In fact, after looking at everything included, I was so interested I ended up buying the WordPress Bundle and I cannot wait to jump in and start learning! The bundle includes

• four premium WordPress themes (individually valued between $27-37)
• one mobile theme (valued at $32)
• PSD template (valued at $12)
• four premium plug-ins (individually valued between $14-27)
• two e-books (valued at $6 & $29 respectively)

I’m mostly excited to have the e-books:

• How to be a Rockstar WordPress Designer. From the official page: During the course of the book you’ll build THREE WordPress themes, a blog, a portfolio site and a general site with menus and submenus. Each theme demonstrates different aspects of WordPress theming and all three are packaged in with the book so you’ll have Photoshop, HTML , CSS and WordPress PHP files to refer to.
• WordPress, Beginner to Master. From the official page: Throughout this six-part beginner-to-master series, we’ll be using the advanced features of WordPress to create our own portfolio & blog, complete with an options page, multiple styles and support for the new WordPress 2.7 features.

What’s the catch? Well, this deal is only available for SEVEN days. So you should probably buy the Envato WordPress Bundle now!

Disclosure: The links to the WordPress Bundle at Envato are affiliate links.

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Let me tell you why I liked the Chevy Equinox.

• Mid-size is a great size. A few years ago, it wouldn’t have been big enough because I regularly had four extra kids with me and I really needed a van that could hold seven people comfortably. These days, though, my kids are older, we aren’t carpooling as much, and we just don’t need that kind of room.
• Plenty of room for comfort. Just because we don’t need the seats of a van doesn’t mean that we don’t need room. The Equinox had enough room that my tweens could keep to themselves (without touching) in the backseat. And my kids are not light travelers. They each have a backpack filled with trip essentials like books, video games, music, etc. They are over-packers like their mother and they had plenty of room in the Equinox.
• Gadgets. My husband and I are cheap. We save up and buy nice things, but we never, ever get the upgrade package. That’s a mistake I’ll be remedying. The Chevy Equinox I drove came with all the extras I’ve never bought: in-dash GPS, a little screen that shows what’s behind me when I back up, and two (yes, TWO) screens so each child could watch a DVD without complaining that one or the other had more of the screen tilted their way. Oh, what mother doesn’t love that? And wireless headphones! I didn’t have to listen to the movie! Thank you, Chevy, for your brilliance (yes, I know you probably didn’t invent those, but you included them in my ride and I’m grateful just the same).
• On-Star. Every Chevy car comes standard with On-Star for one year. After that you can decide whether to keep (and pay) for the service. My bet is that once you taste the On-Star, you won’t be able to give it up. I’m sure you’ve heard about On-Star and how the program can tell if you’ve been in an accident and they call for help and contact you to see if you’re OK. Which is great in and of itself. But there’s more. Did you know that On-Star is turned on automatically for natural disasters? Last month, when the Eastern Seaboard was in danger from a hurricane, all Chevy cars had On-Star turned on in case of an emergency so the On-Star operators could be there to help if/when needed. I found the OnStar GPS to be invaluable. Initially I was hesitant to use the service because I didn’t want to bother anyone (a flaw one develops when raised in the South). Donna at Chevy assured me that the operators were expecting me to call; that, in fact, if I did not call them, they’d be twiddling their thumbs and bored to death because they were waiting for me to call. So I did. And oh my word. I asked for directions, they found them and sent them magically to my in-console GPS and then I had turn-by-turn instructions to my destination. It’s the only way I could possibly navigate our downtown. When I gave the car back, the On-Star is the feature I missed the most.

Was there anything I’d change? Two things:

1. Road noise. It’s not a big thing, but the Equinox was a little loud on the road. Not in a distracting way, more like a “I need to give a balanced review and this wasn’t perfect” way. Test drive one and let me know what you think.
2. Cargo room. If I were going on a short trip (like an overnight trip to Great Wolf Lodge) there was plenty of room for our suitcases. But if we were going much further for much longer, we’d be in trouble. Remember how I said three out of four of us over-pack? We’d never get everything in the back. Especially if my husband and son were going to play golf and needed to bring their clubs. Here’s the back with our suitcases for GWL:

The bottom line? I’m willing to look more closely at Chevy and other American-made cars when it comes time to do so. (And, help me, it’s coming. My son is 12 and that means we’re a mere four years away from driving!) If someone I knew was looking for a car, I’d definitely point them in the direction of a Chevy dealership — and On-Star is my number one reason for doing so. You just can’t beat that feature.

Thanks, Chevy, for loaning me an Equinox for a week and for partnering with Great Wolf Lodge to give me and some other blogging buddies a weekend to remember!

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• Em loved the serenity of the floating in the wave pool. No, you didn’t read that wrong. The GWL wave pool is more like a gently wavy bathtub that is the size of an Olympic pool. If you’re looking for thrills, try the Tornado.
• Ry loved standing under the 1,000 gallon bucket of water (no, it doesn’t hurt, but don’t hold your child or you’ll drop them because of the pressure).
• Bill and I kept a running tab on the medium-sized slides. If you like fun and fast, the Tornado is your best bet.

For those who are concerned about water safety (and what parent isn’t?), I can assure you the lifeguards are of the highest caliber and GWL takes water safety very seriously. I was able to talk with Amanda, one the GWL PR reps, specifically about my concerns. She told me there is constant surveillance of the park, the lifeguards switch their posts every 30 minutes to keep them alert, and they have random checks and test emergencies (like secret shoppers, but in this case, it’s secret swimmers). You’ll notice that the inner tubes for the lazy river and the wave pool are clear. That’s so the lifeguards can see if anyone slips down or is caught below the water. I particularly loved that feature since my own daughter decided to (unsafely) try the lazy river without a float. (She was fine and nothing happened, but I wasn’t happy and let’s just say she won’t be doing that again.) If you tire of the water and want to relax, GWL has several watering holes and restaurants. We were pretty tired after a day of sliding, so we opted for Pizza Hut (on the lower level) and took it back to our room. Later that night we headed to the arcade to win some loot, then ended up Bear Claw Sweets and Treats Cafe for some fudge and milkshakes. Did I mention we don’t focus on diet a lot when we’re on vacation? Here’s a tip, though: The Bear Claw in the Grapevine GWL has some good looking salads and sandwiches for a reasonable price. I wished I’d seen those before the Pizza Hut trance. A few things we didn’t take advantage of, but you (OK, your KIDS) might love:

• MagiQuest. Buy your wand, trick it out with magical baubles, then embark on an adventure like no other. MagiQuest is an interactive treasure hunt that takes you all over the hotel to battle goblin kings and defeat dragons. Your wand unlocks the mysteries and clues.
• Scoops Kids Spa. Does your tween/teen long for a mani/pedi? A facial? You can spoil them rotten right here with ice cream- and frosting-themed packages. The lotions and potions they use here are the same as those in your room, I believe, and they smell divine!
• gr8 space. This is for teens only — no adults, no kids under 12. Your teen will love competing with new friends in gaming tournaments, releasing their inner rockstar with karaoke, or just hanging out.
• Cub Club. Need someone to watch the kids while you indulge yourself at Elements Spa for adults? Or have a quieter dinner with the spouse? Take the kids to Cub Club where they can sign up for one of these programs: Junior Lifeguard, Backyard Birdies, Bouncin’ with the Bullfrogs, or Bugs on a Rug. Some of the activities are educational, ALL of the activities are FUN.

We loved our weekend at Great Wolf Lodge. LOVED it. The next time we need to get away, but need to find something close to home, Great Wolf Lodge will be our first thought. If you have the chance, I highly recommend trying it out!

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• A basic explanation of blogging technologies, geared toward newbies to get them up to speed. We explain RSS feeds, Rich Text, SEO, and more.
• We explain why TypePad might be a good fit for you (and why it might not), breaking down its features in comparison with other blogging platforms. We show you how to set up your TypePad account and determine the pricing level you need, and we tell you how to import your existing blog to your TypePad account.
• We explain every single element on your TypePad dashboard, walking you through left-to-right, top-to-bottom. You’ll be navigating the newly redesigned dashboard easily before you know it.
• We explain setting up your blog (and what all those optional settings mean), writing your posts, and how you can read your stats on your dashboard.
• We give you some solid ideas on what makes a good blog post and we show you how to maximize your use of your Compose Editor — you can format your font, insert files and images, and change how and when you schedule your posts to publish.
• Social butterflies will appreciate two chapters devoted entirely to interactive aspects of blogging: comments and other social media (such as Twitter). We tell you how to integrate all of this with your TypePad blog.
• Want to customize your blog design? TypePad’s design module recently went through an overhaul, but we walk you through the new module step by step. We show you how to make the most basic design changes (such as applying existing themes) to the much more complex (tweaking your own CSS). We explain how to put an image, text, or list in your sidebar.
• Want to earn some money via your blog? We explain some of your options for monetizing and show you the tools you need to make it happen.
• Lastly, our “Parts of Ten” section lists our top ten blogging tricks, our ten favorite TypePad resources, ten Typepad bloggers we think you should watch (and learn from!), and ten blogging etiquette tips to help you make your (positive) mark in the blogosphere.

This is just a sampling, of course; the book covers a huge range of TypePad-related issues (400 pages’ worth!). If you’re a beginning-to-moderate TypePad user, we feel confident you’ll find plenty in this book to help you make your TypePad experience even better.

The TypePad Giveaway

Now, a giveaway!

• One lucky winner will win a free copy of the book plus a free year of TypePad service which is good for any level of TypePad except Business Class (approximately a $145 value).
• Nine winners will receive a copy of just the book.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. I’ll close down comments Friday night and draw ten random winners. I’ll announce the winners on Monday and contact them via e-mail. At that point, winners will have three days to contact me or I’ll have to choose another winner.

Thanks so much for your support! Shannon and I do what we do because of readers like you and we appreciate you.

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The first thing you’ll most likely reach for as you prepare your 2009 taxes are tax forms. You need your W-2 forms from any employers and 1099s from any companies you worked with that paid you. If the company does not send you a 1099 by the end of January, you should contact them to see when you can expect that information from them (note that if they didn’t pay you $600 or more, they are not required to send a 1099, but you are still required to report the income). Keep in mind that if you went on any marketing trips this year, those companies should provide you with a 1099. Even though you may not have been paid monetarily for those trips, the flight, hotel, food, etc. is all considered income and you have to pay taxes on it. In her article Taxes for Bloggers, Mrs. Micah provides a list of items (in addition to your W-2s and 1099s) you’ll want to gather before going to your tax professional. She also provides links to handy spreadsheets that help you track your income over the year and a deductions spreadsheet that lists possible tax deductions as they relate to your blogging business.

If you have questions about bloggging and taxes, the most complete resource I’ve found is Tax Girl written and maintained by Kelly Phillips Erb. Here are a few of the articles that specifically address how your blogging career affects your taxes:

• Ask the taxgirl: When is it income?
• Ask the taxgirl: Deductions
• Problogger guest post: 7 Things that Every Blogger Should Know About Tax
• Problogger guest post: 46 Tax Deductions that Bloggers Often Overlook

In 3 Ways to Reduce Your Freelance Writing Taxes and Help Yourself, Thursday Bram explains why freelancers (and bloggers) may want to consider funding your own retirement and health insurance options. She writes, “One of the reasons employers can afford to offer benefits like health insurance and retirement plans to their employees is because there are tax benefits available when they do so. They’ll have to spend money either way — the question is whether they spend that money on benefits for employees or on taxes. The same is true for freelancers.”

Mom in the City’s article Mrs. CPA Answers Your Questions Regarding Blogging and Taxes tackles issues like

• whether you’re conducting a business or a hobby (and why it matters to the IRS)
• whether you need to pay taxes on goods or services you receive
• what to do if a company doesn’t send a 1099
• whether you need to report giveaways
• how to handle donations

Taxes, as they say, are inevitable. Knowing what you are and aren’t responsible for or what you can and can’t deduct can be confusing. Do your research and consult a tax professional to avoid any problems down the road.

Additional articles on bloggers and taxes:

• 7 Year-End Tax Tips by Karin Mueller via Entrepreneur.
• June Walker: Tax & Financial Advisor to the Self-Employed
• Top Tips on How to Avoid an IRS Audit by Cody via Your Frugality Advice
• Year-End Tax Tips for Freelance Writing Businesses by Bob Younce via Business Tips for Writers

A version of this article was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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What do the new FTC guidelines expect from bloggers?

The newest FTC guidelines require bloggers to disclose any relationship with an advertiser and to make “verifiable” claims. Relationships with advertisers include any compensation received in exchange for a review–including receiving a free product. As BlogHer.com’s own Liz Gumbinner has said, “The intent of the FTC guidelines is to protect consumers from deceptive marketing practices.”

Richard Cleland is Assistant Director of Advertising Practices at the FTC. He’s been providing interviews around the country and clarifying the FTC’s expectations for bloggers and disclosure. In a phone interview with Ed Champion of Reluctant Habits, Cleland told Champion that “the FTC’s main criteria is the degree of relationship between the advertiser and the blogger. . .If there’s an expectation that you’re going to write a positive review, then there should be a disclosure.”

However, the FTC does acknowledge that some cases are different from others. In an interview with Virginia Prescott at New Hampshire Public Radio, Cleland had this to say about receiving sample products versus being paid for a review:

“That’s going to depend on the circumstances. If we’re talking about getting one free product or something sent to you and you happen to write about it on your blog, that’s not the type of relationship that has to be disclosed. But if you’re part of a network and you’re consistently receiving products to test and blog about, then that raises the implication that these gifts are quid pro quo and that’s why you’re writing the positive reviews.”

In answer to Ms. Prescott’s question about how the FTC will hold bloggers accountable for false claims, Cleland said, “It’s going to be on a case-by-case basis. It’s going to have to be a situation where it’s actually justified, the extent of the injury is such that it justifies using our resources to look at the possibility of an enforcement action.”

It’s worth noting that those of us with Amazon Affiliate links are expected to disclose those as well. Champion says Cleland “didn’t see any particular problem with a book review appearing on a blog, but only if there wasn’t a corresponding Amazon Affiliates link or an advertisement for the book.” Though that example is specific to books, it could apply to any product linked to an affiliate.

Do the new guidelines include Facebook and Twitter?

Yes. Many bloggers type paid tweets and/or become Facebook fans of certain products, then share those tweets and fan pages with their friends. Just because the advertising relationship is outside a blog, it’s still a relationship and the blogger is still compensated–the rule for disclosure and true testimonials applies. Caroline McCarthy at Cnet gives this example of how the FTC guidelines apply to a blogger (or, in this example, a celebrity) on Facebook:

“[A] celebrity or other prominent figure with loads of friends on Facebook receives free hotel stays from Hotel Chain X in exchange for running Hotel Chain X ads on his or her blog. If that person then signs up as a Facebook fan of Hotel Chain X–which, remember, could mean that the person’s name can show up for his or her Facebook friends alongside Hotel Chain X display ads on the social network–he or she could be held liable by the FTC.”

As for Twitter, the FTC expects you to fit in a disclosure regardless of the 140 character limit. Cleland told McCarthy, “There are ways to abbreviate a disclosure that fit within 140 characters. You may have to say a little bit of something else, but if you can’t make the disclosure, you can’t make the ad.”

How can the FTC monitor every blog out there?

As Richard Cleland made the rounds of interviews, this question often came up. Cleland’s answer was that the FTC’s goal right now is to educate people on what is expected of them. He also indicated that the FTC would be “looking primarily at the advertisers to determine how the relationships exist” (from Ed Champion’s interview).

In an article on CNN, Eric Kuhn reports that “Richard Cleland . . . admits there will be no new team to monitor all the blogs, and that enforcing these guidelines would be a ‘game of whack-a-mole’ given the numbers involved.” Kuhn goes on to say that, “The new guidelines are viewed as more of an educational tool than any kind of requirement, and geared at advertisers more than bloggers. If numerous complaints are filed regarding a blog, the FTC is likely to investigate that the advertiser has properly advised the blogger of these guidelines.”

In his interview with Caroline McCarthy at Cnet, Cleland said, “…in the bigger picture, we think that we have a reason to believe that if bloggers understand the circumstances under which a disclosure should be made, that they’ll be able to make the disclosure. Right now we’re trying to focus on education.”

What about the $11,000 fine for bloggers who don’t disclose payment?

Mashable.com, TechCrunch, CNN, and several other trusted news sources were reporting early Monday that bloggers who don’t disclose payment will be fined $11,000 per violation. In fact, the updated FTC regulations (link downloads a pdf) don’t mention an $11,000 fine at all. Eric Kuhn of CNN tweeted Monday night, “I just spoke with an FTC spokeswoman. She said there is NOT a $11,000 fine for breaking the new guidelines re endorsements.” Unfortunately, none of the original articles with erroneous information have been updated to reflect that there is not currently a fine for violations.

Do I need to go back to my old posts and disclose for previous gifts or payments?

Lisa Stone, one of BlogHer.com’s founders, gave this advice:

“Since we started this network in 2006, BlogHer’s editorial guidelines have prohibited putting advertising in editorial space on blogs. So if you’re talking about posts you’ve made on BlogHer.com or in your blog IF it’s in the BlogHer publishing network, this question should not apply — it’s against the rules!

If you’re not in the BlogHer Network, we recommend that you update your “About” page with your blog policy about payments and review your blog for the current year and disclose any gifts or payments. For previous years, I think you can disclose on your “About” page the date on which you began your disclosure practices. We are not your lawyer, but as a a general practice we recommend that bloggers disclose any kind of payment at the top of every post written because of a payment of cash, goods, or services.”

Most of us are already doing the right thing and we’re not who the FTC is after. To be sure you’re in the know, download the current FTC guidelines. Then write up a disclosure policy and post it clearly on your blog. Not sure exactly how to write your policy? DisclosurePolicy.org can generate one for you.

This post was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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I read Blog Blazers by Stephane Grenier last month and gave it a good review. Based on that review and endorsement, Barabara Jones of One2One Network decided to include that book as part of the swag at Blissdom09. Over 250 women now have that book! What a great way to find some motivation (for them and for me)!

Because I already had the book from my review, I now have an extra, never-been-opened copy of Blog Blazers by Stephane Grenier. I want you to have it. I’m going to hold a giveaway for the book from now until Friday evening, February 20.

UPDATE: I contacted Stephane to let him know about this contest and he has generously added another four books to the giveaway! So that means FIVE of you will win a copy of Blog Blazers by Stephane Grenier on Friday! Thank you, Stephane!

Are you interested in winning? Just follow me on Twitter (@bb101). You can leave me a comment on this post telling me you followed me so I make sure to count you as part of the giveaway and not some random follower. Just be sure to include your Twitter handle.

What? You already follow me? That’s awesome and I really appreciate it! If you Tweet that you follow me and encourage others to do so, you’ll be entered too. Just make sure you tell me you did it in the comments on this post (include what you tweeted so I can find it).

No matter which route you choose, everyone only gets one entry! Here’s the rest of the fine print:

• You must have a US or Canadian mailing address. I’ll be shipping this media mail.
• You don’t have to be a blogger to play along. Maybe you want to win it to give to a blogger friend.
• I’ll choose a winner on Friday, February 20 (or around there; I’m a notorious procrastinator). Once I contact you, you have four days to respond. If I don’t hear from you by then (for whatever reason), I’ll choose a new winner. PLEASE make sure you check your spam folder!

Good luck!

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Blog Blazers

I received Blog Blazers in December and was asked to write a review and share my thoughts with you. (Full disclosure: If you click on the link to buy Blog Blazers from Amazon.com, I will receive a few pennies from the sale.)

Blog Blazers is a compilation of interviews with 40 bloggers. My initial thought was that each interview would be different and based on each blog and blogger, but when I received the book I found that each blogger was asked the same series of questions.  This put me off at first, but I soon came around and realized this was an interesting way to organize the book. Yes, everyone answered the same questions, but everyone answered them differently. It was ultimately interesting to read how each blogger interpreted the question and answered it. Of course, there is bound to be an overlap of information and almost every blogger interviewed mentioned Darren Rowse at Problogger.net at some point! (Perhaps they haven’t heard of Blogging Basics 101?)

Some of the questions each blogger was asked include:

• What’s your best tip for writing a successful blog post?
• What are your main avenues for marketing your blog?
• What’s the most common mistake new bloggers make?

In addition, you’ll learn what these successful bloggers consider the best way to make money from your blog and what turns them off when visiting a new blog for the first time.

The book itself can be read in one sitting or in chunks. Each interview serves as its own chapter and is fairly short. While I was reading Blog Blazers, I kept it in the car and read it while I was waiting for the kids at the bus stop or waiting for them to finish an after-school activity. It’s a book that is easily picked up and put down and picked up again–a real plus for a busy life!

What I liked about this book is that, not only is it educational (learning how successful bloggers handle the business side of blogging), it’s also motivational. I’ll be keeping my copy at my desk for those days when I can’t quite seem to find my blogging mojo and need a little push. Reading how others have worked hard to become successful bloggers encourages me to keep working toward my own goals.

The bottom line: I would recommend Blog Blazers. The price is right and it’s an easy read. It’s great for a quick pick-me-up when motivation is nowhere to be found.

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Epson Artisan 800

The Epson Artisan 800 printer is sleek and sexy to say the least. The printer has a sassy tiltable LCD touch screen that allows you to select, copy, enlarge, rotate, crop, and print photos without a computer. It makes my old credenza look like a piece of art just by sitting on top of it, but pretty ain’t gonna pay the bills, so how does it work? In a word: GREAT!

Setting up the printer will take you about 30 minutes, but that is simply because it has a lot of software to install for all the capabilities it provides (printing, scanning, faxing, copying, immediate photo fixes–like red eye and color enhancements, printing directly from a photocard instead of your computer, etc.). I had no trouble installing the software on my Mac. The wizard was simple and clear.

Oh, and did I mention the Epson Artisan 800 printer gives you the choice of going wireless or wired? Although I was initially excited about the prospect of a wireless printer, truth be told, I was also leery of the wi-fi capability. I had yet to have an experience setting up anything wireless that didn’t require at least three separate 20-minute calls to various support lines. I was truly grateful that the wireless worked easily and without the support phone calls. (However, it’s nice to note that Epson gives you two years under warranty–when you register–that includes toll-free phone support if you need it!)

Overall printing: I was happy with the print speed and quality of both documents and photographs. In fact, I’m beyond pleased with how my photographs have printed! I’m planning to print several photos for a collage for Christmas presents.

Ink cartridges: The ink cartridges for the Epson Artisan 800 Printer are small, but an extra black cartridge comes with the printer. The printer also uses a combination of colors to make black so you don’t run out of black as quickly.

Printing directly onto a CD: I had never tried this before and I was surprised at how easy the software is to use. I was able to make and print a picture directly onto a CD in less than 3 minutes. I will note that the CD I used wasn’t great for printing and the ink didn’t stick. However, I think this was a CD issue (it had a glossy metallic sheen) and not a printer issue. I think there are CDs you can purchase that are more conducive to having a photo or picture printed directly on them.

A few more notes:

• In order to scan you’ll need to have a compatible USB cable (not included).
• Printing from a camera photocard and re-touching photos from a photocard are both unbelievably easy.
• The Epson web site includes many templates for printing calendars, cards, gift tags, etc.

For more information about the Epson Artisan 800, watch the video below.

If you’re interested in becoming part of the One2One Network tell them Melanie Nelson from Blogging Basics 101 sent you! I’m not in an affiliate program with them, it just helps One2One Network track where their members are coming from. Thanks!

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