I’m catching up on a few blogger nominations today! Thank you Delicate & Brutal for nominating me for the Inspiring Blogger Award & thank you Soni’s Thoughts for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Let’s get started.
SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD:
1. What was your favorite childhood book?
Goodnight Moon. My mom would read this to me every night.
2. Who did you last have dinner with?
My boyfriend since we live together
3. What magazine did you like to read?
I used to collect Seventeen Magazine when I was a teenager. I haven’t purchased a magazine in years though.
4. Where do you buy your cup of coffee?
I hate coffee. I’m more of a tea person (I’m basic & will have to say Starbucks).
5. What do you think life will be like in 5 years?
Let’s hope we find a vaccine for this virus by then. In 5 years I’ll be 34 years old! AHHH! I hope to be married to Todd with at least one child & a golden retriever, living in a beautiful single family home with a nice yard.
6. Shower or bath?
7. How do you like your bread? whole wheat or white?
White. Even though it’s not the healthiest. When it comes to PB & J sandwiches, nothing beats white bread.
8. Which hotel is your favorite?
One year we went to NYC around Christmas time and stayed at the Lotte Palace Hotel. It is gorgeous & if you are a Gossip Girl fan, it was the home of Serena Vanderwooden.
9. Shop online or in store?
In store. I’m old school. I love seeing something in person or trying it on before I purchase it.
10. What is your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian
11. Which blog post in your blog do you like the most?
My favorite is still this one right here. I discuss the importance of not making your belongings define you as a person. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already & leave a commen
INSPIRING BLOGGER AWARD
If you weren’t into blogging, what’s the one thing you would probably be doing instead?
Finding some creative hobby. Maybe painting? I’d want to write for a magazine or something of that sort.
2. What do you do when you feel unmotivated to write?
NAP. haha. or I watch a view videos, read or listen to podcasts to get some inspiration. I think stepping away, & letting yourself have a breather is helpful in writer’s block.
3. An inspiring quote you live by
“When you focus on the good, the good gets better.”
4. What is your favorite type of food?
Chick fil A nuggets
5. What inspiring message would you like to pass on to other people / bloggers?
Be true to yourself. It’s your life to live, no one else’s. Never get caught up in the battle of being better or just like someone just because they seem to have it all figured out. You don’t know what is going on behind closed doors. It’s important to always focus on your own goals & path & never feel like you are less than anyone else.
I’d like to change things up & nominate whoever comments on this post. Because I feel like everyone is an inspiration & deserves a bit of sunshine in their lives. So I welcome all bloggers to participate in either one of these tags / nominations.
Here I am doing a post I thought I’d never do. But in all seriousness, I still feel like a noob in the blogging world, so when people ask me for MY advice on blogging, I’m like BITCH WHAT? haha. When I look to advice I read posts from Olivia Blake or Pooja. I feel like I don’t deserve to make a post like this. You asked for it though & I’m here to serve. So here’s some advice from a beginner blogger.
If you are new to my page, Hi! Welcome to Mind.Beauty.Simplicity where we talk about all things minimalism, saving that coin & learning to live with less. I also dabble in other lifestyle topics such as makeup, fashion, home decor & apparently self help & advice. Hope you enjoy my perspective on things.
The reason I call myself a blogging noob is because I’ve only been in the game since the end of July. Granted I’ve had the idea in my head for years (but that’s another story). But in this short amount of time, I’ve definitely learned a lot. And I’m still learning to this day. So I want to make this post a discussion. Comment your blogging stories & your advice & let’s support our fellow bloggers. Let’s get started.
Find Your Niche:
What is it you want to write about & share with other people? What are YOU interested in? Figure out your initial direction of your blog. You can always tweak it & try other avenues later. But determining what you want to write about will help lead you to the audience you want & fuel your passion even more. And when you are figuring out the topics you want to cover, always listen to yourself & not what others think you should do. It’s your blog anyway. You are the writer, editor & business person to this platform so what you say goes.
Brand Yourself:
Now, I’m no marketing guru. But I do know one thing. Whether it’s creating a unique name for your blog, making thumbnails for your posts or logos for your social media platforms, you MUST design it in a way that fits your personality & what you want to portray on your site. This allows people to spot you out of the crowd of other blogs & place an aesthetic to a face & name.
Take Advice With a Grain of Salt
I’m not talking about constructive criticism. This type of advice is helpful. I’m talking about when people give you topic suggestions or directions that are different from your purpose. Never feel obligated to write about a topic you were requested. If it doesn’t interest you, you shouldn’t waste your precious time writing it. It’s so easy to get in the habits of pleasing your entire audience. And you never will. So write what you want to write about & the loyal audience will keep coming back.
Gain Traffic Through Multiple Platforms
I started off merely focusing on WordPress & other pages. After about a month, I realized I needed to expand to other social media if I wanted to reach a bigger audience. So, I joined Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest to share my writing. I also post some on LinkedIn & Facebook occasionally. My main focus is Instagram though as I love adding visual effects to my blog posts. I also add my challenges like 31 Days of Declutter on my highlighted stories. Pinterest is something I am still figuring out. And Twitter is so useful as you can tweet numerous times a day with hashtags such as #writerslift & #selfpromo(day of the week).
Network With Other Bloggers & Brands
Blogging is a two way street. If you want other people to read your stuff, you have to read to their stuff too. Supporting other bloggers & engaging in genuine conversation is the reason I have the following I do. You want to have a circle of bloggers who have your back, can give you advice & cheer you on. And you should do the same. I love shouting out different bloggers & their pages. I want them to gain the recognition they deserve.
Don’t Spam Comment
In the beginning of my blogging journey, I was guilty of this. I thought the only way to get people to read my page was to link my posts on numerous comments. It wasn’t until I read some blogging advice posts when I got really embarrassed & realized what I was doing was annoying. Now, I don’t see harm in linking your information in comments if you do it in the right way. If you genuinely read someone’s post & comment something nice & relevant, you can easily end your comment with your links. But never force people to click your links. That won’t really work for the long haul.
Guest Post & Collaborate:
I did this early in the game & it honestly really helped me become one with this community quickly. I think it’s a great way to support multiple writers & expand your audience. Choose people with the same interests as you as well. This will help you build solid networking relationships. My favorite collaboration so far has been 3 M’s For An Intentional Life [Collab with TheGrowthStory]. If you haven’t checked it out, definitely give it a read & follow TheGrowthStory.
Be Authentic
Never try to be like anyone else. There’s a difference between inspiration & completely copying someone. I think the reason I am successful (& I say that loosely because defining success is arbitrary) is for my authenticity & realness. On Instagram for instance, I may create a theme to my page or post highlights of my life, but I’m never afraid to share the reality of my life as well. The same goes with my writing. I’ve learned being somewhat personable or vulnerable in a post actually helps readers relate to you more. The key is to be yourself. Followers will eventually see through the fakeness.
Don’t Worry About Follower Count:
These milestones are accomplishments for sure & setting goals are important. But never base your talent & self worth on number of followers. It can be easy to get down on yourself about this, but I’ve learned if you stay true to yourself, the following will come. You just can’t let it rule your life.
Be Consistent
I don’t care if it’s once a week, once a month or once every hour (ok…maybe not the last one) but having a schedule to my blogs has created structure for myself. I personally post MWF but at any point I need to cutback, I will. It all depends on my stress levels & my other obligations. When you have schedule, your audience will learn when to look forward to your posts. I hate when I read a blog post & they haven’t written anything new for 6 months. It’s like, “hellooo I love your work, I need more from you!”
Have Fun With It
The sole reason I created this blog was for my own entertainment. Everything else is just bonus. I needed a creative outlet for myself & love writing THAT much. And for those who don’t think blogging is a job…BOY ARE YOU WRONG. There is so much work that goes into a single post. It’s the aftermath of posting that really is the kicker. SEO I still don’t understand you! But never get yourself so stressed out over the blogging world. Keep working hard, be creative & be patient.
I hope what I shared here was helpful to you. In the comments, share your blogging story & a few tips you’d like to share.
Ever since I decided to live more intentionally, I have changed the way I see life completely. The things I found important in my life was what I owned, how I was portrayed online & what people thought of me. Now, I’m much happier, focusing on my own worth, the experiences I make, the relationships I have & the impact I have on others. Here are 10 Things I Do Now That I’m a Minimalist.
1. I Look For New Experiences
Instead of looking for my next purchase, I am constantly in search of new hobbies, hidden gems & places to visit. When you leave this Earth, you don’t leave with your belongings. Only your memories & relationships with others. Visit as many places as you possibly can. I know 2020 has interfered with this some, but I’m telling you there are wonderful places to visit right outside your front door. You just have to go hunt for them. And in the meantime, create a list of places you want to visit once things are back to normal.
2. I Actually Use Up Products I Buy
I get my money’s worth for the things I buy. And I no longer hoard back up products, just in case items or those products you try once & hate. I own one bottle of shampoo for example, & I won’t buy a new one until it’s finished. This way of life has saved me money & prevented me from wasting product. Not only is it great for my wallet but also an easy way to be more sustainable.
3. I No Longer Try To Keep Up With The Joneses.
Comparison & One Upping people is honestly so exhausting. You can never really keep up & are wasting so much time just trying to prove success to other people. Why not just enjoy what you have, don’t brag about your success & be confident in your own being? In a world where social media snatches joy from right under your feet, it’s important to step away from these platforms & understand those are simply highlight reels. If you want to read more about social media detoxes, click here. Wouldn’t it be more refreshing if people showed all sides to the story?
4. I Enjoy The Little Things
I used to feel like my life had to be so extravagant. I had to spend tons of money, visit the most fancy locations for what? To show people I can? To make myself feel more whole? This year has taught me happiness can be found in such simple ways. I embrace that type of life now. I’ve become a real homebody. My favorite moments are the evenings on the couch watching shows with my boyfriend, or talking on the phone with my mom. I don’t go searching for things to fill a void any longer. I let myself feel those emotions, talk it out & move on. I’ve become a stronger person this way.
5. I Have Better Relationships With People
I was someone who focused on my own happiness harder than others. Not in a spiteful way either. More like an oblivious way where I would stay in my own safe bubble. Now that I’m more aware, I ask people how they are doing more often. I listen to their stories instead of quickly telling them mine. I help people with their problems instead of always burdening them with my woes. I realized when I focused on the stuff, I became a worse friend.
6. I Know Who My Real Friends Are
I love the friendships that are there for your highs & your lows. The type of friends who love coming over your house, sit on the floor with a glass of wine & talk about life. As I’ve gotten older & out of the college party phase, I realized which friendships would stay. There are people you meet in all stages of life & some of the ones from college were only for that phase. Nothing against anyone, it’s just the facts of life. I wish them no ill will, it’s just not my seen as much anymore. I love getting together & just having meaningful conversations over going out and dancing & not really knowing the people outside of that. As you get older, you have your family as support but you also need a few friends in your corner as well. Find the tribe of individuals that encourage you & show off your best self. Everyone else is toxic.
7. I Show More Confidence
When I was a teenager, I would get myself so upset if my outfit wasn’t perfect. I was too much of a try hard & honestly the outfits weren’t that great. I worried about not being pretty enough, not having the latest trends or whether my bra straps were sticking out. Now that I’m older my fashion sense has improved so much. The only reason for this is my sense of confidence has improved. I don’t own the most unique clothing pieces. But I know what works for me & I rock it. It’s all in attitude really. Honestly, my outfits are pretty plain Jane if you ask me. But they are classics. I rarely look back at a photo & question my decisions whole heartedly.
8. I Save Money
The amount of pointless purchases I’ve made in my life is astronomical. Luckily, I’ve nipped it in the bud now. I recently went on a low buy year where I only purchase true necessities. And no, the joggers from Target were probably not on my NEED list, but I’ve been better about my purchases overall. When I do decide to treat myself, I appreciate it more. Before, I would spend so often that I stopped being grateful. “Oh that $50 Anastasia Beverly Hills Highlight Palette? Trash! And like that palette, it just sat in my drawer untouched.
9. I Have Gratitude
That house you live in. The nice bedding you sleep on. The pets you own. Never take those things for granted. I used to have the mindset of always wanting the next best thing. Enjoy what you have in the present moment. Take in those things & treasure them. Life is too short not to be grateful.
10. I Live A Happier Life
To some it up, minimalism has made me a much happier person. I thought I was happy with the way I lived & with the things I owned. But that was not the right mindset. I didn’t realize I used material items to hide from my problems, my emotions & people. I’m more authentic. I take pride in my life. I cherish my relationships with people. I make even more memories. I live for me & no one else.
I’m not saying if you aren’t a minimalist, you aren’t a happy person. I’m just saying this way of life has helped me see myself & the world around me in a different light. Just living more intentional & loving is enough. Be a good human.
