as talking the brains behind Kids CBC we got to mix with other great mom bloggers and some CBC celebs as well. I had a great conversation with Dwight Drummond about bullying.

My Day At the CBC

Me and Dwight Drummond

After lunch we got to see the set of Kids CBC and learn some very interesting facts about the CBC:

Did you know the have a developmental psychologist on staff? As some one who taught daycare for 15 years I was so glad to hear this as you can guarantee age appropriate content.

They have a new series coming up soon called Napkin Man.

The other thing this frugal mom loves the Kids CBC hosts several free events across Canada every year, and you know I love free, right.

As we were in the Kids CBC, Patty Sullivan came in from maternity leave to meet and greet us, as well as Mamma Yamma and her puppeteer Ali Eisner.

My Day At the CBC

Asking Mamma Yamma for her Frugal Tip

As the Tweet Up was coming to an end I got to interview Mamma Yamma and Patty Sullivan, asking then for their frugal tips. Come back tomorrow because I am going to share their tips and I have a give away.

After the Tweet Up, I stopped by Mr. Dress Up’s Treehouse to check and see if Casey or Finnegan were home. They weren’t. Then it was off to watch George Stroumboulopoulos. We got to meet him before the show and we had a brief conversation about the World Food Program, and got to have a picture taken with him.

My Day At the CBC

Me and @Strombo

It truly was a great day at the CBC. I had so much fun, learned alot and even  came home with a giveaway and some frugal tips so please do stop by tomorrow to learn what Mamma Yamma and Patty Sullivan do to stay frugal.

Category: Family, Reviews and Giveaways / Tags: , , , , , ,
 
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