List of Sponsored Blogging Networks

I've come up with a list of popular blogging programs out there in the web, which I am all a member of. I've collated all relevant information from their websites. I will be updating this list from time to time. If you know of a program that has not yet been mentioned in this entry, feel free to post about it here. Just post the details in the same format as I have previously done (requirements, payment schedule and if they have an affiliate program). I hope this information will help all those who are interested to join the paid blogging bandwagon. Click here to read more.

How To Get Started on Paid Blogging

A lot of people have been sending me messages lately asking about paid blogging and how to get into it. I've outlined the steps below for everyone who's interested in it.

1) Create a blog.

If you already have a blog, you can proceed to step 2. If not, get yourself one. For new bloggers, I'd recommend getting those free ones first, like those at Blogger.com and Wordpress.com. Post entries in your blog regularly (at least 3 times a week).

2) Once you got your blog running, enrol it at several blog directories like Blogarama, Bloggernity, BlogCatalog, etc. so that it gets listed in the web. Also, bloghop and connect with other bloggers by exchanging links. This attracts visitors to your blog which increases traffic.

3) If you have a blog that's been at least 2 months old, with at least 10 posts per month, then you can enrol yourself in all those paid blogging websites (will post about this later). Make sure that you have a Paypal account first as this is the usual mode of payment for all those paid blogging jobs.

4) Once your blog has been approved by those paid blogging programs, then you can start writing for them. Some may assign you tasks, while others let you grab them at their website. In the latter, it's every man for himself.

That's basically it. I'll be posting more about paid blogging in the future, once I have more time on my hands. Feel free to ask me any questions about it and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Time After Time

I only own a few watches. In fact, I have only 2 to speak of -- one that was given to me by my mom some thirteen years ago, and the other which I bought from my hard earned money several years ago. I hardly wear a watch now because I am based here at home and since I have chores to do, wearing a watch come sometimes be inconvenient. Still, I'd want to get myself one of those luxury watches, which I can wear on formal occasions. Maybe I can get one when we go home this May. I might be able to get it for a good price.

Global Compact: Helping Improve Lives through a Fusion of Art and Innovation

Brother-in-law F will be having another exhibit. This time, it's going to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) in Malaysia. Details of this event are as follows:

Theme: Global Compact: Helping Improve Lives through a Fusion of Art and Innovation

Presenter: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia
Date: 10 – 17 March (Gala Opening on 10 March at 7pm)
Time: 10.00am to 6.30pm (non show days) or 10.00am to 8.30pm (show days)
Venue: Pentas 2 Foyer, KLPac

To quote the KLPAC website on BIL's exhibit:

This year, Epistola aims to involve civil society in yet another community activity through this fund-raising art exhibition - GLOBAL COMPACT: Helping Improve Lives through a Fusion of Art and Innovation. The exhibit will showcase twenty (20) original collages by Epistola on the given theme. Proceeds from the sale of the exhibit will benefit the Puppet for Peace program of UNESCO Club of Metro Manila and the chosen charity project of Daimler Chrysler Malaysia.

This campaign is parallel to the aim of the project which is to emphasise the social use of art particularly in conveying to the public the relevance of responsible action in order to make the world a better place to live in.

For more information, visit the KLPAC website.

On Gaining Weight

Yuck, I think I've put on a couple of pounds in the last few months. Maybe it is because I am not breastfeeding the little girl anymore and I have only myself to feed. Plus, I am more well-rested these days because DD is sleeping better. J also found out he's also gained some kilos himself. Gosh, we really do need to get off our butts and start sweating it out. Otherwise, I'd have to wear one of those corsets to hide the unwanted bulges. :P

I am barefooted!

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Cleaning Tips

If you are looking for a way to save on money, you can start by reducing the amount of cleaning agents you have in your cabinets. Sometimes, we end up with so many bottles of this stuff, when all you really need is some baking soda and white vinegar.

You can use a solution of this to clean your glass windows and kitchen bench tops. Also, creating a paste of the baking powder is a good way to scrub the yucky stuff away between one tile and another in your kitchen walls or bathroom. Easy as pie, eh?

Aches and Pains

My toothache is still here. I thought it was just one of those infrequent growing pains caused by my wisdom tooth. But judging from the way it looks, being all swollen and painful for a week now, I am starting to think that it is impacted. This just means that I need to see a dentist ASAP to relieve me from my misery. We were hoping that it could wait until our vacation in May so that the dental expenses will be cheaper but I don't think we can postpone it any further. I have difficulty eating now and sometimes I can't sleep well because of the pain. I'll let you know how things go.

Repair Time Once Again

Our water heater broke down last Monday and J had to take a leave from work to attend to its repair. It is a good thing that we do not have to pay for the repair costs this time. But had it been one of our Danze faucets that broke down, then we could have forked out another big sum of money just to have it fixed in 30 minutes. I am glad it is not the cold season yet. Otherwise, we would have had to put up with the cold water all day long.

Another Shameless Plug

I must be on a roll here because I've been coming up with websites every now and then. Yesterday, I have finally decided to end my posts in one of my WP blogs and migrate all of my previous ones to a hosted WP blog. I haven't been posting in it since I've been so caught up with motherhood. I think now that the little girl is so much easier to care for, it's best that I keep it updated once again.

The site is entitled Endometriosis and Fertility Resource Page and it aims and offers to provide and collate all information on the disease that is endometriosis and on fertility as well.

On Pets

Have you noticed how many Aussies are petlovers? And they do treat their pets as if it were their child, as they spend hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars on pet supplies alone.

Don't get me wrong okay. I like animals. In fact we have pet dogs and cats back home in Manila. I am just not one to keep them in the house or cuddle them up like a stuffed toy. Maybe it's because I have bad rhinitis. Oh well, to each his own.

Blogger in Filipino!

It looks like Blogger is coming up with really nice features lately. I am glad they have finally included Filipino because there is a large number of Filipino bloggers out there, including me of course! :)

I switched to the Filipino language just for the fun of it and here are a few lines that came up in all the translation:

• Kumuha ng karagdagang mga balita mula sa koponan ng Blogger sa Blogger Buzz blog (sa wikang Ingles)
• 455 Mga post, huling inilathala noong Feb 17, 2008
• Pamahalaan ang Iyong Mga Blog (aka Dashboard)
• Mga Katamtamang Puna (Moderate Comments)
• Mga etiketa para sa post na ito (Labels for this post)
• Matagumpay na nailathala ang iyong blog post! (Your blog post published successfully!)
• Lumabas (sign out)

I had so much fun reading all the translations. :)

Still on our friend

Our friend R has finally finished his training in Melbourne. I reckon he learned a great deal from his time here in Oz. All those new information on things like CAT6 must have worn him out and I am certain that he is just glad to be back home in the Philippines. We did not get the chance though to meet up here, but we are sure to see each other when it's our turn to fly back home. J and I are looking forward to that.

Scheduled Posts in Blogger

I have long been waiting for this feature in Blogger. Now, you can post in advance all the blog entries you want and they'll be published or go live on your blog on the scheduled date you've indicated. Woohoo! I am sure to take advantage of this because it will definitely take a load off of my work here at home. Just a word of note though for all those people who also want to take advantage of this feature, make sure that you are logged into http://draft.blogger.com/ as it will only work at that URL.

Book Bind

I am a self-confessed bookworm. I love my books and anything new and interesting out on the market always gets me all itchy to buy them. I used to really impulsively buy brand new ones off the shelf. But these days, I just scour the net for good-as-new secondhand ones. Of course, having Amazon coupons are also handy so I can get value for my money. :)

Time Flies

Where did the time go? Tomorrow, the little girl will be 11 months old, which means that her first birthday is coming up real fast. And we haven't done finalizing the menu for her party yet. Geez, we really must get a move on it and haul our butts to that supposed meeting with the caterer to get some things done and crossed out on our list. Plus there's this big trip on May, as we are going to the Philippines for a long holiday. That also entails a lot of preparation, especially those which concern the little girl. Time to get up and going.

Protecting Your Finances

Times are getting tough these days. Here in Oz, inflation rates are certainly soaring and it looks like we need to tighten our budget once again. You never know when the odds are against you and with something as volatile as money that you have on hand, I reckon the best thing to do is to invest it in something that has a very low depreciation rate.

One such investment is to buy gold or silver bullion. It is a great way to protect your wealth, plus it can also preserve one's purchasing power. As such, some people believe that it is a wise investment opportunity. Now, that is certainly something worth thinking about.

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are

Geez, I can't believe the bad luck I've had in finding opportunities this week. It's been terrible! In other words, nada, zilch, zip! And it is sooo disappointing because I have recently vowed to meet a certain quota of this whole blogging business. At the rate I am going, it looks like my chances of meeting that quota are slim. I hope something comes up soon, as in like right now!

Opposites Attract

J and I are sometimes like night and day, complete opposites. While he is the more sociable of the two of us, I, on the other hand, can be likened to a shrinking violet in gatherings. He claims he did not do well in the sciences, so he went into banking after finishing college and even considered of being one of those commodity brokers. As for me, I graduated with a course in an allied medical field. Nevertheless, even with our differences, we seem to complement each other. Maybe the saying "Opposites attract" is true! :D

In Pain (once again)

Don't you just hate it when your wisdom teeth are trying to erupt from your gums? Well, I am experiencing once again this painful ordeal with my teeth. Every once in a while, my wisdom tooth wants to shove itself a little bit further out. It is quite bothersome, especially if it gets very painful. During these times, I can hardly chew my food plus, the pain can be such a nuisance, which leaves me a little bit more grouchy than usual. I'm tired of having had to put up with this. Maybe when we go home in a couple of months, I'll have it taken out once and for all.

Keeping Warm

The past few days have been quite cool. The temps are in the low 20s, which is just my kind of weather. :) Maybe the seasons are changing already, as we are entering the second week of February, and come March, it will be officially Autumn once again! It really must be getting cold because at the mall, earlier today, there was a queue at all the coffee shops. I reckon all those coffee makers will be in full tilt from hereon.

PinayBloggers.com Launched

Yes, this here is another shameless plug of a new website I've put up. It is a forum for Filipina bloggers. So if you’re a Filipina who loves to blog, please join this forum. It is mainly a support group for all Pinay bloggers, but it also covers other topics of interest. The forum is a bit bare right now as it is fairly new so please, please, please help me fill it up with your presence. I am hoping to see all of you there!

Being Prepared

Speaking of cars, this reminds me to list down our auto insurance company so that we can inform them of any changes in our mailing address once we finally decide to move out to another property. I have created a checklist for us so that we know which persons, agencies or companies we have to inform of said changes. I think this will help us be more organized when the time to make the big move comes.

More Freebies

I forgot to blog about this yesterday. I received another round of freebies in the mail once again.

This time it was from Poise (again as they allow 2 samples per household) and Avado. Avado sent me a couple of brochures and 6 different sachets of their products -- half of which were for baby. Nice!

My freebies blog is still not up yet. Almost 48 hours have passed and still no blog to speak of. I hope they do keep their word soon. Otherwise, I will have to contact their customer service team for assistance. **crossing my fingers**

Auto Improvement

My dear brother R has been requesting me to canvass for auto parts for his prized car. He is so car crazy if you ask me. He spends lots of his time and money improving or modifying his red car. I think he got this hobby from my dad. After his interest in lowering springs, maybe next time he will ask me to canvass for wood dash kits. They are lovely additions to anyone's car but the question is, can he afford it? Only, I guess, if he gets a bonus from his company this year. Otherwise, he'd need to save up for it.

Surprises

I like surprises. The good ones only, of course. I love it especially if it is something you have been wanting and you got it when you least expected it.

Well, it happened today to me. A while ago, I was pleased to find out that I have been assigned 8 opportunities for paid blogging. I hope this becomes a regular thing since I need to catch up for all those days I was not able to get any. Last month, I did not reach my quota. I was short, which leads me to question the regularity of work. Let's hope and pray that the heavens are on our side, and that more opportunities come our way.

On Call Centers

The call center industry is definitely booming in the Philippines and in other countries overseas. Outsourcing has now become the thing for most multinational companies as this can save them heaps in human resources.

Well, you can't blame them. Times are tough and they are naturally just being smart and practical. This though translates to more investors and job opportunities in third world countries like the Philippines, which is a good thing. Call centers are sprouting like mushrooms and even though these countries are overpopulated, some times they still cannot fill in the demand. It's that great.

As business is growing fast in this industry, these companies should also be up to date with the latest technology so that they can be more efficient in the delivery of there services. Their Call Center VoIP Phone Systems must be top-of-the-line. Such systems can be provided by Xpander Communications. Their Nimbus Edition is something worth looking into as it is low maintenance and inexpensive as compared to others. In other words, call center companies can get more for less. You can't beat that!

Baby Boom

It looks like it is going to be a fertile year this time. I already got hold recently of news that my brother-in-law's wife is pregnant again, and J's good friend since high school also found out that they are expecting. Learning that one is having a baby is always good news, at least as far as I am concerned. We also hope to get a similar one probably next year, God willing of course!

Feast 178

Better late than never! Here's my feast.

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of cereal?
I used to love Kellogg's cornflakes when I was a kid. Now that I'm all grown up, I am no more a cereal person. I love muesli bars though.

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?
I purchased a couple of tupperware items (love tupperware!) -- a veg out and a large season serve. Obviously, it went into the kitchen.

Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?
I thought the ad with the "to keep the rabbits out" (on why the great wall of China was built) tag was cute when it first came out. Now, I don't find it quite as funny anymore. :P

Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).
Hmmm... how about Paprika Porpoise? Whatever that is.... :D

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.
There's a lot I haven't been doing for some time. But, I'll go for: I haven't had a haircut since October 2007... which reminds me to book myself an appointment tomorrow. Maybe it's high time I finally get that new look I was talking about months ago.

Into Sports

My brother D is very much into sports. Even though he is asthmatic, he does not let it stop him from playing his favorite sports such as basketball and soccer, just to name a few.

Speaking of basketball, I am sure he will go gaga if I gave him a couple of Miami Heat Tickets as he is a fan of the NBA. I reckon that it is a good idea since he is graduating from college this April and he also happens to celebrate his birthday on the same month. well, he is worthy to receive such a gift because of all his hard work as proven by his high grades. I won't be worrying about not getting those tickets as I am certain that Premium Seats USA sells a massive selection of them so you're guaranteed a seat at your favorite event. I guess the only thing I need to worry about is saving up enough money so that I can purchase them for my brother.

Freebies in the Mail

Since my freebies website isn't up yet, I thought I'd just post this entry in this blog in the meantime. The links may not work as well so please bear with me.

Since yesterday, our letterbox has been full of the freebies I requested on the internet last week. I was so pleased to discover this yesterday as I have never received so much goodies in the mail before. Anyway, here's what I got (click pictures to enlarge).

This here is from Carefree. They sent me a small make-up bag with two pads and a pack of tampons. It also came with a booklet for teens.

These greeting cards were actually a bonus for me because I did not request for them. It's one of those companies who send you samples of their products and if you are interested in them you can buy more of their products at a low price. Anyway, I loved these because they were of good quality and not like one of those cheap cards you buy in stores. These 2 will probably cost $10 had I bought them myself.

My sample baggie from Sheer Minerals arrived yesterday as well. Now all I need is a good brush so that I can try it on.

Everything in the above photo came from Johnson & Johnson. I emailed them, requesting for samples. The parcel included some brochures, sachets of baby products, a small bottle of sorbolene cream and a sample pack of wipes. I loved these too because they are small enough and convenient to bring when we go on holidays in a few months. :)

I got this whole lot today. I received a couple of pads from Poise and StayFree, charts from NeedleGraphics, and some brochures and calendar from Wyeth.

So, did you get anything in your letterbox yet?