We all know images are powerful, in our social media obsessed world they seem vital. In our families and homes they are also so important. Images capture our memories and lock them away for safe keeping. Our photos of Ava are among my most precious possessions, although I’m not always the best at taking the photos off the memory card. …
A few days ago I shared a post about our Home Exchange break in Amsterdam. In this post I wanted to share the places we visited while we were over there. I hope it helps if any of you who are planning a trip to Amsterdam. We really valued the recommendations we were given, they can be the only way …
Let me start by saying I understand. You haven’t got time, I get that, you’re building an empire. Everything you do with your time needs to have a return. Self-care seems too… fluffy…. wishy-washy….. indulgent even. How can you decide to stop to do something for yourself? You know you could just keep going, get that project nailed down. …
Do you wish you could go on holiday more with your family? See more of the world without the costly hotel bills? Well, it’s your lucky day as I have the answer. One of my favourite things to do as a family is to travel and have new experiences together. However, it can get pretty expensive keeping up with that …
How my clients are going from frazzled to fabulous in 30 days and you can too. When I was little my biggest most earnest desire was to be feel special. Feel like the whole universe revolved around me & my whims. Yes, every child is the same and things don’t change much when we get older right? So …
How to write engaging facebook posts In our internet world there’s one thing which sometimes feels more rare than the lesser spotted slow worm and more needed than an oasis in the Sahara Desert; is engagement. One word that’s synonymous with Facebook is engagement. BuzzSumo has analysed over 880 million Facebook posts to find out that Facebook page engagement …
Do you wish you could travel more? Take your family to see new places and have wonderful new experiences? Financial restrictions might be preventing this dream from coming to fruition. It’s not just the accommodation costs that can be prohibitive, but the flights, transfers and even petrol if you’re staying closer to home. All these costs add up and can …
As bloggers content marketing is our bag. We need to produce consistent content to keep our readers coming back. In order for them to feel they want to come back we need to give them value. That value can be given in a few different ways. We could educate, inspire or entertain. Whichever we choose, we must give value. …
After months of looking forward to our 4th Camp Bestival, it was touch and go whether we would even make it. Just as I was thinking about starting our packing I was admitted to hospital. I suffered a Deep Vein Thrombosis, which caused a Pulmonary Embolism. I was VERY lucky and after being told I wasn’t allowed to fly, I …
Renting can often be the only real option for some families. With a lack of funds for a deposit or perhaps difficulty with securing a mortgage, many families are moving into rented properties. These rented properties come with their own issues. While it might be nice to have a landlord to call on when the boiler breaks or when your …
As the word ‘staycation’ dominates the summer, who wouldn’t be tempted by the idea of a picturesque camping trip in the great outdoors? According to Mintel data, a staggering 17.9 million trips were taken by UK adults in 2017, and almost an extra million trips are expected to be taken this summer. So what’s all the fuss about? Going camping is a great value way to enjoy the outdoors with your family and …
Picture the scene. You read my previous post on scheduling your Instagram and you managed to batch taking some images for you Instagram. You shipped the kids off the grannies house, but now they’re back. Running round the house like tiny terrorists, bringing the decibel levels dangerously close ‘mum headache’ scale. You just need to write those Instagram captions and you’ll …
The easy way to plan Instagram for the month Social media. Everyone tells us it’s meant to be social and a wonderful way to engage with your audience. But how do you do that? You have no time. You’re already running around trying to grab images and think up captions that will connect you with your audience on the …
Moving day – a day notorious for causing stress levels to rise for absolutely everyone involved, even if you’re only moving up the road. If you’re finding yourself face to face with an upcoming moving date and are not sure where to start, I’ve put together a list of tips that might just take the edge off your stress levels. …
Do you struggle to find interesting content to share on your social media feeds? You know that your feeds need to be more engaging to help you build followers, engagement and community. However, you really struggle to find all of this great content. You can’t find it quickly and basically you can’t find good quality content without it turning into …
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years no doubt you’ve heard of Facebook Live. However, just to recap Facebook Live is a live video streaming feature on Facebook, that lets you broadcast from your personal page, business page or group. Facebook Live has been around since April of 2016 and it’s appeal is anything but waining. …
Did those words strike fear into your heart? ‘Road trip’ are good words, exciting even. However, add ‘with kids’ and you might well be running for the hills. Getting your excuses ready as to why that just isn’t a sensible thing to do with your kids right now. But it doesn’t have to be that way. No honestly, with a …
With less than a month before our annual pilgrimage to Camp Bestival, it’s safe to say the excitement is building in our house. The grounds of Lulworth Castle hosts this much loved family festival, which is way more than just a festival. From Annie Mac’s Mac and Cheese, to the wonders of the Insect Circus, to dancing with Ava in a giant …
Are you struggling to write content that hits home with your audience? Maybe you’re putting in lots of effort, but you’re failing to put content out there that resonates with your ideal reader? By the end of this post you’ll have a clear plan of exactly how to write a really awesome blog post that your audience will love. I’ve …
‘The money is in the list’ I bet you’ve heard that line before. Maybe you are totally onboard (as you should be) about the value of having an engaged email list. Which brings you to your first problem. How do you get people on your list. More than that how do you get the right people in your email list. …
Which sweets evoke memories of your childhood? Do you remember taking your pocket-money-pennies to the local shop and waiting patiently to fill that paper bag? Impatiently queuing while staring at the jars behind the till. Which sweet treats got your vote? Maybe now, even as an adult, you simply cannot resist those particular sweets. Allowing yourself a little daydream about …
I used to write 17 blog posts each week. Yeah, I know…… I wrote a lot of content. That content gets shared a huge amount by others, so I am going to take that as a sign that people enjoy my content. The point of this post is to show YOU how you can write lots of quality posts each …
I love blogging and one of the things I love the most is collaborating with other bloggers. Most of the time we work on our own and so it can be wonderful to work with others. Collaborations can take many forms, so I thought I would give you my thoughts on collaborations and hopefully mention some that you haven’t considered …
Picture the scene. You’ve been trying to put your business on the map. Seeking out media coverage to sky-rocket your blog’s visibility. The phone rings, you answer and it’s a journalist from a national paper responding to a tweet you sent about some of your content. They are publishing a discussion piece about the topic and want to feature you. …
I thought about the questions I get asked most by other bloggers and the one area of blogging that seems to be a little hush hush and mysterious is…..money! However, it’s not just about the money, lots of people message me asking how to respond to the emails they receive from brands or PRs. They lack confidence and I hope by …
There are certain pages that most blogs have (and should have). A contact me page, an About Me page, a Work with me page and a resources page. If created well, a resources page can be an extremely helpful page for your audience and a very lucrative page for you. Social proof is a psychological and social phenomenon where people assume the …
Blogging burnout: Burnout is a psychological term that refers to long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in work. The symptoms of burnout are similar to those of clinical depression. Blogging is hard, let’s not pretend otherwise. Not all the time, no, most of the time it is THE most amazing gift of a hobby/job, but sometimes it can be a slog. Sometimes …
A Media Kit is a document which outlines the key facts and statistics about your blog. It’s a quick way to show your value, your skills, interests and experience. You can send your Media Kit to PR companies, potential brand partners or potential advertisers. There’s often debate around whether bloggers need a media kit. If you want to monetise your …
I’ve previously admitted a dark secret here on this blog. The secret that I’m not always as organised as I appear on the outside.… I know, I know, shocking isn’t it. A few weeks ago I shared how Epson ReadyInk was coming to my rescue with their epic service. Their organisation means if I forget to buy ink…. Hypothetically, of …
Monday morning rolls round. You’ve managed to wrestle to kids to school, throw a cup of coffee down and now you’re at your desk/corner of the dining room table/couch (delete as appropriate). You’re stomach sinks, not because of a meeting or any content you have to create, but because you know you’re going to have to open that inbox. The …
