sponsored - Part 2

Top 3 Things I Want You to Know About Sponsored Posts

May 24, 2013 by Robin

If you’ve been around here for very long, you may have noticed that all of a sudden I’m writing a lot of sponsored posts. I’m all “#SPONSORED!! #AD!! #NoButIReallyLikeThis Product!!! Holy Hashtag Batman!!” Boo– I don’t want you to be confused so here are the top three reasons I write *sponsored content!

*Sponsored– any post for which a blogger receives compensation, either by payment or free product

You know how sometimes people say things like, “What would be your dream job? What would you do for free because you love it so much??” My answer would be this. What I’m doing right now– writing, blogging, flying all over the country meeting interesting people and learning from them, then sitting down and telling y’all all about it. And I did do it for free for almost four years. Because I love it!

But what if your passion snowballed into your dream job and you realized all of a sudden that you could do what you love– EXACTLY what you love– and get paid to do it??

Boom. Sponsored content.

Here are the top three things I want you to know about my sponsored posts:

1. I will never post sponsored content without telling you that’s exactly what it is. (Aside from being illegal, it’s bad form and that ain’t who I am!)

2. I will never post about a product or service unless I think it has value to my readership. I do not say, “Yes” to every offer that comes my way. And if I’m telling you about something it’s because I a) Totally humiliated myself in the using of said product and you need to hear my story, or b) I think it’s something you are really going to love.

3. I don’t want you to ever feel like I think you are only a consumer– because you are NOT. Not to me. Most of you are my friends, online or in real life, and the rest of you are part of my tribe– you comment and like and lift me up when I post about depression or my crappy parenting and I don’t want to ever jeopardize that!

Do I want to get paid to do what I love? Of course I do. Do I want to become an endless stream of commercials– absolutely not!

What’s your take on sponsored posts?

#Ad Home Depot Makes Gardening Easy #DigIn

April 20, 2013 by Robin

I am super excited to team up with the *Home Depot to write this series of posts on fixing up my yard, ‘cuz I couldn’t have done it by myself! This is a sponsored post….

*(I am truly heartbroken for this country, the city of Boston & for the hundreds of people injured or killed in Texas– normally I maintain radio silence when tragedy strikes our nation, out of respect. And yet this time, while I grieve, pray & hope with the rest of our nation, I have signed contracts that obligate me to continue working. I have deadlines to meet. I never want to appear flippant when tragedy strikes, so just know that I am praying and continuing to do my job, just like you probably are. Much love! -Robin)

So Sister Wife and I found ourselves with an entire day without kids and headed to Madison, MS to Home Depot to work on my “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” planter project. I was really glad Lizzie was with me because as I mentioned, she is in two garden clubs and throws around words like “bed line, raised bed, full sun, partial shade, and potting soil,” with meaning. She even has her own electric hedge clippers and isn’t afraid to use them.

I am VERY afraid to use them because I’ve met me.

Because I know nothing about plants and/or gardening, I was glad she was with me as my security blanket. I know so little I don’t even know how to form actual questions about what I need or want. By myself I was afraid the conversation would go something like this…

Garden Associate: Do you need help?

Me: Yes. Plants.

GA: What kind of plants?

Me: Umm. Green. Pretty. Flower. Hangy???? Pot. And pointy!

GA: Have you had a stroke? Do you know your name?

I was anxious… but that was before I met Lucy!

Lucy spotted me and Wifey as soon as we walked in the door and came to see how she could help. I explained that I wanted planters by my front door but had no idea how or what to do. I did NOT tell Lucy that I was blogging for Home Depot about the project so I can only assume that she is always this sweet, helpful and not at all intimidating. She wandered through the plants with us for a good half an hour discussing options.

Things I wanted: color, something hangy, something tall and pointy, something green. Yep. That’s what I said.

Lucy was fluent in garden moron and helped us pick out two really pretty ferns (green, tall AND pointy), green and purple sweet potato vines (hangy), and hot pink impatiens (color and pretty)! I found some large black iron pots and grabbed a bag of potting soil and was ready to go.

No person nor plant was harmed in the steering of this cart.

Lucy had gone to help another customer but saw us loading the car as we were leaving and brought her tiny self over and helped us load the car, which is when I told her I was writing this up for Home Depot!

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice, too.

Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/ to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

Getting My Garden On With Home Depot

April 17, 2013 by Robin

I am super excited to team up with the Home Depot to write this series of posts on fixing up my yard, ‘cuz I couldn’t have done it by myself! This is a sponsored post….

My front porch is sad.

Sad trombone. Boring. Blech.

It’s Springtime– finally– and my porch is barren except for sidewalk chalk graffiti and handprints my daughters have made from crushing up sidewalk chalk in the dog’s water bowl to make paint.

A portrait of our cat, Dottie.

I have dreams of having a Pinterest worthy yard— blooms everywhere, flower gardens out of a movie, but my knowledge is… how shall I say… extremely limited.

My husband is the green thumb and he has traditionally done all of the gardening in the family, but this year, I wanted to be involved. I’ve always wanted to be the type of person that does yoga, and gardens and since the whole yoga thing changed my life I figured gardening might do the same thing.

Last week me and Sister Wife packed up to go to a speaking engagement I had in Tupelo. After going to the bank and gassing up the car I checked my email one last time and found a message from the girl who had booked the event which read: “Can’t wait to see you next week!”

NEXT week. Sister Wife saw my face and asked, “WHAT? What is it?”

“Um. It’s next week. I’m not supposed to be in Tupelo until next week.”

We laughed hysterically for a few seconds and she said, “Well drive somewhere, we got no kids and all day to play!”

We headed to Jackson, i.e., civilization to do a little shopping. I was really excited to have Sister Wife with me at Home Depot because that woman is the member of not one but TWO garden clubs. I’ve always been intimidated by plants because I know nothing about them. Sister Wife made the trip infinitely more fun but as it turned out, I met Lucy, a Garden Associate (who had no idea I was gonna blog about her), was super sweet and helpful! Stay tuned for to see my Thriller, Filler, Spiller adventure with Home Depot!

Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to homedepot.com/gardenclub to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

Give Me Spring or Give Me Death

March 31, 2013 by Robin

I mean, not really death death, but seriously?? It’s cold, raining and gross and I am so ready for it to be green outside again. SO ready that I signed on to work with Home Depot to help promote their online Garden Club! Just looking at their webpage makes me happy– I miss the colors of Spring and Summer and fresh vegetables and herbs in my backyard– which is currently 50 shades of brown. Blech.

I love a good thunderstorm but I’m starting to feel very Bella Swan about the weather.

Zebulicious has already tilled up our backyard and we are getting ready for the biggest vegetable garden we’ve had since BC times. (Before Children.) All three girls are fired up about planting veggies and flowers. Emma has a list one mile long of all the flowers she wants to plant AND I’m trying to bribe Zeb into building me a screened patio in the backyard where I can sit, read and fan my face while they work in the garden.

I love that Home Depot’s Garden Club makes it EASY to do-it-yourself. There is no experience required with their simple step-by-step guides.

If you join the Home Depot Garden Club you get all kinds of awesome, including: over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas tailored to your region. All you need to do is join the world’s largest garden community today. You should DO IT!

You’ll get 5 bucks off your next garden purchase of $50 when you sign up and they have 8 projects already up and ready to go for Spring and just in case you aren’t married to Pa Ingalls like I am, they have a ton of how-to videos.

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need for spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, The Home Depot has you covered and can help you #DigIn to spring.

Spring is the perfect time for all your outdoor home renovations. Shop The Home Depot for terrific values on new patio furniture, landscape supplies such as fertilizer and potting soil and outdoor grills. Keep your lawn and garden looking great, too, with the huge selection of lawn mowers, edgers and trimmers, and garden tools.

Visit The Home Depot Garden Club for product ideas from kick-starting your Spring with seed starter kits to building a window birdfeeder.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

Who Wants Free Diapers??

February 21, 2013 by Robin

WINNER OF SIX MONTHS OF FREE DIAPERS IS JESSI P.!

A few months ago, I was really excited when I was contacted by Luv’s PR team asking me to be a part of marketing experiment they were undertaking called Luv’s Experienced Moms Takeover. I agreed and after seeing the five other bloggers who were participating I was glad I did! Some of my favorite bloggers were on the team and one of my very favorite people on the planet (I’m looking at you Imig.) was participating as well.

We had several Google Hangout sessions where we brainstormed with Luv’s PR team, trying to come up with the best ways to engage our audiences and present Luvs 1st Kid vs 2nd Kid campaign. And honestly? It was the easiest job in the world because their ad spots are hilarious and their parenting philosophy “Every Mom’s an Expert” is right on target.

We each took a week tweeting from Luv’s Twitter account (I bet there was some nail biting going on in corporate over that!) and I even hosted a three night chat on Facebook talking about all the differences in parenting your 1st kid versus you 2nd kid. (I had entirely too much fun talking to their Facebook peeps.)

To wrap up our takeover, we showed their ads to any Momma who was standing still– no uterus was safe! We locked them in mini-vans, lured them to our homes for brunch, tricked them into coming over for a glass of wine or cup of coffee, dressed in blue full body spandex and went shopping and um… maybe I should just let you see what we did:

Here is what’s awesome– we’re gonna end this thing with a bang. For a chance to win SIX months of free diapers, just watch the four Luvs ad spots (it’ll take you less than 10 minutes!) and leave a comment on this post telling me this: If you could pick a 1st Kid/2nd Kid moment for the next commercial what would it be??

Want five more chances to win? Click over to the other Experienced Mom’s blogs and leave your comment there as well!

Ann’s Rants

Mama Bird Diaries

Snarky Mommy

Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva

The Laughing Stork

Contest ends Wednesday, February 27th at Midnight. The winner will receive 24 coupons to purchase 6 months of diapers. Each coupon is good for one free jumbo pack of any luvs diapers (up to $9.99 maximum value).