As part of my brand launch, I have been hard at work designing products and merchandise to help spread the word about my writing and editing services. For the month of February, I want to get some products into the hands of my followers. I will be giving away a mug, two pencils, and some yummy teas to help you get in the mood for writing. I’ll be announcing the winner on February 18th so be sure to enter the giveaway before that closes at 5pm on February 18th.
The Ameri Brit Mom
I’m one of the lucky residents of the Mid-West that still has electricity during this Icepocalypse. We are trapped indoors on this Friday morning, but the ice and snow outside are wrapping us in a tranquil blanket. Below, I am joining all of my fellow writers from Five Minute Friday to discuss this week’s prompt: Achieve.
On January 1st, I launched a new brand and business. I’ve been blogging since 2015 and after wrapping up my studies to earn a Master’s degree in English, I decided to follow my dream of offering writing and editing services to the public. My goal is to help others become more confident writers at an affordable price.
At the turn of the new year my blog became a brand and I began offering services for clients. Since January 1st I have edited two personal essays, a picture book, and a full manuscript for clients. I began building a stronger social media presence and added to my list of subscribers by 300%. This process has been inspired by courses, discussions with authors, and my own research. Things are still in the beginning stages, but I am so proud of what The Ameri Brit Mom was able to achieve in January 2022.
If you would like to know more you can join my FREE subscription. With this subscription, you will receive one monthly newsletter with updates, deals, and ideas.
Check out my Services page if you are interested in using The Ameri Brit Mom for projects. I can work with you on anything from a one-page letter to a full manuscript/book.
Also, I am so proud of the work I have done with clients this month. I wanted to share some of their own words about their experience working with The Ameri Brit Mom:
If you want to support the launch of this business you can also join my Patreon. For $5, $10, or $20 a month you can receive exclusive content and free critiques/edits. I am still working on building a solid client list and would love to work with you on projects in whatever stage of development.
The Ameri Brit Mom
If you join my Patreon site during the month of February, you will earn Valentine’s Day cards. Both of the beautiful designs give you space for your written voice to express love for those in your life who mean the most. I am so in love with the way these turned out and I hope you adore them as well.
If you need a little more information on Patreon, check out this post, “An Introduction to Patreon.”
Thanks for all your support!
The Ameri Brit Mom
During the first month of 2022, I re-established my bullet journal habits. I like to use my journal to reflect on and plan out my life. The journals that I have filled over the years have served as memory books, and I have enjoyed the creative outlet that they have provided as well. I am influenced by many different bullet journalers on Youtube as well as my own Pinterest board. Be sure to check out the supply list at the end of the post if you are interested in what I used to create this month’s pages.
My January review page contains my Top 3 photos from the month. I used my Sprocket to print directly from my phone onto sticker photo paper. This was also the month where I launched my brand and so I included both the front and back of my new business cards. Additionally, I enjoy keeping a list of things that I am currently reading, watching, listening to and loving. For all of the rest of my spreads from last month, check out my January 2022 Bullet Journal Setup post.
My February theme is Harry Potter. This is one that I have wanted to do for many months and I was inspired by photos from my Bullet Journal board on Pinterest. My lettering was in a serif font that mimics the style of the official Harry Potter logo.
The calendar for February was created using a traditional 5×5 box setup. Colors were selected to correspond with the monthly theme and in the same font used throughout these pages as well. The minimalist style of adding color to just one side of the elements was used for shading in letters as well as on the wand below the title.
Inspired by the Marauder’s Map, I created a way to record my exercise and diet journey. These pages are a great place to track my progress toward my health goals. This is a functional spread, and probably my favorite this month.
As usual, I used my weekly spread which is modified from the Plant Based Bride’s Rolling Weekly spread. The colors used on this page align with the Gryffindor house colors. I also drew a picture of the Sorting Hat, and I plan to carry on the Harry Potter theme with the house colors for the remaining weeks of the month.
This month, I doodled a little more than usual. Whenever my illustrations become the focus, I tend to limit my color scheme and supplies so that I do not get overwhelmed. The minimalist coloring style also helps to save time while also keeping up a uniform look throughout all of the spreads.The supplies I used in this setup include:
Amanda Rach Lee A5 dotted notebook
If you have any ideas for a March theme I would love for you to leave a comment. I would like to do something a little less on the illustration side in order to balance out this month’s doodle-heavy theme. Happy February!
The Ameri Brit Mom
For Christmas this year we were gifted a scratch-off book full of family adventures. During the months leading up to Christmas my Facebook feed suggested that I may be interested in this gift idea. As I looked deeper into the book, I realized that this was something that my family may enjoy. Wednesday nights are our Family Nights and I thought this book would be a great tool for planning things to do as a family.
The rules are simple. When the family has chosen a box (based on the clues) they must complete the task that is revealed by scratch-off. The clues on the side of the task let you know how to plan for activity and make it easy as parents to narrow down which activities are available. We told the girls that since it was cold, we needed an indoor activity which meant they needed to choose a task with a picture of a house as a clue. The girls combed through the book and settled on an activity whose clue seemed the most interesting.
Our first challenge was:
Together, we agreed upon who we would be baking for. We baked a couple of dozen chocolate chip and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and had a blast watching them take shape and turn golden inside the oven. Next, we wrote a letter to those who would receive our cookies and sent them a message to let them know we were on our way. The girls dressed in pajamas and we set off into the dark evening to drop a plate of cookies and our note on the porch of some people we really care about.
This first adventure was a lot of fun and we are really excited to see what we scratch off next! There are many editions to this book so if you find yourself intrigued check out all of the options.
The Ameri Brit Mom
Happy Friday! It’s a snowy one today in central Ohio. I’m home on the couch watching more snow fall atop the 2″ we received earlier this week. It’s Friday which means I am joining my Five Minute Friday linkup where writers around the globe unite weekly to share our writing based on a common topic. This week our topic is Trial.
Two weeks ago my nine year-old came down with Covid-19.
Thankfully, her symptoms were mild and only lasted a few days. We decided to vaccinate her and I think that really helped to prevent worse symptoms. Last week, in the thick of it I wrote a post, Covid in the House.
Anyway, this week’s trial has been cloaked in blessing.
Our three year-old’s babysitter is now ill and I was looking at the potential for another week off of work as a result. Childcare in the time of Covid has been very difficult for all families with young children. We love our usual sitter, but there are not many people out there willing to step up as backup sitters. In addition to the lack of people willing to fill-in when needed, my husband and I are both teachers. Nationally, there is a shortage of substitute teachers and so there is added pressure to be present each day of school.
The biggest trial striking this household right now is finding help when our usual sitter is sick because it is really critical that my husband and I get to school each day.
Right now, it seems like there isn’t much blessing cloaking this trial, but that’s where I point you back to my introduction. It has snowed in Ohio (or been subzero temperatures) all week. I only had a substitute in my classroom for one day as opposed to five. The weather swept in and helped to solve some of these trials for us.
BUT…
Snow days are not the long-term answer to the trials facing working parents in our world. We are expected to find reliable childcare amid a pandemic, and get ourselves to work despite the fact that we may be putting the health of our family or caregivers at risk. Nationally, substitutes are difficult to find because pay is too low to balance out the health risk and stress level of filling a need in the schools during a pandemic.
I know this is not a trial exclusive to my family. So many are struggling to find a safe place for their children to go while they provide for their family at work. In some professions you can work from home or take the day-off without the worry of filling your position with a substitute. But those roles have trials of their own.
As we learn to move on with Covid in our world, there are unique trials for all ages and professions. We need to remember that each family has to sacrifice to make things work and when it comes to childcare–it would go a long way to offer help to young families if you are in a place to serve that need. Some families need a reliable full-time sitter, but many (like mine) just need some individuals willing to watch and love on our children when our usual sitter is out of commission.
The Ameri Brit Mom
At the start of the year, my husband and I were looking for no excuses for skipping our time at the gym. We wanted to find a way to ensure our daily workouts happened without the weather or kids’ schedules keeping us from taking care of our own bodies. At an after-Christmas sale we decided to invest in an Echelon Connect Sport bike.
We were drawn to the sleek design and the compatibility to use alongside other apps or programs. This bike had most of the features of the popular Pelaton bikes, but was a fraction of the cost. A couple thousand dollars for a stationary bike just didn’t fit into our travel-centric family budget so Echelon met all of our needs while also fitting into the financial boundaries we built around our family’s goals.
The bike now sits in our bedroom right next to the bed. To prevent damage to our new bedroom carpet we also purchased workout flooring on Amazon. My husband chose to place the bike in our room because there is truly NO EXCUSE not to hop on every day. Even twenty minutes of solid riding can burn a couple hundred calories.
Echelon has their own app with workouts, but it is more expensive than the popular Pelaton App. (They are running a special right now for two months of free app membership.)
I highly recommend. (No, I’m not getting paid for saying that!)
The Echelon bike is built in such a similar fashion as the Pelaton that we are able to complete the app’s workouts while riding our bike. The only thing we are unable to do without the Pelaton bike is join the Leaderboards. Otherwise, we are able to place the workouts on our devices (television, phone, or iPad) and go!
I track my rides using Strava. This is the app I use for my outdoor rides and other workouts too because it tracks my progress and is a digital workout journal. If you use Strava, add me!
I have done ten rides now and I wanted to share my Echelon/Pelaton beginner update:
–Rides: 10 since January 10, 2022
–Miles: 61 miles
–Longest Ride: 8.09 miles/30:52
–Time on bike: 4 hours
–Favorite ride: 20 minute Groove Ride (Cody Rigsby choreography ride)
–Favorite instructor: Cody Rigsby
I would love to hear from other Echelon or Pelaton riders. Also, I am looking to build my Strava community to help encourage me to be accountable for my rides to someone other than just myself.
One more thing, if you have used the Pelaton app, what is your favorite ride? I am really looking for some challenging, fun, and motivational rides.
The Ameri Brit Mom
When I launched The Ameri Brit Mom Writing and Editing Services in January I had a vision of a brand that communicated my ideals in the simplest way possible. At first, that meant designing a logo that matched the aesthetic of what I do as well as fit into my minimalist lifestyle. I used Fiverr to create my logo and I am so pleased with the work from my cooperating artist:
Once I owned the rights to my logo in various formats, I sought out an app that would allow me to use this image to create social media posts, photos for my blog, business cards and merchandise for my clients. I looked at several different options, but settled with using Canva for a number of reasons:
Canva offers the ability to easily create many different projects using templates. I use a FREE version of Canva, and am so far pleased with the FREE options. However, if you want to have access to more templates and elements you can upgrade to a premium account. For now, I am able to serve my needs using the FREE account.
With Canva you have the options to create video, Instagram posts, Facebook posts, logos, Facebook covers, flyers, cards, business cards, social media stories, presentations, photo collages, banners, resumes, Youtube thumbnails, invitations, desktop backgrounds, postcards, menus, stickers, brochures and more.
You can also print your designs from your own workspace OR you can opt to pay for Canva to print and mail your work directly to you. Right now, I am offering several FREEBIES that I created on Canva for those who join my Patreon page.
For $5, $10, or $20 a month, you can support the creative work of The Ameri Brit Mom and The Ameri Brit Mom Writing and Editing Services. In return for your monthly payment, you will receive access to exclusive content (pictures, templates, videos, downloads, etc.), FREEBIES, and surveys. If you join today at any level of membership, you can download your own copy of this super cute and inspirational bookmark:
I’m really excited about some projects coming soon to the blog that I used Canva to produce. For now, I will leave you with that hint of mystery and a super cute client testimonial that I designed using Canva:
The Ameri Brit Mom
Welcome to my late edition to the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. Friday morning my internet was a bit spotty so although written on Friday in my trusted Morning Pages Notebook, these are my Friday thoughts on the weekly topic: Possibility.
This week I’ve been dreaming of possibilities a lot.
While stuck at home with a Covid-positive child, I had a lot of time to work on my Writing and Editing services. I’ve been working on a full-manuscript edit, a two-page speech, and some study materials for a former student looking to take a BIG test. Additionally, I’ve been researching SEO and running analytics on the posts and search engines that help to connect my brand with the right audience. (Although this sounds incredibly boring to most, I have enjoyed solving the question: How do I bring the right people to this site?)
I am really excited about all of the possibilities that launching my brand into the world as a solopreneur has brought to me. My client list is building and I cannot wait to continue to share work with my positive community of followers and subscribers.
If you want more information on The Ameri Brit Mom Writing and Editing Services, check out these posts:
Also, if you are interested in receiving updates and exclusive content from The Ameri Brit Mom, please also consider joining the free subscription:
I hope that as a reader you can sense my authenticity in writing this post. If this comes off as a sales pitch or marketing ploy please know that my intention is to share something I am proud of and excited about with those who find themselves landing on my page. A lot of work and planning has gone into launching this brand in 2022 and I am proud of all that I have accomplished in the first twenty-two days of business.
I cannot wait to grow and offer many more possibilities for my clients and subscribers.
The Ameri Brit Mom
Title: Far From You
Author: Tess Sharpe
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright: 2014
Sophie lost the trust of those closest to her when she became addicted to oxy. The accident that permanently injured her leg drove her to extreme measures–numbing the pain with the pills that helped her forget it. All of the lies piled up until Sophie isolated herself from all friends and family.
After a stint in rehab, Sophie decides to come clean about her addiction and resolves to live a sober life even though the pain hasn’t gone away. She is beginning to pick up the pieces of the life she traded for drugs, when she and her best friend, Mina, are attacked in the woods. Only Sophie leaves that woods alive.
A masked man kills Mina and plants drugs on the unconscious Sophie. He knows Sophie’s past well enough to know exactly how to frame her. When she awakes in a pool of Mina’s blood, Sophie becomes the main suspect in Mina’s murder. Who would trust that she was sober when she has a history of lying about her addiction?
Once Sophie returns from rehab a second time, she sets out to find the man who shot Mina. On her quest to avenge her best friend, Sophie uncovers that she wasn’t the only person who kept deadly secrets.
Far From You is a YA Thriller that contains drug abuse, sex, and LGBTQ+ scenes. The plot is so delicately woven by the author that the identity of Mina’s killer was an enormous surprise. I love when an author creates a believable YA Thriller that the reader can be sucked into and that is exactly what Tess Sharpe did here. I gave this story 4/5 stars on Goodreads. Follow my Goodreads page to see other recommendations and what I am reading next!
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Ameri Brit Mom