Whoopsie! Major blogging set-back

Image via WikipediaI am still so new to all of the blogging world. Nothing ever seems to go simply and smoothly. Live and learn. For the life of me, I cannot figure out the ftp part of it all.
I wanted to switch hosts for my pet related blog. I had no idea how to download the blog's contents and upload them. Some tech assistant helped but it didn't go as smoothly as it should have and we lost it all. So, for the next week or so, I will be rebuilding that blog from the ground floor. A set-back yes, but it is a huge savings in hosting fees and I can now look at beginning another blog.
It's all a learning experience and each time, following Amy's Niche Blogger plan, rebuilding isn't as confusing as starting from the beginning.
Anyone have any ftp experience to share??!!
Blog on!

Active and passive Income Earnings for July 2011

In mid June I opened a new craft studio at ArtFire. The SEO results are far superior to another craft selling site. My items are being found on Google, Bing and several other search engines.
I have knit dishcloths, baby sweaters, cloth dolls and doll clothes available to purchase and custom orders available at HollysDollies ArtFire Studio

Most of my time has been spent working getting things created and listed. ArtFire charges $9.95 a month with no final selling fees and no limit on the number of items you can list in your studio.

I've been focusing on earning SwagBucks as well to redeem for cash. By using their search box, you earn from 7 to 20 SB's from an average of 10 searches. It adds up fast!

I realize crafting is not exactly a passive income, but neither is passive income truly passive. There is work involved!

Income for July has slowed down by the changes in Google, Squidoo and my stress over Amazon. I don't adapt to changes well and am stressing about learning new things just when I think I may have an understanding of how things work. I fear August's report will be even worse. I am still trying to learn so much.

Here are the results:

AdSense - $.54
Amazon - $.60
Squidoo - $7.93 (payout for May, 2011)
CJ - $5.39
ShareASale - $.15

HollysDollies ArtFire Studio - $14.00
SwagBucks - 764 (goal 950 for $10 PayPal payout)

New Niche Blog(s) begun

Image via WikipediaUggghhh!
I simply cannot afford to go with the self-hosted blogs. After our home expenses, there just is not enough to spend on setting up a new blog and hosting. For now I am going to keep working on creating free niche blogs and will eventually transfer them to the self-hosted.
Which brings me to the point of which is better for beginner bloggers, paid-for self-hosted blogs or free blogging platforms like blogger?
They each have their own pros and cons. It all boils down to the blogger themselves. Do you have experience and knowledge using CSS, HTML, tweaking themes, etc or do you strive for simplicity? Type your blog post, add some labels (tags) and hit publish? For those starting out, the free blog platforms are the best idea.
I've begun a new craft niche blog and will start adding content this weekend. The plan for today is to get some AdSense ads up, two or three related products to promote and take some progress/tutorial photos. This blog is aimed at beginners looking to learn a craft.
Then later in the week, I will brainstorm for another niche blog idea. I am already thinking of two or three.
Have you started a new niche blog? If so, leave a comment and tell us about it, in general terms if you don't want to be specific. How do you do your research to determine if this is the niche you want to go with?

Amazon Affiliates in danger of losing their affiliations??

I've read several articles on the issue of some states trying to enforce some kind of sales tax rulings against Amazon. I don't really understand it, so I will not give any advice on the issue.

But, a recent article mentions my state as being on the list of those coming under the gun and am expecting to lose my associate account.

That being said, we no longer rule out moving to IL, since I'd be in the same boat.

The past week I have been searching for alternatives to Amazon, utilizing Commission Junction, ClickBank and ShareASale to select products to promote via my Pet Niche Blog. Having a lot of trouble finding products for my hobby related niche Blog. I will likely turn that blog down a slightly different path (revert it back to it's original plan) and work on developing a different hobby Niche Blog.

Monthly Earnings Report - April 2011

April Earnings
(Payments Received throughout the month of April)
Amazon Affiliate – $36.12 (Jan. and Feb.)
Squidoo - $12.01 (Feb. earnings)


This does not include any venues that have not met the minimum balance for payout. The balances for AdSense and others are still below the payment threshold for this month.

In May, I will be focusing more on the AdSense, CashCrate and InboxDollars through ads, blogging and participating in offers more diligently. Also, working more on the niche blogs. I can be prepared with keyword phrase research, post writing, product selections, etc for when I can afford to purchase a new domain.

Making Money Online- What are my goals?

I am a stay at home mom of 1 active pre-teen whom we home-school. 

My husband is retired due to a severe illness and back problems.

I cannot work outside the home due to having at this point uncontrolled seizures. It is my choice to not drive, so I don't qualify for disability.

My main job at home is sewing, knitting and crocheting. I sew cloth dolls, doll clothes, crochet and knit doll clothes, bed dolls and baby sweater sets.

My goal for working online is to supplement my day job with an active and passive income through various venues. My financial goal is to work up to $500 a month by the end of 2011.

I do not have the money go at this aggressively. More aggressive measures will bring in more results more quickly, but right now I just can't do that.

Here are a few free to join ventures that are earning a little bit which is helping greatly in getting started in self-hosting blogging.

Squidoo - Write about your passions, knowledge or write up a sales page promoting a product you love and get paid to do just that. You are also paid a percentage of the revenue your lens (page) earns through ads provided by Squidoo.

Hubpages - Very similar to Squidoo, but you are paid directly from AdSense, Kontera and the other ads appearing on your pages. I started with a hubpage about tropical fish.

CashCrate -  You get paid for completing free and trial offers, daily surveys, play games, watch videos, check in, and several other activities. Minimum cash payout set at $20 via check (or direct deposit to silver+ members).

SwagBucks -Earn "SwagBucks" for using their search bars, doing daily polls,playing games and other activities. Earned swagbucks can be redeemed for cash, giftcards, and prizes.