New look blog design & plans for the blog @bonnitagraphics #pbloggers

New Design

Well, its been a really exciting week. I've been busy with the pBloggers team getting the pbloggers blog up and running and promoting it as much as possible. I also had a new header (and avatar/badge and facebook/twitter headers) designed which I applied to the blog last night. It was designed by Bonita Graphics who turned it around in just a few hours. Please check them out and also follow/like them on Twitter and Facebook! I'm SO impressed and I love the new look of my blog. The header is designed to describe my family and life. If you are reading on a phone here is a picture of the header:

On the left you have my husband, Joshua and the little dog Toby. On the right, you have me and my daughter Lala next to our house and my little red car. In the far right you have Tia our labrador who we almost parted company with but who we love very much now we decided that it was US that needed to pull our socks up. Just under the title you have a rabbit (yes, we have a rabbit) and finally, dotted around the scene you have 6 chickens one of which is on my head. I just love it. It pretty much describes the chaos (and fun) that is our life. I only wish I spent more time at home. And I kind of wish our house was in the middle of a field with a dirt track (yellow brick road it looks like) leading up to it! One day....

Plans for the blog

I am so excited about everything that's going on right now. I have plans to write an eBook - more about that later. I have been listening to podcasts by Blogging Your Passion and Smart Passive Income to get hints and tips of how to make my blog better. I would love to make some money from blogging one day and haven't started on that route yet. That is not my main priority as really I just love writing and sharing but in my mind it would be amazing to earn an income from blogging/writing. And from listening to these blogs it seems that people out there are doing it.

I have been reading a lot of blogs too and trying to absorb as much as I can. However, after listening to a Blogging your passion podcast this morning I have realised that I am in "boss mode" too much. I have all these plans in my head: things I want to do, write about, ideas to develop but I'm spending too much time learning and not enough time actually DOING the work I need to do to get there. I feel like also my blog posts have been getting less and less frequent and when I've done them they've been short and really about plans again. No real content. I do hope you will bear with me.

Some of the ideas in my head that I never seem to get round to doing include.... Writing a series of technical help blog posts. After talking to someone at work he actually came up with the term "..... (insert technical item) for Mummies". Like, say, Twitter for Dummies, but for Mummies. I really like that idea. And if I get rich off it I will make sure I pay him some money for the idea! lol. Anyway, the things I would like to include in that blog series are:

• Evernote - how amazing and useful it is, what I use it for, its different functionalities
• Twitter - from a newbie to other newbies out there, things I have learnt about Twitter so far
• Facebook - now I'm more of an expert about Facebook and how to use it to express yourself in your personal life (not so much from a business perspective). I would talk about how to set up private lists and use them in your post settings so that you only share more personal stuff with people you trust to understand. 
• Blogging - again from the perspective of a relative beginner, I'd just like to put together the things that I've learnt, the tools that I've found helpful. 

Now I have my new design in place, my next step is to migrate from Blogger to Wordpress with a self-hosted site. I have bought hosting and a domain name but I am a little terrified about the move and setting it all up. I am going to take a look at it tonight.

BiB - Brilliance in Blogging - please vote for me #bibawards @Britmums #britmumslive #pbloggers

So, this is the first time I've joined in with one of these things. I came in too late with the MAD Awards (although I did vote) but this time, I've decided to go for it. Just heard about this competition/award thingamy through Verily, Victoria Vocalises (stole the picture to left from you - hope you don't mind).

So, I understand from Victoria's post (linked above) that this is organised by BritMums. Here is the blurb from their webpage: "It’s that time of year again: when we celebrate how inspired, talented, and innovative the parent lifestyle blogger world is with the Brilliance in Blogging Awards! Nominate yourself or a favourite blog friend for a BiB."

There are 16 categories - you can see them all here. But I think the ones I fit into are Fresh Voice, Inspire and Writer. The first stage of voting opens today and closes on 12th April. There is another stage of voting once the judges have whittled the nominations down to 16 bloggers in each category - this stage opens on 22nd April and closes on 12th May. The final winners will be announced at BritMums Live (which, yes, Victoria, and readers. I'm going to too - can't wait to meet you, and anyone else going!).

I'm already super excited about going to BritMums but being in this competition if I can get enough nominations may just have me exploding with jubilation!!!!

Please nominate me, please nominate me, please nominate me

PLEASE NOMINATE ME!!!!!!! 

To select your nominations (me!!!) click here. Or click on buttons below (also on sidebar)

PS If I do I will give you lots of chocolate, cake and gin!

A Trending Twitter Party - #pbloggers

Wow. Where do I start?

I have only been properly blogging and on Twitter since November last year and it has been a bit of a learning curve, I have to say.

I have been trying to get to grips with it all and I had seen some chat going on around #bbloggers and #fbloggers etc and I didnt' really understand it all.

Well, I joined in a little bit and figured out that bbloggers stood for beauty bloggers and fbloggers was for fashion bloggers. There was also mbloggers for music bloggers. I can't remember how it came about but I joined in a conversation with some other ladies about why there wasn't a hashtag party thing for mum bloggers. We decided that it would be nice to include dads as there are plenty of daddy bloggers out there too and we wanted to include them so I came up with pbloggers (which stands for parent-bloggers). It wasn't being used for anything and, last Sunday, the #pbloggers Twitter party spontaneously happened.

This week, our 2nd week, we trended on Twitter. Now, I'm still quite new to all this but I know that trending is good.

We chatted with lots of bloggers experienced and newbies (like me). Our topic this week was actually being a new blogger - people's thoughts, experiences and advise if you had any to give.

The creators (that sounds quite cool, doesn't it) of #pbloggers are:

myself here (@mum_in_a_hurry)
Mischief Mayhem & Motherhood (link to her post re #pbloggers) @happymumMMM
Yummy Mummy in Training @Mummytraining27
My Little Rays of Sunshine (pot re #pbloggers) @mylittlerays
They Grow So Quick @Sebsmummy
Mummy Plum @mummy_plum.

Well, ladies, there is no parting us now. We are partners in crime!!!

The rest of you, if you are a parent and a blogger come join us NEXT SUNDAY (and every Sunday) 9-10PM. 

Wednesday

I feel like I have lost my blogging mojo slightly. Recently some people (family members and friends) found out about my blog and while I had never intended to use this blog as a way to bitch about people, I guess I'm a little wary of being judged for what I say. But what the hell! Its my blog and I can say what I want.

I'd just say that if you don't like what I write, just don't read my blog. As that cult kids TV show used to say, Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set Laptop and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?

The last week (its Wednesday) feels like its been going slowly but also has gone fast, if that makes sense, in a blur of being woken up early and being bounced on by kids until we get up, getting kids dressed, getting ready myself, driving to work, being at work (this bit goes slowly), driving home from work, picking the kids up (if husband not doing it), sorting kids out for bed (then putting one or other or both of them back to bed 250 times), evening activities (insert watching TV, doing exercises, putting clothes away or just plain going to bed exhausted) & repeat.

I've been starting to feel like I'm getting a cold. I went out to Wokingham today to go to a health food shop and buy a load of vitamins and oil things. Hoping starting to take these helps me feel a bit better. I have a feeling its just life. I really thought that doing this "detox" (or a variation on it) would make me start to feel a little healthier but if I'm honest, I have mild runs, I've been on a milk period for a week and a half (this came on in the middle of my pill packet), I'm feeling just as tired in the morning as I was before. And now I just can't have my coffee in the morning. Maybe I should just accept that, at this phase in my life (i.e. while the kids are little and I'm working in a far away/non-flexible full-time job), I am just going to be tired all the time. So if I need a couple of coffees during the day or a glass of wine in the evening, why shouldn't I! I'm torn. If all this healthy eating and not drinking IS making me somehow healthier then I don't want to start slipping into old habits. Its not so much the idea of ONE DRINK or ONE LATTE at the weekends, but that one, with me, seems to lead to one every day and then a couple every day. Until I need it to get by. I worry that I'm like my dad in that respect. I don't overdo it very often at all (the occasional night out) but I do find myself relying on things (food, wine, coffee) to "get me through" or make me feel better.

Social Media - Please follow me

This is a shameless plug. I have just been doing a bit of work on my Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus accounts. I've linked my Blogger account to the Google Plus account that I set up for this purpose. I would love to have a few more followers on all of these accounts. Please would you mind following me on any or all of the following platforms:

Twitter
Facebook
Google Plus
Instagram

I am currently trying to figure out how to get my tweets to feed through to Google Plus. Can't figure it out for the life of me. I've sorted it so they go through to Facebook and my blog posts go to Facebook (and hopefully now to Google Plus too) but can't seem to get Twitter to feed to G+. If anyone can help me let me know.

I'm also feeling like I'm in need of a new avatar. The one that I downloaded off Google Images I think has had its day. I fancy something original and new. Just not sure where I'm going to find it or how I'm going to design it.

A question regarding Google Plus

A quick post before I go to bed as I have a bit of a question for the blogging community.

How important is Google Plus? Currently my G+ account isn't linked to my blog because my blog is on Blogger and linked to my email account. However, I do want to remain relatively anonymous and don't want it obvious to everyone that looks me up on Google from my email address that this is my blog. How do I have a Google account that is linked to my blog without breaking the link between my own email address/google account and my blogger account?

Previously I did create a separate email account for my blog but got fed up of having to log in and out of google depending if I wanted to access my emails, calendar or my blog.

What do people think is the solution? Any advise most welcome.

Ideas for blog posts

I've been thinking a lot about what type of blog I have or what kind I want to have. I have noticed that some people have particular themes on particular days. Like Silent Sunday (find link), or Flashback Friday (a blog post where the author gives us a glimse into her past). Do I want to be as regular as that. I find that if I try to keep myself to a schedule I just don't keep to it. What I prefer to do is to blog about something if it feels right. I'm fast coming to the conclusion that that is the type of blogger I am (and am happy to be). However, I do like to have a few themes of my own even if there is no set frequency of posts. So here are my ideas:

• My family (I started with a post about my husband - it would have been so easy to start with the kids but I thought he deserved first place as without him I wouldn't have them. I really need to get on and continue this series).
• About me, or my history - I have done a few posts in this vein but I would like to continue to delve back into my history and past (some of it anyway) and my memories. 
• Blogging for (and from) beginners (could also be named the Blind leading the Blind) - I blogged here about my idea of starting a Mastermind Group and maybe a blog hop to go with it in order to share the hints and tips we learn along the way and maybe get other more seasoned bloggers to chip in with some wisdom of the blogosphere.
• Stepping back in time - Just an idea I just had of a series of blog posts that could be old facebook notes or journal entries that I wrote. 

Other things I might consider writing about in individual posts as opposed to a series:

• My depression. Where it started and how its kept me company through the years.
• I really thought I had more ideas for blog posts. But they all seem to have gone out of my head! How annoying!!!

Going to post this now as this is as far as I got. Started writing on 3rd January.

Blogging Mastermind Group

Right, very quick one as I want to go to bed. Heavy weekend its been.

Anyway, so I was reading one of my favourite blogs - Blogging With Amy - which is an invaluable source of information if, like me, you are new to blogging or you just want some tips along the way.

And I came across a recent post of hers called Why You Should Be Part of a Mastermind Group and also A Simple Way to Run a Mastermind Group. WTF is a Mastermind Group I thought? In fact, I almost didn't read it as I thought it couldn't be useful - sounded like something for clever people!!!??? But I had no other blog posts to read in my RSS app on my iPhone so I opened it up to have a quick peruse.

This is my interpretation of it.

A Mastermind Group is a group of likeminded bloggers (the purpose can by anything but in this case I want to set it up for blogger support). I have started to make some really good connections through blogs and Twitter but it still feels a bit like shouting in a stadium full of people (forget the room) its more like a festival! And I saw this post about Mastermind Groups and I thought. Hey, that could be really useful. A group of probably no more than 5 like-minded bloggers - I have picked bloggers that are mummy bloggers like me.... mostly newish to the blogging game. Although probably good to add a couple of seasoned bloggers to the mix for a bit of experience. So we can all suck you like a vampire. haha. Only kidding.

So, back to the general idea (I do have a tendency to ramble, don't i). So, its a group of likeminded bloggers (max 5 probably) that would like to meet up (skype probably - call or chat - whatever is most comfortable for everyone) once a week. I reckon an hour once a week. Depending on schedules. Not compulsory. Want this to be fun and useful for all involved.

So, what thinks you all? I must go now as I need to make tea and go to bed as I'm still feeling decidedly wooly from my hangover!

Template irritation

Am fed up. And grumpy.

Girl is poorly and that's not good. Worried about her. She's in bed now and this blog template has been bugging me. I'm one of these people who has to have something perfect or they won't bother.

I need to find the perfect blogger template.

I've seen a few that I liked. I do like the notepad one I have at the moment but the font is too small and I don't like not to be able to amend that stuff.

My vision of my blog template.....

Hmmmmm here we go.

Well, I want it to say something about me and colours I like are pinks and pastels. Swirls or spots or stripes are also good. I love the idea of the notebook thing but I don't like really small font and I'd rather the font was like it was in my original blog - which is like handwriting.

I'm completely at a loss as to what to do. I know the most important thing is content right? But I don't feel like I can get anywhere further until I have a template I'm happy with. Bloody perfectionist genes!!!

I have come out

After weeks of worrying about keeping this blog secret from people who know me, I decided to sod it. And told my close friends on Facebook about the blog (and the facebook page for the blog). Tired of worrying about what people will think about my ramblings. If people who don't know me at all enjoy reading it then why shouldn't my friends know about it, maybe even read it if they want. Why am I so worried about being judged. Guess I've had my fingers burnt in the past.

Anyway, Am having another coffee watching another House while dog snores on sofa next to me.

Google related confusions

I just wasted about 45 minutes trying to work out what do do about my Blogger vs Google account.

I set up the Mum in a Hurry blog via my own personal gmail account. However, I wanted to stay anonymous to all but my very good friends and I realised when I looked into connecting Google+ to my Blogger blog, that this wouldn't be possible. So I set up a new google account purely for Mum In A Hurry. But then realised that I wouldn't be able to move my Blogger blog over to the new account - except I could as I realised the minute I googled it: you can give the new you permission and then as them, remove the old you. That gives the new you (and the new Google + account that you can create with it) full rights and makes you the main administrator to the Blog. (the new you, that is). I have now linked the new Google+ account belonging to the new Google email account to the old blog, then readded the old me (as I may want to post on it without having to log out of my usual Gmail account.

I'm not a big fan of anonymity on the web - especially not if your purpose is to "troll" and be a big fat meany basically. But I just don't want my colleagues and relatives and non-close friends knowing what I write. Cos I might write about them. Some of the mean ones anyway! Ha!
Anyway, I seem to have resolved it now, even though it really made my head hurt. But if I want to do this blogging mallarcky (and it seems I do) then I figure why not be on all the platforms. I am now on Twitter, Blogger, Facebook (only one like :( ), Google Plus, and Instagram. Have I missed anything? For links to all these platforms, just check my blog. Oh, you are. OK, so look to your right in the side bar where I put some buttony things.

I'm going to get some lunch now and bring it back to my desk and ACTUALLY do some work.

Still figuring out this blog thing

I have done a blog before but I only did that one for about a year and I kind of ran out of steam as I started a new job and so my subject matter changed. Also I wanted to move away from being "me". Not cos I want to pretend to be someone else but because I wanted the freedom to be able to talk about things without people I know or work with judging me differently.

Anyway, so I've created my new blog on here and I much prefer how it looks and I used Blogger for my last blog so I have a bit more experience using this website. Plus Tumblr really wasn't very versatile that I could see. So bear with me while I get a handle on this road that is blogging. I am trying to tidy things up slowly. I have created a Facebook page and have linked up my tweets and blog posts to go to there too. I have found some cool buttons to add to the blog (follow me/like my page type buttons) but I am not sure how to make them go side by side. I guess I'd need to do some HTML code but while I do have some understanding of how that works I wouldn't know where to start.

If anyone wants to help me feel free to make a comment/post on my FB or Twitter page.

Thanks a lot. PS, links to FB and Twitter below:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

New blog

OK, not done Tumblr before but thought Id give it a go. Recently started my new Twitter account - @mum_in_a_hurry - to talk about my experiences working full time. I am not sure if I actually have the time to write a blog or even if I’ll find things to talk about but hey, it can’t hurt to try. Still finding my way around Twitter (and now Tumblr too) so bear with me. Not sure how this is going to go.

[since writing this post decided to move to blogger as found it a lot easier to use and more versatile]