Growth, Change & Priorities

Once again (as seems to be the norm around here), I am assessing some things around here and trying to figure out how to balance everything that I want to do vs. everything that I need to do.  Here are some of the things that have been on my mind and in the works...

Sponsors, Affiliates & Giveaways - If you are a regular reader, I'm sure you've noticed that I have begun offering sponsor spots, have begun working with affiliates and have also been running a few giveaways.  To be honest, this has been a huge learning curve for me! My intention with sponsors and affiliates is to eventually be able to earn a small income to help support our growing family while continuing to maintain this space.  I also intend to only work with people who are in step with my ideals and the focus of this space.   Like I said...huge learning curve here.  The giveaways are, truly, an attempt to add in a bit of fun for each of you, my amazing readers...and I do hope that you have enjoyed them and/or will enjoy the giveaways I have lined up for the coming months (check out my Ever Growing sponsors on my sidebar for an idea of which businesses might be offering a giveaway shortly).  Now, the Rafflecopter function is quite easy for me to use, but I am open to your ideas and suggestions on the whole shebang! Share away!

Computer Time - I have been debating how much time is too much time to spend online for a long time now.  Blog reading and writing, social media and the news can easily eat up many hours every single day. While I was finishing my degree I felt very overwhelmed by the amount of time I spent online and was determined to make some serious changes upon graduation.  While I did shift my habits for a bit after graduation, they have quickly shifted back and it's time for me to get my priorities straight, not only for the benefit of my family, but also for my own sanity.


This article from the NY Times was recently floating around the internet a couple of weeks ago and it really struck a cord with me. Since reading it, I've put a lot of thought into how I can maintain this space (which I love so much), continue to build (virtual) relationships with other bloggers and sites and also be more present in my daily life.  Here are a few thoughts I had to help me with prioritizing:

• Assess how much time I want to/can/should spend online each day/week
• Establish an offline day each weekend during which I can complete projects, paint, spend time with family and relax
• Assess blogs I'm reading (or not reading) and blogs I'm responding to (and getting responses from)
• Assess time spent on ads and giveaways and responding to inquiries
• Create calendar (like I did for school) that outlines time for blogging, reading, commenting, etc.
• Establish which link ups I will link up to each week, pick one or two posts that fits for all or most link ups and plan ahead (with times, etc) so on the day of the link up, it is easier to get it up

The theme here seems to be everything in moderation.  Do you have any tips or strategies for getting in your online time and not letting it suck your life away?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Top Mommy Blogs - A while back I joined Top Mommy Blogs (TMB). Originally, I was just curious about what it was and how it worked. Then, I decided to join and see what it was all about since I am already a mom and since I will be a mom again come October.  What I quickly learned is that, by joining TMB, not only can I increase my search engine optimization, but that there are also a lot of fun blogs cataloged there.  So, I added the click to vote button on my sidebar and started adding links to the bottom of my posts.  As readers, all you have to do is click on either link (the photo or the text link) each day and it will immediately count as a vote.  The more votes I get, the higher my ranking is on the site, which increases my SEO and traffic to this space (both good things).  Right now I am fluctuating between #2 & #3 under the eco-friendly heading and between #75 and #90 out of every blog on the site and every single one of your clicks is greatly appreciated!

Grow, Harvest, Eat - I have been trying to figure out how to streamline a few of the regular posts I do (Harvest Monday, Garden Happiness(es), Meal Plans, etc) so as to save a bit of time and am going to try something new for a bit to see how it works.  I am planning to create one Grow, Harvest, Eat post every two weeks that will include the items in the garden that will be ready for harvest shortly (grow), what has recently been harvested (harvest), as well as our meal plans which are created every other Saturday before going grocery shopping (eat).  I will try this out for a few posts and assess how it's working, as well as how you all are responding to it. Then, I'll either roll with it or go back to how it's always been. What do you think?

Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me!  I am grateful for this space and each and every one of you!

xoxo,
M

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