Dear Friends of Creative Kristi,
Thanks for having me today. I’m still a rookie so I am always excited to guest post. I’m thrilled to be a part of the Spread Bloggy Love series. I’ve been blogging about my home for just over a year now and have learned so much. Cliche but true!
A Different Take on Blogging
I’m different from a lot of bloggers in that I’m really trying to keep my blog as a hobby. While I would love to grow a business out of it I just don’t feel I can devote the time necessary to do anything major until my little ones are school age. Ultimately, when they reach elementary school I’d like to go “all in” but I’m certainly not rushing that. Most days anyway! 
Know yourself. Some people multitask better than others. I am a bit of a dreamer by nature and I really have to work to stay focused and on task in general. I struggled initially with balancing my blog & household chores. Not to mention motherhood! I know that some people CAN do it all. They can craft, sell things, run a business and be the cookie baking, doting Mom. I had to come to terms with the fact that I cannot be all of those things. Don’t judge those who can – just accept what YOU are capable of doing.
Make blogging work for you. I realized I couldn’t post everyday. I couldn’t do enough projects in my house to “keep up” in the home blogging niche. I went through a sulking stage and a “I can stay up until 2 am, no prob” stage but ultimately I decided to map out what I can do. The result? I post 3 times a week and do a couple of projects a month. I hold myself accountable to my “new” standard of blogging.
Be open to social media. I was extremely hesitant to jump on the social media bandwagon. Twitter scared me. So many people conversing was just overwhelming. However, I’ve learned that it really can help create relationships and build your blog. In real life I’m a listener and observer more than a talker so it can be difficult to jump in the conversation. Go for it! You’ll be glad you did. It is okay to take a breather from it every now and then. When I’m overwhelmed I turn Tweetdeck off. Kristi is a great example of someone who has really embraced social media. She knows SO many people because of Twitter. I could learn so much by her example.
Turn off the perfectionist that lives in your head. I want to have the best blog that I’m capable of having. I want a zillion followers. I want to do what I can to continue to build it. However, if I expected every project to be “the one” I would have quit by now from anxiety. It doesn’t mean I can’t try to put my best stuff out there. It just means if a project or post doesn’t really get the response you expect, let go of it and move on.
Just Do It! You want to start a blog but you’re not sure how. You have a blog but you haven’t joined Twitter or any linky parties. You don’t know how to take professional pictures or use Photoshop. All of these things described me a year ago. I had no idea what I was doing. I’m still learning as I go. If I had waited until I learned how to do everything I would have never gotten started! Just. Do. It.
There are no rules in blogging. {gasp} Did I just say that? Really there aren’t. I’m a rule follower so I know these things. If there were rules I would know. So create your own & blog your way. You’ll be glad you did!
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Bloggers that Inspired Me
Southern Hospitality was one of the first blogs I looked to for help when I started. Rhoda has a great post for new bloggers. I really took her words to heart. I’ve learned from her that it is okay to start out slow. You don’t have to build your blog overnight! She was very responsive to my emails and questions which I really appreciated.
Kimmie at Sugar and Dots was one of my first followers. Her blog is funny and endearing. She doesn’t take blogging too seriously yet she manages to have a fun, successful blog. I’ve used her blog as a footprint for mine. When she added an RSS feed I did the same which really helped my growth. She really puts herself out there which is something I admire but am still working on.
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Brittany (Pretty Handy Girl), Kristi, and Sandra (Sawdust and Paperscraps) took me under their wing at Blissdom and gave me all kinds of great tips. I downloaded Tweetdeck and rearranged my page because of their feedback. I bought my domain name based on their advice. I also have learned a lot about advertising, etc because they are so willing to share!
Erin is married to her college sweetheart and stays busy at home with Lacey (almost 4) and Reid (15 months). She loves dessert and catalogs. Join Erin at Two Story Cottage where she takes her suburban home from Plain Jane to Fancy Nancy. Like her blog she is a work in progress!
Oh and P.S.- Her BIRTHDAY was the other day so leave her some Birthday Wishes!!!
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Have a happy day,
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I love Erin too! She’s such a sweetheart & I got to room with her at Blissdom. Great post, Erin, you are doing a wonderful job balancing blogging & motherhood.
THanks for the shoutout! I love helping new bloggers, since we were all new at one time.
Thanks, Rhoda!
Thanks, Kristi, for the sweet words! I really enjoyed guest blogging for your series!!! Thanks for having me.
Thanks Kristi for giving Erin some time. Unbelievable, how perfect the timing of this post is! I’m almost to tears…not quite, but close. I started my blog TODAY! Published my first post and I have NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING! But, it was sooo rewarding and satisfying! Thanks Erin for the encouraging words! I hope to one day meet all of the gals I’ve been following! Tootles.