Donna Freedman

Good morning, Philadelphia.

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Rocky Statue © by jsalvino

I left my apartment at 1:20 p.m. Thursday and landed in Philly at about 7:20 a.m. Friday. During that time frame I got myself to the airport (bus, light rail), wrote my finalist essay for the PF Olympics (more on that in a minute), visited with my daughter during my three-plus-hour layover in Phoenix and slept a few hours on the plane.

In the 90 minutes since landing I’ve brushed my teeth, charged my laptop and phone, checked e-mail, and polished and sent off that essay. Thanks to all of you who voted, I did make it to the PF Olympics finals. All 16 finalists were given the same assignment:

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How to make money blogging.

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Plenty of people want to make money with blogs. Crystal Stemberger is someone who actually has. In the past year she has earned $6,000 to $23,000 per month with a handful of blogs plus work as a consultant, mentor and ad-sales manager.

Yep, she’s busy – but somehow she found time to write an e-book. Crystal recently released “How I Make Money Blogging: The Beginner’s Guide to Building a Money-Making Blog.”

If you’re at all interested in electronic earnings, this is a work you should read – and here’s your chance to win a copy or, failing that, to get $10 off the purchase price.

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A matter of timing.

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Kitchen Timer © by Cea.

The kitchen timer Mom gave me is working once more. It had met a clumsy yet oddly appropriate end about two years ago, when I knocked it off the counter and into the bucket of bleach water I was using to mop the floor.

I cried out in dismay, and later cried actual tears. Yes, it was just a timer. But it meant something to me. It was a gift from my mother, during a time when I couldn’t talk about what was going on in my life – but she knew what she saw, and she must have guessed that what she couldn’t see was much worse.

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Sweet smells for summer.

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2008 08 07 – 9079 – St Petersburg – Hermitage – Bathing Aphrodite and Eros © by thisisbossi

Much of the country has been baking in higher-than-normal summer temps. Stinking hot, in meteorological terms.

Days like those call for tepid showers or long, cool soaks. This week’s giveaway will help you along. They will also help you not to stink.

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High-stakes self-promotion.

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Jo Seated on the Old Sofa from © by cliff1066™

For the second year in a row I’m speaking at the Financial Blogger Conference. This year there’s something new going on: the “PF Olympics,” a competition for the best personal finance writing.

The competition is kind of like being on “Dancing With The Stars”: It doesn’t really matter whether your footwork is as good as the other couple’s. As with just about any Internet-based contest, the determining factor is how many votes you get.

An element of skill is involved, if you get to the finals. But I’m not there yet, so once again I’m asking for your help.

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