Starting a Blog

You may have always thought about starting a blog but never did it. This is me in life. I day dream about most things I want to do. And then, I never do them. Why? I let fear win. Fear of what you might ask? Fear of failure. Fear of criticism. The excuses keep pouring in. You have to learn to let that fear go. Start the business you dream of. Start that beauty blog today. Take baby steps, like I do. I blog at my own pace. These days I have been having more confidence in the blogging world. I realized something this year. If I don't try, then I'll never know. I went to my first blogging conference this year. Was it helpful? Yes, I made many connections with different brands. 

Not all bloggers want to blog for income. Some do it for fun. First decide what type of blog you want. Do you want to make money from blogging? Then you should buy a domain name. If you want to just blog for friends and family you don't need to pay money up front. 

For example, When I first started blogging I was doing it as a hobby. So I started using blogger because it felt easy to navigate. Later on, I bought my domain name. 

Pick a Blogging Platform

There are many blogging platforms to choose from. 

• Blogger
• Wordpress
• Squarespace
• Weebly
• Wix

Many sources say that Wordpress and Squarespace is the way to go. These two will give you many design options to choose from. I must say that I'm still happy with my blogger blog. 

Pick a Niche

What kind of blog will you have? There are so many categories to choose from. 

• Lifestyle (usually consists of DIY projects, recipes, products, etc.)
• Beauty (hair, makeup, products, tutorials)
• Fashion (apparel, cool shops, fashionistas)
• Food (recipes, baking, cooking, drool worthy food photography)
• Reviews & Giveaways (product reviews, giveaways)
• Geek (comics, video games, board games, toys)

I categorize my blog as lifestyle and reviews. Sometimes I blog about food, crafts, reviews, and other family type stuff. 

Create a Header/Logo

If you want to start off right, make a pretty header. I had the basic title for Blogger for such a long time. I finally had a friend make me a header. It looks so much better now. If you don't have the money to pay someone to do it, try doing it yourself. Picmonkey and Canva are two great resources when making graphics or for editing photos.

Photography

My favorite blogs all have one major thing in common. Large, beautiful photos that are visually appealing. You can take your own photos and use stock photography as well. For my lifestyle and review blog I have always used my own photos. 

Social Media Icons

Make sure your social media icons are visible to all. If your visitors enjoy the blog they will want to follow you on social media. Social media is where you will share your blog posts. You can even customize the icons to be any color or style you want. 

These are some basic suggestions for starting a blog. I could go on and on with what I have learned over the years. Do you have a blog? What advice would you give someone starting a blog for the first time?

Spring Time Savings Coupon Center

Baby Coupons

Here are a few coupons for baby products.




Huggies Diapers:
Get $2.00 Off any ONE (1) package of HUGGIES® Diapers (Jumbo pack or larger)

Balmex Diaper Rash Cream:
Save $2.00 On any one (1) Balmex® Diaper Rash Cream (2oz, 4oz or 16oz)

Pampers Diapers:
$1.50 OFF ONE Pampers® Swaddlers Diapers (excludes trial/travel size)


We are expecting a new baby in September. Coupons will be a big help.

Shop And Save With Groupon Coupons

Save Money With Groupon Coupons

(*This is a sponsored Post. All opinions are my own.*)

Groupon Coupons has money saving coupons for everyone. I have used Groupon before but never was aware of the coupon section. Now that I know, I will be using the coupons more often to save money. You can save on clothing. That best thing is these coupons and the database is free of charge. 

We are expecting baby number three in late September. I was not really planning on having another child so we had gotten rid of most of our baby gear and all the clothes. I'm in luck because it seems Carter's has a bunch of coupons available. I love the selection they have for baby clothes.

They also have a whole lot of deals for Target. I looked up target and it says around 101 coupons available. My family goes to Target at least once a week. We have also ordered with them online before. I know for a fact I will be getting most of our baby gear there. Some of the coupons will state online or others will say In-Store. 

Growing families need to budget their funds. Money will be tight for a while but I'm glad Groupon Coupons exist and I can use it whenever I shop. This will also come in handy for the holidays. An extra child means extra gifts and toys. Saving money will be important.

Have you used Groupon Coupons before? 

Whole Foods App for Phone

Whole Foods App

I recently came across this app. Any coupon for Whole Foods is great to me. It can be pretty expensive if you do your whole grocery shopping there. Sometimes we joke about "Whole Check".

I like the produce section and the bakery area the best. 

This app is available for iPhone and android. 

If you like traditional coupons you can still pick up their flyer or print them out from the Whole Foods website.

Do you shop at Whole Foods?

Pom Pom Maker

pom pom maker

I have been seeing a whole lot of pom pom garlands. Pom poms are even great to make mobiles or even wall decor. Cats also love them. 

I found this fun pom pom maker in Michael's Craft store. A place that I could spend a ton of time in, not to mention money too.

Pom Pom

They are fairly easy to use. My first try wasn't bad, but you can tell I need to make it fluffier. So that means wind more yarn. 

You wind the yarn on each side. Then close the side. I also needed to tie the middle a little tighter. I think I would use a strong string instead of yarn to tie.

Once you are done with your pom pom you can take scissors and make yarn all one length. Forming a perfect little pom pom.

I got two different sizes. One medium and one large. They come in two smaller sizes.

I think I'm going to play with different types of yarn and colors. 

Have you made a pom pom garland before?