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This month, I celebrated nine years of blogging…nine! It’s wild that I’ve been doing this for almost a decade of my life and I am so grateful that I’ve been able to turn this little side hobby of mine into a flourishing career.
During those nine years of blogging, I’ve had a new blog post up four days a week, sometimes five, except during my two maternity leaves. That’s a heck of a lot of blog posts – over 2,000 of them! Today, I want to talk about what’s next for the blog, some updates to my editorial calendar, and some things I’ve been thinking about lately, as a busy mom of two, under two.
Life as a Working Mom
I’ve always enjoyed being a working mom. I have dedicated days to work, get creative, and write, which is something I really enjoy doing. (I was a journalism major, after all.) Then, I have dedicated days being a mom, where I get to step away from the computer and phone and just be present with my kids. I feel like I get the best of both worlds, with a career I love, that helps provide for my family, but also lots of precious time spent with my children. I don’t take this flexibility for granted.
Before Ellis was born, I felt like I had a good balance with childcare for Rory three days a week. On the two days a week that I was with her full-time, I would squeeze in some work in the morning and at nap time. (You can see more of those days in the life right here!)
Now, with Ellis around, things are crazier than ever and I’m struggling to juggle it all. I don’t have nearly the same number of hours that I can dedicate to work and it’s been tough to squeeze it all in. Physically, I’m more tired too, chasing after two little ones all day long. By the time the kids are in bed, I’m just about ready for bed too.
Growing, Growing, Growing!
Over the course of my blogging career, I’ve been all about growing. More followers, more pageviews, more revenue..more, more, more! And that’s exactly what has happened. Every year has been “bigger” than the next. Which has been amazing, no question about it.
But with the addition of Rory and Ellis, I’ve found my mindset changing. Instead of thinking about growing, I’m thinking about maintaining. “How can I continue to provide content that energizes me and my audience? How can I engage and nourish the people who are here every day? How can I utilize my precious work hours to spend time on the things that I enjoy doing and keep my audience happy?” These are the questions I’m now asking myself, instead of constantly chasing the next dollar or pageview. And I’ve gotta say, it’s a welcome new mindset.
My New Posting Schedule
I’ve only been back to the blog for three months, since having Ellis, and it’s already been tough to crank out four blog posts a week. I know some bloggers post a round-up of fave items or other “filler” content, but it’s important that my blog posts are “meaty” and include as much information as possible.
My blog posts are typically over 2,000 words, including dozens of photos, and they often take me hours and hours to put together – especially if it’s a DIY project! Back when I was working five full days a week, with no children, I had the time to create that much content. Now, it’s just not a reality.
The last thing I want is for my content to suffer, so starting this week, I’ll have new blog posts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The content and quality won’t change, just the sheer volume of posts. This schedule also works much better for me, because I’m only posting content on days that I’m working and have childcare. Promoting the blog post on Tuesdays and Thursdays was always so tough while I was watching the kids. Now, this schedule will be more balanced with my work schedule.
I know many of you look forward to your daily blog post every morning – thank you for being here, sweet friends – and I hope to someday get back to those five weekdays of content. But during this chapter of my life, it’s just not possible.
Social Media Changes the Game
Back when I started blogging, Instagram was still new and it wasn’t anywhere near what it is today. Now, some creators are solely on Instagram, sharing all of their content on that platform. While I think that’s awesome, I love this blog and it really is the core of my entire business, so I dedicate most of my time right here.
However, Instagram is still a crucial part of any blogger’s business and it’s vital to be on it. With stories and reels, one could spend their entire workday creating content just for that one app. I now spend so much time on Instagram connecting with followers, answering DMs, creating stories, and sharing reels. It’s so much more time than it used to be!
Exciting Things Ahead
So all this to say, I’m not going anywhere. I just want the time that I spend working to be time well spent. I want to continue to create content that you want to read – blog posts that inspire you and motivate you!
Behind the scenes, I’m working on a website redesign. It won’t be crazy-different, but hopefully, it will make the site easier to navigate and faster. That, of course, has been taking up a lot of my time too!
I’m also starting a monthly newsletter for email subscribers. It will have exclusive content just for my subscribers, to talk about more in-depth topics and share a bit more behind the scenes of the blog, my family, and more. It is still in the works, but I’m hoping to launch it in the next month or so. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to share how to subscribe to it!
Finally, I’m working on a feel-good makeover with my friends, Kim and Scott from Yellow Brick Home. This upcoming project is rejuvenating all of us and reminding us why we created these careers in the first place. More to come on that, but I know you guys are going to LOVE it!
Thank You for Being Here
A big heartfelt thank you for being here and showing up for me each and every day. You guys have been with me for so many life milestones…from my wedding, to our infertility struggle, taking the blog on my own, buying a house, and welcoming each of our children. Even though my life has changed dramatically over the past nine years, The DIY Playbook community has been the one constant through it all. So thank you for showing up for me. I’ll continue to do the same for you.
Casey
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