All my ingredients for my slow cooked beef and vegetable casserole. I did leave out the capsicum so don't worry about that item.
I love going to the Veggie Patch in Blackheath. As the name suggests they sell fresh produce: fruit and vegetables. However, they also sell pasta, sauces, and all sorts of yummy things.
The Veggie Patch at Blackheath. This greengrocer supplies lovely fresh produce with great service.Pasta, sauces and other yummy things available at the Veggie Patch at Blackheath.
The produce always looks so fresh, the staff that work there are super friendly, and seem to really care about what they are doing. Everyone that works at The Veggie Patch treats the produce with such care.
The wonderful fresh produce from the Veggie Patch at Blackheath. They even have FREE delivery.
Another nice thing that makes me love this fruit and veg shop is that it is a small business and I am helping the local economy by shopping here.
I even purchased my meat from the local butcher (The Blackheath Butchers) and the crusty bread for this meal at the bakery (The Sourdough Bakery in Blackheath) both located in Blackheath, just doors down from the Veggie Patch. Hence, it makes all the shopping so convenient.
Sourdough with sunflower seeds. This bread is so yummy you just want to have more of it.
My slow Cooked Beef & Vegetable Casserole
I don’t have a slow cooker but I have a fancy looking casserole dish (It is a pretty blue and has white spots – very funky and retro looking). Due to not having a slow cooker my casserole dish ends up acting like one instead. I add all the ingredients. Put it in the oven and let it cook for hours. Job done, and a delicious one too!
You might say that this is rather old school regarding slow cooking, and you are probably right.
I have looked at getting the new slow cookers but they are very big and will take up an enormous amount of space that I don’t have in my small kitchen with limited counter tops.
This recipe for slow cooked beef & vegetable casserole is perfect for those cool autumn nights and when it gets even colder in winter. You can have a nice piece of crusty bread with this dish, and a glass of red wine. I’m sure you would not want much more after this. Aside, from having a roaring wood burning fire that is.
So how do you make my scrumptious casserole? Read on to find out how easy this really is.
All my ingredients for my slow cooked beef and vegetable casserole. I forgot the capsicum.
Before you get started, make sure to heat up the oven. Set it to 180 ℃
INGREDIENTS:
2 carrots
A big handful of beans
6-8 small potatoes cut up finely
3-4 pieces of broccolini
1 onion chopped to small or bite sized pieces
6-8 mushrooms roughly chopped up
1 tin of Diced Italian Tomatoes with Basil, garlic, and onion. My tin was from Woolworths but you can have any really, it is up to you and what type of casserole you are making.
Beerenberg Taka Tala Sauce and Marinade – I added the whole jar (This sauce was also purchased at the Blackheath Butchers). It is up to you what sauce you use. You could use a red wine slow roasting casserole or any sauce for slow cooked meals. I know that this sauce is really a marinade but it works very well as a casserole or in a slow cooker.
You can serve this with mash potato or sometimes I like to add carrots or other vegetables to the mash as well. It gives lovely different colours and add to the flavour of the dish
If you decide that mash is not what you would prefer, then you can choose rice or maybe some leafy greens for a nice side to balance the meat and vegetables.
Note: You can substitute any vegetable or ingredient that you would rather. Also, if you have things in the fridge or cupboard that would work, use them, and have a tasty meal with items you already have.
I was going to have mash potato with this meal but decided against it due to adding potatoes to the mixture. Instead I’m having some rice and serving it with some crusty bread.
Another view of all the fabulous fresh vegetables.
METHOD:
Cut up all the vegetables and add the sauce as well as the tomatoes to the casserole dish.
Make sure to mix up all the ingredients before you add the meat.
Once the meat is added stir the ingredients again in the casserole dish.
Add the casserole into the oven and cook for a couple of hours. Check every 30 minutes or so to making sure to stir and to check if all is cooking okay and not sticking to the dish.
Once done the meat should be tender and the vegetables should be soft and melt in your mouth.
If you are having mash potato or other vegetables it is a good idea to get this ready now. You can take out the casserole from the oven as the dish would be extremely hot and keep the dinner warm.
I hope you enjoy my take on a slow cook casserole without using a slow cooker.
All cooked and finished. This slow cooked beef and veggie casserole is ready to eat.
The Veggie Patch have a community spirit and update their window to help local groups and causes.
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Tomorrow is my birthday. Today is my last day of being 46. I don’t feel 46, and I do wish I wasn’t but the only other fix for that is to not be here at all and I want to live, so being 46 and older is the way it has to go.
This looks yummy as a treat for my birthday, what do you think?
I have been thinking for a while about the year I’ve had so far, what I’ve accomplished, and also what was on my wish list.
For many 2020 has been a challenge, mainly from a financial perspective. We had a rough year last year and hoped that this year would allow us to rebuild and to get back on track, however other forces had different ideas about our plans.
Which has been really horrible and I’ve had moments that I have just sat on the floor and cried and cried about being put in a situation that is out of my control and one that I cannot fix and seems like whatever you do, you cannot help yourself out of it…Yes at times it has really felt like a hopeless situation.
Firstly our community was trying to recover from the horrible bush fires, then wild storms and floods, and now a global viral pandemic of COVID-19 that has caused economies worldwide to crash, unemployment to skyrocket and lockdowns to be put in place to stop the spread of this horrible illness.
We have been at home for over two months now and currently, Australia is slowly reducing the restrictions we have been living with for months. Starting next Monday the 25th of May all children in New South Wales go back to face to face lessons. We have had the kids learning from home and it has only been this week the 18th of May and last week on the 11th of May that the girls went to school one day a week, my girl’s day was Monday.
It has been hard to not have your own space.
It has been difficult to not be able to do your own thing and to be helping everyone and have no time for you.
It also has been a very stressful and worrying time. Employment websites have been advertising copious amounts of jobs but they are not employing anyone… or it could be that they are getting so many applications that it appears like no one is getting anywhere at all.
I did tell you that 2019 wasn’t great either. One thing that happened was hubby had a car accident which meant we had to get a brand new car. This was an expense we were saving for but hadn’t planned to do it at the time in which the accident happened. Then hubby’s contract for work came to an end in November last year, and it is hard to find a job that close to Christmas, then, of course, the bushfires and storms.
We thought not to worry we will be right come 2020, we will both look for work and get amazing jobs and work super hard to get us back where we want to be this year.
This is where the universe was laughing at us but told us nothing at the time. A little heads up would have been good, but knowing what I now know I think it wouldn’t have mattered if we were told in advance.
COVID-19 then happened and this meant no one was hiring, our savings was nearly empty and we were worried and panicking about how we would survive.
While hubby was looking for a new contract he was doing some Ubering… yes due to having a new car he could be an Uber driver. This helped a little but due to the tough restrictions put in place due to COVID this work has dried up too.
He has done odd jobs, mowing, and more to keep money coming in. I have been writing articles and doing a few hours a week as a social media marketer and keeping the blog running. Plus not to mention having 3 kids home full time until recently, our youngest started back at care last week since his big sisters are going back to school.
Like many people, we have had to put payments on hold, and many other things. I am not looking forward to paying it all back but grateful we have had assistance to help us at this horrible time.
I have been applying for any job that I can do and putting my hand up for more work, and of course, staying up late to get things done due to never getting time alone to complete any task. Perils of being a mum with no time alone!
So with my birthday soon to be here it has made me think…. what do I want, what do I want to achieve and how can I get there?
It has also made me appreciate life, being well and safe with family. I have valued seeing my kids grow and learn at home, and have some quality time. No racing off to be somewhere has also been a nice luxury during isolating at home and one that I will miss.
Although this time with family has been very stressful for a multitude of reasons it has made me grateful that we have all stayed well and we all have a roof over our heads.
During this time it has made me think of my friends that I wish were still here. One dear friend died five years ago and my other bestie left us two years ago this year. I miss them so much, I do wish they were still here to talk to and in fact, I still chat to them sometimes. My friends were only a year older than I was, so not that old when they left everyone and losing people young is hard (well they were in their forties but I consider this young).
I did think that if my friends were still here they might have got ill with Covid-19 and this wouldn’t have been good. They had a comprised immune system and would have had to be in isolation but still attend doctors appointments and hospitals….so, therefore, might have had a good chance of contracting the virus, I do want them back so badly but during this crazy time with an illness that threatens you, I am glad they were not here to experience it at all.
Due to losing my mates, I have been more diligent about my health. I am a mother to three young children and I am very aware that I need to be here to provide for my family in the years to come.
I know this is meant to be a post about my birthday and my thoughts… it really doesn’t feel much like my birthday, maybe it is just the current climate that has made this so.
Birthday balloons – I love purples and blues
We still cannot go out to dinner as a family, nearly all the cafes and restaurants are still closed and only doing takeaways. If we did go somewhere there is nowhere to sit and to just be other than a park. It is getting very cold here in the mountains and I really don’t want to be outside in the freezing weather, this for me is not that enjoyable, actually if we all were hundled in a park and it was super cold for me it would be a horrible day. So eating food in the cold on my birthday is not going to happen.
We cannot go to the movies, however, I would love to do some DIY and clothes shopping but the lack of money at the moment is the issue. Maybe I can figure out the costs and do a little bit to put a smile on my face when kids are finally at school.
Being in isolation has made me re-evaluate some work I’ve been planning, think of new ideas, and make plans for this year.
The one big thing I really want to do is to travel. I want to take the kids overseas to visit America, Disneyland, Japan, Osaka, plus Harry Potter World, Fiji, Singapore, New Zealand, Spain, and Canada. I know that international travel is probably not happening any time soon and some places are still not doing well due to the pandemic. I still want to go but only when it is safe to do so.
Maybe domestic travel will have to do once the borders to the states are all opened. I’m sure a nice family getaway on a Queensland Island Resort would just be perfect right now.
So back to my birthday wishes and plans for my 47th year on this earth.
I would like to be able to have more time to do things I like to do, time out, and help around the house.
Time to plan my empire to hopefully buy my dream house at the beach – yes purchased all with cash from the sales from my amazing work and adventures.
And not to mention being left to sleep in and not woken at odd hours in the night and early morning – maybe this could be someone else’s job for a while.
Slowly it is feeling like our world in Australia might be getting back to normal or maybe a new normal and this is something that I am looking forward to. A chance to build us all up again, save some money, pay off bills, and maybe take the family on a much needed holiday. We all desperately need to go somewhere to just relax, be somewhere to just be, and to be looked after. Hopefully, soon I can make this a reality.
Due to my birthday falling in the period of time that many places are still closed our celebrations will be at home. The twins are planning on creating a birthday cake for me and I have explained that I am not cooking dinner tomorrow so this needs to be sorted also.
I’m keen to enjoy the love and cuddles tomorrow and to eat the surprise birthday cake that the kids are planning. Plus unwrap any birthday presents that I have to open.
Birthday Cupcakes – Yummy don’t they look tasty!
My mum gave me some money to put towards a new haircut which I have been desperate to have. Late last year I was wanting to get a new do at the hairdresser’s but decided to wait as I thought we needed the money, then disaster hit in the new year and hairdressers were closed and then I still had no money. I should have just spent the cash last year and had it done. Now to find a brilliant place to get pampered and get a new look to make me feel fabulous.
In all honesty, the one present that would have made me super happy was for my shed/office to be finally completed.
Yes, dear readers, it has now been over 3 years waiting for this DIY project to be finished and it is still not done!
The aim of this space is to use it for an office and craft room for me and the blog. I want to bring my sewing machine, materials, craft supplies, and more out there so that I can set up projects and leave them and come back later. Currently, projects don’t happen due to not having any space and needing to pack things up due to kids. It is annoying and not practical to work like this.
Other plans for the shed is to create my own podcast, have it as a quiet spot to write and to plan, and a spot to finally hang some of my art. Basically a She Shed.
I think when I have a little bit more cash I will hire someone to just finish it off…then it will be done and I can do more work, have a happier workspace, and finally not have to ask someone to do it.
What have you wanted for your birthday?
Has it changed this year due to being in isolation?
Have you spent some time re-evaluating what you want this year?
P.S. I think hubby and I have done pretty well to be surviving so far, and crossing fingers and toes we will not just be surviving but enjoying the fruits of our hard work soon. We have struggled both to create incomes to provide for the kids and ourselves and are solidering on each day. I am sure everyone is in a similar situation and our story is not unique. I salute all of you for struggling in this hard time and I hope that it all comes to an end soon and things are easier for all.
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Today is the first day of the new year. It is finally the first of January 2018.
In six days my little boy will be two…yep we will have a two year old. How those two years have flown by already. He is saying more words, being more independent and of course a very cheeky, funny little boy.
It feels like the day of my little boys birthday sneaks up on me and I am not ready. No invite done, no party organised. I will have to get moving….also make a plan to be better at this January party in 2019.
The girls turn ten this year, yes finally they will be in double digits and more grown up. I don’t know how ready I am for more grown up kids, I suppose it is good that it happens gradually so that you get used to it.
The blog also has a HUGE year in 2018, it turns the big 10 years old… how exciting I hear you say.
To celebrate this fabulous milestone there will be great prizes for my wonderful devoted readers that have been with me over the years. Stay tuned every month to not miss out.
What did I do in 2017
Change the look of the blog on the 1st of January 2017. The blog got a whole new look and feel.
Work with some great brands and offer amazing giveaways to my readers.
Meet some wonderful people through the Problogger conference. I met Pat Flynn and Jadah Sellner…. I was very excited about doing this.
Accepted more opportunity.
Think, plan and try and do more.
Spent time with the kids, played and had fun.
Alexander had his first full year in childcare and loved it after a rocky first few months. He now really wants to go even when we just drive by the place. He yells, “play” and points to the building.
Try to de-clutter. I managed to rid the house and us of a few things but more still needs to happen.
Did things at the twins school.
Housework and all the other mundane things that keep the family running.
2017 was not good as I lost another friend due to cancer. He did not want to share his illness so to not burden friends and therefore hubby and I found out very late. We are saddend by this news. I hope that everyone is healthy and if you are worried about something please get it looked at. Early intervention might save your life. I have no idea if this would have helped my friend and upset for his other friends and family.
2017 was also a good year, my sister had her second child on the 23rd of December. I’m an aunty again! My sister had another little girl. She came early and therefore has spent some extra time in the hospital.
What would I like to do in 2018
More blogging.
Work on the strategy and plans for my blog and more.
Travel.
Meet more people.
Get our house built or part of it.
Finish writing my book and course…yes something exciting is on its way. I hope you will all love it.
Exercise more.
Remove excess clutter that I don’t need to empower more relaxation.
More meditation.
More relaxation.
Fun time with the kids and family
Hopefully a family holiday at some point.
That the family is healthy and well. (this includes everyone)
Be more organised for Alexander’s next birthday.
So take care everyone.
Spend time with the ones you love.
Make time for things you want to do.
Have fun and may 2018 be great for everyone!
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I was at a function on Wednesday. I went to hear some great women speak at the Mums Society talks this past Wednesday.
There were many tables to sit at and I chose one that had two other mums to twins.
Yes, I must have known.
Maybe there was something in the air or the universe told me to sit at that exact table.
One mum had twelve-year-old twins and a two-year-old.
The other mum had a five-year-old and soon to be two-year-old twins.
Introductions were made and we all got to know each other.
The mum of the nearly two-year-old twins, I think her name was Sam asked me the following….”How do I manage to fit everything in”.
“How do I find time to blog with three kids and everything else that needs to be managed???”
Getting stuff done while I am kid free. Maximising my time for me!
Well, if this lady ever saw my house she would be in shock. It is a mess. Sometimes it is tidier than before but that tidy never lasts long.
I do get sick of it and have days that I go mad cleaning and sorting things out. On these days I don’t get a break and never get around to doing anything for me. I use the time for myself to try and sort the house out.
Once complete and the house looks at least like a whirlwind has not been inside recently and that finally, people care about the place that they live in. My happiness at the calm, the space that has been created by removing junk and finding places for things does not last. It never does!
In a blink of an eye or even quicker the mess finds a way back to my tidy rooms. The floor that you could walk on without checking what you stepped on are soon filled with toys, mess, clothes and anything really that does not get picked up (even after a million times that mummy asks and tells kids to pick these items up!).
I know prioritise my time without kids to do something for me. Yes, the house comes second. I do wish while I was off being me and not a housekeeper or mummy that I had a cleaner or helper making sure the house was spotless. Where for art though cleaning fairy? I need some help.
So due to not having a house cleaning fairy, I do what I can. I pick the major rooms to tidy, kitchen, bathroom, and living room. They might not be 100% but they are okay for now. I do give them a big clean every now and then but I do what I can when I can.
You cannot do everything you wish to do.
However, if you manage to do something that you are wanting to do, you will be a happier person.
A less stressed mummy, a calmer version of you. Not getting to do anything that makes you happy creates frustration and anger.
You end up resenting things, people and you start yelling and being an upset individual.
Timeout for you is essential.
So answering the question of how I fit it all in. I do the following:
While kids are at school and the baby is at childcare I blog. Before I sit down to my computer I put a load in the dishwasher and the washing machine. I clean a bit of the kitchen and then while the clothes are getting washed as are the dishes I write a blog post.
I try and ignore the mess and get work done. It does annoy me and I wish it was all neat and tidy but if I did that I would have no time to do work while alone.
I get back to emails in the evening or on my time alone without kids.
Once I do a few things I then put the clothes on the line and do a quick tidy around the living room. I also if I have time tidy around the kid’s room (although now I have decided it is the twins responsibility… they need to tidy their own room).
When the twins were babies I completed my postgraduate study in Project Management. This was all done via online delivery and I did one subject at a time to maximise success and to not overwhelm myself. I did well but it was a lot of late nights reading and doing assignments.
I am now trying not to watch too much television. Once the kids are in bed, hubby and I watch one show and then I am doing a few hours on my blog.
If I had the money I would have a housekeeper or nanny. This would free up my time to do more and be a massive help. Maybe when I get rich or my book is a best seller (yes world domination awaits me!)
In the holidays I put the twins into vacation care or they visit relatives for a mini holiday. This means that I have more time to concentrate on the blog, things for me, spending time with Alexander and organising the house without interruption.
If you have the cash getting a cleaner would be ideal. Help to sort out things that you never get around to, like floors, walls, windows and countertops are a huge help. Someone to tidy up and to sort so that you can work on other things or not feel like things are getting on top of you.
I do know what it is like having too many ideas and not enough time. It is annoying or the idea that if you could only not be interrupted all the time you could be amazing. I know …… it is hard.
Choose one thing that you wish to do and give it a go. You can do some things but not everything!
Start by putting in systems to ensure that you can get a few things done for you.
Tell your partner that you cannot be interrupted between these times. If the baby cries it is their job to help out.
If you are starting something start small. If it is a blog, maybe aim to do 1 post that is wonderful each week. This way it will not freak you out that there is too much to do and causes you to panic.
To the mums that have younger twins a schedule helped me. I had them up at a certain time. Fed, and then I took them out to exhaust them. Yes park, pool, playgroup and more. If we played at home I engaged with them and did as much as I could to stimulate them to make them tired.
If they did not sleep I set up what I called quiet time in the living room. I made the floor a bed with pillows and blankets. Then I put on a movie and told them to lie down and rest. At first, they wanted me to stay with them, but I told them that mummy had to get a few things done and once done will come and be with them.
Enforcing quiet time allowed me to tidy up the kitchen or sort out the mess somewhere else or write a blog post.
In response to getting it all done, I am not doing everything I wish to do but I am trying to do a few things on my list.
I hope this helps you out if you are struggling to do something for you.
Note: I have written this in a cafe while having an ice cold orange juice. The twins are at school for their last day of term and the baby is at childcare. I’m squeezing in some work and me time while I am kid free!
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This year is the eighth year of my blog. Yes I have been blogging for eight years. It sometimes does not feel like it has been that long at all.
To celebrate I have a really amazing giveaway. This giveaway will give you a present as well as something for your little baby or if you don’t have a baby it could be a lovely gift for someone.
The next few months is going to be exciting in regards to giveaways. I have something for the Christmas and New Year holidays, some surprises in the lead up to Christmas and of course this giveaway that will help celebrate the blog’s eighth birthday. All will be revealed soon. Make sure you follow the blog and all our social media sites so you don’t miss out on any announcements.
I would like to take the time to thank all my lovely readers for following the blog, the comments and emails of support that I have had over the last eight years. It has been greatly apprecaitted.
Bigger and greater things are in store, my aim is to make the next eight years great too.
Good Morning Gold Coast! Day 1 of Problogger at the RACV Royal Pines Resort. Keen to learn more and to meet all the bloggers today.
Well for me there are many reasons why I blog.
Something for me– I started the blog to do something while the twins were babies. Before I had my twin girls I looked after, managed and organised websites so it was a natural thing to start my own site.
Keep my professional skills sharp – At first I just kept it quiet and did it for me. It was something that I started to do. It was good to do some work that was not looking after babies and allowed me to use my mind and skills that I had developed and practiced at work.
Control over my work – I then decided to make the blog public and moved it over to a domain name that removed WordPress from the URL and I control the page and the back-end. It is a site that allows me to have overall control and that makes me feel amazing. Making decisions of what direction the blog goes in and what it looks like and what gets posted is fabulous. It is my site and I have control over it.
Gives me a voice– As you can already see I like the fact that I have my own space to have a voice. I love the fact that it is a medium that can be done from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to a computer or a phone.
There are so many possibilities that you can do via a blog. You can make it a business or just keep it a hobby it is up to you.
My aim is to take the blog to the next level and to do a new look and feel soon (so stay tuned).
Today is day one of Problogger. I am keen to learn what others are doing with their blogs, learn about strategy, planning and content. It is a great event to get inspired, focus on your talents and find ideas that might help you out. You never know what idea will be the one that is the changer that can make the most difference.
Have a small business that you are passionate about?
Would you love to get better and be inspired by others? I know my answer would be big YES!
I love being surrounded by like-minded people that just make you feel energetic, inspired, and think about things in such different ways.
Investing in you is important. Learning from others that have been there and had some of the same experiences is helpful. You can learn what worked for them and what didn’t and of course how to improve things for the better. Maybe they will give you their procedures and techniques, or at least give you some idea how they manage to do it all and do it so well.
This is why I love going to conferences like Problogger. It is a chance to focus on me, my work, and I believe it is an investment. It is corporate training, corporate development but for me, I am the corporation. I am the BIG business although on a much smaller scale. It is nice to think BIG even when you are not.
Me and Barry Du Bois. Yes I did say I know you from TV! @cancercouncil #TheLivingRoom @kids_business
Even if you have been blogging for years and might know a bit already, there might be that one thing that you had no idea about. That one thing might be the difference on how you run your blog/business and it could be the thing that allows you to stand out from the crowd.
Attending conferences like these is also good for networking with other bloggers and creating friendships. As a blogger that is a stay at home mum to three kids now, it is nice to be taken seriously as a blogger rather than just a mum. I know I’m not earning the big bucks but you never know my time will come and that might be the case. Everyone had to start somewhere.
Investing in you as a person is always a good idea. I see that a couple of days away and the costs associated with this trip as minimal in the scheme of things. I don’t get time off as a mum. I don’t get sick leave, I have been going non-stop and think that this is a nice break that will also allow me to focus on my fourth or maybe other baby (my blog)… not sure where it would place in the scheme of things. Maybe it really was third?
It is so easy as a mother not to do things for you. If you don’t do anything for yourself you will get frustrated and annoyed. Taking the time, even if it is a day here or there is much needed.
Do you have a partner or maybe friends that don’t see the value in what you are doing? “Oh that blog, why are you doing it, it is not like you are getting paid”. Well I think they are wrong…it does not matter if you are getting paid for your efforts now. Although heaps of money would be nice and bring it on! You just don’t know where things might lead. You could be blogging away and someone might love your writing and offer you a book deal. The book might become a film and now you are famous and worth a small fortune. Yes I have used some wonderful positive daydreams about how blogging could lead you to a fab job and yes being very wealthy.
It does not have to be sudden fame and wealth, you could just be offered a wonderful job for a magazine or a website. If you were not blogging this job would never have happened, so keep going everyone out there in blogging world. Don’t give up. If it is important to you, then that is the only thing that you need to worry about. Forget about the haters and people that have no idea. Just keep on keeping on and invest in you and things will happen.
I am very lucky this year that I can attend Problogger. The reason is my wonderful mother is able to come and mind the kids. I was hoping that hubby and the kids might make it a family holiday again but that was not to be. Hubby cannot take time off work, so it is just me going again. I am just grateful that I get to go.
Only yesterday I was able to attend Kids Business’ Bloggers Brunch. They were kind enough to offer babysitting and I was very happy and appreciative of this. The babysitting allowed me to walk around and talk without a baby on my hip and to have adult conversations. It was a delightful change from my daily goings ons.
Yesterday I was up at 4am due to baby wanting to be fed. I was going to be up at 5am so thought no point going back to bed. After feeding the baby I gave him a bath (I have never bathed him so early and that was amazing I fitted it all in), changed his clothes and put him to bed until we were all ready to leave. I changed his nappy and then all kids were in the car ready to drop the twins at before school care.
Learning more about the fab brands at the Bloggers Brunch yesterday. Thanks Kids Business it was a great day out.
I had to get the twins ready for before school care and drop them off as close to 7am as I could. I managed to get the girls to care at about 7.20am. So I thought that was pretty good.
So now kids were at care, the baby and I were in the car for our huge journey to Centennial Park. I enjoyed the journey aside from the couple of times that Alex decided to scream the car out! Yes that was not fun at all. Thank goodness he fell asleep soon after his screaming moments.
I had to be at the Bloggers Brunch for 10am and managed to get there with 30mins to spare. I found a place to park the car. Fed and changed the baby and then got the pram and nappy bag organised and was off to the venue.
It was great to bump into old blogging mates and to meet new ones. I also bumped into a mate’s niece… what a small world.
I must say that yesterday was a HUGE day. I ended up being up for over 14 hours, and oh did I sleep when my head hit the pillow. I am still tired from yesterday as I write this. A BIG thank you to Steph and the team from Kids Business for a fabulous day and all the lovely brands that made it along to showcase their products.
No matter if you are earning money or not, take every opportunity that comes your way. You never know where it might lead and what you might learn. The people that might be not valuing your time you spend on your hobby/blog or passion will value it when it comes to affect them, for example when it starts earning some money. I am sure they would want to be supportive then. Or if you become famous or well known.
Do it for you.
Do what makes you feel good.
I have heard it all. “Oh that is not a job! You are not earning any money. Oh ….. You are a mother”. Yes but I do much more than just being a mummy.
Invest in you and the Rest will come. This sounds a little zen or spiritual but it is true. It is like dressing for the job that you want rather than the one you have.
Let me know what you have done as an investment in yourself? Is it a course? A conference? Or just a weekend away to have some time out? Or maybe it is a course that you have been desperate to do, learning to paint or say photography.
Whatever it is, it is your time.
Have time to yourself.
Have your space.
Do something that helps you grow that allows you to be you rather than someone’s mum during this period.
I have been thinking about what a year 2015 was. I did want to accomplish more on the blog side and professionally but managed to do a bit of what I had planned.
Kids completed year 1 and did very well with reading and many other things. They have grown so much and really developed as their own person. Being in separate classes I think has really allowed each child to be what they can be without disruption or upset to each other. It allows them to be themselves and to have their own wins and accomplishments.
I went to Problogger and networked. I also learnt a lot and got inspired to do more with my blog and other ideas.
We did some much needed DIY around the house. I know have a nicer bathroom, kids in a newer room and other things fixed that I have been desperate to have done.
We were lucky to get pregnant and soon we are to have baby number 3. I was hoping to not be pregnant while writing this but I am still. Currently I’m 39 weeks and 3 days with baby number 3 and rather annoyed that he/she is still in my belly. The countdown is on little one!
I was lucky to get better after having a rough patch with being ill and especially while being pregnant it did not help. I am much better now and the only annoyance is when this baby will vacate my body.
Due to the new baby to be, the twins got moved into the bigger room and we have done up their old small room for the baby.
On a sad note we said goodbye to some good friends last year and it was rather painful due to that issue. It was a tough year due to that alone and being pregnant throughout this made it more difficult for me to deal with. I felt bad creating life while dealing with the loss. I know… they would not hold it against me but I did feel bad.
On the up side, we are well, have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, have good friends and are looking forward to what 2016 will bring us. The new baby is also something we are excited about and wondering when this little person will want to join the world.
The twins are excited about being in grade 2 this year and finding out what classes they will be in. We are in holiday mode currently and filling the days to keep kids busy and rest due to impeding birth is an interesting mix.
I will endeavor to attach the goals yet to have been achieved to this year and to strive towards them. Yes, I am not giving up just adding them to the list. Have you looked back on what you have done and been happy or sad? Or just it is what is was…. that said, I did all I could do and we are all okay.
What is your major thing or goal you wish to achieve in 2016? Let us know.
As per previous post, I have not been well. I have used my time to try and recover and get better. I am a little better but still not 100%. According to the doctors all is normal but I still have the cough and am out of breath every now and then. Has this happened to you? Feel not well but there is nothing wrong! I must say it is very annoying but it could just be due to be pregnant that all the good stuff is going to the baby and I am stuck fighting whatever it was. I suppose that is the perils of pregnancy.
I’ve been resting, trying to get better and also writing this post. I have wanted to post this earlier but I had two nights in hospital the other week and have been getting better since. I am much better now but still have a cough and get out of breathe every now and then.
Day 1 at Problogger…. getting excited now!
Now…… finally to post about the fabulous, invigorating and inspiring conference that is Problogger.
Previous to the conference all talks and times were posted and I of course made a schedule of the talks that I wished to go to. I wish I could have been in two talks at the same time but that would not be possible due to the fact that they are in completely different rooms. The only saving grace about this is that as a ticket holder I got presentations and the audio from all other talks so at the end of the day I did not miss out, however being at the talk and experiencing it is great as well.
One of the overarching themes of the conference this year was giving something back to the reader and community. Nearly all the presenters spoke about giving to the community and not focusing on what you will get. Be someone that helps the people and then your community will grow as well.
Day 1 has started and Darren has started his introduction to the conference.
So what talks did I think were amazing this year?
Jadah Sellner from Simple Green Smoothies
How to Grow Your Blog – Actionable Productivity Tips for Busy Bloggers – Christina Butcher & Carly Jacobs
Creating Business Ideas – Brandon Cowan
Jadah during her talk at Problogger
Jadah Sellner from Simple Green Smoothies
Jadah was an amazing speaker. She was so alive and spoke with enthusiasm about her journey. Simple Green Smoothies is not an overnight success. Jadah and her husband started a business with the idea that it was a playground for kids (Business idea number 1 – Little Sprouts Playhouse was formed in 2009 so that they could be with their 18mth old daughter) so that they can be allowed to do all the things that parents say no to. However that business model was short lived as parents did not want to stay with their children and preferred to drop them off. The business model morphed into a preschool and then Jadah and her husband were doing many jobs that then caused stress and worry.
Due to being so busy and run off their feet Jadah gained weight, was depressed and upset. Her relationship with her husband was suffering and they realised that they had to make a change.
They both decided to quit Little Sprouts Playhouse as they chose to be together. “Anything that comprises your health and your relationships is not a sustainable business model”. Is the business that you are building sustainable? It is okay according to Jadah to get rid of some idea babies to move onto the next big idea that will work and be sustainable.
After they quit the business they were broke. She moved in with her husband’s parents, they were in debt with over $40k owing and they were living from pay check to pay check. Her husband was working all hours, Jadah was working two part time jobs and also looking after their four year old daughter as well. It was hard.
Jadah wanted a business that allowed freedom for herself, her family, location freedom (travel the world and have time to be at her child’s school) and also allowed herself and her husband financial freedom.
Sellner decided to build a vision board. They put all their BIG dreams out there. She put down the idea of getting $15k per month income for her family and also for her business partner Jen. Jadah said that 18mths later this became a reality. Your dreams are possible.
Now to dream bigger, thanks to Jadah
Jadah Sellner and Jen Hansard founded a parenting blog called Parenting Sponge (Business idea number 2). Jen and Jadah investigated how to make money online, sponsored content, advertising and giveaways. When it first started the only people that were commenting on the website was Jadah’s mum, and her cousin who did not have children.
“We all have to start at Zero. Zero money in the bank, zero followers and zero email subscribers. Just remember we all have to start at zero”
“We get attached to our ideas, we get attached to our businesses”
“What we put out in the world actually has to help people, so if an idea is not sticking. Let it go and try something else”
“Look at failure as feedback. Put it out there in the world and let the world decide”
Simple Green Smoothies (Business idea number 3), was not meant to be a business idea or a blog. Jadah says that she talked about Simple Green Smoothies on the parenting blog and also many other topics.
A friend of Jadah’s was raving about Instagram and Jadah was not so sure. She decided to sign up and give it a go.
She did not think it was going to work but as Sellner points out, sometimes it is the things that you think will never work that end up changing your business for the better and revolutionise it for the better. Simple Green Smoothies was the winning idea and the business that stuck.
Jadah was only posting two to three recipes each week on Instagram and that is how Simple Green Smoothies started.
“The idea that spreads the widest wins” Jason Silva
If you cannot get ten people to latch onto your idea you will not be able to get thousands or hundreds of thousands to spread your idea. “Pay attention to the message you are sending and is it getting to the people that you wish to serve.”
“If you want to make a million dollars, help a million people first” Jadah Sellner
My view from my hotel room at RACV Royal Pines Resort
The 3 Core Elements that Simple Green Smoothies Employs:
Attract Your Tribe
What is it that you really want to be known for?
Become fanatical and hyper focused – what is the contiguous message that you have to share
Start talking about this message over and over on a consistent basis
“The riches are in the niches” Jadah Sellner referring to Instagram
Who are you most excited to serve? Who is your ideal audience? Who is that one person that you can help. As soon as you focus to this one person level your business is going to change.
Jen and Jadah came up with a dream client. They made it up. Who would she/he be? Where would they live, would they have a family, what would their hobbies be, and what type of job would they have and so on.
Write your blog posts and social media updates to just one person. If you try to address and everyone Jadah said that no one knew who they were talking to. Making it about one person makes the message more personal and it is like you are having a conversation with the individual. So instead of Hi everyone, say, how are you? Make the connection with your tribe.
When you are clear on your message and your reader your business will change. People will sense the energy and be drawn to the messages that you are putting out there.
The yummy treats at Problogger. You do get very spoilt and they were all so yummy!
Serve Your Community
Don’t take people away from the party. Social media is like a dance party according to Jadah. If you post something on Instagram have all the information there so that your reader does not have to go anywhere else to find it. If you post a recipe list all ingredients and make it as easy as possible for your followers. Once the reader trusts you, they will go to your house (your blog/website), and sign up to your email list but first you need to add all the value to the content that you post in the social media channel that they hang out in. Don’t make the reader do an extra step. Adding a full recipe to an Instagram photo means that it is easy for someone to tag their friends and to share the content.
All of the value is not on the blog it is on different channels. Jadah said that in the last year she has blogged 120 times on the website (Her Home), and likes to add value to the channels that her followers live in. She puts all her content in Social Media as that is where the party is at.
Money is in your email list. You don’t own Pinterest, Instagram and other social media channels.
It is a good idea to diversify where your community is. According to Jadah, Simple Green Smoothies other social media channels are equal as they put the same amount of effort, love and interest into each area.
Spend more time creating your FREE OPT IN OFFER. Jadah created, “5 Free Recipes that will change your life”. 2,000 people signed up for Simple Green Smoothies List from this free offer. July was when Jadah started with Instagram, December was when the free opt in offer was created and the list grew to 2,000. The next year they created their 30 day smoothie challenge free opt in and their list grew to 200,000.
Make your Free Opt in better than someone’s paid offer.
Test you’re Free opt in offer. You don’t know what will work.
CREATE VALUE TO YOUR COMMUNITY WITH VERY LOW RISK TO PARTICIPATE
What is the gateway problem that you can teach or help your readers with right now? Green Simple Smoothies helps people eat healthy as more of a lifestyle not just a one off. What is the one simple thing that you can get or ask your community to do that gives them the results that they desire?
Pick 1 – 3 things to do that will help your readers transform. Your readers will then spread the word and come back again and again.
As long as you offer free resources and are helping your community it is okay to have a paid resources area as well.
First paid product was a $5 eBook. People paid for convenience to have all the recipes and info in one book, and all at once rather than having the recipes delivered each week.
Invest in your product. The next paid product (Fresh Start 21 Program) they paid for a professional photographer and hired a friend to do customer service. This helped to make sure they did not burn out and allowed them to develop more for the business.
The Fresh Start Program has generated over $1million in sales. Yes how amazing is that.
Sell transformation. Push people into action and not just into products.
Problogger designed sweets that just melted in your mouth. YUM!
3.Nurture Your Fans
Celebrate your fans that comment all the time. Thank them.
Show your readers that you are real person. Every now and then you might eat pizza and not 100% healthy and so on.
Can’t automate connection. Jadah has community happiness specialists that connect with their followers.
Friday love notes – send feedback to people who are doing a good job in the business
Engage with all readers’ comments.
“It is not about how great you are. It is about how great you make other people feel.” Jadah Sellner.
Giving away products that are in line with the business and that helps others. Simple Green Smoothies gives away blenders that help readers.
Serving is greater than building!
Love your community
The grounds at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast
Jadah’s main tips:
Don’t be afraid to fail. Look at failure as feedback, put it out there and let the world decide.
If your dreams don’t scare you they aren’t big enough
Say your dreams out loud
Take imperfect action
Build a community with love & impact
“If you can change the world with your community the world will be a better place” Jadah Sellner.
Find your why. I wrote a post about this a while back. You can read more about it here.
Carly Jacobs from Smaggle and Christina Butcher from Hair Romance during their talk.
There are 5 focus areas for blog productivity:
Prioritising
Make a commitment to your blog, you might miss out on a party or your favourite show or something else.
Make some time to focus on what is necessary for YOUR blog. Is it images that are more important or is it the words that are the driver of your blog. Think about what works better for you and take time to work on it.
If you value images over words or the other way round you can always work on developing better images in the future for your blog. You can always get better with time.
Everything does not have to be perfect
Create a positive step towards your blog and fill out the below sentence.
My blog is important. I blog because……………………………… My blog is worth my time.
The yummy drinks at Problogger
Setting Realistic Goals
Success is rarely accidental
Other people make excuses why other blogs are successful. “They started at the right time”, or “They have experience in the industry”, what about, “They have a better niche than I do”, and “They are selling products and I’m not”
What does your success look like? Christina counts shares and re-pins whereas Carly counts success via comments. Use what works for your brand and goals.
Wishes aren’t goals you need to be specific. You need to put a time frame on your goal and have a number in mind of how many more followers you would like. See below graphic.
Take action now – set yourself a measurable goal. I will have xxx number of followers/subscribers/uniques by xxxx date and I will do this by taking the following steps.
Calendars and Planning
The more routine I have the more creative I can be
Pre-planning = Less Stress
Take action now. Write a list of 100 blog post ideas. Yes that is a hard one but you will be amazed at the ideas you come up with. It will definitely help when you are thinking “What will I blog about today or this week?”
My lovely gift from Carly at Smaggle. Empower-mint Tea!
Batching and productivity
Carly said that I should ‘Think like a waiter”. I thought this comment was odd but it was very clever. Waiters don’t come and get one plate. They get serval and take them all to the kitchen at the same time. The same goes for your blog. You should not sit down to do just one task, you should use your time to do several. Only go to your kitchen once not several times a day.
Never sit down without an idea. I for one think I had some great ideas then I sat down to stare at the computer for ages and wonder why I bothered. Having my big list of post ideas will come in handy and make sure that I don’t waste my time in the future.
Know your best hours to work. I for one love to work during the day and sometimes at night. Although I find myself more productive and awake during the day I do more during these hours. I find the night time better for research and idea gathering than actually writing anything.
Take action now! What items can you batch? Choose 3 or so items that you can organise easily.“When you are consuming you should be creating” Christina from Hair Romance @ Problogger.
Photo Walk while at Problogger
Scheduling tools and organisational hacks
Set a timer for tasks. If you know how long you can spend on each task then you will not spend all day on something. I know I have done that and it is easy to get carried away.
Don’t Multitask. I think I do multitasking well but doing everything is not helpful as you only get a little bit done of each task. I have taken to shut down all my social media sites and just write posts in word to not distract me. This is also a good tool as then you can make sure your post is well constructed and spell checked.
Google Analytics – Check what is working and what is not via Google. When is the right time and days to post? If you figure out what is working then you can organise yourself to create more content like that and know when it is a good idea to share your content.
Why not plan out your next month of blogging so that you are super organised. My aim is to have more months planned so that I am ready with ideas and posts ready to go live. What about you?
A close up of the fab lights at RACV Royal Pines while at Problogger
Brandon created and founded a company called, “Crazy Dog Apps” he was just 16 when he did this and still at school. The business created the following apps, iparkedhere, Petrescue, App Making Guide and AusBuy. Brandon has also been nominated three years in a row as one of the most successful entrepreneurs under 30. Plus he was also on the show, “Beauty and the Geek” (So if you recognise him this might be why)
Persistence is the key to success!
Brandon got kicked out of school at 12 years of age (Due to severe ADHD), started two degrees that he did not finish, has not paid for any marketing for his business and cannot code.
At 14 years he was drinking
At 15 years he was hanging around a bad crowd. Drinking, smoking weed
Decided after witnessing some bad experiences decided he wanted to turn his life around.
So how has he been so successful..????
Brandon had some great ideas for an app and approached development companies to help him bring his ideas into reality. However they quoted over $70k and also laughed him out of the office.
He eventually teamed up with a family friend that had experience in IT. One thing that I loved about Brandon’s talk was that he did not give up when he did not have all the skills to bring his vision to life. He believed enough that it would happen. He surrounded himself with people that would help and kept on moving forward.
He has also used his success good. He wanted to develop an app to help the Red Cross with Blood Donation but that did not eventuate. However it was his determination and commitment to helping others that also drew him to develop Petrescue which is an app to help the RSCPA have pets homed rather than destroyed if they cannot be found homes.
Brandon was a very positive speaker and showed you that if you have passion, get up and go also the drive you can accomplish your goals. It also made me feel better knowing that if I don’t have all the skills that should not matter, as long as I can find the right people to help me. My only problem with finding skilled people is that I am not flush with cash and most people want to be paid. Maybe I could repay in kind with something that they need doing, it could function like the barter system (it is a thought and you never know it might work)
Having fun at Problogger. Photo taken by the lovely Carly Findlay
I had a great time although exhausting (So much info overload and just too much to do) at Problogger. It was fabulous to network with other like-minded bloggers and looking forward to next year. I hope to be able to go, but not sure due to having a new baby it might be difficult. We will see.
The lovely people at the RACV Royal Pines were amazing. Nothing was any trouble. The venue, food and service was fantastic! Loved it. If you need a place to stay on the Gold Coast I would highly recommend The Royal Pines.
Did you go to Problogger this year? What was your favourite session?
I love hearing all the inspirational speakers as it gives me focus and drive to keep going, but also fabulous ideas on how I can make things better for my own blog.
My one thing or things to action after Problogger
I would like to thank my sponsor for my car rental, Red Spot Car Rentals. They gave me a fabulous car to get from the airport to the conference.
I sit here in my wonderful hotel room at the Royal Pines on the Gold Coast and about to get ready to start Day 1 at Problogger. I arrived late afternoon yesterday and was lucky to be in time for early registration and the networking event for Thursday night.
My fabulous room at the Royal Pines on the Gold Coast
However I had to share something that happened on the train on the way to the airport yesterday.
I was still making my way down the Blue Mountains and due to it be very early there were school kids on the train. One of these kids were trying to convince her friends that the Gold Coast was not actually in Australia. She was saying that ages ago the Gold Coast was not in Australia, it was on the edge of it.
I know that we had the continental shift and million of years ago all land mass was in a different position and has since moved to its current position.
She was very sure that the Gold Coast in fact was not part of Australia and a different land entirely!
What the????
I was off to fly there very soon?
I did not have a visa? Or my passport! Will I be okay?
Will I be able to get to the conference in this different land?
All of these kids mates were telling her how wrong she was and that it was a very silly idea and that the Gold Coast is part of Queensland and is in fact part of Australia and not a different country.
As this kid was most insistent one friend said, “Fine, I agree with you! The Gold Coast is a different country and not part of Australia. I just want this conversation to end! I want to stop talking about this stupid idea…. “
I did have a BIG chuckle over this, but you can imagine how funny it was when at the airport I checked in at the International Virgin Check In for my flight to the Gold Coast, which is part of Australia and not a different country.
Yep I got checked into my flight at the International Check In at Virgin. It is okay…. they were just doing domestic. However after what happened on the train it was very funny.
Have you ever overheard something funny? What was it? Was it like the Gold Coast is not really in Australia? Let us know.
As you might already know I am attending Problogger this year. I am very excited to learn new things, network and of course have some nice me time. Currently I am racing around the house packing and trying to make sure that I have thought of everything. I am concerned about not being too hot and also making sure to pack cardigans in case I get a bit cool. However it being the Gold Coast I am hoping that the temperature will remain warm and pleasant not like the current freezing temperatures in the Blue Mountains.
Packing for my trip to Problogger. Think I am nearly finished.
I did want to attend Problogger last year but it was not to be. So this year I am lucky that the moons and stars aligned and that things have worked in my favour. The big thing is that I need someone to mind the kids. My mum was kind enough to be able to come and stay for a few days so that has allowed me to be away.
I know this has been said before but being away on my own for 3 whole days is terribly exciting! No kids to ask me questions, no dinners to cook, no washing to do (well until I get home that is) and I can have the bed to myself and aside from the conference and other things I can do what I wish!
Are you off to Problogger this year? What are you looking forward to learning about this year?
In 2013 I was lucky enough to attend my first Problogger conference and it was amazing. My head was spinning with information, ideas and just the energy of the event made it all worthwhile. I left with ideas for my blog and ways to attack content and keep your creativity flowing.
Read some posts about blogging conferences and ideas below:
I started my blog nearly seven years ago. I did it due to being at home with my new born twins and feeling disconnected from my previous life as a producer of websites and content.
I wanted to have something of my own. I was suddenly a mum to two new lives that I had to be there for. I loved this and still do. However I do love to work and to have something for me, and this work has become my blog.
Hubby does support me, but I feel he would be more supportive if I was earning a wage from the blog. Do you find that others don’t see value in something that does not give you financial gain? As a mother who stays at home to look after kids, I do feel that I am undervalued due to not earning a wage. Do you feel like this?
Getting ready to blog
Why is it that just because your hobby or passion does not earn money it is irrelevant!
I suppose coming home to a messy house is not ideal. I don’t love it either and I try, however I like to update my site and somethings are topical and of course I need to keep my site current. No one wants to frequent a website if it is not changing.
However I have left hubby with some things to tidy and he managed to tinker on his computer all day and find other more important things to worry about. So why is it that I am questioned over valuing my work or my passion over something less interesting like housework? I do get it that I am supposed to do some of it, but I would really rather be blogging all day and night if I had my wish. Sad but true. I just love it.
This is not a rant over men being terrible to women, or not supporting their passions. It is more of a question on the whole of society. Why is more value put on roles that pay a lot of money? I suppose this is the eternal question.
Women who do something and it is seen as tinkering or not really employed. If you have a job that is part time it can be belittled to not being a huge role and not that important. (I know a part time job is just as hectic as a full time one can be, plus you still have the house and kids to sort out!)
My main aim was to build a site that has value. Has a community and if that makes money that would be the icing on the cake. I would really love it to earn truckloads of cash but that has not happened. Maybe in the next year or so it might. Maybe my swish redesign will work its magic once live?
Don’t worry it is not all bad, I have been paid for sponsored posts, advertising and an affiliate deal. So there are some things that are working very well, however I would love more of them to tell the truth. I’m sure I am not alone on this. A lotto win would not go astray while I am wishing.
I know others have made it big with their blogs and have turned a passion and their much loved hobby into a thriving business. One day I say! One Day!
Some bloggers that have made heaps and heaps of money are:
Here is a list of top 50 earning blogs. You will see what they earn and how they fare against the others. I think what they have done is brilliant. Built a business that works online and from home. How cool is that! I bet they had their doubters when they were starting out, or getting to the tipping point. How silly would they feel if they had given up?
Without my lovely blog and attending blogging events I would not have gotten some work from home jobs. They were short term contracts that I helped corporates with their social media management. I loved it and it also allowed me to blog and to earn at the same time. However without the blog these jobs would have never have happened. I used my experience building communities, blogging on my website and others to help these organisations. See the blog has paid off in a way.
I was also lucky in 2013 to win a blogging contest that allowed the whole family to have a trip to the Gold Coast mostly paid for. Thank you blog I say! Wouldn’t you say that this is payment from the blog? I would!
I know I am not earning a full time wage but the blog is definitely picking up steam. Emails have come in the last few weeks to test out products, attend functions and to write on others sites, and be a guest editor. The blog is gaining in readership and authority. This can only mean one thing. World domination is imminent. I’m sure you agree, right?
My blog is my outlet. It is my own empire that I can do with what I wish! Yes you heard that right. My little piece of the pie. I know currently it is small and I’m no Rupert Murdoch, or Arianna Huffington, but you have to start somewhere.
It is my baby and no boss can tell me not to publish or to do one thing or another. It is all up to me. I control the direction of my site. I like working hard at something and investing in a site that could one day change my life completely.
What hobbies or passions do you love doing? Is it your outlet? Does your partner poo poo your time you pour into your sewing, craft, blog or other hobby? Have they had to eat cake when your passion has had a big win?
Have you been terribly lucky with all your hard work and now the website or passion is now earning a good income? Let us know. Who is laughing now?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
I am very excited and happy. Yes a rare occurrence due to the fact that I have not done anything on my to do list (this to do list is mainly housework and organsing stuff for kids )
However I did manage to do something I have wanted to do since experiencing Problogger in 2013.
Today I managed to secure a ticket to Problogger. If you don’t know what Problogger is, It is the biggest and most amazing blogging conference in Australia.
Silly photo fun with mummy at the QT on the Gold Coast in 2013. We were there for Problogger.
Why I wanted to go back:
I loved it.
It was an eye opener and I had a ball!
Learnt so much
Networked and met such amazing people
So with the idea that 2015 is the year to achieve. The year to progress and get things done in a professional sense.
Yes screw the housework (although I secretly wish that while I work away, my clone would be cleaning and doing all the things I loathe to do)
I had enough in my PayPal account and that made ticket buying easy. Also I was sitting at the computer when ticket sales were announced and was able to get a ticket while some were still left, at the time of booking there was only about 230 tickets left. Last year they sold out in about 30mins to 15mins. Yes crazy isn’t it! Being online at the right time is crucial!
I phoned the hotel to book a room and that is now organised. Although still waiting on my confirmation email. I chased this up but it is due to the fact that bloggers have kept the hotel staff very busy. I wanted to make sure that I had a room at the venue as this would have made things harder. I have been assured my email should turn up tomorrow. I hope so.
In our hire car at Gold Coast Airport in 2013. This time it will be just me driving my hire car.
I need to help pay for my trip and to help hubby not feel upset about the outlay so far. Plus The Problogger event is a perfect time to get more eyes on your products and business. We can work something out if you would like to sponsor me.
Are you going to Problogger in August? If you are I will see you there! I cannot wait. Not only will I be learning a great deal, I will be kid free for a while.
Today is New Year’s Eve. Hard to believe that it is the last day of the year. It only feels like yesterday that the kids started Kindergarten.
I am thinking of all the things I have achieved in 2014 and the plans that I put in motion that are yet to be seen and will be realised in 2015. YES big things are to happen, I just need to work more on them and I am sure they will produce great things! Personally and professionally.
What was your biggest achievement, personal, work related, to do with anything really. What is it you are really proud of?
What I am proud of in 2014:
That the girls did very well at school. Their first year of primary school went extremely well and I am a very proud parent. Yes add <Gushing and happiness here>
I finally got a groovy and fabulous new logo for the blog.
I worked with some wonderful and fantastic brands.
I did find a fab new theme for the blog but some other wonderful blogger took it, but due to this I have found an even better one. So very happy about this. New looking blog soon!
We had some great adventures as a family and had fun doing so.
Since I am on holidays I spoke to hubby via FaceTime on my iPhone..YES it is a great tool if you have not yet tried it. I love it. You can see each other and the kids can see daddy and tell them about their day. I ended our call with see you next year… talk about weird.
Some things on my to do list for 2015:
Change the blog to the new theme and update the site with all new things.
Work with more brands.
Start writing my books that I have been thinking about for a long time.
Lose weight and tone up. More exercise… yes I need to make it more of a priority.
Make the blog be my business. I have already adopted the mindset that my blog is my job. Although I don’t get paid for it. I do sometimes get the small paid job here or there. However like everyone I would like to make what I love more of a full time job. I hope that 2015 will make that happen. More work and letting me put my ideas into action will allow this I feel.
Maybe get a cleaner to allow more time for other things… I can hope. You never know right? If things go well, a cleaner would help me to create and be more. Fingers and toes crossed for this one!
Work on getting our new house done… sick of not having enough room!!!!!
More sewing and creating. Maybe something for me and not just the kids.
2015 is meant to be a great year for hubby and I according to Chinese astrology. 2015 is the year of the goat, but some reference it as the year of the green sheep. It is just like the book, “Where is the Green Sheep“, I have found it and it is next year, 2015 to be precise. However the Chinese New Year does not start until February 19th 2015. I like to think of the year as the Green Sheep rather than the goat.
What are you doing tonight to celebrate the end of 2014 and the soon to be new year, 2015? I am having both sets of grandparents for nibbles, drinks and to watch the local fireworks from the balcony of hubby’s parents house. I hope that the clouds go away to allow us to see the fireworks and all goes well tonight.
Hope you stay safe and have fun. May 2015 be a great year for all.
Let us know what you plan to achieve this year and maybe we can help keep each other accountable and allow each other to complete long awaited goals.
The kids cooling down with some fruit and being silly. They are having a great time on their holiday.
Let us know if you wish to share. Send in your comments.
What are you passionate about? Is it photography, your blog, craft, cooking or something else? I am passionate about my blog, my kids, family, and some other projects that I am working on. Maybe I should have put the kids and family first, they do come first but you know what I mean, it is a list. So don’t read anything into it.
Have you been finding time for your passions? I have found it difficult of late but I am going to make more time for the things I love. Do you make time and stick to it? Is it an understanding in your house that if mummy/daddy does not get to do what ever you love to do you are a grumpy person? I do find that I am happier when I get to do the thing or project that I am working towards. Even a little bit is a help to make me feel good or better about my project.
Do what you are passionate about and stick with it. Image found on Pinterest.
It is hard to book things in when hubby and my schedule change so often. Today I am going to make sure to get some more done for me and in the days ahead to book time for myself. What about you? Let us know how you work it out with your partner or situation.
Loved this quote from bloggingontheside.com. It is so true. You have moments where you get discouraged or give up or want to. Success is not something that instantly happens you get there in the end and it takes time.
Keep plodding away and you will get there in the end. Make time for you, even if it is an hour a day at something that you love doing. Don’t worry if the place is a mess and there are a million and one things to do. If you don’t get some time for you and your passion you will be an angry and unhappy person. Trust me, I have been a bit grumpy of late for these reasons.
And remember you are a star!
You’re a star and have a lovely day! Image found on Pinterest.
After DPCON14 and my detailed summary of the conference, I am now focused on finding my why. How would you do this? What tools and techniques would you use? At first glance I had no idea, but after looking more deeply I have decided to get serious and develop an action plan to find my why.
I mentioned this to hubby, he thinks it is all fluff and silly to be searching for this. However if you have a clear idea of your business and what you are focusing on all the rest will fall into place. If you know what areas you wish to deal in or be connected to that will help out a big deal.
Simon Sinek inspires me to find my why. Picture from Press kit @ startwithwhy.com
Why is it important to find your why?
If you don’t know why you are doing things, you will not be on track and of course not have a purpose. If you know your vision and of course you’re why you will be on track and have more direction. Knowing what you want to do and of course your why, you can then make decisions that are better for you and in turn are more centered. Makes sense really, doesn’t it? Well I think so!
Some believe that if you find out your why you can attract abundance into your life. Well that is a lovely thought, and was not my reason but if it is a result of finding my why I am not going to complain!
Some questions to ask yourself?
What inspires me? What makes me come alive?
What are my strengths? What am I good at?
How do I create value? What can I do that others cannot?
So how do you get to the bottom of what to do?
This is the tough part of finding your why. It would be so much easier if you could just look under a cushion or the bed and magically find your why waiting for you to claim it. Maybe if it was that easy everyone would have billion dollar companies? Having a great story is all about selling your vision, buying the story that sells rather than the products.
Maybe you can take some advice from Hunter S Thompson. He replied to a man named Hume, who lived in New York City. Hume wanted advice on finding his purpose and meaning in life. If you still want to find your why, you might want to continue on your path of own enlightenment or you can get help with this from Simon Sinek via his Why University. Yes there is a university set up to help you figure out your why!
I am very tempted to sign up to the course as Simon and his material is so inspiring. His talk on TED did make me think a different way and see things differently as well. It is helpful having someone that can guide you and has the right way to discuss and engage with finding your why.
Finding Your Why. Image courtesy of artur84 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
DIY Finding your Why
Don’t think you cannot do it yourself. Read books, get inspired and spend some time with just you answering the questions that were posed before. One major part of the Why University course is that for one section you need to have a partner to run things past and bounce things off. They don’t have to be your hubby or wife and has been suggested that it might be better to not have your loved one as your partner for these exercises.
Note: It is best to have someone that will not correct you, or push you in a direction. If your hubby or wife might do this it might be better to pick another person.
I hope this has helped address finding your why and give you some more resources. I am definitely going to be reading Simon’s books and checking out his websites resources, currently there are some free available.
Have you done Simon’s courses at the Why University? Were they great? Did it help you narrow down your why? Has it streamlined your business? Send in your stories.
Note: This post is not affiliated with Simon Sinek or the Why University. I am just interested in finding my why and had to share more resources and ways to do it.
As you might know I went to DPCON14 or otherwise known as the Digital Parents Conference 2014. The conference was last weekend and was on a cruise to boot. Yes conference cruise or should I say a holiday and a conference. Oh well, you get the idea. This is a wordy post as I have so much to share. If in a hurry just look at the dot points.
I was very much looking forward to my first DPCON14, the cruise and of course no kids so it would all be ME TIME! YES how amazing would that be. As you can imagine the me time and time out was wonderful and much needed!
Where I had breakfast. What a view!
We sailed on the Carnival Spirit and I must say that I enjoyed some of the cruise but really loved the conference and got a lot out of it. A couple of quick things about the cruise:
I was under the impression that soft drink was calculated in the ticket cost for the cruise. Not to be. I was not that upset about it but do like a soda/mineral water and that would have been nice to have with lemon/lime. I lived off the water, tea/coffee or a drink that I purchased from the bar
The public toilets for everyone were not kept all working. Some packed it in and others were just closed to get fixed. I did see some notes on toilets saying that “Beautification is in progress” I wonder what it would look like after it got pretty from the beautification process? My brain did think of a show of before and after renovations for this type of thing. I know silly, but with a sign like that you have to wonder.
Food was lovely.
It was great to meet some fellow bloggers and to put a face to a name. It does make a difference to meet people face to face.
Looking out to see the sea was amazing. I am from North Queensland and really miss the beach and the sea. It was a nice way to get my fix
Make sure that you have ample credit available on your credit card. My bill was little when I left the ship ($148), however I still have a hold over my card for nearly $500 that I don’t owe Carnival. I find this the most annoying as I pay bills and live off the card. As hubby gets paid monthly this has put us out this month and it was not what I expected.
One of the many signs in the bathrooms
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So what did I learn from the conference?
Below are some of the talks that made me think differently or learn something new. Why not share my learnings with you and we can all grow and be bigger and better bloggers.
It was amazing to be in the same room with some amazing bloggers and I was excited about them all but as Katrina was on TV and on The Block, that I watch religiously I was keen to pick her brain and learn her tips and tricks.
Katrina had a nice printed blog tip list that she kindly handed out to us all. I hope she does mind me linking to her PDF for it on my blog.
One thing that Katrina mentioned is to gather your database. Yes collect names. This is for news on the blog, updates and for much more. How did she do this, via MailChimp.
Sizes of photos need to be the width of your blog.
Blogs look better with white space (Yes I know mine needs white space or more of it. My new site that I’m working on has plenty so don’t worry)
Get rid of background images
Always rely on Google Analytics Stats. Other statistic programs are good but if you need to quote something Google Analytics is where you need to draw your data from
My notes at DPCON14
Don’t overload your sidebar
For comments it is recommended to move to Disqus Plugin (pronounced “discuss”.) It was revealed that Disqus hosts your comments and if you move from them you might lose the comments. However another blogger, sorry I have forgotten who mentioned that if you use WordPress that the WordPress database hosts it all so all should be good if that is you. The reason for using the Disqus Plugin is that many people like to comment while logged in with Facebook or other social media. Katrina said she has received more comments since switching to this plugin. Might be something to look at.
Your Footer, are you using it? Why not transfer some related posts or further info to this space on your blog. It can free up the sidebar. Just a thought.
Update your blog website every 2 years. Don’t need to do a major overhaul but spruce it up a bit.
Get someone or others to critique your blog and what is working and of course not.
I fell across this site that does free user testing. They are called Peek User Testing and it is brilliant. You submit your site and they email you back with a video of a person going through your site. You can see the screen of this persons computer and they give a description of what they are doing and thinking at the same time. It might be a good thing to see how others use your site.
Deborah was very inspiring and her talk was an insight on how to use Pinterest better and to help grow your readership with this social media tool. Here are some points from Deborah’s talk.
Pinterest gets millions of visitors every day and it is growing!
My view at the conference. Hard day at the office!
Pinterest for Business: If you have a Pinterest account you need to convert your account into a business one. Why would you do this? For a number of reasons:
Y0u get access to stats, Pinterest’s Analytics. See what pins were popular and how many times they have been pinned. How amazing would this be!
You will also be able to get access to rich pins
Info on Promoted Pins
Pin it Button
Widget builder
Sharing allows your posts/stories/products to be shared on someones boards and also with all the other people they connect with.
Start a collaborative board to allow more traffic to come to your Pinterest site and of course Blog.
Vertical pins work better 700 x 1000 pixels.
Cleaning up your boards and adding more attractive images can help draw more interest and traffic.
Post 20% about your content and post 80% on others.
Do you want to see stats and how popular pins are? Then go to this address http://www.pinterest.com/source/ and after the word source type in your url. So it should look like this http://www.pinterest.com/source/yourURL
I did notice the business accounts on Pinterest but did not think that applied to me. Now I know better and I’m working away applying the knowledge to my blog. Thanks Deborah.
I love Katrina’s blog and site The Organised Housewife. I think she has done a brilliant job and I was so pleased to have a one on one with her about my plans and ideas for my blog. Katrina of course gave some great tips and things to think about in her talk.
My pass to the conference
Katrina automates all of her social content and is of course very organised. She has a schedule and that is what I need to orgainse more. Anything on Instagram gets published on Facebook and anything on Facebook can get published to twitter. So must get more automated.
Note to all. Facebook is changing their look of their timelines. I did click on the put me on the list but not sure what the changes will look like until they are here.
Since Facebook is changing image sizes are changing so there will be a new image size guideline soon
Be uniquely YOU!
Make sure that you put a bit of text on pictures to describe what they are about. These pictures get more clicks.
Insights on Facebook help and there is recommended posting times. However they might not be right for your audience. Look at the times that suit your audience. What times do your readers like to see things. What is your popular times. Go to insights, then posts and look at times.
Make your timeline work. Change it to suit what you are promoting or doing at the time.
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The next one is my last one to talk about. So this long post will soon end.
Kelly made me think about things very differently and she was just amazing! So glad that I got to hear her talk. Kelly’s talk was making sure that we knew not lose the core and spirit of our blog or purpose.
Kelly said that farmers don’t use fences but use wells to make sure cattle get home or stay where they should. Wells are a life force and fences take work to fix, install and are expensive to roll out in some areas as the farms are too enormous. The same is for blogs. Why build fences that undermine your options or opportunity why not build wells to allow growth and ideas to generate. If you build wells your readers will return to the life force, otherwise known as your blog or business.
Why wells? According to Kelly it is for the following reasons: Respect for the landscape, Respect for the reader and Respect for the concept
Invest in your concepts
All popular blogs have a story
Find out your WHY. Just like Apple has a story and people buy into the story not the product, the same goes for your blog/business.
Keep developing your WHY which is the heart of your blog
Kelly’s talk reminded me about a TED talk from Simon Sinek that I saw last year at university. See the video below:
I had a great time at the Digital Parents Conference. I am so glad that I went and learnt many things due to being there. I am very grateful that the world worked in my favour to allow me to go. My mum came and looked after the twins to take them to school. I was lucky that she was available to do this. So thanks mum! Now to put all these learnings into action!
Did you go to DPCON14? What was your favourite talk that opened your brain to a new way of thinking or doing? Thanks to all the speakers and organisers for making the conference possible.
Hi everyone. Yesterday I boarded the ship for my conference or should I say relaxing holiday?
It was wonderful to meet my room mate in the flesh rather than over a computer. I am roomies with Elise from Mummy Hearts Money.
Today is the start of the conference and I’m getting ready in style. As I write this I’m having a pedicure at the spa. My feet are going to look a million bucks after my treatment.
Here are some great pictures of the last few days. A big shout out to www.cruiseabout.com.au for sponsorship.
