**This post has been edited to add an additional name. Yes, I realize that brings it up to 12, but hey, think of it as added value, like a bakers dozen. We will still be the 11 Moms.
I know you’ve all noticed that I’ve done a bit of sprucing up. I got an awesome new header from KittyKait Designs, I cleaned out and rearranged my sidebars, and I added new tabs across the top of the site. . . .
Well dear readers, there is a reason for all that. Company is coming!
I am expecting an influx of blog traffic soon, because I was chosen as one of the eleven Moms that will be the official Guru’s of Money Saving Tips for the Wal-mart Money Saving Community Project.
That’s right. Only ELEVEN bloggers nationwide were chosen to be part of this project, and yours truly is one of them!
In conjunction with their new motto “Save Money, Live Better”, Walmart is creating a money saving community centered on YouTube. The eleven gurus have each received* a Flip Video Camera to do vlog’s (that’s short for video blog). These vlogs will be posted on the Walmart channel (as well as here on the site-actually I can even post them here on the site BEFORE they show up on the brand channel-yet another wonderful reason to subscribe to my feed).
Each of the gurus will also be featured on the site, with plenty of linkage back to our blogs. We will probably be highlighted in Walmart fliers, and probably interviewed and reported on in our home town papers at the very least.
Wondering who else is included? The guru’s are, in no particular order:
Frugal Upstate
MomAdvice
Keeping the Kingdom First
GeekMommy’s WebLife
The Domestic Diva
Jessica Knows
The “Cent”sible Sawyer
Classy Mommy
Being Frugal
Deal Seeking Mom
Coupon Cravings
From Dates to Diapers
So soon you will get to hear and see me giving some great money saving ideas, as well as continue to get my regular posts. That should be so much fun. I know some of you have been wondering what I sound and look like. . .
The project will kick off shortly after Labor Day with a contest where everyone can enter a money saving video clip for a chance to win a years worth of free groceries from Walmart*
I am thrilled to be chosen for this project. One of the things that I appreciate the most about it is that Walmart is being very hands off. They want us to Vlog about whatever we, as the gurus, feel is important.
There are no scripts, guidance, or topics provided by Walmart, and they are not requiring us to get any sort of approval of our videos prior to posting. The videos are not supposed to be about Walmart. As a matter of fact, they chose one blogger (Keeping the Kingdom First’s Alyssa) knowing full well that she blogs extensively about saving money by playing the drugstore game at CVS.
There is a very real concern, both on the part of Walmart and of all of “the eleven” bloggers that we remain true to our own viewpoints and ethics. To be completely clear-this is not a paid position, and I am completely in control of my own content.
Some more excitement-we are each being sent a second Flip camera to use as a contest give away, and have been invited out to Walmart Corporate Headquarters in October. As this all kicks off and the media gets involved, there may be even more interesting opportunities.
Keep tuned in, and I’ll keep you all apprised of what is going on and my involvement in it.
*Ok, Deal Seeking Mom and I are both still waiting for ours to arrive in the mail. But they are on their way!
*Obviously the Eleven Guru Moms are not eligible to participate in the contest. I’m sure there will be legal gobbledee gook that says folks working for Walmart and their families aren’t eligible either-you know the deal.
This is so Awesome. How neat! I would love to do something like this.
Any tips on how to get Coporate sponsorship?
Congrats! 🙂 Can’t wait to put a face and voice with the words I read daily! – Stacy
Looking forward to working with you and meeting you in person, Jenn! This should be a great opportunity and things are looking very nice around here, indeed!
Hope you get your camera soon- can’t wait to see your segments!
That’s great, congratulations!
how cool! congrats!
Jenn! I am honored to be included in this list of 11 top-notch bloggers. Can’t wait to finally meet you face to face!
Thank you for mentioning the freedom that we have been given. That is so important, and I am thankful that we can remain transparent.
Blessings,
Alyssa
Congratulations! As a graphic designer, I have to offer an opinion on your new header. I think the dark shadow (black?) behind all your lettering makes it hard to read. (Small text especially). I would drop the black shadow text entirely or go with a lighter shadow.
Your blog look is much improved! Best wishes.
Congratulations on the Walmart thing! I have enjoyed reading your blog and now will enjoy watching the vids! Rhonda
OMG you are soooooo way ahead of me on the techhie stuff (Vlog??), am going to send this info to my own blog readers, inside http://www.savingadvice.com
a very tight group of like minded folks.
Oh Jenn I am so happy for you! That is thrilling.
Congratulations! I’m glad that I finally have faster connections than dial-up so I’ll be able to view the vlogs. – Mac
Congratulations – how exciting! I know I have personally benefitted a BUNCH from your blog, specifically your frugal foods series. I look at cooking completely differently now…not forcing myself to use meat in every meal, lots more beans and frugal foods, the recipes and ideas I got from that series have really made an impact on our budget. Thank you for all that you do!
Congratulations! That is very exciting and a great honor for you! I can’t wait to start reading your posts. 🙂
And I’m going to work on your About page as soon as the babe falls asleep for her nap.
Sounds all very exciting
Thanks everyone! This is all very exciting. I’m so honored to be included among such great and talented women.
Oh, and Carolyn-it isn’t exactly coporate sponsorship. We aren’t getting paid and they aren’t hosting our sites or anything. It’s more that we are helping to create this community.
Really, my inclusion is just good luck-Walmart contacted me out of the blue. The only tips I can offer is to keep writing good content and get your name out there by participating in communities, festivals etc (and commenting on blogs of course).
My Frugal Honey is gonna be famous – how cool is that?
YB
Congratulations! Isn’t is exciting to have all these mom bloggers being heard?
🙂
Sure, Wal-Mart isn’t giving you money- but they are giving you things and traffic promotion. I’d find it easier to be happy about this if Wal-Mart didn’t have such poor ethics.
The practices carried out by Wal-Mart are disgusting and despicable. I do not now nor ever will again shop there. I refuse to support their poor business practices just to save a few dollars.
I find myself suddenly turned off to this blog now. I am not trying to sound harsh or rude, but I have strong objections to Wal-Mart. I can only hope their demise is as quick and painful as their rise to fame was quick and deceitful. And they will, sometime very soon, meet their end.
My anonymous friend-I’m sorry that you feel this way. While I am always sorry to lose a reader, each person must make these choices for themselves.
It’s too bad that you can’t separate my personal choices from my blog content and enjoy what up till this point you found useful and helpful about my blog. The same way I can disagree philosophically with some of my friends (quite strongly in some cases) on politics and yet still remain their friends.
I do find it interesting that you feel strongly enough about this to comment and stop reading my blog, and yet not strongly enough to use your name.
Best of luck to you on your future frugal endeavors.
Small lives and smaller minds – pot-stirrers and rabble-rousers. Wal-Mart is an easy target (no pun intended) – folks have trouble with their sales, personnel and image practices, big deal! This is a capitalist economy folks – offer something at a reasonable price and the people will come.
If you don’t like Wal-Mart…don’t go there to shop. If you don’t like their practices in employee relations…don’t go there to work. If you’re in a position where that is the only work you can get…be happy you have a job. If you don’t like the job…better your station in life and move on to something that suits you better.
My Frugal Honey does this work to provide a service and help to those who might need it – she has not looked for compensation and has been quite diligent about not appearing to be beholden to anyone. This Country was formed on – and many of our Judeo-Christian values teach us that – giving to others is the good and right thing to do, think about it.
This opportunity may lead to a place where Jenn can reach a wider audience, get some ‘brand recognition’ and eventually even turn it into a paid gig at another level. Who is anyone to tell her that’s bad – geez ‘anonymous’ (LOL), worry about keeping your own house in order and we’ll do the same.
Sorry for my abruptness – I’m not the negotiator in this house – I hope the folks that have stopped by and felt there was something worthwhile will continue to do so…and when Jenn is a famous writer….I hope you’ll buy her books – *Wink*.
Yankee Bill
Yankee Bill-
I mean no disrespect to Jenn herself. I think she has wonderful tips and an interesting viewpoint. I love reading about Princess and Buddy- I think they’re adorable.
But Wal-Mart is an entity which has grown too fast and too big and they’ve tried to compensate by using corrupted products and poor business practices. I just wish people could realize WHAT they are supporting when they add money to the Wal-Mart tills.
I said I was turned off to the blog but not necessarily enough to stop reading. I will most probably continue reading, because I already have been.
Maybe you could blame my strong opposition on my age. I am only 20 years old afterall- I don’t even really have a house to “keep in order” since I still live with Mom. 😉
Just please know that I wasn’t meaning anything against Jenn. I am just disgusted that Wal-Mart is doing such a thing. In a way, it kind of feels like they’re using you, the bloggers, too. The fact that they AREN’T paying you concerns me. You’re going to be vlogging, which is a bit time consuming. They should pay you. But they won’t. Wal-mart is not frugal- they’re just plain cheap.
Apologies if I really did offend you, Jenn. Wasn’t trying to. And don’t worry, I will buy your books, just not at Wal-Mart and… probably secondhand, lol. (Hey, it is more frugal to buy secondhand, or better yet, rent from the library!)
And for the sake of proving my point on my strong objections, I’ve posted this one without anonymity.