Oh The Embarrassment!

In my senior year of high school, choosing what word or name I would have typed on the back of my school jersey was oh so nerve-racking. The jersey was going to be worn for the full year at school and beyond so it was important to get the wording right. I had opted to put Jonesy on my jersey because that was my nickname at school, but then my drama teacher suggested I be a bit more creative and put ‘Do Ya Get It?’ on the back. I would always say this after saying a joke or a story and it became my little phrase. I thought that was much cooler than Jonesy, so I rubbed out Jonesy and put ‘doyagetit?’ on the order form.

When I got my jersey it was awesome and I wore it with pride. It wasn’t until I wore my hair down that a friend pointed out to me my jersey read ‘tit?’ I was so embarrassed and vowed to always wear my hair up when wearing my jersey. But I couldn’t not see it even when I looked at the whole phrase. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t picked it up earlier. Looking back now it shouldn’t have been a big deal, but back then I was embarrassed to have tit written on my back.

I wish that was the only time I had made a writing or typing error, but it’s not. I once sent minutes of a meeting mistyping my sales manager’s name with Penis instead of Denis. P and D aren’t anywhere near each other on the keyboard but I somehow typed it and didn’t proofread before emailing it out. Thankfully my colleagues found it hilarious. And possibly a bit of prophecy because the sales manager could be a bit of a … well the word rhymes with tick.

Anyway, last week, I had an interesting conversation with a company about sponsored content on my blog after the recent change with Google hitting bloggers if they don’t share the right links on posts they have been gifted product to write. I brought up the issue with a company that gives me a bit of sponsored content and have been great to work with… until I was told I couldn’t disclose to my readers I was being paid for sponsored content.

I told them I couldn’t do that which means I won’t be able to do any more work for them. To get the drama off my chest I headed to a Facebook group page with some of my close blogging buddies, organizing details to catch up at the end of the week. I went to start a new post on the page to discuss my conversation and it was quite detailed. It wasn’t until I pressed publish I realized I had posted it on my personal Facebook page and not on the group page so EVERYONE could publicly read my little rant. I deleted straight away, but of course some friends got to read it and I had to apologise and I did get cheek burn. I’m not ashamed of it because I don’t have anything to hide.

I have done a mix of follow and no-follow links on my sponsored posts in the past. From what I understood (and what had been explained to me), as long as the brand fit with the content on my blog, there was no issue and most of the trade related companies have been a great fit for my blog. I also asked bigger bloggers who I admire what they did.

I understand the blogger frustration of being asked to do a sponsored post and offer a follow link when Google advises it should be no follow. I had hoped the recent change of Google penalizing bloggers for gifted content will stop follow links being asked for in sponsored content, but it hasn’t. Until it’s law I don’t think anything will change. Not all bloggers understand the ramifications of sharing a follow link.

Just for clarification, all sponsored content on The Plumbette, past and future are no-follow links and will always be disclosed at the top of the post.

Anyway that wasn’t the only embarrassing thing that happened to me last week.

When I went to pick up Esther from school last Thursday she pointed out quite loudly down the corridor ‘Mum what’s on your bottom?’
A quick back glance and moving my dress around to see what she was talking about revealed I had sat in chocolate. Phoebe must have smeared her chocolate hands on our black leather couch which I had sat on. The brown marks were across my bottom so they looked like period stains or poo. Oh the embarrassment!

I walked home with my head held high, pushing my semi-trailer pram and hoping no one would tell me I had stains on my dress.
Lesson learned, don’t wear a white dress when you treat your kids to some chocolate. It will come back to bite you on the arse.

Literally.

Had any “oh the embarrassment” moments lately? What makes your cheeks burn? The ones on your face, of course. 

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.