Pinterest Review

Pinterest is another social network I have only joined recently. Well actually, I tell a lie. I joined ages ago, I just didn't actually use it. I didn't follow anyone and I didn't pin a single thing.
When I decided to start actively using Pinterest, I just changed my name on that profile to my blog's name.
I've read a few posts about how to use Pinterest for your blog, so in I went, armed with actual knowledge.
And it all went straight out of the window! I do pin my blog posts, but I decided pretty much straight away that for me, Pinterest was going to just be fun! No strategy, no scheduled pins, no ratio rules and no algorithms!
I know this means my pins won't be seen by hundreds of people. I know Pinterest is a fantastic, and often under used, blogging tool. I know it has a longevity that other social network sites can't even touch. And you know what? I don't care!
Pinterest is my happy place. I do have a board for my blog posts. I also have one for shoes and one for food and drink, but my blog is about neither. I want to just happily pin away whatever takes my fancy, and if somewhere along the line it generates some blog traffic (which it does!) that's a bonus.

Things I like:

 

1. Everything! It's quick to set up, super easy to use and really fun!

2. Coming across some fabulous articles and ideas I otherwise never would have found

 

Things I dislike:

 

The only thing I dislike is finding a pin that leads to a super interesting sounding post, clicking it and the post is nothing at all relevant to the pin. Either write the super interesting post you advertised, or pin something relevant to the actual post!

 

Top tips for bloggers:

 

There are far too many to go into here. Check back Friday for a full post on using Pinterest to promote your blog!

 

Love it or hate it?

 

For both blogging and personal use, I absolutely love it. There is something on there for everyone, on every topic imaginable, and some I would never even have imagined.

 

What do you think? Are you a Pinterest lover or hater? Let me know in the comments and if you use Pinterest, feel free to leave your link in the comments and follow each other :)

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi! 

Facebook Review

Facebook was the first social network I ever joined.

I'd like to say it's because I was too young to have been part of the Myspace crowd. Truth be told, I remember Myspace, I just didn't feel the need to join.

I think Facebook had been around about a year when I joined. I was playing quite a lot of online bingo at the time and one of the people who I spoke to regularly on there was setting up a Facebook group for members. I decided I wanted to join it, so I joined Facebook.

It doesn't take long to become addicted to it! I absolutely loved it and if I'm honest, I kind of still do.  Candy Crush addiction anyone?

I know it's not the "in" social media network. It hasn't got the instant gratification of Twitter or the supposed glamour of Instagram but there is something about it. Something that makes millions of people still want to be a part of it. I'm not sure what that is. Maybe it has the X-Factor!

When I started promoting my blog through social media, I decided I wanted to keep my Facebook profile completely separate to my blog. I would like to have a profile for it, but Facebook won't allow you to join in a name it decides isn't real - I think that's going to be a bit of a problem for the next generation with some of the weird and wonderful name popping up!

So I made the decision not to use Facebook at all in relation to my blog. That has changed slightly when I was invited to join a fantastic group that really is a good way to connect with bloggers and get your stuff seen (more to come on that later in the month!).

Things I like:

 

1. Being able to log in anytime and find out what's happening with my friends from all over the world.

2. Being able to re-connect with people that I probably otherwise would have lost touch with.

 

Things I dislike:

 

1. The drama and the fakeness. I generally avoid this because, for the most part, my friends aren't drama queens and aren't fake. But you do see a lot of attention seeking statuses and the picture perfect lives. I take it all with a pinch of salt. And lets face it, we roll our eyes etc, but sometimes it's fun to watch people posting their dirty laundry all over Facebook!

2. The ridiculous rules. It bothers me how its ok to post pictures/videos of animal abuse, people being beaten up etc but pictures of a woman breastfeeding gets taken down!

Also, the thing I mentioned above about not being to create a profile for a blog, business etc. I understand you can set up a page but I find it much easier to connect with a profile than a page.

 

 

Top tip for bloggers:

 

If you do choose to have a page for your blog, I know its tempting to ask all your friends to like it so you get a high number of followers. If that's all you want, then that's a good way to go, and get your good friends to invite their friends etc.

If you want a genuine following that interact with you and have a real interest then you need to be more selective.

The Facebook algorithms rank pages that have high engagement much higher than ones with a low engagement to likers ratio. So if you have a lot of people like your page but  are not interacting with it, Facebook decide people aren't interested in your posts and very few people get to actually see them.

 

Love it or hate it?

 

Facebook is still my guilty pleasure. For personal use, I love it. As a promotion tool, I don't think it's as good as Twitter, but if used correctly and you are willing to put in the time and effort, it does have potential for a large number of people to see your stuff.

 

What do you think? Are you a Facebook lover or hater? Let me know in the comments and if you have a Facebook page, feel free to leave your user name in the comments and like each others :)

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi! 



Twitter Review

What can you say about Twitter? With no facts whatsoever to back this up, I would say it's the most popular social network of them all.
Twitter is fast paced, fun and engaging.
When I first started my blog, I stupidly thought I would write posts and people would magically know they existed. Wrong! After a month or so of writing posts and getting excited if my page views got into double figures, I knew I either had to stop blogging or start promoting. So I waded into the world of Twitter. I've used Twitter before, so I had a vague idea of what I was getting myself into, but first time around, I didn't enjoy it, so I thought it would be a case of grin and bear it.
I joined and followed some bloggers, and slowly at first, some of them followed me back. Then people started following me from my blog, or seeing my tweets, and my followers grew.
I actually tweeted complete strangers and they became friends. I tweeted about my blog, and people started to read it. It was very exciting, and somewhere in amongst it all, I realised I wasn't grinning and bearing it, I was loving it.

Things I like:

 

1. I love how it is completely acceptable, welcomed in fact, to follow and connect with people who are technically complete strangers

2. I like how there is always something going on. Day or night, people are tweeting and Twitter is always awake!

3. I like how it is informal - you can kind of just pop in and out of conversations without it seeming strange or rude!

 

Things I dislike:

 

I honestly can't think of anything I dislike. Sometimes, the speed of Twitter can be a double edged sword - you can miss things that would be of interest to you, but weighing it up, I find the speed more of a good thing. It's never boring!

 

Top tip for bloggers:

 



Dive in and connect with people: Follow people who interest you. Re-tweet stuff, respond to tweets, join in with chats. And use hashtags to get your tweets seen by people who don't follow you.

 

Love it or hate it?

 

I think it's fairly obvious I love it! I can easily be on there all day and still not get bored because of the variety of things that pop up.

 

What do you think? Are you a Twitter lover or hater? Let me know in the comments and if you are on Twitter, feel free to leave your user name in the comments and follow each other :)

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi! 



Instagram Review

Instagram is one of those sites that everyone is always talking about to the point that it feels like not having an IG account is social suicide.

Still, I managed to resist until recently.

It's honestly not a social network I thought I would be for me. I'm not really into photography. Obviously I take some photos for my blog, but other than that I rarely do.

I'm definitely not a selfie queen. In my whole life I have taken the grand total of one selfie. That was only because a blog I was guest posting on required a photo of the writer and there was no else around to take a picture.

I hate having my photo taken altogether, and I am yet to see a photo of myself I like. I am that person who always gets caught blinking, or moving or looking a bit demented!

Aside from that, I quite like the idea of having photographic memories, I just always kind of forget to take the photos. I have seen me go on holiday and come back and I haven't had the camera out of my bag - I carry it around but just never think to use it.

I like the idea of seeing other people's pictures, but before blogging, when it would have just been an account for personal use, it seemed pointless because everyone I know who has IG has it set up to post their photos from IG onto Facebook anyway.

Anyway, since starting blogging, every blogger I've spoke to has been shocked when I say I don't have an IG account. After some debate I finally bit the bullet and joined.

Things I like:

1. Although I'm not into taking pictures, I do enjoy looking at other people's (nosey much!)
2. If used correctly, it can really show what your brand/blog is all about. I don't use it correctly! It's something I'm working on, and recently I have read a fab series about this by Nikki at The View From In Here. Check it out, it really is a fantastic IG guide.

Things I don't like:

1. I hate the fact everything has to be done on my phone. A lot of the images I want on there are ones I have designed on my laptop - its such a mess about sending them to my phone to post instead of doing it direct.
2. Not being able to add clickable links to each photo. I have the main blog link in my bio, but who actually goes and clicks on it? If it's there, people are much more likely to click through.

Top tip for bloggers:

If your IG account is your personal one, I understand why you might have it private. If it's your blog account, don't do that. You are more likely to get followers if your account isn't private. Partly because people can see some examples of your photos and get a sense of whether your account is of interest to them. Mainly though, if your account is private, people will assume you don't want strangers following you. If I come across a private account, I only request to follow them if its someone I have already connected with on their blog/other social media. I find it quite unwelcoming.

Love it or hate it?

As a fun network, I love it. I enjoy taking a little glimpse into other people's lives. As a blog promotion, I don't think it's all that great though to be honest. Having said that, I haven't focused much attention on it. I think I might up my game a bit, try to post more regularly and see how it goes!

What do you think? Are you an IG lover or hater? Let me know in the comments and if you are on IG, feel free to leave your links in the comments and follow each other :)

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!

Guest Post: Blogging By The Calendar by Anne Goodwin

Today is a guest post from Anne from Annethologist (link at the end). If you haven't had a chance to visit Anne's blog yet, here is a little more about her!

Anne Goodwin writes fiction, short and long, and blogs about reading and writing, with a peppering of psychology. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was published last month by Inspired Quill.

Anne's post has some great ideas about how to use holidays to promote posts. Read on, and all shall be revealed!

Blogging by the calendar: making use of national and international commemorative days by Anne Goodwin

 

 

If you’re a blogger, and active on Twitter, you’re probably aware of the value of using hashtags to promote your posts. But have you thought about scheduling your posts to coincide with the plethora of commemorative days on the national and international calendar? If you do a special post for Christmas, Valentine’s Day or the annual carnival in your hometown, you’re halfway there. But there are lots of lesser known “international something days” you could blog to, each with their Twitter hashtag to introduce you to other fascinating posts on the theme as well as providing a vehicle to promote your own. With a blog about reading and writing, peppered with psychology, let me show you some that I’ve drawn on, and if these don’t grab you there are plenty more out there that might.

International Women’s Day on 8^th March is probably the easiest for me to blog around: this year I wrote about my five favourite heroines from my recent reading and even included a poll where my followers could vote for their own favourite. I’ve also done World Book Day on 6^th March – although, given the nature of my blog, perhaps not as often as I ought. A more obscure one, although definitely worth publicising, is Moebius Awareness Day on 24^th January to highlight the neurological condition in which children are unable to smile; I’d been so moved by their plight I’d written a short story on the subject, so my Smile Please! was an obvious next step.

You can still join in the commemorations even for posts published on a different day. I try to remember to promote my review of Peter Matthiessen’s novel, In Paradise, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27^th January, and of Eve Makis’ The Spicebox Letters on 24^th April, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. If these don’t fit with your blog, there are over forty other United Nations International Days marking important aspects of humanity to draw on. A potentially jollier one is World Tourism Day on 27^th September although, being me, I’ve managed to put a serious slant on my post on this theme.

September’s a busy month for writerly special days: with National Punctuation Day in the US on 24^th, and International Translation Day on 30^th (the feast day of St Jerome, translator of the Bible). But my focus this year will be on World Suicide Prevention Day on 10^th September, as my recently published debut novel features a suicidal child.

If all this seems a bit heavy, let me introduce you to my favourite: World Toilet Day on 19^th November. Don’t be shy, access to safe and hygienic toilets is one of the most important health and human rights issues of our time. It’s also where you’ll find the most entertaining, moving and uplifting blog posts ever, as supporters and activists mine their creativity to draw attention to the theme. I showcased my favourites in my post last year, prompting another blogger to challenge her followers to compose tales of toilets in exactly 99 words.

If you care about connecting, then don’t overlook these commemorative days. Use the hashtags and you’ll discover more about the subject. If you’re lucky, you’ll commandeer other bloggers to share your enthusiasm for the cause. And for most of these special days you can download a badge to brighten up your post. What’s not to like?

 

Great advice or what! Time to show Anne some love. Visit her blog, follow her on Twitter, and of course, leave her some comments below! And don't forget to check out her book!

It's A Blogger's Life with Kate from Pouting In Heels

Welcome to the It's A Blogger's Life interview series.
As you may have seen, I posted a list of some of my favourite blogs at the start of the month, and what it is I love about them. Check it out here, you will definitely find some amazing new blogs to follow if you missed it first time around. I asked some of the amazing bloggers if they would be willing to take part in this series and introduce themselves to you and share a little of their blogging wisdom.
I was so happy at the responses I got to my request - it really does go to show the strength of the blogging community and how bloggers help each other out.
Thank you to everyone who responded, and thanks to each and every one of you on that list for consistently publishing beautiful and inspiring posts that keep me coming back for more.
Anyway, enough from me, over to the interview.

Today we have Kate from Pouting In Heels.

1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hello! I'm Kate, a professional blogger and mum to one, my daughter Elsie. Besides blogging, I also work as a freelance journalist, PR and copywriter.
I run two blogs – Pouting In Heels (lifestyle & parenting) and To Dream Of Dresses (a style blog with soul). You can also catch me writing for The Huffington Post occasionally too.
I'm an ordinary, working mum, just trying my very best to create an extraordinary and fulfilling life!

2. Why did you start blogging?
I got into blogging originally when I left full time employment to go freelance and started blogging about my freelancing journey.
I soon realised that people really enjoyed my posts and so a short while after, I decided to set up a 'proper' blog 'Pouting In Heels' (away from my professional site) to talk about everything that is important to a modern woman and I've never looked back 

3. What is your blog about?
Pouting In Heels is a lifestyle and parenting blog so as you'd expect it covers everything from motherhood to beauty, however I'm also incredibly passionate about helping women to feel better about themselves and each other.
This is what I really try to do on the blog, though writing honest pieces about being a modern woman and everything that this entails.

4. What are the long term goals for your blog?
To increase my audience, to help / inspire more women to feel good about themselves and to look at extending the Pouting In Heels brand with books, podcasts and quite possibly, even a shop!
 
5. Any tips for bloggers?
Every blogger is different and offers something unique, but if I could give only one piece of advice, it would have to be this: keep things real and always be authentic.
Don't fake it. Don't pretend to be something you're not. Find your voice and own it with pride, and people will come.

6. Describe yourself in 3 words
Erm... passionate, caring and freedom-loving! (Is that four?!)

7. What are your top 3 blogging essentials?
A brain full of creative ideas, time (!) and my trusty and fabulous Macbook Air.

8. What would be your dream blogging assignment and why?
I've had some fabulous blogging assignments already but my dream one would be to collaborate with a brand which is also passionate about helping women and improving their lives.
So for example, working with a beauty brand like Dove or a charity like Refuge would be perfect for me. (I really hope they're listening! ;-) )

9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
Such a tough question but it would probably have to be Rome, just because it's my favourite city in the world. I love everything that it has to offer, but particularly the ancient history and the food.

10. Where can we find you?
Pouting in Heels, my parent and lifestyle blog, To Dream of Dresses, a style blog with soul, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and my YouTube channel.

Show Kate some love - visit her blogs, follow her on social media and of course, leave her some comments below :)

Thank you so much Kate for taking part!

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!

It's A Blogger's Life: My Answers

Welcome to the It's A Blogger's Life interview series.
As you may have seen, I posted a list of some of my favourite blogs at the start of the month, and what it is I love about them. Check it out here, you will definitely find some amazing new blogs to follow if you missed it first time around. I asked some of the amazing bloggers if they would be willing to take part in this series and introduce themselves to you and share a little of their blogging wisdom.
I was so happy at the responses I got to my request - it really does go to show the strength of the blogging community and how bloggers help each other out.
Thank you to everyone who responded, and thanks to each and every one of you on that list for consistently publishing beautiful and inspiring posts that keep me coming back for more.
It was suggested to me that I should answer the questions I set too, so here goes!

1. Tell us a little about yourself
I'm Debbie, I'm 33 and I'm from North East England. I blog here! I love reading and writing and I'm currently working on my first novel.

2. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging to find my voice, and along the way I fell in love with it.

3. What is your blog about?
While I would categorize it as a lifestyle blog, it doesn't have any one topic. I have monthly themes, but I also blog about whatever takes my fancy on the day!

4. What are the long term goals for your blog?
To keep building my readership, and continue to grow. Making some money along the way wouldn't hurt either, although I am not currently actively seeking sponsored posts.

5. Any tips for bloggers?
I have ran a blogging theme this month, so yes, there are a lot of tips to read through. Top of the list would be this: be yourself, everyone can spot a faker and it's just awkward.

6. Describe yourself in 3 words
Loud, opinionated, loyal.

7. What are your top 3 blogging essentials?
My schedule, Tweetdeck, Pic Monkey

8. What would be your dream blogging assignment and why?
I would love to do some travel reviews. If any travel companies are reading, feel free to send me on holiday :)

9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
New York - I love the energy, people and general hustle and bustle, and living here is on my bucket list for sure.

10. Where can we find you?
You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!

It's A Blogger's Life with Pen from The Single Swan

Welcome to the It's A Blogger's Life interview series.
As you may have seen, I posted a list of some of my favourite blogs at the start of the month, and what it is I love about them. Check it out here, you will definitely find some amazing new blogs to follow if you missed it first time around. I asked some of the amazing bloggers if they would be willing to take part in this series and introduce themselves to you and share a little of their blogging wisdom.
I was so happy at the responses I got to my request - it really does go to show the strength of the blogging community and how bloggers help each other out.
Thank you to everyone who responded, and thanks to each and every one of you on that list for consistently publishing beautiful and inspiring posts that keep me coming back for more.
Anyway, enough from me, over to the interview.

Today we have Pen from The Single Swan.

1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am a newly single mum in my mid-thirties with a son who is under one and a cat who is just over three. I live in London and I work full time.  

2. Why did you start blogging?
My blog evolved out of my attempts to manage my upset, bitterness, disappointment and at times my desperation as I went through a break-up with my now ex-partner. 

I found that locking myself in my bedroom (whilst he was downstairs) and writing down my feelings, just in a word document, was a good way of getting things off my chest.  It helped me to construct my thoughts about how and why I felt he was being unfair in a calm, logical, rational and justified way.  After about a month, I found that I had about 20 or so word documents on my computer just recording what he had said, what he had done, what his family had done and how I felt about it. It was really cathartic. 

These word documents morphed into my blog because I felt that I needed something to document my journey as a single mother, something to refer back to at difficult times to see how far I have come and re-calibrate myself when I am going through difficult times.  My blog posts help me to remind myself of my vision and what I am seeking to achieve for our son and for myself long term. 

 Many of the word documents from the very beginning haven't been published and probably never will be. A lot of them are incoherent and emotional rants. You wouldn’t want to read them and I don’t really want to publish them.  

I also started the blog because I didn't know anyone in 'real' life who was in the thick of it in exactly the same way as me. I wanted to meet these people and share these experiences. I am very lucky to have met these people and indeed many more online. You help to give me a sense of perspective. That is really important, so thank you. 

 3. What is your blog about?
It is about my journey, from the beginning or thereabouts, as a single mother. To date, I have mainly written about my relationship breakdown and have used it to collect my thoughts. Going forward I would imagine it will contain a lot more about the co-parenting challenges that I am facing and family mediation which we are just about to embark upon.  

I might even attempt to inject a bit of humour into my situation, but don't hold your breath! 

4. What are the long term goals for your blog?
Therapy, community, discussion.  

I don't know, in the back of my mind I have half an eye on monetisation and turning it into something that I can turn into a career. I have a stable job, which I am good at and a goodish salary and pension. I don’t think that in my current situation I will be able to give up that reliable monthly income. I therefore think I would be very unlikely to use my blog as a main source of income. It is working for me at the moment though. I enjoy it and that is enough. Who knows what the future holds. 

 5. Any tips for bloggers?
Write for you and about things that you feel strongly and passionate about. My favourite blogs are those that are honest and clearly written from the heart. The words just flow and you almost feel that the writer has an imperative to write and feels a great sense of relief when they finish a blog post.  You can sense this in a blog post. These are my favourites. 

6. Describe yourself in 3 words
Anonymous, relieved (that I am no longer in an unhappy relationship) proud (of myself for having the courage to end it.   

7. What are your top 3 blogging essentials?
My mac book. A bit of time. A glimmer of an idea. Wine is good but not essential.  

8. What would be your dream blogging assignment and why?
Goodness me. I have never done a blogging assignment. I am quite enjoying this interview. Does that count as an assignment? 

9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
I would live exactly where I am. I enjoy and indeed need to have my family and some friends nearby. That always has been important to me but is more so than ever at the moment. That is not to say that I wouldn't like to live and experience different cities and cultures. I have lived abroad before and loved it. I am a city girl. I can't really be doing with animals and fields and such like. It is the bustle of big cites, the diversity of culture and the aesthetics of the art and architecture of the city that I like. 

10. Where can we find you?
My blog, on Twitter, or via email.

Show Pen some love - visit her blog, follow theron social media and of course, leave her some comments below :)

Thank you so much Pen for taking part!

Stay tuned for more It's A Blogger's Life - next up is Kate from Pouting in Heels tomorrow.

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!

It's A Blogger's Life with Angela from Days in Bed

Welcome to the It's A Blogger's Life interview series.
As you may have seen, I posted a list of some of my favourite blogs at the start of the month, and what it is I love about them. Check it out here, you will definitely find some amazing new blogs to follow if you missed it first time around. I asked some of the amazing bloggers if they would be willing to take part in this series and introduce themselves to you and share a little of their blogging wisdom.
I was so happy at the responses I got to my request - it really does go to show the strength of the blogging community and how bloggers help each other out.
Thank you to everyone who responded, and thanks to each and every one of you on that list for consistently publishing beautiful and inspiring posts that keep me coming back for more.
Anyway, enough from me, over to the interview.

Today we have Angela from Days in Bed.

1. Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Angela, I was born in the UK, but lived in New Zealand for many years. I’ve also lived in Tonga, on the island of Tongatapu in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’m a qualified Early Years teacher.
My previous marriage failed due to violence and abuse. I returned to England in 2010 with my daughter Sylvia. She was 18 months old. I remained a single mother for 5 years and got married exactly two years ago to my sweetheart John.
After the wedding (within a week), I collapsed and was diagnosed with adrenal failure. I’ve spent the last two years trying to get well, this is still a work in progress.
I love children, I feel passionate about helping others. I enjoy researching my family history and watching some reality television. I have a dog called Yoda and enjoy going on adventures – when I’m well enough.

2. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging originally because I wanted to share and record my family experiences and my ideas for teaching and raising kids. In April, I changed the name of my blog to Daysinbed.com as being unwell is a huge part of my life and I wanted to reflect this in my writing.
I also blog so that I can help provide for myself and my family, especially as my husband has given up work to look after me with my physical issues. I want to raise awareness for Adrenal Insufficiency and get well. I  need an “Adrenal pump”. The Adrenal Pump is a life saving treatment that would change my quality of life and get me out of the wheelchair. It is not currently available through the NHS but is available if I go private. This is one of my motivations to keep going.
 3. What is your blog about?
So my blog is called Daysinbed, a lifestyle blog with a twist. I have three main categories. I write about Parenting and Family, Health and Wellbeing and Home Improvements, DIY, Recipes etc. All of them are based around “Family Fun”.
Most blogs have one niche. I could not choose between the three. I feel passionate about them all.
I have some special feature posts on my blog,
I write The Gratitude Diaries, a weekly blog post about the things I’m grateful for. I also write The Adrenal Diaries and Yoda’s Antics, these are fortnightly posts about the life journey of my puppy Yoda and my journey towards better health.
The Adrenal Diaries is also open to other people with the illness to share their stories of Adrenal Insufficiency.
Some people are not aware yet but I have recently had a major change to my blog. Daysinbed gained a new contributor! – my sister Doctor Deborah Brunt.
Deborah is a Doctor who has specialised in paediatric health and nutrition. She is a mother of six and is currently on maternity leave, home schooling her children.
This is the perfect addition to Daysinbed. I write about parenting and family fun as a mother and teacher and I share my experiences of health. Deborah is writing about Health and wellbeing as a Doctor and plans to share her experiences as a mother too!
We are both really excited about the blog and the term Daysinbed really does suit us both, as I spend days in bed as a patient and my sister usually spends days as a Doctor helping people out of bed.

4. What are the long term goals for your blog?
My first goal was to complete the design of my blog and work out my direction. It took many months but everything has finally fallen into place and I have found my spot in the blogging world.
My Second goal is to introduce 2 Linkys to my blog. I have a weekly Linky planned to start this month (August) and hope to build this up over the following months. I also have a Monthly Linky planned to start in September. The details will be revealed in the coming weeks! So watch this space!
My Third goal is to build my Instagram following. I’m only just getting to understand Instagram It’s something I really enjoy posting pictures and so I want to work on this in the near future!
Long Term, I hope to continue building my following. I also plan to try and find some great brands to sponsor the blog and help me with my goal of financially providing for the family.
 5. Any tips for bloggers?
Yes, if your thinking of starting out as a blogger, do some research first. In particular how you wish to portray your child online. In today’s world every child has a digital footprint. Some bloggers refer to their child as Monkey or Baby. I call my daughter by her real name as I’m comfortable doing this but not every parent is!
So my first tip would be to start as you mean to go on. Decide what you will and won’t write about in reference to your child and this will save you going through old posts and changing names and details in the future.
My second tip would be to try and avoid comparing yourself to others. Every blog is unique and we all get different deals, products to promote and posts to write.
If I spent my time focusing on what others were doing it would make me feel pretty rubbish. Just be yourself and do your best. Rewards come through hard work. Work hard and good things will happen.

6. Describe yourself in 3 words
Honest, Loyal, Blonde ha ha! It does often take me a few moments to get things! Lol

7. What are your top 3 blogging essentials?
A good Computer
A good Smart Phone
A good set of felt tip pens- as I love to plan and brainstorm ideas visually on paper with my pens.

8. What would be your dream blogging assignment and why?
My dream blogging assignment would be to review an airline in return for flights to my second home New Zealand. I have not seen my friends and family in almost 6 years and I’d love to fly back to New Zealand to my loved ones, to see my parents, my sister and her six kids.
I really cannot afford a holiday like this as I’m saving the pump so Air New Zealand, if your reading this! Please don’t hesitate to DM me. (Wink Wink)

9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
Where I live in Lancashire. I am living in my dream location. I have lived in New Zealand and Tonga and Yorkshire but I love the little village we live in and this is where I want to live for the rest of my life. It is perfect for us. It would be nice to own a home though in our village- that is the dream!

10. Where can we find you?
Days in Bed blog, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn and We Heart It. 

Show Angela some love - visit her blog, follow her on social media and of course, leave her some comments below :)

Thank you so much Angela for taking part!

Stay tuned for more It's A Blogger's Life - next up is Pen from The Single Swan tomorrow.

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!

How To Blog Successfully With Limited Time

Blogging takes time. There's no getting away from that. I think you can still have a fab blog, even if you don't have a lot of time. It's all about putting your time to good use.
The first thing is to work out how much time you have to use on your blog, and work with it. It's no good attempting to post three times a day if you only have two hours a week spare.

Here's my guide to successfully posting three times a week in only 45 minutes a day! Just amend to cover the time you have and the posts you want to get done.

Saturday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
25 Minutes - Take and edit photos for the next week's posts.

Sunday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
25 Minutes - Write Monday's post, add images and be ready to just hit publish

Monday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
2 Minutes - Publish your post
23 Minutes - Schedule week's tweets, Instagram posts, and Facebook updates

Tuesday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
5 Minutes - Respond to blog post comments
20 Minutes - Get Wednesday's post ready to publish

Wednesday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
2 Minutes - Publish your post
23 Minutes - Read and comment on some blogs you follow

Thursday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
25 Minutes - Get Friday's post ready to publish

Friday
10 Minutes - Read and respond to emails
10 Minutes - Respond to social media messages, mentions etc
25 Minutes - Join weekly linkys

Also, think about spare time you might not have considered. How about reading and commenting on some posts on your work commute? Respond to messages on your coffee break. Use your time wisely and it really is possible!

This is the bare minimum I think you would need to do in a week, but obviously, the more time you put into your blog, the more you will get back.

Do you think this is do-able? Let me know in the comments!

You can find me here: Twitter Bloglovin Pinterest and Instagram Please do stop by and say hi!