Achieving Your Blogging Dreams: Building a Framework Blogging Handbook

I was a bundle of nerves when I first started my blog. Would people actually read what I had to say? Would I be able to grow my site? And there seemed to be so much to learn! Could I really figure it all out?

These are the types of fears that hold a lot of people back from blogging. I have had so many people tell me, “I want to start a blog, but…” They let their fear take over. And they never take that first step toward starting a blog that could positively impact their life in SO many ways.

I am so thankful that I pushed my own fears and nervousness aside and just got started so I could reap the benefits that blogging offers! I’ve gained an incredible creative outlet. I’ve found a community of people who are passionate about the same things I am. I’ve been able to impact people all around the world. And I’ve been able to earn money doing the things that I love… how crazy is that?!

But I haven’t had to do it alone. I’ve had help from my friend Abby at Just a Girl and Her Blog. Abby and her husband, Donnie, are full time bloggers, and they have been this huge source of blogging advice the last couple years.

They recently released the third version of their eBook/course Building a Framework:The Ultimate Blogging Handbook, which is specifically geared toward helping new bloggers get started but also a great source for existing bloggers that need a boost of inspiration.

Happy 1st Birthday Blog

A year ago this week, I decided to make a commitment to grow and enter the blogging UK blogging community as a lifestyle blogger. I had posted a few blog posts in Spring 2014 but did not consider myself a "blogger" until February 2015. I found myself reading more blogs and soon discovered blog hops or linkups with other bloggers. There was this large community of parent bloggers in the UK that I could learn from and instantly started making connections. I started joining in with weekly linkups and started to take more photos of my family. I am constantly learning new skills. There is a lot I wish I could have accomplished this last year but I am really grateful for the new opportunities that I experienced due to my blog.

#BEDN Goodbye November and Hello December

This month, I am joining Elizabeth from Rosalilium for Blog Every Day in November #BEDN 2015. This blogging challenge is to encourage the participates to focus on blogging every day in November.
I still find it hard to schedule time into my day to blog and accomplish all the different ideas for my blog. I ended up publishing 11 blog posts in November which is twice as many as October. I did not accomplish daily blog posts but I was actually researching and drafting up many December posts and future blog posts. I love Christmas so I think December will have increased traffic and blog posts.

Blog Every Day in November #BEDN 2015

Happy November! This month, I am joining Elizabeth from Rosalilium for
Blog Every Day in November #BEDN 2015. This blogging challenge is to encourage the participates to focus on blogging every day in November.

I wanted to join this blogging challenge to motivate myself to publish more blog posts this month. I have several family/photo linkups that I constantly do every month but I have many other blog posts ideas that I just can't seem to finalise. In the last 9 months of blogging, I have taken hundreds of photos in preparation of blog posts about crafting, UK travel, cooking/baking and other ideas been struggle to publish the blog posts. It could be partly because I find it challenging to create blog posts "perfect" for publication but mostly it because I have two children that make to hard to focus on blogging for about 80% of my day. I love being a mother (most of the time) but by the time the children are sleeping soundly in the evening, I am so tired that I really just want a cup of hot tea and my brain is falling asleep.

Top Reasons How Blogging Has Changed Me Life & Why I am Celebrating! GIVEAWAY!

I have made it through 4 months of blogging! I am still a blogging "newbie" but most bloggers can tell you that blogging is lot of hard work so every milestone is worth celebrating!

NEW FAMILY ADVENTURE My blogging experience has involved the whole family. My sweet children have allowed me to take endless photos of them.  My husband and I have worked as a team to learn about the technology side of blogging. My husband has even gone on trips to the park to take "stock" photos of flowers, read books on blogging, and sent me links to interesting blogging articles. We have been provided some fun items to "review" and look forward to new adventures in the future together. CELEBRATE!

Dear Blog - Time Keeps Flying By

Dear Blog - 

Just a quick note to say that I am thinking about you! The last couple weeks, I have been busy with a new "professional project" and have not had much time to visit you! I hope this weekend to share my "Me & Mine" photo, share how much you (blog) have changed our lives, post a 3-Month Anniversary  Giveaway and announce June's Month Long Father's Day Link Up! 

I will come visit again later today! 

Love,

Christina xoxo

Adventures in Blogging 2015 - 17/52

This is the one blog post that I look forward to completing each week. (Even though it is a little late this week.) I am amazed by how quickly the "blogging world" moves along. I started focusing on blogging 2 months and 1 week ago but I amazed by how many friendly people I have met and how it has changed my family's life. I think I will always struggle with how to accomplish the long list of blog articles that I want and making sure that I am spending quality time with my family. This adventure in blogging requires my whole family's support. My husband is my biggest supporter. He is the person that listens to talk endlessly about my "blogging". He currently reading a book on technical blogging. He is the "IT Manager" and is constantly learning new information and skills to support my blog and me.

Adventures in Blogging 2015 16/52

I  continue to have lots of ideas of blog posts that I would like to publish but time is very limited at times.  I caught myself being really stressed and saying "I must get that blog post finalised" but actually I am the only person that is putting pressure on myself. Blogging is amazing opportunity to document my life and things that inspire me but never should feel stressed about it.  Blogging can be worked around my family's daily life. Last week, Mr L was on holiday Monday - Wednesday so I did not have much time during the day to blog and so less blog posts than normal.

Adventures in Blogging 2015 15/52

This last week has been busy working on catching up with blogging from being away during Easter Holiday.   Beside doing several links up with my fellow bloggers last week, I also wrote a "review" for a new toy that I purchased for my daughter. I wanted to create an example of a review that I could provide a company but also it was good practice. I have responded to 6 blogger requests. It was interesting to see whom was applying for this opportunities. I would like to focus more on Pinterest and learn more about picmonkey.

Adventures in Blogging 2015 13 & 14/2015

We had a lovely Easter Weekend Holiday in Norfolk but now I feel completely behind on blogging.  I worked very hard on Thursday before leaving for holiday (vacation) to schedule posts and tweets to be published when away. It was nice to have a break from blogging.

My main job these days is motherhood but I think of blogging is a job also.  Like all jobs, there are moments when I get discouraged blogging but I have complete control on how I dedicate my time. My focus at the moment is to more efficient with my efforts. There are many bloggers that I admire that I want to support by participating in their "link ups".  Joining "link ups" have been a great way to meet other bloggers and for ideas for written and photographic blog postings. I have been mainly focusing on sharing photos and information about my children because they are the main focus in my life right now.  I like the idea of recording my children growing up for the grandparents and myself but I don't know if that is what I want to be the main focus of my blog.

Adventures in Blogging 2015 12/52

Another week of blogging has passed and I hope that I am more knowledgeable. In some ways, I feel that I did not accomplish as much as normal because my list of blogging posts I need or want to get done continues to grow. I do feel more relaxed about it this week. I received some insight from Donna of What the Redhead Said about how he deals with the balance between blogging and family time that really made me feel better about things. A couple times this week, I have set the timer or given myself an hour in the day to focus on blogging and then walked away from the computer to try to really focus and appreciate my time with my children. I am still staying up too late blogging. 

My Liebster Award - LadyBug Home & Designs

I feel extremely honoured to be nominated for the Liebster Award this last week.  I have been blogging for a little over a month now so to have 2 of my fellow bloggers nominate me for award is very humbling.  

Thank you to Karis of Little Dorothy Makes for nominating for this award.  Karis lives in Norfolk where she is the mother two beautiful girls. She has a Folksy shop and on her blog does craft tutorials. She has been blogging since October 2014.  I look forward to reading her "Friday Craft Round Up" in the future. 

She can be found on twitter as: @littledorothym1

My Favourite Blog Posting: Easter Eggs Craft with Children 

Thank you to Eat.Love.Live for my 2nd nomination.  This mother of a gorgeous little girl is originally from Australia but is now living in London.  She started blogging early March but already has posted a yummy recipe for savoury muffins, articles about fashion and given some mothering advice.  

She can be found on twitter as: @eatloveliveblog

My Favourite Blog Posting: The Secret Mummy Society 

My understanding of this award is it is designed for bloggers that are just starting their blogging journey or have a small loyal following. This is opportunity to link up with other bloggers and pass the award forward. 

Adventures in Blogging 2015 11/52

It has been officially 1 month since I have been blogging constantly.  I have moments of enjoying blogging and others times being frustrated.  I have loved reading and discovering new blogs.  There are so very talented women and men bloggers in the UK and Ireland.  It is encouraging that blogging can open up doors for new projects and new friendships.  I have felt frustrated with not having enough time in the day to accomplish all the different topics that I would like to write about.  There is some guilt that I sometimes blogging keep me from spending time with my "little ones". After reading the article "Finding Time to Blog" by Gemma of Gemma The Family Girl blog, I need to be more focused about creating a content calendar and focus being more efficient of writing posts.

Adventures in Blogging 2015 10/52

Nominated for "A Lovely Blog Award" from Alice of Toast for Tea?. Huge Thank You! I completely deleted my "Linky Love" page by accident but re-created it.  The Mothering Sunday Link Party had no submissions.

BLOGGING ADVICE/TUTORIALS

How to Embed Pinterest Boards on Your Website [Quick Tip] by Ginny Soskey of HubSpot Blogs 

The Ultimate HTML Cheat Sheet for Beginners by Dana of I Can Build a Blog

One Lovely Blog Award - LadyBug Home & Designs

Thank you Alice from Toast for Tea? for nominating LadyBug Home & Designs blog for One Lovely Blog Award. I have a long list of blogs that I have found very inspirational the last couple weeks. Some of my nominations may have more experience than other but they are all "lovely".

Here’s how the award works:

One Lovely Blog Award nominations are chosen by bloggers for newer or up-and-coming fellow bloggers.The goal is to help give recognition and to also help the new blogger reach more viewers. It also recognises blogs that are considered to be “lovely” by the blogger who chose them. This award acknowledges bloggers who share their story or thoughts in a beautiful manner to connect with their viewers and followers. In order to “accept” the award the nominated blogger must follow several guidelines.

The guidelines for the One Lovely Blog Award are:

Thank the person who nominated you for the award.

Add the One Lovely Blog Award logo to your post and/or blog.

Share 7 facts/or things about yourself.

Nominate 15 bloggers you admire and inform nominees by commenting on their blog

7 Facts about Me:

1. I was born and raised in Oregon, USA.  The weather in my hometown is very similar to England. It is very green and beautiful there.

2. I have a twin sister (not identical).  My mother did not know she was having twins until 6 hours before we were born.

3. My sister and I worked as lifeguards and swim instructors during the summers when I was younger.  My father was a lifeguard and springboard diver in university.  I once taught a beginning diving class but actually could not dive myself.

4.  Met my husband at a dinner party at a childhood friend's house. The party host asked me to pick this "guy" up from his hotel but I said "no" and went by the liquor store instead.

5.  I love lime candy but don't have any tooth cavities.

6.  I love to bake with daughter but am not a very good cook.  I am expert at re-heating prepared food but can't cook raw meat.  Hubby does not eat meat anyway.  Love my mother-in-law's roast dinner.

7.  Followed my dream and started a small business in July 2013.  I purchased hundreds and hundreds of yardage of ribbon from eBay.  I have a large collection of buttons also.  I make cute toddler bows but currently not selling due to being on maternity leave.  I have several new products to sell when re-open Easy shop this summer.

Nominated Blogs:

Adventures in Blogging - 2015 9/52

Another adventurous week of blogging involved downloading Adobe Photoshop to work on a badge for blog and creating my first link party.  Even though I have been trying to promote Mothering Sunday Link Party, I have gotten no response.  It is running until March 22nd but it is a new experience.

My goals this next week is to create "Disclosure/Privacy" page on blog and look into being "PR Friendly".

Adventures in Blogging - 2015 8/52

First week of relaunching LadyBug Home & Designs' blog.  I am currently on maternity leave until late June so my Etsy and Ebay selling is inactive.  The highlights of the last week was discovering some very inspirational blogs, learning some basic HTML, and participating in some "Link Parties".

Some goals for next week will be looking at hosting a "Link Party" in the future, creating a badge for blog, discover and network with more blogs, and research some companies that I would like to work through affiliate links.

My main focus is to focus on high quality content blog postings, to remember to enjoy blogging, and spend precious time with my children.