Kristy Seven Graces Blog
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Seven Graces

Motherhood + Style + Wellness

blogging, lifestyle, mama, Uncategorized ·

Confessions of a Mom Blogger

Confession: Somehow in the past year and a half, I’ve become a full-fledged mommy/lifestyle blogger. I’m not mad about it. It started out with an idea I had at a bible study, and then lo and behold, this blog manifested itself. Today, I’m proud to say, I even make a little bit of money doing what I love: writing, sharing pictures and stories, and spreading the love. But what exactly does it mean to be a mommy blogger, lifestyle blogger, or any blogger for that matter? More and more of my real life friends (as opposed to my blogging friends) often ask me what blogging is like, how I make it happen, and if it’s easy. I’m here to give you the inside scoop of how things are done and what it really means to be a blogger.

I stay up until the wee hours of the morning working on new blog posts.

On a really good day, I’ll get a blog post done during nap time. But that kind of post writing is as rare as a unicorn. It takes me a total of 4-5 hours for one blog post (taking pictures, editing pictures, researching, writing, editing, publishing, sharing). Although, I can sometimes crank out a post in 2-3 hours now. It depends on the topic. Blogging most definitely can be blamed for my coffee addiction.

I take about a gazillion pictures. 

For instance, my phone currently has over 9,000 photos. What in the world? Not to mention that it takes me about 100 pictures to be satisfied with about four. When I first started blogging, I would take pictures on my trusty iPhone 4, filter them with some weird filter, paste it into a blog post and call it a day. I quickly learned that photography is crucial if you want to grow your blog. I still use my iPhone pictures for blog posts, but if I have a high quality image from my fancy camera, I’ll use that instead. If I do use my iPhone pictures (I upgraded to the 6 last fall), I make sure to enhance them as much as I can to look like a high quality image.

I’m on social media…a lot.

Being a lifestyle/mommy blogger means putting your life out there, not only with words in a blog post, but through social media too. My two favorite forms of social media are Facebook and Instagram, but almost half of my blog traffic comes from Pinterest. However, most of my social media shares are scheduled before the babe wakes up. (You can read what “a day in the life” looks like here.)

Photo by Karen Jacot

I schedule my Facebook posts.

Let’s talk about Facebook for a minute. I love sharing articles about parenting, quotes about faith, life hacks, fashion tips, and anything I think you would like that I would talk about on Seven Graces. I especially love when I get conversations going on Facebook posts, too. But did you know I rarely “share” in real time? I schedule my posts out for the week usually on Sunday nights. That means that I grab a ton of articles I’ve seen throughout the week and then set a “timer” on when I want them to be shared through my Seven Graces Facebook page. I usually share about five things a day through my blog’s page, which seems like a lot, but there’s a method to the madness. Because I have a blog Facebook page, I try to limit my personal page usage. It’s my personal preference to keep it that way.

My Instagram pictures are the best of the best of my camera roll/photo stream.

Like I said a minute ago, Instagram is one of my most favorite forms of social media. I’m a visual person, so of course the picture platform of Instagram is my jam. It wasn’t until around last fall that I really started paying attention to what I posted on there and when. Then at the beginning of this year I listened to an Instagram webinar on how to grow my platform, and I became even more serious about it. That’s what we bloggers do, people. We’re all about growth. Anyway, for bloggers, Instagram is about the pretty pictures. Every now and then, I’ll post something that shows my messy house or crazy day, but know that some pictures are not taken in real time. Majority of my Instagram photos are #latergrams. Majority of my Instagram pictures are now taken from my fancy cam. (To see how I edit my iPhone Insta pics, you can refer to this post.) And for the love, bloggers can have the most perfect, curated Instagram feed, but please know that it is a highlight reel of our business/brand/life. Did you hear me? It’s a highlight reel. For real life nuances, you can reference my Snapchat or this blog post.

I have made my blog into a business.

One of my goals in life is to write a book. So what did I do? I started a blog to get some practice in.  With all of my “practice,” blogging has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies to date. My hobby now pays me sometimes, too. However, if I’m to be perfectly honest, sometimes I feel like there is a difference between writing and blogging. Yes, they go hand in hand, but sometimes writing from the heart does not garner the same traffic like an informational post does…like 10 Things You Must Do in Napa Valley. And because I’m trying to grow an audience, (you know, so one day you’ll read a book by moi), I have to write the informational pieces. Who knows. Maybe my book will end up being a light-hearted parenting book or travel book. That would be laughable, although not far-fetched.

Taking my blog into the monetization zone has always been a goal though. In late May of this year,  I finally reached a point when I knew I was ready to start sponsored posts. I have always shared products I love, so now some of my posts talking about things I would talk about anyway are connected to ad groups who connect me with brands who in turn pay me to talk about their product. Not a bad gig. I love that I now get to bring in a little extra income to contribute to my family while I’m staying at home.

Another way I’ve turned my blog into a side business is to use affiliate links throughout posts in which I mention products and clothing. What’s an affiliate link you ask? It’s a link to a retailer paying me a very small commission to send traffic their way. Most links in my blog posts that direct you to Amazon or other major retailers are often times affiliate links. Like I said before, I would be sharing that information anyway. It’s nice to get rewarded with a few pennies every now and then, though.

One day I hope to have a few ads running through here as well. Every little bit helps.

I’m ALWAYS thinking of what to write about and new blog posts.

This has me thinking of a line in Sister Act 2 when Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi Goldberg) tells the Lauryn Hill character, “If you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is singing, you’re a singer, girl.” It was the same thing when I was teaching. I was always thinking about new lessons and how I would present it. It was my calling. Now blogging is my calling. It’s my season to share my stories through this platform. I think about new blog posts when I wake up, when Charlotte does something funny or crazy, when I’m driving, when I take a shower, when I go running, when I read something new, when I make dinner, when I go shopping, etc. I think you get the point. I write new topics down in my Notepad app on my phone or on my regular notepad and have a running list of blog post ideas. Let’s just say I won’t run out of content for quite some time.

Blogging can be stressful. 

If you are a blogger trying to run your blog as a business, yes, it can be stressful. It is not easy or for the thin skinned. Like everything, you get out of it what you put in. I’m a perfectionist by nature, so I put 110% into my work. When I make a mistake after hitting publish, I’m my own worst critic and get so mad. I fix it quickly, but it still stresses me out. I also stress about numbers: how many page views I received for the day, how many social media followers I have, how many repins I’ve had on Pinterest. I stress about perfecting my images, especially for sponsored posts. I stress about “will people read this and take something away from it?” I stress about how many times a week I publish, what time of day I publish, and on and on. But then…

 

Blogging can be rewarding.

I love that this blog is a good representation of me and my life. If I were to talk to you friend to friend over coffee, any one of the topics I’ve talked about here on the blog would be what we would be talking about at the table. Jesus, Charlotte, the hubs, traveling, food, shopping, parenting, my family. That’s all me. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced too many internet trolls. What I have experienced is people’s thanks and gratitude for sharing something that was helpful to them or resonated in their heart. That’s when blogging is rewarding, and that’s why I keep pushing the publish button, that and to keep a record of things I want to remember.

Every now and then I do get burnt out with blogging. It’s only natural and happens with anything that we do in life. For those times when I feel discouraged with blogging or like it’s taking time away from my family, I take a step back, take a breather and a break, and soak up every day life. Kind of like I did this past week. Then I come back to this space feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the world again, one word at a time. This quote by Rene Swope kind of sums up why I keep coming back, “Sometimes the best way to share our faith is to simply share our lives and our stories.” Heard that.

Photo by Karen Jacot

And that’s about the size of it. Do you have any more questions about blogging or how it works for me? You know I’m all ears and ready to answer your questions.

Let’s keep in touch, shall we?

 
You can see where I’m linking up on this page.

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Comments

  1. ::as I sit here at 2:30am after just finishing Fridays post::.

    Seriously, it is hard. Especially as a mom. The *time*. I was just telling a blogger friend (with a pretty popular blog) how lucky she was to have grown such a big following pre-kids. It feels like it would have been so much easier to devote more time to it back then! I dont network or update nearly as much as I’d like, and when I do, like you, I want things perfect and often run back to fix things.

    I guess something makes it rewarding, enjoyable and worth it for us, though. Or we wouldn’t continue :)

    • You get it, girlfriend. :) I think I went to bed at 2. Lol. And I didn’t even talk about the technical side of blogging. So many tech issues! :/ I totally agree with not being able to devote as much time as one could. It could be a full time job, that is for sure. I also forgot to mention that I rarely binge watch anything anymore, because that time is usually spent blogging. Yet I keep on doing it. :) High five!

  2. Love this post! We seem to be the same way, I’m always thinking about posts in the shower, drying my hair …

    What companies are you using to make money? I use rewardstyle, a few other companies have contacted me but I’m not sure what direction I want to go! Xo

  3. ::as I sit here at 2:30am after just finishing Fridays post::.

    Seriously, it is hard. Especially as a mom. The *time*. I was just telling a blogger friend (with a pretty popular blog) how lucky she was to have grown such a big following pre-kids. It feels like it would have been so much easier to devote more time to it back then! I dont network or update nearly as much as I'd like, and when I do, like you, I want things perfect and often run back to fix things.

    I guess something makes it rewarding, enjoyable and worth it for us, though. Or we wouldn't continue :)

  4. Love this post! We seem to be the same way, I'm always thinking about posts in the shower, drying my hair …

    What companies are you using to make money? I use rewardstyle, a few other companies have contacted me but I'm not sure what direction I want to go! Xo

  5. Well isn’t this post just all kinds of fabulous!

    Totally agree with you girl! Although, (as you can see with my blog currently lol) no sleep has been sacrificed in order for the blog to run. Naptime and bedtime are my blog times…otherwise, it just doesn’t happen!

    • Well thank you, my dear! I have been applauding you with all the blogging you’ve been doing lately. I don’t think I would have the energy to write at all with a newborn in my hands. Lol. So yay you! Xoxo

  6. What a wonderful post Kristy and you shared so many great insights here!

    Scheduling saves me a lot of computer time during the week too. I don’t want to be a slave to my phone or the computer, especially during the week when I’m juggling homeschooling, housework, cooking, etc.

    I recently permitted myself to take a day off every week from my blog (Sundays). I feel so much better now that I have a day to myself and away from the blogging and social media pressure.

    Love your pictures! You’re getting great with your camera!

    Wishing you a lovely day.
    xoxo

    • Well you are a master blogger, so I’m taking this as a huge compliment. :)

      I take off Saturdays and Sundays. And lately I’ve been taking off Mondays too, but not next week. A break is definitely needed! We aren’t machines, and I finally figured out that no one expects us to be. ;)

      Xoxo

  7. Oh girl so much good info! I’d love to hear more about what medium you use for sponsored posts/ affiliated links. Never hurts to get insider information ;)

    • I am loving Weave/Pollinate right now. SoFab (Social Fabric/Collective Bias), Linqia, Clever Girls, and TapInfluence are also on my list of media groups I work with. You should definitely sign up! ;)

  8. Well isn't this post just all kinds of fabulous!

    Totally agree with you girl! Although, (as you can see with my blog currently lol) no sleep has been sacrificed in order for the blog to run. Naptime and bedtime are my blog times…otherwise, it just doesn't happen!

  9. What a wonderful post Kristy and you shared so many great insights here!

    Scheduling saves me a lot of computer time during the week too. I don't want to be a slave to my phone or the computer, especially during the week when I'm juggling homeschooling, housework, cooking, etc.

    I recently permitted myself to take a day off every week from my blog (Sundays). I feel so much better now that I have a day to myself and away from the blogging and social media pressure.

    Love your pictures! You're getting great with your camera!

    Wishing you a lovely day.
    xoxo

  10. What a great way to really sum up all that blogging is. I obviously don’t do it as often as a lot of bloggers do, but when I do, it takes time. I have a lot to juggle in my life, as does everyone, and I don’t want blogging to consume my down time, so scheduling posts out and allotting blogging time is definitely a must! XO

    • Thanks, Alycia! I think I left a few things out, but it’s the jist of it, right? Lol. I am having a heck of a summer, but I hope things will slow down after next week. :) If I worked, I probably wouldn’t blog at all. But who knows. Hope you had a great weekend!

  11. I love this post. TBH I really wanted to start blogging more seriously, and then we began the home buying process for the first time and I feel like blogging has taken a backseat. Last night I was so discouraged. I know I read this for a reason. I am completely encouraged in hearing your journey and the realities of being a full time blogger!

    • Thanks, Stefanie! I’m sure you did read it for a reason. Blogging can get really discouraging sometimes, but don’t let a little discouragement keep you from all the encouragement that it brings as well, not only for yourself but what you can offer to others! ;) That’s why I keep doing it. And all good things take a lot of heart and a lot of time. Not to mention, a hobby that pays sometimes (Some people are making 6 figures and beyond…I’m not there yet, but it’s a nice goal) is a great hobby to have! Best of luck to you, my dear!

  12. I love this post. TBH I really wanted to start blogging more seriously, and then we began the home buying process for the first time and I feel like blogging has taken a backseat. Last night I was so discouraged. I know I read this for a reason. I am completely encouraged in hearing your journey and the realities of being a full time blogger!

  14. Well thank you, my dear! I have been applauding you with all the blogging you've been doing lately. I don't think I would have the energy to write at all with a newborn in my hands. Lol. So yay you! Xoxo

  15. Well you are a master blogger, so I'm taking this as a huge compliment. :)

    I take off Saturdays and Sundays. And lately I've been taking off Mondays too, but not next week. A break is definitely needed! We aren't machines, and I finally figured out that no one expects us to be. ;)

    Xoxo

  16. I am loving Weave/Pollinate right now. SoFab (Social Fabric/Collective Bias), Linqia, Clever Girls, and TapInfluence are also on my list of media groups I work with. You should definitely sign up! ;)

  17. Thanks, Alycia! I think I left a few things out, but it's the jist of it, right? Lol. I am having a heck of a summer, but I hope things will slow down after next week. :) If I worked, I probably wouldn't blog at all. But who knows. Hope you had a great weekend!

  18. LOVE this post, it’s all SO true. You are WAY more organized than I am though… if I ever get back into blogging the way I was, I have to get better at social media sharing ahead of time so that I’m not on my phone all the time. The one thing that’s keeping me from getting back into it is knowing all the work it takes to promote, I don’t want to be a slave to social media.

    • Oh yeah girlfriend. You know how it is to be in the trenches. I’m still not as organized as I’d like to be and still have trouble managing it all. I really liked Jess’ post the other day about Blogging Less. Oh well. One day I’ll have it all together. Maybe. Lol.

  19. LOVE this post, it's all SO true. You are WAY more organized than I am though… if I ever get back into blogging the way I was, I have to get better at social media sharing ahead of time so that I'm not on my phone all the time. The one thing that's keeping me from getting back into it is knowing all the work it takes to promote, I don't want to be a slave to social media.

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