Mums who blog

[supergolden88]

Interested to hear from any mums on the forum who publish blogs... I started mine purely as something to fill my downtime between jobs but now - nearly 6 months later - find I enjoy working on it more than my actual job!

However it is very time consuming and expensive to maintain. Would love to hear your perspectives and any tips.

[pebbles]

Hi, I also blog at http://www.pressiesbypebbles.com

Initially it was to help me launch my little crafting business however it then became a release for me to write about my insomnia and since then to let off some steam!!!

I've slowed down recently due to being really busy with other things but I like that it's there for if and when I feel like writing something down.

The feedback I've had is truly phenomenal from the "blogging world". I never really got it before but now I love it. Since I have stopped blogging so often I actually had 9 people (strangers) contact me to check that I was ok as they hadn't heard from and me and my blog - i couldn't quite believe it!!

What are you finding expensive to maintain? I'm self hosted with wordpress and apart from the actual domain which i have paid for and will continue to do so there haven't been any other costs.

I agree it is time consuming, especially to get "followers" you have to read and comment on so many other blogs but it's part of the enjoyment i think. Although I'm not lucky to have insomnia I am lucky as it means i have an enormous amount of time on my hands in the middle of the night which is when I do my writing, reading and commenting :)

I'll pop over to yours now and have a read.

Keep at it, it's a wonderful release I find :)

xxx

[supergolden88]

Thanks for the response Pebbles - I have read your blog in the past. In my case it is expensive to maintain because it's a baking blog and the cost of ingredients (and props!) does add up. The hosting etc. is free for the time being as I am on Blogger.

There is a very active blogging community out there for foodies (and, I imagine, any other type of blog). I am enjoying it immensely (though my waistline and hips would beg to differ).

[GinaG3]

I love blogging although must admit I'm in the majority of bloggers that started my blog and within 3-4 months it was abandoned. I now haven't blog for a year although am really eager to get back in to it. I only blogged once a week, so then I only baked once a week, twice maximum. I became unhappy with my photography (worst kitchen ever) and wanted to look for a completely new style to my whole blog. I was in awe of so many baking blog but wanted to become completely unique at the same time. I gained rather a lot of followers rapidly, but then after my absence they have all left and I see I only have around 20 now. Thats was a big dip. I was approached via email to take part in a worldwide 'online' food festival and was placed highly with my entries. Using Wordpress I could see I hardly had any UK visitor and most of my traffic came from Asia, Russia and South America. I loved this!!! I followed a lot of bloggers and in return they followed me gaining more traffic. You can display advertising, which is handy and increases revenue. For this I think you want to be looking at around 1,000+ unique visitors a month.

Although I'm long gone but hoping to return sometime I'll plug away regardless..

www.realitybitesbaking.wordpress.com

[scareyt]

Hi I started a blog a while ago: http://toddlertrips.wordpress.com/ but have neglected it recently. In fact this thread is reminding me to add some new stuff to it!

[Knomester]

My friend who is a local mum writes a lovely blog all about the activities she gets up to with her toddler:

http://stircrazytoddler.wordpress.com/

I have a couple of blogs about food and East Dulwich which have been sorely neglected recently. The usual parent story of toddler + work + housework + taking on too much (I've been running a local bake club, Band of Bakers, and hosting a monthly pop up tea room in Brockley...) has left me just a little short on time!

http://www.thegingergourmand.blogspot.co.uk/

http://eatsdulwich.blogspot.co.uk/

[supergolden88]

I find it incredible that you have time to do anything else on top of Band of Bakers Knomester!

Glad to meet another baking blogger GinaG3. I'll pop by your blog and say hi.

[Browncoffee]

It's on my list of things to do for my business. Someone recommended a really good blogging challenge book which I intend to use when I get round to it. It's called the 30 Day Blogging Challenge, Kickstart your Blogging by Nikki Pilkington. It's ?4.55 on amazon and has great feedback:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/30-Day-Blogging-Challenge-ebook/dp/B00563SEKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369387152&sr=8-1&keywords=30+day+blogging+challenge

It suggests a topic ever day (e.g. Day 1 - something topical, Day 2 - top tips, Day 3 - end your blog with a question, request etc).

This has prompted me to kickstart mine again so I'm moving up my list:-)

[Pamela78]

I've been keeping a blog for nearly three years now - since becoming a mum! My parents and most of my family live abroad or in distant parts of the country so I mainly keep the blog so they can feel part of the children's lives and development. I love keeping it as its such fun looking back! It can be pretty time consuming and sometimes I really have to force myself to keep it up to date.

Not sure the children will appreciate it when they are older though (especially when I read about "sharenting" this week! http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/may/18/pros-cons-of-sharenting) - would probably consider a more anonymous approach if I had my time again. But I'm glad I'm keeping the record of our experiences, and hope to keep doing so until they force me to stop sharing!

http://agarunderconstruction.wordpress.com/

[pebbles]

Ha ha Pamela, I love that guardian article - a little scary to say the least. I try not to put anything too embarrassing about the kids. When I read back my posts I always ask myself will they be ok with reading this 10 years from now.

I've found my Facebook my twitter accounts have been good at sending traffic over to my blog however I have to work at it and when I don't my stats really see the difference.

I'm loving reading all your blogs and have picked up quite a few cooking tips.

BrownCoffee - I think i'm going to buy that book as I'm going through quite a dry spell with my writing so it will be useful to have some help.

[Kes]

Lovely to find some other local blogs - supergolden88 - I follow you on twitter, you make me feel very hungry!!

I've had a blog for a few years, initially for the benefit of overseas family etc. Now I use it to have a good rant occasionally too.

I've never put much work into building my readership so it's mostly just people who see me link to posts on facebook or twitter. That said I did get a twitter plug by Kirstie Allsopp a couple of months ago which was rather exciting!

here's the blog: http://southwarkbelle.blogspot.co.uk/

and my celebrity endorsed post to save people hunting for it! http://southwarkbelle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/im-too-posh-to-push-telegraph-has-proof.html

[supergolden88]

Nice to 'meet' you all... keep the tips and ideas coming...

I was going to blog about the arrival of spring finally but taking a look outside I see I missed my window!

[Browncoffee]

Loving the blogs, ladies! Following on twitter too (objcoaching)!

Kes: love the science bits! I'm also a Scientist but non-practising. Still love to dip in though hence the attraction to your blogs.

Pebbles: I couldn't find you with new twitter name:-o

Off to start Day #1 of 30-day blog challenge!

[pebbles]

Sorry my twitter name is @revivedlondon but under the name Pebbles :)

Kes - I've only had time to read your c-sec post. Seriously well written, well done you, I nodded my head throughout reading it. I look forward to reading more

Keep writing everyone :)

[Kes]

Thanks, by far my most read post ever! Browncoffee- can you link to your blog? I'd like to follow the 30 day challenge. Might give it a go too.

[jonbateson]

I started blogging this week... Mariamadeit.wordpress.com please stop by, I will look at yours too! Gaining some tips from this thread, thanks.

[Kes]

I think I'm going to have a go at the 30 day challenge during June - anyone fancy joining me? We could link to each other, could work well as we're all local but with quite different blogs.

[jonbateson]

Ooh yes I'll join you kes, but you'll have to tell me more about this 30 day thing. Currently I am posting every other day, should I be doing it every day?? Clueless. Sorry.

[Kes]

oh good!

See the post first post from Browncoffee above, the link is to an ebook which suggests a blog action each day. You're doing much better than me posting every other day!

[jonbateson]

Right book bought, when shall we start?

[Kes]

Well it's June 1st tomorrow so that sounds like a good time! Anyone else?

http://southwarkbelle.blogspot.co.uk/

[supergolden88]

May I just counter the whole blogging every day notion with this (link below)? I personally dont think blogging every day is that good of an idea but then again my type of blog would be completely unmanageable that way (even if it was my full time job!).

Forgive me if I got this wrong (I dont have the book) it may simply be referring to doing something FOR the blog (or blog related) every day (which I do - more or less).

http://www.tots100.co.uk/2013/04/05/could-you-be-a-slow-blogger/

[Kes]

If you did decide to blog every day I selflessly volunteer to help with the extra eating!!

From skimming the book it looks like you don't post every day although it is most days which is more than I do now.

My plan is for a month of quite brief posts/other work on the blog to challenge myself to try some new ideas. I'd never manage daily posts long term either as the sciency ones need a fair bit of research.

[GinaG3]

I want to get mine off the ground again, but need to spend time really considering its direction. I'm out of the loop! P.S calorie restricting and cake doesn't work at all. I did consider going full blown into every aspect of cooking/budgeting/moneysaving but thats not what my blog was meant for. I'm a confused blogger right now, or should that be ex-blogger?

[Browncoffee]

Kes, well done for starting and motivating me to do same. Planned to start on 1st June too but in Center Parcs for the weekend. Will get started when I'm back home. Can't wait!:-)