Why people love traveling and why they spend all their free time doing it?

Sure, sometimes travel is luxurious and relaxing but often it’s hardwork and distinctly uncomfortable. But we still do it anyway!

To find out more read some of the answers to the question Why do people travel over at Get In the Hot Spot if you haven’t already seen it.

It covers everything bloggers and writers need to know about personal writing including storytelling tips, the benefits, getting started and what to write about.

Want to get personal and create writing that resonates with your readers? Check out these personal writing tips.

To solve this I’ve now got two blogs:

Get In the Hot Spot dedicated to travel stories, travel writing and story-telling.

Successful Blogging for my ever popular blogging tips.

Join me for work at Successful Blogging, join me for play at Get In the Hot Spot or join me on Twitter @BloggingMentor.

In the mean time, happy blogging!

x Annabel Candy, Aussie blogger, writer and blog consultant

How to Score a Guest Posting on a Top Blogs

1. Read their blog. Really study the language and style they use, the headlines, the spacing and length of paragraphs. Some bloggers have buzz words that they use again and again. If you can spot some and use them in your guest post for them, subconsciously they might relate more to your blog writing and feel it makes a good fit for their blog. When you write your guest post for them use the same style, language and formating they do so they can instantly see that your post fits in and will appeal to their readers.

2. Leave comments for the blog owner. It’s like a virtual calling card that lets a top blogger know you visit their blog. Better yet if you can add to their blog post by leaving an interesting comment they’ll know you read their posts carefully. This will naturally endear you to them but beware that comments with links in or key words instead of your real name will probably annoy them and have the opposite effect. The aim is to make them notice you’re an engaged reader, not to make them think of you as a pain in the butt.

3. Connect on Twitter or Facebook. Retweet their posts and answer their questions on Twitter or comment on their Facebook page.

4. Arouse their curiosity. After a respectable amount of time, when you’re sure they know who you are and what you blog about try sending them a quick tweet suggesting a guest post. Hopefully you’ll get a reply to something like “@BlogGod Got a cool guest post idea for your blog. Would you like to hear more?”

5. Email the whole guest post. Even if they don’t get back to you on Twitter you can still email them your guest post. Make sure it really is an example of your best work then edit and check it carefully. It needs to be word perfect. You want to make sure that you minimise work for the host blogger so you can format the post in simple HTML by writing it in a draft blog post on your blog then pasting the HTML into the body of the email for them. Copy how they present guest posts on their blog with a byline like “Editor’s note: guest post by Annabel Candy” and a couple of sentences about you at the end of the post including one or two links to your blog.

The book is for:

Small business owners and creative personalities who’ll benefit from blogging but aren’t geeks . No you can reap the opportunities blogging offers without worrying about plug-ins or widgets. Now you can learn how to brief your blog designer so they set up an effective blog and you can enjoy posting and promotion.

Geeks who need help planning and writing a blog. This book will teach you the principles of good screen design, screen reading and how to write for your audience so you’re set for successful blogging.

Bloggers who want to learn about blog writing and how to make their blog get the results they’re dreaming of. Even if you’ve failed to get many readers or subscribers so far, after following these steps you’ll see an increase in blog readers, blog subscribers and sales.

Chuck Chastain

Just wrote A Surfer’s Guide To Living Life To The Full.

Surfing Makes Me Happy

I took up surfing at 39. I’d wanted to learn to surf for years and when the opportunity presented itself on the island of Bocas del Toro in Panama, I knew it was now or never. Imagine learning to surf in the warm Caribbean sea with a patient, encouraging and stunning teacher. It’s not surprising with those conditions that after three lessons I was hooked.

I’ve only been surfing about 18 months now and I’m not that good, but I can stand up on a wave and I have fun. To me that’s what it’s all about. Surfing holds a few keys to happiness for me because it:

• Keeps you totally in the moment.
• Puts you in touch with the elements and nature.
• Challenges you mentally and physically.
• Wears you out so you sleep well.

So here’s my take on what lessons surfing can teach us about living life to the full. Check out the link for to see how life development and surfing can help you live your dream.

http://www.getinthehotspot.com/

http://www.getinthehotspot.com/

Please come along and don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS feed at the new site:

http://www.getinthehotspot.com/

I look forward to inspiring you more.

x Annabel

Max Candy Was a Big, Bonny, Five Kilo Baby

Here’s a story about faith, determination and team work

It’s a success story which I hope will inspire you to strike out for what you want and achieve your goals, even if the odds are stacked against you.

It’s a story in which I faced my fears, followed my gut instincts and believed in myself when some medical practitioners wouldn’t. Today is my second son’s eight birthday and I’d like to share his homebirth story with you.

Best of all it’s a story with a very happy ending. Well, more of a happy beginning really, the beginning of Max’s life with us.

The Challenge

Having experienced a caesarian section with our first baby in 1998, and almost dying after the surgeon left me with a bleeding artery, I dreamed of giving birth to my second baby in the comfort and privacy of my own home. After that caesarian in an Auckland hospital I needed eight units of blood, and went back to surgery under general anesthetic for a second operation to stop the bleeding. There are six hours missing from my life, my first six hours as a new mother, but I’m lucky to have survived.

Statistics say that caesarian sections are more dangerous for the mother than vaginal births, and I was unfortunate enough to experience that first hand. I wanted to have a home birth with my first baby but I ended up going to hospital and being convinced to have a caesarian because the doctor thought I was having a big baby. They got that right as Luke weighed in at 10lb 12oz (4.9kg).

Since baby Luke was a week overdue, and so large, I wanted to have my second baby early in the hope that she or he would be smaller. I was delighted when I went into labour ten days before my due date on a Monday morning.

The Struggle

At first labour was very slow and I wasn’t sure if it was the real thing. I went for a long walk on the beach, had a siesta and was examined by Alison at 4pm and found to be 3cm dilated. So far so good. For the uninitiated I’m referring to the cervix, which needs to be 10cm dilated before the baby can squeeze through it. I slept a little that night.

By Tuesday morning I was 5cm dilated. My friend Jayne arrived and another friend, Mel, looked after three year old Luke for us. Me, Jayne and Rich hung out, picked flowers, pottered round the garden, and got things ready. Alison came back at 2pm and I was happy when she said she was going to stay now and started setting up her equipment. The four of us laughed, chatted and listened to reggae. The pain got worse but not too bad, I was in and out of the bath and took a few walks, kept eating and drinking throughout. Around 6pm Alison broke my bulging waters ~ woosh, I was soon fully dilated.

Pushing that baby out was hell, but thank heavens it only lasted 45 minutes. I was in agony and changed position with every contraction. I touched the baby’s head as it crowned, then Alison said the baby had the cord round its neck and I let out a terrible wail. “But not tightly” she added. I gave a huge push.

The Reward

Out the baby came, strong and healthy, another big boy. My entire body had split twain in two, at least if felt like that, but my amazing doctor came to the house and sewed me back together again. I was so exhausted I fell asleep while she did it.

None of us could believe that the baby weighed 11lb 1oz (5kg), even more than Luke, who’d been delivered by caesarian because he was so big. We decided to call the new arrival Max which means ‘the greatest’.

I soon recovered and healed fast. I felt vindicated ~ now I knew not only could I grow big strong babies, but I could push them out the natural way too. I was so happy that I’d finally had the home birth I wanted, surrounded by people I knew and trusted.

That night our oldest son, Luke, stayed with Mel and the next day me, Rich and baby Max had a well deserved lie in.

Good luck with all your plans! I hope you succeed in making YOUR dreams come true.

Thanks for reading, please add your comments below and don’t forget to subscribe by email now if you haven’t already so you don’t miss out.

Related Articles:

>> Maintain Motivation: Celebrate Your Successes
>> Follow Your Dream: You Only Live Once
>> Changing Crappiness Into Happiness

Please Help Me Get More Readers

If you like this article, please Tweet it or tell a friend. I hear that if you Digg it, or bookmark it on Delicious or Stumbleupon, that will grow my readership as well. Many thanks for your help with this, I appreciate it.

A Happy Ni-Vanuatuan Man

Do you want to feel happier than you already are? Do you find that most self-help books are too long, detailed, embarrassing or complicated?

The simple solution is these 101 quick, easy and free ways to make you feel happy right now. They’ll help you get the big picture on how you can feel happier, and from there you can start to add more ideas of your own. Make sure you get your daily dose of happiness, because life’s too short to be miserable.

I’ve read enough self-help and personal development books to fill a couple of tea chests, and I’ve traveled all over the world in search of happiness and fulfillment. So now you don’t have too. Here’s the most important stuff you need to do to make you feel happier, all compressed into one quick list.

If you haven’t already had your happy fix today, or if you want to feel even happier, try these 101 quick, simple ideas, but maybe not all on the same day.

Please, dip in to these happy hints, try them out one by one and start to feel happier day by day:

1. Smile.
2. Connect with nature.
3. Surround yourself with positive people in person or online.
4. Do something you’ve always enjoyed.
5. Do something you’ve never done before but have always wanted to try.
6. Learn something new.
7. Smell something that makes you happy: a mandarin, your lover’s perfume, chocolate, you decide.
8. Reward yourself for your good habits.
9. Eat something that makes you happy, but not too much if it’s fattening.
10. Spend time with a good friend.
11. Touch something that makes you happy: a cat, velvet, the bark of a tree? Take time to notice.
12. Don’t worry now, worry later.
13. Say, or sing, something that makes you happy.
14. Challenge yourself, I dare you.
15. Look at something that makes you happy.
16. Stop procrastinating, do something.
17. Take a small step towards your goal.
18. Congratulate yourself.
19. Tell someone you love them.
20. Do a good deed.
21. Face your fears.
22. Read a book you love.
23. Get outside.
24. Spend time with inspiring people or read about someone who inspires you.
25. Clear out your junk, literally.
26. Let go of negative memories.
27. Dwell on positive things from your past.
28. Be creative.
29. Dare yourself to do something.
30. Give someone an unexpected gift.
31. Change your habits just this once, do something unexpected.
32. Watch the sunset.
33. Get up for sunrise.
34. Open a savings account.
35. Be active.
36. Plan for success.
37. Eat something healthy.
38. Trust your instincts.
39. Follow your passion.
40. Throw a party, or plan to soon.
41. Avoid drama queens and energy suckers, you know who they are.
42. Write stuff down, keep a diary.
43. Set a goal.
44. Clean your house, bit by bit.
45. Say no.
46. Spend a day alone.
47. Devote a day to family.
48. Pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t spoken to for a while.
49. Wear your favourite outfit.
50. Be present.
51. Go for a bike ride.
52. Do something you loved as a kid that you haven’t done for years.
53. Forgive someone, especially yourself.
54. Go slow.
55. Have a meal somewhere different: try a picnic.
56. Avoid advertisements.
57. Pick a bunch of flowers and put them in your house.
58. Ban all media for the day.
59. Let something slide.
60. Display a colorful fruit bowl and eat one or two pieces a day.
61. Be romantic.
62. Play a game: uno, monopoly, chess, poker.
63. Make a smoothie.
64. Have a siesta.
65. Do something you’ve been putting off.
66. Dream big.
67. Start small.
68. Seek out supportive and like-minded people.
69. Understand that all things come to an end.
70. Feed the ducks.
71. Persevere: pick up something you gave up on.
72. Start a new habit, a good one.
73. Look at yourself in the mirror, pick what you like best and flaunt it.
74. Seek sensuous activities and enjoy them.
75. Look for funny things and have a laugh.
76. Rest up.
77. Change your routine.
78. Take a photo, look back at old ones.
79. Stretch your body.
80. Meditate.
81. Write a mantra.
82. Focus.
83. Don’t buy something, see if you miss it. Put the cash in a savings account instead.
84. Notice what makes you happy and use it in sad times.
85. Ignore people who annoy you, stop being with them.
86. Play hide and seek with some kids.
87. Put a picture of something you want on your wall.
88. Tell someone your dreams.
89. Love yourself.
90. Be grateful.
91. Visualise.
92. Unblock.
93. Use your brain: try a crossword or suduko.
94. Make a good choice.
95. Acknowledge your feelings.
96. Go on a journey, long or short.
97. Talk to someone you wouldn’t normally connect with.
98. Be grateful for life.
99. Write a poem.
100. Teach someone something you know well.
101. Choose to be happy every day.

Thanks for reading, please add your comments below and don’t forget to subscribe by email now if you haven’t already so you don’t miss out.

Related Articles:

>> Maintain Motivation: Celebrate Your Successes
>> Give Fear The Finger And Live The Life You Want
>> Live Your Dream In A Material World
>> Seven Reasons To Go For A Walk

Please Help Me Get More Readers

If you like this article, please Tweet it or tell a friend. I hear that if you Digg it, or bookmark it on Delicious or Stumbleupon, that will grow my readership as well. Many thanks for your help with this, I appreciate it.