Hey there! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Who is ready to party?! I know I am! Let’s check out our awesome features and get this Friday Pin Fest party going

 [Your Hosts]

Host	Host
Alma	Cathy
of A Conquered Mess	of A Peek Into My Paradise

[May Co-Hosts]

Dana of Chocolate and Sunshine

Cindy of The Mom Maven

V of Sprout’s House

 [The Features]

Healthy Blonde Brownies
by Luv a Bargain

Lemon-Rosemary Crock-Pot Chicken
by Huckleberry Love

DIY Rustic Sailboat
by Meatloaf and Melodrama

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
by Mommy on Demand

One Red Dress, Seven Ways
by Domestic Bliss Squared

[Spread the Word]

 If you were featured or want to show your support, grab a party button!

[The Hop]

[The Link Up]

[Don’t miss the party, sign up for a Friday Pin Fest e-mail reminder.]

The post Friday Pin Fest 31 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Hello & Welcome!

Welcome to #FridayPinFest! Where has the year gone?! I just HAVE to make this comment lol what’s up with the crazy weather?! Down here we were 110 one day and 65 the next! Seriously! But anyway enough of that, so Mother’s Day is coming up soon.. I’m interested in seeing what you’ve got in the works for that. But of course before we do that, let’s welcome out new co-hosts and check out the features! Enjoy!

[Meet Our New Co-Hosts]

Dana of Chocolate and Sunshine

“My name is Dana. Yes, it’s unusual but it’s pronounced Dan-uh. I’m a single mom of a grown son and a thirteen year old daughter. As they are fourteen years apart, it’s like raising two kids, but separately and Mom is my favorite title. My blog, Chocolate and Sunshine, began in September of 2013 as a creative outlet to share my love of decorating my home uniquely and with a love of vintage pieces interspersed with eclectic design and incorporating d.i.y. Anything chocolate is an integral part of my blog as well as family activities including entertaining and places to visit in St. Louis. The best part of creating Chocolate and Sunshine is creating friendships through my readers and other talented bloggers. Loving every sunny moment!”

Cindy of The Mom Maven

Cindy is a happily married mom of 2 awesome gentlemen. As a family they love Jesus, all things Disney and Tampa Bay Rays baseball. On TheMomMaven.com I feature family friendly recipes, travel tips and entertainment as well as blogging tips, product reviews and giveaways.

V of Sprout’s House

“I’m V and I’m Sprout’s Mummy! Sprout is my four year old daughter who despite my best efforts is obsessed with anything girly and pink – the sparklier the better! Sprout’s House is the record of our journey as we restore our cottage to its former glory alongside a dash of DIY, a sprinkling of recipes, a scattering of crafts and a generous dollop of good old life.”

[& Your Hosts]

Host	Host
Alma	Cathy
of A Conquered Mess	of A Peek Into My Paradise

 [The Features]

Natural Strawberry Sorbet
by One Tipsy Chick

Lego Matchbox Beds
by Kid’s Activities Blog

Recipe Organization
by Krafty Cards, etc.

23 Ways to Save on Healthy Food
by Little House Living

Frugal and Easy Spring Wreath
by The Jenny Evolution

Easy Organization with Binder Clips
by Polka Dots and Paisley

[Spread the Word]

[The Hop]

[The Link Up]

[Don’t miss the party, sign up for a Friday Pin Fest e-mail reminder.]

The post Friday PinFest 29 appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest 

If you are new to Pinterest then Part One-Getting Started is just for you!

1. Why Pinterest?
2. Where Do You Start? Creating a Powerful Profile
3. Before You Pin: Who Do You Want to Attract?
4. The Basics of Pinning: Beautiful Boards and Compelling Pins
5. Connecting with Pinterest Users: Commenting, Tagging, Liking and Hashtags

My favorite chapter in part one was chapter 3. It is all about defining your ideal customer/client/reader. It was very insightful and eye opening.

Part Two-Pinning for Profits

6. The Power of Pictures: How to Create Compelling Visual Business Content
7. Getting Shared: How to Optimize Your Website for Pinners
8. The Care and Feeding of Pinterest Followers
9. Twitter, Facebook, and your Blog: How Pinterst Plays Well with Others
10. Learning by Watching:Tracking Trends and Monitoring Conversations

Chapter 10 is full of ideas on the analytics of Pinterest and pinning what is currently popular.

Part Three-Developing Pinfluence

11. Expanding Your Reach: How to Use Contests, Discussion Boards, Customer testimonials, User-Generated Content and Video Galleries to Get More Followers
12. Mobile Pinning
13. Pinterest for Nonprofits, Business-to-Business Companies, and Blog-Based Businesses
14. The Ethics of Pinterest

In Chapter 12 Beth says that there isn’t an Android Pinterest app…but there is now, I use it all the time!

You may be wondering why I am including this book in my holiday guide. It would make a great gift to anyone who owns a business, manages a non-profit, has a blog, has an Etsy shop, or sells anything! I am sure there is at least one person on your holiday gift-giving list who would love to receive this book, or maybe you just want to add Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest to your own personal wish list!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine. There are affiliate links in this post.

The post Holiday Guide-Book Review-Pinfluence by Beth Hayden appeared first on The Mom Maven.

While trolling Pinterest for recipes I came across my friend Robyn’s pin for Slow Cooker Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip. I immediately pinned it to my “Recipes I want to Try” board. Last weekend we had a church picnic and I like to try out new recipes on my unsuspecting church family, so one of the recipes I made was the Slow Cooker Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip. It was a HUGE hit, people said it was better than the dip at Chili’s and better than the dip they buy at Sam’s! Lots of people wanted the recipe so, here it is.

Print

Slow Cooker Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This creamy appetizer has been a hit every time I make it.

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Author Cindy Schultz

Ingredients

• 1 9oz box of Green Giant Frozen Spinach-thawed and squeezed to drain
• 1 14oz can quartered artichoke hearts-drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• sliced bread or crackers

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients except bread/crackers together in a 1 or 1.5 quart slow cooker
• Cover-cook on low setting for 2-4 hours
• Serve with bread or crackers

This recipe was easy to make. I prepped it in about 15 minutes, brought it to church and plugged it in. I let it cook for about 3.5 hours and it was perfect for the picnic. This is an easy appetizer for your upcoming holiday parties. Please feel free to add it to your favorite Pinterest board and let me know when you try it. I’ll be adding it to my “MomMaven’s Family Favorites“!

**Since posting this recipe is has become one of the top “Easy Recipes” on my site for 2012 and 2013!

These recipes might interest you too!

Click on the image to see the recipe.

The post Slow Cooker Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip appeared first on The Mom Maven.

I have loved the “For Dummies” series for years because they are well written and organized. I have checked several of them out of the library to help me learn new skills. I couldn’t wait for Pnterest for Dummies to arrive and this book did not disappoint. Whether you don’t yet have a Pinterest account or you have 125 boards and several thousand pins I am sure there is something in this book for you. Kelby starts with the basics of how to set up your account-you need an invitation to get started. Please let me know if you need an invite, I’d be happy to send you one. Then she moves on to how to create boards, pinning and re-pinning and even how to socialize on Pinterest.

Once you feel comfortable with the basics of Pinterest you can figure out how to best organize your boards for planning an event, DIY project, family reunion or anything else that can be visually organized. There is an awesome looking Pinterest app for the iPhone but none for Android at this time. The Pinterest mobile site works ok for Android but isn’t as sleek as the iPhone app. At least we can all play on Pinterest while we stand in line at the grocery store

Kelby also includes important chapters on Pinterest etiquette and privacy. You don’t want to do anything to infringe on the original copyrights so make sure you are pinning correctly.

One of the chapters that I was eager to read was Chapter 10: Self-Promoting on Pinterest. As fun as Pinterest is, if I’m not drawing people to my blogs through my use of it, it really isn’t a good use of my time. I am still digesting this chapter and I’m sure I’ll re-read it several times, but I have learned a lot here and I’m sure you will too. The last two chapters are filled with examples of companies who are using Pinterest and a great resource of ten power pinners that you should be following.

Pinterest for Dummies is a great resource book and no matter where you are in your Pinterest obsession this book can help you. Mine currently lives on my desk so I can keep referring to it as I do more and more on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is for US residents only. The giveaway ends at 12:01am on 6-16-12. Good Luck!

Disclosure: I received my copy of Pinterest for Dummies for the purpose of this review and giveaway. All opinions are 100% mine.

The post Pinterest for Dummies Review and Giveaway appeared first on The Mom Maven.