Fall is officially here and it will be Thanksgiving before you know it. Although Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful, we should be practicing gratitude every day. Just noting what you are grateful for each day can help boost your happiness and takes less than five minutes. There actually are several scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. Most people start by being grateful for the big things like having a roof over their head or spending time with loved ones. There is the small stuff too like breathing in the fresh air outside or a positive interaction you may have with a stranger. Too often, we all take the wonderful things in our lives for granted which is why I’ve made a list of journal prompts for gratitude to help us all stop and remember everything good in our lives.
Gratitude for Others
1. Who are you grateful to know and why?
2. What is one nice thing someone did for you today?
3. What is one nice thing you did for someone else today?
4. What traits do you admire in others?
5. How are you able to help others?
6. What’s one thing that someone has given you that you are grateful for?
7. What are you thankful for in your community?
8. What are your favorite traditions?
9. Who has had the biggest influence on you?
10. What am I able to offer to others?
Gratitude for Yourself
1. Make a list of things you are grateful For at this moment.
2. Make a list of things you love about yourself.
3. What experiences have made you a stronger or better person?
4. When were the happiest times in your life?
5. What would you like to attract in your life?
6. Make a list of things that make you happy and keep adding to it.
7. What have you accomplished so far in life?
8. What are you looking forward to?
9. What place are you most grateful for?
10. Is there a book, movie or song that has really inspired you?
11. What’s one mistake or failure that you are grateful for?
12. What do you appreciate in nature?
13. What do you like about your job?
14. What quotes inspire you?
15. What’s the funniest thing you saw or heard today?
16. What makes you smile?
17. What do you take for granted?
18. What material things are you grateful for?
19. What life lessons are you thankful for?
20. What was one big life changing moment for you?
Are there any other gratitude prompts you use in your journal practice? Tell me in the comments.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, I love journaling. I find that journaling has a lot of benefits. It helps clear the mind, look at things from a different perspective and lets you reflect on your past. It’s a great way of keeping track of your goals, remembering dreams, showing gratitude, preserving memories and if you are a writer, it’s one way to create content. Journaling helps me relax before I go to bed, but I’ve been so focused on this blog, I haven’t been journaling as much. That’s something I want to change because I was thinking about how I’ve been writing to preserve memories for Rosebud. When she was a baby, I wrote so many things down, but for the past year, I’ve definitely been slacking which brings me to the topic of journal prompts for moms. I’ll divide them up into categories and hopefully this will help all of us to start or to continue our journaling practice.
Prompts to Preserve Memories
What was your child’s birth story?
What was your family life like growing up?
What lessons did your parents teach you?
What do you wish they would’ve done differently?
What have been the most memorable experiences so far with your children?
Make a list of firsts and write the stories behind them. First words, first food, first steps, first birthday party, first day of school, first night away from home etc.
What was your first memory from your childhood?
Where was your favorite place as a child and where is your favorite place now?
Who were your childhood friends?
What are your child’s favorite toys?
What were your favorite toys as a child?
Did you have any childhood pets? If so, what were they like?
Make a list of things you love about your children.
Exploring the Future
What are your hopes and dreams?
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
What is the most important lesson you want your children to learn?
Write a letter to your older self.
Write letters to your children.
Where do you want your life to be in ten years?
What are your hopes and dreams for your children?
Self Discovery
If you could have any career, what would you do?
What places would you like to see?
If you won ten million dollars, what would you do?
Who do you look up to and why?
What relaxes you?
Make a list of things that bring you joy.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
What do you love about yourself?
If you’re in a relationship, what do you love about your partner?
If you are not in a relationship, what do you look for in a partner?
What are your biggest secrets?
What is your biggest regret?
What does your perfect day look like?
What new activities or hobbies would you like to try?
What does self-care mean to you?
Prompts for Daily Life
What are you grateful for today?
What happened today that made you smile?
What was the worst thing about today?
What’s on the menu for the day or week?
Write a story with your child.
What conversations did you have with your children today?
Is there something about today that you wish you could have done differently?
What is your morning routine like?
What is your fitness routine like?
Did you have any dreams that you remember?
Free Writing Prompts
Some people use a word as a prompt and just write whatever comes to mind. It’s a stream of consciousness exercise. I’ll use some words that may pertain to motherhood.
Motherhood,
Growing,
Working,
Change,
Time,
Happiness,
Expectations,
Wonder,
Plans,
Wishes.
Do you have any go to journaling prompts when you get stuck? Tell me in the comments. If you are looking for a new journal, here are some different styles to choose from. Happy journaling!
If you keep a digital journal like me, check out my favorite journaling app.
Today, I have a wonderful guest post for you by Andee Schmidt who is working on her new blog. When it is up and running, I will add the link to this post. I often talk about personal development and the importance of self-care for moms, so I was happy when Andee approached me to share this post on affordable self-care for mothers. Thank you, Andee for writing this post and sharing with my readers. If you’re on a budget and are in need of some affordable self-care ideas, you’ll definitely want to check out Andee’s self-care suggestions.
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term self-care being floated about. Many times this idea conjures up a “treat yourself” mentality of shopping splurges and face masks, but that’s not always the case. Self-care can be accessible.
But, as mothers, it might feel like there’s barely any time –or money– to focus on you. Read on in this list of affordable self-care ideas to find out how mothers can prioritize themselves, because health shouldn’t be a luxury.
Self-Care for Mothers
Moms have the toughest job in the world. You’re probably feeling overworked and overtired, and that’s precisely why it’s important that you take care of both your mental and physical wellbeing.
Ultimately, self-care is the practice of taking action to improve your own health. Honoring your body, mind, and spirit will help you activate the best version of yourself you can be by improving your physical, mental and/or emotional health.
Although it probably sounds impossible to prioritize an hour for just you, treating yourself to time alone has been proven to improve overall wellbeing. In fact, according to VeryWellMind, it can even make you a better caregiver, because it reduces the feeling of burn out.
Free and Affordable Options
Flex your creativity
You don’t need to be artistic to benefit from an artistic hobby. In fact, the pleasure from art usually comes from the process of creation, not necessarily the final outcome. Whether it’s painting, knitting, drawing or sculpting, budgeting some time per week for a creative hobby can have very positive results. Finding your groove with something artsy is a great way to get into a flow state and let your mind relax.
Remember, coloring books aren’t only for children anymore, but you can always have your kids join the fun and color together!
Relax your mind
Meditation can be intimidating. I don’t know how to do it well or I get distracted are common concerns of those new to the practice. But, here’s the thing, meditating is just about listening to your thoughts and being present in the moment. You can even meditate while taking a shower or while winding down for bed.
Like anything else, meditation takes practice; but here’s a list of good –and free– applications that can get you started: The Mindfulness App,Headspace and Calm.
Become a yogi
You don’t need a large budget for yoga: as long as you have comfortable clothing and a nice quiet space for your practice, you’ll be good to go.
There’s no need to stress about flexibility, stamina or fitness levels. Yoga is more about the mind than the body: learn to be present and mindful of what your body is capable of without worrying too much about perfection. Plus, there are even positions that allow you to lay flat on the floor–mini nap anyone?
Oftentimes, reading is something that falls to the backburner when you have so many other things to worry about. However, reading can be excellent for self-care. Reading is a relaxing activity that helps you take a break from the stress of everyday. Plus, with the boom of audio books you can even read while taking care of your other tasks.
If you’re interested in learning more about self-care, you might want to start by reading some of the books on this list, or these, if you want to read about motherhood.
Take a walk
The good thing about walking? It’s free. And you can do it basically anywhere. Pop in your headphones, or put the kids in a stroller and just walk.
As long as you take the time to think about yourself and take care of your mind, you’ll be practicing some form of self-care. Plus, studies have shown that spending time outdoors can reduce mental fatigue, stress and elevate your mood.
Finding Time for Self-Care
Now this is all peachy… but, many of you might be thinking: how do I get enough time alone to do that?! Prioritizing yourself can be tough when you feel that every second is going to taking care of others. It’s certainly not easy, but here’s a list of quick tips you can use to find the time alone you need:
Occupy the kids
Use the time when your kids are busy as time to squeeze in your self-care. Play dates, nap time and after-school activities are great ways to both entertain your kids and get some free time for yourself.
Put it on your calendar
If you make alone time sporadic, it will feel abnormal for your family. But if you do it weekly and let your kids and partner know this is “mom’s time”, it will become part of their routine and yours!
Ask for help
The truth is, getting alone time while being a mother is nearly impossible, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make a plan with your partner or anyone in you support system so you can ensure you are getting what you need. Lean on the people in your life. Also, if you are able, there’s nothing wrong with hiring a babysitter to get a few hours to yourself.
Many of these activities can also be done with the whole family: take your kids out for a walk, to the movies, or the park and you will soon find yourself with time on your hands to think. But if you are able to get some precious alone time, don’t feel guilty for enjoying it. Remember, moms need to be taken care of too!
About the author:
Andee is a recent college graduate from Arizona State University with a love of writing, the outdoors, and funky cafes. You can usually find her hiking or planning her next trip. She is passionate about traveling, frugal living, her family, and the perfect cup of coffee. She is the writer behind the blog : xx . Find her on Instagram as @andee_schmidt or Twitter @andeeschmidt.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate with Ultimate Bundles and if you make a purchase through the links in this post, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
What’s Inside?
The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is perfect for busy moms. Whether you work from home, work outside the home or if homemaking is your primary job, there is something in this bundle for you. The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is jam packed with resources to help you care for yourself, your home and family. Are you in need of good parenting resources? The bundle includes Emotional Overload: 3 Steps To Fewer Tantrums, Greater Connections & More Cooperation
by Rachel Norman among other parenting resources. Are you in need of recipes or meal planning ideas? You can find that in the bundle as well with The Humbled Homemaker’s Meal Planning Printables Bundle
by Erin Odom. If you are a blogger and need some help making Pinterest work for you, HerPaperRoute Guide To Pinterest Marketing
by Chelsea Clarke is also a part of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.
Even More Resources
As you can see, this bundle covers a variety of topics because we wear a variety of hats! We need to take care of ourselves, our families and our homes. The resources in this bundle are filled with strategies to help you do that. Focus on yourself with Courage Against Uncertainty, Habit Tracker Printables and the Lean Fit Home Workout Guide. Support your family with Command Center for Kids, Mom’s Bff Planner, Creating Family Vision Boards and Date Night Bucket Lists. Take care of your home using the Declutter Your House in a Weekend, the Homekeeping & Cleaning Kit and much more.
A Great Value
The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is a great value! This amazing library of courses and E-books are worth over $2200, but you can get it now for $39.97 for a limited time. The sale ends May 6, 2019. Click here to get the full list of included resources and fore more information about how the bundle works. The homemaking bundle was released just in time for Mothers Day and could make a great gift for the busy moms in your life.
A year ago today, I published my first post here on this blog. I hear a lot of people say that they are afraid to start a blog, so they spend months and months planning all the details. They get everything set up first. The website, the social media, they have their theme perfect etc. Not me. I just wrote and when I thought it was good enough, I clicked the publish button. That’s not to say I didn’t give my blog any thought. I did. I struggled to come up with a name. I had created another blog, published one post and decided it wasn’t the direction I wanted to go. I tested out Blogger and WordPress. I did some research about which platform would be best and which hosting company would meet my needs. Eventually I settled on one, but I didn’t have any content planned. I figured I’d write whatever comes to mind. This brings me to the first lesson I learned with the launch of my new blog.
Make a Plan
I knew from the beginning I wanted to monetize my blog, but it sounds silly not to plan ahead when it could potentially become a business. I suppose it’s apart of my self limiting beliefs. Sometimes I wonder who will read my blog? Will anyone care about what I have to say? Then will anyone buy the products I recommend? The only way to know is to try, but there has to be strategy involved. Over the past year, I didn’t make a dime, but I’ve learned to plan ahead. I have a master list of posts, a posting schedule that I stick to as much as possible and am working on strategies for using social media to bring traffic to my blog. I also have a strategy for working on posts. I start with a basic outline or full rough draft depending on how well my writing comes together. Next, I do some editing and then search for pictures. Usually this takes place over multiple days. By the final day, I’m making the final edits, adding tags and finally creating a pin image before publishing. I still write from the heart, but there is now a method to this madness.
Community is Everything
In the blogging world, you need to connect with other bloggers. Facebook groups have become so valuable to me in the past year. If it weren’t for the members of these groups, my blog would get virtually no traffic. Something that I already understood was the importance of commenting on others blogs. This is one way to build a connection. Yes, it leaves a back link to your site, but more importantly you are giving attention to another blogger’s work and often times, they will reciprocate. I love getting comments on my blog. My greatest accomplishments are the comments where readers tell me, “I really needed to read this today.” Making someone feel less alone and or offering support to other moms is the whole reason I created this blog. I like sharing children’s activities, but the posts I love the most are the ones where I share something more meaningful. Something that can connect with other human beings on a deeper level. If I’ve done that, then I’ve succeeded.
Flexibility
When I first created the blog, I was on fire. I had so many ideas. I was posting a lot more. I knew consistency was key, but I ran out of steam quickly. Life got busy and I started feeling guilty if I didn’t post every day or three times per week. Now I’m lucky if I post twice which is my goal, but I’ve learned that one really great post is better than five posts that were thrown together at the last minute. I feel guilty about posting less, but I’ve learned that I need to use my time and energy wisely. I need to spend time with Rosebud. I need to occasionally take a night for self care. Sometimes I just need to step away from the screen and that’s okay. Building a following, monetization and my overall goal of using my blog as apart of my future business is going slower than I would like, but that has to be okay if I don’t want to become totally burnt out.
It’s Hard Work
I knew blogging wasn’t easy, but I had no idea there was so much involved. I spend a lot of time creating content, but you know what takes up just as much time? Promotion on social media. Not only self promotion, but sharing and commenting on other people’s content. Remember I said we needed to build community? Well, making those connections is hard work. You have to keep commenting and keep sharing content so that fellow bloggers will comment on and share yours as well. I never realized how much time it would take to build up a following on social media. These days, most blogs are on multiple platforms which can be a full-time job in itself. I’ve learned that I can’t always be on social media posting every day. Although you need to keep posting to keep your followers engaged, I don’t have enough hours in the day, but I do my best to keep everything up to date.
There’s Still a lot to Learn
Finally, I’ve realized that there’s still so much to learn. I’m starting to explore seo. Pinterest is barely accessible, but I have been working with it over the past month. I will write more about that in a future post, but it’s another platform to get used to. I’ve recently began using Amazon affiliate links again. I have to redo the links in my previous posts, but I will be working hard to create content that make people interested in the products. I still have some things to learn about affiliate marketing. I’m always trying to improve my writing and to generate more ideas. There is always room for improvement, but at the same time, I have to be proud of what I’ve learned so far. I never thought I could set this blog up on my own, but I have. I didn’t know if I’d still be up and running after a year, but here I am.
Here’s to another year of blogging, learning, growing and achieving my blogging goals. what are your blogging goals? What are your biggest accomplishments so far? Tell me in the comments.
At the beginning of this year, I made a list of books I plan to read in 2019. Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins was one of them. It’s still early in the year, but I’m glad I’ve finished it already. There were a lot of helpful tips for managing fear, changing your mindset and paying attention to what’s really going on in our bodies.
When we respond to fear, it’s our bodies that get triggered first. Your stomach may tighten, your face may get hot, some people break out in hives etc. The response is different for everyone, but it’s that discomfort that makes us not want to face our fears and return to normal as soon as possible. This is great in a situation where your safety is at risk and your gut is telling you to get away, but it’s not so helpful when you need to make changes in your life. Even positive change is scary because it takes us out of our comfort zone. There were several coaching sessions in the book, but I will focus on the first coaching session because it resonated with me as it’s where I am in life right now. I will summarize the five takeaways from the session and explain how they work.
Figuring out your Pattern
The workbook opens up with some questions. What is your biggest fear and what is your response to it? One of my biggest fears is being stuck in the same place in life and never figuring out my purpose. I can’t imagine being stuck at my dead end job for another five or ten years. I don’t even want to imagine it for another six months. I have no passion left for it. It sucks the energy right out of me. Part of my fear is that I’ll never find something that I love doing. I’d settle for tolerable at this point. This is why the first coaching session in the book, Take Control of Your Life, really resonated with me. The coaching session was with Dan, a man whose biggest fear is never figuring out what he wants to do in life. He’s currently a teacher, but wants to retire from that and wonders what else is out there for him, but what stops him from exploring other options is his pattern of thinking and rethinking. I am also an over thinker.
When I was exploring the possibility of becoming a transcriptionist, I was thinking of everything and it became overwhelming. I had so many questions floating around and instead of working on one thing at a time, I’d either jump all over the place or never get anything done. I’d worry about which software I was going to use. How I’d track the money I was making, how much money I’d make, what I’d need for my business, how to do an invoice, what would I do for a style guide? I needed to write a business plan and didn’t know which part to work on first. Basically, I had jumped way ahead of myself. Most of this was before even trying to work for a transcription company and in the end, I figured out that I didn’t want to make it my life’s work. I hated the different style guides, the low pay, the inaccessibility of so many things and how it would take me a long time to get back up to a good speed. I’d need to be transcribing constantly to get fast again and the fact was I didn’t have the time or energy to devote to it. It’s been a similar process with my interest in coaching and the possibility of running a childcare business from my home. I’m still interested in these things, but I often try to think about the big picture and analyze every detail. For example, I was listening to a podcast about how to set up a life coaching website, but I haven’t even taken the certification course yet.
In the book, Mel Robbins talks about wanting to own a small town coffee shop for years. Eventually, she got a job working in a small coffee shop on weekends, but she quickly learned that she hated working there. What she loved about the coffee shop was the sense of community and her ability to afford a daily coffee if she wanted. She also enjoyed taking the time to sit down with a cup of coffee and chat with those around her. What I loved about transcription was the flexible schedule, the ability to work from home and the idea that I’d be making content accessible to people. I was more excited about my work environment and the prospect of helping people than actually transcribing documents. These are all things I can find in other jobs that would be a better fit. Sometimes, we end up hating the thing that we think is our passion, but every time we explore a new possibility, we learn something new about ourselves.
Slow Down
If we keep ourselves too busy, we don’t have to think about what scares us. If I’m busy, I don’t have to apply for jobs. I don’t have to think about what I want to do next. I don’t have to financially plan for how I’m going to get there. If I’m busy, I keep things the same. They are comfortable because they are familiar, but they are uncomfortable at the same time because I feel the tension in my body. If we slow down, we can figure out what we really want to do. You can slow down by taking a walk in nature, meditating, spending time with those who support you, write in your journal, take a hot bath etc. Whatever reenergizes you.
State It To Create It
In the coaching session, Dan says, “don’t laugh” before he states his dream out loud. His passion is wine and he’s interested in taking a class or opening a wine bar. I didn’t think it was laughable. It’s his dream. Mel discussed how we under state our dreams or never state them out loud at all for the fear of being judged. What if we never achieve our dreams, what then? We’ve already stated what we want and now others might hold us accountable. We also fear that people may think our dreams are stupid or crazy.
What if you don’t know what your dream is? Follow what you enjoy. What are you interested in? What have you always wanted to do? Well, I’m in that boat. I don’t know exactly what my dream is. I’m interested in coaching, so my first step would be to figure out one thing I can do to explore it. Maybe it’s taking a class. Maybe it’s talking to a coach. Maybe it’s watching youtube videos. Once you start, it leads to something else.
Brick By Brick
Don’t think too big. Break your goals down into achievable steps that you can work on each day. When you have a box of legos, you construct your building brick by brick. That is how to pursue your dreams. If your dream is starting a blog, sit down with a blank document and write. Then when you have a few entries written, then worry about the next steps of setting up the website, promoting on social media etc. My interest is coaching, so I signed up for a couple of free webinars. It’s not a huge step, but it’s exploration and it’s one action I can take so I’m not just spinning my wheels.
Passion is not a Person, Place or Thing.
I needed to hear this. It’s not the job, a big house or the new relationship that brings passion into your life. It’s what you have within. You grow in to your passion by following your Curiosity. If you are wondering about your passion, try answering these questions. What are you curious about? What would you do for free? Whose life are you envious of and why? Follow the energy inside of you. That’s where passion lives.
1. What is your biggest fear and what is your response? The first piece is to figure out your patterns.
2. Some of us use being busy to cover up our fears. Slow down. Take the time to listen to your inner voice in order to figure out your next steps.
3. State your dreams out loud in order to create them.
4. Achieve your goals brick by brick. Instead of thinking big, think small. Break actions down into small achievable tasks. If the task seems to overwhelming, break it down further.
5. Remember that passion is inside of you. Follow the things you are curious about. Follow the things that energize you and that will lead you in the right direction.
If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to listen to Take Control of Your Life and download the companion workbook. The questions are thought provoking, the tips are super useful and Mel and her coaching clients explain and demonstrate these concepts in a way that I can’t. Each person has a way of sharing their own personal stories. It’s conversational and relatable, so definitely check it out if you are interested in working on your mindset and breaking through fears. Have you read the book yet? What did you think? Tell me in the comments.
Recently, I posted about the memorable books I read in 2018. I got a lot of great feedback from that post and one of my readers left me a comment wondering what I would like to read in 2019. Her comment got me thinking that a to be read list would make a great post. So, here it is. There is plenty of self help with some novels and nonfiction thrown in.
1. Take Control of Your Life
This is the latest release from Mel Robins that will be out in February. I’m a fan of her previous books. She has a direct style and practical advice. Some of the things covered in this book are fears of rejection, being alone and the dreaded, but all too common fear of change. Why not read it? Who doesn’t want to bust through fear and take control of their lives?
2. The Desire Map Experience
It’s not about the goals, to do lists or new years resolutions, but how you want to feel in every part of your life. I think this book will have a lot of useful exercises.
3. The Five Love Languages of Children
I read The Five Love Languages for Singles a couple years ago because I was curious as to what my love language was. It turns out, my love language is receiving gifts. I find the concept interesting and it makes a lot of sense. People have different ways of expressing love and of course, people have different things that are meaningful to them. I saw that Gary Chapman wrote a version for children and now I want to read it. I want to find out what Rosebud’s love language is. Maybe she’s still too young for me to know, but maybe not.
4. The Woman in the Window
A novel written by A. J. Finn, about a woman who lives alone who spies on her neighbors. She believes she has seen a crime, but has she? The book is a best seller and I want to read it to find out why.
5. The Perfect Roommate
Last year, I read a couple of books by Minka Kent and this is the third one I found on Audible. It doesn’t have as many good reviews as her other books, but I figured, why not give it a try? A girl knows some dark secrets about her roommate.
6. Writing creative nonfiction
The title makes it obvious what this book is about. It’s more of a course than a book, but I’m interested in ways of making my writing better. Even though it’s not my day job, why not improve my craft? These lectures include writing samples and exercises that help you with all stages of the writing process.
7. The Best Friend
This one is by Shalini Boland. A woman has a new best friend who seems to have it all, but as she learns more, she finds out her best friend has dark secrets.
8. The Introvert’s Way
A book that helps us introverts to embrace our quiet nature and honor what is unique about us. This book has been on my wish list for a while and I’m hoping to read it this year. It sounds like it will be a refreshing perspective on those of us who are quiet.
9. The Boy who Loved Too Much
A boy has Williams Syndrome. I’m not familiar with it at all, but it causes him to be trusting and overly friendly to everyone he meets. He doesn’t have the natural skepticism that we usually have with strangers. This book is about him and his mother’s challenges in parenting him. Like all parents, she has to choose when to be protective and when to let go, but his condition adds an extra layer.
10. Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul
It seems as though there is a chicken soup book for everything and of course, they have one for travelers. I don’t get to travel these days, but I like learning about other places, so reading about it will have to do for now.
In reality, I have a wish list a mile long, but I’ve picked these ten to start with. I’m sure I’ll read more than ten books this year and will end up reading plenty that aren’t on this list. What have you read so far this year? What books are you planning to read? Tell me in the comments. Happy reading.
I started this blog in March of 2018 and I’ve learned a lot since then. In my welcome post, I mentioned my previous blogs. One was dedicated to early childhood education. It focused on my experiences in the classroom and educational activities. My other blog was more about day to day life. My early childhood blog had a small following, but nothing substantial. I think what helped was all the time and energy I would put into it. I had time to build up a Twitter following and interact more. I had more time to comment directly on other people’s blog posts. Although I was proud of that blog, I lost my passion for working in the classroom and the blog basically died out. I knew nothing about SEO. I didn’t use Facebook and wasn’t apart of a community of any kind. It was very basic. It was fun in the beginning and then I let it go when it wasn’t.
This time around, I’m definitely more excited about my blog. I’m passionate about being a mom, creating content and sharing experiences that might help others. I’m happy with my blog, but it could always be better. In order to make anything successful, you have to plan and set goals. Even if you change the goals, you should have something to strive for. Eventually, I want to incorporate this blog as apart of my business. Whether it be childcare, coaching or both. So, I’m keeping this in mind when I think about my blogging goals.
1. Find additional ways to increase traffic
My main goal is to increase the amount of traffic to my blog. Since March, this has been a challenge. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I am unable to effectively use Pinterest. This puts me at a disadvantage. Many mom bloggers I know use Pinterest as their main source of traffic. I think my content would do well on Pinterest, but since it is inaccessible to me and I do not have the means to pay a virtual assistant to create and schedule pins, I have to think of other creative ways to promote my blog. Most of my current traffic comes from Facebook groups. In 2019, I need to work on finding other traffic sources for my blog.
2. Make posts more SEO friendly
As I’ve already said, I knew nothing about SEO before and not much has changed. I use tags, but I haven’t done my research on which key words I should be using to bring more traffic. I have increased the amount of back links which can bring up my ranking with Google, but it’s not just about back links within your own blog, if reputable sites link back to your blog, that brings the ranking even higher. My goal is to read more articles and maybe take a course on SEO in 2019.
3. Write at least one guest post
On some of the Facebook blogging groups, I see posts asking for guest posts. Guest posting on another blog is a great way to promote your blog because you get exposed to a wider audience. I’d like to guest post, but I don’t know what I’d write. Do I just take one of my post ideas that have been floating around? What if they don’t like what I write? What if it’s not good enough? This thought process may seem irrational, but these are the questions that go through my head. Of course, I don’t have to guest post, but it would be a great opportunity to reach a broader audience. The whole idea makes me uncomfortable, but I could start by hosting a guest post on this blog and simply return the favor.
4. Rejoin Amazon Affiliates and make the required three sales
As you may or may not have noticed, some of my posts had Amazon affiliate links. In my older posts, the links are still there and will take you to a product, but I do not get a commission. Unfortunately, I did not make any sales in 2018 so, my account was closed. The great thing about Amazon Affiliates is that you can reapply. I’m waiting until the traffic to my blog increases before I try again. Now I post links to products for your convenience and I love sharing the products that I use and believe in even if I don’t make a penny. I’m planning to reapply for Amazon Affiliates within the next few months depending on the traffic.
5. Create and follow a schedule
Back in December, I had a final session with my coach and we discussed my blog. My main focus was creating a schedule. At the time, it seemed that Tuesdays and Fridays were the best days to post. Now I’m rethinking it. I still want to post twice per week, but I’m wondering about rearranging the schedule. I’m so worn out on Mondays that I can’t seem to find the energy to put together a post for Tuesday. I try to write on the weekends, but Rosebud is no longer napping so, it’s harder to find the time. Maybe Mondays and Fridays would work better, but then again, there’d only be two days between posts and then nothing for several days. I need to get my butt in gear and schedule posts ahead of time, but as a multitasking mom, when do I have time for that? This goal is a lofty one, but it’s one I really need to work on.
To recap, my goals are to find additional ways to increase traffic, make blog posts more SEO friendly, to write at least one guest post, to rejoin Amazon Affiliates and to create and follow a posting schedule. What are your blogging and or business goals for 2019? Tell me in the comments.
I know 2019 is already here, but I wanted to share some of the books I read last year. I read close to 50, but here are ten of the books I really enjoyed or were the most memorable. I wasn’t much of a reader until my late 20’s. I mostly read nonfiction and rarely branched out. Lately, I’ve been trying a bit of everything and read quite a few novels last year. I’ve branched out into self-help as well. With those books, I take the gems that resonate with me and leave the rest.
In 2018, there were a few that stood out to me and I found lessons that I could actually apply in real life. Since I am talking about self-help, I’ll start with those in no particular order.
Self Help
The 5 Second Rule
Listening to this book was like having Mel Robbins sitting right here talking. It was relatable and practical. The 5 second rule is a great strategy to help you stay motivated and last year, there were a lot of times where I put it into practice. Especially surrounding my morning routine. If you haven’t heard it, you should check it out and maybe you’ll find it helpful.
Kick Ass With Mel Robbins
This Audible original consists of several coaching sessions with Mel Robbins. This was interesting because Mel is more confrontational than most coaches I’ve heard of, but she made a lot of valid points with these particular clients. There were a variety of topics discussed and overall, it was an interesting listen.
Light is the New Black
Throughout this book, there were many thought provoking questions posed. This gave me lots of journal prompts to work through. There was some awesome quotes and affirmations that I really like. I enjoyed answering some of the questions in this book and it helped me to realize that I needed to get back to writing and journaling.
Attached
This book is written by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller. I’m cheating a bit. I read this book towards the end of 2017, but I am including it on this list because I found it insightful. I thought I had one attachment style, but after answering the questions in the book, my results were much different than I expected. It made a lot of sense to me. This knowledge will definitely help in the future. It was an eye opening read.
Nonfiction
When the Air Hits Your Brain
This was a well written account of one doctors experience being a Nero surgeon. His stories about his patients and colleagues were real and and at times filled with a lot of emotion. I cried during chapter 10. The story about the baby just got me. There were instances of sadness and death, but there were medical miracles too. I enjoyed this book.
The Sound of Gravel
This book was more shocking and disturbing than enjoyable. I love documentaries and and reading stories about people’s lives. At times that includes a lot of sadness and shocking and scary things. A lot of negative stuff that happens in this world is preventable. Especially when it comes to children. This book was proof of that. Spoiler alert! The author does find a better life, but it was a long hard road.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I learned from the Cat
I love these Chicken Soup books when it comes to stories about pets. I’ve read Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul and Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. There were amazing stories in all three of these books. Some were sad enough to make me cry and others made me laugh out loud. It’s amazing how pets can comfort, rescue, create bonds, play and help heal us. If you are an animal lover, I’d definitely recommend this series of books.
Fiction
The Perfect Mother
This book was a thriller with a few twists. A group of mothers meet up for play dates and one of the babies disappears. Some of the mothers come together to try to solve the case which takes you in a few different directions.
Little Fires Everywhere
A Chinese mother places her baby up for adoption and a white family is in. the process of adopting her. It becomes a controversial issue in the small town where the book takes place. The focus is on one family. An unusual woman and her daughter are new in town and they have a major impact on the whole family. This story has lots of layers and deals with a wide variety of issues both within a family and in the wider community.
The Memory Watcher
A young mother puts her child up for adoption. It seems that the perfect family has adopted her, but there are issues that get uncovered throughout the book. The characters were complex and no one was who they seemed to be. It was a fast read and the ending felt like the author could continue the story if she wanted to. If you like suspense or family drama, you’d probably enjoy reading this book.
This year, I hope to read many more books and by next year, I will have created another list. I just started reading My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward.” What are you reading right now? What have you read that you’ve loved? Tell me in the comments and happy reading.
I’ve been meaning to do a series of posts leading up to 2019, but I’ve been so busy with the holidays and watching Little Guy that I’ve had no energy left at the end of the day. I want to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Actually, I want to sleep long before that. Usually it starts as soon as I hear Rosebud talking to herself in the morning since she refuses to sleep in, even if she goes to bed late. She has also given up naps for the most part, so she’s been exhausted lately. Although I love blogging, I haven’t had it in me. I’m hoping to get back on track in the new year.
I was one of those people last year who decided to have a word as a theme to 2018. Well, my word was change and 2018 turned out to be the complete opposite. If I were to sum up 2018 into one word, it would be stuck. I felt like I was in a maze, going down one path only to realize it led back to where I started. At the end of 2017, I was able to come up with a long list of wonderful things that happened that year. I reconnected with some great people I had lost touch with, I took pottery classes, I was able to make big improvements on my home and Rosebud grew so much and met so many milestones.
This year was hard. The cats were sick a lot. Most of my coworkers retired, moved away or quit because they couldn’t take it anymore. Since then, it has been a revolving door of new faces. I’m usually anxious about meeting new people, so this has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. On one hand, I think it will be exciting to meet new people because maybe, just maybe, it will be someone I can connect with. Then I usually end up disappointed because we don’t share the same interests, our personalities aren’t compatible or there’s just nothing there. this goes for coworkers, friendships or relationships. My exploration of transcription fell through and I decided it wasn’t for me. Coaching is still an option, but I will have to take out a loan to cover the cost of training, so this will have to wait. Maybe I can start this year depending on how things go. I missed out on pottery classes because they fill so quickly and I didn’t find other classes that interested me. The improvements I made to my home were minimal, but on the flip side, I’m lucky that there aren’t urgent things that need fixing.
For the positive, Rosebud has become quite a conversationalist. She always has something adorable to say. Her latest thing is reading to me. I love hearing her try to retell a story or make up her own. The other positive thing was meeting Little Guy at work. We clicked since day one and now I have connected with his family. I’ve watched him a lot this month which not only has allowed me to make some extra money, but has given me a great trial run in childcare from home. I have to say that it has been going great except for yesterday. I woke up in a bad mood, Rosebud was crabby and Little Guy was tired and his family is in the middle of moving to a new house. He was not acting like himself for most of the morning, so it was a difficult day all around. We will all have those days though no matter where we are or what we are doing.
Here are my goals and hopes for the new year.
To finalize a career plan. Do I want to have my own business and what will I be doing? I will be taking a training this month on home childcare since I’m leaning towards watching a couple kids from home. My long term plan would be to continue being a childcare provider for the next couple of years. Meanwhile, I could start building up a coaching business.
Take a class for fun. It could be pottery or something else.
Get back to a regular exercise routine. I’ve been slacking lately!
Journal regularly. I know I’ll look back on this time later and regret that I haven’t kept up with it. I want to keep the memories of Rosebud while she is little.
Turn one room in my house into a play room.
Get Rosebud potty trained. This has been a hard and frustrating thing we’ve been working on.
Let go of things I don’t need. Whether they be objects or self limiting beliefs.
Read at least 20 books. This should not be hard with my Audible subscription.
Take one night per week for self care.
Post on the blog on a regular schedule. Over the past few months, I’ve figured out that Tuesdays and Fridays work best for me.
Well, I’ll be busy this year, but I’m excited to get started. If I do something each day to reach my goals, I’ll get there eventually, but I know I have to start by breaking it down into achievable steps. I won’t be choosing a word or making new years resolutions, but I will be progressing towards long-term goals. At the end of the day, I know I need to get back to basics. Spending quality time with Rosebud, maintaining a healthy mind and body and focusing on writing and creating because those things make me the happiest. Even if I don’t have a play room by next January or if I. Miss out on pottery classes once again, I know there are still things to be grateful for. I could dwell on everything I didn’t accomplish from last year, but why? Maybe I won’t accomplish everything I set out to do this year and that’ll be okay. What are your goals and hopes for 2019? Will you be working on setting goals with your kids? Introducing Smart Goals is a great way to start! What keeps you motivated? Let me know in the comments.
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Prompts for Daily Life
1. Find additional ways to increase traffic
