Update- Summer of a Million Views

 

So, I looked at my blog traffic and I wanted to get a million views collectively on all of my blogs by the end of August. I have gotten 4,171 page views since I started my challenge and have 995,829 to go.


Anyone have any ideas of ways I can get to my goal?


My blogs:

1. The Famous Ashley Grant (the one you are reading now)- a diary of my life as a freelance writer and photographer and a catch all for things on my mind, blog challenges I enter and more...

2. Tampa Bay Freebies- a collection of freebies and deep discounts I find in the Tampa Bay area

3. Lessons Learned From Frugal People - exactly what it sounds like- a collection of lessons I have found form frugal people on how to save money in every day life

4.Full of Bull - Recipes I find for tailgate parties, craft ideas I have tried and/or like for showing USF Bulls Spirit, pics and stories of the Bulls, products I like that show Bulls Spirit and whatever else I feel like adding that is related to the Bulls!

5. To Keep Me From G*mbling- This site is about my book 50 Ways to Keep Me From G*mbling and is a diary of my journey to quit as well as stories I found about addiction and recovery...

6.Living the Secret - A site dedicated to the principles of the Law of Attraction. A collection of my vision boards, my affirmations, the things I want in life, ideas for how to achieve goals, products that go along with the Law of Attraction and anything else I feel like adding that adheres to the subject of the Law of Attraction.

7.The Photographic Times- Sadly, this site of mine is a dormant site I haven't added anything to since November, 2011. With this challenge I plan to change that. Fingers crossed that I do!

8. Tampa Bay Bikini Babes- Another dormant site that needs a reboot!

Swimming in Workout Clothes

Was hot from working out- jumped in pool with my work out clothes on. That's just how I roll!

I'm proud to report that last week I worked out four days and this week I've worked out four days so far...Finally getting back into a habit of trying to be healthier. It hit me a couple of weeks ago that I'm almost thirty (a year and two months to go...) and I would like to be in shape for my next several decades in life. So, I've been werqin on mah fitness! Yep!

Stopped gambling? Check! Stopped drinking? Check! Started working out again? Check! Gonna stop eating unhealthy foods...next on the list along with getting over my need for diet Pepsi...I'm losing bad habits left and right ya'll!!!

People were looking at me all weird like why is that girl wearing sweat pants and a sports bra in the pool. I just looked back like- why are you wearing swim suits ya weirdos?!? I was hot and DID NOT CARE! hahaha! Only bad thing? I still had another quarter of a mile to walk back to my apartment. Doing that soaking wet kinda sucked! Was totally worth it though ;)

A Confession on the Whole Drinking Issue

So, here's the major reason I decided to stop drinking...I was starting to crave it. I was saying too many times a week that I really needed a drink. I started feeling as though I was becoming addicted to being buzzed, the feeling of getting alcohol in my system and the habit of mindlessly ordering a cocktail even if I didn't "need" one.

I swore off alcohol almost a month ago because I don't want it to be something I feel I "have" to have. After a long discussion with the hubby he and I agreed my best bet would be to swear it off completely until I wasn't craving it or feeling like I "need" it anymore. This could be a few more weeks, months, years, maybe even forever.

Why am I explaining myself? Well, I thought it would be a good idea to give a raw look at how I could see myself slowly heading down the path of becoming an alcoholic. Whether or not I would have ended up there is irrelevant...the fact that I felt myself losing control and recognized it was enough to force me to take a hard look at why I was drinking and what I was doing to myself. Maybe I feel like sharing my story will help someone who might be feeling the way I was. I'm not sure exactly... but hey- this is me, what I'm dealing with and what I'm doing to overcome it.

Source for image above

My Ultimate Fantasy Right Now

 

I have a pretty big and intense fantasy right now! It's not sexual, but it is pretty wild! I want to call/text my husband and ask him to quit his job, have him rush home, help me give and sell everything away and then just hit the road! I want to just move out of my apartment this weekend and leave town and start my dream of being a TRAVELING writer and photographer.

I only have one scheduled shoot left on my calendar right now- it's this weekend. I want to finish the gig and then get outta dodge! Crazy? YES! Want to do it anyway? Hell yes!

What's the worst that could happen? My husband and I could run out of money by next week. We could be barely able to find food let alone gas to get to our next destination. We could end up having to beg for cash to come back home with our tails between our legs and look for a new job for my husband (I only say my husband because my job could be done from anywhere with internet access...). While trying to find him work we might have to live with my father-in-law, my parents or in my car.

There! I've figured out the worst case scenario. On the flip side...what's the best thing that could happen? We could come up with a way to have plenty of money on the road. My blogs could get wildly popular and fund our adventures from state to state and then ultimately country to country. We could wake up every day with something new and exciting to do. Then, once we're done with the globe trotting lifestyle we could settle down and maybe start a family or some other adventure.

If my husband and I keep waiting to start living out our dreams, we may end up waiting the rest of our lives. I don't want to wake up one day regretting all the things I didn't do! I want to make a plan to start living out our dreams and goals THIS year! Not next year, next decade or even in retirement....but NOW! Why not?!?

The photo above is what prompted this post. I found it on Ali Brown's facebook page and it really struck a cord in me. Obviously...LOL! I don't want to wait anymore for the perfect moment. The moment may never be perfect. It's beyond time to shake things up. Thinking it's time to discuss this with the hubby. He gets off at 6 and we will definitely be talking tonight!

Source for image above

How To Become a Millionaire

stacks of money image from Wikipedia.org

I want to be a #millionaire ... So, I've given this some thought and here's 10 ways I can acquire a million dollars:

1. Sell 500,000 copies of my eBook 50 Ways to Keep Me From G*mbling since I get about $2 per copy sold. If not this book, then some other awesome eBook I write. This is the most likely scenario anyway out of all the items on my list...IMHO

2. Hang out at the casino more often in hopes of an awkward reenactment of "Indecent Proposal" ....oh wait- I'm not a whore and not Demi Moore....
3. Rob a bunch of banks and then skip town to a non extradition country like in the movies.
4. Take a life insurance policy out on myself. Fake own death. Have hubby collect the money and meet me in another country/town/place...
5. Continue adding money to a retirement account and wait 50 years to let it grow and compound into a million all the while gritting my teeth that it's taking so damn long...

Also see "How to Make 6 Figures in One Year"

6. I heard about a guy that was pretending to be homeless and was making $300K a year doing that...I'm way cuter and could totally get a million dollars in a year or two. Right? LOL! Don't answer this question. Thanks! hahaha
7. Have a long lost relative leave me a hefty inheritance...highly unlikely considering I know all the folks in my family as far as I know and doubt an unknown family member would leave me money at the time of their expiration...but hey....these are just thoughts anyway....
8. Get a wildly popular blog and insane endorsement deals. This could totally happen! If a woman writing about the color of her kids poop can make $2 million on her blog I totally could do that too!
9. Make a crap ton of Youtube videos and get a bunch of hits ala Gangnam Style...
10. Create a product, patent that crap and then sell the bejesus out of it. Pet rock, slinky, koosh ball, and ahem... SNUGGIE .... so why not me?!?

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information. 

You Drink, I'll Eat!!!

Went out with friend on Friday night to have a bite to eat and cocktails. Since I'm not drinking anymore-I ate....desserts...two of them. Creme Brulee AND Strawberry Cheesecake. O. Em. Gee!!!! So yummy it should be illegal!!!! Thank goodness the desserts were minis or I would have ended up in a diabetic coma by the end of the night...They were served in oversized shot glasses and I kept giggling to myself as I thought of that silly line in the movie Grown Ups about getting chocolate wasted because it may not have been chocolate or ice cream, but I was definitely feeling wasted by the end of these two glasses!

Saturday I spent the day at the movies. My husband and I watched three movies but were there for four. We say "Now You See Me" TWICE! I loved it so much I insisted on a second showing. Highly recommended if you like movies about magic like I do. We also watched "After Earth" (snoozefest!) and "Fast and Furious 6" (was this one REALLY even necessary? UGH). Upon returning home I promptly face planted into bed!

Sunday I spent encouraging myself to go grocery shopping and finally around 2 p.m. convinced myself that food would not appear magically in the pantry and refrigerator. (Why not?!? Stamping my feet and throwing a temper tantrum-GRRRRRRRRRR). I couponed a little but still spent more than intended so I am declaring this a week of no eating out! Seriously!

That was my weekend....what was yours like?

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information. 

I Think I'm Going to Start Seriously Hiring Help

I REALLY want to grow my blogging business and I think it's high time I start seriously hiring help. I'm going to find out how to get incorporated and make this business of mine what I REALLY want it to be. I want to hire folks to help me add content to all of my blogs (except this one since it's basically my personal diary LOL).

My goal is to have all of my blogs making me enough money that I can live out my dreams and if I can help others by giving them steady work- all the better, right?!?

The first attempt I made at hiring folks to work for me fizzled out like a sparkler being thrown into water. Depressing! I think round two is in order!

I need to put together an amazing plan and then execute the crap out of it. The sooner the better! Time to seriously get famous in the blogosphere and go from ProBlogger to 6 Figure Earning Problogger! BOOM!