My Top 15 Horror Picks

When you think of  horror movies do you cringe?   Or are you the individual who can’t peel your eyes off the screen? I am more of the latter group I like horror movies, I love horror movies!! I love the suspense of and the incredibly fake corn-syrup blood.  I admit sometimes there cheesy, but  a good thrill is so fun.  My husband is a fan of scary movies as well.  One of our first dates was Evil Dead the Musical, he got us the splatter section seats (no wimps here).  Wonderful show blast blood splatter was awesome!! 
 My son  is following in the footsteps  he is all in to Goosebumps these days.  He has been in to zombies for years!!  So me and my son have been getting into the Halloween spirit with some of our most favorite classic horror films. 
So I have compiled a list  of my favorite horror films.  What are some of yours?  We love to hear from you all and tell us  your favorites.  

What Your Favorite Candy Reveals about You

Do you remember the houses in our neighborhood that gave out the good Halloween candy, and the ones that stiffed us with a toothbrush or a handful of change. Now, the kids in your neighborhood are sizing you up based on the goodies you give out every October 31st. See what the Halloween candy you give out says about you. Beware, you might find these descriptions to be eerily true...

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Workin' It Wednesday

It's time readers! Our very first linky party co-hosted by myself.  A linky party where we share just WHAT is workin in our business. And now you can join in too! Share something that is working in your business. It can be something you have done year after year or something new you have tried this year that is working. The purpose of this is to hopefully help others. I don't know about you but I have read things that make me say "DUH Melissa..why didn't you think of that?!" And then I try it and BAM it works. Every blogger and enterprenues I know loves to store ideas away for their bag of tricks. You just never know WHEN you are going to need to pull something new out. So what do you say? Share something that is working for you and link up!

What is working for me is a consistency!! I consistently post, like other pages and share content to help others.   Another thing that is helping tremendously is the scheduling post!!  It frees up a few hours of my day to work on other aspects of 
my business and page.. It allows me to work  graphics, and products!! 

Please we ask you to share your ideas with us and what is working in your business!! 

What are you doing for Halloween!!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!!!   Halloween, like all holidays, brings a host of different traditions to the table when it comes to who celebrates and how. 

When I was younger, my cousins and I would trick-or-treat in our neighborhood. That  was some 30 years ago, things have definitely changes as far as safety.   I remember dressing up for school parties and events to hang out with friends.   We even had a town parade that we would all participate in, my brother even  won 1st place he was hunchback.  

Now I have a 6 year old,  and  we like going to a local event in town called Safe Treat which he loves get lots of candy.  Then we normally just stay home for Halloween.  This year our weekend is very full, my  sons school is doing a movie night with costume parade.  Then we will be doing safe treat  and  on Halloween  we decided to  stay  home and give out candy.  We may or may walk are little one around the neighbor hood!!  Which ever we choose will be fun. 

Maybe your town has a parade that you like to watch or participate in. Maybe you and your family watch fun Halloween-centric movies together and carve pumpkins. Or maybe you’re just not into it and don’t do anything at all. Whatever it is that you’re doing to celebrate Monday 31st, we can’t wait to hear about your plans!  Share them with us  below!! 

Tuesday Marketing Tips

We know  that social media is important for business. That one is a given. But knowing how to use social media effectively can be a bit tricky. How do I know what type of content to post? How can I increase engagement? What days get the most interaction? Unfortunately, the answers are not that simple. The reality is answers vary from business to business, social media channel to social media channel.

We are starting a new series here on the blog called  Tip Tuesday to help answer some of those questions and any other  related topics for business. If you have a question you’d like to see answered, Facebook us  and we’ll cover it here on the blog!

Today we’re talking about determining the best times to post on Facebook for the most engagement. It only makes sense to post when the most people are interacting with Facebook. Facebook comes with its own analytics that are very helpful in identifying trends in your posts.You can find these under insights at the top of your Facebook page. Look at posts with the highest reach, likes, and comments. What day did they occur? What time? Identifying when your particular audience engages is key in increasing your effectiveness. For us, we see the most engagement on Tuesdays and Fridays.

You can schedule your post on Facebook to post more during the day.  We recommend  4-5 post a day.  

When have you noticed the most engagement on your Facebook page? Do you use any helpful apps?

Get More Likes on Facebook with Like Ladders

  

What Is a Like Ladder?

A Like Ladder is a simple concept. A Facebook page will post an invitation for users to paste the links to their own Facebook pages in the comments.

When you include the link to your Facebook page in a comment, such as https://www.facebook.com/MomsCoffeeShopNetworking it will show a preview of your page in the published comment:(hint, if you tag your page with the @, instead of pasting the URL, you will get more likes!) 

The idea is to post  your own fan page link to your fan page(using your personal account) , and then like the other pages in the comments.

There are numerous variations of Like Ladders, some may as you to: 

• like or share the original Ladder post,
• like a series of featured or paid pages included in the Ladder post,
• like the Facebook page that published the Ladder post, or
• post the link to your page from your personal Facebook account rather than your page

No matter what conditions are placed on the Like Ladder, two things are certainly true:

1. Some people cheat and do not follow the rules.
2. Like Ladders can be a fast method to generate a ton of likes for your page.The idea here is that you like as many pages as possible that appear in the comments, and others will in turn like your page, as well.
3. Most users who add  their Facebook page to a Like Ladder represent a real business of some sort. Those users are looking to network with others who may take notice of what their pages are promoting. 
4. Additionally, those users are also looking for good, related content to share on their own pages. It stands to reason that these users will engage with your page in some capacity.

Where Can I Find a Like Ladder?

Getting more likes on Facebook with Like Ladders is fairly simple, so long as you know where to find one. For starters, Like Ladders take on several names, including:

• Fan Friday
• Fan Page Friday
• Fan Page Party
• Fan Page Networking

To find a Like Ladder, try searching for any number of popular and related hashtags. Here is a bit of a cheat sheet to get you started:

• #‎FacebookFanFriday‬
• #‎FacebookFriday‬
• #‎FanPageFriday‬
• #‎FacebookFanPage
• #‎FanPageParty‬
• #‎FacebookFanPageFriday‬
• #‎FanFriday‬
• #‎FanPageNetworking
• #‎Ladder‬
• #OpenWall
• ‪#SocialMediaNetworking‬
• #‎GetMoreFans‬
• ‪#Networking

Certainly there are others, but this list should populate quite a number of results for you.

When you search for one of these hashtags on Facebook, a number of related posts will show up . Make a point to like the pages that commonly host Like Ladders. That way, you may see them appear in your timeline as they happen.

And despite what the hashtags may suggest, Like Ladders do not just happen on Friday. They happen every day of the week. In fact, many pages run a number of them each day. Here are a few pages that run daily Like Ladders:

☕ Mom's Coffee Shop Advertising & Social Media Marketing
☕ Ladders to Network
☕ Heard it Through the Grapevine 
☕ Lemondrop Likes, Ladders & Networking, too.
☕ Pink Pineapple Advertising 
☕ The Bloggerama Mamas
☕ The Marketing Momma
☕ In Your Face Marketing

How Do I Participate?

Participating in a Like Ladder is simple. Just,

• like the post itself,
• like the page hosting the Like Ladder if you haven’t already,
• follow any instructions in the post with respect to featured pages by interacting from your personal account,
• paste the link to your Facebook page in the comments with a short  message about what you do, and
• like as many pages in the comments section as possible, if not all of them.

When you like a page in the comments, be sure to notify the page owner. Here is an example where I have done so:

1. Like the page.
2. Like the post containing the page.
3. Reply to the page owner including a link to your own page.
4. Tag the page or its owner in your comment if you wish. (optional)

You can easily tag the user by typing @ and then the first few letters of his or her name or Facebook page.

A few things to consider:

• Facebook limits the number of pages you can like each day. To avoid having your account temporarily frozen, like only 10-20 pages at a time. Pause in between for a few minutes.
• If you post the same comment repetitively, such as ‘I liked your page’, Facebook may also think you are spamming and freeze your account. Make sure each time you reply to a page owner on a Like Ladder that your comment is at least somewhat unique.

If you can make a conscious point to participate in two or three Like Ladders each day, you will start exponentially getting more likes on Facebook. Just remember to play by the rules!

Pumpkin Patch Time Tips!!

It is the second weekend in October here the weather is cooling off. It is a great time to get out and visit a local Pumpkin Patch! If you have never been to a Pumpkin patch or corn maze I complied a a list of Tips. If your thinking of going, and you'd like a better idea of what it's like before you go!  

General Tips!

• Phone ahead for patch and maze conditions and prices. Some attractions may  not be operating due on certain days or weather. You don't want to go on a day when your favorite activity is not available.
• Clothing: This being an outdoor event and the weather affects everything! Dress appropriately for the day's weather. Wear proper head (sun protection) and foot gear.  You may want to wear old athletic shoes in case you encounter any muddy areas!
• Allergies: Corn and honey bees may pose a problem for some folks. Possible animals, and other fruits and vegetables as well.  
• Nighttime Activities: Bring a flashlight with fresh batteries for the nighttime mazes. Some mazes rent flashlights or the kids can buy glow-sticks. Bring some warm clothes in case it's cold.
• Strollers: Some mazes and pumpkin patches are stroller and wheelchair friendly (under ideal conditions), but many are not, so check the weather and call ahead. Remember the maze can go for miles, too far for little legs. It may be a good idea to bring a toddler backpack or wagon for the little ones.
• Claustrophobic?: Corn maze paths are generally 5 to 15 feet wide and there are usually "flaggers" looking for waving flags at all times. A cell phone or walkie talkie is handy if you lose your friend.
• Other tips
• *Bring a water container with you.
  *Take lots of pictures.
  *A poncho or a small umbrella could be a real lifesaver if it starts to rain
  *Have a race with prizes. Mazes and pumpkin carving make great team building exercises

Motivation Monday!!

8 REASONS TO BE PROUD

So here are a few reasons to be proud of yourself right now.  Remember these things the next time you’re feeling down, or simply want to inspire yourself!

1. You’ve learned a lot in your lifetime, and you’ve gotten better and better at a lot of things.
2. You  help other people.
3. You make people smile.
4. You inspire other people (whether you realize it or not!)
5. Life has thrown you curve balls  and you have  tackled them head on.  
6. You have accomplished  many things in life and have a bright future ahead of you. 
7. You’ have never stopped  reaching for your dreams.  
8. You are grateful for  what   you have been given. 

ready for company in 20 minutes or less

Laughs

We have company over every Friday it seems – so  it forces me to clean my house. But lately, even the promise of company coming hasn't done much to motivate me in the cleaning department.

Luckily, I have a strategy that gets my house and me ready for company in 20 minutes or less!

20 min: Get dressed. Don’t worry about stains – we’ll cover that later.

17 min: Close every single door in your house that you can. This will keep your company out of your bedrooms and hopefully your den or office – and your basement.

15 min: Spray Air freshener or light a scented candle.

14 min: Give your kid a trash bag, and send them on a scavenger for trash and diapers.

13 min: Next, tidy up the bathroom that guests will use. Wipe it up quickly, light a candle and make it look nice. Remember: That's a room where guests will have a good amount of time to sit privately, unobserved and look around.

10 min: Take  an empty laundry basket, and put all of your dirty dishes and  clutter in it. Put the laundry basket in your minivan.

7 min:  Toss a few toys into it, and leave it in the middle of your toy room (aka your family room). Tell your company  the kids are donating to the needy.  

4 min: Plug in your vacuum, and leave it sitting out near the front door.

2 min: Use baby wipes to wash your armpits and your face (not in that order).

30 seconds: Get yourself a cup of coffee or dark soda. Don’t drink it.

THEY ARRIVE

Opening the Door: As you’re opening the door, “spill” the cup of coffee all over your shirt. That solves any potential stain problems you might have going on. Make a big deal of spilling coffee all over your “clean” shirt. Welcome your guests into your home by saying the following:

Come on in! Welcome!