In March, I identified that I needed a plan to help me manage my blog content. I needed the plan to be simple, quick and accessible so I could use it wherever I was and I had time.
Google spreadsheet
I decided to create a calendar in Google spreadsheets.
I coloured the cells to indicate the content type:
Orange: featured post
Blue: writing post
Green: beauty post
Yellow: personal post
Pink: NaPoWriMo (a special feature/event)
I wrote my content idea on the colour coded cell. I made the text:
Bold: unwritten
Italic: started/in draft
Plain: done (scheduled)
This made it superveasy to see what posts I needed to write and when so I could prioritise.
Being easy to access on my mobile or any PC/Laptop meant it didn’t restricting my blogging.
Amending plans
Sometimes, I found I wasn’t inspired to write what I planned. So, I copied the cell to my ideas list for future reference and moved another idea into the vacant space that I did feel like writing.
I often have more ideas than time to write and this helps me stay focussed on the tasks I have chosen rather than trying to write them all. Being more focussed helps me get the article written in the limited time I have (usually an hour or two on a Sunday).
I can gather the pics I need for my blog and Instagram in plenty of time. I take these throughout the week and save to a folder on my phone.
Verdict
I’m really pleased with my simple plan as it work for me. Being more organised makes me feel more in control.
My future schedule
I do need to relook at my schedule and reduce the frequency ready for when my newborn arrives. In addition, I vowed to return to novel writing once my CIPD course is complete (end of June).
As a result, I think I’ll struggle to post every other day but I still want to achieve a fairly regular flow. Currently, my content plan is filled up until end of August and 50% full from there until December… Maybe, I can do it all…
I would love to know what you think and the methods you use to plan your content. I’m constantly learning.
Today, I am writing about one of my posts being featured on someone elses blog. It is the first time one of my articles has been shared. I was flattered, honoured and it felt like a mini achievement.
NaPoWriMo: Day 26 – Senses
They chose my NaPoWriMo poem for day 26, titled Senses. This is a deep, personal and emotional poem inspired by a very dark period in my life when I was struggling internally.
Firstly, she is a blogger that is not a stoner. She explains on her ‘about page’ how she came up with this name for her blog. Her blog is about raising awareness for mental health and getting people to talk about. She has gained a lot of support from people on the blogosphere.
If you haven’t checked her out yet, head over and give her a follow (see link for my poem on their blog).
I’d like to thank ‘Stoner’ for choosing my post to be shared on their blog. It really means a lot to me that you liked my writing enough to repost, especially a poem that I felt vulnerable in sharing as it was so personal and revealing. I hope it helped others who are in that dark place know they are not alone.
Being featured
I often feature other bloggers on my blog. If I see a well written article that will benefit my readers then I have to share. I love how easy Word Press makes this and credits the originator.
The articles are usually tips for writers but I have also shared useful How To makeup tutorials. I am also keeping my eye out for blogs on parenting.
If you know of any blogs I should be following so I can discover their content, please let me know and don’t be shy to sign post me to your own blog.
Here are the shows I have loved these past months.
The Originals (season 5)
Genre: Fantasy
The Originals is a spin-off series from The Vampire Diaries. The Vampire Diaries story is about a high school girl and her friends. During the seasons, they attract the attention of the original vampire and werewolf family.
The Originals series is about that family and has flashbacks to explain more about their origins. The series has a more mature tone as the characters are much older (they are the oldest!).
Last season, the family went their separate ways for safety, due to some very powerful dark magic cast against them by angry dead witches (this is a very brief summary). This season involves them all coming back together to take back control.
With The Originals you can expect complex family relationships and drama caused by ancient feuds. There is magic and blood and politics (their laws) in every episode. It is a great series and did not disappoint.
Handmaid’s Tale (season 2)
Genre: Drama – post apocalyptic
Wow, this season opened with an episode that had me on the edge of my seat. There were plenty of shocks in this season and I’ve found myself counting down the days until the next episode is released. It did slow a little in the middles but it was building suspense and laying down what was to come.
Handmaids is set in the future where women are struggling to fall pregnant, deliver and sustain a healthy baby. This has made people desperate for a child but can’t, fertile women are valuable and a new world order is implemented. They use religion to doctor their new idea and oppress their people. The population is captured and ‘trained’ for their new role in society and they are constantly watched by armed guards. Disobedience has severe consequences, including death as an example to others.
The handmaids are the fertile women. Their duty is to get pregnant and deliver a baby to the household they have been allocated to. The main character, June, is renamed OfFred to denote who she belongs to, I.e Fred is her master, the commander of the house she’s been allocated to. Conception is done by a biblical reading and then a ceremony involving the handmaid lying between the wife’s legs so the husband can impregnate the handmaids whilst looking at his wife. It is cold and rather disturbing.
The first season was great, so I had high expectations for season two and it didn’t disappoint. In this season, OfFred is heavily pregnant and fearing for the world the baby will be born into. Serena (the lady of the house – the Commander’s wife) starts breaking rules and appears to not be as devoted to her husband as she was originally.
Other countries are looking to Gilead to support them with their fertility crisis. There is a suicide bomber terrorist attack against the Commanders. Letters written by the oppressed women manages to be smuggled and released into Canada shedding light on what is really going on in America (now called Gilead) and damages their alliance with this country.
I’ve not finished this season but I am hooked.
Greys Anatomy (season 14)
https://youtu.be/Ncn0L-ykTOM
Genre: Drama – medical
I still enjoy the medical emergencies and relationships between their staff but since Meredith lost her husband, it’s not quite the same. Their complicated love life helped push the series along and now there isn’t a strong storyline pulling the season together. I’ll keep watching but I don’t feel as attached anymore.
Rain (season 1)
Genre: Dystopia
This is a Danish TV Series. The world has been infected by a virus transmitted by the rain. Two children are hidden in a bunker by their parents. The children stay hidden there for years living off the survival supplies until they decide to venture out and try and find their dad. The world is quite dangerous as the survivors of the world are desperate for food and shelter. The siblings make friends with another party and travel together.
At first their accents were a little strange but I got used to it. Each episode finishes with a conclusion rather than a cliff hanger, often I felt the season would have been more compelling if it ended at a different point in the episode. My husband found the rain unbelievable as he felt they all would be infected with no survivors as sometimes it rains without warning (very true in the UK).
I would still recommend giving it a go as it is a different idea and it is great to see what is being created by other countries that often don’t make it to our TV screens.
I haven’t quite finished it yet as the episodes don’t leave me needing to know ’what next?’ But I will continue to watch this.
Siren (season 1)
Genre: Fantasy
I love mermaids and I love how they’ve made them so real in this series. The mermaids (or sirens) can shift into human form. They fear humans as we have hurt them in the past and stay hidden deep in the ocean. Due to over fishing, there is a lack of food and the mermaids need to come up higher to eat. One gets caught and that starts the catalyst for the whole season as another mermaid comes out of the sea to look for her sister. She has to quickly learn our ways and those helping and protecting her need to learn hers. When a mermaid feels threatened they are incredibly dangerous, in addition, they have a pretty song that can drive people crazy. There is a military group looking for the sirens to capture and experiment on.
The series was brilliant and I’m really pleased I watched it. I can’t wait for the next season – there needs to be more.
The only way is Essex (series 1 to 14)
Genre: Reality (sort of)
Oh no, what happened! I just put this on as some background TV and now I keep watching it. I call this ‘tacky tv’. It won’t enrich your life but it will kill time.
It follows a group of young adults social lives in Essex. Some things are set up for example two people who don’t like each other will end up in the same restaurant/club – resulting in having ’words’. Most of the guys are notorious cheats and lie. They deny it, the girls believe their lies and hates on anyone saying the truth but eventually it is so obvious they admit it and break up. The girls and guys love to gossip and often make situations within the groups even more tense.
You do end up liking some characters. I really like nanny Pat – she is a star. I think Jasmin is often treated unfairly by others who are jealous of her, she’s beautiful and never done anything wrong. I thought Amy was the nicest girl and it’s a shame she wasn’t in it for long. Tom is the nicest of the guys but there is still time for him to disappoint me and become a lying cheat.
They are all loaded but most of them don’t seem to work – they mostly open a shop or a night club but they are always out meeting for coffee/lunch (gossiping) or partying and on holiday (scandal & drama). The only character that appeared to have a real job was Amy Child’s who leaves after season 1 – I really liked her.
It you have time to kill, it’s not bad. Be warned you can get sucked in and cringe a lot.
Final thoughts…
Siren and The Handmaid’s Tale are my top two recommendations. Both were amazing for different reasons. They are the sort of shows that capture your imagination and leave you wanting (needing) more.I would love to know if you’ve watched any of the above (or planning to) and your thoughts on the shows.
Also, now you can see what I enjoyed watching this month you may have some ideas on what else I should be watching – please do make recommendations.
Every so often Naturismo does a box with a selection of products at a steal of the price. This box was £17.95. That’s about £2.50 per item!
It a great opportunity to try new products. It’s also worth signing up to their news letter to be aware of all their offers as they constantly have a range of deals going.
Naturismo don’t have a minimum spend and shipping is always free. Plus they have a huge selection of samples. It’s one of my favourite online beauty stores.
On the brush it looks very vibrant but it’s actually a very neutral colour and give lips a glossy sheen of pink. It does feel lovely on, not tacky but sadly doesn’t last long.
This brand has made it to my basket many times but never the checkout, so I was really pleased to finally try it.
The blusher is very pigmented and this coral pink is too orange for my lily white skin and looks like bronzer on me. I’d describe the colour as ginger because it matches my naturally red hair.
Despite the fact the colour is not for me, the brand has lived up to my expectations. I always thought they have strong pigmented colours and saw them as the Barry M of the organic world.
I’m already a fan of RMS products and haven’t tried this powder yet.
I was planning on buying a new face powder and was contemplating trying Jane Iredale’s SPF powder or repurchasing Lily Lolo’s setting powder.
This powder is very light. I like how the little pot came with a little sponge pouf for application. My skin feels soft and it is helping keep the shine away.
This mascara is designed to lengthen and strengthen lashes. I really don’t notice much difference between mascaras. I do prefer black and I love Pacifica mascaras as they don’t irritate my eyes. I usually buy the waterproof one so it is nice to try a different formula from their brand.
My makeup draw now has a good selection of Pacifica products. I am a fan and will buy more of their products.
I have been looking for a facial spray to cool me down on hot summer days and I remember how in November the labour ward was hotter than hell, so I think I need this considering I’m going to be heavily pregnant this summer and on that ward this August.
I’ve used it a few times and found it incredibly refreshing. I’m being reserved with it as I’m concerned the little bottle will get used up too quickly.
I am so happy with this product. It makes me feel good.
I’m least bothered about trying these out as I doubt their ’light’ will be light enough. However, I plan to do a review on pale foundations and will test these out and report back on where it’s light enough for the pale skinned girl.
I do love the soft colours on their packaging and this it is ever so pretty.
Verdict
I am very pleased with what I got. There all things I have been curious to try and otherwise would never have got around to it and I think the price is outstanding.
Head over to Naturismo to see their current offers on a wide range of organic brands.
I have bought a ticket to an event and plan on attending some of the free activities. I will attempt to fit in as much as I can.
I love that each year the festival gets bigger and the events get better. Here is a flashback at my posts on previous years to give you an idea of what to expect:
Alwyn Hamilton talked about her book Rebel of the Sands being traditionally published and gave great insight into the process and what to expect. She talked enthusiastically about her novel and gave some teasers of what is coming soon. I think everyone bought a copy.
Top That Publishing gave an amazing talk on the picture book publishing industry and truly demonstrated their breadth of knowledge. I still have my PowerPoint slides from the event.
Top That Publishing also ran a free Arty Mouse event which my son loved. Children were encouraged to try out their interactive activity books – I ended up buying two (review coming soon).
This year
I am confident it will be another amazing year as there really is something for everyone and I promise to share with you what I get up to this year.
Are you going or wish you were going? Let me know which book festivals you recommend.
To start the year, I set myself some goals for the year ahead. I plan to check periodically during the year on how well I am keeping on track. If you set yourself goals it is important to check on yourself to make sure you are on target and to re-focus yourself.
If you want to view my last check in on myself, click here.
Achievements
This is a new section in my personal reflection. I am often so hard on myself and critical that I forget to celebrate my wins. Today, I am acknowledging what I achieved and giving myself a pat on the back:
Completed NaPoWriMo’s 30 day challenge
Achieved over 100 followers
I wrote a guest article for Carol J Forrester’s blog, Writing and Works (click here)
My poem on mental health was featured on Stoner On A Rollercoaster’s blog (click here)
On Reflection
Here a the highlights from this quatre:
Summary: Putting my goals into a table has made it much clearer as to what my targets are. I am really pleased with some of my achievements this quarter.
Blogging: I am so pleased with how I have not only managed to post weekly but most weeks I’ve posted three or more articles. It has really helped to have a schedule with topic ideas.
Writing: In April I attempted NaPoWriMo. The support of the poet community was amazing and really boosted my confidence. Posting daily was a challenge in itself, let alone trying to meet the daily prompt.
Blogging Goals Review
ACHIEVED: I exceeded my weekly post target every week. On average I’ve been posting three to four articles and in April I posted daily, sometimes more than once!
ALMOST ACHIEVED: The draw back of so many articles is time to schedule the tweets on LoCal. I think I need to rethink my Twitter schedule to make this more manageable.
ACHIEVED: I have really enjoyed sharing more personal articles about my family life and plan to include more personal content in future.
ACHIEVED: I have started including some personal posts on my blog such as my son’s World Book Day and What I’ve Been Watching.
NOT ACHIEVED: I tried vlogging and created two videos but I wasn’t confident enough to share them. Maybe with more practice I’ll get better and he more confident in my video content.
ACHIEVED: The monthly schedule has been awesome. It really helps to see what I plan to post and when. I keep ideas for posts and can switch items in my plan as needed.
Writing Goals Review
ACHIEVED: I have finished querying Drift. I’m now handling the “we thought it was good but not for us right now” gentle stream of rejections. If I don’t hear good news, I still have three other options I am considering.
ACHIEVED: Yes, I got my tickets and I’m looking forward to the events at Felixstowe Book Festival. There will be an article on how it went.
ACHIEVED: I have now finished The Gender Game and two other books. I’m roughly getting through a novel every two months, so next quarter that will be my goal. I’m currently deciding what to read next.
ALMOST ACHIEVED: I have been reading about Pitch Wars. I am still not sure what to do but I think as a writer I don’t get involved until August… we’ll see. It would be awesome to have a mentor.
New goals
For the months ahead,. I have updated the table:
As I wasn’t successful at keeping my Twitter schedule up-to-date, I am going to try and improve that in the next quatre. I’m still keen to try vlogging but it is not as high in my importance as it was earlier this year.
In the next quatre, I expect I will reduce my blogging frequency in favour of getting back into novel writing and to allow me to take it more easy with a newborn.
My wild imagination cannot let go of the dream of being published and I am holding out hope that perhaps an agent I have queries will want to take my novel on. If that was to happen, working with them would be my number one priority.
Nobody understands the importance of being safe in the sun like a redhead! Plus, being pregnant makes your skin even more sensitive to the suns rays – people who don’t often get burnt are more likely to when pregnant.
Here are the products I am using to get me through summer this year:
I usually buy this from Savers as they often have the best price going. I buy SPF 50 and spray it on before leaving the house and forget about it as it lasts 10 hours!
The spray does have a yellow tinge to it but once dry it is clear. However, I take care to avoid getting it on fabrics as I think it could stain.
My job involves driving and my arms can get roasted through the windows. When I wear this I don’t need to worry. I also use it on my son when he goes to nursery and he will play outside all day if it is hot. The staff do reapply if the kids have played in water. So far, he’s not returned home burnt.
Sadly, I can’t find anything to say they are cruelty free so I suspect they are not. I would love to discover an organic and cruelty free alternative that offers 10h+ protection.
Malibu
I was in Savers getting my P20 and this was next to it on the shelf. It’s my first time buying this brand and I just picked it up as I needed something for my face and it was cheap. A sunscreen specifically for your face is necessary as other products can block your pores and make your eyes water.
It is a very light cream moisturiser and I apply it before my make up. I’ve not suffered a flakey nose and I’m quite pleased with it.
Malibu is cruelty free and most products are vegan friendly. I had no idea and it was a nice surprise to discover this.
Acorelle’s face balm is an organic alternative, however, last year I was so upset by my experience with their other sun-care products I actually complained – they didn’t care (no response). I was also tempted by Coola but their products are more pricy and I couldn’t find space in my budgets.
Alba Botanica
This brand is great but tricky to track down in the UK. I bought mine from Cos Natural.
I got SPF 50 kids for my son (yellow bottle) and SPF 50 sensitive (green bottle) for me. The product reminds me of Ambre Solaire which was a sun lotion I swore by and has made the switch easy. It’s easy to spray and doesn’t need to be rubbed in. The lotion is clear. You twist the lid to lock it so it doesn’t spray in your bag.
Alba Botanica is everything I could wish for; effective, ethical, cruelty free and organic!
Coola: Is still on my wish list and as soon as my budget can accommodate a purchase, I will get this. I like their SPF face moisturiser and SPF make-up fixing spray.
Jane Iredale: I’m praying they release a BB shade between 1 & 3 because I loved this and it has a high SPF… but it was too expensive to keep buying both shades and mixing them together. I’m also tempted by their high SPF face powder.
The best and worst sun lotions by a redhead!
Last year I wrote about the sun lotions that have earned my trust and those that broke my heart and blistered my skin. If you want to know the best and worst, please click here or on the title picture below.
https://instagram.com/p/BWPz9y1h_QO/
Recommendations
I hope you’ve found my recommendations useful. Please let me know if there is a sun product I need to try.
Here is my infographic on staying safe in the sun:
This is the second book in The Wildcat series. Please click here to read my review of the first book “Lion’s Share”.
This title can be read as a stand-alone title so you don’t need to read the previous book in this series, however, if you do, it will help you understand the ‘shifter’ world. This is my review.
This book is about Robyn, the first known case of a female surviving scratch fever and her adapting to the shifter world. Robyn is feeling like a bit of a prisoner at the home she cannot leave during her training and sees an opportunity to escape.
Titus is a stray Alpha, seeking recognition for his pride by the council. This will enable strays to travel more freely around America as currently they cannot enter certain territories.
Skip to ”What did I think” to avoid spoilers.
How it starts
Discovering his stow away, Titus knows this is not going to bode well for his struggle to gain recognition for his pride. He informs the council and agrees to return Robyn in 2 weeks. He promises to keep her safe whilst in his care.
The middle
A newly infected stray is brought to Titus’ home. They wait for the stray to shift so they can get the scent of the person that infected the stray which is a crime, punishable by death unless it happened as self defense.
When the stray shifts, the scent smells like Titus. Titus cannot deny the damming evidence. He steps down as Alpha as he knows the council will not accept a pride run by a law breaker. He appoints a new alpha and decides to take off to give the new alpha some space to rule.
Robyn sense that Titus didn’t do it but it doesn’t make sense why the new stray has his scent. Robyn insists he must take her with him – as he swore to the council he would protect her. Titus confides in her that he is worried that his brother has been infected and is responsible for the new stray.
Titus and Abby then take off to find his brother, Justus and reveal who actually is responsible for this mess. Whilst working together things get hot between the two even thought there are a lot of political barriers as to why they can’t be together.
How it ends
When Abby & Titus finally catch up with Justus they discover the scent of the infected is Titus’ best friend who he has left in charge of the pride. His now ex-friend has been manipulating everything to get Titus exiled and to take over the pride as the new Alpha. He tries to kill Titus with a gun but Abby is in cat form and rips out his throat. During the investigation Justus accidentally killed people as he didn’t know what he was doing & Abby killed the ex-friend before he could stand trial for his crimes. The council set their punishments and Titus will lose them both. At the last minute they discover a loop hole in the laws and Abby & Justus join the Stray pride instead of going back to the council for punishment.
What did I think
This title wasn’t as steamy as the first. Robyn is attracted to Titus (and vice versa) but she isn’t interested in being used to boost his position in the shifter world by being his dam.
The book is very much about the two discovering clues and uncovering what really happened and locating Justus.
The ending is was very satisfying. I felt everything was resolved and there was a decent amount of action throughout.
I would recommend and I look forward to reading more of Rachel Vincent’s books.
Your new baby will not be a tiny newborn for long. Many parents want to take lots of pictures of their precious bundle in those early days to capture the first moments when they are so little.
Anne Geddes is an artist that has made a living out of taking beautifully artistic photos of babies for years. Her stunning imagery has inspired other photographers to learn the art and offer it to new parents.
Now, there are lots of studios that offer newborn photo shoots. This article is based on what I learnt from my experience last time with my son and what I am doing differently this time with my daughter.
Bump 2 Baby (with Noah)
With my first pregnancy, almost 5 years ago, I bought a coupon voucher for £30 for a bump to baby shoot at Baby Art Uk by Taylor Made Portraits. It included the studio time and the first picture free.
Bump shoot
I had this shoot when I was 36 weeks pregnant. The photographer provided all the accessories and had lots of ideas on what to do. My husband doesn’t like his picture being taken but he got involved for me.
If I had known what I know now, I wish I had bought a nice maternity bra for the shoot. I’m not a fan of the pictures with my bra in it.
Newborn shoot
The best time to have a newborn shoot is when the baby is a few days old (1 to 14 days old). This enables the baby to be positioned for the artistic shots. The photographer provided all the accessories and had the scenes set up. The shoot took 4 hours to allow for feeding and getting the baby to sleep. Noah was exactly 1 week old in his pictures.
If I had known what I know now, I would have gone with some premixed formula as this enables babies to sleep longer than breast feeding. We nipped out mid shoot to get some. I was worried that it might affect breast feeding but it didn’t.
Costs
Studio fee
I thought £30 was a great price until we had the shoot. The studio charged quite a lot per image, i.e. £60 a picture or £250 for 5 pics on a USB. I was heartbroken. I couldn’t afford that on maternity pay! They took pity on me and sold me the presentation video of the images and I took screenshots to get images to print.
If I have known what I know now, I would check the additional costs associated with the shoot as this is often where the photographer makes their money.
All inclusive package
This time I have booked with another studio that charges £250 (and I’ve paid the 10% deposit of £25). This is an all inclusive price and will include all the images taken during the 4 hours on a USB. We will have a family pic and then the artistic shots whilst my little boy & his dad go stretch their legs. I can then print and share the pics as much as I like or ask the studio to print for me at their prices.
I like an all inclusive price because I can budget for this and won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to share the pictures.
Packages
There is now a wider choice of options too:
Bump (watch me grow) – This is a shoot that will involve you visiting the photographer a few times to get the same picture taken to illustrate your bump growing. You will need to choose an outfit you can wear throughout your pregnancy and will need to start seeing the photographer from around 12 weeks pregnant.
Bump shoot – this is where you get pictures of your pregnancy bump at about 30 weeks+. The photographer usually offers a maternity gown and organza to get some pretty pictures. You can also take scan pictures or items you have bought for baby like tiny shoes.
Newborn shoot – This is when you get pictures of your baby taken when they are only a few days. Have a look at the photographers album to see if they do the baby art style pictures or not.
Little sitter – This is when your baby is able to sit independently from around 6 months old. You will need to choose the outfit for your little one to wear but the photographer will provide the set and props, although you can bring props too i.e. a favourite toy.
Cake smash – This is often added onto a package for newborns to encourage parents to return when their child is one year old. It is their first birthday picture and involves them getting in a mess with a beautiful cake.
Often studios will offer the above shoots as packages with a saving. For example, Bump 2 Baby (will be a bump shoot and a newborn shoot) or My First Year (could be a newborn shoot, little sitter and a cake smash). Some studios offer loyalty cards to encourage their customers to return for other milestones.
If I have known what I know now: This time I have booked an all inclusive package with a studio that has a loyalty scheme. So, if I wish to return I can collect discounts for being a returning customer. I like this no pressure approach and feel in control of how much my photos are going to cost me. The studio were upfront about pricing that I feel assured I won’t get a nasty surprise on the day.
Booking
It is best to book your photographer as soon as possible. For a maternity shoot, you will need to book the shoot for the stage in pregnancy you wish to capture – the more time you give the photographer the more likely they will have availability for the week you need.
For a newborn shoot, you book the photographer before your baby arrives. Photographers who specialise in these shoots know babies rarely arrive on their due date. They will make a note of when you are expecting and keep some slots free in their diary around this date. This time I booked the studio when I was around 24 weeks pregnant.
Once the baby arrives, call your photographer as soon as you can to book the date at the studio. With Noah, I called the studio the morning after he was born from the hospital.
