Domain Name Notice

I am just letting all of my readers know that there is a new change with Creative Mess. My domain name has changed from http://jmacreativemess.blogspot.com to www.jmacreativemess.com

You can still use the old, however you will see a page like this.... Be sure to click yes and you will be directed to the correct domain.

Also, in the up coming months there might be some changes from going to blogger to wordpress. However since I am still in the learning phase of wordpress, it will be blogger for now. I will keep all of you posted when this change will happen.

If you have any great tips or tricks please feel free to leave me a comment. I can use all the help I can get.

All of my contact information will remain the same.

Recap on The Blog Workshop Online Conference 2013

Here is a recap of what I learned during the conference:

This past weekend, I had a unique opportunity to attend The Blog Workshop Conference online. I was provided a complimentary ticket to this conference in exchange for this recap post. You can view my initial post about the conference HERE. I also participate in The Blog Workshop's affiliate program. However, the views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. For more information, please feel free to go HERE.

• Blogging Back To The Basics - I learned about how important it is to plan and take control of your blog, de-clutter your blog, simple ways to Vlogging, and SEO.
• From Blogger To Bloggerpreneur - I learned how important it is to have a Brand. Learning about bookkeeping basics from tracking income to spending and most importantly tax information. Another important thing I learned is the FTC guidelines and 10 ways to avoid getting sued. 
• Preparing for Ads & Pitching Sponsors - I learned the importance on how to show value to advertisers and to think as an influencer. 
• Building Relationships With The Media - Learned how to build a Media Kit and to build a community of followers.
• Advertising VS Affiliate Marketing - I learned the difference between the two and how to us ads on the blog.
• Other Ways To Monetize Your Blogging Efforts - Learned how to connect with other influencers and reaching out to Brands. Also the do's and don'ts when working with Brands.

The online conference was 3 days long and it was live. It was the same time each of those days from   6-9:30 pm. There were sessions and even intermission for breaks too. Also, a Q & A session with the speakers! My favorite part, the conference were recorded. So if there was something I missed, I could go on the site and log in to view them.

The conference had some awesome speakers who were very knowledgeable! Thank you to the following:

• Laura Summers - founded the Naked blogging blog
• Deborah Anderson - blogs at the Social Web Cafe 
• Dan Morris - blogs at the Letters From Dan 
• Lindsay Lee - founded the Black & Blonde One blog
• Kelly Whalen - started the blog The Centsible Life 
• Jeneba J. Ghatt - started the Jenba Speaks blog
• Robert Mooney -  works at Blogads
• Ryan Schram - is the cheif operating officer at IZEA
• Holly Hamann - the co - founder of TapInfluence
• Dee Dee Cocheta - who is a 20 year Marketing & PR veteran and blogs at Dee Dee Cocheta
• Paige Wilcox - works at Blogads
• Rohit Vashisht - CEO of Sverve
• Crystal Duncan - Director of client stragedy of IZEA
• Jennifer Beaurpre - blogs at Market Building Blocks and VP  of Marketing at TapInfluence

The Blog Workshop offers more than just conferences. They offer workshops throughout the year.   There will be a workshop that is about Surviving SEO on June 25th from 8-9pm with Dan Morris who is the founder of Letters from Dan. You can go to these workshops for free if you are a paying member of The Blog Workshop. Membership starts at $10/month which is well worth it. Membership includes conferences, workshops, and other resources. Go ahead and check it out by clicking HERE or below on the picture.

So will you join The Blog Workshop to take your blog to the next level?

Where I party!

Thursday

Creative Greekery

Pursuit of Functional Home

Friday

The Wondering Brain

Straight Talk: Braces Then, Invisalign Now

Photo Source: Creative Mess

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. For more information, please feel free to go here

This is an x-ray of my daughter's upper set of teeth. As you can see from the x-rays she has not lost any of her baby teeth. Also, you can see that some of her baby teeth are overlapping and some barely touching. 

Now look at her adult teeth. Do you notice that some of her adult teeth are over lapping? 

After looking at these x-rays, I asked the dentist if I need to start saving up for my daughter to get braces. The response I received did not make me overly excited. The answer is yes. She will likely need braces due to the over crowding teeth. The dentist even recommended that she go see an orthodontist in the near future. Just lovely, right? Ummm.....NOT!

Braces? Ugh!!! The discomfort! I remember having to deal with braces on my top and bottom molars with the rubber bands attached to them. I had to wear retainers too. The whole thing was annoying. I had restrictions on what I could and could not eat. Stuff would get stuck in my braces and cleaning them was a pain in the you know what. My retainer constantly hurt my gums and half of the time they did not fit right. Sadly, neither of these methods did any good correcting my teeth! All of this discomfort was for nothing! To this day, I still have dental issues.

As you can imagine, I am already having concerns for my daughter. She has a beautiful smile that goes along with her personality. There is no way that I am going to let her lose that smile and loose confidence. However, the thought of her having a mouth full of metal... I can not imagine the pain and discomfort. Thankfully, things have changed dramatically since my days of braces for the better. Now adults and teens have a modern choice for correcting their teeth. There is an alternative to the old fashion metal braces, it is called Invisalign.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is virtually a clear BPA free plastic aligners that gradually move teeth over time. The aligners are simply worn over your teeth. There are no metal brackets to attach and definitely no wires to tighten. Which means very little discomfort.

Where was Invisalign when I needed braces!?!?!

Well, how can I put this with out showing my age??? LOL!

I had my braces back in the late 80's. Invisalign was not readily available until 1999 and the Teen Invisalign division was developed in 2008. Luckily, for my daughter, she won't have to endure what I had to go through. Since I have been informed early on about her teeth, I can take necessary measures.

By the way - Did you know it is recommended by the American Association of Orthodontists to have your child's first orthodontic screening at age 7? This doesn't mean the child will get braces right away, but at least the orthodontist will know which problems are there and can start planning for treatment.  However, if all possible, it is best to wait for braces when all adult teeth are in.

As with any medical procedure, you always have the right for a second opinion if been told that you or your child is not a good candidate for Invisalign. Also, please keep in mind that not all dentists and orthodontists are certified to be Invisalign providers. It is best that you visit the Invisalign Doctor Locator

What are the benefits of Invisalign?

• Requires fewer office visit - Metal braces require more lengthy office visits for adjustments 
• No emergency visits for broken wires or brackets
• Minimal interference with sports or other activities - Teens are generally restricted from sports due to accidental related injury with metal braces
• No more soreness or discomfort days after the orthodontist appointments due to the tightening of the wires
• No food restrictions because the Invisalign is removable - Can not have certain foods including soda with the metal braces which is attached to your teeth.
• No more of the yucky impression molds of the teeth
• The ability to maintain good dental hygiene by brushing and flossing because the Invisalign is removable - With the metal braces, you run the risks of plaque build up which can lead to tooth decay.
• The teeth gets straightened without people knowing that you are in treatment - With the metal braces, everyone will know.

Invisalign is only for mild cases, right?

Wrong. The good news is, Invisalign can effectively correct a broad range of difficult cases. Here are some photos of treatable dental problems.

Overly crowed teeth

Widely spaced teeth

Crossbite

Overbite

Is Invisalign for Me?

You can take the Invisalign Smile Assessment to find out if it is right for you or your child. Be sure to also use Invisalign Doctor Locator.

Another good news, in most cases the Invisalign cost is comparable to traditional braces! To find out more about the cost, visit the Invisalign website.

You can follow Invisalign on Facebook and on Twitter

Now that you have some information, please feel free to leave me a comment on what your thoughts are on Invisalign.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. This is not medical advice. It is recommended that you seek medical advice from a qualified doctor, dentist, or an orthodontist before making a decision.  For more information, please feel free to go to my disclosure page.

The Blog Workshop Online Conference - May 17-19, 2013

I am so excited to announce that I am going to be attending The Blog Workshop blogging conference online! Yes, you read that right.... ONLINE! How cool is that!?!?! 

Sponsored Post: In exchange for this post, I am being provided a complimentary ticket to The Blog Workshop online conference. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. For more information, please feel free to go HERE.

Who is The Blog Workshop?

They are a learning community and their goal is to provide information that will help individuals take their blog to the next level. Most of you know that I have been wanting to take my  blog to another level and become a bloggerpreneur. However, being so new, I lack important information that can help me reach my full potential with my blog. The Blog Workshop will help me learn in many of these areas. Not only do they do the annual conferences, they also offer workshops and a member community for individuals to join. Also, they work towards trying to make the gap smaller between the PR, brand and influencers. 

The Online Conference

Photo Source: The Blog Workshop

The Blog Workshop conference is perfect since I am so new to the blogsphere. Going to a blog conference in person is not an option for my pocket book. This way I do not have to worry about lodging and travel expenses. The conference can be done from the comfort of my home with my computer!

This conference is 3 days long and it starts this Friday evening! It is jammed packed with speakers and an agenda that will have valuable information that you will be able to use.

With a line up of some great speakers like this, I know I will learn something! 

Photo Source: The Blog Workshop

A jammed packed agenda will help anyone from the beginner to a novice blogger. Again, may I remind you I have only been blogging since January of 2013. This is going to be a great learning experience!

Photo Source: The Blog Workshop

The Blog Workshop will be donating 10% of all conference ticket sales to two organizations!

Photo Source: The Blog Workshop

Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children

The Atlanta Day Shelter provides a place for homeless women and children. Their mission is to ease the burden of homelessnes and to assist in establishing self sufficiency by providing comprehensive education and supportive services in a manner that respects human dignity.

Wellspring Living

Wellspring Living is to confront the issues of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation through awareness, training, and treatment programs.

So will you join The Blog Workshop?

Photo Source: The Blog Workshop

I will have a follow up post on how my experience was at the online conference. Stay tuned!

Sponsored Post: In exchange for this post, I am being provided a complimentary ticket to The Blog Workshop online conference. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. For more information, please feel free to go HERE.

Feel free to follow me!

Pinterest Monday #14: Central Binder Organizer Ideas

I am in the process of making a Central Binder Organizer that is used for the family. Our schedule is crazy, papers every where, and half of the time we can not find things. The goal is to have the binder as the master place for our go to. This Central Binder should have a section for calender, finances, household maintenance, emergency info, and health history for each person. Also, the binder should have insurance information on cars, home, and health.

This week for Pinterest Monday, I have found some sites on Pinterest that provide information on how to put together a Central Binder.  

As always, you can follow me on Pinterest by clicking on the button in the side bar or here.

To go to each of the projects, you can click on the title and it will take you to the direct site of the rightful owners of the projects.

Remember, please pin directly from the rightful owner's blog site, not from this post.

Here is what I found on Pinterest!

Household Family Notebook

Photo Source: Amy Bayliss

This site provides ideas for making a Central Binder in 7 parts. It is detailed and very helpful. Defiantly a must read.

31 Days Home Management

Photo Source: Organizing Home Life

This is a series of 31 days of home management with printables. There is some great information for building your Central Binder to your specific needs.

Home Management Binder

Photo Source: DIY Home Sweet Home

Here is a site that is loaded with free printables for the binder. It also explains how to put it all together. 

Big Household Binder Feature

Photo Source: A Typical English Home

Be sure to read this post because it gives you a good idea on what each section should be and it is broken down by weeks. For the printables,  the site has a separate section at the top of the blog titled "printables".

In the up coming weeks, I will be doing some posts on my own binder system based on some of these ideas. It is in the planning stage. 

See you next week for Monday Pinterest...who knows what I will be finding next on Pinterest.

Don't forget you can follow me on Pinterest!

Enjoy!

Feel free to follow me!

Blog Button Design: Round 1

Welcome to Round 1 of the Blog Button Design Battle. This week's participants include:

April from Hearts on Guard
Ashley from Wannabe Green
Kelly from The No Drama Mama
Chels from Red Velvet Rooster
Kayla from Kouponing Kayla
Joanne from Creative Mess
Hollie from Blog-o-hollic
Krystal from My Life of Travels and Adventures
Rebecca from Caravan Sonnet
Sara from You.And.Me.Are.We

Vote for your favorite and most eye-catching button by clicking on the thumbnail below. Make sure you're voting solely on eye appeal. You can only vote once, so make it count.


Check back next week for Round 2. If you're interested in participating in Season 2 of the Blog Button Design Battle, make sure you subscribe to Peacoats & Plaid for updates.

Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa

Photo Source: Creative Mess 2013

A while back I made some freezer meals for my slow cooker. It is easy and quick. All you do is put all the ingredients in a zip lock bag, label it, and put it in the freezer. When you are ready to make it, you pull it out of the freezer at least 24 hrs to thaw out in the fridge. Dump it into the slow cooker, set it on low or high, and let it cook for the recommended time. Easy peasy! 

This recipe is part of the series that the Six Sister's Stuff did on Slow Cooker Freezer Meals which can be found here. 

I have freeze all of the meals and so far so good they have been turning out great! As of right now, this is the third freezer meal and the rest are still frozen. You can check out my post on Slow Cooker BBQ Cranberry Meatballs, which is awesome! My other post is the Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew. I would suggest that you pin it for later when it is winter. I think it doesn't sound good for the up coming warmer months. 

I have made some of my own adjustments of the recipe which will be in the parentheses.

Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa

Photo Source: Creative Mess 2013

Ingredients:

2 - 14 oz cans of black beans, drained & rinsed ( I only used one can )

2 - 14 oz cans of corn, drained ( I used approximately 2 cups give or take of frozen corn )

1 - 1 oz package of taco seasoning Note: I did used one in the mild flavor, but I think next time I am going to add another package or use a spicier mix.

4-5 skinless chicken breast

1 cup of salsa ( I used a mild flavor)

3/4 cup water

Place all ingredients in a gallon sized resealable bag. Mix together in bag and zip lock it. Be sure to label what it is and the date.

When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw for at least 24 hours. 

Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours. The chicken will shred easily when done.

Suggestions:

Serve over rice, with tortilla chips, over a salad, in tortilla shells, or wrapped in a soft tortilla. This dish is so versatile. You can ggarnish with cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce.

I put onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, mashed avocado, and sour cream in a whole wheat soft tortilla. It was delicious! The only thing I would do differently is to use more seasoning preparing it for the freezer.

Feel free to follow me!

Where I party

Monday

I should be mopping the floor
Create Joy
Home Styled
Chicken Chick
Pursuit of Functional Home
This Gal Cooks
Sew Can Do
Serendipity and Spice

Tuesday

Anyoita Nibbles Tasty Tuesday
Crafty Confessions
VMG206
Memories by the Mile

Wednesday

The Crafty Blog Stalker

I Gotta Create

Sew Much Crafting

All Things With Purpose

All She Cookes

Trendy Treehouse

Ginger Snap Crafts

Clean & Scentsible

Polkadots on Parade

Southern Lovely

Fluster Buster

Daisy Cottage Design

Adorned From Above

DIY Crafty Projects

katherines corner

House of Hepworths

Sew Crafty Angel

Creative Greekery

Smart School House

Thursday

Made In a Day

Lamberts Lately

Creative Geekery

Marigolds' Loft

Weekend

Crafts a la Mode

Diana Rambles

Stichin Mommy

The Wondering Brian

Your Hombased Mom

By Stephanie Lynn

Dear Creatives

The Jenny Evolution

Pinterest Monday #13: Mother's Day

With Mother's Day being less than a week away, I thought this post would be a good idea. There are so many ideas on Pinterest that it can get overwhelming. I have made it simple by simply picking out what I think is cute or the best.

This week for Pinterest Monday, I have found some easy creative projects that can be done as Mother's Day gifts.

As always, you can follow me on Pinterest by clicking on the button in the side bar or here.

To go to each of the projects, you can click on the title and it will take you to the direct site of the rightful owners of the projects.

Remember, please pin directly from the rightful owner's blog site, not from this post.

Here is what I found on Pinterest!

Canvas Art

Photo Source Plaid Kids Craft

This is so cute and adorable. If you are an teacher, this would be a great project for the kids to do for their Mother's Day gift. Better yet you could even make this for grandma and change up the wording!

Stamped Coasters

Photo Source Somewhere In The Middle

You can't go wrong with making coasters and giving it to mom on Mother's Day! Having something to protect the surface of end table is a must.

Custom Desk Pad

Photo Source A Little Tipsy

Almost every mother has a computer on the desk, especially if you are a blogger! This desk pad also double its duties as a large mouse pad. This is a great gift to give for Mother's Day! 

Homemade Bath Salts

Photo Source Everything Etsy

Here is an easy homemade bath salts recipe that is perfect for Mother's Day. Every mom needs to have a time out from her everyday job, why not a nice hot bath.

Mother's Day Printable

Photo Source Yesterday On Tuesday

You can't give a Mother's Day gift with out a card! Along with the card are some really cute tags that can be used to decorate the package.

There you have it, creative ideas to for Mother's Day.

See you next week for Monday Pinterest...who knows what I will be finding next on Pinterest.

Don't forget you can follow me on Pinterest!

Enjoy!

Please feel free to follow me on Bloglovin as Google reader is going away shortly!

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