Most of you know that I started blogging as a way to fill a void after the death of my grandmother, who had raised my sister, Gloria and myself in the projects of New Rochelle, NY with limited funds because she was a maid.
However, we never felt poor, quite the opposite, as my grandmother gave us everything that we ever needed and a few things that we wanted but never to spoil us. She did this at the age of 55, after raising 6 kids to adulthood, and we three had a great relationship.
After I graduated from Delaware State College I taught school, 1st and 3rd grades, but never made enough money to support an apartment, a car note and food! Anywho, I was frugal, which I had learned from my grandmother so we always shopped discount or thrifted, as a matter of fact, my sister was employed by Goodwill at the time of her death which was untimely as she was only 29 years old.
Gloria’s birthday was April 10th and had she lived, she would have been 55 and not a day goes by that I don’t think of and miss her terribly, please read my dedication to her on a previous blog post.
Well after my grandmother passed at the age of 98 in 2009, I was still very thrifty with my shopping and social media was in its infancy of how we shared our daily lives, at first it was on Facebook, then YouTube and then finally blogging. I loved to write and had been doing so since childhood so it was very natural for me.
Long story short, my blog was discovered by Ronni Cohen, Executive Director at the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute and then I started teaching blogging for them at local libraries. Now here we are 6 years later and I am still teaching, however, no longer for free, but at DelTech Community Colleges and I also offer one-on-one training sessions as part of my business ABlake Enterprises.
Eventually, I want to write a book, but haven’t gotten there yet, however, I have many friends who have including Podcast guest, Beverly Powers. Click the pic below to listen to my interview with Beverly on how she got started writing, first Children’s books and then novels. Beverly also started a blog and explained how she gets the inspiration from God to write her posts.
Let’s Chat > Are you interested in turning your blog into a book or just writing a book?
When I worked in an office I sat in a cubicle like most others, however, unlike most others the walls of my cubicle contained more than family photos, I hung scriptures and inspirational messages.
I have always believed in the power of prayer; if you see it, believe it, then you can achieve it.
The bulletin board in my home office also contains inspirational messages and scriptures, which I believe are very important in achieving one’s goals.
After starting my day reading scriptures from the Holy Bible, I sit in front of a bulletin board that contains cards, pictures and these messages of encouragement.
Now when I look up from my keyboard and see pictures of my sister and a card that she gave me in 1985, I know that her spirit is alive and that she is providing me with the inspiration to keep me going forward.
I also keep one special picture of the boys from a trip to Orlando as it shows that they feared nothing even at a young age. It is an important reminder to me that there is nothing to fear because God Always Answers Prayers!
Mophie Powerstation Plus XL Review by the Delaware Blogger
As a Blogger who is always on the go, oftentimes attending all day events, so much so that when I walk into a room the first thing I look for is an electrical outlet, even in church on Sundays.
Sometimes the choir is on fire and I want to capture it all on Facebook Live, however, the last thing I want to happen is for my Smartphone to die before the end of the selection.
When I was contacted by Verizon Wireless for a new product review, I immediately chose the Mophie Powerstation Plus XL and it definitely came in handy at The State of Our Union: Black Women and Girls in Delaware event at Delaware State University sponsored by NCBW100.
On an early Saturday morning, my girlfriend, Donna and I drove down to Dover for what turned out to be a very informative, educational and enlightening event. We arrived late, however, was right on time to listen to the “Living Room Conversation” which featured several women speakers including our friends Nicolle Surrette and Taria Prichett and thanks to the Mophie Powerstation Plus XL, I was able to live stream Nicolle’s entire presentation and still have plenty of power left for a lot of pictures afterwards.
We also arrived in plenty of time to hear the announced acknowledgement of my “big sis” Esther Rich, founder of Special Touch Card Creation, who was chosen this year’s New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year.
The mophie powerstation plus XL is an external battery with over 48 hours of power, easily connects to an Android or iOS Smartphone and it fully charged my phone in less than 2 hours.
The Rose Gold and White Aluminum finish was nice and Donna really liked the color especially since she is a member of AKA Sorority and their colors are pink and green, however, it is also available in Space Gray.
The mophie powerstation plus XL is made for iPods, iPhones, iPads as well as all Android devices, cameras, headphones, gaming devices and Smart watches, with a suggested retail price is $99.99.
Specs:
Let’s Chat > How often does your Smartphone need recharging?
It was a great day to be with old friends and meet new ones.
I spent all day Saturday doing taxes for the family, something that I have been doing for years, however, I think this may be the last year of flying solo with Turbo Tax. I think the time has come for me to have a professional handle them. Not that I don’t have time nor the patience to do them, I just know there are many deductions that I am missing because I didn’t keep accurate records.
However, now that I am officially working my business full time, I need to make sure that I enter all of my expenses as well as income in a timely and accurate manner. I currently use Wave Accounting for these entries because it’s easy, however, if you know of a better online accounting package, please leave a comment below.
Speaking of expenses and deductions, there are several tax tips and deductions that all bloggers should be aware of and below are the top ten I found on Lifewire.com.
This post is not tax advice and is not intended nor written to be used, and cannot be used, for purposes of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on any taxpayer.
As a blogger, you may be able to deduct your internet-related expenses. For example, you may be able to deduct:
You may be able to deduct:
Many of the communications-related equipment and tools you use to run your blog could be deductible, including:
Traditional office items can be deductible such as:
Little supplies can add up quickly. Keep track of the receipts as these items may be deductible:
Most bloggers invest in design, advertising or promotions each year. Remember to deduct applicable expenses such as:
If you attend blogging conferences or meetings, you can most likely deduct those expenses:
Many bloggers belong to professional associations related to the topic of their blog or to blogging itself. Professional dues may be deductible. Similarly, periodicals and books that you purchase to help you learn and grow could be deductible, including:
If you work out of your home to conduct your blogging business, you may be able to deduct the rent for your office space from your tax return. Alternatively, if you work from your home, you may be able to deduct a portion of your household bills for that space if you use that space solely to conduct your blogging business. Expenses in this category could include:
There are a multitude of little out-of-pocket expenses that you may be able to deduct as a blogger. Consider the following as you prepare your tax return:
Let’s Chat > Do you do your own taxes?
