Nov 18, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Social Media Saturday
It happens. There you are, at the local coffee shop typing out tweets and you realize you clicked “Tweet” when you meant to click “Cancel.” Or you shared that superfluous snapshot on Instagram.
Hey, it happens. If we’re not drowning in our multi-tasking, we’re not living. Right?
You share so many different topics that nobody knows anything about you except your platform’s multiple personality disorder.
Yeah.
It happens.
So, on the in-depth heels of last week’s Social Media Saturday, this week offers tips on how you can funnel down to what’s important to your followers, and to you.
- Take a survey. Give your readers the opportunity to tell you what they like and don’t like.
- Follow the score. Watch your analytics. Amplify what works (#coffee, #amwriting), and pare down what doesn’t (#hashtagsthatnobodyelseknows).
- Post photos of kittens. Seriously. This totally gets attention. Every time.
- Share more. Make sure your posts are distributed frequently over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.
- Share less. Don’t give up every aspect of your personal life. Your readers don’t have Smell-O-Vision so step-by-step recipe photos are only necessary to show how something’s done, not look-how-each-layer-builds-upon-itself. Unless you’re making Hamburger Pie. Then it’s totally okay.
- Make a list. Check it twice. Keep a short list of topics and make sure your posts fall under those categories. It’s easy to want to share every aspect of life with your peeps, but save that for your private page with friends. Your followers are a little hungry for what your posts can do for them. So offer tips on what they follow you for: writing, Faith sharing, learning Italian, cooking, how to drink coffee without spilling, that sort of thing.
- Do a Self-Inventory. This is in line with 2 and 6 above. Find out which topics people are most responsive to. Make sure they’re at the top of your list moving forward. If you post nine times about coffee and only get one reaction [I know. I’m laughing, too], then maybe it’s time to switch to afternoon tea. Or lasagna. #foodie
How do you find focus on your social media?
TWEET THIS: How do you find focus on your social media? @MollyJoRealy #socialmedia
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 17, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @@MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . :Five Things Friday
Ahh, winter. Wait. What? It’s only November. Okay. Ahh, autumn.
Somewhere.
Sometimes here in the desert. But not too much. And not too often.
Still, there’s a lot to be said about living in SoCal when the season starts its thang.
“Such as?” you ask. Hey. Someone asked, or I wouldn’t be writing this post. Okay. You got me. It was me. Still, as I’m screaming to nobody in my car while driving Bear Valley Road (much to the attentions of other drivers, mind you), “What good is November in Southern California?! I mean, seriously?!” Well. Let me tell ya.
- We sometimes get winter weather. Or at least the threat of it.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : November in California
- But by afternoon it can be [Note, I said can be] 75 and sunny. #bestofbothworlds
- Nobody looks at you funny when you blast The Beach Boys Christmas Album from your car. At least they shouldn’t. Little Saint Nick. Classic. Just sayin’.
- It makes you appreciate the falling leaves as few and far between as you find them. The scent of patchouli is a rare favorite at Bedford Manor.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Fallen Leaves
- The nearby mountains start making their own snow if you’re inclined to ski and snowboard and that sort of thing. [Thinkin’ of you, Denise!] But since I’m not . . .
- BONUS ITEM: It’s never too early to put up your Christmas decor. Even if it’s sunny and there’s no snow. #bestofbothworlds #again
Frankly, My Dear . . . : November in California
What do you like about November where you live?
TWEET THIS: What do like about #November where you live? @MollyJoRealy #California
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 16, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Yup. I did it again. I signed up for something awesome. I’m now a Wellness Advocate for DoTERRA.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Molly Jo Realy: My DoTERRA
I know, I know. How many plates can This Girl spin? Well, as it turns out, always one more than I thought I could.
If you’ve been around the blog for any length of time, you know essential oils are, well, essential to me. And you’ll also know that Mohmie and Spartacus are pretty good friends and keep me well supplied. But after supplying me with EO’s here and there for a few years, I figured it was time to stop playing and get serious. It was time to buy in bulk and not the piecemeal here-and-there action I’d been doing.
So of course the inevitable happened. My body decided to defect on me and inexplicably broke out with allergies of all kinds. From a sinus infection to a flu bug to stomach issues to a face breakout that rivals a pizza eating teenager, it was just gettin’ all kinds of ugly ’round here.
Well. Since I was already planning to go big or go home, I opted to enroll and save myself some money. Super Bonus: The Enrollment Kit I wanted is 20% in the month of November. Can you say schweet? I thought you could.
Fast forward to payday and I’m on the phone with Naomi and we’re getting set up and I go to add the kit to my cart . . . and it’s not there. Like, the system says it doesn’t even exist! Say whatwhat?! So bless her unSouthern heart, Mohms gets on chat with DoTERRA and is told there was a delivery issue and they’ll honor the offer when it’s available.
I think we all know by know that didn’t quite work for me. I’m crawling out of my skin, needing some EOs to calm my nerves inside and out, a little physical care, a little emo, a little house stuff. So. I get on the chat with DoTERRA and state the obvious: “I’m trying to sign up and the system won’t let me.” Long story short-like I could make a long story short. I tried once or twice. Didn’t work. Oh. Focus. Sorry . . . Back to it- I’m on chat with DoTERRA and the guy says, “Hmm, sounds like a tech issue. I’ll get you all signed up.” And. He. Did!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : DoTERRA
And my kit of awesomeness arrived last night. And I’ve been pretty ecstatic ever since. Last night I fell asleep to Serenity Blend in my new diffuser. Serenity, folks. As in, Serenity, the female protagonist from my work-in-progress CENTRAL. I’m tellin’ ya. #itsasign.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : DoTERRA Serenity and Lumo Diffuser
And that crazy hormone-slash-stress-induced allergic face issue? At 10 am this morning I realized my face hadn’t itched all day. All. Day. After three weeks of stress-causing-breakouts-causing-stress, DoTERRA’s Correct-X seems to be just what I needed.
And the Lifelong Vitality Pack. I can already feel my innerds feeling better.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : DoTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack
Stay tuned. It’s only Day One. Let’s see where this all goes.
Oh, and the shampoo and conditioner? Fuggedaboutit. Best hair day ever. At least, for a really long time. Just sayin’.
Did I mention I’ve only had my kit for 24 hours? #amazing
Anyway, SuperGirl is still going to being doing monthly posts on Essential Oils because she’s awesome that way. Now and then we’ll tag-team and maybe create some stuff together. Oh. Teams. My DoTERRA team is simply amazing. Educated. Helpful. Caring. Fun. Holy cow. I mean, when ya walk into a room full of strangers and they hug you and say, “Pick a pine cone!” Well those are my kinds of people. Kim and Krystal are fabulous leaders. [Pine Cone Explained: For realz. She has pine cones from her back yard tree, and put a few drops on oil on them for us to take home. My car smelled like Arbor Vitae and Elevation for five days, y’all. Five. Days.]
So there you have it. I’ll have a neat little link on the side bar so feel free to check out my site, ask questions, whatever.
But first, I have a question for you: Do you use essential oils? If so, what’s your favorite and why?
With a drop of lemon and a quiet house,
Happy Everything.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Click on the photos below for more information:
DoTERRA Enrollment Kit Discount
Frankly, My Dear . . . : DoTERRA Save 10% in November
Frankly, My Dear . . . : DoTERRA Oil of the Month- November: Clove
Nov 15, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : When God Locks You In
I’m a bit behind in reading my Bible on the One-Year plan. Okay, to be honest, I’m about 331 days behind. What can I say? It’s been that type of year. Well, now that I have a in-and-out-of-office career, I figure I can listen to the Bible through the app on my phone while driving. Less road rage. That’s all I’m sayin’.
I love Genesis. The stories of Creation, the beginning of Man. But I also don’t like it. The beginning of Man being, well, man and all that. You know the drill: Eve ate the fruit, Adam blamed her, she blamed the snake, God held them all accountable and now we have things like pain during childbirth (tell me about it!), fields that need tending, and bloodshed.
But then we get back to a story I like. The story of Noah and the Ark. Yup, childhood songs. Epic movies. This is the stuff, I’m tellin’ ya. And you would think, having read at least this part of my Bible multiple times throughout the year that I’d be immune to it. Just familiar words. You would think.
Think again.
So, here’s what I learned today in my umpteenth listening to Genesis Chapter 7. It starts with Verse 13:
“That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons- Shem, Ham, and Japheth- and their wives. With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of animal- domestic and wild, large and small- along with birds of every kind. Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes. A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.”
~Genesis 7:13-16 NLT
The world has fallen, fallen, fallen into chaos and disorder. And the world is laughing at Noah as he and his sons build the Ark. And the world drowns as Noah and his family float on safety.
Here’s what got me today: “Then the LORD closed the door behind them.”
Do you get that? God said, “Hey, Noah. Build an Ark.” And Noah did. God said, “Make sure you have male and female of every living creature.” And Noah did. And God said, “Get your peeps in there, ’cause it’s about to go down out here.” And Noah did.
And God locked them in.
Bam. Just like that. No one coming in. No one going out. Trapped. Isolated. Alone.
But not alone.
And God was the one who secured the door.
What does that even mean?
Well, I can tell you when I heard that today I paused. I listened to it a few times. I read it. I thought about it. Because it got to me. God locked them in! Why would He even do that?
Because He wanted to secure them, the parents of the future. He wanted to seal the Ark so completely that they could not be harmed by the outside world, the world tormented by the actions of those left behind. He wanted to make sure no evil entered the Ark, and He wanted to make sure no good would get out and fall prey.
Doesn’t life feel like that sometimes? Like we’re trapped, like God has isolated us from the world, like we can’t move around or get out of a situation? Like we can’t get anywhere, there’s nowhere to go? There’s Noah and his family trapped inside for months with those animals. I can imagine after a while, it would get pretty stinky. I mean, I only have four cats and what they do to that litter box . . . *shaking my head, here, folks.
God wanted to protect Noah so fiercely, so completely, that He sealed the door. He locked them in. Noah didn’t have the key. Until God gave it to him. Until the coast was clear, if you’ll pardon the pun. God wasn’t about to bring Noah this far in his salvation journey to let him sabotage it. It’s that old adage, “If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.”
Well, God brought Noah to the Flood, and He certainly brought him through it to the other side.
I can also imagine during their time on the Ark, there might have been some grumbling. Some, “Wouldn’t a roast beef sandwich taste good right now?” “Yeah, but we can’t light up a barbecue in here.” Or, “I miss my friends. Even the irresponsible ones.” Or, “I just want to see dry land.” Yup. I grumble a lot when God puts me in my spiritual Ark and tells me to stay put. And then I feel guilty. Because He’s God, right? He’s got my best interest at heart.
It’s hard being in a place you don’t know when or how to get out of. It’s hard to trust God when all around you is darkness and solitude. But . . . Keep floating. Because the next chapter is God taking care of you. And the chapter after that is His promise to protect you forever, and not do it again.
Next time you feel alone, trapped, unheard, pushed in on all sides, dark, abandoned . . . Remember that God is with you. And what you’re praying for, He may have sealed the door against it for reasons you’ll never know. If you’re in a stinky part of life right now, hang in there. The rainbow’s coming.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Dot’s Rainbow
TWEET THIS: It’s hard to #trust #God when all around you is darkness and solitude. But keep floating. The #rainbow’s coming. @MollyJoRealy
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 14, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
The Assault: Harbingers, Cycle Two
Well, I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t finished reading it yet. But, since I never give away the ending, I figure it’s okay to tell you what I know so far.
But first . . . MOM. STOP READING.
I’m not kidding.
Spoilers to follow.
You can revisit this post after you’ve read the book.
We good?
Okay. Carry on.
Y’all know that Andi is my favorite character of the team, right? So how giddy do I get when I get to read Angela Hunt’s contribution? Pretty. Freaking. Excited.
Books One and Two took us to the Vatican and back to Florida. Andi, as you’ll recall, was institutionalized for withdrawing. Seems those orbs the team saw in Cycle One were causing some more problems. The Gate is at it again, trying their mind control to create a collective knowledge void of any creator other than themselves. Of course, the team saves the day, and while there was never any doubt, it was still quite the nail biter.
So, now the Professor has had a change of heart and not so adverse to being part of the team (Man, you should have heard his complaints up ’til now. Oh, wait. Read the book and you will!) but once his dear Andi was in jeopardy, something inside him triggered and he realized he might not know everything, and the team might know more than he thinks.
So he rents this house in Florida. A one-month deal, just long enough, he hopes, to gather information to combat The Gate. He had also collected a damaged orb and brought it to the team for inspection. But by the time he reached the house, it had put itself back together again. I know ~ weird, right? Like the whole journey isn’t weird. But anyway . . .
Andi, as his assistant, starts to investigate and study the orb. Her contact with it resurfaces the voices, the control, from Book Two when the fungus took hold inside her. Yes, I said fungus. Read the book. Read all the books. The Professor gets her to go to a doctor where she spills her guts and he asks her to keep a daily journal. No problem.
Back at the house, packages start arriving. Boxes for the Professor. Turns out he subscribed to a clipping service, and had them print and ship every article they could find on The Gate. Turns out these boxes of documents are noncommittal. The Gate is a rumor. The Gate is from Medieval Times. The Gate is new and improved. Andi finds out The Gate is now online. Forget subtlety. They’re all about in-your-face, taking-over-the-world tactics. And they say so! But in a way that almost makes you want to know more. Of course, we know if we know more, it will be the end. Tank likens it to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Once they knew more, they knew evil. And once they knew evil, it was the end of paradise.
Brenda also gets a package. From her dear Auntie Rene: A life hammer to smash out the windshield if their car runs off a bridge. A can of shark repellent. And mosquito wipes to prevent the little buggers from biting. They laugh and Brenda sets the items on the coffee table. Immediately, young Daniel scoops them up and offers them back to her. “Keep,” he commands, in the way he has. The way that lets the team know he knows more than any of them.
And that’s where I’ve stopped reading for the night. Hey, This Girl needs sleep, too. But that’s okay. As soon as the sun comes up and I find some spare minutes, you can bet I’ll be finding out if Andi’s free of the mind-control fungus, if the orbs will leave them in peace (doubtful), and what’s significant about Auntie Rene’s interesting care package.
What are you reading this week?
TWEET THIS: #AmReading Harbingers, Cycle Two, Book Three #Infiltration @MollyJoRealy
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
