A couple of weeks ago the ever so lovely Amanda from Cooker and a Looker nominated me to join in a blogging relay thingy called “Why I write’ and of course I said yes. I have met Amanda several times now since I first joined the world of Blogging ………and she is as cool offline as she is online. Oh and you should totally try her recipe for making the perfect Pina Colada Cocktail.
All I had to do is answer a few question about why I write and then pass the baton on to two to three more awesome bloggers. Simples! (or so I thought??)
I’ve actually never really thought about why I write before, and on reflection (and as cheesy as it sounds), I do it because I love it. It was something I never knew I loved to do until I tried it. That age old saying “Try it, you might like it’ might actually have an element of truth in it after all.
Without further ado, here is why I write…….
Right now I’m working on so many things that I am feeling more like a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none!’ than a writer, but anyway here are a few….
- I’m trying to keep my girls entertained as we’re stuck at home all week quarantined by the Whooping coup virus.
- Writing my Newsletter. I don’t know why I’m making such a mountain out of a mole hill over this. My lovely new template is designed and ready so I just need to get on with it.
- Cleaning up behind the scenes of my blog. My new and improved blog (which I LOVE) has been live for about two weeks now but there are still so many ‘housekeeping’ things that need fixing behind the scenes. It’s very time consuming but I’m really enjoying the satisfaction of it all coming together.
- I have way too many draft blogs all waiting to be finished.
- I’m in the middle of a fantastic personal coaching/blogging course called “Bright Eyed and Blog Hearted’ by Rachel MacDonald and I am LOVING it. It was meant to be a six week course but I am doing it a lot slower and in my own time (which is often limited).
- After a lovely coffee date with my friend Seana from Sydney Kids Food and Travel last week, I’ve decided to take her advice and sign myself up to an online photoshop course. I get so frustrated when I want to do some simple ‘graphic design’ and photo editing for my blog and I just don’t have the skills to do it myself.
- I’m planning our holiday to South Africa for April next year to visit family. Check out this place we’re stopping at for a few nights!!!!
- Everything else that goes along with being a stay at home Mumma.
I’m not sure that my writing is that different from other Bloggers in my genre. ‘Mummy blogging’ can include such huge and diverse range of topics that pretty much anything goes. Sometimes I like to think of myself as a ‘Lifestyle’ blogger instead, but does anyone actually know what ‘Lifestyle’ blogging entails?? I couldn’t even get a decent answer from Google!
I definitely don’t write as regularly as other Mummy Bloggers and I don’t really follow any kind of pattern or schedule. I just write whatever I feel like, when I get the time to do it. I always write as openly and honestly as I can and everything that I write is always relatable to my life at that moment. There is also only one of me, so that could be just the thing that makes me different.
I think I have to agree with Amanda on this one – I write what I do because I can. I’ve always been a talker…….. and this is just another way of chatting really. So many little things happen during the day that either make me laugh out and loud or want kick something, and there is not aways an adult around to share them with. If I phoned Mr D at work every time I had a story, I think I’d drive him insane. So I write them down instead – well try to when I have the time!
As long as I can remember my Gran has always told stories. She told the best stories ever and they were always about things that happened to her during her life. Like the time she thought she was going to die because a spitting cobra spat at her when she was breastfeeding. Or so she thought but it turned out to nothing at all but a whisper in grass. She still put herself to bed in a dark room with a wet flannel and called the doctor out to save her). True story I promise, and as crazy as it sounds she had a way of telling ALL THE DRAMA so that she had me falling on the fall laughing. She was a young mum and a midwifery sister during the war in deepest, darkest Africa, which couldn’t have been easy, but she had a knack of making all her stories nothing short of hilarious! I remember being totally captivated by every word that fell off her lips and she always used to say “I should write a book really, shouldn’t ?”.
Maybe one day I’ll write it for her, I think we’d have the best time putting it together. She had a huge tendency to exaggerate most things, which I seem to have inherited too (so FYI, you’re allowed to take some of my stories with a large pinch of salt).
Ha, this one made me chuckle! Writing process….what writing process? Being a full time mum of three means that the kids, family and household comes first. The blog, well that just gets squeezed in whenever a moment arrises. I know I should have a plan but more often than not my days never go to plan so I’ve just given up on that idea. Instead I rely heavily on memory (which is not always that reliable) and Evernote – which is very reliable.
I find that I am often my most creative right in the moment – you know like when one child is lost in the supermarket and the other is screaming for lollies……..suddenly I feel the need to tell a story but by the time I get around to it the moment is lost. I always try to jot things down in Evernote whenever possible so that when I do get a chance to write I have a whole bunch of inspiration at my fingertips (In theory).
I also largely write around my photographs. I LOVE taking photos and you’ll almost always find me behind the lens not in front of it. I’m a real amateur photographer when it comes to skill, but the passion is there. Often when I’m putting a blog post together I will put the photos in first and the words will just fit around them.
So there you have it, a bit of an insight into why I write. Now it’s my turn to pass on the baton and I have picked two very different but equality fabulous bloggers.
Introducing Margaret from Techie Mum
Margaret is a mum and a techie lover and her blog is definitely one to have on your list of favourites. She un-complicates the sometimes complicated everyday technology that we all use in our lives. Whether it’s a must have new App or gadget, teaching you how to do a Power Point presentation or guiding parents through everything they need to know about helping their child do homework online – Techie Mum has it covered.
And this the lovely is Che from Indieberries
Che’s blog has just got a whole new look too and she’s expanded into all sorts of fabulous things – stunning (and personalised) wedding guest books, the cutest stationary and even web design, she’ll be taking over the world soon. Her blog is still full of hilarious cartoons, lots of fun tutorials and the super useful business bites where she has some great tips on everything you need to know about blogging and business.
You can find out where the where the “why I write’ relay started and to read all the other fabulous posts HERE.
Such a gorgeous post Robyn! It is so nice getting to know everyone a little better & what started us on this bloggy path we are on!
Your new look is brilliant! So crisp & pretty! xx
Thank you Jodie, I’m so pleased with it. I LOVE the whole world of blogging, there are just so many amazing and lovely people out there I can’t believe I didn’t join it sooner xxx
Fabulous post lovely! And the look of your blog just gets better by the day. I love the sound of your new course and that you’re getting into photography more. Us personal bloggers do have it hard as we only have ourselves to peddle, says the awesome Mrs Woog! xx
So true Em but luckily for us we have fabulous bikes (and hopefully that means fabulous legs too) xx
You have so much in the pipeline, Robyn! It’s all very exciting. The course sounds brilliant and I love the new look of your blog. Meanwhile, how hilarious is your Gran. You guys should seriously write a book!
The idea only came while I was writing this post – but really we SO should!! I’ll break it to Mr D gently that I need to fly to South Africa to spend a week with Gran to get it all done, lol xxx
Hi, I’m new to your blog and visiting through always Josefa’s link up. Love the sound of your photography course, can I ask who you’re doing yours through, it’s something I’ve often thought to do myself. I’m useless with photoshop! Lovely post by the way, I can totally relate to the trying to take notes or remember your thoughts as the day goes on, my 2 girls are a distraction whenever i try to do something like that. I end up with little scraps of paper all over my desk! x
Hi Carly and welcome. Lovely to meet you and thanks so much for reading. Do you have an email address and I’ll send you all the details of the course I’m doing. It’s not one that is too in-depth as I just don’t have the time to put into it, but I can’t wait to get stuck in xxx
I’m so sorry, I meant to Write Carla, not Carly and it wouldn’t let me edit the comment xx
Stunning blog post Robyn. Gran will be so proud you wrote about her -she’ll probably faint!!!
Thanks Sue. I will sent her the link of email and hopefully she’ll be able to read it on her ipad. I must phone her too. We’re coming out for Easter next year so it would be so great to see you all xx
Next time I’m face to face with a spitting cobra, I’ll summon a wash cloth and pop off for a little lie down. Hilarious!
Great post Robyn. I’m looking forward to hearing about your photography course, I saw Seana’s post about it and thought it looked awesome.
PS. Nambiti Hills looks amazing! Very jealous!
Doesn’t it???? I am beyond excited about going there!
Thanks hon. I think I might write a post about the photography course. Mine is not as big and in-depth as Seana’s one as I just don’t have the time to invest in that. maybe once all the kids are at school I could do that one. xxx
Hi Robyn,
Fairly new to your blog and facebook page, you have a gorgeous little family and a great fun writing style! I absolutely love the new layout too. I saw the pic of your lovely sister and niece, and wondered if you minded me asking what route she took into teaching? I’ve wanted to take the plunge to train for a while but I also have a daughter (and a full time job), so it’s tricky to get the practical experience required!!
Keep on doing what you’re doing – it’s fabulous! 🙂
Sophie xoxo
Love this post, Robyn. Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s warm and engaging and just works. PS. The blog is looking fabulous!
Hah! I can see you do take after your Gran. I think that writing, esp on blogs, the the online equivalent of nattering at the school gate. When you find something great, it’s fab to share it, and that’s what blogging is… and a chance to share a few laughs and sometimes tears too. Keep it up and go you with the Photoshop course.
Business planning https://danielclarkebouchard.com/6-tips-on-how-to-write-a-good-business-plan/ is a fundamental process in any organization, large or small. This process allows the business to outline a series of goals that the business must accomplish in order to be successful. A business plan can help the business to stay organized and develop an effective executive summary. A well-developed business plan can also serve as a roadmap that can be used to measure the performance of the company against the original plans and strategies.