I’m Stuck In a Rut!
February 13th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under
I have been kind of stuck in a rut lately. I have been trying to think of new ways to make Busy Mom a more fun interactive community. I recently added forum contests (which are giveaways only in the forum and first five contests (the first five comments get entered into the giveaway or each commenter gets a prize). We are actually having a first five contest on Monday, so be on the lookout.
Busy Mom is also in the process of switching over to Wordpress with a brand new layout and design. I am excited, but Wordpress is tough to figure out after you have worked with Blogger. So here’s the deal. I want you, the viewers, to give me some ideas of what we can do on Busy Mom to make it a more fun and interactive place. They could be ideas similar to the forum and first five contests or something totally different like a unqiue blog party. The more unique, the better. The one I choose will win $25 via PayPal. You can enter as many times as you want on this post. I will pick a winner on March 6th.
Thanks guys, I can’t wait to hear your feedback and get some new ideas rolling!
Comment by Colleen on 13 February 2009:
how about starting a weekly meme…busymom…how did you deal with your busy day/week/month/year etc. Maybe give specific things and ask how others deal with it or something…you could do a mr linky and maybe even do a contest for those that participate.
Comment by MOMFOREVERANDEVER on 13 February 2009:
I agree have something where parents say or give tips or hints or help for a problem…
or
things my kids did this week which amaze me or make my head want to go bang the wall
Comment by Emily Roemmich on 13 February 2009:
I also do want to add another person to the Busy Mom team. It seems we have gone through a few helpers and it just didn’t work out.
Comment by Tracy on 14 February 2009:
There are two things people need greatly right now, inspiration we are all on a personal path, anything that advances us along that path in a positive way will be well received. We are in a recession anything that helps readers earn money and save money will drive readership and traffic through the roof! You can often provide these without re-inventing the wheel. Sorry your former ‘helpers’ haven’t worked out, maybe you tap into your readers who are actively hunting for ways to bring in an extra income! hint, hint wink, wink
Comment by Anonymous on 14 February 2009:
With the recession any helps, hints, good finds,low cost items and sales and hints to making meals on a budget and ways to substitute ingredients without having to buy new items when baking or cooking.
Nora
neneelynn@yahoo.com
Comment by mverno on 14 February 2009:
more contests its what draws people to your site
Comment by buzzd on 14 February 2009:
Any tips for saving money, keeping your spirits up and fun things to do that are inexpensive.
Comment by Anonymous on 14 February 2009:
i agree with more contests.
delorezb@yahoo.com
Comment by Emily Roemmich on 14 February 2009:
We are having more contests soon, but we can only do contests if we have a good readership, people visit all the pages of the site, promote us, etc.
Thanks for all of the ideas.
Comment by Karen on 14 February 2009:
I would love to win this
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by Jessica (Probst) Eveland on 14 February 2009:
…hmm one of the toughest things for this busy mom is dinner time! Trying to find quick and easy meal ideas for the family. I get stuck in a rut and I’m always looking for new ideas for dinner. One stop spot for busy mom’s for meal planning for the week.
Comment by j on 14 February 2009:
doing tings in your town that does’ntcostmoney
Comment by kdkdkd on 14 February 2009:
Contest’s are great, and they do drive hits on a blog. I also agree that we are all looking for easy/inexpensive recipes and tips on surviving this recession. But most days for me to stay and read I want something funny. One of my all time favorite blogs is cake wrecks http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/ because I can’t wait to see the pictures and read her commentary. Maybe you could do something similar with child rearing, have people post stories about all the wackiness that is parenthood. It could even be a contest
Comment by Erica C. on 14 February 2009:
games make everything more fun!
Comment by Stephen on 14 February 2009:
To help make things more interactive, encourage male readers to participate also.
Comment by Sunnyvale on 14 February 2009:
A few posts on the funny things your kids do (make it brief, otherwise it gets boring).
Comment by Megan on 14 February 2009:
Some ideas I have include sharing more daily personal stories. Share motherhood with your readers. I love to see pictures and hear stories of things that I am going through too. And of course, I love a good laugh. Also, I love crafts for the home, whether that includes your child or not. Inexpensive and easy recipes are always a plus. Momdot does live contests every friday and there is an insane amount of comments…yesterday there was over 2,000. You may want to try something like that also (on a day other than Friday, as not to compete). I like the idea of the First 5. I love your site. Good luck.
Comment by Ken on 14 February 2009:
Don’t exclude the men. Please accept my entry. Thank you.
Comment by Amber on 15 February 2009:
I think it would be cool if you occasionally had readers write a blog post. You could give a topic/theme and a deadline and the person whose article you chose would maybe receive a little prize or present. Or just the recognition of being chosen
Thank you for the giveaway and please enter me.
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com
Comment by Beverley on 15 February 2009:
Busy mommy will one day be busy grandmother. Remember us older folks. God willing, you’ll be one, too. Sooner than you think…
Comment by hale2005 on 16 February 2009:
A great contest for such a great site!
Comment by Karen on 16 February 2009:
Great prize - count me in
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by marthajane on 16 February 2009:
A “kids say the darnedest things” type area.
Comment by Creative Mom on 18 February 2009:
I would like to see the site be more risky with the color format. Drop the pastels and be colorful and interesting. More coverage on what is happening to women all over the world too.
teraustin@mindspring.com
Comment by Megan on 18 February 2009:
I loved when you sent a personal note with a giveaway I won on your site. I hope you are continuing to do that. I thought it was so friendly and made this blog one of my favorites. I am sure others would feel the same. Personal touches like that, I feel, are key to gaining and keeping readers. Writing on your readers blogs to let them know you know they exist will probably give you tons of comments in return.
Comment by Karen on 19 February 2009:
So cute
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by Anonymous on 19 February 2009:
Why don’t you include a witty unadulterated statment from a Kindergardener of first grader.
Comment by offthemap13 on 20 February 2009:
How about online polls?
Comment by kdkdkd on 20 February 2009:
Another thing I love to read about on blogs is about art and design. I love when people talk about their favorite artist, whether it is someone whose work sells in a fancy gallery or on etsy or ebay.
Comment by Karen on 21 February 2009:
Great site.
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by j on 21 February 2009:
Best family friendly restaurants, entertainments, etc.
Comment by auntrene on 21 February 2009:
I honestly enjoy your blog, I love giveaways, hearing about how other people are dealing with dinner, the pets, finding good deals, and just everyday life.
I look for ideas of something new for dinner, and inexpensive ways to make dinner. Also for great gift ideas that don’t break the budget.
You have a great site and thank you for sharing it with us.
Comment by Anonymous on 21 February 2009:
Hi there, I am new to your site and it looks really fun! So, hats off! I thought I would give an idea of possibly posting local events around town that are geared toward the whole family. You can post certain states or counties so that people can add things going on around the area. Or, have a “topic” column and we can click on a topic that we may have interest in like potty traing or sleeping habits…etc. People can add comments, post tips, comment back…etc. Thanks!
Comment by Marianna on 22 February 2009:
I love seeing blog posts that are full of interesting, personal (not stock) photos related to the topic being posted.
Comment by j on 22 February 2009:
discissions about movies that are good for the family
Comment by Infant Bibliophile on 22 February 2009:
You could consider highlighting a few of your commenters’ blogs per week. Everybody likes traffic to their blogs.
Comment by Karen on 23 February 2009:
So cute
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by Liani Widjaja on 23 February 2009:
More on coupon and free stuff maybe
or treasure hunt game?
It would be great if you can post my giveaway.
Currently I’m giving $25 amazon gift card too.
You can join us at
http://www.aromatherapy-at-home.com
Thanks for the entry
Comment by Karen on 24 February 2009:
Pick me
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by My Lil Guyz on 24 February 2009:
How about ideas of things to do with your kids that don’t cost lots of money.
Contests are fun too. BTW, I will contact you soon, to have one of my own
Comment by CJ'SMOMMY*KIMBERLY on 24 February 2009:
Tips and contest!!!
Comment by CJ'SMOMMY*KIMBERLY on 24 February 2009:
How about a pamper yourself mom party? Some indulgence stuff for moms,some wine and chocolate covered strawberries with a good looking man to give us a foot massage and someone to clean for us….ok..ok I got carried away but yeah..a pamper yourself themed blog party.
Comment by j on 24 February 2009:
tips for getting your kids into gardening
Comment by motherof2 on 25 February 2009:
I have kids their 2 and 4 and boy are they a handful. But i love them. Anyway maybe you could have some tips on parenting advice or how to make them behave. Or links to sites like that. Alot of people need help with that.
Comment by vboackle on 25 February 2009:
thanks for the chance.
Comment by Beverley on 26 February 2009:
Perhaps some more hints on how grandmothers can best help with grandchildren who are challenged with disabilities.
Comment by Anonymous on 26 February 2009:
Maybe some ideas and/or crafts that parents/grandparents could do with their kids/grandkids for very little money.
Thanks for the contest!
indyfree07@hotmail.com
Comment by Karen on 27 February 2009:
Count me in again
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Comment by jayne on 28 February 2009:
Weekly steals!! Great deals from stores like CVS-Rite Aid?!
Comment by getpalmd on 2 March 2009:
Busy single moms looking for single men with extra time
A success already. And perhaps a place where people could share travel tips: best place to go for the family with kids etc.
Comment by Teresa on 2 March 2009:
Right now with the economy being so bad I think it would be great to have a section on your forum where busy mommies could exchange items. For instance, one mom’s son might have out grown some clothes when another mom could use them. No selling though it should be all about helping one another out.
Comment by joan on 2 March 2009:
cost saving meals
Comment by Karen Gonyea on 3 March 2009:
An exchange forum would be wonderful
Comment by Karen Gonyea on 4 March 2009:
Count me in again please
Comment by Beverley Justice on 4 March 2009:
Recipes for more treats that I can spoil my grandchildren with when they come for visits.
Comment by Dru Mooney on 5 March 2009:
I like your site, and think it has current and useful topics. How about adding something creative like funny one-liners that children utter, or even a one or two sentence submission by your readers about why today is a good/bad day?
Comment by christina singer on 5 March 2009:
I’m in! Thanks for the giveaway.
Comment by Carolyn D on 5 March 2009:
I think Polls are fun!
Comment by Carla Lazim on 5 March 2009:
interacive contests such as pulling at a vegas slot.
the winner who gets 3 #’s in a row wins a prize.
Comment by Reuben English on 5 March 2009:
agreed more contest so i may actually have a chance at winning, my run of online sweepstakes/contest is runnign bitter cold at the moment , I use paypal all the time so this would be great for me !
Comment by Shelley Slider on 5 March 2009:
Games and/or funny or embarressing stories about your family and then we can vote on them for a prize of some kind?
Comment by Jaclyn Reynolds on 5 March 2009:
How about some inspiring frugal shopping stories, like how to spend $25 at a particular store and include photos and reviews of the products.
Comment by Debbie B on 5 March 2009:
I really love the contests! It is so exciting to win something just for visiting a website that you enjoy! I do enjoy reading about
some of the innovative ways that people save money - such as couponing and such - but many of those are quite time consuming - Maybe a Busy Mom’s approach to saving money..
Comment by Dottie L on 6 March 2009:
Any tips on making your dollar go further. Such as were to get samples, free coupons, anything that would help us all stretch the few dollars that we have. Also more contests would be a plus, as everyone likes the thought of winning something.
Comment by Sandra S. on 6 March 2009:
Ok, being honest here, I just stopped by to try to win the $25. Hey I could use the money. So I checked out your site and here are my impressions.
Do you have an email subscription sign up? I didn’t see one. I saw that you have the subscribe in reader which is good but I actually think that the email sign-up is better. Why? Because you are showing up in their email box. Even if they delete you because they are too busy to read it - they still saw the name of your site. They are reminded that you exist. I personally have so many things in Google reader that I never even look at half of them.
I am confused about the “Cool Blogs”. First there are no blogs listed. So are you just going to have buttons there. I think you should have a short review of any blog that you put on that page. Say why you like them and what value they can be to your readers.
One of my favorte things about certain sites or blogs is that they have a cute name for a post once a week. So maybe it’s Freebie Friday or Wordless Wednesday. Once a week they write about a certain topic and have come up with a cute name for it.
I think that you should do something like : Women in the Trenches Wednesday. So each Wednesday, you would feature a woman. It could be a fellower blogger or someone you know. You would contact the person and ask them if they would particpate. Then they could tell you their best tips, their funniest mom moment, their favorite products etc. Also you could put women who are in the news in that space. For example, the woman who was breastfeeding whle driving. You could talk about how crazy and dangerous it was etc.
Good Luck!
Comment by Betty on 6 March 2009:
There are blogs that give out detailed What to buy on rebate along with associated coupons at various stores. Given that money has gotten tight, I’d love to see a focus on healthy meal/recipes associated with specific cuts of meat on sale. Associated coupons could also be included the effort to stretch the dollars
Comment by Adanma on 6 March 2009:
I think it would be cool if you post a daily “problem” and get readers to respond to how they have handled it. It would be a nice way to get an archive going of “how-to” tips.
Thanks for the chance.
Comment by Nanette Davis on 6 March 2009:
contests are always great as are quick and easy receipes for dinners in a hurry,Kids saying the cutest things is a good idea also. LOVE THE SITE!
Comment by RHicks on 6 March 2009:
It is always good to have a section that dishes on the latest gossip, best shows, etc.
Also, with the economy in the doldrums, might want to include area for husbands at home naggin their wives
Comment by Janet on 6 March 2009:
ty 4 the entry:)
Comment by Becky on 6 March 2009:
I think you should post a ‘talkback’ with the experts section..maybe where readers could send in questions and you could get an expert to answer selected questions.
Comment by Cec ilia Redman on 6 March 2009:
It hasn’t been all that long ago that I was a busy mom. Now I am a grandmother but I still have a lot to offer. I have been where many of you young people currently are. We older women would love to be able to share our knowledge, funny stories of our kids and grand kids, money making and saving ideas, etc. Build a bridge where the various generation’s who enjoy your site can share with one another.
Comment by sandra on 6 March 2009:
automatic drop-down menus
Comment by Terri L on 6 March 2009:
Some things that I enjoy that would bring me back week after week.
1. Funny pictures with a theme (another poster mentioned “cakewrecks” or another I like is “what not to crochet”)
2. Maybe a weekly “Would you Rather” poll
3. Contests, for sure, with at least one simple entry method (i.e. leave a comment)
4. Funny real life stories…what chaos have you or others endured in the process of being a busy mommy.
5. A weekly link to a fun free online game that you have tried and like
Comment by Elizabeth Ray on 6 March 2009:
Contests and humor
Comment by Leigh Nichols on 6 March 2009:
How about movie and cd reviews?
Nothing embarrasses me more than renting a movie only to find myself watching a raunchy scene or awkward situation with my 14-year old son.
Comment by tom on 6 March 2009:
Well I’m not a mom but a Tom and I have a couple of ideas. Contests are cool but so are shared recipes, some of the best dinners I’ve had came from unusual cooking ideas from the wifes friends. Start a share a recipe column. Also, many parents might have a problem with a troublesome child so maybe an advice column for mom from moms.
Comment by joan on 6 March 2009:
More humor. In these times we need to laugh more.
Comment by Auriette on 6 March 2009:
People right now are looking for more value in what they buy, and that’s not just monetary savings, but also personal value. Someone mentioned focusing on things a family can do without spending money. That often involves giving back to the community, donating time through various civic organizations, volunteering at a community theatre or arts center, helping clean up a public park or waterway. Maybe you could spend some time on that kind of thing, soliciting ways other moms are getting their families involved in the community and encouraging others to do the same.
Comment by Gianna on 6 March 2009:
Have a recipe contest and post all of the recipes
Comment by Tamara Burks on 6 March 2009:
I like recipes, contest , jokes, advice, cute pictures, good links.