Blogging can be a journey (like this one), a passion, a hobby, or a business. And everything in-between. But sometimes life happens and your blog can wind up the last thing on a long “to do” list. That’s what happened to me and one of my old blogs.

Marana Unwrapped was a blog about the town I lived in, just northwest of Tucson, Arizona. I started out pretty interested in it, some people subscribed to it, and I even got added to the town’s email group for the press. But then I moved out of the town of Marana, and somehow thought I should let the blog move into oblivion.

I let the domain name expire and that was that. But something kept nagging at me over the past couple of years. I knew that blog had potential, and it makes no sense to turn down the opportunity. After all, trying to restart an old blog may be worth it. I checked to see if the domain name was still available (it was), and I re-bought it.

It seemed reasonable to sit on my decision and think things through first. I decided a new WordPress theme was essential, and I got to work on that. I changed some categories, updated and added a few pages, and tried my hand at some CSS/PHP code tweaking. It’s still not perfect (I need to Photoshop some of the heading’s pictures), but it’s ready to reintroduce to the world.

With the restart of an old blog comes decisions about how to drive traffic to it. Word of mouth and Twitter may be the best way to jumpstart it. Local blogs have the advantage of being extremely targeted. Later I may go on to create a Facebook page and maybe even submit articles to submission sites. Getting traffic is always a fun adventure.

If you get a chance, take a look at the old content on Marana Unwrapped. Even better, if you’re a Tucson reader, feel free to send me story ideas and news. Let me know what you think (here or there). I’m all ears.

Have you ever made the decision to restart an old blog? What plan of action did you take?

One of the things I love about the Internet is how much information is available online. Recently I listened to a webinar about Internet marketing, and I got very intrigued. I’m no stranger to making money online, though I haven’t made a ton. I’ve dabbled in making websites and blogs, I’ve done some affiliate marketing, and I do freelance writing online as well.

At the end of the webinar, the guest host, Adam Short, discussed his company’s website. He has a virtual classroom called Niche Profit Classroom where students learn about how to get into niche websites. Since the class was only $1 for a 14-day trial, I had to give it a try.

I was amazed. His classroom is simply overwhelming. There is so much information, and it’s all good information. His teaching method is through videos where the student is literally looking over his shoulder while he’s at the computer. There are hours of videos and webinars to learn from, and the video/audio quality is top-notch.

Even better, if you remain a member you can use Niche Profit Classroom (NPC) to host domains for you, and he has an awesome download that allows you to create websites/blogs with the click of a button. I found the site so helpful that I was compelled to write a Niche Profit Classroom review.

Now, Internet marketing requires a LOT of work, primarily in keyword research and traffic building. You have to find hot markets and then research them thoroughly to make sure they’re really good. And once you finally get around to builidng your website, you still have to drive traffic to it and make their visits worthwhile.

Niche Profit Classroom makes this easier for you by giving you access to downloadable “niche packs.” These packages include keyword research already done for you, and they give blueprints about how to go about building traffic.

If you’ve ever considered getting into Internet marketing, which involves selling a product (usually an e-book), I would highly recommend checking out Niche Profit Classroom. It truly has a wealth of valuable information. And the 14-day trial will let you try it out for only $1, or if you do pay the monthly fee, you have 30 days to get a full refund.

I haven’t yet built my first niche website (I joined only 14 days ago), but I’ll be sure to report back when I do. I know that a well-built and well-positioned niche website can make money even when you’re not actively working on, which is perfect for being a stay-at-home mother.

So what are you waiting for? Now that you’ve read my Niche Profit Classroom review, head on over there and give it a try!

Have you tried Internet marketing? Are you considering it? If you try NPC, let us know how it went.

I just got this information from a freelance writing website I frequent. Today there is an online Freelance Writing Job Fair.

They’ve separated jobs by the most popular states…if your state is not below go to the bottom of this message and look for “Search All Freelance Writing Jobs” to find jobs in your area.

Jobs In California:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/state/freelance-writing-jobs-California.html

Jobs In New York:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/state/freelance-writing-jobs-New+York.html

Jobs In Florida:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/state/freelance-writing-jobs-Florida.html

Jobs In Texas:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/state/freelance-writing-jobs-Texas.html

Jobs In Georgia:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/state/freelance-writing-jobs-Georgia.html

Jobs In Illinois:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/state/freelance-writing-jobs-Illinois.html

Search All Freelance Writing Jobs here:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/job-seekers/job-search.php

If you’re looking for just the most urgent job needs visit

this page:

http://www.getfreelancewritingjobs.com/critical-need-freelance-writing-jobs.php

If you wind up getting any gigs from the fair, let us know!

Criminal law is probably what you think about first when you think of the law, right? No surprise, especially with all the criminal law TV shows and all the junk we’re inundated with on the news.

This month’s website will help satisfy your cravings for information about all things criminal law. And if you’re also a freelance writer, you might get some ideas about how to set up a great website for an attorney.

This particular site is specific to the law firm of a Los Angeles Criminal lawyer, but much of the information is relevant no matter where you live (in this country, at least). No matter the crime someone is accused of, everyone deserves a fair trial (in my opinion). Even though I once wanted to be a prosecutor, I know that defense attorneys are essential to an eventually fair justice system.

Take a look a the site and let us know what you think. If you’ve started contacting attorneys to write for, let us know that too.

As you may or may not know, I was going to be a lawyer in my past life. So anything law-related catches my eye, and we all know that the legal system needs plenty of good writers. If you’re a freelance writer, make sure to approach lawyers too.

Though I was primarily interested in being a prosecutor, I know that our justice system isn’t complete without good defense attorneys. After all, being accused of a crime doesn’t mean you’re guilty. And even if you are, the punishment should fit the crime. Defense attorneys are critical to help keep things fair.

If you are a resident of Los Angeles and you need a federal criminal lawyer, or a federal courthouse lawyer, check out the Los Angeles Federal Attorneys Lawyers site.

The site is full of information about how the federal system works in Los Angeles, California, including federal sentencing guidelines.

Even if you’re not in LA, you might learn something new about how the criminal justice system works. It’s fascinating, whether or not you agree with it (part of the reason I decided not to pursue criminal law).

One of the blogging trends I’d like to implement is treating my blog like a newspaper or magazine. Both have regular features, which helps keep the publication current, and helps the publisher think of what to write next.

I’ll be featuring websites or links that I find during my internet travels, and hopefully you’ll check them out and let us know what you think.

This week I found out about the Japanese American Citizens League. This non-profit civil rights organization is based out of Los Angeles, California, and began before World War II. I particularly like that the group honors a Woman of the Year, pays homage to its elders, and even offers a scholarships to at-risk youth.

The JACL is dedicated to promoting and preserving the values and culture of Japanese Americans, and they do so much for the community as a whole.

Even more impressive, the Downtown Los Angeles JACL fought for, and won, compensation for Japanese Americans that were wrongfully put in U.S. concentration camps during WWII. At the same time, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans volunteered their services as soldiers during the war. The JACL is hoping to get the U.S. Postal Service to honor these brave men with a commemorative stamp.

Take a look at the Downtown Los Angeles Japanese American Citizens League site to learn more. The history of this group of Americans is rich, and as I always say, you can never learn too much. My thanks to George for telling me about this amazing organization.

Stay tuned for next week’s website or link of the week. Please let us know what you enjoyed about this one.

Interested in some good reading about web hosting?

When looking for hosting for a new or even current blog, doing your homework also includes reading what others think. Not just what others think about your potential host, but also what people think of web hosting in general. There’s so much to learn, and I’m fan of research. That’s probably why I’m addicted to the Internet.

I just found a new blog with lots of web hosting articles.

From my understanding, the rest of the website isn’t launched yet, so don’t be turned off by the articles. There’s more to come, including tutorials and more specific web host information.

If you check out the site, let us know what you think about it.

I mentioned a while back that I joined Entrecard, and I thought it might be time to tell everyone how much I like it.

Entrecard Pros

One of the best things about Entrecard is that I’ve met a lot of other bloggers. I’ve made some new online friends, I’ve found some really great blogs, and I’ve even made some money.

With the influx of traffic comes clicks on my sidebar items, so I’ve made a few sales and some Adsense money. I’ve also written several guest posts, which has brought me even more traffic. Recently, a cool site started a contest that featured my blog. (Thanks Leisa!)

I’ve also decided on an Entrecard philosophy for dropping cards. I don’t drop cards on blogs that I don’t want to support for whatever personal reasons. I like the idea that Entrecard popularity could wind up being a democratic process, so I do my part by not “voting” for some.

Entrecard Cons

Entrecard can take a bit of time, because you have to visit a lot of sites to drop your card (which earns you Entrecredits). And if you’re like me, you can’t help but read some of the posts as you go along.

Besides the amount of time it takes to maintain a high position or to grow your site, I have one more complaint. Though Entrecarders do visit often and even leave comments, my subscribership hasn’t budged.

I also gave up offering my writing service for Entrecredits. For now. I wound up taking on too many projects, and I wasn’t sure that the amount I was “charging” was really worth my time and effort. I wound up refunding (plus interest) several buyers’ credits. My time is probably better spent trying to get new clients that pay real money. Now that Entrecard is starting a service for buying and selling credits for real money, I might start again, but I’ll only do one project at a time.

Have you tried Entrecard? If not, why not? If so, have you noticed any particularly good or bad things so far?

In the not-so-distant past I was a substitute teacher for about six years. More recently, I’ve toyed with the idea of subbing again, or possibly even going back to school to get my certification. For me, substitute teaching was actual teaching, not just babysitting. I made it a point to follow the regular teacher’s lesson plans, and I brought along my own plans just in case.

As a freelance writer or home-based business owner, you may consider substituting because you’ll have some flexibility in your work-life, and you can even teach kids about your profession.

If you do decide to teach, check out this new blog for teachers called, appropriately, Teacher Lingo. It’s chock full of lesson plans, teacher blogs, and a helpful forum. I would love for it to have a special section for substitutes, though.

If you’ve ever taught, you know that teachers do talk to each other, but aside from lunchtime, you don’t really have a chance to connect with everyone. Teacher Lingo is basically a really cool social networking group.

Just like any other social networking site, there are contests from time to time. You can win a $50 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com if you share one of your lesson plans in March.

Even if you’re never going to teach, I think it’s an interesting blog that could serve as a model for others.

Have you ever been a teacher? Would you consider substitute teaching as a way to supplement your freelance income?

Are you a work-at-home parent? Even if you’re a home-based entrepreneur without children, this resource list is gold.

The list includes 100 resources, from articles to blogs (mine is included…very nice), to networks and miscellaneous information. Everything’s online, so there’s no need to run to the library.

Even if you don’t have time right now, just go to The Bootstrapper’s site and bookmark the WAHM’s Toolbox. This is a list you don’t want to ignore.