5 Things Every Blog Needs

Good morning!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I totally intended to blog on Friday but was called into a meeting at my daughter's school for the upcoming book fair, so I wasn't able to.  I always love posting on Friday's so was bummed.

It's been a while since I've shared blogging tips, and why not share some tips on a subject you're passionate about?  I know all of these articles came handy when I was starting up, and there always nice to use as a checklist on your own blog.

I've rounded out 5 things that I think every blog needs in order to keep readers coming back. 

The first way someone is drawn to your blog or not is by your homepage.  In the first few seconds your reader decides whether they are going to stay on your site, or if they are going to click out.  Just like when you first meet someone, first impressions are important! 

Here are a few things to incorporate in your blog to keep your readers coming back for more:


1)  Clean design - This is the FIRST thing people see!  You don't have to spend tons of money on a design, but it's important to have something that's clean, has legible font and catches the eye.


2) About me - Every blog needs to have a page where they can learn about the writer and see what the whole blog is about.  It's so important for it to include a picture of you, your name and that it is written in your own tone.  You also want to add a description of things you'll be writing about and what you're vision is so you're audience knows what you're about and what to expect when they read your blog and they're able to put a face to your posts.


3) Contact -  Brands and readers should have a place were they can contact you if need be for any collaborations or questions they have.  I love hearing from my readers and potential brands!


4) Search - This is so important so that you're readers can search topics you've blogged about and easily find specific things.  You don't how how many times I've used this on other blogs, it's such a time saver and a lot of times leads to other great posts that you may have missed!


5) Social media accounts with same handles - this is a great way for your readers to be able to connect with you but also a way for brands to follow you and request to work with you.  When creating your handles you want to make sure they're all the same or as similar as possible so that you're easy to find.


What are some other things you love for people to include in their blogs that you feel are beneficial?

6 Easy Ways to Streamline Your Mornings

Now that we need to be extremely scheduled in the mornings, I've found that when you prepare in advance - getting ready in the hustle and bustle in the mornings is WAY easier.

During the evenings I have a mental checklist of things I do to make getting ready in the mornings that much smoother and if you have kids that you get ready in the mornings you know that the word smooth is not usually in your description of the mornings, it's tough - but planning ahead is a lifesaver!  Here are a few things that I do that makes getting ready a little easier on my patience.

Set your alarm for when you need to wake up - I've never been one to hit the snooze button.  When I do I always wake up feeling more tired and of course it's later than I want it to be so then I have to rush and I hate rushing.  I've found that setting the alarm and getting up when it rings makes me feel more refreshed and gives me more time to do what I need to do in the mornings.

Clean up kitchen and bathrooms the night before - these are the two main areas you're going to be getting ready in the mornings.  Keeping them neat and cleaned up makes you feel less chaotic and allows you to focus on what you're doing.  Also waking up to a dirty kitchen always puts me in a bad mood - so this avoids a crazy mommy ;)


Set your coffee timer - The best part of waking up is Foldgers coffee in your cup, am I right?  I don't usually drink coffee as I'm getting the kids ready, because there is no way I could drink it without it getting cold, but it sure is nice to have it ready to go and to put into  my to go cup for the car.  We don't have a timer but our coffee maker makes a full pot of coffee in less than 3 minutes, so it's a breeze!

Lay out clothes the night before - This saves time aimlessly looking at your closet which can take forever if you don't know what to wear and are groggy from waking up.  I speak from experience when I worked a 9-5 job.  Laying your clothes out really saves SO much time!

Make lists of things that need to be done - This is something I always do because I tend to forget what I need to do and because I get way too much pleasure crossing things off a to-do list!  This ensures that you're not overbooking yourself or taking too much on in one day.