Tag Archives: social media

Remind Girls They are Adored by God #AdoredByGod #FlyBy

The world can be a tough place.  The tween and teen years are especially hard. While it was no picnic when we were growing up, this generation has challenges and issues we could not even imagine, thanks to technology. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, but it has brought about some darker things along with all the good.

Girls today have to deal with bullying, social media friendships as well as the awful social media “unfriending”, dating, changing bodies, awkward growth phases, mean girls and much more. Proper guidance and support is paramount to a healthy attitude and self-image as they navigate this stage of life.

Adored is a 365-day devotional that features an easy-to-read, relevant devotion paired with a scripture verse and journaling space to help readers reflect on that day’s special message. This book tackles those tough topics mentioned above, and shows readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight. This hardcover devotional is published by Zondervan, written for girls ages 13 and up and has a retail price of $14.99. You can purchase it HERE. Right now, you can get it on sale for just $8.49.

Having a book like this reminds girls they are not the only ones facing challenges, it helps them on the tough days and lifts them up every day. The journaling space is a wonderful way for girls to track their own growth and mindset through the year. This devotional makes a very meaningful gift this Christmas season. We have added it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.  You can visit the publisher’s site to access a Free 7-Day Download.

 


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How To Start a Facebook Page for Your Blog or Business-Step-By-Step Guide

If you have a blog or business and you want to create a Facebook Fan Page but don’t know where to start, we can help. If you still have not started a blog and need help, go to our, How To Start A Blog Tutorial first.

You might wonder if you really need a Facebook Page for your blog or business. Social media is one of the easiest ways to connect with your target market or audience. A Facebook Page allows you to bring targeted content, promotions, sales and giveaways in front of hundreds of thousands of potential customers, clients or readers who are looking for what you have. It also gives you a platform to showcase photos of your work. We know a picture is worth 1,000 words. If you are an artist, photographer, restaurant owner, contractor, decorator, DIY blogger, crafter and more, post fabulous photos of your best work to attract your audience.

Bloggers should use a Facebook Fan Page to interact daily with their audience. They can do this by posting call to action posts that ask a simple question like, what is the last book they read or what is their favorite classic movie. Beyond that, all blog posts should be promoted on your Facebook Page. There are many plugins or widgets that will automatically post to your page as soon as new posts are published.

Businesses can use their Facebook Page to connect with clients and customers and improve customer service by engaging and answering any questions or concerns they may have. 

So, now that you understand the importance, let’s get your Facebook Fan Page up and running. I promise, it will take only a few minutes. 

The first thing you need is the name of your page.  If you already have your business or blog, it is easy, just use that name. If you do not have anything and are just starting, think of a name.

Once you have your name, you might want to check on domains for that name if you don’t already have one. The reason I am saying this, is because you may be thinking small now and just want the Facebook page. However, if you decide to start a website for your business or blog later, and want a domain with that name, you might be very disappointed to find it is not available.

You can research domain names on  BlueHost , if you sign up for their low-cost hosting for your website, it includes a free domain! If you do find an available domain for your business or blog, it is a good idea to purchase it while it is available.

Step one,  go to Facebook. Click “HOME” on the top of your page. On the side You will see pages and then on the bottom something that says “create a page” and you click that.

 

After that, you will be directed to a page where you pick a category for your blog. For bloggers, photographers, musicians etc. you should choose the Artist, Band or Public Figure. If you have a cause, choose Cause or Community and so on. Just pick the best category for your page. Then, you can choose a sub-category and add your page name.

 

Next, it will take you to where you can enter your “About” information. Let everyone know what your page is about. You can also skip this, but the more details you have, the more people will find your page.

Now, you need to add a profile photo. I am also going to cover the cover photo here too. To add photos, you can use your own photos.

If you don’t have any that will work, you can try free photo sites like Pixabay.com. These are royalty free and can be used without any attribution. Type a word or two into the search bar and search for images. When you find one you like click on it and then save in your files.

You can then upload the images to Facebook to customize your page. If you want to add elements to your cover photo you can use FotoJet.  Just upload your image and customize.

To add a title you can choose an overlay or just add text directly. Many of the features are available for free. Anything with a special icon is only available if you have a subscription. This screenshot is from PicMonkey which has a free trial or you could use FotoJet or any other photo editing software you like.

 

You can change colors, sizes and more to really make it your own.

 

 

 

When you are happy, save it to your computer and then upload to your page.

Add your page to your favorites so you can find it easily.

 

You can customize who the ideal audience for your page is. Do not limit your audience too much.

Audience

 

At this point you are ready to go, you can learn more about promotion and adding buttons etc. but the basic page is done.

So what are you waiting for? Write your first post. Good luck guys, any questions you can ask them in the comments. 

 

Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links, if you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission. All of the links in this post are products or services that I recommend because I truly believe they are the best and would recommend them whether or not I earn a small commission from them. 

 

 

 

 


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Message To The Oversharers- Thanks So Much For Not Sharing!

Facebook Thumbs Down

Did any of your friends post that powerless legal notice on their Facebook timeline to protect their copyright and privacy rights?  I’m sure you know some that did. You know what I find ironic about that?  They are the very same friends posting pictures on their timeline that I would like to be protected from!  They think just about every life situation calls for a quick smartphone pic and upload to all social media accounts.

I don’t know if the oversharers understand,  the few minutes I spend scrolling through my news feed are accompanied with a cup of coffee.  I  don’t want to see how your C-section scar is healing or the 42 staples in your husband’s leg.

No to compound fractures.  I don’t want to see how you severed your finger opening a can of corn.  I will pass on the chance to see your tibia sticking through your skin following your fall  on the ice. I know your killing time waiting for the ambulance, but please, the visual is not necessary.

I  don’t want to diagnose your mystery rash or see the contents of your new baby’s diaper, nor do I want to see your just delivered placenta.  Please spare me the dismembered rodents your cat brought you, parasites in tuna cans, your bloody nose or the gash you’re taking your child to the ER for.

Oversharing Meme

Come on now people! If you must share that kind of stuff, it needs to have a cover and disclaimer that the following image may not be suitable for all audiences. Then those truly interested in seeing how you just lost the nail on your big toe, can click to view.

Really, I can’t even imagine what it will be like 5 years from now.  Will you ask the nurse if she can take some video with your iPhone as you’re wheeled down the hall to have your gall bladder removed?  At least a few Instagram pics, she should be willing to do that.

How about we ask ourselves if we really need to share the things we do?  Could we do that before we post them and send them streaming though our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest accounts?

Until they come up with the cover and disclaimer, how about asking who ever would like to see the stitching of your perineum to send you a private message . Then you can send them the link to the YouTube video.

Thanks so much for not sharing.


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Filed under Entertainment, Humor, Life Stages, Main Page Post, Mommy Ramblings

Enhance Your Life and Career With Thousands of Free Online Courses From Distinguished Universities!!! See our list!!!

online-learning

If we’re lucky we will learn at least one new thing a day, every day, until the last day of our life.  I can tell you the last few days I have learned quite a few things about sewing.  I finally feel like I just may learn to love my sewing machine which has intimidated me for almost 2 years.

Learning new things keeps us sharp and current.  If you are wanting to gain some new business knowledge, learn how to build apps, or delve into product design, journalism, photography, storytelling for work, leadership skills, teaching, chemistry, philosophy, math, medicine, coding, Facebook marketing, blogging, content marketing, poetry, technology, design and much more, I have great news!  Did you know there are a multitude of classes and courses you can attend online for free?

Free courses from Harvard, MIT, Stanford and other distinguished universities are available for you to take online!   I have compiled a list of some of the top resources and hope you find them helpful.  So go on and embrace that knowledge, it could change your life but it will definitely enhance your life!

willingness-to-learn

Coursera– an education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free.  Coursera envisions a future where everyone has access to a world-class education. They aim to empower people with education that will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the communities they live in.

Kahn Academy– Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. They’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.  All of the site’s resources are available to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. Khan Academy’s materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.

Academic Earth-Academic Earth was launched on the premise that everyone deserves access to a world-class education. In 2009, they built the first collection of free online college courses from the world’s top universities. The world of open education has exploded since then, so today their curated lists of online courses are hand selected by our staff to show you the very best offerings by subject area. They also make sure there is something for everyone: whether you want to explore a new topic or advance in your current field, Academic Earth brings the amazing world of academia to you for free.

Open Culture-Get 1000 free online courses from the world’s leading universities —  Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Oxford and more. You can download these audio & video courses (often from iTunes, YouTube, or university web sites) straight to your computer or mp3 player. Over 30,000 hours of free audio & video lectures, await you now.

Learn when you can

NovoEd-NovoEd partners with leading education institutions and corporations to offer collaborative, experiential online courses.  Choose the Free courses and search for a great variety of courses.

edX-EdX offers interactive online courses and MOOCs from the world’s best universities, and institutions. Online classes are available from MITx, HarvardX, BerkeleyX, UTx and many others. Topics include biology, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, finance, electronics, engineering, food and nutrition, history, humanities, law, literature, math, medicine, music, philosophy, physics, science, statistics and more. EdX is a nonprofit online initiative created by founding partners Harvard and MIT.

I am still learning

Alison- Their mission at ALISON is simple: to enable you, wherever you are in the world, to learn and get certified – at your own pace – using their free, interactive, multimedia. Every course is standards-based and certified. That means bragging rights with family and friends, an edge in your first job or new job, and inspiration to be all you can be. There are 600 free courses for you to choose from!

SkilledUp-Our ultimate vision is to transform education as we know it — how it’s delivered, how much it costs, how quickly it helps people get to a career they love.

Open Education Database OEDb-The most comprehensive collection of online college rankings and free courses anywhere online. They welcome learners of all levels to explore their interests and prepare for exciting new careers, build on existing foundations of education and experience, or just satisfy a craving to learn something completely new.

Open Culture-Get 1000 free online courses from the world’s leading universities —  Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Oxford and more. You can download these audio & video courses (often from iTunes, YouTube, or university web sites) straight to your computer or mp3 player. Over 30,000 hours of free audio & video lectures, await you now.

E-learning or distance learning concept


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Is Social Media Gasoline To Mothers With Munchausen’s by Proxy? Blogger Lacey Spears, Charged With Poisoning Her Child

Is social media becoming a catalyst for mothers with Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy to gain the sympathy and attention of people around the world? Mothers with Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy are believed to cause or fake illnesses in their children and to seek out otherwise unneeded medical care. They have been known to withhold food, falsify fevers and give their children drugs to cause vomiting and diarrhea.  The children are often hospitalized with a baffling bunch of symptoms, that just don’t fit any known disease.

The children are subject to multiple tests and procedures with the mother being very attentive, even gaining the appreciation of the nursing staff for her dedication and help in caring for her child.  This is the very reason it’s not suspected that this caring, devoted and self-sacrificing mother could be causing her child to be sick.  Staying close by  during hospitalizations gives the mother the ability to induce further symptoms and some go so far as to nearly suffocate their child that set off monitors signaling the child was not breathing.

As the medical team rushes in, the mother will react  like any distraught mother wanting to know why her child stopped breathing and if they’re okay.  The behavior of the mother can make it hard for staff to recognize that she is intentionally harming her child out of a desire for attention for herself and sympathy for what she is going through.  In cases where it’s recognized that the mother may be suffering from Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy the child needs to be removed from the mother’s care.  The results of separating the child and mother often bring about a return to health for the child.

Since the parent is seeking attention, and it’s that sympathy and admiration she receives that has her harming her child,  should we be alarmed that social media could be a constant source of gasoline for an already raging fire?  Think about it, blogs, tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram and Pinterest are social networks that can help sick mothers gain the accolades, adoration and sympathy from people all over the world.  Now she has a fan base that is devoted to her and her sick child and waiting for every update.

Yesterday, in my home state of New York, one mother, a blogger, was charged with fatally poisoning her son Garnett.  Lacey Spears appeared to be a devoted mother to her son Garnett and chronicled about the five-year old’s many hospitalizations and his constant battle with illness.  She even captured the last moments of her son’s life, as he lay gravely ill in the hospital in photos she then posted to her Facebook page.  She would talk about her son’s incredible courage and referred to him as “Garnett the Great” on her blog.  The little boy died in January from what doctors said was acute sodium poisoning.

Garnettt

 

Lacey Jail

People from all over followed her updates, posts and tweets and a huge outpouring of support, sympathy and prayers were offered to this mother and her son.  Now formally charged, she  is believed to have poisoned her son with sodium through a feeding tube in his abdomen.  As Garnett lay dying in the hospital, a Chestnut Ridge neighbor said Spears called and told her to dispose of a bag Spears used to feed the boy through a tube. Police later recovered the bag which had extremely high levels of sodium.His killing, police said, was the final act of a deranged mother who, fueled by attention on social media, medically tortured her child for years.

Garnett 1

Lacey Spears pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and manslaughter charges in the poisoning death of her five-year-old son, Garnett. She was ordered held without bail at Westchester County jail and is due back in court July 2.  The only words the 26-year-old Alabama native uttered in state Supreme Court in White Plains were “Yes, sir,” when Justice Barry Warhit asked if she was Lacey Spears.

It seems that Lacey lived a life of lies and it’s all coming out now.  Besides sharing her son’s nearly lifelong medical battles on social media she wrote about the loss of her soul mate, Garnett’s father who she said was a police officer killed in a car crash.  It’s now apparent this was a lie along with so  many others that seem to keep surfacing.

This homicide case may be one of the first involving Munchausen by proxy  in the era of social media.  I keep reading  that last sentence, now that this has all come out, so many people are coming forward saying things about the mother and yet no one was able to prevent Garnett’s death.  This may be the first homicide case involving Munchausen by proxy that has come this far, but do you truly think it’s the only one?

Garnett School

Do you think it’s possible that other mothers with this syndrome are right now updating statuses about their sick child, fueled by the comments and likes that are peppering their pages.  Are any of us guilty of supporting a mother who is doing the unthinkable?  Scary thought for sure and one that will cause us all to look just a little deeper into the lives we follow through social media.

And in closing, I turn my thoughts to a beautiful blond-haired boy that walked the beach on Honeymoon Island where I vacationed with my children and who lived in my state.  This beautiful little boy should be playing with trucks, chasing butterflies and looking forward to a full and happy life.  Instead his life on Earth is over and those of us that believe in God will pray that he is in the arms of Jesus and will forever be loved and cherished.  God Bless you Garnett and may you rest in peace.

Garnett 3

 


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The Very Real Mental Disorder of Pregnancy Addiction

Have you ever know someone who was addicted to pregnancy?  It’s very different from wanting a large family.  Women addicted to pregnancy are obsessed to the point that nearly every aspect of their life relates to wanting to be pregnant, trying to get pregnant or being pregnant.  Social media has fueled this addiction because now they can use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and more to search for ways to announce the pregnancypregnancy test

Pregnancy addiction is a real psychiatric disorder and women with the disorder will get pregnant over and over, even though they already are overwhelmed by the children they have.  The high comes from the pregnancy, making the announcement is such a high, they usually announce before the pee stick is dry.  Then the constant updates of morning sickness, cravings, belly pics, sonograms, names, big gender reveals and more.  This all leads up to the big day and the culmination of the big birth story.

pregnancy cake

Then without skipping a beat, they start discussing how long they will wait before becoming pregnant again and often post about the fact that they might be and asking their friends if they should test and then making them wait on the results. The reason this is so fun for them is because they feel like they are a star, they crave the attention and are usually very insecure and wanting to fill a void with the pregnancy.  This is something they can focus on and bask in the comments, praise and adoration of friends and family.  They can be neglectful of the children they have in order to focus their attention on connecting with social media about the pregnancy.

Psychologist and Psychiatrists describe pregnancy addiction and the constant need to get pregnant as much an addiction as substance or alcohol abuse.  Psychiatrists describe it as a mental disorder.  The women who suffer pregnancy addiction are usually stay-at-home moms without a job or career and feel being pregnant gives them a purpose and makes them valued.

pregnant woman

The women describe themselves as feeling feminine and womanly when pregnant and relish the adulation they receive because it makes them feel like the center of the universe.  Many women use the constant pregnancy as an excuse for not pursing any other interests, career or education.  They are insecure and uncomfortable with the thought of being outside their role as a mother.

pregnant-women

Other women are addicted to pregnancy as they feel it will save their marriages and that their husband will never leave them if they have lots of children.  They look at the children as something that will hold the marriage together like mortar and continue getting pregnant to avoid ever having an empty nest.  The children tend to be a buffer between the spouses and they lose touch of how to interact with their spouse alone.

pregnancy

The women feel an emotional rush when they think about getting pregnant and once pregnant the release of the hormone oxytocin makes them feel great.  They love the glow and the compliments they get when pregnant.  However, when the baby is born and the focus shifts, they often feel low and are obsessed with getting the feeling they had when pregnant back.  It makes no difference if they cannot physically care for their children, many addicted mothers neglect their children and focus on getting pregnant again.  They often will relish the newborn stage but as soon as the baby starts to become mobile they are deeply longing to be pregnant again.  Pregnancy addiction is a real disorder and women experiencing it should seek psychiatric treatment.

Do you know anyone that is addicted to pregnancy, let us know.

 

 


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