And on top of that, this summer I celebrated twenty years in business. I’m not sure which milestone is more mind-blowing???
I started this blog the day I dropped my son off at his first day of preschool. Other parents may have driven to work, headed to a supermarket or the gym after drop-off but I hightailed it back to my home office so I could write my first Organized Artistry blog post. When I started my business in 2002, I was writing helpful organizing articles and posting them on my website. A few years in, I discovered the Blogger platform and started blogging my organizing tips and ideas there. Shortly afterward, I went through a total logo/website redesign and merged my Blogger blog with my new WordPress website.
Since writing my first anniversary post, I’ve set goals for my blog and last year was no different.
In 2021-22 I decided that I would set out to…
• Create a round-up blog post
• Create downloadable printables in Canva for my most popular blog posts
• Invite guest bloggers to share their posts
Of the three goals, I only accomplished one this past year. I did not invite any guest bloggers, and I didn’t coordinate a round-up blog post but I did create those printables! As a former graphic designer, I guess of the three goals, this was the one I would have had the most fun executing.
My Tales of a Town-Wide Garage Sale post was blowing up on Pinterest (and continues to do so) so I decided to create a free download/printable to go with it. It’s called, 5 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale and can be found at the end of the post. After creating and uploading the garage sale printable, I gave myself a pat on the back for reaching one of my goals and created a few more downloadable printables for some of my other popular blog posts.
Inviting guest bloggers and curating a round-up post are two ideas that may still happen in my blog’s future. I’m not taking them off the table yet. But for now, I’m having fun designing those downloadable printables…
In earlier anniversary posts, I’ve stated that my goal was to blog 1x a month. It’s not such a far-fetched concept considering in the past I used to blog 2x a month, But, for now and the not-so-distant future, I have given up on the idea of trying to blog 1x a month. It hasn’t happened the past few years and I often remind myself that it’s OK. I have an ongoing list of blog post ideas but lately, not an ongoing amount of time or brain-power. Instead, I’ve been slowly going back to older blog posts, updating the content, and adding a Canva graphic to make them ‘pinnable’ and visually appealing to post and share.
This year, for 2022-23 my blog goals are:
• Create a second Ted Talk blog post
• Continue to create downloadable printables for my popular blog posts
• Only have two goals for my blog this year.
The idea of the second Ted Talk blog post comes from my 2020-2021 goal list.
At a time when Ted Talks were gaining mainstream popularity, I decided to write a blog post featuring organizing-related TedTalks I thought people would find inspiring. Well, it seems that they did find them inspiring because it’s one of my most popular blog posts!
In early 2022, I revisited my goal from 2020-2021 and went looking for more organizing-related Ted Talks. For a variety of reasons, I just didn’t find what I was looking for. My 2022-2023 goal is to identify three to four Ted Talks that focus on organizing and write that second Ted Talk blog post. Could lightning strike twice? Are readers of my blog looking for more organizing-inspired Ted Talks? You’ll have to wait until 2023 to find out!
The child I took to preschool the day I started this blog has just started going on college tours. That, plus work, family life, and anything else I can fit in a day will make for a very busy year ahead. But, my blog goals are set for the year. In order to accomplish my goals, I’m going to give myself the same advice I’d give one of my clients: Take out your calendar and make an appointment with yourself to take the steps necessary to reach your goals!
As a Professional Organizer, mom of two, and former first grade teacher, I have spent much time organizing kids.
Guess which age range has the most stuff that needs organizing?
The smallest of children! For little people, they sure have a lot of things to organize!
And because they’re ‘tiny tots,’ (a name I adopted from my son’s former preschool class) they’re not as independent as a teen, tween, or even eight year old would be.
If you’re responsible for one or more of those tiny tots, you’re probably very busy. And tired. Mmmmm…more like exhausted. You have very little time or energy to keep their lives organized. When you have tiny tots, it’s rare that you have more than ten minutes to spare–especially if you have more than one child!
In the interest of saving you time, money, space, and stress (and your sanity?!?), here are 10 ten-minute tasks to tackle for organizing your teeniest of tiny tots:
10 Ten-Minute Tasks
• Purge photos from your smartphone. I KNOW you have a ton of pics of your tiny tots on your phone. I did, too (and still do…)! Take ten minutes a week to delete any blurry, red-eye, duplicate photos. You don’t want to run out of digital space and not be able to capture future milestones and adorable moments.
• Gather and carve out a small space (a lower cabinet, drawer, or basket) for kid-friendly dishes, bowls, and cups. Taking ten minutes to set this up will save you hours in the future. Creating a space for a child to retrieve a bowl or cup by themselves (and put it back after being washed) encourages independence and teaches them beginner organizing skills.
• Organize food storage containers. Purge out containers with missing lids or those that have gone through the dishwasher one too many times. With a little direction, some children as young as two or three can help match lids to bottoms and group similar-shaped containers together. *This task is especially important if you pack your child a lunch every day for day care or preschool.
• Before heading to the market or placing an online order, take inventory of baby food, formula, and diapers. Depending upon how many kids you have, this should take you less than ten minutes but save you a lot of time, energy, and grief.
• Scan your kid’s play area for sticky, broken, or infrequently used toys and take a few moments to wash them, repair or toss them, or donate them.
• Using strips of low-tack blue tape, create ‘parking spots’ in your play space or garage for large toy trucks, doll carriages, or ride-on toys. This designates a ‘home’ for these bigger toys and just like you park your car in a lot, on the street, or in a driveway your child will park their toy in these designated spots. And if they don’t, you can play a game I like to call, ‘Mommy Meter Maid…’
(For some of my other toy organizing ideas for your tiny tots, read more here.)
• Create a ‘home’ for your kid’s favorite bedtime books. When bedtime isn’t going as smoothly as you’d like, at least you’ll know where their ‘sleepy-time stories’ are!
• Grab diapers, cream, wipes, and a mat and set up a ‘satellite’ diaper changing station in an area you spend the most time in with your tiny tots. Doing this will save you time from having to run to your changing table, from having to clean up a blowout (you know what I’m talking about…), and then having to do some messy laundry. *Spend less than ten minutes a week refilling both diaper changing stations with more ‘supplies.’
• Similarly, use a ten minute pocket of time to take note of and re-stock the contents of your tiny tot’s diaper bag. Jot down a checklist of must-have and nice-to-have items and keep it in the pocket of the bag for reference–a real time and brain-space saver! It’s important to have a diaper bag prepared for when you want to leave the house, when you have to leave the house, or in an emergency situation.
• Take ten minutes to brainstorm more ideas for organizing your tiny tots in under ten minutes. I would say, “Take ten minutes on Pinterest to to look up more kid organizing ideas but let’s be honest–who can be on Pinterest for only ten minutes?!? So, instead please–take ten minutes to yourself. Organizing your tiny tots is important but so is self-care. And if Pinterest is part of your self-care routine–take at least fifteen if you’re able to…
Little kids are unpredictable–be realistic with your ten minutes. If you have a task you think will only take ten minutes but it really takes more, split the task in two parts and tackle them at different times of the day. And if you don’t have ten minutes one day, you’ll have it tomorrow or over the weekend. Keep these tasks as simple as possible and enlist help from a friend, family member, or kid-loving teenager.
Put these 10 ten-minute tasks into practice to make parenting ever-so-slightly easier. You’re on your way to modeling and teaching your tiny tot the how-to’s and benefits of being organized.
Twelve years of blogging! Could that really be true?
It feels like only yesterday when I attended the 2009 NAPO Conference in Orlando and signed up for a workshop called, “Become a Blogging and Podcasting Genius.’ I had no desire to start a podcast but a blog–yup, that was right up my alley.
I’ve always enjoyed expressing myself through the written word. I found writing to be an enjoyable creative outlet–writing about organizing was going to be FUN (and it still is…)!
Who would have thought there would be so much to write about on the topic of organizing?!? It’s twelve years later and I still haven’t run out of ideas. In fact, I keep a list of ideas in a file in one of my favorite productivity apps, Evernote. I’ll be checking my list over the next few weeks to plan out my blog post topics for 2022.
Happy blogiversary to me! As part of my blogiversary celebration, I set goals for my blog for the year ahead and I look back to see if I met the goals I set for myself the previous year. Here’s how I did…
Goals I had set for 2020-2021
Continue to Blog 1x a Month
I got off to a great start! Beginning with October of 2020, I published a blog post consistently every month and lined a guest blogger up for the month of March. Around that time, both of my parents became ill within a few weeks of each other. When a crisis occurs, it’s vital to focus on what’s most important and put non-essential tasks aside until the crisis passes and that’s what I did. They’re doing much better now and I started blogging again over the summer.
I also took time to complete three NAPO Specialist Certificates and a program that certifies me as a Certified Virtual Professional Organizer ( CVPO™ ). The timing was right so I put blogging aside to fulfill the requirements. Now that I’ve completed them all, I can focus more of my time on my blog. I’m looking forward to publishing my annual I ‘Heart’ Container Store Stocking Stuffer post next month!
Consider Using Tailwind
Due to the circumstances of the past year, I barely got to spend any time on Pinterest (insert sad face here). Thus, I didn’t even begin to think about Tailwind. It’s not totally off the table–it’s just not a priority. I’ll keep it on my to-do list and put a reminder in my calendar to learn more about it.
Create Canva Images for Older Posts
Started! I began blogging on the Blogger platform before I even had a WordPress website. WAAAAY back when, blog posts were more about the writing than the photos. Now, I’m starting to add images to some of those ‘vintage’ posts. Years ago, my website designer helped me migrate the old posts over to my new WordPress website. They have good SEO juice–they’re just not pretty enough yet for ‘prime time’ (Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook).
Continue to Tweak Content on Older Blog Posts to Make More Evergreen
Every so often, I’ll scroll through my blog posts to see if they need updating. I’ve made some tweaks along the way to ensure their status as ‘evergreen.’ In fact, the last one I tweaked was a roundup post I curated for Halloween.
Create a Second Blog Post Showcasing ‘Ted Talks’ on the Topic of Organizing
I did not get to write it this year, but I have been curating a list of Ted Talks on the topic of organizing that would work nicely for a second similar blog post. My first blog post titled, 3 Thought-Provoking Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized was and still is very popular on Pinterest. It’s on my to-do list to create that second Ted Talk blog post for Winter or Spring of 2022.
Goals I’m setting for 2021-2022
Create a Round-Up Blog Post
I love reading ’round-up’ posts–so many creative and ingenious ideas all in one spot for the reader. I’m considering creating one for my blog in 2022–topic: To Be Decided…
Create Downloadable Printables for My Most Popular Blog Posts
My ‘Ted Talk’ blog post blew up on Pinterest and until a short while ago, it was my most ‘pinned’ post. Then, about nine months ago I started seeing a constant stream of people pinning my ‘Tales of a Town-Wide Garage Sale’ post. It seemed as if half the world wanted to read about my garage sale experience and use my garage sale tips. I get Pinterest notifications on our family iPad and at least a few times a week my son yells out, “Mom! More people pinned your ‘Garage Sale’ post today!”
In an attempt to gather more email addresses for my email list, I thought I’d create a *freebie* downloadable printable for this post. I recently created the printable and now I’m working on figuring out the technology part to make it downloadable and how to collect the email addresses. I hope to report in my next blogiversary post that I was successful!
Invite Guest Bloggers to Share their Posts
In the past, I used to invite guest bloggers to share their knowledge and ideas on my blog–usually around the times of the year when I’d be most busy with my kids (school holidays/summer vacation). I don’t recall why I stopped doing this, but I’d like to get back to it–perhaps having guest bloggers offering tips and advice on topics that are not my specialty. I had a very positive experience hosting a guest blogger in March–I think I’ll try it again this year.
Thanks for joining me on my adventures in blogging–onward to year thirteen!
I recently entered my eighteenth (!!) year as a Professional Organizer and this year marks eleven years of blogging. Happy blogiversary to me!
I love to write. I love to organize. So starting a blog about organizing was not such a far-fetched idea. In fact, it was a match made in blogging heaven! Back in 2009, I took a workshop at the NAPO Conference in Orlando which gave me the know-how and the push I needed to jumpstart my blogging career. I started out using the Blogger platform and in 2014, decided to merge the blog with my website which was going through a logo and platform redesign. As much as I enjoy it, it still boggles my mind that I’ve been doing it for eleven years.
As part of celebrating my blogiversary, I set goals for the year ahead and look back to see if I’ve met the goals I set for myself the previous year. I recently read my first blogiversary post–my goals were a bit different then. I was barely using social media and my blog was where I ‘posted’ all information. Creating blog categories and helpful content were my top priorities. Pinterest was barely out of it’s infancy. Canva had not even been launched yet! Blogging has certainly evolved since then. I’ve worked hard to keep up with writing and the tools that make my blog beautiful and in front of more eyes than I ever could have imagined.
Here’s how I did…
Goals for 10/2019-10/2020
Blog 1x a month
I thought for sure I’d be able to make this happen but sometimes life has other ideas for your time and brain space. I came pretty close, though blogging in October and November of 2019 and March, May-October 2020 consecutively.
Tweak and Update Existing Posts
Did it! I created Canva-generated images for many posts that previously had no images and added a new ‘connect with me on social media’ footer to the end of my blog posts (look below!)
Consider using Tailwind Scheduler for Pinterest
I chose to take this task off my plate for 2019-2020. I am still considering it’s usefulness and the monetary commitment but since much of my blog traffic comes from Pinterest, I’ll be keeping it on the back burner until I have the time and brain power to look at the pros and cons for adding it to my marketing plan.
Create new and relevant content
Did it! In 2019, I created my annual Anniversary Post and Container Store Stocking Stuffer Review Post and in 2020 focused my blog posts on helping readers during the time of Coronavirus. I had always considered writing a blog post on getting organized for meal planning and decided that 2020 was the year to do so. I felt it’s relevance was so timely, I wrote five consecutive posts on the topic.
My Most Popular Blog Post on Pinterest: Garage Sale and Ted Talks
My post, 3 Thought-Provoking Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized has gotten tens of thousands of impressions on Pinterest. In an interesting twist, a blog post I published over seven years ago about participating in my neighborhood’s town-wide garage sale has rocketed to similar fame and fortune on Pinterest. I guess people across the globe have been purging their homes during the pandemic and are looking for tips on hosting a garage sale. It’s November and it’s still getting pinned like crazy!
And guess what happened this year?
I was presented with the ‘Best Organizing Blog’ Award by Sacred Space Organizing. I felt honored to be recognized for my body of work and I’m thrilled to be in such talented company. To check out the list, click here.
Goals for 10/2020-10/2021
Continue to Blog 1x a month
With 2021 just around the corner, I’ve started thinking about what I’d like to blog about. Even after eleven years of blogging, I haven’t covered every topic related to organizing. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to my blog (enter your email address above the picture of me on the top right of this page).
Consider using Tailwind
I’m going to save this goal for the second half of 2021. I need some time to research it’s ease of use, it’s usefulness to Organized Artistry, and whether it is worth the cost. If anyone has any experience with Tailwind, I’d love to hear about it.
Create Canva images for older blog posts
I have many older blog posts (including the one about my neighborhood’s town-wide garage sale) that still don’t have Pinterest-worthy Canva photos on them. I’ll be revisiting old blog posts that still have relevance and make them Pinterest-ready and Pinterest-worthy for new readers.
Continue to tweak content on older blog posts to make more evergreen
When I started blogging eleven years ago, some of my blog posts were short announcements of events or quick tips. I’m writing blog posts more in long-form now and saving the events and announcements for Organized Artistry’s Facebook Page. If I find making certain blog posts evergreen to be a challenge, I’ll consider eliminating the posts or refreshing them for a new audience.
Create a second blog post showcasing ‘Ted Talks’ on the topic of organizing
The ‘Ted Talk’ blog post I mentioned above blew the roof off of Pinterest. It is definitely my most popular post with a ton of traffic. Not Kardashian Instagram type of traffic but an incredible amount of traffic for my less-famous organizing blog. Everything I’ve read about blogging says that if you have a popular blog post and people are showing interest in that topic, write something very similar. Keep your eyes open in 2021 for Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized–Part 2.
Eleven years have gone by quickly–I’m looking forward to writing for the next eleven. Thanks for joining me on my journey as a blogger!
Happy blogging anniversary to me! As of this October, I have been blogging for ten years.
I. Can’t. Believe. It.
Even though I’ve been a Professional Organizer for seventeen years (which I find astounding) it’s equally as astounding to me that I have been blogging about organizing for a decade. That’s a loooong time.
In the past, I have started off these Blogging Anniversary Posts with a few lines on how I started blogging. The short story is that I took a blogging workshop at the NAPO Conference in 2009 and started my blog a few months later after dropping my then three year old off at preschool. That kid is now thirteen.
A few days ago, he walked into my home office as I was writing this post. He asked me what I was doing so I told him what I was writing about and how I started the Organized Artistry blog. He laughed when I said that I waited until he was in preschool to compose my first blog post in silence!
Besides talking out ‘how it all began,’ I use this post to hold myself accountable for the goals I set for myself and my blog. This year, it was challenging to keep up with my blog. I had some major family obligations to put my energy towards and I had made the decision to start a YouTube channel. The learning curve that came along with it ate up much of the time and brain power I often allotted to blogging.
My 2018-2019 goals were to blog 1x a month, use the blog template I created for myself, and add Canva generated/Pinterest worthy images to blog posts. How did I do?
Goals for 2018-2019
Blog 1x a Month
OK, I dropped the ball on this one. Family obligations kept me from blogging this summer. Family first! My goal was to get back to blogging this Fall (and here I am blogging!). Also, in the beginning of 2019, I was putting most of my writing abilities into scripting my YouTube videos and had little left ‘in the tank’ for blogging. I did though, use the blog template. It focused me and saved me hours of ‘thinking time’ when I had a rare moment to turn my ideas into a blog post.
Keep Using Canva to Update Images on Already Existing Blog Posts
Did it! And I’m continuing to do it. I created a list of blog posts that need a Canva generated/Pinterest worthy image and every few weeks I design one and upload it. This has allowed and will continue to allow me to generate traffic to my website via Pinterest.
Goals for 2019-2020
Blog 1x a month
I created a YouTube video script template for myself (much like my blogging template) and the writing of my video scripts are now more streamlined, leaving me more brain power for blogging. I’ll continue to use the blog post template I created for myself last year–it enables me to concentrate on the task and saves me time. Besides composing a monthly newsletter, I’m going to try my best to make sure I compose a monthly blog post.
Tweak and Update Existing Posts
When you’ve been blogging for ten years–that’s a whole lotta content to keep track of! Not all of it is as up to date and evergreen as I’d like. So, I’ll be going back in to those posts to create Canva generated/Pinterest worthy images, update the text, check links, and delete any that no longer serve my readers.
Consider a Pin Scheduler such as Tailwind.
Using Tailwind is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. My blog gets a ton of traffic from Pinterest. There are only so many hours in a day for me to be pinning to my boards. Believe me, if I could spend a few hours a day pinning, I’d be a happy girl but I have clients to organize and dinner to cook! I’ll be putting more thought into using Tailwind this year.
Create New and Relevant Content
Even after ten years of blogging, there are still a ton of topics that haven’t been written about! I keep a running list in Evernote (one of my favorite productivity apps) of organizing topics I’d like to blog about. I’ll be consulting that list as I jump back into blogging.
And guess what happened this past year?
Look on the right side of this blog page under the ‘Categories’ list. In January, I became a Superstar Blogger of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for taking part in 25+ Blog Carnivals! Big shout-out to Janet Barclay of Your Organizing Business who created the the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival as well as a space for us ‘Blogging Organizers’ on Facebook. 🙂
I’m excited to announce–Organized Artistry has a YouTube channel!
It’s something I’ve been considering adding to my business model for a while. YouTube is a great vehicle for reaching those in need of organizing assistance outside of my Northern New Jersey area. I thought it would be a creative marketing tool for my residential and virtual organizing services as well as for my book and any books I write in the future.
Slowly in 2018, I created the channel, added a banner, uploaded a few FaceTime videos but I wasn’t putting a ton of time and effort into it. Why? What held me back? A few things…
Time
As a business owner, parent of two, and volunteer for business and religious organizations, did I really have time to pursue something new?
Knowledge
My son told me it was easy to make a YouTube video. He said to me, “My friend from middle school and my camp counselor have YouTube channels. How hard could it be, Mom?” I tried to convince him that Mommy’s YouTube channel had to be a bit more professional than teens playing Xbox together and videotaping it. I’m still not sure I’ve convinced him…In order to have a professional-looking channel I was going to have to figure out the ‘How-To’ part.
Doubt
Was anyone going to watch? Could I fit creating, optimizing, and uploading videos into my already tight schedule?
Bad Hair Days
Yes, if I’m being honest, bad hair days kept me from making videos. I don’t have the most predictable hair and it doesn’t always look as professional as I’d like it to look. Kinda silly, but true. #honesty
What I know about owning a business is that it has to always be moving forward and keep up with the ‘times’ in order to survive. Many articles I read this past year pointed to video marketing as a game changer for 2019. I decided if I really wanted to make it happen, I had to schedule it, learn what I could, deal with doubt, and my hair. Here’s what I did…
Time
I decided to block out time in my day to brainstorm ideas, write scripts, and film the video (when I’m not working with clients). Mornings after I drop my son at school until noon are my ‘Power Hours’–the time of day when I’m most alert and motivated. This time management technique worked for me when I was writing and self-publishing my book, too.
Knowledge
Do you know the best place to learn about starting a YouTube channel? It’s YouTube! I started watching ‘how-to’ videos while on the treadmill, while getting dressed/putting on makeup, and when I was cooking dinner (it’s the perfect accompaniment to chopping vegetables). I took notes on the videos and created a section in Evernote for them. I also purchased an online course to speed up the process–it’s proving to be a good investment so far.
Doubt
I still have my doubts but I moved forward anyway. I’ve been in this place before as a business owner and realize that anything new is going to stir up feelings of doubt. I decided I wouldn’t let it stop me.
Bad Hair Days
Almost a year ago, I started following the ‘Curly Girl‘ method of caring for my hair. My hair is healthier, looks better and is now (in my eyes) more ‘video-worthy.’ And I bought some products to cover my ‘roots’ so I can film my videos and camouflage some gray hair and hairline without having to run to the salon as often.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working diligently on the ‘Channel Trailer’ for my channel–it’s the first video people will see when they come to my channel if they’re not subscribers. Want to check it out? There may be a few pics of me as a little kid in the video if that piques your interest…You can watch it here or click the video below. Feel free to leave a comment, hit the ‘Subscribe’ button, and remember to click the little bell next to it to get notified when I post a new video!
If there’s an organizing challenge you’d like me to make a video about, let me know at .
Keep an eye out on the Organized Artistry YouTube channel for organizing tips, organizing hacks, and decluttering know-how. My videos will help you to get organized and gain more space in your home, more time in your day, more money in your wallet, and less stress in your life.
Shortly after it’s publication, I came across a quote that I now believe to be true: “If you thought writing a book was hard, try marketing it!”
It has been a challenge getting the word out about The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook, especially because it does not have much in common with my day-to-day home and virtual organizing business. I’m a Professional Organizer–not a Wedding Professional. With this book, I straddle the fields of organizing and weddings–marketing it has been quite a learning experience.
I’ve let the world know about my book via social media, Facebook Ads, giveaways, guest blogging, being included in ‘wedding product roundup’ articles, (and a little bit of begging–I’m not proud) and recently decided to give video a try. Articles on book marketing point to video as the way to go in marketing today. They say a book trailer is an important piece of an author’s media kit. I’ve done a few Facebook Live videos and I’m slowly growing my YouTube channel so I thought I’d give it a try. I had never used iMovie before but I thought, “If my twelve year old can use it, so, can I!”
It took about a week of learning from articles and YouTube videos and a few brainstorming sessions in solitude but I did it! I created my first book trailer using Canva, iMovie, and some loyalty-free music from YouTube.
Presenting…the book trailer for The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook.
Thanks for watching! If you know a bride with a house full of wedding gifts who could use some writing tips and help with their wedding thank you note wording, please share The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook book trailer with them. For more information, go to the Organized Artistry website or Amazon.com.
Download Our Gift Tracker Printables!
Track your engagement gifts, bridal shower gifts, and wedding gifts with our *free* Gift Tracker printables! Click the image below to download and print three gift trackers and valuable tips for keeping your addresses and gift lists organized.
Your thank you note tracking is about to get so much easier…
This October marks the 8th anniversary of my blog. That’s A LOT of idea-generation, image creating, and typing!
I started my blog in October of 2009 shortly after I signed my son up for preschool. This was before I was on Facebook, before Pinterest was created, and before social media was a ‘thing.’ (Can you even imagine?!?) Since then, I’ve moved my blog from Blogger to Word Press, had a second child, and joined Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Oh, and I wrote a book and survived a major home renovation project, too. My blog has evolved over time–I have found that doing yearly goal-setting has helped me stay on track.
In past ‘blogiversary’ posts, I’ve set blogging goals for the year ahead. I didn’t do too badly in 2017…
My 2017 goals:
• Boosting Pinterest traffic to my website/blog
Success! In checking my blog ‘stats,’ the top place where people are coming from to check out my blog and website is Pinterest. My most popular pin on Pinterest is the blog post I wrote back in February, ” 3 Thought-Provoking Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized.” I still ‘heart’ Pinterest and see it as a integral part of my online presence for 2018.
• Create images in Canva
Success! I created a Canva image for each of my new blog posts and slowly, slowly, I am updating images from old blog posts using Canva. It’s a great way to freshen up an older yet still relevant blog post. My previous life as a graphic designer has really come in handy…
• Create a blogging calendar
I’ve tried this so many times but have not found success with creating a blogging calendar. Instead, I created a paper Blog Post Template which helps me to organize my thoughts on a topic I intend to blog about. The template is a place to brain dump my ideas, jot down keywords and alt-image text for Pinterest, and websites I’ll want to link to in my post. Half the work of writing a blog post is done once I’ve filled out my template. So, although I did not find success with a blog calendar, I created a thought-organizing tool that did work for me.
• Stop comparing myself to other bloggers
For the most part, I’ve been good at this. I’ve noticed that blogging has changed–it isn’t what it was when I started eight years ago. For many, blogging has evolved as a full-time business and that is something I cannot keep up with and do not wish for as part of my business model. I’ll be putting my time into some new and exciting ventures such as Virtual Organizing, marketing my wedding thank you note book, and outlining some ideas for my next book.
My 2018 goals:
• Keep using Canva to update images on already existing blog posts
Right now, half of my blog posts have Canva, Pinterest-worthy, and ready images. I’ll be chipping away at my blog title list to replace old images with new Canva-generated ones.
• Blog a minimum of 1x a month
At the beginning of 2017, I set a goal for myself–post to my blog a minimum of 2x a month. I did OK in the beginning but as my client list got longer and other Organized Artistry projects took precedence, blogging got left on the back burner. Creating the Blog Post Template helped me solidify future post ideas and I’ll be using it in 2018. So, my goal is to blog 1x a month but if I write two posts in a month or three posts in two months then YAY ME.
This October marks the 7th anniversary of my blog!
In the Spring of 2009, I attended the NAPO Conference in Orlando and signed up for a workshop on how to start a blog. I loved to write and I enjoyed sharing my organizing knowledge–blogging married those two loves together.
I started my blog shortly after my then three year old started preschool. I began on the Blogger platform and a few years ago my blog moved to WordPress coinciding with the redesign of my website. I reviewed ‘Cool Products,’ offered ‘Organizing Quick Tips,’ and wrote about anything I thought my readers would find helpful. Then child #2 came along and I did my best to keep up with blogging. Three years later (when he, too went to preschool) I decided to resurrect and complete a ten year old manuscript and self-publish a book. Still kept up with my blog. It was a challenge–but when you’re writing a book, the writing somehow just flows off your fingertips.
Recently, I was reviewing my posts and noticed I hadn’t written one for my 5th or 6th anniversary. I didn’t write a 5th anniversary post because I was heading towards the self-publishing finish line and needed to focus to complete the enormous task. The 6th anniversary post never got written because I stopped blogging. Completely. Not one post for fourteen months. What happened?
A home renovation/addition project.
We purged our home, packed it all up and moved out for nine months. My brain was making so many renovation-related decisions and adjusting to living in temporary quarters–I just had no brain bandwidth for blogging. Took it off my plate completely. It was a bit weird–not writing at all. But sometimes in life we must put certain tasks on the back burner to accomplish a goal.
It took fourteen months, but in July of this year I got back to writing for my blog. I wasn’t sure how I’d jump back into the blogging pool so I decided to write about what I knew–my home renovation/addition experience. I thought about my experience and the knowledge I could pass on to my readers and the words started to flow. After a year’s+ hiatus, I had some time to think about the steps I wanted to take to move my blog forward.
In past ‘blogiversary’ posts, I’ve talked about my blogging goals for the year ahead. Here are a few for 2017…
I ‘heart’ Pinterest. I could be on that site all day if I had the time! There is a wealth of information in those millions of pins for both personal and professional use. I am planning on joining a few group boards and posting my blog posts to them to grow my blog traffic. I’m learning how to write more descriptive, keyword-rich pin descriptions for my blog posts and communicate more with those who are pinning them. Did I mention how much I ‘heart’ Pinterest?????
Canva is an online tool used for designing professional-looking graphics. If you’re on Pinterest or read a ton of blogs, you’ll see many utilizing Canva or similar tools to create eye-catching images for their blogs, later to be pinned and posted to social media sites. I used to be a graphic designer and I wasn’t happy with the look of my blog photos so I started learning about and using Canva. My first ‘creation’ can be found here.
Creating a Blogging Calendar
I’ve tried this in the past but it hasn’t worked for me. Maybe I wasn’t using the right calendar? Maybe I’m not spending enough time on the planning process? This is something on my to-do list for December so I can start in January.
Stop Comparing Myself to Other Bloggers
This is a tough one. I read many blogs and I wish I could have a larger readership and stunning photography like them. I’ve come to realize that for many bloggers out there, their blog is what they do for a living. That’s their main focus and they can create beautifully written and photographed posts 5-7 times a week. My situation is different. I work when my kids are in school. I travel to and work with clients for a large chunk of that time. I just started a newsletter. I’ll be adding Virtual Organizing services to my business model in 2017. I am working on the three goals I stated above. I blog when I can. I just have to keep reminding myself that there are only 24 hours in a day and that I’m moving my blog and my business in a positive direction…
It’s not easy to come back from any kind of hiatus. I’ll be coming back to blogging slowly–keep an eye out more pretty pics, ‘cool products,’ gotta-tell-a-friend ideas and of course, organizing know-how.
You don’t have to wait ’til January 1st to set goals. Do you have any goals for your blog, business or personal life? Share them in the comments below.
Every year around the months of March and April we hear people talking about it, we read about it in magazines, and see thousands of pins on Pinterest about it.
What could I be referring to?
Spring Cleaning!
We all use the phrase freely but do you know where the expression ‘Spring Cleaning’ actually comes from? I had no idea, so I took to Google for some answers!
The history of ‘Spring Cleaning’ tells us that back in the ‘olden days,’ spring cleaning was a much different concept than it is today. Prevalent in climates with cold winters, this type of cleaning was a necessary routine because of how people had to heat their homes and keep them lit. They would use kerosene, wood, gas, oil, and candles which caused the home to develop a dark, sooty grime around it.
The arrival of spring signaled warmer temperatures and the need to clean the ash, soot, and grime left behind on household surfaces. Thus, the notion of ‘Spring Cleaning’ was born. Thankfully, most of us have modern heating systems and have an easier spring cleaning routine. Although we have modern-day cleaning supplies, I for one am grateful that I don’t have to deal with such a mess!
Today, we do not do ‘Spring Cleaning’ for the same reasons our ancestors did. In the 21st century, most people think of ‘Spring Cleaning’ as a time to throw open the windows, exchange their sweaters for lighter-weight clothing, and clear through clutter that has collected as we burrowed in our homes during the months of winter. It’s a time to re-energize our bodies and our homes for the coming seasons.
Warmer weather is on the way! Look at your calendar…when will you make an appointment to start your Spring Cleaning?
A blog by Professional Organizer Stacey Agin Murray bursting with cool products, 'gotta-tell-a-friend' ideas, and a whole lotta organizing know-how. Learn more...
Subscribe to the Blog
Subscribe to the blog and never miss a post!
About Stacey
When you grow up in a 5’x12′ bedroom, you learn to organize pretty quickly! I chose to take that knowledge and turn it into a business helping people find what they need when they need it. I’m also the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook–a book that offers wedding thank you note-related organizing tips and how-to’s plus 101 unique sample thank you notes (what bride can’t use that?).
Creating Images in 
Contact Stacey to Get Started!
